Monday, January 28, 2013

Nacimiento & Stuff

Hey everyone! This week was a pretty solid week!
Tuesday - We had the opportunity to help a sister in the ward move. We moved all of her stuff from her basement to her roof. It was nuts. It was a good time though.
Wednesday - I had divisions in Mixco so that the district leader could interview the family that we baptized. Elder Brown bought me a birthday cake to eat with their mission leader. It was a pretty good day.
Thursday - Thursday was my birthday. I'm way old now. It feels way weird. But it was a good day. We were on divisions with the other companinship in the area and we went to our lesson with the investigator we have who is an english teacher. We taught the lesson in English and it was sweet. It was hard actually teaching, but the testifying was more in depth and I loved it. We could express our testimonies in a more specific way. It was awesome. Then stopped by after all our lessons to eat cake and a pizza with my mission leader. It was awesome! And Hermana Stay called to wish me a happy birthday! It was a good day.
Friday - Friday when we went running we threw the boomerang this member gave us. It kind of worked. It was way funny cause it landed on a house and then we knocked the door and it was a member.
Saturday - Saturday we had a baptism. It was awesome! A family! I got to have the experience of baptizing for the first time! We'd had other baptisms, but I hadn't actually performed the ordinance! It was an incredible feeling. I was just happy all day and all night. I loved it so much. There is no better feeling I don't think.
Sunday - Sunday we had Church and everything like usual. And we got a returned missionary of a year in the ward to come with us to our lessons. Its great when you get some great members to come. It really helps the lessons a lot. It was a good week.
 
Congrats to Callie and Ally on your mission calls! Love you guys. You'll do great.
The Church is true.
 
Love,
Elder White
 
 
Elder White & Elder Mejia
Elder White's first Baptism on January 26, 2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Happy Birthday Elder White
The BIG 2-0
 
 
Elder White & Elder Wootton
 
 
Beautiful Mixco....NOT!
 
 
Elder White & Elder Wootton
with their "trophies"
 
 
Viva Mixco!

 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Domestic Goldfish

This week was good. Monday we didn't do much for p day.
Tuesday - We started running to the park and working out in the mornings. We can do dips and pull ups and run there and all that good stuff in the mornings so that was nice. We also visited the Bishop and I used his bench. It was awesome!
Wednesday - Wednesday we had Zone Conference with President Stay. It was pretty cool. We learned a lot about how were changing a lot of things and it was pretty solid. I feel like I learned a lot there. We all had to chose a missionary from the Book of Mormon before and talk about one trait we wanted to develop to be more like him. I chose Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah cause, they've always been my favorite. The trait I chose was Humility and I also chose Diligence. I used the example of how they were humble enough to fully repent of their sins. Because, sometimes we have to be humble and except what we've done is wrong and that the only way to fix it it through the Atonement. My favorite saying is, "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, but it's thinking of yourself less".  I've realized the happiest times in the mission are when you're helping other people out. And diligence because, there is a scripture in Alma that says that they, ¨couldn't stand the thought of souls not being saved¨.
Thursday - Thursday we had a meeting with Elder D. Todd Christofferson with Missions North and Central. It was sweet seeing all our friends in those missions there. He talked a lot about Obedience. I think that obedience is really important for any missionary or soon to be missionary. You can tell the difference in our missions and the other more obedient missions.
Sabado - Saturday was nuts! I had my first experience of contacting a bus. It was the scariest thing ever. But once I started talking it was way less scary and after it was awesome.
Domingo - Sunday we were riding home from Church and there wasn't room so Elder Wootton and I had to ride in the trunk. It was fun. There's a video to come. We also had a lesson to prepare the Family Garcia for their Baptismal Interview this week! It was awesome. They've truly changed so much. It's an awesome feeling.

Happy Birthday this week to my cousin Matt and to my boy #givemethat! Love you guys.
 
Love you all.

Elder White


 
Elder White & Elder Wootton
 
 

 
Menos Activos Trophy
 
 

 
 
 
The bikes we wish we had...
 
 
Elder Wootton
 
 
 
 



Monday, January 14, 2013

My Testimony

 I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ restored to the earth through a prophet of God. Joseph Smith was pre-ordained as a Prophet of God to restore this Gospel to the earth in this dispensation. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ lives. He has a resurrected perfected body of flesh and bone. Through his atonement we can truly be purified and forgiven of our sins. I know that my Savior knows and loves me. That he's always known me, but through his infinite sacrifice of the atonement he knows me even greater. I know he's felt every bad feeling, every tear I've cried, ever time I've ever felt discouraged or sad. I have no doubt in my mind that Thomas S. Monson is a chosen Prophet of God. That he speaks the words of our Heavenly Father to us. I know that prayers can literally change lives. I know that the power of prayer is unmatchable. There is nothing that can help you more in your life. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers every single one of our prayers in his time and way. I know without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that families are eternal. That we can live together forever. I now know that the words the beloved Prophet Joseph spoke are true. When all else is said and done, the most important thing is to preach the Gospel. I know I've experienced some of the worst days I've ever had and I will experience more, but I've felt an unimaginable joy. I've realized how great of a sacrifice the atonement was. I can honestly say the sacrament has an extreme meaning to me now. I truly understand the covenants we make at baptism and that we renew them every Sunday. That Jesus Christ suffered for me so that I could have joy. That Joseph Smith suffered for us to be able to have the fullness of the words of the Savior to all his people in ancient times. I know that angels protect and guide me everyday. There is absolutely nothing else I could be doing that would be worth my time right now. Without a mission I dont' know how I could ever progress as a person like I have. I love this Gospel. I love my Savior. And I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Kingdom of God here on the Earth. That the covenant we made at baptism to take upon the name of our Savior should never be taken lightly. And I'm grateful for the privilege I have to wear it everyday. In the name of Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer of the World, the Son of God, Amen.

Peligro Hip Hop

Hey everyone! This week was pretty good.  We had a lot of teaching opportunities and we get to work with members in lessons a lot cause, we have to have a member after 5:30 at night or we can't leave the house. They really help with their strong testimonies and fellow shipping of our investigators.
Monday we played basketball for about 4 hours as a zone. Well, as north Americans in the zone, haha. It was so fun. I'm definitely not that good anymore, but it was sweet. We had a Family night also. We had a lesson about the importance of missionary work and played some ten person uno. It was nuts. I loved it. Uno is my favorite game ever now.
Tuesday we had a lesson with the family of our recent convert. They are investigators also. They were telling us about how we've been a blessing in their lives and how they consider us to be their angels. They said the spirit we bring to their home is a feeling they've never felt and that we truly are angels. I'm definitely not an angel, but I know that the spirit of the message of the restored Gospel of the Savior Jesus Christ can touch lives and change them completely. I've only been a missionary for four months and I've seen lives change completely through the power of the spirit. I feel like I should say this and I don't know why, but I want to make a promise to anyone with a doubt reading this. I promise if you will ask about the truth of the Gospel in humble pray to our Heavenly Father he will confirm unto you the truth of it. I've seen it countless times. I've experienced it. I've witnessed prayers answered. I witness my own prayers answered everyday of my life. I know and testify that God answers prayers. 
Wednesday the Bishop invited us to make cake and play ping pong so we did. It was really fun and the cake was incredible.
Friday we had divisions with the ward mission leader and Melvin. We visited lots of different families to get them excited about helping us in our work. It was a good day.
Saturday was my 4 month mark. It was weird. We had good lessons Saturday and all was well.
Sunday our Elders Quorum President came with us to our lessons and they were really powerful. It's great having a third strong testimony in lessons to testify of the truth and bring the Spirit. Our investigator in her prayer at the end of the lesson asked for a confirmation that she needs to be baptized.
It was a great week.


Love,
Elder White







 
Sunset in Mixco
 
 
 
Elder White playing ping pong with the Bishop
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elder White really loves those miniature bananas
 
 
 
Mosiah 4:19



Monday, January 7, 2013

Guatemala in the New Year

This week was pretty good.
Monday - I was freaking out because of all my best friends mission calls. I was excited all week! We went to lunch with a convert  named Melvin. He is sweet. He is like the best friend of missionaries in our area. Then we had dinner with The Prado Family in our Ward for New Years!
Tuesday - Tuesday we had a lesson with our convert Lusmar who was baptized the 29th of December and he told us that he decided to go on his mission in a year when he can go! It was awesome knowing that someone we taught the Gospel to will be somewhere else preaching the same Gospel to other people!
Wednesday - Wednesday we had a lesson with a family, Hermano Eden and his wife. Our ward mission leader Hermano Donerick was just talking about his baptism and the blessings it has brought him and he was like, I think Elder White has a feeling he'd like to share also. And I just went with it and asked them to be baptized on the 26th. They said yes! Then Sunday in Church they said they prayed about it and they know its the right day for their baptisms! It was sweet! Also their little girl was sick. She is one year old. And they asked for a blessing for her. They asked my companion to anoint her and told her to choose who she wanted to give her a blessing. She walked over to me and reached for my hand. It was scary cause, it was my first blessing ever. And it was awesome. It wasn't that long, maybe like a minute or two, but it was awesome!
Thursday - We found out that the 17th we have a meeting with Mission Central and Mission Norte and Elder D. Todd Christopherson is speaking. It was sweet. I'm way excited to see him and all my friends in those missions too! We also had Melvin accompany us for our lessons because, we still have the 5:30 rule.
Friday - We were walking down the street and I thought we should visit this contact. We did and we had a lesson with him. He said his Family had gone to Church with missionaries years ago, but one day the Elders stopped coming. We think they both got transferred and the new ones didn't look for them. But he seems like a great guy so hopefully we can help him! We also went to our lesson with the Bishop. After he took us to the Church and said, We're playing soccer. So we played. All 4 elders and the elders quorum too.

It was a good week! The Church is True! Love you guys! Congrats on your call to my girl R Pitt!!! 
 
With Love from Guate. City,   
Elder White

 
 Dinner with the Prado Family
New Year's Eve 2012
 

God Bless the U.S.A.

 
 
A Bird pooped on Elder White's face....GROSS!!
 
 
 

Drinking Tampico from a bag
with Elder Wootton
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elder Mejia playing chess with a member
 
 
 
Elder Mejia taking a nap on the floor of the Church