Elder Scotty Pugmire's Guatemala Postings: Week 96...6/13/16...HUGE MULTIZONE and San Marcos

This week we had a big Multi-Zone on Thursday with half of the Mission! And that's what I'll be writing on for most of the time.

We also went to Takalik again with President. So here some more photos of that. We were going to have the Zone conference on Tuesday but there was a ton of rioting on the way the Maquina because of the terrible roads. They decided to protest on all of the main roads so we had to cancel the meeting. We also went to drop off Elder Damas in his new area in the mountains! He was super excited because he never had been to the mountains before! But that was basically all this week. Plan, Meeting, More planing and driving.

But the MultiZone was amazing. I want to share with you everything that we learned and shared so that you can be a strengthened as I was.

As many of you know the month of May we broke the record of the mission with 262 baptisms. However, we know that we really weren't the missionaries who broke the record. We were covered completely by God's grace to help us meet our goal. Usually every week when we report dats we see a similar tend of Falling Fechas, or baptism dates that fall though or pass to the next week. When we report 50 fechas or dates only 35 get baptized or when we report 30 its 20 or 25. It seems to always decrease. When we reported to President Ruiz on Tuesday 50 Fechas the thought was we would end the week with 30. But that wasn't the case. Every day due to the diligence of the missionaries and the Grace of God, the leaders reported to us that more people had accepted to make a convent with God and take the first step of baptism. We finished the last week with 95 people who had been baptized and confirmed members of the church.

Now don't get the wrong idea. I just used a lot of numbers and many people might think that all we do is chase numbers. But the actual number doesn´t mean anything. It's what is behind the number. Think about it this way. If we had made the record of only 261 baptisms this month what would that mean. That means one of God's Children didn't take one of the first steps to live with him again at that moment. That's another child of God who cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, another family that cannot be made eternal, another brother of mine that I wouldn't see in the Celestial Kingdom. There is so much behind this numbers. I could tell you at least 100 of the stories that happened in this month of May. It was surely a miraculous month.

But how does that happen. How does a mission reverse its projected result from always going down in projected baptisms to going 125% more that expected? Grace. Grace is the answer. And that is what I would like to talk about today. What is Grace? Many might have a different perspective of what it is. But here is what I have learned from President Ruiz and my personal experience.

Notes from the Multizona.

Hermana Ruiz:

There is a difference between joy and pleasure. Joy is eternal. Pleasure is temporary. Seeking after the pleasures of life will take away the true eternal joy in the life to come. Satan is so cunning . He makes us think we are winning something when we are really loosing everything.

Be obedient!

We talked about defending your area.

We talked a lot about Alma 48: 13-17 and 19 and how we should be like Moroni.

The missionaries assigned to each area are the only ones that can preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ in that area.

We also learned about the talk from general conferences by LYNN G ROBBINS called '' What manner of Men or Women ought ye to be?'' But we talked about what manner of missionaries ought ye to be.

The difference of ser and hacer or to be and to do. We have to do both. To be and not to do its like faith with out works. And nothing can really be done. To do and not to be is being a hypocrite. We have to be and do. Always like the Savior taught in 3 Nefi 27:21(do) and 27:27(be)

Presidente Ruiz

Grace is to receive the help and blessing of God after we do ALL that we can.

What we call miracles the last week of May was the Grace of The Lord.

Grace is the best way to know if we are in the way of The Lord. If our offering is being accepted, if our family is or will be blessed and if we will enter into the celestial kingdom. If we aren't seeing the grace of God we must change something. Sometimes we don't receive God's blessings because we can't identify the Grace in our lives.

5 steps to receive grace.

1. Faith in Jesus Christ Romans 5:1-2

2. Repentance

3. Humility Ether 12:27

4. DO ALL THAT YOU CAN Mathew 13:3-9

5. Guard the Commandments

President Ruiz also talked to us about many times in his life he has seen miracles brought about by the Priesthood Power of God. He says it all comes by the Grace of God.

This all came from a talk by JEAN COOK. I'm not sure where the talk is but the way Presidente Ruiz shared the message was incredible. The Spirit was so strong.

San Marcos photo.

Me Elder Kahl y Elder Galicia heading up to san Marcos…

This week was a lot of driving….. Elder Kahl , Elder Salazar, Elder Keck and I.

Typical shoe store.

San Pedro is such a beautiful place!

The new record boards and the final board of May.

The new map my companion drew.

SANDIA!!! Watermelon stand.

The old record board.

President brought us some Bread from Xela. My companion was pretty happy about it.

Headed to la maquina with elder Taylor.

Jaime’s head light fell out….

Cocos with Elder Galicia

In response to those who think that all we do is eat….. Its not true. We do a lot. We just take pictures of the abnormal stuff we do. Like eating at nice places! BURGER KING ANGRIEST BURGER! It was delicious!