Update Guatemalan Style from - San Juan, April 29, 2013

One Month Away from 1 year out on the mission.  Do you think his shoes will last another year?

It was Charlie Steadman's birthday and they made a collage of his friends so I was assigned the letter P.

Dear family and friends,

Things are going just great once again! We had a baptism on Saturday. We baptized a young man named Ricardo. He is way awesome. He is 19 years old and is the boyfriend of a member here. His girlfriend's name is Miriam and her family is way awesome! Her dad, Hno. Jorge, has been so great to help us a lot with Ricardo. It is kinda hard for him to understand a lot of things, but it is just sweet that he understands the gospel. He is way excited to keep going in the church and I love it! 

Other than that, things are still super great! With the exception that last Monday, a virus was downloaded onto my sd card! However, we figured out a way that get all my pictures back, but it just talks a ton of time! We are working with a lot of investigators and members. Here in San Juan, there is only one branch and there are like 80 people that come to church regularly. There are a ton of people that are so willing to hear the gospel and it is really kinda sweet! I like it a lot. There is one place that we go that is called Victorias. Whenever we go there, we have appointments and there is a less active member, Marina, who always goes with us. I swear, like 3 times that we have gone to lessons with her, people have just straight up told her that they want to be members of the church! ALRIGHT! That is what I am talking about! It is really awesome. The Lord has definitely prepared these people to hear the gospel. There, in Victorias, we are working with a couple of young fathers. They are brothers Leonel is 20 years old and his brother, Douglas, is 19 years old. Leonel already has 2 kids and Douglas has 1! It is kinda crazy how early a lot of the indigenous people have children REALLY early. We are hoping that they get baptized on May 25th, along with their families.

With Elder Gomez it has been quite interesting. We are having a lot of fun as companions and I love it! However, he has just 2 months in the mission. To me it seems that he isn't like the best teacher. LIke, sometimes I get lost in what he is saying, however, the people understand him perfectly! Don't ask me how he does it, but he does! It is just kinda unbelieveable! It is just another evidence that the Lord is preparing people for us. I love it.

This week we have gotten lost quite a few times, but it hasn't been too terrible. We were looking for Hno. Jacinto's house because his wife washes our clothes. To say the least we were probably lost for like 15 minutes, just trying to find their house. Finally, we found it! It has been a very interesting experience trying to get used to this new area and everything. We are very excited to keep working here with the people that we have to teach. It is just a huge blessing that the Lord prepares the hearts of the people to accept and we show up when they are ready. Isn't it just perfect!? I really have enjoyed being here. Due to time, I can't write much more, but I love you all and thank you for everything that you do for me!

Love,

Elder Hilton

Ricardo Baptism

And he asks for shoe polish?

I think he walks in the dirt 24/7.

Missed letter from February 25, 2013

¿Que tal mi familia y mis amigos?!

Seguimos trabajando en la obra del Señor! Things have been great! The mission keeps teaching a bazillion lessons and a lot of patience! This week I had my first garbage burn of the mission. We just took everything out and burned it on the side of the house. Definitely not in the States!

Well, yesterday, the family from Talmiche, Alfredo and Migdalia, came to church even though we hadn't really visited them for a couple weeks. We decided to drop them for a little bit, and they came to church. We told them that if they came to church by themselves we could help them get back home. They only have a little motorcycle and it isn't in the best of shape. They live on the top of a mountain, so it is easy for them to get down, but the motorcycle can't get them all back up. I feel kinda bad for them. They live in a 3 room adobe house. One room is the kitchen and they have a wood burning stove, in another room they have the two beds and the black and white TV, they also put the moto in there at night; and I am not sure what they have the third room for. They don't have any running water there, they always have to go down to the river and haul it back up. I am not sure where they shower, either. Things are really tough for them. Alfredo just lost his job, and so they have a lot of necesidades right now. There are a lot of windows of opportunity that we can use. I love the family and Alfredo is really awesome.

The members of this ward are really awesome. A lot of them are really successful and they seriously inspire me to be better everyday. There are a lot of returned missionaries that were very successful in the mission and they are always willing to give a few words. There are a few in particular that are great teachers and great friends. One is named Eduardo and he served in El Salvador. He was an assistant there, and I realized why yesterday. He came out to work with us and he is a great teacher. No is he a great teacher with the people, but also with us. He had a few ideas, and he was able to suggest them without offending us. I really loved it. Another one is Carlos. He is an awesome friend. He knows english very well. He has helped me to be able to deal with all the situations. The Lord puts people in our way for a reason. He helps us through them. 

I know that this church is true and that this is the only way to true happiness. I love you all and thank you all for your support. Be the person that the Lord needs. We all have made the baptismal covenant and as it is described in Mosiah 18, we are representatives of him at all times. Even though, in Utah, it may seem something usual. We are not usual! We are all part of the work of the Lord and we are all headed for something better! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Hilton

San Juan Ostuncalco, April 22, 2013

Dear family and friends,

This week has been quite the week. I had changes on Tuesday and am now in a place called San Juan Ostuncalco. It is in the deparment of Xela, and it is a sweet area. IT IS HUGE!!! In my area we also have Laguna Chikabal which is basically a sacred Mayan lake on top of a volcano. There are also a bunch of caves and cool stuff to see in my area. My companion was Elder Aguirre from Guatemala City. I really liked him a lot, but today he had emergency changes. NOw my companion is Elder Gomez from Mexico. My 3rd Mexican comp! He has about 2 months in the mission and so I am going to be finishing up the training with him. We'll see how things go! Elder Aguirre worked really hard last change to get a lot of investigadors and so this change is gonna be real sweet! Before April, there hadn't been a baptism in San Juan for a year and there are 2 companionships here. The last baptism was Elder Monge's (my trainer) baptism in November of 2011. The other two missionaries here now are Elder Ponce from Peru--he is sweet! and Elder Lares from Mexico. Mexicans are taking over my life! The members here have been a little hurt from past missionaries because they haven't been the best missionaries. So, the members have kinda lost trust in the missionaries. However, yesterday, the Elder's quorum president talked about how a lot of the families are part member families and that now is the time to baptize them because the missionaries are here to work! I am way excited about this. I really feel like the people here are willing to listen and want to listen. This is gonna be a super sweet place.

This area is part of a new zone that they are opening in the mission. The zone's name is Esperanza. It is pretty awesome. There are 3 areas in the zone and 14 missionaries. 6 are sister missionaries and 8 are elders. Haha I have 10 months in the mission and am one of the oldest in the zone. The zone leaders are Elder Besendorfer and Elder Lopez and are really awesome. Elder Besendorfer has like 18 months and is really awesome. He is from Heber. I am the district leader still. I am really excited because the whole zone is very young and up for huge tasks. There is a new hermana who is training and they baptized 8 people in one day. That would be super sweet.

As far as my own area goes... We baptized on Saturday, it was something very special. Her name is Ana and is a daughter of a kinda less active family. Now, we have a lot more opportunities to baptize, so we'll see where things go! The tough part is that we are basically opening the area because I have been here for not even a week and Elder Aguirre had emergency changes. It'll definitely be tons of fun! Haha in this last week, I would just get so lost! I imagine that I will get somewhat lost in these first few days. THis week will be a week of putting trust in God that we can get to appointments on time and not get lost. I am very excited for this area and I know that the Lord has been preparing many souls to come unto him. I love you all and ask your prayers please! Love you!

Love,

Elder Hilton

Hermano Gustavo's Family

The Vasquez Family--Melisa, Toni, Rosana, Claudia, Gaby, and Ever

With Elder Aguirre (Guatemala City), and Ana

Transfers this week - April 15, 2013

Dear family and friends,

I have changes! I am not sure about where I am going, but I think I may be going to Xela! This change has definitely been a wild one. I have learned a lot and been able to love a lot more.

To keep up with the business of the mission... Saturday we didn't baptize. It has been pretty tough. Jessica asked her mom for permission to get baptized and her mom went and talked with her pastora about that. Her mom made her listen to the pastors try to dissuade her from getting baptized. Jessica said that her mom would give her permission to get baptized, but Jessica just is afraid of losing her friends and everything. It is just kinda a sad situation.

We have almost two of the exact same situations with Diana. She is fighting with her family to get baptized as well. However, this situation seems a little more difficult. This week she told us that she has never really had a real conversation with her mom. What a blessing good mothers are! I realized how great a life I have had because of the Gospel. Her mother is even more against Diana getting baptized. Diana wants to get baptized and wants to go on a mission, but her dang parents won't let her don anything! It is kinda a crappy situation.

With Amilcar, he is just a frustrating man. He has a lot of problems in his life and we continue promising all kinds of blessings if he would just come to church! He is a mechanic and doesn't have a lot of work all the time, so when something comes in, he automatically fixes it, no matter if it is Sunday. I feel like he never has work for a whole week and every week something comes to him on SUNDAY!!! It is so frustrating! We always try to get him to come to church and he seems super positive and doesn't wanna do anything when Sunday comes!

This week has been pretty rewarding because I be able to realize a lot of new things. There were a few lessons where I felt like I was the one being taught. I am so grateful for the members in this area! 

Well, I have changes and I really hope that these people can come to church and get baptized. It would just bless their lives so much if they could just do it! I have heard that I will be going to Xela because they are opening a new zone there. I would really be excited to be able to go help with that. Today for P-Day we went to the second best soccer stadium in all of Huehue and that is what you see in the photos. It is not much of a great high-class field, if you know what I mean! Well, other than that, there isn't a lot of news, however, there will be a lot more next week! Thank you all for your prayers, I really feel their power in my life to help me move on! Love you!

Love,

Elder Hilton

There's a storm brewing from the roof in Zona 10, Huehuetenango

This dog was destroyed.

During a rainstorm, a from got into the Camposeco's house.

The Camposeco family--Melanie, Maria (mom), Freddy Jr., and 

Zona Zaculeu Soccer Team

Elder Wright (Monticello) and Elder Chicas (Guatemala City)

Elder Oborn and Elder Chicas

Hello from Guatemala

Dear family and friends,

I love you all so much. I realized that I needed to show it more often because of conference! Now, I have two weeks to update! Last week was a week that they call "Semana Santa" which would be the Holy Week in enlgish. Basically what they do is EVERYBODY drops everything and takes off for vacations or just to relax. This week is a bigger holiday than Christmas is for these people. It is more a Catholic holiday than anything, but everybody here celebrates it. It is seriously crazy! EVerything closes. It was a tough week for the work because there wasn't a lot of people at home. There was a couple that just came to church on Sunday. I had never seen them in my life! Their names are Lester and Elena. He has been inactive for a few years, but wants his wife to get baptized! They just showed up to the church! They are both from far away and the missionaries had taught them a few times before, but Elena's mom has had a big influence in her not getting baptized. Also, Lester is married to a lady that now lives in the states and so he just has to get the divorce from her before Elena can get baptized. Elena is pregnant and within 20 days she will have her little baby! Lester is really smart, he has read the Bible like 4 times and knows basically everything about the gospel. He is super awesome. I love the lessons in his house because he basically teaches everything. He is fulfilling the call to "every member a missionary" like they have put a lot more emphasis on from conference.

This week has been awesome! I finished the Book of Mormon once more and I know it is true. I love how perfectly everything fits into the puzzle of the Restored Gospel. I really love it a lot. However, it just kinda frustrates me how some people are so blinded by their pastors which are just robbing the people! I love the Book of Mormon and everything that it teaches us. Also, we had conference this weekend! I loved it so much because this time, they let us watch the first two sessions in english! I loved Elder Ballard's talk about the priesthood. It really is the power of God and He has given it to us to allow us to act in his name. I really loved to focus of the conference to building stronger families and increasing missionary work. We really need to look for opportunities to spread the gospel. I really loved it a lot! 

Well, now for the work. We are helping a less active member's daughter to learn english by reading the Book of Mormon. Now, she has read to like 1 Nephi 2 or something and has really improved a lot! Her name is Melany and I think that she will get baptized in the near future. We have been working with her mom, Maria, but she is just kinda tough to get. We are also working with a friend of a girl in the ward. The girl in the ward's name is Melissa, and her friends name is Yessia (Jessica in English.) What we are working for is to get permission from her mom to let her get baptized. Jessica is 15 years old and has a tough time making decisions. The tough part is that her mom got baptized when she was 19 and now is inactive and goes to an evangelical church. So, what her mom doesn't want her to make a mistake. I really think that Jessica could help her mom a lot. So, the baptismal date is for this Saturday if her mom does give her permission.

 I love the Lord and I know that He lives. I feel his love. Thank you all for everything!

Love,

Elder Hilton