A Short Note From a Busy Elder

Ok well this week I really don't have a bunch of time so I'll make this fast. Luckily we didn't have the best week so there's not a lot to write! (Look I can find a blessing in just about everything!) So I'll just tell you guys about something funny that happened.

Just so you guys know it is very hard if not impossible almost to teach Jehovah Witnesses. This week I think was the first experience in my whole mission. I'm not sure why but they just never accept visits. Sad right? Anyways we went to a contact who was Catholic to see if she was there. When we found her she already had a couple visits. One from an older man and missionary from the Catholic church and another....a JW.......She told us to come in and so the party was made even more interesting with two "Mormons"!! Anyways they gave us a bit of time to talk. We shared the Restoration and had an awesome lesson. I mean it was awesome cause I felt the Spirit a lot and learned a lot from it. I'm almost positive that the other people didn't feel....or recognize anything though because they just began to attack us. 

It was actually interesting. The thing I learned is how important that this Gospel is. I'm am so thankful for this restored Gospel and I'm positive that it is true. It is a bit sad to me how these people are so set on the traditions of their parents or so focused on what the Bible says that they can't realize that God is speaking to his children today! Man just interesting lesson this week. Well not so much a lesson rather I've just become very grateful for these things. 

Have a great week!!! Love you guys!!

We Decided to Knock Doors Until We Found Someone

Man you guys have no idea how tired I am. We just got back from hiking 3 mountains...It´s basically just one but it has three peaks. I put a picture here so you should be able to see it. We walked from one side (the left side.) To the other side. We started at about 8 and ended at about 2:30. A very difficult hike to say so myself. I´m not actually sure but I´m almost positive that the town underneath is my area too but maybe my area is on the other side....So yeah that was a fun district P-day.

We had a very good week. Just so you guys know this week down here isn´t just easter but it´s semana santa (holy week). The entire week everyone is partying. It makes work very hard. Almost everybody goes to the beaches and so literally the streets were completely empty. It actually kinda creeped me out to see how empty it was. My companion and I tried not to get depressed though and we decided to knock doors until we found someone who would receive us (that's another example of how he's writing in English but thinking in Spanish). Seriously there was nothing else to do. We actually found a couple pretty positive people and so we´ll see where that goes. Every day we were only able to get one or maybe two appointments with investigators but with all of them we saw a TON of progress.

I would like to mention one person in particular. Her name is Odilma. She is a lady we have been teaching for a while and before she really wasn´t that positive. I´m not exactly sure what happened but now she is one of the most positive people I have met in the mission. She has such a big desire to know the truth for herself and is doing everything possible to know and receive an answer. She even cut her vacation this week short just to come to church this week and even with a whole bunch of family things she had to deal with she came to church. Her husband though is one of the most closed of people EVER though. It´s kinda sad but he never listens to the discussions or anything and doesn't want anything to do with any church. Every time she goes to church she pays very close attention and then when she gets home she writes everything down in a little notebook and it´s crazy all the stuff she can remember. 

She also has a bunch of really good questions too. She asked us what the word Quorum means cause someone said it in their testimony and she remembered the word until she got home and wrote it down. She is also reading a ton the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true. We had a baptism date with her for this Saturday but last night we moved it cause she told us she likes everything but she just really wants to be sure before doing anything. I´m thinking more for her husband she doesn´t want to rush into anything but I have no doubt in my mind that she will be baptized. Oh yeah also with her 2 daughters and daughter in law. An amazing family. 

Yesterday in church my companion and I had to speak in church. I always like speaking actually. It was a nice Sunday too. We usually have attendance of about 80-90 now but this week because of vacations we only had 61 people there. 10 of them were investigadores!! It seriously was amazing. And all of these investigators are progressing. Next week we should have more too. Brother Gonzales came for the first time cause before bringing his whole family he wanted to see what it is like. He absolutely loved it and wants to bring his family of 5 next week. The spirit was so strong during the meetings too. I learned so much from the talk I gave. I talked about Charity and I gained a big testimony of the importance of this attribute. Maybe my talk wasn´t the best but I could feel the spirit so I would count it as a success. Next month in May should be full of baptisms. it´s also the month I talk with you guys! But man seriously a crazy week. Oh and to finish Mom you asked me something.

As for what we ate on easter....almost nothing haha. We usually never eat breakfast Sundays cause we have to leave early. After we usually eat a HUGE lunch thanks to a sister in the ward who gives us food but she wasn´t here yesterday....Also we don´t have a planned dinner Sundays. I should mention also that we buy all our food Mondays so by Sunday there´s nothing left in the house. Haha fun right? It wasn´t that bad though. Before going home a lady in the ward who cooks crazy good food gave us really good sandwiches with egg so I was happy.

Have a good week and I love you guys!!!!!!!

One more week down....... 

You Never Know Who the Lord Has Prepared

Oh man I had such a good week.

I am still learning so much these past few days. This area has been a good one.

So anyways this week was full of lessons to learn and divisions. We have an area in our zone called Catocha and on Tuesday we did Divisions with them. I stayed in my area with Elder Searle. I got to say it was one of the most tiring days of my life. What had happened is my companion in divisions the week before had planned a lot of things for that day because we didn't have much. The problem is that most of what he planned were new people that I didn't know. I mean it was good what he did but it just made it tough on me a bit. 

Also so you know addresses don't exist out here. An example of one would be "4 blocks over that way and then 6 blocks up. There is a tree and a dog outside of my house and sometimes the door is opened. My house is green. (All the houses here are green....)". Needless to say sometimes it is kinda hard to find a place when I want to. So that day we just walked around forever looking for people. The few we found couldn`t attend us either so yeah...Anyways earlier that day we had had a zone council and we had talked out the importance of diligence. I really gained a testimony of it that day because we kept going strong and doing a ton of contacts. The point I was just tired out of my mind we talked to a guy sitting down and I sat next to him. He was really receptive and we had a good little lesson right there. Right after him my testimony of being diligent was confirmed when we found a family that has been prepared for the Gospel. They are the Flores Family. (Not the Flores Family that we already baptized. A different one.) When I first saw him I had to repent cause I completely judged him. He is a very big man with a very large beard. I thought there would be no way he would want anything. but to my surprise he told us to come in and told us he really needed our visit because he wants to be closer to God. It was so cool. They are the coolest people and I am hoping and praying every day that they will progress. I really think that they will. So yeah that`s how I learned to be diligent.

Man this letter is long...but hey we had another division! I went to Jutiapa with Elder Vieira from Brazil. My companion and I had put the goal to help them do 60 contacts that day. We started out strong and we actually found a really cool family too. At 4 we had a meeting but we still only had about 25 contacts. After the meeting we had some travel to do to go to other appointments and so we couldn't contact because we were in a members car. We were dedicated to the goal though but after everything at 8 at night we didn't have more than 35. We kinda lost hope and then we turned a corner and just randomly we saw about 60 people all in their families sitting outside. Elder Vieira told me that that never happens there. But yeah we contacted all the families and found some VERY receptive people. One of them knows a member and yesterday went to church with her and loved it. At the end of the night we had 62 contacts! Haha so I also learned that if we put a goal with faith the Lord will provide a way to accomplish it. Also we had to be diligent to do it. Wow that all wrapped up so nicely.

Well sorry that this letter is so long...well maybe you guys are happy about that but seriously I have learned so much lately. I learned something from our convert Juan Manuel. Sometimes we think about something we have to do better and then make excuses. When that happens we just have to remember that "hay que hacerlo". There is NEVER an excuse good enough to disobey or to remain in sin. I am so thankful that the mission has taught me this and it is something I hope to never forget. Love you guys and have a HAPPY EASTER!!!

Elder Layton 

Faithful Obedience

What an awesome week! I have been pretty tired these past few days which is weird because this week we only worked in our area for 3 days out of 7. Hey at least we had comfortable buses this time right?

So anyways on Tuesday we had the change meeting and my companion and I have to go even though we didn't have changes. In the zone 4 people changed. The missionaries that were assigned to the zone are great. They are all hard workers and I actually knew a couple of them which is cool. The weird thing is now the zone is really young. Almost no one in the entire zone has more than a year in the mission! So yeah we are going to be focusing a lot in helping the missionaries know what to do. We have to train them a bit but I know they are really willing to work so I'm not too worried.

On Thursday we went to a meeting with President Stay. We talked about things we are going to do better as a mission and it got me really excited about the direction the mission is going in.

Ok anyways on to the best part of the week. General Conference was absolutely amazing. I think my favorite session was the Priesthood one. It was great. I hadn't really understood the Priesthood keys as I do now. Also in the bus today on the way to Jutiapa I began to study it a bit more. It`s interesting because the keys are literally the right to govern over our responsibilities. Everyone that we are given charge over acts under our authority....Man it would've been nice to understand that as a Deacons Quorum President. It just makes more sense in my head now. I can't really explain it well but it`s really cool. Oh man there were just so many good talks. Mom you definitely watch it. I also really liked all the references to airplanes... :) Haha President Monson`s closing talk was awesome too. Well I think it was the closing talk for the Sunday Morning Session. He talked about Obedience. What I learned is I shouldn't just obey to obey rather I must do it because I love the Lord and am thankful for what he did for me. My testimony has been strengthened SO much this week. I have no doubt at this point that this is Christ`s church. But seriously I KNOW it. It`s just sad to me how long it took for me to figure that out. Curtis prepare yourself for the mission better than I did ok? (Eric was actually very well prepared as a missionary.)

I hope you guys take the advice of the General Authorities and began to study and put in practice the things that were said. I know I will. Some of the recurring themes that I heard were Obedience, the importance of defending the faith, Charity, and Responsibility as a priesthood holder. I know they were all inspired of God to say what they did and I am so thankful for the personal revelation that Heavenly Father gave me. Oh and Mom to answer your question we watched all the sessions in English.

Well I love you guys and hope you have another awesome week. Always remember that Christ lives! He was resurrected for us and today he guides this church. Love you and we'll talk to you soon.

BYE