LOS ENONTRE

Mama Rosmel

Super super long and crazy week. As some of you guys know, last Saturday I met my birth mom. I will tell you all as much of the story as I can without boring you. Haha!  For the past 20 months of my mission, I have been telling the same story. “I was born here in Zacapa Guatemala, then when I was six months old I was adopted by a family in the United States. That's why I'm brown but I can't speak Spanish”.  haha. I came on my mission with my original Birth Certificate, so I always knew my birth mom's name (Rosmel Munoz Godoy). When we went to RENAP (the place where they deal with ID issues) I asked them to search for her name. So they did and they said that she doesn't have any ID in their system and is not a citizen of Guatemala, but, they did have the name of my birth sister Haydee. (We knew that my birth mom had 3 kids before she gave birth to me)

A couple months later, I told a member of our ward here in Alotenango my adoption story and they were super interested. They said they were going to find my birth family on facebook.  They searched, and the next day they told me that they found my sisters and brother on Facebook. (I knew it was truly them because my brother looks so much like me.) Then we found an aunt and a cousin named Leslie on facebook also. I reached out to Leslie because I was 100% sure my siblings didn't know about me and I didn't want to create problems. After reaching out to Leslie I didn’t hear anything back. (I just asked her if she knew who Rosmel Munoz Godoy was).  Another week goes by and I reached out to her Facebook again but still no response. So for 3 months I have gone without any response.

With no response from the cousin Leslie I decided to reach out again and tell my story and explain that Rosmel is my birth mother and I am trying to contact her.  A few weeks ago I was in a lesson and I saw a notification come in from my cousin Leslie. She was obviously confused so that night I got permission to get on a FaceTime call with Leslie and her mother (my aunt) Olvia. We talked about everything. They didn’t know anything about me.  (Rosmel hadn’t told anyone about her pregnancy or giving up a baby.)  It’s insane that it went so well. They were both very nice and loving. 

So the next day they talked to my birth mom and told her I had reached out to them and she was obviously surprised!  Rosmel then told my siblings about me. A couple days later she reached out to me and we talked for the first time. It was pretty awkward, but such a cool experience. Throughout the past couple of weeks, we have been in communication and she expressed the fact that she wanted to come visit me. I talked to my President, and made arrangements.  I was making a trip with ward members to go to the Quetzaltenango temple Saturday 26th.  I would have time outside the temple for her to meet me while the ward members went in to do temple work for the day. That experience was awesome. We talked about so many things and she told me about the whole process of my adoption. Shortly after she put me up for adoption she moved to Mexico and has been there for the past 19 plus years. (She traveled from Mexico to meet me last Saturday)

After getting to know each other, I talked to her about God’s plan for me and for her and I taught her about the gospel. It was such a spiritual experience and it was a dream to meet her in front of the house of the Lord. After we met, she was able to travel back to my area with my ward members.  She stayed with a ward member overnight and was able to come to church with me on the next day - Sunday.  We taught her about forgiveness and baptism and she is excited to start going to church in Mexico where she lives and will be meeting with the missionaries in her area.  

There is a lot more to the story, hours of explaining.  I am happy to explain it to you all in 3 short months when I come home.   I found out that I have 3 older 1/2 siblings and 5 younger 1/2 siblings. Me and my parents will be stopping in Mexico on our way home from my mission to meet and visit with my whole birth family…

Rosmel my mom (46 years old)

Haydee - sister (30) and her kids moisés(11), cecilia(6), and marisol(2)

Byron - brother (28) and his kids Rosita(5) and Edy(3)

Cindy - sister (26) and her kids Edward(8) and Verenice(5)

Marely sister (18) and her daughter Karla(2)

Anderson - brother (16)

Osbeli - brother (12)

Yanet - sister (11)

Yuretzy - sister (6)

 

God has a Plan for you. I know it. I don't know exactly what my plan is or how this will all look in the future but what I do know is that if I remain faithful, I will be able to fulfill His plan and it will only be for my benefit. I love you guys so much and please stay safe!

Scripture of the Week:

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Jeremías 1:5 “Antes que te formase en el vientre, te conocí; y antes que nacieses, te santifiqué; te di por profeta a las nacione”

Mama Rosmel

I have a tag with my birth Family's name on it

Lunch with Cuates

Mama y primos

(My cousins Leslie her daugher Alice, my mom,

another cousin Alexis & my comp Elder Colque)

Goat

    SEMANA SANTA

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

sand art rugs

Good week this week. Super crazy week with Semana Santa (Holy Week) and everything. Guatemalans have a ton of traditions for this week with everything … art, music, food, etc. Honestly super cool to be here during all the tradition but it makes it a lil complicated with the work but we still had a good week. 

Huge miracle actually. We had a few investigators show up to church this week completely unexpected. Two of them had been referrals last transfer but we couldn’t ever get in contact with them. The person who gave us the reference lives outside of the mission but was visiting one day so he gave us the references but nothing happened. But this Sunday we were in church and we got a call from the guy and he was asking what time church started.  I said it already started but that there were other wards so he could go to one of those wards. So he did and brought the references from last transfer and their cousin. Their names are James, Michelle, and Wendy. So awesome to see and they even stayed after with so many questions. Wendy was so curious and we showed her the baptismal font and she kept asking and asking what she could do to be baptized. The Spirit there was so strong and we are so excited to work with them again. This time I feel like it'll be good. 

I loved this week. It was really a good reflection week and I love all the teachings that Christ made in the last week of his life. He is so incredible and I am astonished by his humbleness. He never thought about himself. Ever. What he wanted was always the will of the father. I know we all have a LONG way to go to get the level of humbleness but we can always start little by little. I love when Jesus is on the Cross and says, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He was thinking about them. I love a quote that says, ”humbleness is not thinking less of ourselves, it's thinking less about ourselves”. Forgive those who hurt you, think about them and love them like Jesus would. 

Love you all, be safe

Scripture of the Week:

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Lucas 23:34 “Y Jesús decía: Padre, perdónalos, porque no saben lo que hacen. Y repartieron entre sí sus vestidos, echando suertes.”

Las alfombras (the rugs)

My uncle Scott baptized this lady's grandmother!  

(Her name is Glena)

Making bread for Semana Santa

Osorio Family from San Martin

Michelle, Wendy and Chezzuaff

Distrito Cuestas

Hombre de maiz

    BABY BLESSING & BAPTISM

Bap and Blessin

Super good week this week. Christopher got baptized and we also gave his little sister a baby blessing! Honestly a super sick experience to be able to give a baby blessing and also finally hold a baby for the first time in the mish. I missed it a lot. Her name is Crystal and she has soooo much hair haha. She was so good during the blessing and Christopher was also super good in the baptism. He’s a little kid and the water was so cold, what a champion. 

We had another fecha that was supposed to happen on Sunday too but he got scared. He is super ready but also super new, so he got cold feet but he did came to church. Usually when someone has a fecha for that Sunday and it falls through, they don’t come to church. But Eber beat satan and came to both hours of church and stayed for the baptism when he was supposed to be getting baptized as well. Champion. We just really need to focus in on him this week and we definitely think he will get baptized. Pray for Eber.

Lately the work has been hard with Easter going on. A lot of people are gone and a lot of people take a lot of pride in their religions this week so it’s been a little tough but it has also given us the opportunity to take pride in our religion and to share about the atonement. Easter is such a special time and I love the mission because I have grown such a greater love and knowledge of this week and what it really means. Christ teaches us so much about His love for us and how we can also share that love. When we love others, we are loving Christ.

I invite all of you guys to think and study about this Easter week and share your love to others all around you. Love you guys so much and be safe.

Scripture of the Week:

John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” 

Juan 15:13 “Nadie tiene mayor amor que este, que uno ponga su vida por sus amigos.”

Patojos (kids)

Molino

Zone Conference

    LAST CONFERENCE

La Zona Solola

Super good this week and we had transfers. I’m with Elder Colque. He’s from Bolivia and he’s a super cute kid, super ready to work. Conference was super good and I received a lot of answers. I went in with a question on how I can be more confident, or just less scared. Less scared to contact everyone I can, less scared to be direct with people, less scared to get home, etc. So I was praying all week and I got an answer. 

My mom sent a package for my birthday and sent a little wristband. It says, “Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not, fear not”. I was wearing this wrist all week leading up to conference trying to figure out how to be more confident in everything and didn't even notice I had the answer.  

I have a short email this week but we all have so many fears and there are so many things that we don't want to do because it's risky or because it's scary. We all have it. And one of Satan's biggest tactics is fear. I love 2 Nephi 31: “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men”. In James 1:6 it says"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”. 

If there is something you are waiting to do, do it. If it is good in the sight of the Lord, He will make sure it all works out. Love you all be safe 

Scripture of the Week:

D&C 6:36 “ Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

DyC 6:36 “ Mirad hacia mí en todo pensamiento; no dudéis; no temáis.”

Sister Training Leaders e Inglaterrra

    COME FOLLOW ME

Amo a Jesus

Yo what's up super good week. Going to write a super quick email but we had a lot of progress this week. We've been working in a village called San Jorge and it's been super fun. Before, there was not much going on there but we met with the members and got references and we had awesome lessons. We met this guy named Eber and he was a reference and then he came to church 2 days later. Super goat and all during the second hour he was asking us so many questions and they were all the right questions to be asking. We had a lesson with him after and put a goal for him to get baptized on the 13th. He's a goat and can be super ready by then I know it. 

Here's a little quote I want to share with you guys as well, it has helped me a lot through the mission and I hope it can help you guys too.

“Salvation is not a cheap experience, no one is going to have rich abundant experiences for minimal effort.  I do believe that there is something in this walk of salvation, this quest that says we have to pay something for that.

When we've come to know the Savior, it's when we've been out something in the border lines of Gethsemane. The road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane and it will always require a journey to the summit of calvary.  If we say we are disciples of Christ, we walk where he walked, we feel what he felt, we pray the way he prayed and we shed the tears that he shed in some proportion.

The invitation is always "Come follow me”.  That journey will be somewhere in the border lands of Gethsemane and at least somewhere in the shadow of calvary”.  -   Jeffrey R. Holland

Anyways that was a cool little story I wanted to share with you all and hope you guys are all doing super good. Stay safe

Scripture of the Week:

D&C 58:2-4 “2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. 4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand”

DyC 58:2-4 “2 Porque de cierto os digo, bienaventurado es el que guarda mis mandamientos, sea en vida o muerte; y el que es fiel en la tribulación tendrá mayor galardón en el reino de los cielos. 3 Por lo pronto no podéis ver con vuestros ojos naturales el designio de vuestro Dios concerniente a las cosas que vendrán más adelante, ni la gloria que seguirá después de mucha tribulación. 4 Porque tras mucha tribulación vienen las bendiciones. Por tanto, viene el día en que seréis coronados con mucha gloria; la hora no es aún, mas está cerca”

District Chacaya

Sisters

Elder Muñoz and Elder Aronda

Obispo Aviola and Family

Chacaya