I HAD MY FIRST BAPTISM!

Okay where do i begin? Last week was pretty good!
We have this golden family that i love so much! We watched together forever and they really enjoyed it, hopefully it gives them a desire to get married but they are moving areas, which was sad to hear, they are having troubles with their land lord, but they don't want other missionaries teaching them they want to continue the lessons with us, so we are going to teach them at a members house in our area that is helping us work with them. (ugh right now i am having technical difficulties and it sucks!) I can't write too much detail because I'm having problems so I will talk about the main stuff.

I had my first baptism this weekend!!!!  aaaaahhhh!! it was so exciting! Her name is Marjorie Ramos, she is 24, she is bien pilas! i love her! When she got baptized i just had so much joy and happiness, it was wonderful! and one of our investigators we have been teaching named carmen moreno showed up, without a reminder!! we were so happy to see her come, she said the service was beautiful. Oh yeah I gave a special musical number, I had to sing...solo... (I'm not one for singing solos in front of people) but marjorie wanted me too and in english, so i sang If you could hie to Kolob. Everyone loved it and said i had a good voice.... well i guess i will have to develop a new talent haha Marjories boyfriend named Nefi is a member and a returned missionary, in a year they could get married. (she didnt get baptized for him, in fact she didnt even tell him until this last week haha, she has a good testimony) she also already has a calling, she is secretary of the RS. Man this baptism gave me the fuel to keep on working even harder now and try to bring more souls closer to Christ! We are teaching a jovencita name Marleni and her brother, she has already received an answer about the church just needs to get baptized. Apparently this sunday her brother said that he wants to get baptized so that he can go to the temple, that was a surprise to us, because he hasn't really been around for our lessons, but we will see whats up, another miracle hopefully! On sunday our investigators came to church and enjoyed it.

I'm just praying that i can stay for another transfer here with my comp. That's all I want, because we are having some good progress and don't want to loose our work. This morning for p-day we cleaned the apartment, like really cleaned it, i cleaned the bathroom and did my work out in there haha i scrubbed the shower like nobodies business, cleaned the sink and toilette, our bathroom smells clean and looks a lot better! Im proud of myself haha but the water shut off so i couldnt take a shower, second time this happened! but we somehow were able to fill a bucket of water,so i managed to clean myself with wipes (again) and wash my hair. Life in Guatemala love it!!!
So far haven't eaten anything weird, tried liver the other week, too meaty, the members are great and very helpful. I have been able to implement my ideas, which is nice.
Doing my best here!
Oh yeah before i forget, i have an assignment for you mom, can you send me more names of your family, like more a genealogy tree past great great grandparents i want to know the names, so i can keep my eyes peeled when I'm contacting here, maybe i can find more family! 

Well that's all for now, hopefully I can wirite more next time and not be so rushed!
Love you guys muchisimo!!! mwah mwah! I will send pics next week  couldnt this week, because ran out of time... triste, but Love ya family!!

Hermana Riley

MARJORIE'S BAPTISM!

SAD DAYS AND HAPPY DAYS.

Transfers are 6 of december, 3 more weeks, i so don't want to get transfered, i love my area here in San Benito!! And the people, it will be so sad if i leave! To be honest, i would love to stay in peten my whole mission, i wouldn't mind, i enjoy it up here, its starting to get fresher here, which is nice, but now when i take showers the water is soooo cold! 

Okay so last week.... There was a lot that happened. Some bad news and some good news. First with the bad news: So last last weekend we were visiting a family, they have a daughter name Jenny around 30ish and she was sick, she had a stroke, while there we shared a nice spiritual message and the love that the Lord has for them.

On Monday Jenny got sent to the Capital for intensive care and then on Tuesday morning, we went to go jogging at the church and the secretary who had the keys, told us that Hermana Jenny passed away the night before.... I couldn´t believe it! The whole day it made me really think about the plan of salvation, and what a blessing it is to have that in our lives, because it gives us hope, and we don't really have to worry too much. That night none of the members could go out with us, because Jenny´s mom came back with the body and had a wake that night, so we contacted as much as we could but couldn't teach any lessons, so we went to the service to give our support and love, it was so weird to see the casket (it was closed) just a few days earlier we had visited her, i just couldn't quite comprehend it. The next day they had a service at the church and then took her to the cemetery, we didn't participate in that, because we had the Lords work to continue.

Now on to the brighter news. On Wednesday we had a fast with the whole mission, because we find so many people but there are so few baptisms and also little progress. Also this weekend had some miracles!! i mean everyday is a miracle but these were like BIGGER miracles haha. So the first: me and my comp were tracting in one of our areas that we haven't really gone to, trying to see if we can find more "escogidos" (chosen), we stopped for a bit thinking of where to go and then we started walking up a street, we contacted a house, (they weren't interested) contacted another house... same thing, but as we were going door to door I noticed a girl about 10 years and in my mind i thought-"go ask her where mom is, to share a lesson". But me and my comp kept on walking cuz we were going to visit someone who we had contacted a while ago. Well as we were walking, my comp told me " I had a prayer in my heart to find the Lords elect, but he didn't answer me" as she finished her sentence we started hearing this chsshhhh chsshhhh we turned to look and it was the 10 year old girl, she came up to us and asked if we could give her a folleto (pamphlet) to share with her family, HALELUJAH! we asked if her family was home, she said yes her mom, dad and sister (bonus points, A FAMILY!!) we asked if we could share with them and she said yes, as we were walking along with her.. my comp turned to me and said... " and I was murmuring *she smacks her face* I'm sorry Lord!" hahahah it was funny, but that was seriously a miracle! The next one, we visited an old man named francisco, we were teaching him the resoration but it took awhile because he kept getting off track, he was really agreeing with what we shared, and i guess told us of all the people he has listened to (other religions) he could really feel the spirit in our message, we invited him to baptism and he accepted, said he wanted to change his life, and then my comp asked him to baptism with a date, and he accepted that too! he said, just make sure to keep reminding me because i don't want to forget the important day! haha He is so great! But I'm a little unsure at the same time because I'm not sure if he truly understands everything, but we will keep working with him and the holy spirit will testify to him too. It was a good day. Next miracle, okay so we have been struggling with having investigators at church and this past week i prayed we could achieve our goal with that, well none of our investigators could come, except for one her name is marjorie she is getting baptized the 22 of november she is bien pilas! (me and my comp wish all our invesitgators could be like her....) but! some sister missionaries in the other ward told us they had investigators for us that are in our area and it was a mom and her daughter and one of the members brought their sobrino (non member) who is going to be living here for a bit, and we are going to start teaching him, so that was more than one investigator attending! not quite the goal, but it was better than before, The Lord really answered my prayer not in the way i was expecting but he still answered it. It was wonderful! This week was a good week, we are making changes and starting to see progress and finding really good potentials, everyday i give my gratitude!!!

I love you guys so much!! You are always in prayers, im going to try and send a letter next week! Boys be good! say your prayers and read the scriptures, also remember listen to mom and dad "honour thy mother and father" they know whats best. Just like our heavenly father, sometimes we cant see whats good for us but he can and he helps lead us in the right direction, just like our parents.

Con mucho amor

Hermana Riley.

All I can say is...this area is beautiful.

AT A MEMBERS HOME:they don't have much but they give everything they have.

ON OUR WAY TO A DAY TRIP.

LAS HERMANAS

ISLA DE FLORES.

LAS HERMANAS!

^TUC TUC

This is how we move around town

(We pay the driver)

Guess what I was for Halloween?

OH THE THINGS YOU SEE!

FELIZ DIA DE LOS MUERTOS!

Buenas!!!!!!

I finally got your package and letters!! Got them last week!  OH HAPPY DAY!!!

So this past week was pretty good! We are finding more and more families, it's great, now they just need to get baptized haha working on that.... Saturday was nuts, every single one of our appointments fell, even the back ups, and i mean every single one! We walked so much because we contacted the whole day, taught a few lessons, this was an opportunity to find the Lords elect, but despite our failure I had this energy and happiness like this spirit high, it was great, in all honesty it was a great day! Oh yeah this past week was my comps birthday, I made her a card and breakfast, and i had gotten her a little something, some nail polish (purple her fave color) and a cute bracelette, and hershey kisses and snickers. She loved it!  it made me happy to see her happy, I'm glad i could do something for her. We celebrated with the district the following day when we had district meeting, we got some cake. Also this weekend was dia de los muertos, on saturday morning right before lunch we went to the cemetary, to check what was happening. Families gather to pay respects to their dead loved ones, they were there decorating their graves painting them and all that good stuff, and we got some dulces de leche y coco, pretty delicious. That night, we saw kids and families walking around with lit pumpkin lanterns, some dressed up, getting candy, but we didn't see where they were getting their candy tho, but it was their version of trick or treating, and the kids were chanting something, ishcaba de la calavera or algo asi haha. Didn't see much happen on sunday. But yesterday after lunch, me and my comp went to a meeting at the church and one of the area 70 spoke! his name is Elder Morales, he spoke directly to the missionaries for like an hour and a half, it was great because he pumped me up! Also it was really cool, because he expressed some of the same ideas I had expressed to my comp before in our weekly planning so I turned to her and said "que te dije?" what did i tell you? haha received some revelation haha Also this meeting was an answer to my prayers, because i have desires to change the Rama (branch) of Benito and help my area more, but I can't do it by myself I need the members help, and so Elder Morales talked to the leaders of the church there, that they need to work with us missionaries more and that we need to be making changes. Seriously, inspiration/answer, it was wonderful! haha This past week seriously flew by like a snap, it made me sad because that means this transfer is going by, and theres so much i want to do and so many people i want to work with and help but there is so little time!! I was told the beginning months were slow and then from there it goes by fast. nope, not for me! It´s all going by so fast!! maybe in the middle it will be slow, or not, but its ridonculous! i need a pause button or something. But otherwise things are going well here in san benito, siempre animada y tratando a trabajar tan duro con mi companera, somos un bueno equipo. (Always of good cheer and trying to work hard together with my companion, we are a good team).

Y si mama im making friends in my district, theres a new elder fresh from the ccm in my district and im trying to talk to him to make him feel comfortable because he doesnt really know spanish and i feel bad when everyone is speaking spanish, but its a good thing there are a few english speakers in my district, and his trainer (our DL) can speak some, but he seems to be enjoying it all.
Poptum is like 2 hours from where i am.

Oh yes, i need some more malarial meds, i think i only i have one more month left of them. And i got a notice, that if parents are sending christmas packages to send them now, or asap because last year there was robbing going on and a lot of packages got stolen (remember big pictures of jesus will help, haha maybe...) But thank you so much for your love!! I love mail (i now know what you mean) I know i can always count on you mommy!!  Your the bestest! Send my love to the Fam.! and this is for lily:
FELIZ CUMPLEANOS LILY!!!! TE AMO MUCHISIMO! espero que tengas una buenisima dia, y que todos sus deseos llegar a ser reales, te extrano y cuidese especialmente de los chicos ;p broma jaja pero seriamente.... Saludos de Guatemala y que dios te bendiga!! Con Amor hermana riley 

Well i love you guys super much!!! send some pics please, from halloween, and does alex have his senior pics? pics pics pics por favor!!!
MUcho Amor!!
hermana riley

 

PEOPLE BEAUTIFY THEIR GRAVEYARDS ON NOV. 1ST