June 22, 2016

Hey everyone, 

Just to let you all know about changes real quick they really caught us off guard. Elder Kendall left and went to another area and I am still here in Solola as a zone leader. My new companion is Elder Osuna from Mexico. He was in my zone in Villa Hermosa and I am super excited to be working with him. 

Well the story I wanted to tell you all and our huge miracle. 

Julio Estrada. He is 20 years old and just a good guy. The first time I visited him was with Elder Vega and I thought he was super positive, we had the lesson in the house of a member and we placed a second visit. We lost contact with him and the 2nd visit fell through. We didn't visit him for like 1 month and then one day while knocking doors we found his house. Some would think it was a coincidence but we know it wasn't, it was the spirit that led us there. So we began visiting him and having lessons and he even came to church a few times. But it was always hard to find him. Then last Thursday as Elder Kendall and I sat in our weekly planning session we were feeling a little sad because we had had a whole change and had not baptized anyone, and we didn't think we were going to be able to have a baptism. Then we both thought, we need to visit Julio today. So we went and talked about faith and baptism. We challenged him and he said yes to baptism for that Sunday. We doubted a little because we hadn't taught him much and we didn't think he would pass the interview. Well we were wrong and he was totally ready. He passed his interview Saturday and although there were a few other obstacles he was baptized on Sunday! This was a huge miracle and if it wouldn't have been for the spirit we would have never baptized him. 

I know that the spirit can guide us in anything if we look for its direction. We need to put our trust in the Lord at all times. I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you, 

Elder Daybell 

June 14, 2016

Hey everyone,

Well this week was a lot of the same, just running around trying to find people to teach. It was a lot of fun, we didn't find many people but we are going to keep working and try our very best to stay excited every day. 

This week was spent investigating because a little girls records were lost and after looking through lots of papers and talking to lots of people we were able to find enought information so that we could fill out the records! The family was relieved. 

This week we have just made the goal to be positive all the time and just find 1 new investigator to bring to church. We have felt a little stressed in these last few weeks and we are just ready to turn it around and have success. Last week we were so stressed that we went to some people who were working in their fields and taught them lessons in their fields, my companion had always wanted to do that because it was like a Jesus moment. It was pretty cool. 

Well I hope you all have a great week and enjoy every moment. 

Elder Daybell

June 7, 2016

Hey everyone, 

Hope that all is well, sounds like summer has kicked off for just about all of you so I hope you enjoy it! Here in Guatemala they are saying it is winter. The temperature is about the same, it just rains all the time. We have gotten soaked these last few days, but after a rainstorm the lake looks beautiful because it is so clear. 

We have been working hard in our area trying to see some miracles. I think this is the area where I learn more about the atonement of Christ than any other. Last week we had a meeting in the capital with all the other zone leaders so we got up at 2:00 to make it there on time, we were super tired for about the rest of the week. 

We are working with a young guy named Julio Estrada. He went to church 1 time and didn't go on Sunday because of the rain. Church attendance usually drops here when it rains haha. But we are going to keep working and possibly have a baptism for a girl that they can't find her records in the system. The church is organized! I know that it is the true one for that! LoveYou  all! 

Elder Daybell 

May 31, 2016

Hey Everyone, 

The weeks pass by so quickly and then I sit down to internet and I don't know what to write. Sometimes it feels like the same old but I am loving every minute of it all. 

We had a pretty sweet miracle when we had splits with the elders in Santiago. I went with Elder Serrano and we visited with an investigator that they had been teaching but who was a little nervous about baptism. Her name was Sandra. We sat down and they first played a joke on me saying that Sandra was Sara and Sara was Sandra, I was super confused for like 5 minutes. Then we started into the lesson. She knew exactly why she needed to be baptized, she just didn't want to. I just tried to be super excited the whole time about baptism, she also got pretty excited and then I challenged her to baptism on Friday, she started talking to her family in her native langauge and then turned to us and said yes. We spent almost all of Friday traveling back to Santiago, a 3 hour drive to get there and another 3 to get back, in order to do the interview and help out with the baptism. That was a big miracle for this past week! The spirit guided us in that lesson and another daughter of God was added to his kingdom. 

I hope you all have a good wee and can find someone to reach out too in this week! I love you all

Elder Daybell

Pictures. 

Taking pictures on the roof of the Santiago house with the Volcanoe in the background. 

May 24, 2016

Hey everyone!

This was a pretty great week as well. We had a lot of struggles but we had a lot of miracles as well. I think that's just how the work in Solola is. I'm just glad I have a good companion or I would probably just go crazy!

Really all we have been trying to do right now is find people that are prepared. We are working with members, knocking doors and just doing it all. We can find lots of people to teach, the key is finding people that are willing to go to church. Last week we went to one area where we thought not many missionaries had knocked before. We found out that the reason why is because in that area they don't really speak spanish.... so that made finding people really difficult haha. 

We had some investigators in church, just not really anyone progressing. But we are going to find someone this week, I just know it. Yesterday for Pday we played soccer with some of the missionaries in our zone. It was a lot of fun, I scored a few goals for my team, a few for the other as well, in the end I learned one thing. Soccer isn't for me, haha. Well I hope that everyone has a great week. I love you all! 

Elder Daybell

May 17, 2016

Hey Everyone!

Well at least the walking part of it is all uphill, we're giving it our all though so that we can have all of it going uphill. We worked super hard this week and were able to find a lot of new people to teach. This week was also the week of the family so there were activities all week long in the church, and on Friday there was the biggest activity of them all where all the branches got together! There were a total of 12 investigators at that activity. We were able to talk to a bunch of them and set up times to go visit them. 

As for Sunday that was pretty interesting. There was a big conference and all the 3 branches were together again. We had 8 investigators attending... but only 1 of them is progressing and ready for baptism. We are happy to have 1 investigator, but I have never had that many investigators attend and only 1 of them be progressing, but it's ok we are working for miracles in this work right. So this week we are going to work so hard and find more people that will progress and we may have a baptism with Hermana Lucy de Antonio this week. 

For Pday we kind of just took it easy! It was a clear day too! So I finally got to take some pictures by the lake. Now you can all see why this is the prettiest area that I have been in. Then we just chilled in the house and got it cleaned up. It was a super relaxing Pday before another long week of running up hills! It's all uphill from here! Love you all and hope you have a great week. 

Elder Daybell

The beauty of Lake Atitlan (The waters of Mormon) porque asi se llamaban. Mosiah 18:8-10

Sometimes the best way to travel around the lake is in the back of a truck... this is the only zone in the mission that has permission to do this so we are living it up! 

May 11, 2016

Well changes came around yet again! Elder Vega left to his last area and I received Elder Kendall from Highland Utah here in Solola.I think that makes 4 companions in a row from Utah! Utatecos baby! This will be his last area because he leaves 1 change before me. I am pretty excited to work with him and it should be a fun change! 

As for the progress of the area we are getting better. Yesterday was mothers day here in Guatemala so it was pretty closed off in our area. It was a great welcoming day for my companion as we only had 2 lessons all day long! We were rejected all day but it should be a better day today. The funny thing about this area is we can talk to people and get to know them very well and be best friends... but then we change the subject and say Jesus Christ or we want to talk to you about God and we become their worst enemies and they send us away in a blink of an eye. hahaha oh missionary life! 

Today we had a great zone training and are excited to keep working hard! Lots of missionaries will be leaving the mission in these next 3 changes so it is our job as leaders to train all the young ones to be good leaders as well and be super dedicated to this work! I love you all and hope that you have a great week! 

Elder Daybell