Monday, February 2, 2015

Feels Like Home....

Guess what??? We got our lights up and working again! Hurray! It felt so nice to get the lights working after having almost a week without them. Also once we got the lights up and working we got a cell phone in our companionship and we don't have to use the land-line that we had in the house. It definitely makes like so much easier! Me and my comp are still doing pretty good, we are continuing to find people to teach but I have noticed that it is really hard to find people who are positive to teach because like 90% of the time people come up with excuses or they flat out do not want to hear what we have to say or they don't want to change their lives. It is just sad to see that they are practically rejecting eternal life. 

So something pretty cool happened this week. My comp and I ran into the guy again who was from the states and knows English perfectly. It is funny because he knows English better than Spanish, but we ran into him again and he actually told us that he does not know which church is correct but he was wanting to know and to be closer to God. So we told him that he came to the right people! Haha. He actually wanted to read and have a Book of Mormon but in English. It is a good thing I have like 6! We set up an appointment to meet him a few days later in the park to teach him. So we met up there and sat down and we taught him the restoration of the Gospel. He was believing it all and when we would use the bible to explain it he believed it more and more. During the lesson a few drunks came up to us asking for money so that was a Spirit Killer but it was still a really good lesson. We gave him a Book of Mormon in English and he said that he was going to read it! I am feeling really positive about this guy and a little background on him. He lived in the states his whole life but was born here and his family moved to the states when he was a baby, he got into trouble with the law there in California and was in jail. He has a lot of tattoos and did a lot of drugs as well, he is super massive and strong and is kinda intimidating. So yes we are teaching a thug pretty much. But... He is a super nice guy, and he really wants to make a change in his life and is looking to be closer to God. Maybe there is a reason why he got sent down here and found us.... We shall find out! Oh and it is really funny because is name is Elder as well! Crazy right! We saw proof so he wasn't making it up!

Another sketchy but spiritual experience for me and my companion. Yesterday we were pretty far from our house contacting and we had a lesson with a family but it was late and needed to get back to our house. So we did what every missionary would do... We asked for rides from all the pickups when they came! One came racing down the road but stopped, we told him we needed to go to the city so he said ok. When I was talking to him he seemed a little off but I was like whatever and we hopped in the back. When we got in the back I saw a few beer cans and he took off. He was driving fine but my companion and I looked at each other and we both knew instantly and it was like getting hit by a wall of the Holy Ghost that we needed to get out of that truck! I popped my head in the cab and told him that actually we had another visit a few houses down and he said ok and would drop us off there and I could smell a lot of alcohol in the cab of the truck so we pulled over, got out and he talked to us for a second and then we left. It was crazy how hard the spirit hit us that we needed to get out of the truck because something bad probably was going to happen if we didn't. It actually worked out for the best because our plan was to walk back but when we were walking a few members saw us and ran out and gave us a bunch of bananas to take home with us so that was cool! Then not too much later a tuc-tuc passed and stopped and he said that he would give us a free ride back to the city. Those were our blessings from listening to the spirit though! I learned to always listen to the spirit and to never ignore it because if I do then something bad might happen. But obviously we did a secret smell check of the guy driving the tuc-tuc and he didn't smell like alcohol so we were good! Haha.

I think 2 of the most frustrating things about the people here in Guatemala are these: First whenever we ask for references or are talking to someone about Christ they instantly say, ''oh I go to this church so I can't listen to your message'' or when members say ''well everyone around here is already going to another church but maybe you can try another area''. Sometimes it makes me a little frustrated and confused when the members say that we shouldn't visit some people because they go to other churches. We then say that the Gospel is for everyone to hear, not only for Mormons but for EVERYONE! It doesn't matter if they are the Pope! They still have to hear about it and be taught it! Jeez people... Haha. 

I don't know why but this week I was getting really tired of the same food here. Maybe it was because I wasn't feeling too great and didn't want to eat... However it seemed like every day we got a nice hot bowl of soup in the blazing heat and in it is a chicken leg with a little bit of noodles, rice, and a stack of tortillas. Then we are pretty much expected to eat and drink it all and the water it is in is pretty much grease water. I’m not a big fan of it but I guess I should get used to it because I still got a while left to go here. Today though we got calzones from Dominoes and oh man.... I was in heaven for a little bit! It was so good after having soup for like a week straight! The food here actually isn't too bad I just really love and want some beans with eggs and a loaf of bread. Almost every missionary wants that a lot. Speaking of bread, we found this lady here in my area who is named Sonia. She has fed missionaries here for about over 4 years but we had no idea about her until this week. We went to her house and right when she saw us she invited us in and gave us a pitcher of juice and a plate of bread to eat because she is a baker! Oh man she is the nicest lady you will ever meet and every single time that we go to her house she gives us bread and food to eat. Crazy thing is though that she and her daughter are not members but they absolutely love the missionaries. They even told us that they love the Americans more than the Latino missionaries. We plan to go to her house and visit with her and maybe figure out why she hasn't been baptized into our church yet. She doesn't know what is coming! ;)

This week we have really taught a lot about The Book of Mormon and about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I really have realized as well how hard it is to get people to understand how important it is the read The Book of Mormon and to pray about it. Seriously though because if they come to know that it is true then they will come to know that this is the true church on the face of the earth. Because if the Book of Mormon is false then Joseph Smith was not a true prophet, and that this is not the true church and we are liars. BUT... If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on the earth today. And I can happily and proudly say that THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE!!!! If you don't believe me then test my words and try it out for yourself. Read, Ponder, then Pray about it. There is no other way to find out if it is true or not.

I also really like it when we challenge people to baptism but then they say that they were already baptized and I get the chance to teach them the correct manner of how to be baptized and the importance of Priesthood Authority and how they can receive a fullness of blessings in our church and from being baptized in the correct form. They sometimes feel a little hurt or sad and sometimes they come to know that they need to be baptized the correct way and how we teach it to people straight out of the Bible. Anyways, I could go on and on and on about stuff like this and the doctrines and such but I will just leave it at that for now! Haha. 

Nothing too exciting happened this week I guess....I heard about the super bowl and that was a big bummer but I’m just glad that I was not in the states for the one this year! Haha! My comp and I are still getting along. It is just kinda weird because when he is teaching he almost has no emotions and seems like a robot and doesn't connect with the people but I think that is where I come in and get that friendly and loving connection with the people because that is what I like to do so that they have more confidence in us and actually like talking and meeting us. Haha. One great thing about my comp is that he makes me food a lot! He has made me pasta, milkshakes, and some other dinners. It is really awesome but he is pretty cool and we are doing pretty great actually! I hope that all of you at home are doing fine and are not missing me too much there! Haha but I am doing great here.

Every week and month I see my Spanish progressing and I am loving it more and more as time goes on. Trying to work hard every day to help build the kingdom of God and also to strengthen my faith is Jesus Christ and follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Keep me in your prayers and I will keep you in mine! Love you and miss you all! Stay Sweet!

Love,
Elder Kahl :)




Me, Elder Ramos and Elder Wight (my comp)

This is a possum that Fredy caught with his dog.
They eat possums here, so it will probably get eaten for a meal.




In the picture in the background is my nametag drawn (by an investigator) on the wall that says “Elder Kahl better known as Elder Colorado”.

One of our investigators drew this of me on the wall. (Chandler didn’t say what this means, but it translates to “Son of the sun” or “Sunchild” – probably because of his blonde hair and fair skin).

A typical day of where we walk in Guatemala. It’s really pretty here.  Me and Elder Wight







The side of a house here.

Helping out at a members house.







In the back of a truck that someone gave us a free ride back to our city.


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