Small Town To The Big City And Don't Look Back

Priceless Memories

Tortillas for the week: 20 

Where to begin, I’m now serving in Huehue Central which is in the middle of the city. My comp is Elder Moncada, he is from Honduras and we are the zone leaders. It is so different than San Antonio Huista. Three of the biggest differences are I’m in a ward instead of a branch, this is a city (way to big and way to many people) and it is cold here, well it’s cold for me because I came from the hottest area in the mission, so yeah it’s cold. Last Monday night was one of the hardest nights of my life having to say goodbye to my San Antonio Huista family. I now know why Ammon said to King Lamoni I wish to dwell here even until the day I die. His greatest desire was to serve the Lamanites and bring them back to righteousness. He was able do so because of the love he had for the people. I feel that pure Christ like love for the people in San Antonio Huista. Never have I shed so many tears of sadness but had such great peace. These people have changed my life forever. I have learned how Christ loves, and I now understand that the pure love of Christ is the most joyous to the soul, it is everlasting.

 Familia Foto

So the crew, I should say my brothers and sisters that I have never had, had a testimonio meeting. In this family of brothers and sisters from San Antonio Huista we have a recently returned missionary, a less active member, 1 priest, a convert and a non-member and we all shared our testimonies. During the meeting I saw something that I have been praying for since I begin serving in San Antonio Huista, I saw the future of the branch and who is going to lift up the branch, it is this group right here. They are the future that will lift the branch by strengthening testimonies and building faith. Another tender mercy from the Lord. I left San Antonio Huista Tuesday morning. 

Saying Goodbye To Elder Turner

So on Tuesday I arrived here in Huehue. All I can say is I have learned so much in just a short amount of time. The first thing I learned is this and it is also going to be my scripture of the week, it is in Luke 17:32, where the Savior cautions, “Remember Lot’s wife.” You may be asking why and what would I learn from this passage of scripture. With the Lord’s counsel “look not behind thee” ringing clearly in her ears, Lot’s wife as it says “looked back.” The lesson I have learned from reading this account I have been looking back, I can say yearning to go back to the Hustias, I wish to dwell there. It has been so hard to leave but I didn’t admit to this until Friday night and when I did I felt I needed to read more on the experience of Lot’s wife and I remembered a talk shared by Elder Holland at BYU, ‘Remember Lot’s Wife’ http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1819.  As I read it I knew that the Lord was telling me what I need to fix and change. I also felt He was telling me it’s ok that you still have these desires, I will heal you just give me your heart and your faith and it will be fine, we will take it one step at a time and we will do this together. It is through the Atonement of my Son, Jesus Christ, that you can live forever with our loved ones. Not only with your family forever but you will be with your family here in Guatemala forever. Just keep walking and trying, trust Me and good things will come. He also showed me that I do need to repent of those yearnings to look back and not having faith by looking forward. 

HueHue Central Zone

This week I have also found an answer to question I have had, why did it take so long to truly find my personal testimony? My answer was it came when I was humble enough to know it, that answer came from a lesson I was teaching. I was sharing my experience of how I found my testimony and the promise I made with Heavenly Father that if I didn’t know if the Book of Mormon was true by the time I finished reading it I would go home and not waste anymore of His time. I read the Book of Mormon every day and I begin to see a change in me, I became more humble, I became more humble to the whisperings and promptings of the spirit. There came a day when I was humble enough to feel my testimony glowing inside of me. I now know this with all my heart, because I became humble enough to listen. 

Missionary+Money=Mall

What I love about Mom is that she is my cheerleader and what I love about Dad is he supports me in all my decisions.

con amor, ducks forever, 
Elder Mcilmoil 
October 20, 2014 

Grateful For Kind Families

Scripture of the week: Luke 17:32 

“Faith is always pointed toward the future.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 

“The past is to be learned from but not lived in.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 

"It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the light of Christ." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Endings are not our destiny." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf