1/23/12
Hey!
Mom, don't worry about last week! Sounds like everyone's as busy as always.
I have no idea what the population of Coatepeque is. There are so many little colonies and neighborhoods and I don't even know if they're considered part of the city. I think it is the third or fourth largest city in the mission. First is Retalhuleu (three stakes and zones there), Second I think is Mazatenango, and third and fourth are probably Coatepeque and San Marcos. But I dunno. It's probably a little smaller than Columbus maybe? Dunno.
The youth here seem pretty strong. There are a few strong young men that are in the age to go on missions. The stake has a goal to send all 45 of their mission age youth this year. There are so many. The stake president is amazing and is working hard to see it done. The members do have a strong influence on their friends and neighbors. I firmly believe that one of the differences between Central America and North America/Europe (regarding missionary work) is the members. People here are not afraid to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Of course, their friends and neighbors regularly say no to the gospel, but they keep sharing it with new people. Not everyone, just the ones that are really into the work and stuff. I dunno, it's just as awkward for them to do it here as it is for us to do it there, but they still do it. And the church grows. I hope to learn from their examples. Speaking of which we were walking down the street last week and Guillermo, the former bishop in Tecun was driving toward us! We chatted for a bit and he gave us pizza (he's wealthy and spoiled his kids on the way back from the temple) and told us that he gave another referral to the new elders. Those referrals are a family and they have a baptismal date for this Saturday! Haha that guy gets it. So many of his friends have been baptized. Of course he's been rejected a lot, but it's totally worth the awkwardness. I have a lot to learn from the members here.
As far as my sleeping schedule, I don't sleep as much as I would like. I'm always really tired, but I get enough sleep to keep me going. It's kinda hard, especially because we want to keep working out in the mornings. But it's all good.
Aunt Margaret sent me an email! Sounds like she's doing okay with her surgery recuperation. And Chad's getting married???
And as far as teaching, I read something recently from Elder Packer. He said that if you ask each of the Apostles for tips and advice on teaching, they would probably each give a different response, because everyone has a unique style and preference when it comes to teaching. He also said that teaching is a fundamental aspect of the gospel, something we all need to learn how to do. How blessed you are for the opportunity to teach so frequently! He said the key to teaching effectively is love. If you love the people you teach and they can feel/recognize that love, they will pay attention and the Spirit will teach through you. I feel like I always make teaching more complicated than it it, but as long as we believe in what we teach, love the people we teach, prepare appropriately, and follow the Spirit, the rest is up to the learner. That's what I think. Mom, I love you.
Dad, that's some disappointing/frightening news on the political front. I hope it all comes through smoothly.
Good to hear the painting made it. I love that thing! If anyone wants any of the t-shirts or jerseys, feel free.
And that's interesting what you said about the management principles for why people don't perform. I don't like to discipline, I don't think many people do. It makes it hard being a new zone leader in a new zone where half my old zone is here with me in the new zone. That was a complicated sentence. It's hard to earn the respect of people who have a tendency to despise their leaders or rebel against them. But the principles in D&C 121 are so true and important. Calling someone out is something I'm not too good at and I don't like to do it. But I feel an urgent need to learn how to do it effectively.
So I feel like we need to figure out housing for next year pretty soon. Is that true? I want to room with Austin and I'm going to talk with Elder Molina and Elder Taylor about their plans. Elder Taylor wants to room with me. It would be cool. But is there any way you guys could get in contact with Austin? That would be so great.
I uploaded pictures today. The first one is the baptismal font in the house that the ward in Tecun is renting out while they rebuild the chapel. 2-6 are the Christmas conference. 7 is the Motta Family. 8 is the central park in Tecun Uman. 9 Risk on Christmas Eve. 10 Fireworks at midnight. 11-12 Our breakfast on Christmas morning (brownies and cake with hot frosting and ice cream). 13 Mexican wrestling mask. 14 New years party with the Barrientos family and Jose and his family. 15 New Years party with Ruby (gave me the painting) and her family. Her daughter recently turned twelve and looks like she's 17. Weird. 16 Bridge to Mexico. 17 Aguilar family. 18 Elder Maurer and Elder Rigby on their last day. 19 Elder Cortez. 20 Me in front of the Suchiate River (border of Mexico) on a sunset. 21-27 Some shots of Coatepeque and the hotel we live in.
So yeah, that's life in Guatemala right now. Loving it. Time is still going fast, and I'm getting tired. But it's all good.
Haha ironic... we have a conference with a general authority tomorrow! And all that about being jealous that nobody ever comes to Reu. Complaining works.
Love you guys! Have an awesome week and tell everyone I say hi.
Elder Austin Tyler
Monday, January 30, 2012
A new call to be a Zone Leader
1/16/12
Hey!
This week has been so crazy!!!
Aubrey, isn't that the worst!!???!?!?!?!?! Hahaha oh gosh. Worst mistake possible. At least he didn't cry.
Haley, The UP theme sounds sooo cool! Your email was super up and down hahaha totally high school. I just heard a Taylor Swift song on the radio just so you know. It's a new one. That's cool to hear about Elder Christofferson visiting. I'm jealous. I have seen no general authorities in person in the mission. Well I take that back, Elder Clarke came to the Guatemala MTC. But still. Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen came and didn't stop by to say hello to the missionaries! I'm bitter. And like four of the Apostles spoke to the other four missions in Guatemala!!! But not us. Hahaha but hey, we got a temple dedication.
Dad, that sounds like one awesome birthday party. Thanks for the updates on world news, I love those. And thank you for the advice and encouragement.
Mom, I love you!!! I'm writing you a letter today!
Any news on Austin?
So this week started out with a bang. We went to the leadership meeting and President was fired up. He came down hard on some things. It's a little different meeting with President in that environment. He expects so much more of us and is not afraid to lay down the law. He also isn't afraid to get into deep doctrine. But I loved the conference. Seriously, I think a huge reason why the Lord called me to this mission is so I can learn from him. We planned some things for the new year and discussed goals and new methods to apply. After the meeting we were all talking and packing up. I went up to him to say thanks and he gave me a big bear hug and said in broken English 'I love you man.'
Last night we had a meeting with him and our stake president. It was really interesting to see President interact with other leaders. He was very supportive of President Garcia's (the stake president) ideas, but when it came to things that needed to be changed he was very stern and authoritative.
When we got back from the conference, I went on exchanges with a new elder. He's from Oregon and he's been struggling with being away from home and what not. I was exhausted from traveling and being at the conference, but i get excited about the work with the new elder. We started out by looking for a recent convert whose family are not members. We couldn't find the house, so we said a prayer and asked for help. Three minutes later we found it! That night we were trying to catch a bus to get to another area and meet some families. We were waiting like forty minutes for a bus. We said another prayer and asked for a way to get there. Two minutes later a bus came and we got there in time.
Saturday night, Elder Cortez and I were looking for a referral and we got lost. We said a prayer and asked for help. We went around a corner and sure enough, there was the house. Those simple miracles are so great.
It's interesting, even though we've been so busy and things have been kind of hectic, it all falls into place when we stay focused. When we lose focus, it doesn't go so smoothly. And that's the trick, staying focused. It's a struggle, I'm tired of being the companion to motivate, but Elder Cortez is helping me with a lot of stuff. He's a very talented missionary. He gave a talk yesterday at church and everyone loved it. The members are even more motivated to help us out.
Being in the city is a little different. Cuyotenango was the only 'city' that I've been in, and it was small. And we didn't spend a lot of time in the actual city part. This place is different, very busy and the people are a little more rude, but more intelligent. I think everyone I've met so far has been literate. That's a huge plus.
As far as what we have to do every day...
We buy things that the missionaries need, like medicine, fans, pillows, kitchenware, etc. And for some reason there is a lot of stuff missing (the missionaries have asked for a lot of things). We go on exchanges twice a week (one goes to another area and the other stays in our area with a different missionary). We talk to the district leaders every night and analyze the progress of each area (after a long day, it's tough getting used to). We make a lot of phone calls, between the missionaries and the nurse or APs or President. We meet with the stake leaders. And on top of that we are expected to baptize families and be an example for the whole zone.
I like staying busy and all, but it's tiring. It's cool to serve the zone though. We get a lot of flack for things that we can't control, but I learned that from Stuco haha. And then there's the whole disciplining and correcting thing. We haven't had to deal with that yet, but President is concerned. Sad stuff happens in the mission sometimes.
It's a good time. The members are great here, that's making everything even better. We just need to organize ourselves better and balance our focus between the zone, our companionship, the members, and our investigators.
I love you guys so much! Thanks for all your love and support. Have an awesome week. Time is going by even faster now, I can't believe it.
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Hey!
This week has been so crazy!!!
Aubrey, isn't that the worst!!???!?!?!?!?! Hahaha oh gosh. Worst mistake possible. At least he didn't cry.
Haley, The UP theme sounds sooo cool! Your email was super up and down hahaha totally high school. I just heard a Taylor Swift song on the radio just so you know. It's a new one. That's cool to hear about Elder Christofferson visiting. I'm jealous. I have seen no general authorities in person in the mission. Well I take that back, Elder Clarke came to the Guatemala MTC. But still. Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen came and didn't stop by to say hello to the missionaries! I'm bitter. And like four of the Apostles spoke to the other four missions in Guatemala!!! But not us. Hahaha but hey, we got a temple dedication.
Dad, that sounds like one awesome birthday party. Thanks for the updates on world news, I love those. And thank you for the advice and encouragement.
Mom, I love you!!! I'm writing you a letter today!
Any news on Austin?
So this week started out with a bang. We went to the leadership meeting and President was fired up. He came down hard on some things. It's a little different meeting with President in that environment. He expects so much more of us and is not afraid to lay down the law. He also isn't afraid to get into deep doctrine. But I loved the conference. Seriously, I think a huge reason why the Lord called me to this mission is so I can learn from him. We planned some things for the new year and discussed goals and new methods to apply. After the meeting we were all talking and packing up. I went up to him to say thanks and he gave me a big bear hug and said in broken English 'I love you man.'
Last night we had a meeting with him and our stake president. It was really interesting to see President interact with other leaders. He was very supportive of President Garcia's (the stake president) ideas, but when it came to things that needed to be changed he was very stern and authoritative.
When we got back from the conference, I went on exchanges with a new elder. He's from Oregon and he's been struggling with being away from home and what not. I was exhausted from traveling and being at the conference, but i get excited about the work with the new elder. We started out by looking for a recent convert whose family are not members. We couldn't find the house, so we said a prayer and asked for help. Three minutes later we found it! That night we were trying to catch a bus to get to another area and meet some families. We were waiting like forty minutes for a bus. We said another prayer and asked for a way to get there. Two minutes later a bus came and we got there in time.
Saturday night, Elder Cortez and I were looking for a referral and we got lost. We said a prayer and asked for help. We went around a corner and sure enough, there was the house. Those simple miracles are so great.
It's interesting, even though we've been so busy and things have been kind of hectic, it all falls into place when we stay focused. When we lose focus, it doesn't go so smoothly. And that's the trick, staying focused. It's a struggle, I'm tired of being the companion to motivate, but Elder Cortez is helping me with a lot of stuff. He's a very talented missionary. He gave a talk yesterday at church and everyone loved it. The members are even more motivated to help us out.
Being in the city is a little different. Cuyotenango was the only 'city' that I've been in, and it was small. And we didn't spend a lot of time in the actual city part. This place is different, very busy and the people are a little more rude, but more intelligent. I think everyone I've met so far has been literate. That's a huge plus.
As far as what we have to do every day...
We buy things that the missionaries need, like medicine, fans, pillows, kitchenware, etc. And for some reason there is a lot of stuff missing (the missionaries have asked for a lot of things). We go on exchanges twice a week (one goes to another area and the other stays in our area with a different missionary). We talk to the district leaders every night and analyze the progress of each area (after a long day, it's tough getting used to). We make a lot of phone calls, between the missionaries and the nurse or APs or President. We meet with the stake leaders. And on top of that we are expected to baptize families and be an example for the whole zone.
I like staying busy and all, but it's tiring. It's cool to serve the zone though. We get a lot of flack for things that we can't control, but I learned that from Stuco haha. And then there's the whole disciplining and correcting thing. We haven't had to deal with that yet, but President is concerned. Sad stuff happens in the mission sometimes.
It's a good time. The members are great here, that's making everything even better. We just need to organize ourselves better and balance our focus between the zone, our companionship, the members, and our investigators.
I love you guys so much! Thanks for all your love and support. Have an awesome week. Time is going by even faster now, I can't believe it.
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Transferred to Coatepeque
1/9/12
Hey,
Darn that's so crazy, I feel so bad for him.
But it sounds like everyone's doing well at home. Thank you for writing me. That's also sad what happened in the Vance family, I hope they're okay.
It's good to hear that the new ward is so great! Bishop Crane! Haha crazy. so cool.
Haley, thank you for Brad's address. Best of luck with elections. Keep going strong through the end of the semester. And that's cool about the new singing group and stuff. No, we don't really ever sing Armies of Helaman as missionaries. The youth do sometimes!
Mom and Dad, your questions mostly revolved around my new situation. But Mom, good to hear that starting back up with seminary went well and crazy weather! Dad, thanks for the political updates. Thank you for your prayers and support.
So my new zone is Coatepeque. There are 22 missionaries in the zone. It should be a really good group, but things are starting out a little rough. In five areas, both missionaries were transfered, so lots of people are new to the areas and don't have much of an idea as far as what to do or where to start. So the month is starting out a bit slow. My companion is also a zone leader. Our area is called Jardin. It's a very strong ward and a very strong stake. The stake president speaks fluent English and works in real estate. My companion's name is Elder Cortez, he's been a zone leader for about a year and he has 21 months. I fear the trunkiness haha. He's from Santa Ana, El Salvador. He was the only member in his family (his mom said she would never set foot inside a Mormon church), then she went to the temple open house in San Salvador and got baptized four months ago. Way cool. Elder Cortez has been a member for about four years. He's a very handsome, smooth, intelligent, and athletic individual haha and he knows it. I had heard a lot about him before, should be a good time. Half my old zone is here with me in Coatepeque, that's kind of a downer, but it's good to have some buds and acquaintances here.
So far we haven't had a whole lot of time to work. There's an elder that acquired a parasite (the nurse informed us that it's a type that can only be acquired from eating human feces hahaha!). There's a greenie that wants to go home already, but he talked to President and he's feeling a lot better now. I talked to him, I think I'll go on exchanges with him this week and see if I can help him out. Elder Colindres is his trainer haha.
In other words, there have been a few challenges to start out. But things are going well and it looks like everyone's going to work.
We live in the third story of a little hotel. It's a nice place (not as nice as my last place), and the members provide lunch for us every day (awesome). The ward is great, it was a full testimony meeting. For the whole meeting, the front of the chapel was full of people who were waiting to bear their testimonies. Three members came up to us and said things like, 'Elder, we have a family we want you to visit.' I couldn't believe it haha! Supposedly the people here are very difficult as far as finding and teaching, but the members love to help the missionaries out, so it should be wonderful. It's been a maze trying to find our way around these past few days, but we're learning. I'm still terrible with directions. I can remember faces, scriptures, etc., but not directions.
We have a conference with President tomorrow, I'm excited for that. I don't know how I feel about being a zone leader. It's such a prideful group sometimes and I despise that so much. Perhaps I can be a force for positive change in that respect, but it's just kind of a gross feeling to be around certain people. That part can be emitted haha, missionaries are good people most of the time.
Elder Maurer and Elder Rigby left! That's kind of weird. I looked up to those guys and it's just strange to think that they're home already.
Mom, what you said about Joshua was really interesting. That's been on my mind lately, the integrity aspect of leadership. I love that talk you mentioned too, Jesus: the Perfect Leader. That one helps me out. But I have such a hard time motivating companions. I can speak in front of a group and I feel like I can kind of motivate people like that, but I think I just got tired of motivating companions. It's so hard for me to be my best when I'm tied to somebody. That's so prideful of me, and I need to change that. I'm determined to be my best in this new place. Any advice as to how I can inspire somebody who has more time in the mission, more experience baptizing, etc.? My companion is a good missionary and I'm excited to work with him. I don't know what it is. I want so badly to consecrate myself to the Lord, to dedicate everything to this work, but time and again I fail to do so. My standards aren't too high. Ah I hope that focusing on my new goals will help me do it.
I'm happy in this new place, but not content. The Lord wants me to break out of my shell and develop my character and to be of good courage. And that's what I'm going to do.
Thank you guys for everything! Brock, good luck with the new semester. Aubrey, good luck with work! Love you guys a ton.
Have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Hey,
Darn that's so crazy, I feel so bad for him.
But it sounds like everyone's doing well at home. Thank you for writing me. That's also sad what happened in the Vance family, I hope they're okay.
It's good to hear that the new ward is so great! Bishop Crane! Haha crazy. so cool.
Haley, thank you for Brad's address. Best of luck with elections. Keep going strong through the end of the semester. And that's cool about the new singing group and stuff. No, we don't really ever sing Armies of Helaman as missionaries. The youth do sometimes!
Mom and Dad, your questions mostly revolved around my new situation. But Mom, good to hear that starting back up with seminary went well and crazy weather! Dad, thanks for the political updates. Thank you for your prayers and support.
So my new zone is Coatepeque. There are 22 missionaries in the zone. It should be a really good group, but things are starting out a little rough. In five areas, both missionaries were transfered, so lots of people are new to the areas and don't have much of an idea as far as what to do or where to start. So the month is starting out a bit slow. My companion is also a zone leader. Our area is called Jardin. It's a very strong ward and a very strong stake. The stake president speaks fluent English and works in real estate. My companion's name is Elder Cortez, he's been a zone leader for about a year and he has 21 months. I fear the trunkiness haha. He's from Santa Ana, El Salvador. He was the only member in his family (his mom said she would never set foot inside a Mormon church), then she went to the temple open house in San Salvador and got baptized four months ago. Way cool. Elder Cortez has been a member for about four years. He's a very handsome, smooth, intelligent, and athletic individual haha and he knows it. I had heard a lot about him before, should be a good time. Half my old zone is here with me in Coatepeque, that's kind of a downer, but it's good to have some buds and acquaintances here.
So far we haven't had a whole lot of time to work. There's an elder that acquired a parasite (the nurse informed us that it's a type that can only be acquired from eating human feces hahaha!). There's a greenie that wants to go home already, but he talked to President and he's feeling a lot better now. I talked to him, I think I'll go on exchanges with him this week and see if I can help him out. Elder Colindres is his trainer haha.
In other words, there have been a few challenges to start out. But things are going well and it looks like everyone's going to work.
We live in the third story of a little hotel. It's a nice place (not as nice as my last place), and the members provide lunch for us every day (awesome). The ward is great, it was a full testimony meeting. For the whole meeting, the front of the chapel was full of people who were waiting to bear their testimonies. Three members came up to us and said things like, 'Elder, we have a family we want you to visit.' I couldn't believe it haha! Supposedly the people here are very difficult as far as finding and teaching, but the members love to help the missionaries out, so it should be wonderful. It's been a maze trying to find our way around these past few days, but we're learning. I'm still terrible with directions. I can remember faces, scriptures, etc., but not directions.
We have a conference with President tomorrow, I'm excited for that. I don't know how I feel about being a zone leader. It's such a prideful group sometimes and I despise that so much. Perhaps I can be a force for positive change in that respect, but it's just kind of a gross feeling to be around certain people. That part can be emitted haha, missionaries are good people most of the time.
Elder Maurer and Elder Rigby left! That's kind of weird. I looked up to those guys and it's just strange to think that they're home already.
Mom, what you said about Joshua was really interesting. That's been on my mind lately, the integrity aspect of leadership. I love that talk you mentioned too, Jesus: the Perfect Leader. That one helps me out. But I have such a hard time motivating companions. I can speak in front of a group and I feel like I can kind of motivate people like that, but I think I just got tired of motivating companions. It's so hard for me to be my best when I'm tied to somebody. That's so prideful of me, and I need to change that. I'm determined to be my best in this new place. Any advice as to how I can inspire somebody who has more time in the mission, more experience baptizing, etc.? My companion is a good missionary and I'm excited to work with him. I don't know what it is. I want so badly to consecrate myself to the Lord, to dedicate everything to this work, but time and again I fail to do so. My standards aren't too high. Ah I hope that focusing on my new goals will help me do it.
I'm happy in this new place, but not content. The Lord wants me to break out of my shell and develop my character and to be of good courage. And that's what I'm going to do.
Thank you guys for everything! Brock, good luck with the new semester. Aubrey, good luck with work! Love you guys a ton.
Have an awesome week!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
I'm in a limbo between saying goodbye and preparing for my new area
1/2/12
Happy 2012!
I feel like I'm going to love this year. I put a lot of goals. I'm going to tell you some of them because when I tell people my goals it's makes it more of a commitment.
Study the Atonement and/or character of Jesus Christ three times a week.
Have a conversation with the Lord every night.
Put other missionaries' needs/desires above my own.
Be in bed by 10:30 every night.
No English outside of P-Day.
Write a spiritual experience and one thing to love about my comp every night.
So far I have only one goal written down for when I get home. I have others, but they aren't written down.
Attend the temple once a week.
Some lofty goals, but I'm so excited! The New Year was great! We ate with some of my favorite members and the fireworks were great! They were the same as Christmas, but less gunfire haha. We played Risk again. I won twice out of four games. I'm tired of it though ha.
Mom! This week was great! Still hard as far as finding and teaching because of all the celebrations, but it was better than last week. I don't really know how much money for souvenirs and stuff. Maybe 100? Ah I dunno. I'm sending the painting today, I packed it with some shirts and Haley's bag. I hope it makes it there safely. If you guys want any of the shirts, feel free!
Things with the other elders has been kinda tough lately, but everyone was in good spirits for New Years. Elder Colindres found out that he will no longer be a zone leader and he'll be training instead. He's upset. And Elder Moss and I also have transfers. We don't know where to yet, but my comp is probably the only one staying. The radio hasn't shown any fruits in our area yet. I'm sure it has in other places, because it's a huge radio station. But I won't be here anymore, I'll let the bishop and the new elders decide if they want to keep it going.
Also, this is what I remember about AP Psych with Williams. It may or may not be correct haha. It's not that hard of a class, but it is cool. The catch is that it's a little hard to do well on the AP test, but the class itself shouldn't be too hard. I would definitely trust Williams when he says it's a 6 out of 10.
Haley! Glad to hear the new ward is good. That will be awesome.
YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SKIING??? Mejor no me digas. Hahaha
Sounds like you're enjoying your break. I'm happy to hear that you liked the letter, hope your birthday was good! I heard that song you mentioned when I was at an investigator's house one day. People here have huge sound systems, even if they don't have other more important things. And they blast music all day. But yeah, music is crazy here. So is that song. Regarding the whole thing with Stuco.... if you don't know what to do, spend some time thinking about it by yourself, weigh the options, ask the Lord, and look for His advice.
Dad! That's cool to hear about Alex. Paisley haha. Sounds like things on the house are starting to settle. Good luck with the whole job thing, I'll be praying for you. The political front sounds interesting.
We haven't officially heard about transfers yet, but I got a phone call from Elder Maurer last night. He told me I needed to call President and said that President sounded angry. So I called him not sure what to expect. He asked me how I was and asked me what challenges we've had in the district. I explained some stuff. Then he asked me if I had any sins to confess. I said no, a little weirded out. Then he asked me if I was more loyal to him or to my companions. He asked if I would call him in a situation where my companion was messing around. I thought, 'What on earth did my companion do??' But then he asked me if I would accept the assignment to be a zone leader. I said yes (though curious as to what he would have done had I said no haha). He then explained that loyalty to the him is so important in this assignment. He said even more important is loyalty to the Lord. So I'm out of here Wednesday. I'm excited to move on and start fresh with a new area and new companion. I don't know where or with who, but it will likely be an improvement.
But I realized this week that I really will miss Tecun Uman. We went to visit the bishop on Friday and he was telling us about a stake leadership meeting he went to this week. He explained that the Stake President asked for a raise of hands of who all read the Book of Mormon this year. Five raised their hands, four were from Ayutla (my ward). He asked who had prepared names to take to the temple. Three raised their hands, all from Ayutla. He asked who completed their goal of baptisms for the year. Ayutla was the only ward (the goal was 24 and they ended with 25). He was very proud of the ward. This ward is a powerhouse with so many great members. Of course there's pride here and there, but the ward gets things done. It's been a challenge, but I've learned so much here. It will be hard to go. Especially after eating dinner with so many of them on New Years Eve, that was so fun!
I had a very rewarding experience yesterday. Although the Central American missions baptize a lot, there is always a serious challenge with retention. It's so sad to hear that converts go inactive, it's been hard for me to hear that. But it's so rewarding to hear that some are still strong. We do what we can to keep everyone active, but it's a serious struggle (though the mission has greatly improved on that front since President Maravilla came). Yesterday we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and the bishop called Dridmy to serve as the Relief Society secretary! She's the one that attended church for two years and finally decided to get baptized in November. And then in Priesthood Jose received the Aaronic Priesthood and then conferred the Priesthood on his son! It was such a wonderful Sunday, a great way to end my time here.
So I'm in a limbo between saying goodbye and preparing for my new area. I'm excited and ready. It will be great. A lot of my success and personal progress depend on my diligence in applying these new goals. That's the biggest thing I need right now. I need to jump out of the hole I've been stuck in the past little bit and be my best. Thank you for everything you guys do. It was so good to see you last week.
Brock and Aubrey, I love you guys! Good luck with work and school as the new semester approaches. Love it and keep having fun. Maybe go skiing once every three days or something, that would be cool. Haha.
Have an awesome week!
Lots of love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Happy 2012!
I feel like I'm going to love this year. I put a lot of goals. I'm going to tell you some of them because when I tell people my goals it's makes it more of a commitment.
Study the Atonement and/or character of Jesus Christ three times a week.
Have a conversation with the Lord every night.
Put other missionaries' needs/desires above my own.
Be in bed by 10:30 every night.
No English outside of P-Day.
Write a spiritual experience and one thing to love about my comp every night.
So far I have only one goal written down for when I get home. I have others, but they aren't written down.
Attend the temple once a week.
Some lofty goals, but I'm so excited! The New Year was great! We ate with some of my favorite members and the fireworks were great! They were the same as Christmas, but less gunfire haha. We played Risk again. I won twice out of four games. I'm tired of it though ha.
Mom! This week was great! Still hard as far as finding and teaching because of all the celebrations, but it was better than last week. I don't really know how much money for souvenirs and stuff. Maybe 100? Ah I dunno. I'm sending the painting today, I packed it with some shirts and Haley's bag. I hope it makes it there safely. If you guys want any of the shirts, feel free!
Things with the other elders has been kinda tough lately, but everyone was in good spirits for New Years. Elder Colindres found out that he will no longer be a zone leader and he'll be training instead. He's upset. And Elder Moss and I also have transfers. We don't know where to yet, but my comp is probably the only one staying. The radio hasn't shown any fruits in our area yet. I'm sure it has in other places, because it's a huge radio station. But I won't be here anymore, I'll let the bishop and the new elders decide if they want to keep it going.
Also, this is what I remember about AP Psych with Williams. It may or may not be correct haha. It's not that hard of a class, but it is cool. The catch is that it's a little hard to do well on the AP test, but the class itself shouldn't be too hard. I would definitely trust Williams when he says it's a 6 out of 10.
Haley! Glad to hear the new ward is good. That will be awesome.
YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SKIING??? Mejor no me digas. Hahaha
Sounds like you're enjoying your break. I'm happy to hear that you liked the letter, hope your birthday was good! I heard that song you mentioned when I was at an investigator's house one day. People here have huge sound systems, even if they don't have other more important things. And they blast music all day. But yeah, music is crazy here. So is that song. Regarding the whole thing with Stuco.... if you don't know what to do, spend some time thinking about it by yourself, weigh the options, ask the Lord, and look for His advice.
Dad! That's cool to hear about Alex. Paisley haha. Sounds like things on the house are starting to settle. Good luck with the whole job thing, I'll be praying for you. The political front sounds interesting.
We haven't officially heard about transfers yet, but I got a phone call from Elder Maurer last night. He told me I needed to call President and said that President sounded angry. So I called him not sure what to expect. He asked me how I was and asked me what challenges we've had in the district. I explained some stuff. Then he asked me if I had any sins to confess. I said no, a little weirded out. Then he asked me if I was more loyal to him or to my companions. He asked if I would call him in a situation where my companion was messing around. I thought, 'What on earth did my companion do??' But then he asked me if I would accept the assignment to be a zone leader. I said yes (though curious as to what he would have done had I said no haha). He then explained that loyalty to the him is so important in this assignment. He said even more important is loyalty to the Lord. So I'm out of here Wednesday. I'm excited to move on and start fresh with a new area and new companion. I don't know where or with who, but it will likely be an improvement.
But I realized this week that I really will miss Tecun Uman. We went to visit the bishop on Friday and he was telling us about a stake leadership meeting he went to this week. He explained that the Stake President asked for a raise of hands of who all read the Book of Mormon this year. Five raised their hands, four were from Ayutla (my ward). He asked who had prepared names to take to the temple. Three raised their hands, all from Ayutla. He asked who completed their goal of baptisms for the year. Ayutla was the only ward (the goal was 24 and they ended with 25). He was very proud of the ward. This ward is a powerhouse with so many great members. Of course there's pride here and there, but the ward gets things done. It's been a challenge, but I've learned so much here. It will be hard to go. Especially after eating dinner with so many of them on New Years Eve, that was so fun!
I had a very rewarding experience yesterday. Although the Central American missions baptize a lot, there is always a serious challenge with retention. It's so sad to hear that converts go inactive, it's been hard for me to hear that. But it's so rewarding to hear that some are still strong. We do what we can to keep everyone active, but it's a serious struggle (though the mission has greatly improved on that front since President Maravilla came). Yesterday we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and the bishop called Dridmy to serve as the Relief Society secretary! She's the one that attended church for two years and finally decided to get baptized in November. And then in Priesthood Jose received the Aaronic Priesthood and then conferred the Priesthood on his son! It was such a wonderful Sunday, a great way to end my time here.
So I'm in a limbo between saying goodbye and preparing for my new area. I'm excited and ready. It will be great. A lot of my success and personal progress depend on my diligence in applying these new goals. That's the biggest thing I need right now. I need to jump out of the hole I've been stuck in the past little bit and be my best. Thank you for everything you guys do. It was so good to see you last week.
Brock and Aubrey, I love you guys! Good luck with work and school as the new semester approaches. Love it and keep having fun. Maybe go skiing once every three days or something, that would be cool. Haha.
Have an awesome week!
Lots of love,
Elder Austin Tyler
I have a lot to learn and apply
12/26/11
Ahhh it was sooooo good to see/talk to you guys!!! I am soooo sorry that it had to be cut short. That was heartwrenching, but considering how fast the time is going, Mother's Day is almost here already. I'll admit, I did feel very nostalgic the rest of the evening. We went to the radio and then visited a member and that all went well. Then we got back and played some Risk again haha. I lost :( But while talking I didn't get to ask you guys all I wanted to ask. So what did everyone get for Christmas?? (Aside from the snowblower) And Haley, did you get my letter yet? If not, Happy Birthday tomorrow!!
I forgot to tell you guys about our lunch yesterday. A few weeks ago Elder Moss and I planned what we would be eating Christmas Day, so we bought a lot of junk: a chocolate cake mix, Hershey's frosting, whipped cream, and ice cream. We don't have an oven, so yesterday after we got back from church we cooked the cake in a frying pan, it turned out as a chocolaty crumble thing. Then we heated up the frosting and poured it on top. Then we divided the half gallon of ice cream between the four of us and put the cake on top. I don't know how I forgot to mention that yesterday, it was so epic. We all felt horrible afterwards haha.
Oh and it was cool to see your dad, Aubrey! He looks great! Unfortunately, the connection (I believe on my end) cut out and I wasn't able to talk to him long, but tell him thank you for his help. And tell your family I say hi!
So I think today I'm going to figure out how to pack up that painting and send it with a few things. I'm going to take out some more money so I can send it. Anybody want any soccer jerseys?
Oh! Could you send me the new house address? That would be awesome. I think I'm going to send the painting to the old house?
Thank you again for the package. It was such a good feeling to have my own Christmas moment opening gifts and reading cards. Thank you for the socks, the ties, the shirt, the deoderant, the powder, the candy, and the beef jerkey! And Haley that picture you sent me is sooo cool! You're so gorgeous!
As the year comes to an end I'm starting to write down my goals for the coming year. Such goals mostly revolve around being more humble, faithful, and charitable. And yesterday was such a great experience for me to get excited about those goals. As I've mentioned before, it's been a bit of a struggle to develop charity in my companionship. I've tried to serve him and encourage him, but it's been a stubborn struggle. I didn't mention the tell the whole experience yesterday of Saturday night. As I cleaned the kitchen that night, I was in kind of a grumbly mood because of how dirty the kitchen was. I was exhausted and upset that we had cleaned the kitchen on Thursday and it was already so trashed. But as I stood there washing dishes and thinking, I don't know why, but I got happy. I got excited for Christmas. It was a very distinct and sudden feeling. I started to feel an appreciation for everything, the Gospel, my companion, the time I've had here, etc. I went to bed feeling content.
When I woke up on Sunday I just patiently waited for everyone to see the presents and clean kitchen and all. My companion saw his section on the table with the presents you sent him. He gave me a hug and said thank you. A simple thing that meant so much. Thank you guys for giving me that opportunity to brighten somebody's Christmas morning. It was a true experience of the joy that comes through service and it's one I'll remember for a long time.
This past week I also finished a project I've been working on for awhile, an essay on humility. President asked me to write 'little books' on what I study. He wants a copy of them to read at the end of my mission. Humility was an interesting topic and I learned a lot. I discovered that I have a lot of pride to get rid of. It's my hope to replace that pride with a more devoted conversion to the Lord and a more sincere desire to fulfill His will. It's hard to ask for the Lord's help, because He's so good at showing me my weaknesses. But I just need to trust Him and rely on Him to help me grow stronger.
Thank you guys again for everything. I love you all so much and so look forward to being with you at the end of this adventure. There's a lot to do in these next several months. I have a lot to learn and apply. I feel like I've been living below my privileges lately. I seek the character to be the best I can be, especially when surrounded by people who don't want me to be my best. It's a hard thing, but I want to be able to do it.
I've learned that the people I am surrounded by can have a huge influence. This applies to marriage, rooming in college, and friends and coworkers. It's so key. I look forward to being surrounded by uplifting people. I crave that right now. Talking with you guys yesterday helped me so much.
I feel so loved, thank you all for everything. I love you guys and hope you had an awesome Christmas.
Happy New Year! WOOOOO 2012!
Love always,
Elder Austin Tyler
Ahhh it was sooooo good to see/talk to you guys!!! I am soooo sorry that it had to be cut short. That was heartwrenching, but considering how fast the time is going, Mother's Day is almost here already. I'll admit, I did feel very nostalgic the rest of the evening. We went to the radio and then visited a member and that all went well. Then we got back and played some Risk again haha. I lost :( But while talking I didn't get to ask you guys all I wanted to ask. So what did everyone get for Christmas?? (Aside from the snowblower) And Haley, did you get my letter yet? If not, Happy Birthday tomorrow!!
I forgot to tell you guys about our lunch yesterday. A few weeks ago Elder Moss and I planned what we would be eating Christmas Day, so we bought a lot of junk: a chocolate cake mix, Hershey's frosting, whipped cream, and ice cream. We don't have an oven, so yesterday after we got back from church we cooked the cake in a frying pan, it turned out as a chocolaty crumble thing. Then we heated up the frosting and poured it on top. Then we divided the half gallon of ice cream between the four of us and put the cake on top. I don't know how I forgot to mention that yesterday, it was so epic. We all felt horrible afterwards haha.
Oh and it was cool to see your dad, Aubrey! He looks great! Unfortunately, the connection (I believe on my end) cut out and I wasn't able to talk to him long, but tell him thank you for his help. And tell your family I say hi!
So I think today I'm going to figure out how to pack up that painting and send it with a few things. I'm going to take out some more money so I can send it. Anybody want any soccer jerseys?
Oh! Could you send me the new house address? That would be awesome. I think I'm going to send the painting to the old house?
Thank you again for the package. It was such a good feeling to have my own Christmas moment opening gifts and reading cards. Thank you for the socks, the ties, the shirt, the deoderant, the powder, the candy, and the beef jerkey! And Haley that picture you sent me is sooo cool! You're so gorgeous!
As the year comes to an end I'm starting to write down my goals for the coming year. Such goals mostly revolve around being more humble, faithful, and charitable. And yesterday was such a great experience for me to get excited about those goals. As I've mentioned before, it's been a bit of a struggle to develop charity in my companionship. I've tried to serve him and encourage him, but it's been a stubborn struggle. I didn't mention the tell the whole experience yesterday of Saturday night. As I cleaned the kitchen that night, I was in kind of a grumbly mood because of how dirty the kitchen was. I was exhausted and upset that we had cleaned the kitchen on Thursday and it was already so trashed. But as I stood there washing dishes and thinking, I don't know why, but I got happy. I got excited for Christmas. It was a very distinct and sudden feeling. I started to feel an appreciation for everything, the Gospel, my companion, the time I've had here, etc. I went to bed feeling content.
When I woke up on Sunday I just patiently waited for everyone to see the presents and clean kitchen and all. My companion saw his section on the table with the presents you sent him. He gave me a hug and said thank you. A simple thing that meant so much. Thank you guys for giving me that opportunity to brighten somebody's Christmas morning. It was a true experience of the joy that comes through service and it's one I'll remember for a long time.
This past week I also finished a project I've been working on for awhile, an essay on humility. President asked me to write 'little books' on what I study. He wants a copy of them to read at the end of my mission. Humility was an interesting topic and I learned a lot. I discovered that I have a lot of pride to get rid of. It's my hope to replace that pride with a more devoted conversion to the Lord and a more sincere desire to fulfill His will. It's hard to ask for the Lord's help, because He's so good at showing me my weaknesses. But I just need to trust Him and rely on Him to help me grow stronger.
Thank you guys again for everything. I love you all so much and so look forward to being with you at the end of this adventure. There's a lot to do in these next several months. I have a lot to learn and apply. I feel like I've been living below my privileges lately. I seek the character to be the best I can be, especially when surrounded by people who don't want me to be my best. It's a hard thing, but I want to be able to do it.
I've learned that the people I am surrounded by can have a huge influence. This applies to marriage, rooming in college, and friends and coworkers. It's so key. I look forward to being surrounded by uplifting people. I crave that right now. Talking with you guys yesterday helped me so much.
I feel so loved, thank you all for everything. I love you guys and hope you had an awesome Christmas.
Happy New Year! WOOOOO 2012!
Love always,
Elder Austin Tyler
Looking forward to calling home for Christmas
12/19/11
Hey!
So great to hear that the move went smoothly! And 3:00 PM works perfectly. I can't believe John's already done! So crazy.
Aubrey, thank you so much for sending all those pictures, they were great! Everyone looks so good! Mom and Dad have lost weight, Haley cracks me up and looks gorgeous, and Brock and Aubrey look so happy! I'm so pumped to talk to you guys!
Regarding the move, I'm way excited! I am now loving the idea of coming home to a new house. Haha I was talking about it today at our Christmas conference and mentioned to the buds that my parents moved! Elder Hock replied, well while we're talking about crazy news from home, my mom got remarried to a hippy named Bob and she bought a new house. Haha Elder Hock cracks me up. I feel for him though. His family situation is not the most stable from the bits and pieces he's shared.
But seriously, I am way excited. I'm kind of sad that I'll only be there a few weeks before having to head out to school, but that will just serve as an excuse to visit often.
Regarding shopping, I haven't seen any nativity scenes aside from the one in the Catholic church, but I'll look. I have no idea how much money is in my account, so I don't know what to buy yet. But cool story...
On Wednesday we stopped by a members' home. They are very wealthy members. The husband is not an active member and his occupation is sketchy haha. The wife is such a strong member and a wonderful lady. We stopped by and we were in their shop from which they sell Brazilian silver haha. In the corner of the room I saw a painting from this famous Guatemalan painter that I love. It was a painting of a quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. I told her how much I loved it and asked where she got it. She looked at me and said, Really??? I said yes! She explained that they haven't known what to do with it and she gave it to me! I couldn't believe it! It's a nice painting. I'm going to send it home through the mail I think. Not sure how yet, but I'll figure that out next P Day. People here are so overwhelmingly generous!
This week was pretty crazy. A Christmas choir organized by a stake president in Coatepeque came and performed here in Tecun. We were very busy with preparations and set up. We invited a ton of people, ran an announcement on the radio, etc. I was kind of skeptical because music isn't a forte in the local culture. Most people at church are tone deaf haha. It makes for interesting melodies in the common hymns. But we worked hard in preparation. The event was held in an cultural center by the city government building. Elder Moss and I set up a greeting table with church material and greeted people as they came in. We weren't expecting the place to fill, but it turned out to overflow! There weren't nearly enough seats. It was amazing, everyone was so surprised. And the choir was so great! Supposedly they perform every year. I was blown away. Everyone loved it. And it resulted in about 50 families or adults for us to visit this week haha. Should be interesting with the Christmas activities. Nobody is home during this month.
Today they started to take down the local chapel. They'll be constructing a two-story church with an indoor basketball court and all. But that won't be done for ten months.
So the Christmas conference was today. We all went to Retalhuleu and there were some musical performances and such. Then President spoke about Christmas. Afterwards we had time to eat a really nice lunch and chill with friends. It was fun! Much better than last year. I realize that I'm getting old in the mission, I feel like I don't know anyone aside from the old crew (part of that is due to the fact that I've been here on the outskirts for six months) and I was really annoyed with the immaturity of some of the missionaries. But it was so great to see everyone. People asked me where I am at right now. When I replied, Tecun Uman, everyone responded, 'STILL!??' Haha and then followed up with an 'I'm so sorry, that's rough!' Hahaha! But I like this place. It will be weird to go. Elder Molina told me I will be changed in January.
Brock, thank you for your email, sounds like you're doing great. Thanks for the world update. Dad, sounds like you're way busy. It'll be nice to kick back for the Holidays. Mom and Haley, I love you guys and hope all is well with finals and the new move. I pray for you guys and hope you all feel an increase of love and joy during this week. Make it awesome! I love you guys so much. I always say that, but that doesn't make it less true. Talk to you Sunday!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Hey!
So great to hear that the move went smoothly! And 3:00 PM works perfectly. I can't believe John's already done! So crazy.
Aubrey, thank you so much for sending all those pictures, they were great! Everyone looks so good! Mom and Dad have lost weight, Haley cracks me up and looks gorgeous, and Brock and Aubrey look so happy! I'm so pumped to talk to you guys!
Regarding the move, I'm way excited! I am now loving the idea of coming home to a new house. Haha I was talking about it today at our Christmas conference and mentioned to the buds that my parents moved! Elder Hock replied, well while we're talking about crazy news from home, my mom got remarried to a hippy named Bob and she bought a new house. Haha Elder Hock cracks me up. I feel for him though. His family situation is not the most stable from the bits and pieces he's shared.
But seriously, I am way excited. I'm kind of sad that I'll only be there a few weeks before having to head out to school, but that will just serve as an excuse to visit often.
Regarding shopping, I haven't seen any nativity scenes aside from the one in the Catholic church, but I'll look. I have no idea how much money is in my account, so I don't know what to buy yet. But cool story...
On Wednesday we stopped by a members' home. They are very wealthy members. The husband is not an active member and his occupation is sketchy haha. The wife is such a strong member and a wonderful lady. We stopped by and we were in their shop from which they sell Brazilian silver haha. In the corner of the room I saw a painting from this famous Guatemalan painter that I love. It was a painting of a quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. I told her how much I loved it and asked where she got it. She looked at me and said, Really??? I said yes! She explained that they haven't known what to do with it and she gave it to me! I couldn't believe it! It's a nice painting. I'm going to send it home through the mail I think. Not sure how yet, but I'll figure that out next P Day. People here are so overwhelmingly generous!
This week was pretty crazy. A Christmas choir organized by a stake president in Coatepeque came and performed here in Tecun. We were very busy with preparations and set up. We invited a ton of people, ran an announcement on the radio, etc. I was kind of skeptical because music isn't a forte in the local culture. Most people at church are tone deaf haha. It makes for interesting melodies in the common hymns. But we worked hard in preparation. The event was held in an cultural center by the city government building. Elder Moss and I set up a greeting table with church material and greeted people as they came in. We weren't expecting the place to fill, but it turned out to overflow! There weren't nearly enough seats. It was amazing, everyone was so surprised. And the choir was so great! Supposedly they perform every year. I was blown away. Everyone loved it. And it resulted in about 50 families or adults for us to visit this week haha. Should be interesting with the Christmas activities. Nobody is home during this month.
Today they started to take down the local chapel. They'll be constructing a two-story church with an indoor basketball court and all. But that won't be done for ten months.
So the Christmas conference was today. We all went to Retalhuleu and there were some musical performances and such. Then President spoke about Christmas. Afterwards we had time to eat a really nice lunch and chill with friends. It was fun! Much better than last year. I realize that I'm getting old in the mission, I feel like I don't know anyone aside from the old crew (part of that is due to the fact that I've been here on the outskirts for six months) and I was really annoyed with the immaturity of some of the missionaries. But it was so great to see everyone. People asked me where I am at right now. When I replied, Tecun Uman, everyone responded, 'STILL!??' Haha and then followed up with an 'I'm so sorry, that's rough!' Hahaha! But I like this place. It will be weird to go. Elder Molina told me I will be changed in January.
Brock, thank you for your email, sounds like you're doing great. Thanks for the world update. Dad, sounds like you're way busy. It'll be nice to kick back for the Holidays. Mom and Haley, I love you guys and hope all is well with finals and the new move. I pray for you guys and hope you all feel an increase of love and joy during this week. Make it awesome! I love you guys so much. I always say that, but that doesn't make it less true. Talk to you Sunday!
Love,
Elder Austin Tyler
Now, the coolest thing... Yesterday President Uchtdorf dedicated the Quetzaltenango temple
12/12/11
Hey everyone!
Since we can no longer play soccer, we've resorted to things like board games on Pday. I just swept an epic game of RISK (Halo version). Pretty fun haha.
It's been a pretty crazy week, sounds like a lot i going on over there too. My phone number is xxxxxxx, I don't remember what the country code is, but I'm sure youll be able to find that online. I dont know what time will be best, but certainly in the afternoon.
Mom, we don't have any investigators that are really progressing. If you could pray for Edgar and Sandra, they're a family we found that has a lot of potential. Aside from that we're struggling to find people right now. It's been a struggle lately keeping ourselves motivated. And yes, the Christmas box is still safe and sound. Speaking of which, these will likely be my last few weeks in Tecun and it's one of the best places to buy cool things. I want to buy some cool stuff (personal things and also for the family), so if you guys want I can buy some stuff and hang on to it till the end of the mission. I would wait till the end, but there are some good quality items around here. I bought Haley something today ;).
Brock, great to hear that you're doing well! Kinda crazy you bought an Xbox, but sweet! Haha sounds like a sweet deal. And good to hear you got my letter. I'm stoked to talk to you.
Dad, you're going to Panama! That should be cool, I've always wondered what that place is like. Supposedly they don't consider themselves part of Central America. I'm curious as to whether they are more developed or what the deal is there. We will be doing a mission conference for Christmas, but we have no idea when haha. World news is interesting, politics sound ridiculous. And thank you for the ideas to find. We have a big activity on Friday, a choir i coming in town from another stake and it usually pulls in about 200 people. We're planning how to take advantage of that. I like the caroling idea.
So we've had a lot of challenges lately, but I'm learning from them. Our district currently has nothing positive happening. Neither does the other district in the Tecun Uman zone. I gave a pretty harsh message in our last district meeting, and it helped for a couple days, but we're back to where we were. I'm trying to apply the pattern of leadership from Doctrine and Covenants 121. I'm focusing on the things I can control, and applying that. The rest, that which I cannot control, is not up to me. But I will continue to strive to show love as I exhort and teach. The thing is I have a lot to change and improve in my individual methods and habits. But I'm hopeful for this week.
Now, the coolest thing... Yesterday President Uchtdorf dedicated the Quetzaltenango temple. On Saturday night all the young people performed in a cultural celebration. We got to watch it in the chapel on a tv. We were all hot and sticky while everyone in Quetzaltenango was freezing. Haha kind of weird considering how close it is. Most of the performers have never had an opportunity to perform and it was funny to see them having fun with it. A lot of people didn't seem to have a clue what was going on, but it all turned out really well. We saw all the young men and women from my ward (Ayutla) and they did great! They were all smiles and danced really well. Jose's kids were on there on international TV! That was cool. One of them is named BenHur haha! Stud. President Uchtdorf loved the event.
The dedication was so wonderful. It's fun to see general authorities in uncomfortable situations without a script. During the cornerstone ceremony outside the temple President Uchtdorf was cracking joke and having fun with it. At one point I think he forgot that there was a translator, he just kept talking in English. Everyone was a little confused. He started laughing.
The new temple presidency spoke. We watched all three sessions. The temple president shared the story of his father's conversion 60 years ago when the missionaries first arrived in Guatemala. He said his father one day was reading Matthew 3 and declared, 'I am no longer going to church until I find a church that baptizes in the manner that Jesus taught!' That night he had a dream in which two foreignors approached him and presented him with a book. He woke up and felt like the dream came from God, it was so vivid. He went to work and told all his coworkers. Suddenly one the coworkers yelled, 'Look! Two foreignors!' Sure enough, outside the door were two gringos. The man called to them. They were missionarie who just recently arrived to Quetzaltenango. They taught him about the Book of Mormon and then presented him one. He asked the cost. They responded, just a covenant that you'll read it. He read it in two days and was baptized shortly after. Now, 60 years later, there are 160 members of the church who are descendants of that man, and one of them is now the temple president. So many powerful stories like that! At the end President Uchtdorf testified. 'Jesus Christ lives. I know him. He is at the head of this work.' He expressed repeatedly his love for the people and it inspired me. I feel a new sense of appreciation for this culture and this people. The prophecies and promises made to the Lamanites are being fulfilled. This is God's work!
I love you guys so much! Thank you for everything!
Talk to you soon,
Elder Austin Tyler
Hey everyone!
Since we can no longer play soccer, we've resorted to things like board games on Pday. I just swept an epic game of RISK (Halo version). Pretty fun haha.
It's been a pretty crazy week, sounds like a lot i going on over there too. My phone number is xxxxxxx, I don't remember what the country code is, but I'm sure youll be able to find that online. I dont know what time will be best, but certainly in the afternoon.
Mom, we don't have any investigators that are really progressing. If you could pray for Edgar and Sandra, they're a family we found that has a lot of potential. Aside from that we're struggling to find people right now. It's been a struggle lately keeping ourselves motivated. And yes, the Christmas box is still safe and sound. Speaking of which, these will likely be my last few weeks in Tecun and it's one of the best places to buy cool things. I want to buy some cool stuff (personal things and also for the family), so if you guys want I can buy some stuff and hang on to it till the end of the mission. I would wait till the end, but there are some good quality items around here. I bought Haley something today ;).
Brock, great to hear that you're doing well! Kinda crazy you bought an Xbox, but sweet! Haha sounds like a sweet deal. And good to hear you got my letter. I'm stoked to talk to you.
Dad, you're going to Panama! That should be cool, I've always wondered what that place is like. Supposedly they don't consider themselves part of Central America. I'm curious as to whether they are more developed or what the deal is there. We will be doing a mission conference for Christmas, but we have no idea when haha. World news is interesting, politics sound ridiculous. And thank you for the ideas to find. We have a big activity on Friday, a choir i coming in town from another stake and it usually pulls in about 200 people. We're planning how to take advantage of that. I like the caroling idea.
So we've had a lot of challenges lately, but I'm learning from them. Our district currently has nothing positive happening. Neither does the other district in the Tecun Uman zone. I gave a pretty harsh message in our last district meeting, and it helped for a couple days, but we're back to where we were. I'm trying to apply the pattern of leadership from Doctrine and Covenants 121. I'm focusing on the things I can control, and applying that. The rest, that which I cannot control, is not up to me. But I will continue to strive to show love as I exhort and teach. The thing is I have a lot to change and improve in my individual methods and habits. But I'm hopeful for this week.
Now, the coolest thing... Yesterday President Uchtdorf dedicated the Quetzaltenango temple. On Saturday night all the young people performed in a cultural celebration. We got to watch it in the chapel on a tv. We were all hot and sticky while everyone in Quetzaltenango was freezing. Haha kind of weird considering how close it is. Most of the performers have never had an opportunity to perform and it was funny to see them having fun with it. A lot of people didn't seem to have a clue what was going on, but it all turned out really well. We saw all the young men and women from my ward (Ayutla) and they did great! They were all smiles and danced really well. Jose's kids were on there on international TV! That was cool. One of them is named BenHur haha! Stud. President Uchtdorf loved the event.
The dedication was so wonderful. It's fun to see general authorities in uncomfortable situations without a script. During the cornerstone ceremony outside the temple President Uchtdorf was cracking joke and having fun with it. At one point I think he forgot that there was a translator, he just kept talking in English. Everyone was a little confused. He started laughing.
The new temple presidency spoke. We watched all three sessions. The temple president shared the story of his father's conversion 60 years ago when the missionaries first arrived in Guatemala. He said his father one day was reading Matthew 3 and declared, 'I am no longer going to church until I find a church that baptizes in the manner that Jesus taught!' That night he had a dream in which two foreignors approached him and presented him with a book. He woke up and felt like the dream came from God, it was so vivid. He went to work and told all his coworkers. Suddenly one the coworkers yelled, 'Look! Two foreignors!' Sure enough, outside the door were two gringos. The man called to them. They were missionarie who just recently arrived to Quetzaltenango. They taught him about the Book of Mormon and then presented him one. He asked the cost. They responded, just a covenant that you'll read it. He read it in two days and was baptized shortly after. Now, 60 years later, there are 160 members of the church who are descendants of that man, and one of them is now the temple president. So many powerful stories like that! At the end President Uchtdorf testified. 'Jesus Christ lives. I know him. He is at the head of this work.' He expressed repeatedly his love for the people and it inspired me. I feel a new sense of appreciation for this culture and this people. The prophecies and promises made to the Lamanites are being fulfilled. This is God's work!
I love you guys so much! Thank you for everything!
Talk to you soon,
Elder Austin Tyler
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