Monday, August 26, 2013

Back in the day... in the eighth grade.. used to walk home eeryday in the rain... (Knowmads)


It´s been raining like crazy these last two days! I don´t know if i like it because it gets rid of the heat, or if I hate it, because everyone vanishes into their homes and it´s so hard to contact.

SOOO i bet you are all wondering what happened to the other 3 Elders in Monjas. Dia de Cambios is on the 3rd of Septiembre and most likely the other two are outta here. I dont know about Elder Soriano, he thinks he is leaving, but i doubt it. Presidente Stay isnt stupid, he didn´t overreact, he just is super dissappointed in them all. It´s been so interesting... but I have learned that the mission is NOT what you expect it to be. This week we had the reunion de Greenies in the capital on Wednesday, so i got to see all my good friends from the CCM. This morning i woke up, went to the other room to eat some dry bread and peanut butter, and came back to my companion watching a movie he brought in his suitcase.... we have a portable DVD player for my training.. but he likes to use it for other things..

So turns out us 4 missionaries are famous and known in all the other Guate missions that we went to Antigua after going and doing a session in the temple... they are crazy.

At the meeting with all us newbies, we all saw the change in each other. In one month, we are more mature, and everytime we asked each other how we have been, everyone answered the same thing, (I´ve been... good)... we all know exactly what each other mean.

This week has been so hard, but we are working harder than before which is good. I am just trying to be an example to Elder S. One cool experience we had was on Saturday ALL our appointments fell thru, and we were so frustrated... it was pooring rain... after the last house didnt answer... we just sorta started walking down the muddy road... and then i had the impression we should pray, and at that exact moment elder S said, Vamos a orar. We pulled our hoods off, and said a prayer in the road. Right when we said amen, the family we went to teach opened the door. It was the quickest answer i have ever had... and it was such a great lesson. They are inactives, and the spirit was SO strong... hopefully we can get the to church soon.

Thank you so much for the package family! Although everything in it was destroyed... candy tastes the same not matter the condition. I was actually doing splits with the DL in Jalapa when the package came with the other stuff for our Zona, so i got it a little early. I got it on the 23rd so it took 20 days.. that´s all.

I love you all so much! this week has been hard... but i am just trying to stay positive, even though my trainer isnt. He is completely burned out with Monjas... I dont know what else to say. I love you all, and thank you for all your prayers. Thank you for the great emails, they are so fun to read!

Helaman 5: 4, 8. This reminds me how I should serve my mission....

LOVE YOU FAMILY!

Elder Walton

Monday, August 19, 2013

He finished the TRIPLE?

So Elder Walton is doing really well this week, but it was sort of a crazy week for him.  I am condensing and paraphrasing his letter this week as a result.  So the blog doesn't have the full letter, but he did send pictures so there is that to look forward to. If any family or friends actually want the letter, email me or my mother.  He does say that he appreciates all of the prayers and emails everyone has been sending, so thanks for that.  So without further ado, here is his letter. I will bold the parts of the letter that are actually from Elder Walton.

Yes, Hermano Salvador finished the Libro de mormon, d&c, and perla of great price all before his baptism saturday! how amazing is he? It was such a great experience, and i was able to be therre in the font with him and my companion even though i didnt say the prayer. Man, i have so many pictures that i want to send you guys! the problem is that they are to big of a format to fit in the emails, and i dont know how to figure it out... sometimes i think i figured it out, but then it doesnt work.. but just imagine the greatest investigator ever, me, and a latino dressed in all white:)

Thursday he had the opportunity to go to the temple in the Guatemala City.  They had to leave at 3 am for the 8am session. Saturday was the baptism for Hermano Salvador.

So saturday morning we went to a members to help fix his truck to take us to Jalapa for the bap. After that we went to the baptism, and none of Hno Salvadors family wanted to come.... the baptism was great! and the Spirit was so strong. Anyways, after that we had to help a member get madera (fire wood) and got super dirty... the branch canceled the party at Salvadors because it was raining. SO we went to a investigators house and they gave us food, which was good.

Then Elder Walton's letter summarizes a string of events Saturday Night which ended up with them coming home to 2 inches of water in their house.  He is in good spirits, but he says that branch is struggling and they are working hard to get people to church.

 I love the gospel, and i am learning everyday. 


Miss you all so much. The baptism was great, and Hermano Salvador is SOOO happy. Love you all, thank you for all your emails. Keep it up, and thank you for all your prayers.

Love, Elder Walton


Chillin' in the other Monjas missionaries house on PDay

His District in the CCM. His comp is in the yellow tie. The 3 on the left are from Arizona, then Idaho, Nevada, and then Nate from UT

Carne!


Sweeping out the 2 inches of water in his apartment


Elder Walton with a dead frog. Very Scenic. 

These are the signs that everyone has on their house talking about the catholic sister missionary week in November.


Monday, August 12, 2013

6 DAYS til first baptism

Hola familia and friends! Como le va??

So this last week has gone by SO fast. I cannot believe that i am writing you guys again, and i miss you all so much. So sorry about the pictures not working, i realized that it is because they are too big, and dont fit in the email. But i messed around with my camera for 30 minutes and figured out how to down size the pics... so i am going to send those once i finish emailing everybody back!

This week has been crazy, and yes mom, i have had the opportunity to play soccer a couple times. The best player in our zona is easily my comp. he played d1 back in Honduras, and has unreal footwork. It has been fun to play and skool the latinos in futsal.
Speaking about soccer. after we played last pday, i got talking with my ZL who is from Lehi and he had a lot of comforting words for me. First he told me about how lucky we are to have a fecha because Monjas has been known as the Reject area as long as he can rmember. The Pres used to send the bad missionaries there to suffer, but it has had some success lately, so the president is sending hard working missionaries... whatever that is supposed to mean. supuestamente, im a hard worker, but it hasnt been easy, and the Pres put a lot of trust in me. Also my ZL says he respects me for going to such a hard area my first transfer.

The weather down here is hot, but not too hot. I always return home hot and sweaty, and tired, but it´s not unbearable, which is nice.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYERS. This last week i went from super sick, to feeling great. I started feeling better around Friday, and i appreciate all your concerns. It´s amazing how the Lord can work through prayers. THe nurse gave us a paper saying if you have BU diarhea, that you shouldnt have food for 24'48 hours... but i am always starving so i refused to stop eating, and eventually i started feeling better. so thank you for turning to our Heavanly Father and praying for me!

Sean, congrats on making the team! Remember to work hard, and always support the team, even if you dont play much. Also remember that i played JV my sophomore year, and didnt touch the field for varsity, so if you are playing JV, be SO proud!

So i have a cute and heartbreaking story. There is a little girl in the branch named Shaylee who has taken a liking to me. She will never let go of my leg, or hand, or whatever she decides to grab on to. She always wants to wear my watch and ring, and she´s just so adorable. Then randomly when we were on splits at the new members home on the otherside of the town, she was  sitting next to me and said, in spanish of course, Guess who i want to baptize me? uhh idk who? YOU. i felt so honored, but the problem is... she´s only 3.. haha so i dont think ill be baptizing her, but i didnt tell her that. She also started calling my papa, which is so sad because her papa passed away a couple years ago... anyways, i adopted a daughter and im going to bring her home in two years! jk.

The language is hard... but it is coming! poco a poco i am picking up new phrases, expressions, and how they form their sentences. I am talking more, and enjoyuing my time more. i cant wait to be fluent!

The baptism of Hno Salvador is Saturday and he is SO ready. He is in Ether after 14 days, and has a strong understanding of the Gospel already. My and my comp are both going to be in the font, because H Salva is disabled, and ill help with the slam dunk... haha.

I dont have much of a spiritual thought, besides when i was really home sick Saturday night the song Army of Helaman came into mind. WE HAVE BEEN BORN, AS NEFI OF OLD, TO GOODLY PARENTS WHO LOVE THE LORD. WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, AND WE UNDERSTAND, THAT WE MUST DO AS THE LORD COMMANDS. WE ARE AS THE ARMY OF HELAMAN, WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN OUR YOUTH, AND WE WILL BE THE LORD´S MISSIONARIES TO BRING THE WORLD HIS TRUTH.

Those words are perfect. thank you for you love and prayers, and i miss you all lots.

Elder Walton

Monday, August 5, 2013

Started from the Bottom now we´re here...

So this has been one of the hardest, and most rewarding weeks in the mission. I am really struggling with this language, but my companion keeps saying, Poco a poco... little by little... eventually i know that i will wake up one day and think in spanish, not english. That might be in a couple months, but hey, paciencia is what i have learned the most lately.

So Im doing great dispite the language. My stomach on the other hand.... not so much. I love the food, but my stomach disagrees. Im pretty sick right now, but i am still strong enough to get up and take a freezing cold shower in the dirtiest bathroom known to men. Pray more my stomach, not me.

I´m making lots of friends here that arent members. AKA all the Bolos around... all the drunks... they love coming up to me the Gringo and attempting to speak english. One bolo specifically we see like everyday.. he never has a shirt, and my and Elder Soriano havent decided whether he is speaking spanish, or english... we cant tell. Im safe though, dont worry. They are too drunk to try anything!

Glad to hear that the family reunion was fun, and that you had a great time together. Sad i missed it, but i would want to be anywhere else right now. Besides maybe find a shower with warm water... hope Sean enjoyed golf tryouts. You didn´t tell me about how they went so i am assuming not the way he wanted. BUt i am keeping my hopes up that he made it!

So this whole week we have had two baptismal fechas set up. BUT, last night we met with Keslin and she´s not ready. SHe´s ignored our calls, hasnt answered her door, and slept thru church. We figured the date would fall, and turns out shes been having some... teenager problems and doesnt feel ready.... freakin the Adversary is so homo.

BUT, Hermano Salvador is going to be baptized the 17 de August, and he is the greatest investigator in the world. He has had the BoM for one week, and is in the end of Alma. AND, he spent a whole day writing down baptismal scriptures from the Bible. He´s been sick though, and couldnt come to church yesterday, so that was frustrating. He only has one leg, and uses cruches so going to church is a challenge anyways. Last night though we went to check up on him, and he´s great. He was feeling better, and we talked to him about what the bap interview will be like. He answered all the questions, and we havent even taught him the Law of Chastity yet... and he knew why it was important. FREAK. i love him and his family so much. He´s like 68 years old, and an ex Jehovahs witness. Speaking of JW´s they went over to his house twice last week and talked crap on us. There is SO MUCH apostasy here. But his son in law is a less active, but we have helped him remember his testimony, and he completely destroyed the JW´s i guess... The Lord is so amazing how he works.

Plus, speaking of apostasy... every single fetching house in Monjas has a sign that says, EN ESTE CASA, ESPERAMOS LA SEMANA MISIONERA which is a Catholic sister missionary week in NOVEMBER. and they already have signs up.... freak. APOSTASY:

I either bought all my dress slacks a 1/2 inch too short, or ive grown... also i have picked up at least 5-7 lbs. DOPE.

My companion super fun, but like i said... we are working on following ALL the rules. He likes to sleep in a bit, and blast T Swizzle and One direction... and MJ. I dont know if that is calm music for him... but it is worldly music for me... haha.

All is going well and i miss you lots! i pray for you every day multiple times. PRAY FOR HMO SALVADOR and KESLIN. I can feel your love and prayers out here!

Love, Elder Walton