New Responsibilities And Decide Now

  Divisions In Colotenango

Hands To Face

Let’s see where to begin, last week on Monday and Tuesday I was in Colotenango on divisions then on Wednesday we went to Xela for training with President Bautista. Traveling all over seemed endless; even though I’m tired, it was sweet. Just a quick recap of divisions in Colo, I was with Elder C, he is from Logan. He has been out six months, so I had to really trust in my Spanish and prayed we would both be blessed with the gift of tongues. We both did great and I understood everything! It was such a great experience. It seems like here in Guatemala they have some kind of celebration, party or parade all the time. In Colo there was some kind of festive party going on and everybody was painting their hands with silver, yep I couldn’t resist. Not only that when we were walking around we found eggs with sparkles and we started breaking them over each other’s heads. Just having some crazy fun. Later that night we visited a member family and we had a flour fight, it was a blast! They are one sweet family. 

Cracking Eggs

Nothing Like A Little Egg On The Head

So I have added responsibilities to my mission, I am now the Secretary and 2nd Counselor of the branch and my comp is Branch President. So our plate just got bigger but I’m so excited for these callings. We have 15 active members and over 150 members on record that are inactive. Yesterday we had a 2 hour Branch Presidency meeting. I ran the meeting because my comp didn’t know what to do and neither did the 1st counselor. I have never been so grateful for my callings in young men’s because I knew how to run our Branch Presidency meeting and I was able to teach them. It was a great meeting. We set excellent goals for the branch. One goal is that the branch reads the Book Of Mormon in 90 days. We also talked about callings. It was very nice to get straight to work.

"The Flour Family"

Flour Fun

Also yesterday was my first experience with false doctrine and words of apostasy being taught over the pulpit. It was beyond crazy. That night we went to member’s house and cleared up his confusion. It was just wow. Anyway my comp and I went all over town inviting all the youth to come to seminary. Our numbers increased this week and yes we take all ages. Hopefully from now on we will have more than one or two students. I have to tell you we met this one investigator who is looking for a church that is for everyone. He is so positive about what we are teaching him and he has a Captain America shield. It is so sweet!!!! So we have been without light for 4 days now. So grateful the internet café has a generator and we are able to email.

Gotta Get Me One Of These

Defender Of Faith

I read two talks that stick out in mind, “Avoiding the Trap of Sin” Elder Jairo Mazzagardi, of the Seventy https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/avoiding-the-trap-of-sin?lang=eng and “O that Cunning Plan of the Evil One” Elder M. Russell Ballard https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/o-that-cunning-plan-of-the-evil-one?lang=eng.  As I read both of those talks my gratitude for the commandments is even greater than ever before. We truly are living in the midst of Babylon. In the words of Elder Cook, “One of the most difficult challenges in our lives is to be in the world but not of the world. We need to be involved in the world in a positive way; by letting people know you are a committed Latter-day Saint and be confident about and live your beliefs.” We can be Disciples of Christ in the midst of Babylon. The Master lived during a time of great sin but He was never part of it and we don’t have to be a part of Babylon either. I have learned from both of these talks how smart Satan really is. In the talk given by Elder Ballard he compared Satan to a fly fisherman. He is spot on. He says, “Like the fly fisherman who knows that trout are driven by hunger, Lucifer knows our ‘hunger,’ or weaknesses, and tempts us with counterfeit lures.” Satan snares us with addiction and thoughts of no hope. There is one thing that triumphs everything; that is the Atonement of Christ. He can redeem of us our sins. We have to understand that we are accountable for our own sins. But we can be forgiven and cleansed from sin by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and by true repentance. It is through the Atonement everything that is unjust or wrong is made right. The Savior will help us to overcome addictions and the lures of Satan. He will give you the strength if you ask and truly believe. In his talk Elder Mazzagardi gave this warning and I also add my voice to this warning, do not say, “No problem. I am strong and big, and this small plant (sin) will do me no harm.” As soon as we say or even think that we fall. In the blink of an eye we are engulfed by that small plant or sin. We must do the dailys to combat the lures of Satan; read and study the Scripture which truly becomes your personal time with the Savior, personal prayer every morning and every night (morning prayer is truly your spiritual preparation for the day), family prayer, and serve others. It is through the dailys we become alert to not let sin grow around us. As this world grows darker and darker remember the words of the Master “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). As members we should never walk in darkness. I challenge you all today to make your decisions now about temptations and how to combat Satan. Make obedience your first decision. Always choose the path to Eternal Life even if it means giving up tv shows, movies, music, the internet, cell phones, those individuals who tempt you, etc. I know that as you choose obedience and the path of Eternal Life you will become more Christ like and you will be an instrument in His hands as examples of truth and light to those that walk in darkness. And as you are faced with decisions picture the Savior standing at your side and then ask yourself what would the Savior think of my choice. Would I say that or would I do it knowing He is standing beside you. I testify the Savior is truly there beside us. We just can’t see him. I truly want to live with all of you in the kingdom of God. Remember CEL: CHOOSE ETERNAL LIFE. I love you all.

Our New Seminary Class

What I love about Mom is that she works in the temple and what I love about Dad is that he was my young men’s president. 

Mission Home

Chillaxin

Ducks Forever
Love, 
Elder Mcilmoil 
March 10, 2014 

Tortilla count for the week: 38 

Scriptures of the week: 2 Nephi 10:23 and Doctrine and Covenants 107:99 

God is a God of Love. The fruit of obedience and sacrifice is sweetness and everlasting joy.

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