August 25, 2015

Hey Everyone,

This has been a good week and yesterday was a great way to spend a P-day! Bowling! In our area we had a retention of 100% with our 22 converts so we got to go bowling with the Markhams and I also learned some things. Next week are the changes and I will be leaving my area, I will also be training again. I have a feeling I may be opening an area which would be cool but I don't know for sure.. it just sounded that way!

We have been working hard and saw a lot of investigators at church this week, including a family of a man who is reactivating and his wife who is an investigator. We also are helping a family who is active get their child registered in the country. He is 9 years old but can't be baptized because according to the country he doesn't exist. Only in La Noria. We are working hard and I want to do all I can to leave these people with strong testimonies so that this area keeps progressing like I have seen. When I got here we had an attendance of 34 people consistently, but with a lot of work and help of the spirit we have consistently had above 60 people attending this last 6 weeks with 67 this last Sunday! It has been pretty amazing this progress.

Fun Fact that I just found out. La Noria means the waterwheel. Which is weird because there is not a water wheel here now, there was but now no..

We also found another tarantula but this time we took some pictures with him and named him Golam. wahoo for our house.

I want you all to know that I know God lives and that his son Jesus Christ lives as well and they both love us so much. God blesses us if we are obedient and the best blessing I have seen is helping someone to see the light of Christ and the truthfulness of the Gospel. Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Daybell

Bowling!

Their new "pet"

August 18, 2015

Hey Everyone,

This has been an amazing week full of some great experiences as well as miracles!

First of all we had the baptism of Erick Rodriguez this week who is 12 years old. He is the son of a man who has been inactive for 20 years and he finally gave permission to his son to be baptized and attend church. The father still does not attend church but he came to the baptism with his whole family and we know that Eric's example will help him renew that testimony again. Erick also brought his older brother to church on Sunday and we have begun teaching him as well and he has accepted baptism on the 30th of this month, probably my last Sunday in this area.

We have also been working hard to strengthen the testimonies of some families that are becoming active again in the church. Yesterday we had a family home evening with a family that Elder Rojas and I helped to activate, with a lot of help from our Heavenly Father of Course, and they brought 2 investigators to the Family home evening. This Family, the Yanes Family, has been progressing a ton and if you remember I had the privilege of baptizing their son Elisandro. I love them a ton and was so happy to see them in the temple preparation class to become an eternal family! They plan on going the beginning of 2016 to become sealed as a family!

Yesterday we had a Pday with President Markham and Hermana Markham. We played some fun games and also ate some really good food! President Markham also gave us many words of wisdom in order to help us with the work as well as planning for after the mission. It was a lot of fun. Also last night my companion had his first experience last night with this house, we had another tarantula in the house! It was bigger than the last one, even though the Photos don't do it justice. It was bigger than my palm to give you all an idea. We killed it but didn't sleep well with that thought in our minds.

Well I hope you all have an amazing week and do something to help the missionaries in your wards or stakes. We really do love it and you don't know how many lives you could change as you work with them! I love you all! 

Erick's Baptism

P-day with the Mission President!

Tarantula Visitor in their apartment!  

August 11, 2015

Hey Everyone! 

This has been a week of a lot of learning that is for sure! We were a little sad as our baptism fell through and the guy who had been progressing so fast, has now began ignoring us and not coming to church. It is just sad because of all the many spiritual experiences we have had with him and all the times he has said he felt for himself that the church is true. But it helped me come to the realization of that there really is an enemy and he is doing all he can to tear us down and he will if we let him. But if we don't let him he has no power over us at all. 

We have had some great success with a young man named Erick as he has been coming to church due to his cousins! He even payed tithing on Sunday and wants to keep going to church and eventually receive the priesthood. Today we are going to talk to his dad and see if he will give him permission to be baptized this week and I know all will be well! 

In Elders Quorum we are teaching all the Elders the blessings and ordinances of the priesthood because none of them knew very well how to do it. Sadly even the President of the Quorum but there is some progress now as everyone is learning. This Sunday we will teach them how to baptize and hopefully see the uncle of Erick baptize as well! 

Yesterday we went to Santiago or what they say are the waters of Mormon. It was cool to go and look at the market and we ended up taking a picture with a lady at her little store so you can see how they all dress in Santiago. It is so cool to see the culture and get to explore around Guatemala a little more! 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Daybell 

Elder Daybell and Elder Halverson

Baptism of Oleida

Chicken Feet soup!

Elder Daybell and  a Guatemala lady from Santiago. 

August 4, 2015

Hey people! 

Wow! We are in August already and it has been a great start to the month! Last month we worked hard and this month we started off great with the baptism of the daughter of America. She got baptized and really made some big changes in her life to get to this point! My companion baptized her and it was a great baptismal service overall! 

We have recently been working a lot with a man named Juan Carlos and he has been progressing a ton and this Sunday he is going to be baptized! He picked the date and everything so we have been preparing for this day for a long time and I am certainly excited! I have watched this guy make some huge changes and have had some great spiritual experiences right alongside him. And as President Markham tells us, the benefits of obeying with exactness in the mission will help us find eternal friends, I consider him an eternal friend along with all of the people who we have baptized. 

We also have had some great mission work from some kids here in this ward as they have invited their family to church. One of my converts from this ward brought her cousin to church and he loved it and ended up taking a for the strength of youth and duty to god book from the young mens and we will now be working with him and his family! I love the miracles I have seen here through just a small invitation like that. Our mission President has always told us " People will go where they are invited, and stay where they are appreciated".

Yesterday with my companion we went and bought hammocks to relax in at night before bed and read! I will get pictures but we are seriously becoming part of this area because everyone here has a hammock! We also are looking forward to going to the Waters of Mormon this next Monday with our zone! I hope that you all have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Daybell