Average Week

It was just an average week. I had stuff planned to write you guys all about, but do to many emails concerning many things, i need to respond to everyone indivudally and answer questions. Love you all and thank you for the support.

Elder Morillo has transfers and so tomorrow i will receive my new companion. Pray for my comp and I this week so we can mesh and get along quickly.

Love, Elder nathan russell walton

EL SUEÑO MÁS GRANDE

SO if you get the time family and friends, look up EL SUEÑO MÁS GRANDE on Youtube. We had a ward activity on Saturday, and this was the video our Mission Leader used. He gave a Motivational Talk and the activity went great. The little video is about what we are willing to do to accomplish our dreams, and if our dreams are realistic.

This week went pretty well. This next coming week will probably be my last one with Elder Morillo, and so I will let you all know if he has transfers next week when we find out!

I think the best thing that happened this week was that Eswin said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting yesterday, and followed it up by blessing the sacrament. He was super nervous, but you all shouldve seen the smile on his face afterwards, and my grin as well. He is so happy but is having problems with his family because they arent really supporting him right now. Pray for his family so that his brothers can soften their hearts.

We found a nice young lady that has now come to church 2 times. She wants to get baptized, but her family is completely against, to the point where her grandpa hits her. She is 19 and realizes she can make her own decisions, but it isnt easy with the grandpa. We are going to have the sister missionaries teach her, and hopefully that can help. Pray for cindy.

Sorry I dont have the worlds most spiritual experiences to write every Pday, but all my experiences arent the easiest to explain, and take a lot of time to write. Just know that my testimony is growing everyday, and we are working hard to find new people to teach. Many of our investigators attend church, but the world and their fears arent allowing them to take the step of baptism....

Nephi profetized of what I am going through right now in 1 Nephi 14:12. We are FEW, but we cover the earth. Not many will choose to accept the truth due to the wicked traditions of their fathers. Central American isnt what it was like 30 years ago... but the chosen are out there, and we are bringing to pass the gathering of Israel.

Love you all and pray for Daniel, Cindy, and Eswin... my prayers cant do it all, although I which I could have the faith I need. Also pray for President Stay... He is going to decide the transfers this week, and he need the support for his revelation.

Love you all and happy to hear you are all good.

Elder Nathan Russell Walton

9 Already?

Well i hit the 9 month mark last week... i dont if i am happy or sad about it. Both i guess. 15 months left to work and bless these people. That isnt that much if you think about it.

It wasnt our best week, and my faith, patience and diligence has been tested. But i have faith and i am confident that this next week will be a lot better and more productive.

This week we had a conference with Presidente Stay. He talked about the things that destroy our FAITH. And more then anything it is FEAR.

Fear by the cause of sin. Alma 7:15

Fear for the lack of love. Moroni 8:15

Fear for the lack of preparation. D&C 36:30

The scriptures are the answers and explanaitons that our Pres gave us. I am trying so hard to completly remove the fear i have when it comes to all aspects of the mission..

Some good news from this last week. Eswin our convert received the aaronic priesthood and was ordained a Priest in the ward. After our meetings yesterday we went to the stake center at 5 for a stake priesthood session and we brought him and Ricardo with us. They both we glowing afterwards, and keep praying for Eswins progression, and Ricardo, so he can make the decsion to get married and be baptized.

We are working hard, and sorry this is a short email. I am thankful for all the scriputres and advice you all send me. You are in my prayers, and I am learning so much, growing, and trying to help this ward i am in.

CRAZY SHORT STORY: We were walking in the far corner of the area and all of the sudden someone yells "ELDERS, over here." We turn around and there was a WHITE family. Turned out they are on vacation. They are from Toronto, Canada and are here for 2 week vacation. The mom is guatemalan, and they are awesome. They gave us some references because she has a ton of relatives in our area. They are members and the son is off to St George Utah on the mission soon! So yeah that was definitely a shocker. We are going to eat dinner with them this week, and try to get to know her relatives. Crazy, right??

Love you all,

Elder Nathan Russell Walton

They Say the Good Die Young...

Well Ricardo was planning on getting married and baptized but his mother went to the hospital on tuesday and passed away saturday night. SOOO keep him and his family in your prayers and hopefully this doesnt affect his decision that he is carefully and slowly taking to be baptized!

We started off the week on Pday last week going to one of the most dangerous Black Markets in guatemala because my comp wanted to buy a new backpack. It was pretty cool if you ask me:)

One cool story from this week is we went and visited our convert Eswin and taught his brothers and mother with him. One thing that he said that really impacted me was how he explained to his mother that if she was him, and was telling him to go to church, that she would be disappointed and sad when he said no. He put his family in HIS shoes and it was amazing. I cant imagine putting myself in Eswins shoes or even more intense, in The Lords shoes. We are gradually working with his brothers who are 21 and 24 and his mother. Pray for his family please!

We also taught a guy named Marlo for the second time. We brought an exmissionary with us who just got back 2 weeks ago and freak, he knows how to teach so well. this man Marlo was the FIRST person in my mission that was completely honest with his thoughts. He explained how he doubts the BoM and Jose Smith, and how he doesnt really have the desire to study it. BUT, he accepted the BoM and recognizes the Spirit. Most people just give us rubbish with their answers and are honest. It brought to my mind 2 Nephi 31:10. Most people dont completely understand this scripture for the way it is written in english. But in spanish it is much clearer. the question that nephi asks is "Are we able to follow Jesus Christ, if we arent willing to keep the commandments?" The answer is no. You have to be willing to follow ALL the commandments, completely. Study it. It is an amazing scripture.

Thank you for all the prayers and love. i miss you all and cant believe i am completely 9 months this week. Where has the time gone?? Love you and stay safe!

Elder nathan russell walton

Fulfillment

Alright to start off i think i am the king of getting sick. I ended up getting an ear infection this week, luckily we are super tight with this evangelic family that owns a farmacy and they hooked me up with drugs. (Probably the most ghetto sentence ive written).

This week my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all the profecies of the profets has been strengthened. We ended up getting into quite the conversation with some americans from Missuri who are Menonites? Anyways, the man who was just trying to bag on the church kept talking about how perfect the Bible is. We didnt argue with them, i just kept bearing my testimony and answering the questions the had. These "missionaries" went to Navoo to testify against the church. He told me how we have Satanic signs on the temple and i explained how the sun, moon, and stars refer to 1 corithians, and i had to explain that without completly ripping his face off. *exaegeration.

Well the profecy of Nephi in 2 nephi 29 was completly proven, and i wish i had the guts to read 2 Nefi 29:7 to them. Anyways at least i could clear their doubts somewhat.

We found some cool new families this week, and one is from San Juan Cotzal and the kids dont speak spanish. So lets just say i am slowly learning how to speak Ixil-Cotzal. Some tribul tongue.

Ricardo wasnt baptized this weekend because he cant get the paper of his wifes ID or something like that. KEEP PRAYING!:)

The funny story of this week is that we brought a 17 yr old to church with us yesterday for the first time and he seemed cool. We introduced him to a couple members, and he sat with them. We sat 2 rows away in front and turns out he bounced during the passing of the sacrament, and we havent seen him since..... haha. I never have laughed/been so disappointed at once like that before. Anyways, i guess the moral is.. if someone doesnt want to accept the gospel, they wont.

Something that studied this week and that you all should read is Helaman 6:17. What are we focused on? What do we love? Are we being obedient?

I have been trying super hard on changing my view on the future, and trying to completely devote myself to The Lord. It isnt easy, but i am changing for the better.

MOM - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Your gift is homework. Can you send me my family tree of like 4 generations? Love you so much!:)

SIERRA - Solid shout out girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY as well to you:)

Love you all and I am praying for you all and your spiritual progression. You are all examples to me.

Love, Elder Nathan Russell Walton

Just in the Groooove.

Time is just coasting and we are so busy. I am a little sick and dont have the energy to write everything from this week, so it is going to be a quick email. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the cruise Mom and Dad and that you were safe. I hope you got to see a little of the Central American culture but i doubt it... haha.

We are working hard and have a couple of people working towards baptism. We have been visiting a guy named Daniel. He is dating a member, and he is super chill. He wants to take his time with the whole process though which is kind of frustrating. Working towards March 22nd and helping him answer his doubts and questions. Lately the way Satan has been attacking our investigators is through their families. A lot are scared to accept baptismal dates because their "family is catholic" or "family is confused". The communication is super important. Please pray for Daniel and that his family can soften their hearts.

We are still working with Ricardo, and the wedding/baptism should be this next saturady on the 1st. I have faith. DO YOU?

As missionaries if we dont have faith, we might as well just go home. NO ONE is going to progress in the gospel if you dont have confidence in them or yourself. I have been working super hard on growing my faith, because having started my mission in a harder area, Monjas sorta got its 1,2 on me. BUT, i am working harder, and learning how to be diligent.

We did a bunch of splits this week, and i stayed in my area both times. I had the opportunity to show other younger missionaries how to be diligent. IN our mission it is required to contact 35 people everything. In my area it is not an easy dat to accomplish because we cant knock doors, and not many people are in the road. Contacting is not very efficient. BUT, we got to be diligent if we want to receive blessing from The Lord, right? If we complete with our less efficient goals, the rest seems to fall into place nicely.

I am loving the area. The members are great and if we ask for support, they support us. Some of them arent the best to take to lessons because they talk too much, or they dont understand the importance of things we do, but they are all so kind. Eswin is doing so great and loves the ward. He goes to Institute everyweek, and yesterday we got to church and he was standing in the doors of the Sacrament room welcoming everyone the came into the door. So he has lots of friends, and the shy-bubble he had when we met him is gone.

Thanks for all your prayers, I hope to make you a little more proud family. Pray for my area, and I am praying for you all back home. I would appreciate it if you start sending me scriptures and quotes again like you did when i started 8 1/2 months ago! Please?:)

Love you all,

Elder nathan russell walton