December 23, 2014

Feliz Navidad Everyone!

    I hope everyone is having a great time in this period of Christmas and enjoying their experiences. Right now I would give anything to listen to "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole but I am hanging in there just 2 more years! We have had many great experiences this week and we had a baptism! We have been working hard in this time and tomorrow we have been granted permission in the mission to be in the home of a member until 12:30 in the morning and we have several families that want to feed us tamales and punch and I have a feeling my stomach will hurt because they seem ready to feed us all! But I am pretty excited to share this experience with the people of Guatemala.

    I am going to be open with you all, until this week I didn't feel like I would have any struggles but this has by far been the hardest week of my mission! First of all we haven't had water in our house for 1 week! We have a sink in the back that drips water a little so we keep that going to keep water for us to take bucket baths! Que Bendicione! And last week after internet we realized that the keys were locked in the study room, entonces, we climbed on our house and into the back part to get inside and we had to break the lock on the back door. And Sunday morning I woke up at 2 sick and spent about an hour in the bathroom! But with trials comes great success right and I just tell myself I have stories to tell my future kids one day about my mission! With all the struggles I have actually enjoyed this week. 

     We had a baptism and this was our miracle for the week and it is a story to tell. Hmo Alejandro is the name of the young man we baptized and he is about 17 and 6 ft or so tall, keep that in mind. We planned to have the baptism at 7 in the morning before church so we woke up at 5 to go and fill the font because the night before there wasn't any water ( for the same reason as our house) but there wasn't any water still. So we decided to postpone the baptism until the next week. During classes someone came and informed us that there was water so we jumped on the opportunity and started filling the font! This was a miracle to have water running because there hadn't been any all week. But the water stopped when it was about knee high which was ok because we could still do a baptism in this! But the water went down a little because the plug wasn't tight so the water was now about mid calf but there was water and there was a son of God willing to enter into this covenant so a baptism happened. The Bishop kneeled in the water while Hmo Alejandro sat down and it took 4 times but the miracle happened and it was quite a memory to have for this young man and for me! 

    There are miracles in all of our lives every day we just need to look for them and there are even more so in this time. Remember who we celebrate this time of year for and remember that I love you all and you are in my prayers. The Church is true! My testimony and the miracles I see only testify more of this to me each day. Merry Christmas and for me you should all listen to "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole! But still I love me some silent night which is also a special song to my heart. 

Feliz Navidad!

December 16, 2014

Tis the Season for miracles! We had a great week and there is one experience we had that I want to share with you all! Our Miracle this week began with a lot of Stress. We had like 5 visits planned to fill 2 hours and a half and all of them fell so we were lost. We felt that we had contacted everywhere in this area and didn't know what to do. After a good 5 minutes of discussing we felt that we should knock doors down the linea even though we did that 1 week before but we followed a prompting! We didn't find anyone for the longest time and then one lady opened the door and we began to contact like usual.  She wanted to hear a lesson so like we learn we asked What church do you attend? She said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We were in shock because we had never seen her in church. Turns out she was inactive for many years but her son is a counselor to the bishop in our ward. We taught to her needs and she has had a lot of struggles which is why she didn't go to church. The lesson was great and we invited her to church and she accepted. Sunday came and my companion and I were asked to give a talk. Mine was o menos by the way but still good. Just before i got up she walked in and by the look on her sons face i don't think he was expecting it. It was a moment that was very special when she walked in and asked where her son was and helped me to learn my purpose more. Maybe I won't baptize all of Guatemala but I am here to help people find the joy that this message brings to all and especially to the family! I know families are forever and I could see the joy between this mother and son this Sunday and like my Mission President says A smiles is the message!
We have a great week ahead of us with a baptism lined up for Hmno Alejandro! He has a great desire for the message and I am excited to see all that happens with him in his future as a member! He's a future missionary for sure! And we are also working hard to spread this message of Christmas! I hope you are all having a great week and a wonderful time this holiday season. But remember the reason we celebrate this time is for our Savior Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us! I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Elder Daybell

    

December 9, 2014

     Yesterday we received news that we would not be changing! For now, on January 16 my companion will return to El Salvador so I will not be leaving Ville Canales! Yesterday for P-day I learned how to cook platanos and how to make tortillas! It is still so hard but with practice i can learn just like the language!  

     These last few weeks have been a little rough with finding people so we went to the heavens in prayer and pretty much literally! We have a large hill behind us with a village on the side of it so we decided to spend a day there! and it was beautiful to look down on our area and this pretty country! We had a few lessons there but nothing was set in stone so we haven't gone back but it was a cool experience! 

    My faith has been strengthened this week. We were teaching one investigator and she said she wanted to be baptized and loved our message! We had a lesson set up with her on Saturday and when we knocked on her door, she went out a different door to the other side of the house and left, we were informed by the kids. So we went to look and when we saw her... She Ran. No se porque! I said to my companion that I wasn't sure we would see her again and he said just have faith! The next day she came to church! And we have a date set with her for the 21st of this month!! The Lord helped my unbelief like he did with the man who had a son with a devil in him. I know that the lord helps us in our faith in small ways but if we look for them we can find them! 

     We watched the Christmas devotional and I loved the music. I miss Christmas music so much! But I am where I need to be! Remember Christ in this crazy time of Christmas because He is the reason we celebrate this day and He is the reason we have ALL! I love you all and wish you a great week! 

Love, 
Elder Daybell

December 2, 2014

            Wow it’s already December I can hardly believe it! We are doing some pretty great things here in Guatemala. There is this sweet video the church put out called “He is the Gift” and we are inviting everyone to watch this video because it is TAN BUENO! So if you haven’t seen it, Watch it! Good things have been happening and the challenges come but that’s just how life goes as a missionary right?

I hope you all remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas is for Christ and to remember him. The majority of people here are Evangelicos and they are Christian but they don't believe in Christmas as a Holiday because they feel it is too worldly. Most people who we give the cards for this video ask us why we celebrate Christmas because it isn't in the bible. It is hard to get them to understand sometimes but it has helped me remember that this Holiday is to remember our Savior Jesus Christ and his birth and all that He has done for us!

            It's been a bit of a struggle but we have still had many lessons that we believe could lead somewhere. The spirit is strong in all of our lessons and I certainly have help with the language from the spirit. Sometimes I get a little discouraged when someone just looks at me and when I ask them a question they continue to stare and then finally say No Entendi. But that's part of learning the language and that is starting to happen less often! The gift of Tongues is real but it doesn't happen overnight as I am beginning to learn! I may not be able to speak well but I can understand everything that others are saying now so I can tell that is part of the gift of tongues that has kicked in! 

            I learned one of the hardest things yet for me in this area yesterday. I learned how to tortillear! I didn't learn how to make the batter for tortillas that will be next week, this week I learned how to pat tortillas and I still do not have it perfected it is quite the art! Because you don't want to have a tortilla that breaks easy and it needs to be perfectly round! It was quite fun and I can't wait to show you all one day when I become a professional! 

            Yo Quiero que todos de Ustedes sepan que tengo un testimonio de este Evangelio. Tal Vez no hablo muy bien y este mensaje no es perfecto también. Pero se que Dios Nos ama y desea que tomemos de este mensaje  y perseveremos hasta el fin! Les Amo!

Elder Daybell

November 25, 2014

Hey everyone! 

    This week marks about 1 month in the field for me and it has been a pretty great week! We had splits 3 times this week and I learned a lot. 1. Guatemala is basically lawless when it comes to travel. We were on a bus during splits going to an interview. I was with the zone leader and one man climbed on TOP of the bus, while it was going. I also rode on a van, yes on and not in, we just stood in the door holding inside but our bodies were outside, it was quite the experience. The Zone Leader said you lose all fear of death here in Guatemala haha. I am being safe though don't worry mother!

     I am pretty sure that you all have thanksgiving this week but we are preparing for Christmas here! But it doesn't feel right because it is so HOT! There are Santa Clause Blow ups at the stores and Christmas trees in houses and in the street. They celebrate Christmas here with fireworks and we get permision on Christmas eve to be with members until 12 at night watching the fireworks and eating tamales. I am pretty excited, my companion loves Christmas here. And he has extended for 1 more month to be here another Christmas! 

     With all the exchanges I have had the chance to learn more and grow more in how to be a missionary. I have also learned more Spanish which I will always need and how to bring the spirit more. We had a baptism this week! I don't have pictures only my companion and we aren't in them. But it was awesome and the spirit was strong. She is bien pilas! Hmna Flor has sadly had even more struggles that she didn't commit to baptism this week. We are teaching her tonight and I just want everything in her life to go well again and have her find the happiness that the gospel brought into her life 2 weeks ago!

     Yesterday we taught a family that attended church 2 weeks ago. We just taught the restoration but after the Father said something like: We have had preachers come and teach us but they always left and we were still confused but this all makes sense. They are bien pilas too! They have a desire to follow the right path they said and I can just see that the Lord has prepared us to teach them right now! This gospel is wonderful!

 

 Elder Daybell and his Companion Elder Garcia

Traditional Day of the Dead Dish

Max's study desk

A Lake and a Volcano in Max's Area

November 18, 2014

Hey everyone!

    I hit 2 months on the mission yesterday! pretty crazy right! It's been a week of ups and downs for sure and I have seen the influence of Satan trying to stop our investigators from progressing! One of our investigators that is preparng for baptism this week was in the hospital for a few days and her son is being pretty rebellious. She has broken down crying in about all of our lessons but she still wants to be baptized. She is a bien pila as we say here! Our other investigator that is preparing for baptism this week her parents are against her decision and won't welcome her in their home for this decision but she said she knows it's right and desires to be baptized still. Take that Satan!

    Yesterday we went on splits with the traveling assistants to the president! That helped me a lot to have more excitement. Before for contacts I would just say we are missionaries and want to share a message, it was kind of boring. This elder that I went with taught me it's ok to be kind of weird and it makes people laugh and more interested in what you have to say. So I opened up I was waving my arms around saying hello to everyone and I even used my donald duck voice in spanish to some kids because I could hear they were watching a disney show with Donald duck. Yesterday was a blessing, I learned a lot and have built my excitement for this mission too. 

     Even though we have had our struggles the Lord continues to bless us and helps us to do this work. We have a mission goal of baptizing 400 people this month in our entire mission, to do this we have to have 4 baptisms as a companionship and we were only going to have the 2 this week. But this Sunday a family of 4 showed up to church and they have a member friend! They loved everything about the church and we are going to start teaching them and they have a desire to be baptized on the 30th! This is a month of miracles! The Lord truly does help us when we put forth our effort. The church is true brothers and sisters! I love you all!

Hasta luego

Elder Daybell

November 11, 2014

Hey everyone how is everything going?

   This week has been crazy. I can understand for the most part what people are saying but communicating back is a little difficult for me. But that will come. They are preparing for Christmas here with decorations but it's hard to believe because it's so warm! I imagine it's around 85 degrees today and it doesn't seem like it's going to get much colder. My companion complains that it's so cold here during these months but I can't feel it.

    Teaching has been awesome! We have 3 baptisms that we are almost certain will go through on the 23rd of this month and 1 more for the 30th. I am able to teach more and my trainer sometimes to get me to teach more closes his eyes so he can't see me look at him when I don't know what to do. It makes me really nervous but it also helps me to focus on the spirit to know what to do next and oh that spirit has helped me so much this week! 

    I don't know if I ever mentioned the walking in this mission. I had to buy a backpack because we walk at about the pace of a sprinter, or so it feels like. I never thought it was humanly possible to walk this fast but we do every day. 

    We had one lesson the other day with Hermana Flor and her Son Mardoqueo where he spirit was so strong. We challenged them to baptism and they accepted and I can't explain the happiness I felt after, it is the best feeling in the world to know you have helped God's children to come back into his arms. One lesson we challenged the investigator to baptism and their only question was what time for the day we challenged. They were so ready for this and this testified to me that the Lord is preparing his children to hear the Gospel.

This has been an awesome experience and I can only imagine what this next bit will be like. I know I will see miracles because I already have with the fact that I can understand what people are saying and how the gospel has blessed so many lives. 

Love you all, Elder Daybell 

Elder Daybell and his Companion Elder Garcia. 

November 4, 2014

Hey everyone I just wanted to send you an update finally after 2 weeks! And my first area is (drumroll please) El Frutal! It's a little outside the city and a poorer area. Many of the houses are just yards with 1 small room made of tin for sleeping or cooking sometimes even. I am serving in the Villa Canales 1 ward here. The people are great and this place is awesome but it is definitely not america.

My trainer is Elder Garcia, he is from El Salvador and doesnt know much ingles. So today at our zone conference was the first time I talked to someone in english in an entire week! It's hard but I am learning much faster now that is for sure. I am also learning the culture and it is so awesome. The best tortillas are found in guatemala that is all I can say! I have never had a better tortilla. I have also tried 3 fruits I have never heard of in my life and could not repeat them to you but they are delicious, so no complaints about the food from me.

They use the word pilas here a lot and its a compliment if someone calls you it, but the exact translation is battery. Kind of cool, I have also learned a new snapping kind of thing where you hold your thumb and middle finger together and whack your pointer finger against them, everyone does that here when something good is said or happens.

This week has been awesome learning and the spirit has been so strong in all of our lessons. I don't say much but I do have some parts and I can't understand much yet either but I am learning little by little. The people here are so kind, everyone will listen to us its just hard getting them to do the things we ask or have a follow up visit.

 One thing I forgot to mention is the buses, They are the coolest things in the world because they aren't dull like buses in America. Sorry America. And everyday we do at least 2 bus contacts, you know where you stand at the front of the bus watch everyones eyes get big and then pretty much yell "Somos representantes de Jesucristo y testificamos que El vive" and then bear our testimony, It was nerve wracking at first but now it is my favorite!

One day we were teaching and it was raining so hard and I didn't have a long sleeved sweater. One of the less active members we were teaching then left and came back with a long sleeved sweater. We serve in a more poor area and so these people don't have much but this man was so kind to go and buy me a sweater it touched my heart and I owe these next two years to these people. I have felt the spirit in all of our lessons and although I can't understand much I am able to teach with the spirit and it helps direct me to know what to say. This writing time will probably be the last time I use English for a week but that is ok because I am learning faster.

The Lord certainly is helping me to find his sheep and bring them unto his fold again. I love you all things are great here! Mi y mi compañero somos representantes de Jesucristo y testificamos que El vive y Ha llamado profetas en la tierra ultro vez nos guian a saber como vivir con nuestro familias para siempre. 

Love Elder Daybell

October 21, 2014

I found a computer with an enter button that works! But here is my week in a nutshell.

Wednesday to Friday: I really wish I had a lot to write but mostly everything has been the same this week as it has always been, Alot of work and no sleep. i've been really tired this week but it has all been good.

Saturday: We did something new this day, we went and did real live street contacting! They opened the gates of the CCM and our district took some pamphlets and LDM and went and talked to real people on the street about the gospel. Everyone listens, we only had 1 guy not want to listen. We placed a Libro de Mormon with a lady who didn't want it at first because she thought we were selling it. After we gave it to her she said she didn't want to take lessons so we didn't get an address. We heard later from others in our district that she went and sat down and started reading the pamphlets as soon as we left. I hope she feels the spirit and wants that in her life because I love how much this gospel has blessed my life. All I can do now is pray and hope the best for her.

Sunday: I love Sundays here! They are nice and relaxing and full of devocionals that just get me pumped for the field. I only have a week left here, that is hard to believe but I am pretty excited.

Monday: It was a day back to work and these are always the longest because you just countdown until Martes which is Pday. We had some good conversations with our new roommates they are pretty cool and both of them are going to Central. One of them said we're going to be companions one day and I certainly hope so... after I learn Spanish.

Tuesday: We went to the temple, and this may be my last time going to the temple for 2 years it was pretty great. i'm gonna miss the temple, and now I am here writing. Not much has happened I know. these emails will be more interesting and full of stuff when not every single day is about the same. I may not have much to talk about but I have a testimony of this gospel, I was the happiest person in the world on Saturday when I got the chance to share that LDM and i know it is true. I am glad families are for eternity and I want everyone to know this. I love you all my next email will be when I am in the field.

Hasta Luego,

Elder Daybell

Elder Daybell and his MTC District at the Temple

Guatemala City Temple

October 14, 2014

Hey everyone! I can't believe it has been a month. Lots of good things have been happening here and I'm loving every moment here. It has been a rainy week. 

Wednesday: They brought skittles here for purchase and that was pretty awesome. I miss American candy so much. Wednesdays are always a little tough because it's the day after Pday but I'm usually really pumped to get back to work too! We had a great lesson this day without investigator Gabriel and he almost said yes to baptism again. He said he feels the spirit and knows what we say is true it's just different for him. 

Thursday: More work that is for sure. We had a lesson with Gilda and she accepted baptism! The spirit was there in that lesson and it was pretty cool. I began to realize I love teaching lessons because since I am forced to speak only Spanish I realize how much I have learned in 4 weeks. 

Friday: I feel bad I don't have much to write but the mornings are mostly filled with study and language practice and the afternoons are the interesting parts where the teaching happens and stuff like that. We went to teach Gabriel, but he dropped us at the door. It was sad because we saw things improving in his life and could feel the change in our lessons. It was a sad rest of the night until planning. Our teacher walked in the room while we were planning and we all saw it in his hands. 3 dear elders and a handwritten letter, the first ones anyone had seen in our district! He taunted us with them for a half an hour and just before he left he handed them out and I was so happy when the letter was for me. That made my night so much better and gave me more hope for the rest of the week with Gabriel dropping us. 

Saturday: We taught Gilda again and things went well but she isn't progressing much because she isn't doing anything we ask her too. It's frustrating but I want to help. 

Sunday: We had a great Sacrament meeting and had many great devotionals. My favorite devotionals to watch are of Elder Holland because he always says "No one has been affected more from a mission than me" He is such a powerful speaker. This devotional he said as a missionary you should convert yourself first before you teach that is the most important. The thing he hates most is when a missionary serves for 2 years and then becomes inactive. He said if that's any of you Elders you better hope you don't see me in any dark alleys you're walking in. Our Latino roommates learned a new game that we all played this night and it was fun. We played Ninja strike it was awesome. 

Monday: Mondays are so hard because I just can't wait for Tuesday. We had a surprise though, our new investigator is Gabriel. The first missionaries before helped him and this is us teaching him again 2 years later. It was pretty good but weird at the same time. He committed to baptism the 1st lesson which just had me in awe. 

Tuesday: This morning I woke up at 5 to say goodbye and good luck to our Latino roommates because they are leaving from the airport to their missions which are in Nicaragua. As I said good luck Elder Miranda said In Spanish: I will see you in heaven again. I may never see those guys in this life but I know we will have the chance to discuss our missions in the eternities. I said Hasta Luego to him instead of Adios because Hasta Luego means: Until Later. We went to the temple this morning and after this we are going to the small market just down the street. This is like a small supermarket for us to buy treats and things we feel we need for the mission field which is 2 weeks away! crazy huh.

Well I want you all to know that I know this church is true. Everything just makes sense that this is for eternity it's wonderful! I love you all.

Love Elder Daybell

October 7, 2014

 

Elder Daybell and his District. Max was recently called as the District Leader 

I am here to report on my 3rd week in the CCM. 

Tuesday: My day of culture shock. We actually went outside the CCM to the market which was awesome! And we got Wendy's which was a bendicione (blessing)At the market I bought a guatemala soccer jersey and some small knickknacks. The market was more colorful than anything I have ever imagined. One interesting thing about the guatemalans is they love Minions from despicable me! There are tons of small toys and shirts with the minions on them. I may have to buy one in the field. As we drove back from the market we passed the poorest spot in the city and it was just a hillside of shacks stacked on top of each other, I was filled with a lot of sadness when I saw that but I know that they may not have all the things of the world, but they do have the full love of God as does each and every one of us. 

Wednesday: We hit the books hard and got 2 new roommates. One of our roommates is from Bolivia and the other from Salvador. They both have quite the backstory with one of them being a gangster in the drug cartel and the other inactive for 6 of the 3 years he was a member. They are an example to me of how anyone can change and God will always love you the same. One of them said (in spanish and I understood it by the way, the gift of tongues is real) That because of all Christ has done for him he sees his mission as his debt owed to Christ because of His Atonement. That roommate is 26 by the way. They are both great at helping us with our Language practice and just laugh if we don't understand.

Thursday: We had a great day of learning the language and working hard this day. We had our lesson with our investigador Gilda. She's tough because she never does what we commit her to do but the lesson went great! 

Friday: We had a ton of success with our investigador Gabriel this day. He always said no to taking the book of Mormon or even praying the way we do, but we taught him about the plan of salvation and how he could live with his Mom again and he gratefully accepted and was eager to read this time and he almost said yes to baptism after thinking about it for 2 minutes! 

Saturday and Sunday: Some of my favorite days so far because of the General conference. Conference was amazing and all the talks I felt I could apply to me. Funny how amazing these talks are filled with the spirit and you can apply to your life if you stay awake :) My favorite talk was Elder Hollands talk because I have seen a lot of poor here and am so excited to serve these people and give them all that I have, which the best thing being the complete gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth. Yo tengo un tesimonio que la iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos De Los Ultimos Dias contanas la cumplir del evangelio de Jesucristo y que todos personas pueden vivir con Dios y Cristo ultro ves. 

Monday: We got right back to work but it was a little longer because we were all a little anxious to write our Families. I had a nice conversation in Spanish with a Latino named Elder Santos and it was crazy to see how much I could communicate with someone only 3 weeks after starting to learn the language. I know where he is from, his mission his plans after his mission and the fact that he has a girlfriend serving in the same country he will be serving in. I thought it was amazing that I could say so much and understand so much only 3 weeks in! Its funny hearing the Latinos try to copy our English but i'm sure that is how we sound speaking Spanish! haha.

I love you all and I miss you all too! But I know I have been called of a prophet of God to serve these people and I already love the Guatemalans so much and I haven't even been out of the CCM. I love you all and I testify that I know that God loves you all more than I possibly could.

Love, Elder Daybell

September 29, 2014

We get to do a session every week for preparation day at the CCM and it's even in English because the CCM president was a temple worker. That has been the only time I have been beyond those gates. It kind of feels like a prison even though I know it isn't. The money used on my card was for a nice set of Spanish Scriptures at the Distribution center, I wanted ones with tabs, not the ugly hardback ones they give us here. There is a member who brings stuff on Pday to sell to us and I was able to get real shower sandals and my nikes are good and soft and dry now. I also bought one of those bags that say guatemala on it and I ordered a leather scripture case for my new scriptures that has a picture of Jesus on the front with the apostles in the water fishing (Fishers of men) and I asked for captain moroni on the back. I'm excited to get that next week, it has my name and my mission on it as well.  

As I said tomorrow we get to go to the big market and have Wendy's!! I am so excited. The teachers here are all returned missionaries. Here is how my week went.

Wednesday: The days kind of all blur together but Wednesday night we were writing out script for our lesson and one of the hermanos asked us what we were doing. He challenged us to go into the lesson without a script and after much persuasion he finally convinced us to try. He said he served in Salt lake West Spanish speaking and I asked him if he had ever been to Tooele and he said that was the place that changed his life. He said he loves everything about Tooele, it was funny to me but it showed me some things are taken for granted. 

Thursday: It was pretty much another day hard at work, our lessons were going great with our investigators mostly because we didn't prepare a script and the spirit was there. I feel like spanish is being pounded in my head. One of the Americans in our room has begun talking in spanish in his sleep, weird huh. 

Friday: Friday was just another day hard at work, I feel bad I can't remember much maybe I'll start writing things down. I just know I couldn't sleep friday night because we have to have the window open at night or we die and there is a club right next to us that is about 3 stories high. We call it the great and spacious building. haha 

Saturday: My cold began. There has been this awful cold going around the CCM and I happened to catch it. It was just sniffles on Saturday but Sunday was awful. We also began our 24 hour fast at 5 on Saturday and that just made me feel even worse on Sunday. We learned more spanish of course haha. 

Sunday: I love Sundays here. We have sacrament meeting in Spanish and if I didn't feel like I was dying from my cold and fasting I would have gotten up compartir (to share) my testimony. We had 4 hours of personal study which was amazing, I read 3 chapters in LDM and actually understood what was happening in each verse, the gift of tongues is real. We got to watch the restoration and a great devotional given by elder holland last night too. Some of the 6 weekers head out into the field tomorrow and I am going to miss them. My companion and I would always sit by them during lunch because the elders that came with us are a little immature still... 

Monday: after fasting and praying for health I no longer have a cold! The lord truly does help us in everything as we serve him and fast and pray.

Yo se que el evangelio de Jesucristo es verdadero. Yo se que Dios bendices familias y que familias es el centro a Dios plan de felicidad. I love you all, I hope this week is more interesting to share, I'll use a small notebook to write things down.

Love, Elder Daybell

First week in the MTC!

 

  

All is well at the CCM! My preparation days are on Tuesdays not Mondays just so you know and they took everyones cameras so there will not be any pictures for at least 6 weeks, Lo siento.  I'll give you the run down of my week.

Wednesday: we got in and smashed into a school bus on the way to the CCM all our luggage and around 30 of us all in a schoolbus! The driving here is crazy so I'm really glad I'm just walking most of the mission. We got to take a nap and were assigned companions who I told you mine is Elder Webster. He's a really cool guy. We then got a tour of the CCM and from my classroom there is a tree through the window that has orange flowers growing on the top of it! It is so pretty! Wednesday is kind of a blur but it was the longest day here. It's only been a week but it feels like an entire month!

Thursday: I had the most interesting breakfast of my life: nachos but they were really good because they were on top of overeasy eggs. The pineapple here is the best I have had in my entire life. I have also had papayas and I actually kind of like them. It was a bit of a disappointment with no Mangos but it was probably best for me. We hit the books hard, seriously all of them! We were given a stack of books that felt like they were as tall as me, just for the language. Our night teacher came in and the first thing he said is "no hablo ingles" his entire class is in spanish which is good because it teaches us to learn the language faster. We also learned how to say prayers in Spanish and ever since Thursday all my prayers have been in Spanish.

Friday: I can't say I remember too much, I'll start writing things down more haha. We learned how to bear our testimonies on Friday and had our second visit with Jaime, our investigador. We did great with the lesson but are understanding that we will get better because the language is a bit difficult.

Saturday: Just another hardworking day here at the CCM I don't remember much from Saturday either, Lo siento. Just know I'm working hard in all that I do and the spirit here is very strong. I can see the temple through the window as I walk downstairs its beautiful!

Sunday: Sundays are so relaxing here and full of the spirit. We have sacrament at 9 just like you and it is all in spanish. I passed the sacrament and that was pretty cool. We had several devotionals in the afternoon and lots of time for personal study! I will be watching general conference in 2 weeks in Ingles!! I like learning the language it is just a little overwhelming.

Monday: We were back to work studying and preparing for our lesson with Jaime. As most of us have only been here a few weeks we write a script but a hermano[who actually served in Tooele County] challenged us to go without our script. We have been the first ones to do it and it was our best yet. With the little words we knew we were able to teach with power and get our message across and extend a commitment. It was a great experience. And I am thankful for the hermano who challenged us to not use a script.

Tuesday: The first time I have been outside those gates was to walk to the temple 2 buildings down. It was great but kind of scary to see all the armed guard around everything. At the gas station on the corner there is a guard with a shotgun. Some missionaries who have been here 4 weeks say they have guns but no ammo so I'm just going to obey the law while I am here just to be safe!

That is my week and I am loving the CCM. Thank you for your support
I love you all.

Love Elder Daybell.

He has arrived! First E-mail! :)

Hola Familia,

     I have been in Guatemala since early this morning. When we got to the CCM they allowed us to take a nap until 12, and despite the bed being uncomfortable it was probably the best nap I have ever had! My companion in the CCM is Elder Webster and he played basketball for Lone Peak. So my companion is a state champion in basketball so I have decided no basketball for me here! I love you all and will write more on my experiences on Tuesday! They only gave me a little bit of time. I know that the reason I am here is to bring people unto Christ and I am happy to hear that you have all decided to be better missionaries too!

Love,

Elder Daybell