March 24, 2015

   Well I got to know my area after 2 days of knowing where I was going but not going and it is absolutely beautiful to say the least. We left the city of Tiquisate and headed out by orchards of Palm trees where they harvest oil. And in the middle of 2 orchards and a river is the town of La Noria. It is a super small town and we have already contacted every house but we will continue working hard here. We have a small little building in this area and it is pretty awesome. I also love that there are a million Mango trees and coconut trees, I just pick the mangoes and eat them there are we are working! I also got to drink some coconut milk and eat coconut here, it was awesome. Some other cool things about this area is everyone knows everyone but not by their real name, everyone has a nickname so if we ask them where a person lives using their real name they don't know who it is, but if we use their nickname...Everyone knows who we are talking about. 

     The branch is awesome here and the members have quite the testimony. We also have some great investigators here that we are working with. We had a family attend church where the father is a member less active and his family aren't members but they are planning on continuing to attend church. The father wants us to work with his family to so that they can all be members too. It's pretty crazy how even with how small this area is there are still miracles happening and we will continue to see miracles happening here until Christ comes. I have loved getting to know the people and members here, it has been a new experience that is certain but I love this area already, it is so beautiful. And a little hot, at the end of the day everyone is outside on their porches sitting in hammocks and just hanging out. 

     The biggest goal we have here is to reactivate a lot of members because we have a solid 30 to 40 attending every week but there are about 100 more that are less active members. I am super excited to work here and help the kindgom of God grow in this area, even if it just means helping people find their testimonies again! I love this area it really is a little piece of heave, it is so beautiful here. A little far away but that doesn't matter. I hope you all have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Daybell

Elder Daybell in front of the Church building. 

Zone leaders and Elder Daybell and his companion. 

March 19, 2015

   This has been a crazy week. But as a lot of you know, I left my area and am now in a new area. It's a lot different but I will adjust. It was hard saying goodbye to my investigators and converts and friends, but we will always be friends and thanks to modern technology After the mission I can find them on the internet! We finished the change with the Baptism of Hermano Gustavo and I was honored to be the one to baptize him. (Photos will come next week) 

    But we had cambios on Tuesday because on Wednesday we had a pretty sweet reunion. And the news from the change is that I am in the zone of Tiquisate (Tiki-saw-tay)out on the coast. And I was only over here overnight but it was so hot, even at the night time. My area is La Noria and it is basically one of the 2 farthest areas from the city in the mission. My companion is Elder Williams and he is from Panama. He has 4 months in the mission so as well I am now Senor Companion. I am nervous but know I can do what I need to do with the Lords help.

    I have not been to my area yet, but I will get there in about an hour after this. Tuesday night we stayed in the house of the office missionary's because our area is so far away. Yesterday we had a big meeting with 2 other missions to listen to Neil L. Andersen speak to our missions. We began with everyone greeting him with a handshake. That was a sweet experience for me. And after he talked about how we can receive guidance from the spirit better if we get to know the scriptures better. He also talked about applying the atonement of Jesus Christ more to our lives and our teachings. It was a great devotional and after we headed for Tiki. we got to the house of the zone liders at like 10 at night and stayed there because our area is still a ways away. But I am so excited for this opportunity I have to serve here and although it is hot I am going to be doing some hard walking and teaching here. I am so ready to help this branch of La Noria grow and become stronger. I hope you all have a great week and know I love you all so much.

Love,

Elder Daybell

March 10, 2015

  Hey everyone! 

    This week was a little tough but you always have those weeks in the mission I guess. There were still a lot of good things don't get me wrong, it was jus a bit stressful but all is well. And I have some news. My companion got a call and he will be training someone right out of the CCM which means he stays and... I go. So in one week I will find out my new area and be serving there. And then on Wednesday of the next week our mission has a meeting with Elder Neil L. Andersen in the afternoon. So I will not be writing until Thursday of the next week (Mom that's for you... Don't call President) ;)

     The sad part of this week was that on Sunday we were going to have a baptism but then our investigator Gustavo went to spend the weekend with his Grandpa in the hospital. But this is definitely going to happen this week! He still wants to get baptized and believes the church is true, so my last Sunday here will be awesome because I will get to see him be baptized. But we had some great miracles this Sunday when we had our investigator Hno Kevin attend and he feels that God doesn't answer him and the topic of the class this week was prayer. So we hope that he took what we learned about prayer and applied it to better his prayers with God. I know I did. The prayer is very important and I honestly don't know what I would do without it, I have learned to seriously pray in every moment. 

     This week as well my friend and convert Hno Royer received the Aaronic Priesthood for the office of a teacher. He was really nervous but after his interview with the Bishop he seemed so excited and when we visited that night he was telling us how ready he was to help with the duties of the Sacrament. He is going to be a great missionary someday and he has a great older brother to be the example of that! 

   For Pday I played basketball finally! Wahoo, after 5 months I got to play some hoops and I really need to practice. I may spend days after my mission at the courts working on my shot again. But it was still fun and the P day before we went to the zoo here and it was really cool.

   I hope you all have an amazing week and know I love you. This week may have been rough but that happens in this life. But as Presidente taught us today in our zone training days will be tough, we will suffer. In the Book of Mormon we read many times that the Lord will not take away the battle, but if we endure it he will ease our load and helps us fight the battle with ease!

Love, 

Elder Daybell 

I didn't waste time at the zoo either, I contacted this Gorilla but he wasn't quite ready. Didn't pay attention or answer my questions... He just looked mad. 

March 3, 2015

    March has begun here in Guatemala and it is HOT! The weather heats up here for April and March according to the people and them in May begins the time of neverending rain for like 4 or 5 months! It's hot but we are still working hard and walking fast. My companion has destroyed his 4th pair of shoes on the mission and needs to buy some more tomorrow during Pday. 

    I hope that all has been going well for everyone and I want you to know I love the mission! We have been working with the Grandson of my convert Hermana Estela and on Sunday before church, we saw they hadn't come when they were always there early. So we gave them a call about 10 minutes before church started and Hna Estela said she was sick and couldn't make it. So we tried to find help in the ward from someone to go pick up Gustavo but we couldn't find anyone. We called Hna Estela again and she told us she got up and was getting ready and wouldn't let the Satan the Enemy stop her from going to church with Gustavo so he could be baptized. Her Faith was incredible and because she was able to overcome this trial her grandson will be baptized this Sunday! Hna Estela also attended the next classes after sacrament meeting and was basically free of her sickness as soon as she got to the church. It was amazing to see this miracle and she asked me after church "Hermano (They hardly ever call us Elders here just because it's weird to them) this was of the enemy right?" And I told her yes but her faith was stronger than him.

   And it's true our faith is stronger than Satan the enemy and we must always remember that! There are evil forces in this world but the forces of Good are better. I am not very good at remembering scriptures but there is a scripture in Corinthians or Romans that says we should overcome evil with good. Let your good acts this week overcome the evil that we see in the world!

I hope you have a wonderful week and can feel the spirit all around you all. 

Love,

Elder Daybell