Lots of Good Stuff - Week 42

Last week after writing, we used the water balloons you guys sent for my birthday. It was raining too so we all got soaked. We had soo much fun though! Thanks.

Immediately after, we had a Family Home Evening with a family and the boyfriend of the daughter, who is not a member. We taught about the 4 pilars of the True Church. Prophets, Apostles, Authority, and Revelation. It was really good. He has gone to church for almost 4 months now. We´re hoping to baptize him in our ward even though he lives in another wards boundaries. The reason being that he has come here with his girlfriend for those 4 months and has been fellowshipped here. The other challenge is that his mom (also not a member) wants him to get to know the church more before he gets baptized. We´re hoping to have a meeting with her to discuss that and hopefully resolve her issues.

This week we´ve been prepping Josué and Ruben for their baptisms. We´ve taught them everything and they are good to go. Just need to get in the water! Their baptism is this saturday. Please pray that everything goes smoothly in their interviews and baptism!

This week we went to the temple too. It is always so cool to be able to attend a session. I asked for a lot of help with our investigators.

When we got back we had an appointment with a contact. He´s super pilas. He´s an older man with older children who still live with him. He came to the stake conference yesterday and heard our mission president and a Seventy speak. It was really good and he´s super excited. We have an appointment with him tomorrow and he said he wants to have all his family in the next visit. They accepted a baptismal date for the 17th of September. 

Lots of good stuff (to say the least)

Love you

#LoveMoreJudgeLess

Elder Mattiaccio

Venezuela, Zona Nimajuyu, Guatemala Sur

Meet The Mormons - Week 41

This week has been pretty cool. We had an mission activity in the chapel. We watched Meet the Mormons. The members here hadn´t seen it and it was a great opportunity to introduce new investigators to the chapel without having to go to "church". We had it all planned out and everything.... Then, the day of, we sent our ward mission leader to get the projector from the stake center and it wasn´t there. Another ward had taken it without asking. So we decided to use the TV the ward has. But... that is locked inside of the secretaries office. And who has the keys to the secretary´s office? Not the secretary, only the bishop. So we called the bishop and he was out of town and Sammy, his son, wasn´t home either. But since I'm his nephew-in-law he trusts me and told me to call his other son, Renato, who has keys to let us in. Renato was kind enough to bring them to the church so we could organize everything else. We finally found the projector but then the computer we used didn´t read disks, nor did the internet work. So we ended up having to have a sister who lived nearby run and grab her DVD player and bring it to the church. And because the projector doesn´t have AV inputs we ended up using the TV anyway. I know that all sounds really negative but really the activity turned out really good. The members brought a few people and they all enjoyed it. We even had homemade popcorn (not in the microwave). Just so you all know how much stress and planning goes into organizing an activity but we didn't give up ;D

Also, another night during the week we went over to the bishop´s house to check up on their list and Nunca Voy Solo. When Sammy opened the door he seemed agitated. Turns out his mom was missing. She left at 2:00pm and hadn´t arrived (it was around 7:30pm). She had forgotten her phone and the bishop wasn´t answering his phone. We sat down in the front room as Sammy frantically called everywhere she could possibly be. We said a prayer with him so he could be calm and that they could arrive home safely. Then, when the bishop arrived it stirred the pot even more since he had dropped her off without her phone. I tried to calm them down because it was raining really hard and the traffic was super bad. It got to the point where Sammy was going to go out and look for her. I told him he shouldn´t go out so agitated and suggested a blessing. We gave him a blessing of peace and to know where to find his mom. As I was finishing, the doorbell rang. They went and answered and, lo and behold, she was at the door. She had been stuck on the bus for 3 hours in the traffic and didn´t have her phone. After they were reunited we left them to their hugs (there was no way we were going to stay and ask for references after what happened). I felt so good after that (because I was worried too). We didn´t even have planned to go there. WE were just passing by and felt that we should knock.

Josué and Ruben both came to church and are practically dry members (just need to get wet in the font). They participate in class and even during priesthood. All that's left is their baptismal interviews and the water (and spirit). Pray that they keep going strong and get baptized on the 20th.

Lots of love and "may the [Spirit] be with you"

#GetDunked #TheHolySpiritGuides #MeetTheMormons

It's Time to Harvest - Week 40

Hola,

This week was pretty cool! First We had our first divisions with our district leader. I went to his area with his companion Elder Aviles and he came to my area. We had a pretty cool day.

We had a really awesome lesson with one of their investigator families. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and they asked us a lot of questions. Really good, insightful questions. They had read the introduction before hand so we were mainly talking about that. Then, out of the blue, the sister asked us about coffee and why we cant drink it. We briefly explained the Word of Wisdom and she told us something super interesting. Since she met them 3 weeks ago, she hasn´t drank a cup of coffee. She didn´t know why. We testified to her that that was the spirit helping her prepare for her baptism.

After the lesson she gave us some taquitos and something called revolcado. It was a type of salsa that had who knows what kind of meat in it. We didn't ask hoping to keep our sanity but it was really good. 

We finished divisions and had divisions with the assistants. Well one of them. Elder Williams. He was one of my Zone Leaders in Jutiapa. It was really cool to see him again. He showed us that even though our house was clean, it could still be cleaner and better invite the spirit. Little things that help maintain the spirit.

Josué also accepted a baptismal date for the 20th. He´s pretty much good to go. Just needs to receive all the lessons and an interview. We had a lesson in the chapel and he seems really excited. He also came to 2 activities this week. A quinceañera and a mission activity put on by our zone leaders.

We also finished painting the room we started last week. This time we invited the entire district hoping that the extra hands would make the difference. 

Love you all

This weeks hashtags:

#ONETEAM
#ONEFAMILY
#ONEMISSION 

#ItsTimeToHarvest

Area Attack and Attack of the Hole - Week 39

This week we planned another area attack so that we can help out our investigator pool. While we were organizing it near a bus stop I fell into a hole. YES! A HOLE IN THE BUS STOP. (shoot I forgot to take a picture) I was just standing there and I saw the hole but I wasn´t paying attention and shifted my weight and moved my foot and then felt like my life was ending. It wasn´t just a little dip. It was a like a manhole. I was fine, my other foot and leg stopped me from falling to my demise but it hurt my knee a little bit. ;P But everything was fine. But the rest of the attack went well. We organized all the other missionaries and did divisions so we could meet more of the investigators that way. The ward here is pretty well functioning. Only a few strange traditions that have nothing to do with church policy. But I have an in with the bishop so I hope I can give some suggestions and it can  start changing.

This week we placed a baptismal date with Josue Calito, one of the old investigators that we found. The only problem is that it fell right when we placed it. Here we have a rule that investigators have to attend church 3 times before they can be baptized. He hadn´t attended church before, contrary to what the members had said about him. So we had to place another date and another lesson so he can attend church. 

The rest of the week was pretty empty. We did some service and painted a member's room. well.... one wall... And it took 2 hours to do that one wall. I felt like bob ross painting with a brush instead of a roller. (Scan QR code to see video sorry it's sideways) 

I do a few little things to make me happy. Mostly they have to do with chocolate. I buy mini m&ms and make chocolate pancakes with the cake mix you sent me for my birthday. I also buy bags of chocolate milk (milk comes in bags here. it's weird)



Me and my companion also enjoy some Elotes Locos

#wewilldomorewithless #willingandworthy to baptize! #ONETEAM #ONEFAMILY #ONEMISSION

Zona Nimajuyu - Week 38

Hola people

This week was a bit rough. We had to start everything from scratch. A new companion, new area, new ward, new zone, everything. My new companion's name is Elder Láscarez from Costa Rica. He's a Tico. The area is a bit different from La Económica.

The first day I was here we met with the Bishop of the ward, Bishop Perez. As we were talking his wife started talking to me and asked my how my Spanish was so good. I told her it was because my family is from Guatemala and I learned a little bit from my mami, abuelita and tia (Regina). She asked me what my family's name was and I said, Amado and Arriola from la Zona 5. She said "so you know Scarlet" and I said, "yes, that's my aunt". Long story short, it ended up being that they were the aunt and uncle of Josué, Laura, Lindsey and Andy. They are such good people.

When we got to the house here we found that the Area Book was empty of anything useful. The elders before us didn´t keep very good records so all the investigators they had are pretty much lost. We´ve tried looking for the few that have addresses and have had a little bit of luck. This first week we left a lot with Carlos Eduardo, a recent convert who lives right next door to us. We literally have a door that goes into his apartment. Sometimes when we´re in the house and its after nine, we ask them to go to the store for us and buy us things. And we always are talking with him and his dad, (also named Carlos so we call him Carlos papa, and the other Carlos son). They are actually both converts and he is 18 and married (wow) and has a baby. He leaves with us all the time to help us learn the area and contact. He´s actually super pilas for only having 3 months as a member of the Church. 

We´ve been doing a lot of contact in lieu (wow thats a fancy word) of the lack of investigators. Yesterday while we were contacting I knocked a door and a teen came out. I started my introduction and someone in the back said "come in elders". I was surprised. Had I found a golden family?? No. Just members. :P But these members didn't attend church this week because they were out of town and had just arrived a half an hour earlier. 

We are hopeful to find new and old prospects. Keep us in our prayers.

Elder Mattiaccio

 

Here are some pictures of his families in La Económica.

Good-Bye La Económica - Week 37

Well. My third change in a row. This time I don't know where I'm going. All I know is that me and my companion are closing the area (both are leaving) and they are going to reopen it with a trainer and a greenie.

Well, our zone leaders just came in and told me I'm going to Zona Nimajuyu, Venezuela Ward.

Diana read the entire introduction this week and we had a super awesome lesson with her again. We taught her about the plan of salvation and she just eats it up. I'm sad that I won't get to see her progress to baptism. Sorry for the short letter. My mind is running a million miles a minute. Changes are always crazy.

#bealeader #beafollowerofrighteouness #lovemorejudgeless

Elder Mattiaccio

Nimajuyu, Zona Nimajuyu, Guatemala Sur

Be A Follower of Righteousness - Week 36

This week has been a bit slow.... Luckily it hasn´t been raining as much but I've learned my lesson and bought a rain poncho and carry it with me at all times. One time I thought it was going to stop raining soon so I didn't put it on and just use my umbrella. I was dead wrong. It started pouring harder and harder! by which time it was too late to put on the poncho.

We did however find an investigator who is super pilas. Her name is Diana Ramirez, we met her while with a member. She was super receptive. We went back and she had read the pamphlet of the Restoration and highlighted parts and answered all the questions in the back. We gave her a Book of Mormon and hope she reads as quickly as she did the pamphlet. She always has good questions during our lessons and understands the answers we give. The only thing is that she hasn´t accepting the challenge to be baptized. Her parents also have received the lessons before when they were younger and have gone to church a long time ago. The mom even has a Book of Mormon that was dedicated to her from the missionaries that were teacher her brother (who got baptized). We and praying that she and her mom will receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon and accept the challenge to be baptized.

Something interesting occurred during our companionship study Saturday... We received a knock on the door. I was too lazy so my companion answered it by opening the window. Guess who it was? The Testigos de Jehová (Jehovah's Witnesses). My comp just looked at me sideways. They talked to him and because they couldn´t see his plaque they didn´t know who we were. They gave us a pamphlet about who really controls the earth. It was so funny. I've always heard "Testigo" stories from missionaries but it has never happened to me. jajajajaja 

Our mission president sends us hash tags. Here are the ones from this week. Try to see if you can apply them in your life and use them in your social media posts.

 

#beafollowerofrighteouness #lovemorejudgeless

Love you all,

Elder Mattiaccio

p.s.

I want to be sure to wish Banka a Happy Birthday. Thanks for being such a good grandma. I love all the stuff you send me- Love, Your Little Man

Also a Happy Birthday to Mario. Hope you're doing good. Not too long before we'll be reading your mission posts.