UNO ANO

Servicio

Yo super full and super fast week. A lot happened this week and we found a lot of new people to teach that are actually interested. First off though, hit a year which is honestly not that crazy. It felt great to hit a year. I feel like I have been here for a while and have learned and grown so much. Tough that I have a whole other year left, but I realized that I am going to learn just as much and grow just as much, so I'm pretty pumped about that. Trying to get perfect Spanish and a perfect accent before I go home. 

So this week we did a service project for the English Academy and it was lit. Dug holes, planted trees, and had a lil churrasquito on the dirt. Solid servicio. We had to go to the mission office tho because the niños in the district had immigration. So I took the 3 to the mission offices and we stayed the night there. We did some divisions with the AP's and we got wrecked by the rain. Shoutout Nomadic tho, backpack is very waterproof. I learned a lot though from that. We just kept visiting people even though we were soaked, I wanna get the diligence of Elder Hess. Year 2 goal. Then we stayed the night with like 20 other missionaries and then my comp and all the new Kids left to do immigration at like 4 am. The next morning though we got a call from an investigator and the owner of the English Academy died so we had a funeral for the next 2 days. Super sad though, all the kids and the staff were so sad. Taught a lot of the plan of Salvation this week and it was good to give the message of hope.

Michael is progressing like crazy still. He changed his baptism date to August 31st. He has also been studying like crazy and has left a couple times with us to teach people.  Bro has been helping us teach for about 2 weeks. The area is looking up and there is so much to do which has been super fun to get invested in the area. 

Something amazing happened as well with Michael's mom, who at first didn't want anything to do with us. We went and visited them and we shared the Book of Mormon with her. She had questions, and all the right questions. Where, what, why and then most importantly how can we know if it's true. We explained and answered her questions and it went well. She asked though, what else have you taught and how have you taught it? She said “My son Michael has never taken interest in churches and has gone to about every church there is. He has changed so much in the 2 weeks that you have taught him. How did you convince him to go to your church?” So after that we explained the HOW we can know. We explained that we literally have done nothing besides testify and that when a humble heart listens, reads, and then prays, 100% of the time, they will know without doubt that this book and this church are true. She turned quickly and understood and I'm assuming felt the spirit. She told us she wants to be taught and read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Insane miracle that I knew would come eventually, but it came a lot sooner than I thought. If I stay another transfer, stay tuned, Michael is gonna baptize his mom and little brother fs!

A lot of other great things happened this week and we can only give credit to the Lord. Love you all and I want all of us to be like Michael. HUMBLE enough to learn. Miss you all and I'd love to hear from you guys!

Scripture of the Week:

Proverbs 13:10 “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom”

Proverbios 13:10 “Ciertamente la soberbia producirá contienda,pero con los bien aconsejados está la sabiduría.”

Service Project 

Our Homie Violet - getting baptized soon

Puro Hombre de maíz

El Grande Elder Hess 

One more year ma and pa

    GUATIES NO ENTIENDEN

Aldrea run

Hey what's up everyone. Another good week this week. To be honest, not anything crazy happened so sorry I don't have any cool stories for this week. I did divisions with one of the Elders in my district and he is just starting the mission as well. Insanely funny kid. His name is Elder Culebro and I want to be as happy as this kid. He loves the mish and is always having a good time. Straight goat. We honestly did not make very much progress this week in the area, but that's ok. Too many families are straight women so we literally just can't teach them because the dad works all day lol. We'll keep looking though for sure. 

I think the biggest take away that I had from this week was that I didn't feel as happy. Not because the work is super hard or because I'm home sick or whatever else. I think I realized it was kind of a tough week because I wasn't teaching with love. I was getting super frustrated because the people couldn't understand and they just really are so blind so I started to get so mad. Then I realized well, that's what is going to happen and not everyone will understand. But especially because no one will understand from my efforts alone. Doesn't matter how many scriptures I know, if I'm getting frustrated and upset during these lessons then I will not have the help of the spirit and it will be impossible for me to help someone be converted. So this week my goal is to be A LOT more patient and loving and I believe I will be able to see a lot more miracles. Humbleness is the hardest thing to learn on the mission. But it is so important in conversion for the investigator and especially the missionary. 

Love you all, and I'd love to see an email from you guys this week. Miss you guys. Shout out Bowser and Randy. Such legends it's insane

Scripture of the Week:

Ether 12:27: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Éter 12:27:y si los hombres vienen a mí, les mostraré su debilidad. Doy a los hombres debilidad para que sean humildes; y basta mi gracia a todos los hombres que se humillan ante mí; porque si se humillan ante mí, y tienen fe en mí, entonces haré que las cosas débiles sean fuertes para ellos".

Culebs 

Randy answered my mom's phone -

had to cop a flick

    LA FE

Our friend Michael Debut

Super good week this week but super tiring. P-day went super fast today which is kinda L, still balled on the cancha tho. 

Not going to lie, it's been a tough start in San Ray. All of our investigators were super not progressing at all so we had a big planning session and dropped like everyone from teaching and started from scratch. A lil discouraging at first not going to lie but I was praying for some motivation and I got it. So this week at multi zone conference we talked about inviting to baptism to every contact and having the faith to do so. Inviting to baptism has always been hard for me on the very first contact but the AP's got me pumped to do so. Afterwards though, President spoke about having the faith to baptize. He played us a clip from a talk by Thomas S. Monson in the October 1983 conference called “Labels”. Here's what it said:

“Sometimes cities and nations bear special labels of identity. Such was a cold and very old city in Eastern Canada. The missionaries called it “Stony Kingston.” There had been but one convert to the Church in six years, even though missionaries had been continuously assigned there during the entire interval. No one baptized in Kingston. Just ask any missionary who labored there. Time in Kingston was marked on the calendar like days in prison. A missionary transfer to another place—any place—would be uppermost in thoughts, even in dreams. While I was praying about and pondering this sad dilemma, for my responsibility then as a mission president required that I pray and ponder about such things, my wife called to my attention an excerpt from the book, A Child’s Story of the Prophet Brigham Young, by Deta Petersen Neeley. She read aloud that Brigham Young entered Kingston, Ontario, on a cold and snow-filled day. He labored there about thirty days and baptized forty-five souls. Here was the answer. If the missionary Brigham Young could accomplish this harvest, so could the missionaries of today. Without providing an explanation, I withdrew the missionaries from Kingston, that the cycle of defeat might be broken. Then the carefully circulated word: “Soon a new city will be opened for missionary work, even the city where Brigham Young proselyted and baptized forty-five persons in thirty days.” The missionaries speculated as to the location. Their weekly letters pleaded for the assignment to this Shangri-la. More time passed. Then four carefully selected missionaries—two of them new, two of them experienced—were chosen for this high adventure. The members of the small branch pledged their support. The missionaries pledged their lives. The Lord honored both. In the space of three months, Kingston became the most productive city of the Canadian Mission. The grey limestone buildings still stood, the city had not altered its appearance, the population remained constant. The change was one of attitude. The label of doubt yielded to the label of faith.”

This was the exact answer I needed. I felt like my prayers were answered and I felt motivated to change the faith I had in San Raymundo. Then President started talking about an area in the mission that was the “Stony Kingston” of the Antigua Mission. But one missionary named Elder Perez changed the label of San Martin. Before, there had only been 3 baptisms in 3 years and Elder Perez asked President that for his last 2 transfers of his mission, he wanted to go to San Martin and train a new missionary which turned out to be me.  So he asked me to get up and explain what happened. So I was super emotional at this time and it was hard to get all of the words out to explain but the faith that Elder Perez had, Changed my mission, but also San Martin and there have been baptisms there ever since. Shout out Chicken

So after, I got super motivated to get back out and try and turn San Raymundo around. And we got very blessed and were able to put a baptismal date with our friend Michael for September 7. Sí, con fe, milagros vienen

Love you guys

les amo

Scripture of the Week:

1 Samuel 2:30 “Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

1 Samuel 2:30 “Por tanto, Jehová el Dios de Israel dice: Yo había dicho que tu casa y la casa de tu padre andarían delante de mí perpetuamente; mas ahora ha dicho Jehová: Nunca haga yo tal cosa, porque yo honraré a los que me honran, y los que me desprecian serán tenidos en poco”

Elder Barby vest swap

La Familia

La Zona Florida

    SAN RAY

Elderes de San Raymundo

Aight good week this week but pretty slow again work wise. She's tough out here in San Ray but it's still early, we'll make a comeback. We've probably taught the restoration a total of 50 times the past couple weeks and it's good because I am getting practice and my companion is getting good at teaching lesson 1. We are just so sick of it and we want to teach something new so bad lol.

We've met some new people this past week and their hearts are hard, stubborn, closed, but they are so close to accepting the restoration. Please pray for San Raymundo lol.

We met this one chiller named Sebastian and he is insanely close. We've got him to understand why there was a need for a restoration but it's still early and he is praying so hopefully he gets his answer soon. The way we met him was pretty sick though. We were walking through town on one of our first days here and we saw him and his Family carrying a lot of wood into their house. So we offered to help and how great of a blessing that service was for us. We got his number and then he left town for a week so our first lesson with him was this last week and it went great. He's humble and insanely ready to learn.

We have a lot of people who are super receptive but it's going to be a grind to get em to church. We have been busy and it’s been hard so I would love all of your prayers for San Raymundo. It’s going to be tough to get this place going but I know it can be done with faith and the power of prayer. Please help us out!! I know we just all fasted on Sunday but I am gonna fast on Wednesday for San Raymundo and I want to invite you all to fast for the San Raymundo in your guy's life. 

Love you all and I know that you guys will see miracles through faith in our Heavenly Father through fasting!

Scripture of the Week:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

Jeremìas 17:7-8 “7 Bendito el hombre que confía en Jehová, y cuya confianza es Jehová. 8 Porque será como el árbol plantado junto a las aguas, que junto a la corriente echa sus raíces, y no temerá cuando venga el calor, sino que su hoja estará verde; y en el año de sequía no se angustiará ni dejará de dar fruto.”

Water break

Chillin

Los Chamacos

Elder Barber heading home - Goat

    SAN RAY

Meeting my new comp Elder Giles

(A couple of groms)

Yo what up, insane changes this past week. So as you guys know, I was transferred but I didn't know where I was going yet. On Tuesday we did all of our goodbyes and it was sad but it was time to leave. The ward in Milagro helped me in so many ways and I made some insanely good friends in my time there.

Now onto the next chapter of my mish. Transfers were on Wednesday and I was nervous to see where I was going and who I was going to be training. I got transferred to San Raymundo which is technically in the city but it does not give off city vibes at all. We are touching my first area San Martin and it gives off San Martin vibes a lot. It is a small town with a lot of Aldeas (villages) outside of the main city. It is dead silent at night and no one is outside so it's insanely different from Milagro. I also received my new comp Elder Giles. He just got here and I got lucky enough to train him. It's been super fun with him, he's such a legend. Seeing all the funny things he does as a new missionary makes me realize I am literally just training myself. I will say he's a lot more mature than I was. He is just starting to learn Spanish and is pretty worried about the food just like I was. We haven't had water all week so it was a tough start to his mish and I really felt for him but he really looks past all of the 3rd world trials. He's such a goat. 

Saying goodbye to the Milagro Central Ward was hard but the last person I talked to was my friend Marco. He told me something that has already changed my mission and honestly probably my life. I talked to him last transfer about some of the baptisms and how I was stressed about preparing all of them and making sure they stayed active after their baptisms. He told me that way too many missionaries and people waste time, energy, and happiness on worrying! It made me realize that everything will be alright. We need to baptize and have faith everything will work out! And then he said the same thing to me when I left. “Don't be afraid to put someone in the water”. It really got me prepared for this transfer and I have been able to share that with my companion. Starting the mission is insanely hard and so many things run through your head. I have been blessed by my friend Marco to help me and my companion stay calm in stressful situations and learn to love and have fun in the mission. 

Love you all insanely and miss you all!

Scripture of the Week:

Mosiah 24:14 “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”

Mosíah 24:14 “Y también aliviaré las cargas que pongan sobre vuestros hombros, de manera que no podréis sentirlas sobre vuestras espaldas, mientras estéis en servidumbre; y esto haré yo para que me seáis testigos en lo futuro, y para que sepáis de seguro que yo, el Señor Dios, visito a mi pueblo en sus aflicciones.”

Last few days in Milagro Central

Best Jóvenes in Guat

The Hernandez' - Utah 2025 trip

w them gonna be lit

Extrano a Ruffy

Elder Giles and Elder Barber

(another couple of groms)

My new area - San Raymundo

Hard working Guaties

Reading material

    3/4 BAPS

3/4 Baps

Yo what up, super slow week but it was lit. After last P-day, Elder Barber stayed with us for a day and it was so lit to have him for a day. If you guys remember, he was my comp on my 3rd transfer in the mish and he is now a traveling AP so he came and stayed with us for a day, super lit. Me, Elder Ruff, and Elder Barber would be a crazy trio for a transfer ngl. The week was good though with the work. We have a couple really cool people who are starting to take us seriously so it's been fun. We also had the opportunity to be involved in a couple baptisms for the ward! We had an investigator who was also going to get baptized but we got her in the water and she got too scared so unfortunately she wasn't baptized but her cousins and another kid from the ward did hahaha. All good though, she just needs a little bit more time to prepare to get under the water. 

I am also being transferred this Wednesday. It'll be fun and I am pumped. A lil bit nervous too tho. President called me today and said “You will be District Leader, training a brand new kid, and white washing an area. So not very much responsibility”. Obviously he was joking but it'll be fun and I'm pumped to see who all these new kids are that come in. 

One thing that I did do this week though was listen to an Elder Bednar NTC Devotional. I think I might have mentioned it when I was in the MTC but imma do it again because it is so good for everyone to hear. He said that his mission president asked him this question,”What would we do if the prophet fell away from the church and disowned it?” I thought well, that would be so insanely sad and I would probably doubt a lot of things after that. But he said that his mission president said he would not be shaken in the slightest. I thought, how is that possible but then I listened more and Elder Bednar's mission president said that he isn't converted to the prophet. He is converted to the Lord and he knows for himself, with 0 doubt that the church is true. I realized dang, I'm a long way from that but it gave me a perspective that it should not matter what happens in life. No matter how terrible, we need to be converted to the church and never leave it. He said if at any moment we say the church isn't true, that just means we aren't true to the church

I love you all and I want you guys to convert yourselves to the Lord in any way you guys think you can. Life is scary and tough and I love you all too much to see faith lost! Be safe out there!

Scripture of the Week:

D&C 25:2 “A revelation I give unto you concerning my will; and if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will preserve thy life, and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion”

DyC 25:2 “Te doy una revelación concerniente a mi voluntad; y si eres fiel y andas por las sendas de la virtud delante de mí, te preservaré la vida y recibirás una herencia en Sion”

#1 Fam in Guat

Hernandez Family

    WELLS BRAYDEN KENNEY

My new nephew Wells

Wow, Super super long week this week. I was sick literally the entire time and it was something different everyday. Started from the last P-day when I sneezed about 200 times on the bus, boogers and snot and everything running down my nose. 0 tissues too so I just used my sweatshirt, super gross. Then the next morning I woke up super sick with a fever, then we did divisions and I went to a different area for that day and night and I got even sicker. Stomach was dying, I had a super high fever!  It was not ideal. Then the next day got back and my head was killing along with my stomach and super rough day. Then the sore throat started, it was annoying the first day and then the next 3 days hurt so bad. Couldn't eat because it hurt so bad to swallow. Texted some pics to my sister in law Sydney who is a nurse and she said it's tonsillitis. Super tough. We are definitely getting better though. However it was not all terrible. 2 really amazing things happened this week

So on Friday when I couldn’t take anymore, I went and took an hour nap at home then woke up feeling even worse somehow but we had dinner with a member family so we went. It was insanely hard to get out of bed but I felt like we needed to go so we did. After dinner they asked us for blessings because their family has been super sick lately so we gave 4 blessings of health and 2 of comfort. It was exhausting but afterwards, I felt almost no pain for the rest of the night! It was a very cool lesson I learned that night. I had received 3 blessings from my comp and not that they didn’t “work”, I just didn’t improve my health. But after I served this family and blessed them with health instead of asking God to just heal me; which is what I had been doing, I was given some grace. Even though the next day I got worse, God wanted me to learn that even in our times of afflictions, sicknesses, weakness, we can still serve other people who are going through those same things and we can be blessed from our selflessness and our service. Great experience and I don't want to experience it again to be honest, but I am glad I got sick this last week so I could learn from it. 

Then the best thing that happened this week is we welcomed a new member to the family. Wells Brayden Kenney was born on Tuesday, July 9 and I could not be prouder of my sister Soph and my brother Brayden. I am so jealous I can't be there to meet him right now and hold him. Instead I was gargling hydrogen peroxide at 3 am trying to relieve my throat but just one more year!  Shout out Wells, bro made it to earth.

Love you all and remember, our afflictions suck, but thank our Heavenly Father for them. He gives them to us to learn and we need to take advantage. As always, Email on Monday, miss you guys.

John 10:17-18 “17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”

Juan 10:17-18 “17 Por eso me ama el Padre, porque yo pongo mi vida, para volverla a tomar. 18 Nadie me la quita, sino que yo la pongo de mí mismo. Tengo poder para ponerla, y tengo poder para volverla a tomar. Este mandamiento recibí de mi Padre.”

Mis 3 Mejores Amigos

    LOS TESTIGOS

Anai and Angel's Baptism

Solid Week this week. First off, Angel and Anaí got baptized! They had never met before but they are so cool; they said they'd be down to have a joint baptism. So on Saturday they got baptized. It was one of the most special baptisms I have ever been to. One of our recent converts in the ward told us to teach Anaí and he came with us to every lesson with her and he was able to baptize her! Justin is already an insanely good missionary. Angel is a friend of our second counselor in the bishopric so we had him get baptized by him! They were both so ready to put past things behind them and move forward on the straight and narrow. Such legends!

We have been trying to find a lot more people to teach because we don't have that many people besides the people who have gotten baptized, so it's nice to have a fresh new start and start street contacting again. Also, we are asking for a lot of references from the members lol.

We saw 3 Jehovah's Witnesses teaching this woman so I wanted to wait until they were done talking to her to meet them. So we waited on the curb til they got done then talked to them.  Once they left, then we knocked on the same door of the woman they were teaching, gave her a Book of Mormon and told her to read it!  We have an apt with her next week, the JW’s have 0 chance - lol. Also, a member in our ward has found so many of my birth family member’s names and their birth documents! I used to only have a name of my birth mom but now I have my sister, grandparents, and a couple aunts and uncles.

Anyways, that was about it though for the week. Pray for my sister Sophie! She is about to have her baby and she could definitely use the prayers! As always, love you all!

Scripture of the Week: 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”

2 Corintios 5:17 “De modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es; las cosas viejas pasaron; he aquí todas son hechas nuevas”

More support at the baptism

Dinner with Salazar family

Throw back - Sprendie

    LA OBRA MISIONAL

Miriam flick

Wow these weeks have been insanely tiring but super worth it. So the highlights of the week were the 4 baptisms we had this weekend! Lydia and Suri got baptized on Sunday and Lupita and Sofía on Saturday. Insanely stressful days and week preparing and making sure everything was ready. Acne got pretty bad from stress ngl. But everything went as planned so that’s the good part.

This week was also the missionary week. Not sure if that’s a thing in the states or anywhere else but we had a week where as a ward we focused on missionary work. Every day we had a different theme. Like one day was for everyone to give a Book of Mormon to someone. Another day was to invite people to church. And another cool day was, we had an activity on Friday and a bunch of ex missionaries brought memories, scriptures, just everything and it was super fun. W activity. Then on Sunday we spoke in church about missionary work and how important it is. It went well I think. I prolly botched the grammar but we good lol. We got compliments after so they understood.

We had multi zone conference which was super fun too but sooo many of the homies are going home. Such an L. Traded ties and what not. Shout out Elder Philips.

In honesty though the mission has been super tiring and stressful but so insanely fun. I love the work that has been going on and it is amazing to be a part of the Lord's work right now. The mission sucks sometimes but it is so worth it to see these children of God make covenants. Nowhere else will we find so much joy in the success of others than when we are serving. 

Love you all, as always, feel free to email!

Scripture of the Week:

D&C 88:81 “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor”

DyC 88:81 “He aquí, os envié para testificar y amonestar al pueblo, y conviene que todo hombre que ha sido amonestado, amoneste a su prójimo.”

Sophia and Lupita's Baptism

Lydia and Suri's Baptism

Multi Zone Conference

Mission Week Ward Activity

Juanita la Cabra

Churrasco P-Day

 

    TEMPLE TRIP

Elsa's Baptism - Bishop baptized his mom

Yo super fast week! 1 more bap which was lit. We baptized the bishop's mom Elsa! She has been meeting with the missionaries for 35 years and God said it was her time to get in the water so we were super lucky to be the missionaries here while she got baptized after so long. Lupita and Sofia got permission from their dad to get baptized, like their 2 older siblings, which was awesome! We have been talking a lot with him and he has been awesome in helping us prepare them. He and his wife are not members and drink a lot so it is hard for the kids but they are showing great desire to follow Jesus's example!! We'll get them in the water this Sunday. Please pray for the Perez Family

This week we secured 2 more baptisms for Sunday the 30th! Their names are Suri and Lydia and their step dad is starting to listen to the lessons too. They are super cool and I'm pumped for them to hop in the water. 

Highlight of the week was fs the temple. We took Miriam to the temple along with her grandson and it was awesome. They loved it. We unfortunately weren't able to go in the temple because we had them with us but it was still super fun. The distribution center was there so it was like Christmas. Bought some new scriptures, Jesus the Christ, new pmg, and I bought a massive Book of Mormon for Miriam because she can't read the normal ones, it's too small of a font for her. She was super excited about it and we studied a bit.

That's pretty much it for the week but I'd love to hear from you all, Email me por fa!

Scripture of the Week:

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” 

Filipenses 4:13 “Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece”

Guatemala City Temple with

Miriam and her grandson

Lil Bro

Studying with the good word with Miriam

The streets of Milagro

Good food in Milagro