Changes Are Good

Although changes are hard, they are good.

I received a new companion here in the office on Saturday. His name is Elder Rosales and he is from El Salvador. He is an awesome missionary and is picking up the things here in the office pretty quick.

I am super stressed but I learned so much this week. I honestly dont know how we got everything done... we had SO much to do.

One cool experience we had this was that on Tuesday a missionary from a tiny town called Guazacapan got set apart as a missionary and he ended up staying with us for the day, and we then took him to the CCM on Wednesday morning. He was the most humble person I have ever met. He had his humble suicase, with his humble materials. He had to support his family being the oldest son, and so he wasnt always active in the church due to having to work on Sundays. He still was sure what a mission was, and I think he made a huge impression on my companion and I, and the sweet spirit that he always had present made me change my view (again) on mission work. My companion and I gave him some extra ties, shirts, pants and sweaters we had laying around and he was very grateful.

We had one experience together and I wont ever forget it.

We were talking to a member in their doorway at about 8 oclock at night and it was raining pretty hard. A car came down the road and was attempting to parallel park in a very tight spot, and obviously needed some help parking. This Elder noticed the cause, looked at me, and without saying anything he crossed the street and for 3 minutes helped this man park his car.

Elder Rosales and I just stood watching and we both were thinking the same thing, that this Elder is going to be an amazing missionary.

It doesnt matter where you are from, what you where, or how you talk; anyone can be a servant of God, and this Elder made a huge impression on me, being that it was his first couple hours in the mission.

I just thought I would share that experience with you all, I love you lots, and hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder Nathan Russell Walton

Elder Walton at the museum on PDay

PDay

The Office in their Colombia Soccer Jerseys

The back of the jerseys

Change Week

This has easily been the craziest week in the office so far. They are remodeling the office and it has been a huge mess! They are finishing today finally, and we now have a nice tile floor and the walls are painted. My computer decided to break down and so we had to take it to the Area Office to get it fixed and with changes coming up on Tuesday we have been dong all the work on one computer and it is TERRIBLE! Basically the most frustrating week ever, but we have survived.

 

We had a really awesome experience last Saturday. I am sure you are all aware that it is the world cup, and due to the fact that we cant watch it, we like to ask people what the score is, just so we are updated. It honestly doesnt matter who is playing, the people always know the score, and in every store on all the corners the people are watching the games on tiny TVs.

Saturday night Ivory Coast and Japan were playing, and I had a strong impression to go into a store and ask the score, haha. Well turns out the store owner has been a long time inactive member of the church because right after he got back from his mission he got super sick and kind of turned away from God and the Church.

We were aware that he was a inactive member, but not of his circumstances or history.

I started chatting with him and he quickly told me about his health and depression he was going through. Then after a 5 second pause, he looked at me and asked, "Do you have consecrated oil with you?"

We gave him a blessing and when we finished tears were running down his face.

 

I thought I would share that amazing experience with you all, and remember that the Spirit tells us to do whatever it takes, it if is according to Gods will, even if it is asking the score to a soccer game.

 

Susan wont be baptized this week, but we are shooting for next Saturday.

I companion will be leaving the area next Tuesday and Im going to be in charge of the office which is super stressful, now that Pte Caffaro comes in two weeks!

Pray for my new companion and I!

 

Love you all and hope you have an amazing week.

 

This work is The Lords work, always has been, and always will be.

 

Love,

Elder Nathan Russell Walton

Crazy Week... AKA Normal Week

I wish I could tell you guys all about my week I had, Im sure you noticed that i didnt write you guys on Saturday like i normally do! haha

We had a couple baptisms this week and it was amazing. On tuesday the DL came to our area to do the interviews and it was crazy because do to office things and missing buses, we got back to the area super late and had 3 interviews to do, along with a super important appointment. Thank you for miracles, because some how, random members fell into our path and gave us rides and helped us make it to everything on time.

Friday I ripped my pants.

Saturday was pday and so we went with the APs and other Secretaries to a museum and ate at IHOP. The baptismal service was set at 4pm but do to relatives of the converts wanting to go it got pushed back to 6 pm, (welcome to Guate). So we we busy with the baptism service from 3 to 730ish and that is why we ran out of time and couldnt write home.

Yesterday was a true miracle. My comp and I were going around inviting everyone to church, and the big group we had gathered.. well, we all missed the bus. Church starts at nine.. and with missed the 830 bus. We just waited around with the two converts that needed to be confirmed in Sacrement meeting and it was super stressful... I prayed super hard and was just hoping we would make it on time. Well, The Lord immensely blessed us and we showed up at 920 and they called their names to be confirmed exactly when we walked in.

It was super important to make it on time because Maritza (17) was off to visit her mom who is sick in PETEN! super far away and if she wasnt confirmed yesterday, it wouldve caused a huge problem.

MIRACLES.

Well it was a great week. Maritza and Allan we baptized and confirmed.

Maritza is the young lady who doesnt speak much spanish, and we taught her with a member who translates to the language of Kekchi.

Lets talk about having lessons with descendants of the lamanites, TOO spiritual.

Love you all and thank you for all your prayers. Your faith is what allowed us to break through Satans barriers and allow the spirit to guide us this week.

Love, Elder Nathan Russell Walton

Elder Walton with his ripped pants