12-13-10
Hey!
I loved your emails, it sounds like life is so busy right now, but so
great! You guys sound so happy! Way cool.
Although I envy the cold weather, and the chance to go skiing, and all
that, I really love hearing about it all! Sometimes when I'm sweating
bullets in the heat I just try to imagine myself elsewhere (like the
mountains) and it almost helps to cool myself off haha!
I don't really know where to start with this week. On Tuesday
afternoon I went to Tiquisate on a split with Elder Aguirre (Elder
Grover's companion). Elder Grover came to Nueva to do baptismal
interviews. I got to teach with Elder Aguirre, and I learned so much.
He is an excellent teacher, and he teaches like I was taught to teach
in the MTC and CCM. I felt like I didn't know anything haha! He
taught with the Spirit and with love. It felt very different, way
better, than a lot of the lessons we typically teach in Nueva
Concepcion. I'm trying to apply all the things I learned, and bit by
bit, I'm learning. While I was with Elder Aguirre, he would see
things that I was doing (or not doing) and correct me. Like when we
left the house, I didn't have a Book of Mormon in my hand. He told me
that we are always to have a Book of Mormon in our hand. Otherwise
people just thing we're rich gringos selling things. He asked if my
companion carries a Book of Mormon with him. I cringed a bit as I
said no (because he had asked a lot of other similar questions about
my companion and I told the truth). I explained that Elder Herrera
really does have a desire to do what's right, and I don't like to rat
him our for things like that, because that makes him sound chambon
(like a slacker). Elder Aguirre just said, 'noooo don't worry elder,
I'm not gonna say anything to him, and I know he's a good missionary.
But he should be doing this stuff. It helps me know how to help him
when I know what he's doing.'
My companion is a bit stubborn, but I hope I've helped him here and
there. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm so thankful for the time
I've had with him. We're entering the last week of this transfer, and
he's been here for six months. President told him he'll be leaving.
And in my email to President last week I asked him a couple questions.
All he replied was something like, 'just keep it up, keep being bold.
You will soon have a new companion with the same ethics as you.' I'm
way excited to see what happens next week.
Elder Aguirre told me not to stop learning Spanish. Although I can go
on splits with members and teach by myself, I still have so much to
learn. But he told me that I need to be prepared to train by the end
of next transfers. That scared me a bit, and I don't know if he was
serious. But I have a lot to do. I feel way inadequate (sp?). I'm
happy, but not content. It's a weird feeling.
We had a baptism scheduled for Saturday, but our investigator ended up
having mental problems (I had no idea until the day of her interview
and we started noticing some things). It was so sad to find out about
that, but hopefully we can help her out and continue on with her plan
to be baptized. The Assistants are going to come this week and figure
out what to do with the situation.
Before this transfer, when all of Nueva Concepcion was our area, we
were teaching a man named Ezequiel. His whole family goes to church,
theyre all members except for him. He started attending church awhile
back, but didn't want to be baptized. He has talked with the
missionaries on and off for ten years, and he loves the missionaries.
He played professional soccer for a long time, and we play with him on
Mondays. It's way fun. But towards the end of our last transfer, I
asked him if he would be baptized. I explained how he has a wonderful
family and how important it is to be an example for his children and
to support his wife. He said something like 'we will see'. Elder
Rigby and Elder Thorley have been teaching him since they got here.
They again invited him to be baptized, and after ten years of meeting
with missionaries, he agreed to go through with things. On Saturday,
Elder Herrera and I got to attend his baptism. Elder Rigby baptized
him and everything went really well. After the closing prayer,
Ezequiel and his wife embraced for the longest time. They were both
crying and it was such a cool thing to see. The family was so happy!
They were finally united in the gospel. It was so awesome.
That was the highlight of my week. Other highlights included Elder
Herrera's birthday (we ate so much cake, it was sweet haha pun?),
fireworks all over the place every night (Christmas tradition),
painting the outside of Paty and Eu's house, and getting the Liahona!
I finally got to read some of the talks that we missed from
conference. We missed a few talks because we were late and then some
others because the satellite went out.
Tomorrow we get to go to Reu for the mission Christmas partay! Ah I'm
so excited! I get to see Elders Hock, Taylor, and Shannon again.
I'm really excited for everything coming up. Tomorrow will be great.
Transfers are always exciting, though I will be legitimately sad to
say goodbye to Elder Herrera. And then I get to talk to you guys!
Whoa. I can't wait!
As Christmas approaches, remember the reason why we celebrate! I look
forward to spending some time just thinking about the significance of
the birth of the Savior. Life as a missionary practically forces you
to forget the material aspect of Christmas celebrations and really
reflect on the meaning of this time of year.
I hope you guys have another great week! Dad, be safe in Chicago.
Haley, finals are important. You know that. Just work hard this last
little bit. Work really hard. That will make the break seem so much
better! And Mom! keep on doin what you're doin. You should look
into snowboarding, I can see you doing that. Just sayin...
In my emails, is there anything I'm missing? For example, I realized
that if I want to love my companion, it really doesn't help to talk
bad about him. Then I realized that it doesn't help to think anything
bad about him. So I've tried to stop that. I just don't want to slip
into the trap of developing bad habits early on, like Dad warned me
about. So if you notice anything, please let me know. Gracias.
I love you guys! Brock, good luck with finals!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Visit with the President of the Mission
12-6-10
Whatup err'body!
Okay, sounds like Haley's party was just epic. I want some pictures
if possible haha. I love hearing from you guys, especially today.
Last night I watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and it
made me so nostalgic. Elder Hock emailed me today and told me he
actually started crying when he saw temple square with the lights.
Ah! Haha I'm not depressed or sad, but I do miss home right now.
Mom, I never got a Halloween package, to answer your question. And to
be honest, I don't really need a water bottle anymore. I found that
it's easier to just take a gatorade bottle and keep refilling it. And
as far as ties, I can buy them in Patulul for rather cheap (3 for one
American dollar HA!) It's insane how cheap they are here.
So yeah, that stomach bug passed quickly, so no problems there.
Killed another scorpion this week! We're hopefully gonna spray with
permethrin around the house today. Oh! your other questions. Mom,
we talk with the Zone Leaders every night when we report the datos for
the day. So we let them know when we need something. And we see
President about once or twice a month. And I email him every week.
Speaking of President, we had a seminar with him on Tuesday. It was
for all the new missionaries (the ones with one or two transfers) and
it was awesome. We have six greenies in our zone, and I'm the only
one with two transfers, so I was in charge of getting us to Retalhuleu
for the seminar. That went well, except we were an hour late because
the Zone Leaders were really late in bringing some of the elders that
needed to come with us. It was awkward, but the meeting started 40
minutes late, so we didn't miss much. At the meeting, we shared
things that our trainers weren't doing right. I found out I'm not the
only one having a rough time with that. A buddy of mine from the CCM
explained that one day his companion took the phone, locked the house
from the outside, and left. Haha crazy.
I explained that my companion likes to ride on the back of people's
motorcycles and stuff, except I didn't explain that it was my
companion because I didn't want to rat him out. I just said it was an
elder in my district. One of the Assistants came up and said to me
later on, 'haha we know it's your companion that's doing that, you
don't need to try and protect him. Don't worry about it, we'll take
care of it.' And then they told me they were thankful for me trying
to help my companion and being an example for him.
After we explained things that our companions aren't doing right,
President laid down the law. He asked why we are letting them do
things like that. Haha he 'machete'd' us as my companion would call
it, but it was in a way that really motivated me to be better. I
learned so much at the seminar and it was cool being there with my CCM
group. That was one of the coolest parts. I walked into the seminar
(late) and saw Elders Hock, Shannon, and Taylor sitting at the same
table. I winked at them and sat down (trying not to interrupt the
meeting). When we got a break, we all stood up and bear hugged each
other. Haha then we swapped stories about our first couple changes
(transfers). It was soo cool.
The day after, my companion went to the meeting for all the trainers.
That meant I was to be senior companion with Elder Thorley (the
greenie in Nueva). Holy cow. Wake up call haha! We packed our day
and worked hard. It was so awesome. We couldn't understand
everything, but we got enough to be able to teach and help people out.
It was a successful day. Our companions were impressed when they got
back. It was a confidence builder to find out that I can get the job
done with someone that has less experience than me. But gosh I have a
lot to learn still.
My companion got back with a desire to improve some things. President
really laid down the law with them in their seminar. The first thing
he talked about was motorcycles. My companion wasn't too happy when
he brought it up, and he knew it was a result of my 'snitching' but he
just said 'I don't know who brought it up, but President said we can't
do that.' Haha it was an awkward moment. The night before I was
praying about how to help my companion and I felt the impression to
take advantage of the following night (the night he got back from the
meeting) when he had the desire to change some things. I followed the
prompting and prepared some goals to improve. He was willing to work
toward those goals and I'm so thankful. But there are still some
things he doesn't want to change. Haha so I still have plenty of work
to do.
I think my favorite part of the day is personal study time. It's nice
and cool in the morning and I have a solid hour of personal
reflection, scripture study, and prayer. I wish I had more of it, but
that would be selfish. But I learn so much every day. Why did I not
take daily personal religion more seriously before my mission? I feel
like that is the most effective way to start the day.
We aren't having a whole lot of success in finding people, and it's
been tough. We need the Lord's help and I feel like we're doing
better than we were as far as following the Spirit and working hard.
But I know that success is not measured in baptisms. But it's hard to
remember that sometimes.
I gotta go. Dad, don't worry about writing about home and stuff, I
love hearing about it! It doesn't make me depressed or anything.
Christmas is a pretty big celebration here, they have like a full week
of festivities. It should be pretty crazy. Haha I don't find out
about transfers until the day before we get transferred. But I should
be able to call you guys from the phone in our house using a phone
card. I dunno if it would be cheaper to have you guys call back or if
it's easier for me to just call you guys. But it shouldn't be hard to
figure out.
I love you guys and hope you fully enjoy these weeks leading up to
Christmas. Remember the reason for the season! Haha is that cliche?
Whateva
Love ya!
Elder Austin Tyler
Whatup err'body!
Okay, sounds like Haley's party was just epic. I want some pictures
if possible haha. I love hearing from you guys, especially today.
Last night I watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and it
made me so nostalgic. Elder Hock emailed me today and told me he
actually started crying when he saw temple square with the lights.
Ah! Haha I'm not depressed or sad, but I do miss home right now.
Mom, I never got a Halloween package, to answer your question. And to
be honest, I don't really need a water bottle anymore. I found that
it's easier to just take a gatorade bottle and keep refilling it. And
as far as ties, I can buy them in Patulul for rather cheap (3 for one
American dollar HA!) It's insane how cheap they are here.
So yeah, that stomach bug passed quickly, so no problems there.
Killed another scorpion this week! We're hopefully gonna spray with
permethrin around the house today. Oh! your other questions. Mom,
we talk with the Zone Leaders every night when we report the datos for
the day. So we let them know when we need something. And we see
President about once or twice a month. And I email him every week.
Speaking of President, we had a seminar with him on Tuesday. It was
for all the new missionaries (the ones with one or two transfers) and
it was awesome. We have six greenies in our zone, and I'm the only
one with two transfers, so I was in charge of getting us to Retalhuleu
for the seminar. That went well, except we were an hour late because
the Zone Leaders were really late in bringing some of the elders that
needed to come with us. It was awkward, but the meeting started 40
minutes late, so we didn't miss much. At the meeting, we shared
things that our trainers weren't doing right. I found out I'm not the
only one having a rough time with that. A buddy of mine from the CCM
explained that one day his companion took the phone, locked the house
from the outside, and left. Haha crazy.
I explained that my companion likes to ride on the back of people's
motorcycles and stuff, except I didn't explain that it was my
companion because I didn't want to rat him out. I just said it was an
elder in my district. One of the Assistants came up and said to me
later on, 'haha we know it's your companion that's doing that, you
don't need to try and protect him. Don't worry about it, we'll take
care of it.' And then they told me they were thankful for me trying
to help my companion and being an example for him.
After we explained things that our companions aren't doing right,
President laid down the law. He asked why we are letting them do
things like that. Haha he 'machete'd' us as my companion would call
it, but it was in a way that really motivated me to be better. I
learned so much at the seminar and it was cool being there with my CCM
group. That was one of the coolest parts. I walked into the seminar
(late) and saw Elders Hock, Shannon, and Taylor sitting at the same
table. I winked at them and sat down (trying not to interrupt the
meeting). When we got a break, we all stood up and bear hugged each
other. Haha then we swapped stories about our first couple changes
(transfers). It was soo cool.
The day after, my companion went to the meeting for all the trainers.
That meant I was to be senior companion with Elder Thorley (the
greenie in Nueva). Holy cow. Wake up call haha! We packed our day
and worked hard. It was so awesome. We couldn't understand
everything, but we got enough to be able to teach and help people out.
It was a successful day. Our companions were impressed when they got
back. It was a confidence builder to find out that I can get the job
done with someone that has less experience than me. But gosh I have a
lot to learn still.
My companion got back with a desire to improve some things. President
really laid down the law with them in their seminar. The first thing
he talked about was motorcycles. My companion wasn't too happy when
he brought it up, and he knew it was a result of my 'snitching' but he
just said 'I don't know who brought it up, but President said we can't
do that.' Haha it was an awkward moment. The night before I was
praying about how to help my companion and I felt the impression to
take advantage of the following night (the night he got back from the
meeting) when he had the desire to change some things. I followed the
prompting and prepared some goals to improve. He was willing to work
toward those goals and I'm so thankful. But there are still some
things he doesn't want to change. Haha so I still have plenty of work
to do.
I think my favorite part of the day is personal study time. It's nice
and cool in the morning and I have a solid hour of personal
reflection, scripture study, and prayer. I wish I had more of it, but
that would be selfish. But I learn so much every day. Why did I not
take daily personal religion more seriously before my mission? I feel
like that is the most effective way to start the day.
We aren't having a whole lot of success in finding people, and it's
been tough. We need the Lord's help and I feel like we're doing
better than we were as far as following the Spirit and working hard.
But I know that success is not measured in baptisms. But it's hard to
remember that sometimes.
I gotta go. Dad, don't worry about writing about home and stuff, I
love hearing about it! It doesn't make me depressed or anything.
Christmas is a pretty big celebration here, they have like a full week
of festivities. It should be pretty crazy. Haha I don't find out
about transfers until the day before we get transferred. But I should
be able to call you guys from the phone in our house using a phone
card. I dunno if it would be cheaper to have you guys call back or if
it's easier for me to just call you guys. But it shouldn't be hard to
figure out.
I love you guys and hope you fully enjoy these weeks leading up to
Christmas. Remember the reason for the season! Haha is that cliche?
Whateva
Love ya!
Elder Austin Tyler
The Reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ
11-29-10
Haha whats up guys!
Where to start...
I killed a big ol scorpion this week! It was crawling up the wall.
Not cool. I'm okay with spiders and cockroaches, but scorpions cross
the line. Ugh.
So i finally got sick. I had some wicked boo and a nice little fever
on Tuesday. But all is well now. Haha I still get some aftershocks
in the bathroom, but nothing too severe.
Mom, don't worry about not writing last week! And Dad, I hope your
hand is alright! Sounds like that was pretty nasty.
So Wednesday, my companion had a meeting in Rehu, so I was on a split
with Elder Rigby and Elder Thorley. That afternoon we went to Cocales
to pick up my companion. We waited two hours and Elder Herrera still
hadn't showed up. And there were no more buses going to Nueva
Concepcion. Haha so we got a ride to Patulul (paradise) and stayed
with the elders there for the night. At 10:30 my companion finally
showed up there (there was a huge accident and backed up traffic).
And he brought mail with him. In the mail was a HUGE box full of
American candy!!! (I didnt open it until we got home the next day).
Thank you soooo much! I've been pigging out and I love it haha. I
also got a little package from Brother Teeples, which had a microfiber
towel and a letter inside. It was awesome. I'm writing him back
today, but please tell him thank you for me. I also got letters from
Kelley, Rita, Kendy, and Megan! Awesome. Haha that made for an
awesome night. But I slept on the concrete floor without a blanket or
pillow. Didn't sleep much. But I still had enough energy to get
through the next day.
So on Thursday we went to Tiquisate for Thanksgiving. We cooked an
actual turkey! It was so expensive, but worth it. We had mashed
potatoes, sweet potatoes, cake, bread, gravy. It took forever to cook
and everyone was bored and in a bad mood. But I was loving it! Haha
I helped cook and that was fun. I got some time to play the piano in
the chapel there and that was so great. And we got to talk and just
hang out and stuff. There are 6 greenies in our zone right now. It's
crazy! It was funny to talk to them. They're all gringoes. So yeah,
everyone was in a really bad mood and I was like, what the heck! It's
Thanksgiving! The Latinos were especially upset. They didn't like
the food and they were ticked off that we wasted an entire day
celebrating Thanksgiving haha! I couldn't help but get nostalgic. It
was really tough to sit there among grumpy company, eating a partially
raw turkey in a circle of chairs (haha we didn't have a table) and
listening to Hillary's Christmas cd. Haha it was almost like a movie
and I just sat there thinking about you guys and the snow, Harry
Potter, leftovers, movies, Settlers, etc. Haha it was sad, but it was
so awesome to have a legit Thanksgiving meal. I successfully didn't
let other people get me down.
I love hearing about your guys' Thanksgiving! Ah sounds like it was
awesome. I wrote you all letters and sent those off this morning. As
far as calling for Christmas, I think I'll be able to buy a card and
call with that. I'm still trying to figure it out. But there
shouldn't be any problems.
Haha so Elder Rigby found out that my companion still rides on the
back of peoples' motorcycles and he was like WHAT!? What is he
doing!?? Haha I just sat there and said, yeah, that's my companion.
Haha so things are still up and down. But we've made progress.
Sorry I don't have a lot of spiritual stuff to write. I was sick two
days, then we had Thanksgiving, so we didn't get to work a whole lot
this week. But last night we did get to help someone out. One of our
recent converts was contemplating suicide. It was an intense night.
We found out where she was, calmed her down, and talked to her. We
shared some scriptures about the Atonement and encouraged her to pray.
She said she felt so guilty for something she did and couldn't go to
the Lord or to her family. But she said she would pray. I shared DyC
45:3-5 with her and explained that nobody is perfect. We all make
mistakes, and we have the Atonement to help us out.
I love that scripture. When I read that, I get such a powerful mental
image of the Savior pleading our cause before the Father. I think of
standing there, at the final stage of judgment, leading to the
eternities with our families, with an eternal companion. Standing
there with the Savior. Ah I dunno, it's just so powerful, so
personal.
Well, I need to go, but I hope you are all doing great! Enjoy those
leftovers, enjoy the snow. Love life!
I love you guys! Take care and have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Haha whats up guys!
Where to start...
I killed a big ol scorpion this week! It was crawling up the wall.
Not cool. I'm okay with spiders and cockroaches, but scorpions cross
the line. Ugh.
So i finally got sick. I had some wicked boo and a nice little fever
on Tuesday. But all is well now. Haha I still get some aftershocks
in the bathroom, but nothing too severe.
Mom, don't worry about not writing last week! And Dad, I hope your
hand is alright! Sounds like that was pretty nasty.
So Wednesday, my companion had a meeting in Rehu, so I was on a split
with Elder Rigby and Elder Thorley. That afternoon we went to Cocales
to pick up my companion. We waited two hours and Elder Herrera still
hadn't showed up. And there were no more buses going to Nueva
Concepcion. Haha so we got a ride to Patulul (paradise) and stayed
with the elders there for the night. At 10:30 my companion finally
showed up there (there was a huge accident and backed up traffic).
And he brought mail with him. In the mail was a HUGE box full of
American candy!!! (I didnt open it until we got home the next day).
Thank you soooo much! I've been pigging out and I love it haha. I
also got a little package from Brother Teeples, which had a microfiber
towel and a letter inside. It was awesome. I'm writing him back
today, but please tell him thank you for me. I also got letters from
Kelley, Rita, Kendy, and Megan! Awesome. Haha that made for an
awesome night. But I slept on the concrete floor without a blanket or
pillow. Didn't sleep much. But I still had enough energy to get
through the next day.
So on Thursday we went to Tiquisate for Thanksgiving. We cooked an
actual turkey! It was so expensive, but worth it. We had mashed
potatoes, sweet potatoes, cake, bread, gravy. It took forever to cook
and everyone was bored and in a bad mood. But I was loving it! Haha
I helped cook and that was fun. I got some time to play the piano in
the chapel there and that was so great. And we got to talk and just
hang out and stuff. There are 6 greenies in our zone right now. It's
crazy! It was funny to talk to them. They're all gringoes. So yeah,
everyone was in a really bad mood and I was like, what the heck! It's
Thanksgiving! The Latinos were especially upset. They didn't like
the food and they were ticked off that we wasted an entire day
celebrating Thanksgiving haha! I couldn't help but get nostalgic. It
was really tough to sit there among grumpy company, eating a partially
raw turkey in a circle of chairs (haha we didn't have a table) and
listening to Hillary's Christmas cd. Haha it was almost like a movie
and I just sat there thinking about you guys and the snow, Harry
Potter, leftovers, movies, Settlers, etc. Haha it was sad, but it was
so awesome to have a legit Thanksgiving meal. I successfully didn't
let other people get me down.
I love hearing about your guys' Thanksgiving! Ah sounds like it was
awesome. I wrote you all letters and sent those off this morning. As
far as calling for Christmas, I think I'll be able to buy a card and
call with that. I'm still trying to figure it out. But there
shouldn't be any problems.
Haha so Elder Rigby found out that my companion still rides on the
back of peoples' motorcycles and he was like WHAT!? What is he
doing!?? Haha I just sat there and said, yeah, that's my companion.
Haha so things are still up and down. But we've made progress.
Sorry I don't have a lot of spiritual stuff to write. I was sick two
days, then we had Thanksgiving, so we didn't get to work a whole lot
this week. But last night we did get to help someone out. One of our
recent converts was contemplating suicide. It was an intense night.
We found out where she was, calmed her down, and talked to her. We
shared some scriptures about the Atonement and encouraged her to pray.
She said she felt so guilty for something she did and couldn't go to
the Lord or to her family. But she said she would pray. I shared DyC
45:3-5 with her and explained that nobody is perfect. We all make
mistakes, and we have the Atonement to help us out.
I love that scripture. When I read that, I get such a powerful mental
image of the Savior pleading our cause before the Father. I think of
standing there, at the final stage of judgment, leading to the
eternities with our families, with an eternal companion. Standing
there with the Savior. Ah I dunno, it's just so powerful, so
personal.
Well, I need to go, but I hope you are all doing great! Enjoy those
leftovers, enjoy the snow. Love life!
I love you guys! Take care and have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
A Rainbow Shining in the Dark Sky!
11-22-10
Happy Thanksgiving! And Brock! Happy Birthday!!
This week was pretty awesome. To start, Im gonna answer some of your guys questions. Transfers are on December 22nd, so I have no idea how calling will work. I will talk to the Zone Leaders when I get the chance. I doubt skype will be possible. Word on the street is that we will be celebrating Thanksgiving as a zone, so that should be fun!
And Dad, I get the Liahona in English. The Liahona had a special edition on temples too and I absolutely loved it. There was some cool stuff in there. I use the pictures in some of our lessons. I loved that poem about habits, its so true. And its so easy to develop bad habits so quickly. Its a constant fight. ANd that picture with the turkey leg is epic. You should frame that one haha!
Haley, your stories are so great! They bring back so many memories, I love it!
So on Tuesday we met the other two elders in our zone. One of them is new, and he helicoptered his first three nights in the field (helicoptering is when you poo and vomit at the same time). He lost a lot of weight, I feel so bad for him. On the way to meeting them, a guy who had peed himself came up to me and my companion and asked us for money. We told him we had none. He started quoting scriptures and he was making really creepy and distorted faces and noises. And he tried to tell us we were evil for not loving our neighbor. We explained that we are here to help people spiritually, and he started quoting scripture again. I think he was possessed. It was weird.
Later that day we chopped some firewood for some members. Ive got some nice big blisters from that. But they were all impressed that a gringo knew how to use an axe. They were also surprised that I could work more than five minutes. Haha its ironic how some of these people are really lazy and they look at Americans like they're sloths. Haha Im glad I can set them straight. Wednesday we were walking to an appointment and saw a lady pushing her motorcycle. we offered to help her out. THe bike wouldnt start, so we helped her push it to the body shop or whatever its called. Elder Herrera sat on the bike and steared while I pushed from the back haha! It was about 350 degrees and I had my backpack on. The lady got in a tuktuk (taxi) to lead us where to go. So I was trying to keep up with the taxi and it was so hard. It felt like running a 400 with weights on my back. As we turned a corner, two dogs started chasing us. I was dead tired and I just tried to book it as fast as I could. One of the dogs grabbed onto my shoe, so I kicked him in the face pretty good. But the other bit Elder Herreras leg... and drew blood. I was trying to kick it, but I couldnt because I was running and pushing at the same time. We eventually got away and found out the dogs were vaccinated (thank goodness). I was a sweaty mess by the time we got to our destination.
Speaking of my companion, we have made some amazing progress! Ive been knocking out one bad habit at a time, one or two a week. I found a strategy. I find where it talks about the thing we struggle with, or the thing we dont do correctly, in Preach My Gospel. And then I tell my companion that I want to study that section during companionship study. We do so, and Elder Herrera will read something and say, "Thats a really good idea, I think we should try that." And then I just smile and say, I agree, lets do it. Haha its almost too perfect! And I dont tell you this to brag that Im changing my companion. Im just so happy that I figured out how to help him realize that we can be better. And it has been so great to see him change himself! Preach My Gospel is so awesome.
On Thursday, we got a call from a lady in the ward, Eugenia, and her baby needed a blessing. We said we would stop by after our appointment (It wasnt urgent). But we had a problem. I lost my vial of oil three or four weeks ago. And my companions fell off his belt loop two weeks ago. So I knelt down and prayed that I would be able to find mine. Keep in mind, I hadnt been able to find it for three weeks. I stood up, looked around my desk, then stopped. I walked straight to my room, and picked up my suitcase and reached down to pick up the vial of oil. It was like I knew it was there. It was a miracle.
Most people here arent comfortable looking me in the eye, especially girls. But I met a 14 year old girl this week who was not afraid to look me in the eye. I found out she has a baby of two months, and her husband was killed four months ago. And she is 14 years old. That helped me realize that I dont realize how blessed I really am.
Last thing. Last night we were walking to the church to meet a family who was going to accompany us to an appointment. It had just stormed, and we could see the storm in the distance. There was a full moon on the other side of the sky. As I looked up at the huge clouds, I saw a rainbow! A rainbow in the dark! And there was lightning flashing in the distance, it was the gnarliest night sky I had ever seen. And despite the full moon, the stars were still bright. It was nuts. So cool.
I hope you all have an awesome week. Im trying to write you all letters and I hope I can get them to you by Christmas. I love you guys! And remember, if you want to get good at something, practice it! If you want to master something, keep practicing. Practice is the key to learning.
Love you!
Elder Austin Tyler
Happy Thanksgiving! And Brock! Happy Birthday!!
This week was pretty awesome. To start, Im gonna answer some of your guys questions. Transfers are on December 22nd, so I have no idea how calling will work. I will talk to the Zone Leaders when I get the chance. I doubt skype will be possible. Word on the street is that we will be celebrating Thanksgiving as a zone, so that should be fun!
And Dad, I get the Liahona in English. The Liahona had a special edition on temples too and I absolutely loved it. There was some cool stuff in there. I use the pictures in some of our lessons. I loved that poem about habits, its so true. And its so easy to develop bad habits so quickly. Its a constant fight. ANd that picture with the turkey leg is epic. You should frame that one haha!
Haley, your stories are so great! They bring back so many memories, I love it!
So on Tuesday we met the other two elders in our zone. One of them is new, and he helicoptered his first three nights in the field (helicoptering is when you poo and vomit at the same time). He lost a lot of weight, I feel so bad for him. On the way to meeting them, a guy who had peed himself came up to me and my companion and asked us for money. We told him we had none. He started quoting scriptures and he was making really creepy and distorted faces and noises. And he tried to tell us we were evil for not loving our neighbor. We explained that we are here to help people spiritually, and he started quoting scripture again. I think he was possessed. It was weird.
Later that day we chopped some firewood for some members. Ive got some nice big blisters from that. But they were all impressed that a gringo knew how to use an axe. They were also surprised that I could work more than five minutes. Haha its ironic how some of these people are really lazy and they look at Americans like they're sloths. Haha Im glad I can set them straight. Wednesday we were walking to an appointment and saw a lady pushing her motorcycle. we offered to help her out. THe bike wouldnt start, so we helped her push it to the body shop or whatever its called. Elder Herrera sat on the bike and steared while I pushed from the back haha! It was about 350 degrees and I had my backpack on. The lady got in a tuktuk (taxi) to lead us where to go. So I was trying to keep up with the taxi and it was so hard. It felt like running a 400 with weights on my back. As we turned a corner, two dogs started chasing us. I was dead tired and I just tried to book it as fast as I could. One of the dogs grabbed onto my shoe, so I kicked him in the face pretty good. But the other bit Elder Herreras leg... and drew blood. I was trying to kick it, but I couldnt because I was running and pushing at the same time. We eventually got away and found out the dogs were vaccinated (thank goodness). I was a sweaty mess by the time we got to our destination.
Speaking of my companion, we have made some amazing progress! Ive been knocking out one bad habit at a time, one or two a week. I found a strategy. I find where it talks about the thing we struggle with, or the thing we dont do correctly, in Preach My Gospel. And then I tell my companion that I want to study that section during companionship study. We do so, and Elder Herrera will read something and say, "Thats a really good idea, I think we should try that." And then I just smile and say, I agree, lets do it. Haha its almost too perfect! And I dont tell you this to brag that Im changing my companion. Im just so happy that I figured out how to help him realize that we can be better. And it has been so great to see him change himself! Preach My Gospel is so awesome.
On Thursday, we got a call from a lady in the ward, Eugenia, and her baby needed a blessing. We said we would stop by after our appointment (It wasnt urgent). But we had a problem. I lost my vial of oil three or four weeks ago. And my companions fell off his belt loop two weeks ago. So I knelt down and prayed that I would be able to find mine. Keep in mind, I hadnt been able to find it for three weeks. I stood up, looked around my desk, then stopped. I walked straight to my room, and picked up my suitcase and reached down to pick up the vial of oil. It was like I knew it was there. It was a miracle.
Most people here arent comfortable looking me in the eye, especially girls. But I met a 14 year old girl this week who was not afraid to look me in the eye. I found out she has a baby of two months, and her husband was killed four months ago. And she is 14 years old. That helped me realize that I dont realize how blessed I really am.
Last thing. Last night we were walking to the church to meet a family who was going to accompany us to an appointment. It had just stormed, and we could see the storm in the distance. There was a full moon on the other side of the sky. As I looked up at the huge clouds, I saw a rainbow! A rainbow in the dark! And there was lightning flashing in the distance, it was the gnarliest night sky I had ever seen. And despite the full moon, the stars were still bright. It was nuts. So cool.
I hope you all have an awesome week. Im trying to write you all letters and I hope I can get them to you by Christmas. I love you guys! And remember, if you want to get good at something, practice it! If you want to master something, keep practicing. Practice is the key to learning.
Love you!
Elder Austin Tyler
Monday, November 15, 2010
Perseverance and blessings.
¡Buenos dias!
Haha! You guys are the best family in the world! Thanks for your
prayers and advice. It really does help so much.
I got a letter from Elder Jordan Franks this week! But I think it was
written a month and a half ago haha.
And I noticed last night that my top permanent retainer broke in half.
I dont know when, but it doesnt hurt or anything. Its just
ineffective. So looks like I have to start wearing my night retainer
EVERY night. ugh. ha
Dad that picture of the foliage and stuff is the cafeteria where we
eat (I think). It is right in front of our house. This computer
doesnt have an apostrophe button haha, and its frustrating to my
perfectionist tendencies. ANd as far as the Garcia family, we have an
appointment with them on Wednesday. The father works in the capital,
so its gonna be hard to teach them, but I know we were led to them for
a reason.
I hear from John quite a bit and it sounds like hes doing great! Troy
I heard from once, and he is so focused. Its so cool.
About changes!
I am still here in Nueva Concepcion with Elder Herrera (which Im
actually excited about!), but our area was cut in half. Thank
goodness! Elder Herrera is still District Leader and we have two new
elders here. Elder Thorley from Vegas and Elder Rigby from Layton,
UT. Elder Thorley is a GREENIE! Haha its so cool to be here with a
couple of Americans. I feel like I can learn so much from Elder Rigby
and I can help out Elder Thorley. Its helped me see how much progress
ive made since my time in the MTC. I went on a split with Elder Rigby
to show him the area and introduce him to some of the members and
investigators. He has ten months and he is obedient and determined.
His Spanish, although way better than mine, sounds kind of funny after
spending so much time with a fluent companion. Its been awesome to
have them here.
It is winter here right now, and its really interesting. Its hot
every day, but it cools off a bit at night (To the point where the
natives wear sweatshirts, and I still sweat in a short sleeve shirt)
haha! And it will be like this until February. In March and April it
gets hotter and hotter, and doesnt cool off at night, until May brings
tons of rain. Thats when things finally cool off.
I get so sick of the heat and dust, it makes for a nasty feeling of
dirt and grime at the end of the day. I shower before bed and when I
wake up. And I hate showering because the water is freezing! Haha
but I feel so much better afterwards.
This week we were on an especially dusty road and there were cars and
motorcycles driving by, continuously swirling the dust. I could
hardly see or breathe for the two miles we were on the road. And I
was sweating. Haha I just laughed and thought (in an Austin Eckel
sort of way) "This is soo horrible!!" And laughed some more. It
really was horrible, but I just thought about how funny it was that I
was in Guatemala in the heat and how I was still happy.
The heat makes it tough to focus. Im still memorizing a scripture
every day, and sometimes it is soo hard. But Ive learned sooo much
and Ive gotten so much better at remembering things! Its way cool.
And I pray for the help of the Spirit in remembering the things I
study (something I recommend for anybody that wants to do well in
school or work). I plan on continuing that pattern forever.
I miss snow and cold weather. I love hearing about those BYU football
games and the cold weather thats coming. Ah I miss that. Its good to
know that it will be there when I get back.
Dad, what you were saying about being willing to change, or
acknowledging that fact that we need to change and improve. I was
thinking about that this week. Whenever I study "Preach My Gospel"
and I read something that I dont do, I have a tendency to blow it off
and say, "thats not how its done, or thats awkward or ineffective."
Ive learned to recognize that feeling and as soon as I recognize it I
remind myself that Preach My Gospel was written by people who know
missionary work wayy better than I do. That it is the guide for
missionary work. And then I try to apply it. Ive tried to think of
that book as my trainer, and ive learned so much from it. When I
apply things in that book, it only improves. It may be awkward to
start a conversation a certain way, or to ask a certain question, or
to speak more boldly, but it works.
Haley, your poem is legit. And it sounds like PowderPuff was awesome!
Props on your tackle :)
And Mom, I got my debit card to work at the ATM, and yes I can buy
batteries here. So dont worry about sending those if theyre heavy!
Oh, and no need to worry about my number getting around. You cant use
cards to buy things here, only cash.
And also, I feel healthier. I work out more in the mornings and that
helps. And I figured out what to eat and stuff.
You guys have mentioned that Aubrey Evans is gonna write me, and Ive
been waiting for that for a long time haha! If you have her address,
could you send that to me?
And could you also give me Jonathon Clarks address? That would be
awesome. Thank you!
So ive mentioned how the mission is so up and down emotionally. I
woke up at three in the morning Sunday morning and couldnt sleep. The
thought "what in the world am I doing here, on a mission, in
Guatemala, etc?" and it was horrible! Haha but I was reminded of a
lesson the Brother Bott taught in my mission prep class at BYU. He
said those moments of depression will come, and you just need to
recognize them and not let it get to you. And he explained a process
of antidepression. Ha Sunday proved to be tough and I just kept
fighting those awful thoughts. And I kept doing my best to focus and
love everyone. Then last night we found an awesome family and taught
them a quick lesson on faith and repentance. I felt soo happy! It
was such a relief to find success after such a tough day. This
morning I was thinking about how one day I will be comfortable with
all of this and I will be able to help others with my experience and
knowledge. That got me excited.
Last Sunday I fasted for the gift of tongues. On Tuesday and
Wednesday I understood almost everything. It was so amazing. I know
there is power in fasting and prayer. I know that faith precedes
miracles and power. I know that the Spirit can guide us and enable us
to do amazing things. And I know that I need His help.
I gotta go, but I love you guys and hope youre doing great! Have an
awesome week!
Love,
Elder Tyler
Haha! You guys are the best family in the world! Thanks for your
prayers and advice. It really does help so much.
I got a letter from Elder Jordan Franks this week! But I think it was
written a month and a half ago haha.
And I noticed last night that my top permanent retainer broke in half.
I dont know when, but it doesnt hurt or anything. Its just
ineffective. So looks like I have to start wearing my night retainer
EVERY night. ugh. ha
Dad that picture of the foliage and stuff is the cafeteria where we
eat (I think). It is right in front of our house. This computer
doesnt have an apostrophe button haha, and its frustrating to my
perfectionist tendencies. ANd as far as the Garcia family, we have an
appointment with them on Wednesday. The father works in the capital,
so its gonna be hard to teach them, but I know we were led to them for
a reason.
I hear from John quite a bit and it sounds like hes doing great! Troy
I heard from once, and he is so focused. Its so cool.
About changes!
I am still here in Nueva Concepcion with Elder Herrera (which Im
actually excited about!), but our area was cut in half. Thank
goodness! Elder Herrera is still District Leader and we have two new
elders here. Elder Thorley from Vegas and Elder Rigby from Layton,
UT. Elder Thorley is a GREENIE! Haha its so cool to be here with a
couple of Americans. I feel like I can learn so much from Elder Rigby
and I can help out Elder Thorley. Its helped me see how much progress
ive made since my time in the MTC. I went on a split with Elder Rigby
to show him the area and introduce him to some of the members and
investigators. He has ten months and he is obedient and determined.
His Spanish, although way better than mine, sounds kind of funny after
spending so much time with a fluent companion. Its been awesome to
have them here.
It is winter here right now, and its really interesting. Its hot
every day, but it cools off a bit at night (To the point where the
natives wear sweatshirts, and I still sweat in a short sleeve shirt)
haha! And it will be like this until February. In March and April it
gets hotter and hotter, and doesnt cool off at night, until May brings
tons of rain. Thats when things finally cool off.
I get so sick of the heat and dust, it makes for a nasty feeling of
dirt and grime at the end of the day. I shower before bed and when I
wake up. And I hate showering because the water is freezing! Haha
but I feel so much better afterwards.
This week we were on an especially dusty road and there were cars and
motorcycles driving by, continuously swirling the dust. I could
hardly see or breathe for the two miles we were on the road. And I
was sweating. Haha I just laughed and thought (in an Austin Eckel
sort of way) "This is soo horrible!!" And laughed some more. It
really was horrible, but I just thought about how funny it was that I
was in Guatemala in the heat and how I was still happy.
The heat makes it tough to focus. Im still memorizing a scripture
every day, and sometimes it is soo hard. But Ive learned sooo much
and Ive gotten so much better at remembering things! Its way cool.
And I pray for the help of the Spirit in remembering the things I
study (something I recommend for anybody that wants to do well in
school or work). I plan on continuing that pattern forever.
I miss snow and cold weather. I love hearing about those BYU football
games and the cold weather thats coming. Ah I miss that. Its good to
know that it will be there when I get back.
Dad, what you were saying about being willing to change, or
acknowledging that fact that we need to change and improve. I was
thinking about that this week. Whenever I study "Preach My Gospel"
and I read something that I dont do, I have a tendency to blow it off
and say, "thats not how its done, or thats awkward or ineffective."
Ive learned to recognize that feeling and as soon as I recognize it I
remind myself that Preach My Gospel was written by people who know
missionary work wayy better than I do. That it is the guide for
missionary work. And then I try to apply it. Ive tried to think of
that book as my trainer, and ive learned so much from it. When I
apply things in that book, it only improves. It may be awkward to
start a conversation a certain way, or to ask a certain question, or
to speak more boldly, but it works.
Haley, your poem is legit. And it sounds like PowderPuff was awesome!
Props on your tackle :)
And Mom, I got my debit card to work at the ATM, and yes I can buy
batteries here. So dont worry about sending those if theyre heavy!
Oh, and no need to worry about my number getting around. You cant use
cards to buy things here, only cash.
And also, I feel healthier. I work out more in the mornings and that
helps. And I figured out what to eat and stuff.
You guys have mentioned that Aubrey Evans is gonna write me, and Ive
been waiting for that for a long time haha! If you have her address,
could you send that to me?
And could you also give me Jonathon Clarks address? That would be
awesome. Thank you!
So ive mentioned how the mission is so up and down emotionally. I
woke up at three in the morning Sunday morning and couldnt sleep. The
thought "what in the world am I doing here, on a mission, in
Guatemala, etc?" and it was horrible! Haha but I was reminded of a
lesson the Brother Bott taught in my mission prep class at BYU. He
said those moments of depression will come, and you just need to
recognize them and not let it get to you. And he explained a process
of antidepression. Ha Sunday proved to be tough and I just kept
fighting those awful thoughts. And I kept doing my best to focus and
love everyone. Then last night we found an awesome family and taught
them a quick lesson on faith and repentance. I felt soo happy! It
was such a relief to find success after such a tough day. This
morning I was thinking about how one day I will be comfortable with
all of this and I will be able to help others with my experience and
knowledge. That got me excited.
Last Sunday I fasted for the gift of tongues. On Tuesday and
Wednesday I understood almost everything. It was so amazing. I know
there is power in fasting and prayer. I know that faith precedes
miracles and power. I know that the Spirit can guide us and enable us
to do amazing things. And I know that I need His help.
I gotta go, but I love you guys and hope youre doing great! Have an
awesome week!
Love,
Elder Tyler
The first opportunity to teach a whole family!
Ahhh I loved all your emails! Thank you so much for the advice and
everything. This week, although by no means easier, was better. Mom,
that talk by President Hinckley was powerful, I needed that. It
sounds like your vacation was great! Mom on a jetski!?!?!? Haha
thats so awesome!
We had a little vacation of our own today, thats why my email is so
late. We were the most successful zone in the mission during October,
so we traveled to Reu (Retalhuleu) and met up with President Maravilla
and his family and the Assistants to the President and the
Secretaries. We went to this really nice resort (way cheap too!) and
played mini golf for our P Day. It was pretty awesome. Everyone kept
asking about how my Spanish is coming along and they all told me they
were impressed with my progress. So that tells me I think Im
progressing more than I think I am haha. President was really
impressed and told me to keep it up. He was pleased with our success
this past month and told us it better continue haha! We have some
great goals set, so I think it will continue.
After playing mini golf we sat around and talked until leaving to eat
lunch at BURGER KING. That was amazing. Oh and I think I overreacted
on the weight thing. I weighed myself this week and Im still at 180.
Ive been eating healthier and adjusted my work out plan every morning
and thats going well.
Dad, AA batteries are what I need most. And three AAA: Thanks!
And Mom, that sheet will work great! I dont remember all that I wrote
in my letter regarding the Plan of Salvation sheet, but I think it was
detailed enough. Im sure whatever you think will work will be just
great.
So I tried Iguana this week. That was interesting. We killed the
iguana ourselves and had a member cook it for us. Then we caught a
huge one that afternoon! Both green ones! Those are pretty rare, it
was nuts.
I also tried cow tongue. That was interesting too. Haha I dont think
it was the cause of my bu (diahrrea) but i felt a little funny after
eating it.
So a couple of really cool things happened this week. First, we took
a bus out to the trochas (toward the beach, which I still have yet to
see) and visited a family from the branch. They were so excited to
have us over. They gave me two coconuts to drink and then fed us
soup. Who knows what was in it! Haha it was weird. But we visited
with them for a bit and then we were about to leave when they informed
us that there wasnt a bus that comes by until three. It was one. My
companion was sure there was a bus that came every hour haha! The
father of the family offered to take us back on his motorcycle. Elder
Herrera said well my companion doesnt like to do that. They asked me
why. I explained that it was dangerous (rather than explaining that
we had a rule saying it was prohibited. That would have exposed an
element of disobedience and disunity in our companionship) and that I
dont like to do it haha. So Elder Herrera looked at me and asked what
we were going to do. He said, we have three options... walk the two
hour hike back to the house, wait the two hours for the bus, or take
the motorcycle. I said, well I will narrow it down to two options and
you can pick from there haha. He laughed and said, I guess we will
wait for the bus. Five minutes after we made that decision, we heard
a horn honking in the distance. It was a bus horn! We ran to the
street after saying our goodbyes and made it just in time! The bus
came out of nowhere and never comes at that time! It was such a
blessing. We got back to the house in time for Language Study and we
were on time to our appointment after that.
Another cool thing... So President told us we can use bikes if we need
them, but to be careful and not take improper advantage of his
permission. The other night we had two appointments in the Pampas,
which are pretty far. It was a situation that justified using bikes.
So we rode all the way our there. Elder Herreras bike chain kept
falling off. But we finally got to the house. The family wasnt
there. We went to the other house. That family wasnt there. UGH
haha
So we started to head back and we saw a man outside of his house
talking to his wife! A married couple! And there were kids in the
yard! It was a family just waiting for us! (we have had quite the
time trying to find actual families to teach and its a huge goal of
our zone). So we talked to the father. His wife had to go do
something and couldnt visit with us. But we talked to this guy and
realized he was very well versed in religion. He knew his stuff and
had investigated the church a bit. But the cool thing was how this
guy didnt let his knowledge turn into pride. A lot of times,
intelligent people become enslaved by their own knowledge. They let
it prevent them from seeing things from another point of view, or
understanding things in different ways. They let it get in the way of
feeling and humility. This man, Brother Garcia, was different. He
sat there and thought about each thing we said. He would then point
out how it was in agreement with something from the Bible and how he
never understand how other churches dont teach it that way, etc. It
was so cool to see him realize that there was more to the gospel of
Jesus Christ than what many churches teach. He accepted the Book of
Mormon and was eager to pray about it.
If we hadnt had those two appointments out there, and if they hadnt
fallen through, we might not have had the chance to find and teach
him. It helped see that sometimes there is a purpose to things not
working out as planned.
Awhile back, Mom asked if the place Im in is dangerous. Nueva
Concepcion is too lazy to be dangerous. Im sure stuff happens, but
the most dangerous thing for us is the street. Haha I almost got hit
by a drunk riding his bike today. Thats a pretty common thing. And
there are ten year olds driving motorcycles. We always have to be
alert when walking in the streets because its pretty crazy. But other
than that its pretty safe around here. People respect us as fellow
Christians, so we dont get any trouble.
So Ive mentioned that almost everyone here goes to church. The
churches teach some pretty interesting stuff. I dont want to get too
far into it because theyre all trying to do what they think is right.
But something that gives me weird feelings is when some of the
Evangelicos pray. They get all emotional and raise their voices and
weep and wail and chant. And everyone listening to the prayer mutters
chants and whispers and stuff. Its creepy sometimes haha and it makes
it kind of tough to teach the proper, reverent, method of prayer.
But theyre all good people and Im continuously learning to love them.
Ive learned a lot this first change and I look forward to seeing what
will happen this week. As anxious as I am to know whats going to
happen, Ive prayed to have the strength and faith to submit to what
the Lord has in store and make the best of it. Actually doing that is
harder than saying it, as is everything in the mission, but Im
determined. I was studying a lot about faith this week and learned
that faith is a gift from God, a spiritual gift. As we demonstrate
our faith through our actions and our humble desires to serve the
Lord, He is able to give us more faith. He is able to strengthen our
hope and we can partake, little by little, of the fruit of the tree of
life. Sometimes my faith is stronger than other times and I can feel
a difference in my abilities to speak Spanish and teach by the Spirit.
I have a desire to acquire more of it, and Im determined to act on
that desire.
I love you guys and hope youre all doing great! Haley, you arent a
terrible sister! But thats no excuse not to write haha I love your
letters!
Oh, funny story. Theres a house with two sisters (in their late
twenties) who live with their father. And we go there a lot to eat
dinner. And they do our laundry. But theres a drunk that lives close
by and every night he yells "PERDONEME!" at the top of his lungs.
Perdoneme means forgive me. Haha its the weirdest thing, but its
hilarious. When we walk by he tries to talk to me in english but hes
too drunk to say much. When he isnt yelling it means he has passed
out for the night. Funny, but in a sad way. People drink sooo much
here, its crazy.
Well, gotta go. Love you all and hope you have a great week! Thanks
for your advice and please continue to give it. I have so much to
learn.
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
P.S. Dad, I love the pictures, you guys look great! And I havent
gotten mail in a couple weeks, but before that I received a bunch of
letters. None from you guys yet, but Im sure theyre all in a pile at
the mission office. ill find out this week.
everything. This week, although by no means easier, was better. Mom,
that talk by President Hinckley was powerful, I needed that. It
sounds like your vacation was great! Mom on a jetski!?!?!? Haha
thats so awesome!
We had a little vacation of our own today, thats why my email is so
late. We were the most successful zone in the mission during October,
so we traveled to Reu (Retalhuleu) and met up with President Maravilla
and his family and the Assistants to the President and the
Secretaries. We went to this really nice resort (way cheap too!) and
played mini golf for our P Day. It was pretty awesome. Everyone kept
asking about how my Spanish is coming along and they all told me they
were impressed with my progress. So that tells me I think Im
progressing more than I think I am haha. President was really
impressed and told me to keep it up. He was pleased with our success
this past month and told us it better continue haha! We have some
great goals set, so I think it will continue.
After playing mini golf we sat around and talked until leaving to eat
lunch at BURGER KING. That was amazing. Oh and I think I overreacted
on the weight thing. I weighed myself this week and Im still at 180.
Ive been eating healthier and adjusted my work out plan every morning
and thats going well.
Dad, AA batteries are what I need most. And three AAA: Thanks!
And Mom, that sheet will work great! I dont remember all that I wrote
in my letter regarding the Plan of Salvation sheet, but I think it was
detailed enough. Im sure whatever you think will work will be just
great.
So I tried Iguana this week. That was interesting. We killed the
iguana ourselves and had a member cook it for us. Then we caught a
huge one that afternoon! Both green ones! Those are pretty rare, it
was nuts.
I also tried cow tongue. That was interesting too. Haha I dont think
it was the cause of my bu (diahrrea) but i felt a little funny after
eating it.
So a couple of really cool things happened this week. First, we took
a bus out to the trochas (toward the beach, which I still have yet to
see) and visited a family from the branch. They were so excited to
have us over. They gave me two coconuts to drink and then fed us
soup. Who knows what was in it! Haha it was weird. But we visited
with them for a bit and then we were about to leave when they informed
us that there wasnt a bus that comes by until three. It was one. My
companion was sure there was a bus that came every hour haha! The
father of the family offered to take us back on his motorcycle. Elder
Herrera said well my companion doesnt like to do that. They asked me
why. I explained that it was dangerous (rather than explaining that
we had a rule saying it was prohibited. That would have exposed an
element of disobedience and disunity in our companionship) and that I
dont like to do it haha. So Elder Herrera looked at me and asked what
we were going to do. He said, we have three options... walk the two
hour hike back to the house, wait the two hours for the bus, or take
the motorcycle. I said, well I will narrow it down to two options and
you can pick from there haha. He laughed and said, I guess we will
wait for the bus. Five minutes after we made that decision, we heard
a horn honking in the distance. It was a bus horn! We ran to the
street after saying our goodbyes and made it just in time! The bus
came out of nowhere and never comes at that time! It was such a
blessing. We got back to the house in time for Language Study and we
were on time to our appointment after that.
Another cool thing... So President told us we can use bikes if we need
them, but to be careful and not take improper advantage of his
permission. The other night we had two appointments in the Pampas,
which are pretty far. It was a situation that justified using bikes.
So we rode all the way our there. Elder Herreras bike chain kept
falling off. But we finally got to the house. The family wasnt
there. We went to the other house. That family wasnt there. UGH
haha
So we started to head back and we saw a man outside of his house
talking to his wife! A married couple! And there were kids in the
yard! It was a family just waiting for us! (we have had quite the
time trying to find actual families to teach and its a huge goal of
our zone). So we talked to the father. His wife had to go do
something and couldnt visit with us. But we talked to this guy and
realized he was very well versed in religion. He knew his stuff and
had investigated the church a bit. But the cool thing was how this
guy didnt let his knowledge turn into pride. A lot of times,
intelligent people become enslaved by their own knowledge. They let
it prevent them from seeing things from another point of view, or
understanding things in different ways. They let it get in the way of
feeling and humility. This man, Brother Garcia, was different. He
sat there and thought about each thing we said. He would then point
out how it was in agreement with something from the Bible and how he
never understand how other churches dont teach it that way, etc. It
was so cool to see him realize that there was more to the gospel of
Jesus Christ than what many churches teach. He accepted the Book of
Mormon and was eager to pray about it.
If we hadnt had those two appointments out there, and if they hadnt
fallen through, we might not have had the chance to find and teach
him. It helped see that sometimes there is a purpose to things not
working out as planned.
Awhile back, Mom asked if the place Im in is dangerous. Nueva
Concepcion is too lazy to be dangerous. Im sure stuff happens, but
the most dangerous thing for us is the street. Haha I almost got hit
by a drunk riding his bike today. Thats a pretty common thing. And
there are ten year olds driving motorcycles. We always have to be
alert when walking in the streets because its pretty crazy. But other
than that its pretty safe around here. People respect us as fellow
Christians, so we dont get any trouble.
So Ive mentioned that almost everyone here goes to church. The
churches teach some pretty interesting stuff. I dont want to get too
far into it because theyre all trying to do what they think is right.
But something that gives me weird feelings is when some of the
Evangelicos pray. They get all emotional and raise their voices and
weep and wail and chant. And everyone listening to the prayer mutters
chants and whispers and stuff. Its creepy sometimes haha and it makes
it kind of tough to teach the proper, reverent, method of prayer.
But theyre all good people and Im continuously learning to love them.
Ive learned a lot this first change and I look forward to seeing what
will happen this week. As anxious as I am to know whats going to
happen, Ive prayed to have the strength and faith to submit to what
the Lord has in store and make the best of it. Actually doing that is
harder than saying it, as is everything in the mission, but Im
determined. I was studying a lot about faith this week and learned
that faith is a gift from God, a spiritual gift. As we demonstrate
our faith through our actions and our humble desires to serve the
Lord, He is able to give us more faith. He is able to strengthen our
hope and we can partake, little by little, of the fruit of the tree of
life. Sometimes my faith is stronger than other times and I can feel
a difference in my abilities to speak Spanish and teach by the Spirit.
I have a desire to acquire more of it, and Im determined to act on
that desire.
I love you guys and hope youre all doing great! Haley, you arent a
terrible sister! But thats no excuse not to write haha I love your
letters!
Oh, funny story. Theres a house with two sisters (in their late
twenties) who live with their father. And we go there a lot to eat
dinner. And they do our laundry. But theres a drunk that lives close
by and every night he yells "PERDONEME!" at the top of his lungs.
Perdoneme means forgive me. Haha its the weirdest thing, but its
hilarious. When we walk by he tries to talk to me in english but hes
too drunk to say much. When he isnt yelling it means he has passed
out for the night. Funny, but in a sad way. People drink sooo much
here, its crazy.
Well, gotta go. Love you all and hope you have a great week! Thanks
for your advice and please continue to give it. I have so much to
learn.
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
P.S. Dad, I love the pictures, you guys look great! And I havent
gotten mail in a couple weeks, but before that I received a bunch of
letters. None from you guys yet, but Im sure theyre all in a pile at
the mission office. ill find out this week.
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