Fifty tortillas, another chicken foot and a week full of
apostasy. The best news: WE GOT LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13 days without light!
Tuesday is when it came back on. I can’t even describe how grateful I am to have
light and to have a fridge. I never realized how great it is to have light! So
grateful!! Anyway Semana Santa (Holy Week) is crazy! It is nuts and not in a
good way. It is sad, they all focus on the death of Christ; they hardly ever
talk about the resurrection. It really should be called beer feast. So many
people just drink, drink and drink some more, they are drunk all week. I wish
that they would listen to our message and learn of the true meaning of Easter.
I wish you guys could have seen this week. I hope Easter Sunday was great for
you guys.
Hiking To The Waters Of Baptism
Sacred Waters
This week we found a family that the missionaries used to
teach. The relief society president was talking to the mom and told her to let
us teach the family. She told her this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mom
told the relief society president that she wanted her son to serve a mission.
My jaw dropped when the relief society president told me. The next day I went
to visit the family and to invite them to a branch activity. The mom told me
she wants her son to serve a mission. I looked at him and asked him do you
really want to be a missionary and he said yes. I told him to come to the
activity and we can talk more. This conversation took place about 10 minutes
before the activity, he didn’t come and he didn’t go to church but we are
visiting them tonight.
Bad News Treat
We didn’t have a baptism this week. We keep praying Anny will
receive her answer and will follow Christ and be baptized. We pray that she
will recognize and be ready to receive the gentle tug of the spirit. We will
continue to teach, testify, love and pray for her.
The School In School In San Antonio Huista
I gave a talk on prayer in church on Sunday. I shared
that prayer is two-way communication and that we should make our prayers more meaningful.
We should pray with a heart of gratitude and express our thanks. We should use
language that shows respect and reverence. And as we close our prayers, we
should take time to pause and listen and not just jump up as if it is a check
mark for the day. Heavenly Father will counsel, guide, or comfort us while we
are on our knees so be patient and humble. We also watched the first session of
General Conference for the last 2 hours of church. I could listen to conference
over and over. We should all take time to review the messages that were shared,
they will bring a renewed determination to live the gospel and serve the Lord.
Soccer Fields In San Antonio Huista
Semana Santa Sand Art
So as this past week was Easter and I read a talk by
Elder Holland, ‘BROKEN THINGS TO MEND.’ https://www.lds.org/search?lang=eng&query=broken+things+to+mend+jeffrey+r+holland He talks about coming unto Christ. The
talk is amazing and truly touches on the Easter season. Elder Holland shares, “There
can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that
comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a
strength, as the hymn says, ‘beyond [his] own.’ The Savior reminds us that He
has ‘graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.’ Considering the
incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not
going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, ‘Come
unto me,’ He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it
because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way.” I know Elder
Holland’s words to be true. I know Christ will never forget us. I have had the
experience on my mission to see the joy of one person coming unto Christ as she
put her trust in Him. The Savior knows our heartaches, our struggles, and our
difficult path because He has walked the same path.When you think no one knows or understands
how you feel you are wrong, the Son of God knows. Elder Holland shared this, “The
Savior’s Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the
burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair.” The
key to the peace and rest we seek is to Come Unto Christ. Elder Holland gives a
perfect example of Coming Unto Christ. He said, “I think also of that night
when Christ rushed to the aid of His frightened disciples, walking as He did on
the water to get to them, calling out, ‘It is I; be not afraid.’ Peter
exclaimed, ‘Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.’ Christ’s
answer to him was as it always is every time: ‘Come,’ He said. Instantly, as
was his nature, Peter sprang over the vessel’s side and into the troubled
waters. While his eyes were fixed upon the Lord, the wind could toss his hair
and the spray could drench his robes, but all was well—he was coming to Christ.
It was only when his faith wavered and fear took control, only when he removed
his glance from the Master to look at the furious waves and the ominous black
gulf beneath, only then did he begin to sink into the sea. In newer terror he
cried out, “Lord, save me.” I have seen that same scenario many times as a
missionary and many times before my mission. It is when we take our eyes off
Christ is when we fall. It is then we are forced out to cry out “Save Me.” He
has sent us as missionaries to reach out our hands of hope teaching to Come
Unto Christ. I have seen what happens when one doesn’t taker her eyes off Christ.
She was in a storm of fierce trials and she was also my first baptism. She was receiving
false doctrines and was faced great temptation. The false words, fear,
temptations and voices saying you can’t get baptized could have tossed her into
the furious waves but it didn’t, because she never took her eyes off the
Savior. There will come a time when the storms of life will try and beat you
down and that storm may be hitting right now. I promise if you keep your eyes
on Christ you will walk on water (the straight and narrow path that leads to
Christ) and YOU WILL NOT FALL! The Savior has promised if you will follow me, I
will lead you out of darkness. I will give you answers to your prayers. I will
give you rest to your souls. It is my prayer that we will never look away from Christ.
What I love about Mom is she ran the pink run with a
broken wrist in a pink cast. What I love about Dad is that he told me what he
learned in a priesthood leadership meeting.
Ducks Forever With Love, Elder Mcilmoil April 21, 2014
Tracking In The Jungle
Tortilla count for the week: 50 and one more chicken
foot.
Scripture of the week: Luke 24:6 I know this church is
true. I am more certain that the church has the priesthood keys than I have
ever before. I know that Jesus Of Nazareth is the living Christ. I know that He
was slain and crucified and on the third day and He rose from the dead. I know
that since He lives and rose from the dead, you and I and everyone will live
again in a resurrected body. I know that Jesus Christ is the living Son of a
living God. I know he paid the price for our sins, sickness, pains, trials and
more. I know that through the Atonement we can have a fresh start, a new page,
and our regrets become relief. I know the power of the Atonement I have seen it
in my own life. I know that Christ is calling every single one of us to Come Unto
Him with arms wide open. All of us can be perfected through Christ. I give you
my solemn witness that Christ lives and is a resurrected being. Come unto
Christ every day. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder McIlmoil
“Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not an effort of
once a week or once a day. It is an effort of once and for all.” President Dieter
F. Uchtdorf
In Nazareth, the narrow road,
That tires the feet and steals the breath, Passes the place where once abode The Carpenter of Nazareth.
And up and down the dusty way
The village folk would often wend; And on the bench, beside Him, lay Their broken things for Him to mend.
The maiden with the doll she broke,
The woman with the broken chair, The man with broken plough, or yoke, Said, “Can you mend it, Carpenter?”
And each received the thing he sought,
In yoke, or plough, or chair, or doll; The broken thing which each had brought Returned again a perfect whole.
So, up the hill the long years through,
With heavy step and wistful eye, The burdened souls their way pursue, Uttering each the plaintive cry:
“O Carpenter of Nazareth,
This heart, that’s broken past repair, This life, that’s shattered nigh to death, Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?”
And by His kind and ready hand,
His own sweet life is woven through Our broken lives, until they stand A New Creation—“all things new.”
“The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,
Desire, ambition, hope, and faith, Mould Thou into the perfect part, O, Carpenter of Nazareth!”
Let’s see we haven’t had light for 12 days! And we have no
idea when it is coming back on. It is kind of nice not having light because the
moon lights everything up at night. The downside is NO COLD WATER TO DRINK and
we can’t use the fridge. This week is going to be a hard week for the whole
mission-2 words-HOLY WEEK (Semana Santa). Here in my area the people re-enact Christ’s
life, the baptism and other parts of His life then they crucify someone (with
rope). They also crucify 2 others (with rope). A very different and unusual Easter
tradition.
Me And Elder Gates
We had divisions this week with the zone leaders. It was
fun but boy do I have a story! Since there wasn’t light the people in Camoja
were protesting. So that meant Elder Gates and I couldn’t get back to my area, the
people had the road blocked off with rope and boulders. There were also guys
with machetes and they like wouldn’t let anyone pass. It was so crazy! We
decided to leave and go get something to eat. We found a little store and
bought a couple of bags of tortrix (Guatemalan corn chips.) We decided to go
back down to see if anything had changed. As we were waiting to pass we saw
people making their own options by going downhill to pass or going up this
little hill. Elder Gates and I looked at each other and we both said, “What you
think...it looks very tempting.” Then I said, “What are you feeling Elder?” He
said, “Not a good idea.” I agreed. We had been waiting for over an hour, so I
decided to make eye contact with one of the main guys and he pointed at the
rope asking if I wanted to pass, I nodded yes. He nodded to come to him. I told
Elder Gates and we went over to him to pass through and the he said, “HEY LET
THESE PEOPLE PASS; THEY ARE MORMONS; THEY ARE MISSIONARIES, THEY ARE MEN OF GOD,
LET THEM THROUGH." He said it way loud! Some people were not very happy
about us being able to pass through. As we were passing through I stopped and
shook the man’s hand and said. “God bless you.” Some were so mad that I stopped
to tell this guy thank you. It turned out to be a good experience.
Somewhere In Guatemala
Also during
divisions I learned so much from Elder Gates. I love this man. The one thing he
told me was Mac you can’t let anyone tell you WHAT YOU CANNOT DO. You can’t
because you can do whatever you want. He said don’t listen to that crap, even if
members say you can’t baptize here, they just go inactive or no one wants to
listen to your message and be baptized, just don’t listen to it Mac. He also
shared this, “The LORD ALWAYS WANTS YOU TO BAPTIZE ALWAYS, because this is His
work you just got to work for it. Always remember if you work hard enough you
will get baptisms, but you have to truly work for it. The Lord wants you to
baptize but you have to go find those people He has prepared. That’s the part
you got to work at Mac, is the finding, the Lord knows His sheep.” It was amazing
to work with Elder Gates and we worked hard. I’m so grateful for his advice. I
wish we could serve together as companions but he goes home in June.
Daily Rain
We might have a baptism this Saturday. It depends on if
this lady recognizes her answer as she prays to follow Christ. Her name is Anny.
She is so very nice and wants to learn more about the gospel and follow the Savior.
As we were teaching her we asked her how much love do you have for the Savior?
She said she loved Him so much, with all her heart. We then asked to her read John
14:15, which says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.” She looked at us
when she finished reading and said thanks and her thank you was full of
meaning. We said, “Sister baptism is a commandment. Pray about it and if you receive
an answer before Saturday will you be baptized?” And she said, “Yes.” It was
very cool.
Me And Carlos Hitching A Ride
Yesterday (Sunday) we had a two branch training meeting.
It was amazing. The brother that came up to train is the 2nd counselor in the Mission
Presidency. He taught with power and authority. It was a very good experience.
After he talked with the two branches he talked with the branch presidencies. He
talked about his mission and he said he baptized 13-14 people a month. He said
this, “Your success isn’t by the numbers; it’s by the chosen, the prepared who
you worked to find. That’s your success. The question you need to ask did you
find those people that were ready for you.” It helped me realize that I don’t
teach investigators, I teach children of God. Who have real challenges, real
feelings, real dreams, they have real trials, real lives. I teach daughters and
sons of God. I can’t see them as investigators; I must see them as children of
God. These children are not just a stat at the end of every day; they are
children trying to listen to the good Shepherd’s voice. So don’t see your friends
or even family members who don’t have the gospel just as people. See them as
children of God who need to come back to their Father. Share with them that
their loving Father in Heaven, who loves them so much, sent His perfect Son,
Jesus Christ, to teach us a better way to live. And the greatest gift Jesus
gave to us was His life. He paid the price for our sins, died on the cross, and
rose from the dead—providing a way for each one of us to return and live with
our Heavenly Father someday. He is waiting for our return back to His presence
to embrace each one of us. So go and share the gospel with God’s children. It’s
our duty as members of the church of Jesus Christ.
More Of My Artwork
What I love about Mom is that she sent me the Mormon
Message that Christ wants to forgive. What I love about Dad are his burgers! (Man
I’m craving a burger so bad right now)
Love you all, Elder Mcilmoil April 14, 2014
The Kids Artwork
Tortilla count for the week: 63
Scripture of the week: 2 Nephi 1:30…ARE YOU THAT
FRIEND?????
“Preach The Gospel AT ALL Times IF Necessary Use Words.”
President Uchtdorf
God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers!!
I did it! I ate a chicken foot! It didn’t taste too bad. Yep it tasted like chicken (haha). Also this week I was a model, photographer, a goalie box in the street and a tree. I love playing with the little kids and I just love them so much.
Love
Help!
Pure Love And Happiness
This week blew by, it went by so fast. On Wednesday we had zone conference. Just a side note when we were coming back from zone conference the tire on the bus blew up and it was shredded! At first it sounded like gun shots but a few seconds later I could smell the rubber and knew it wasn’t gun shots. It was a bit freaky.
Taking The Bus Always Bring Excitement
Shredded
Anyway it was the best zone conference ever! The zone leaders set up the pre mortal life and then talked about it. They asked to picture your best friend on earth. Now try to visualize your best friend from the pre mortal life and how you did everything with this person. You fought side by side with him against Satan. You would do anything for each other and both of you were with each other all the time. Then both of receive your calls to go to earth. Your call says you will have the gospel. You look at your best friend and he has tears in his eyes and his heart is broken, he will not have the blessings of the gospel. You look at him and you embrace him. He says to you find me and teach me. You promise you will, you promise you will search the entire world for him. It is time and the two of you go to earth. Then the zone leaders said, “You elders have promised people here to find them, so find them and bring them back.” It really made you think and realize that promises were made. It was amazing!
What I love about Mom is that she would make coffee cake. What I love about Dad is that we would eat ice cream after priesthood. (By the way I bought some ice cream for after Priesthood on Saturday night.)
Love and Ducks Forever, Elder Mcilmoil April 7, 2014
Tortillas count for the week: 55 and one chicken foot!
Scripture of the week: Helaman 5:12
Quote of the week: “ONE SHOULD NOT ROAM THROUGH GARBAGE.” Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis
Ok where to start. First off I am way sick. My voice is
almost gone. It is terrible, every time I talk to my comp I have to whisper.
The heat makes things worse. It is what it is. So I almost a chicken foot but I
couldn’t bring myself to do it. We also traveled to San Miguel Ixtahuacan for our three interview with President Bautista.
Smile Elders
Typical Guatemalan Market
Every morning during personal study time I have a film
session. I watch The District. I watch to see what they did great and what they
could improve when teaching lessons to their investigators. I also watch for teaching
tips and see how I can improve. I have learned I need to ask more inspired
question from Heavenly Father, He is the one that knows His children that we
are teaching. After each film session I practice. At first it was a little weird
because I’m talking to a balloon or a chair or nothing. I know it has
helped. In my first real lesson after doing this my goal was just ask
inspired question and LISTEN BY THE SPIRIT and YOUR HEART. I did and I truly
asked questions from heaven. The spirit was so strong, it was amazing. I asked
questions that were pretty deep but it truly helped us and our investigator to
truly understand what we needed to do to help her and to become more aware of
her needs. We learned that she was taught to respect all religions. We also
learned that God is important to her and that the things we are teaching her
are new and at times hard to understand. As we were closing the lesson I felt
deeply impressed to have the closing prayer on our knees. She offered the
prayer and asked what church is true and what Thy will is for her. It was a
powerful prayer. After the prayer I promised her that she will know these
things for herself like we (my comp and I) know these things to be true. I also
promised her that she will know for herself that Christ lives and is her Savior
and Redeemer. It truly was amazing experience. Then in another lesson with a
different investigator I experienced another amazing experience. We started by asking
her what she had learned from the pamphlet we left her. She shared with us what
she learned. We then asked if she had any questions. She told us yes and asked
how you know the things I read are true and how do really know that you have a
prophet. I was guided by the spirit as I answered her questions. I shared with
her that we know this things are true by something simple; prayer, prayer is
our communication with our Father in Heaven. You ask Heavenly Father if it is
true. I told her we have the promise that ‘if ye shall ask with a sincere
heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of
it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.’ We then discussed Christ’s life
and somewhat of the apostasy. As I was listening she kept referring to that all
churches say they are true. I said, “Sister I understand your confusion with so
many churches saying they have the truth. If you seek this knowledge ‘with a
sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ,’ I promise that you
will receive an answer. You will receive the truth that this is the Church of
Jesus Christ. Let’s read from the Bible in Luke 10:1, this teaches that the
Lord called others to assist in sharing his word and they went out teaching 2
by 2. In Matthew 18:16 we read, ‘that in the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established.’ We are witnesses that this is the true church.”
I asked her if she knew for a surety that her church was true. She said, “I know
my church isn’t true, I believe that none are true.” I again told her if you
seek this knowledge ‘with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in
Christ,’ I promise that you will receive an answer. Then I shared my testimony.
It was a sweet lesson.
The Big City Of Camoja
I Miss The Tut Tuts
Yesterday I taught Sunday school. The lesson was about
manna and the Ten Commandments. I focused on the manna, the bread of life. I
started with water, when Moses was instructed by the Lord to smote the rock to
receive water to satisfy the children of Israel thirst. I then asked what the symbol
of water is spiritually. I read that it is the love of God. I asked what are
some ways that God shows his love for us. The class shared great answers. I
taught that the water is the blood of Christ that was shed for us; and that is
the pure love of God. Then I talked about the manna and I gave them bread. I
shared that by providing manna, one day at a time, Jesus was trying to teach
faith. He was teaching them to trust Him. In essence, the children of Israel
had to walk with Him today and trust that He would grant a sufficient amount of
food for the next day on the next day, and so on. In that way He could never be
too far from their minds and hearts. We also need to ask God for our daily
bread, the help to be strong every day. I shared a few thoughts from a CES Fireside
given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, ‘Give Us Our Daily Bread.’ He taught in
the Lord’s Prayer is the petition “Give us this day our daily bread” He said, “I
believe that we would all readily acknowledge that we have needs each day that
we want our Heavenly Father’s help in dealing with. For some, on some days, it
is quite literally bread—that is, the food needed to sustain life that day. It
could also be the need for spiritual and physical strength. Jesus is teaching
us, His disciples, that we should look to God each day for the bread” We need
to ask God for our daily bread, the help to be strong every day. Elder
Christofferson said, “Above all, remember that we have Him of whom manna was a
type and symbol, the very Bread of Life, the Redeemer.” We read in John 6:35,
‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ I said this is
not doctrine in anyway but in my opinion I believe that on our day of judgment
Christ will ask us, ‘Did you partake of your bread and water daily?’ I want to
say yes Lord, I did. In closing I shared my testimony and then shared Elder
Christofferson’s testimony, “I bear you my witness of the living reality of the
Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, and of the infinite power and reach of His
Atonement. Ultimately, it is His Atonement, His grace, that is our daily bread.
We should seek Him daily, to do His will each day, to become one with Him as He
is one with the Father (see John 17:20–23). I bless you that as you seek it
from Him, your Heavenly Father will grant you your daily bread, in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.”
Yep, This Is How We Get Honey
Just Because
That lesson was a miracle in my eyes because I was so sick
and to top it off I was losing my voice. I asked Heavenly Father to bless me with the strength
and energy to give this lesson and that my voice will be strengthened and I
would not lose my voice completely. My prayer was answered. I never once felt
sick and my voice got stronger and stronger every time I spoke. I know that Jesus
Christ is the bread of life and that by drinking his water and eating his bread
we will never be hungry or thirst and we will receive eternal life. It is my
prayer that we partake of our bread daily.
There Is Never Room Inside The Bus
Showing Off Our Skills
What I love about Mom and Dad is that they went to Moab
this week with the fam.
With love, Ducks Forever,
Elder Mcilmoil March 31, 2014
Tortilla
count for the week: 45
Scripture of the week: Joseph Smith Matthew 1:37 and John
6: 48
Love This Family
Always Time To Play With The Kids
Of all the tittles of respect and honor and admiration
that are given to deity, He asked us to address Him as Father.
“An old proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step, so watch your step.” Elder Holland
