Week 90...4/26/16...TEMPLE, SUN BURN AND SAN MARCOS!!!

Hi Everyone! I love you guys! Thanks for all you're love and support! Happy Birthday to all that are turning years this week or last! Especially to my Dad! I love my Dad so much! I don't know if I've written this before but it's an experience that I had with Elder Morataya. . .We were ridding home to our house just talking when my companion asked me, ''You talk a lot about your Mom, what's your Dad like?'' And I told him '' My mom is the one who taught me how to be a good kid, but my Dad taught me how to be a man, and I'm still learning from him'' So I thank my Dad for all of the hard work and for teaching me how to work hard, how to support others and how to put people before myself.

Elder Christofferson said ''Loving the mother of his children—and showing that love—are two of the best things a father can do for his children. This reaffirms and strengthens the marriage that is the foundation of their family life and security.'' My Dad has been an exceptional example of this and I thank him for that. I know that my Dad loves my mom and us, and he's taught me how to love them as well. I give thanks to God every night that I, like Nephi was born of goodly parents and an exceptionally good father.

This Monday was just a day of preparation and we went out to eat with Elder Taylor, then we planned out our meeting. So we started this week out with a meeting with all of the Zone Leaders. We planned for the first week of Mayo and what we can do to meet our goal. We talked about each person that all the Zone Leaders had in their Zone and what they could do to help them accept a baptism date. Then we played soccer with all of the Zone Leaders. I scored a pretty cool goal!

Then on Tuesday, we did divisions. I went with Elder Virgin to go and visit Zone Malacatan. I got to go with Elder Heyrend who is such a cool kid! While Elder Virgin went with Elder Lopez, who also is a fantastic missionary. We went and interviewed an amazing family that the Zone Leaders had been teaching! They are so awesome! They are super excited to be getting baptized this next week and they just love the missionaries. They were sure to let me try every possible thing you could ever want to eat out of mangos; Mango Juice, Mango IceCream, and Mango Punch. I LOVE MANGOS!!!!! They're literally the best thing ever!

On Monday we shared a message about just Testifying and Challenging.  There is a talk about ''the missionary who testifies and challenges'' and we based our message off of that talk. Our basic message was we need to be missionaries that testify more and challenge more, and not worry so much about teaching: CHALLENGE, TESTIFY and let the spirit teach. That's what we talked about in a nutshell. So I and Elder Heyrend decided to try it out. We went to interview another Lady they had but she was busy so we talked to her mom. But mostly we just Testified of the Church and Challenged her AND SHE ACCEPTED! She told us she would come to church and prepare to be baptized! Something else we taught was that every future convert needs three things.
1. Someone to Challenge them to do something
2. A testimony to awake the knowledge they once had, and urge them to do what's right.
3. The Testimony of the Spirit to convert them.

Then we came home that night and Wednesday we had a District Leader meeting in Reu and took some time to get organized for the next day.

Thursday, I headed out with elder Wilcox to Mazate Las Flores.  We went to do some more interviews with the Zone Leaders. The family we interviewed was super cool! The Lord has sooooo many people prepared for us to find and teach. Then we went with Elder Johnson and Elder Heath to Samayac where we taught a guy who had just lost his wife.  He was super receptive and they're going to teach him some more. We read the Book of Mormon in Alma 40 with him and he said '' this book spoke to my soul.  I didn't know any of this. I'm going to read more'' Basically...... there's a slight difference in the Spanish to English translation. Then we talked to another family and made the drive home. Fun fact Samayac is the "tierra de brujas" or land of witches. There's always weird stuff going on there because there's a big population of witches that still practice out there.

Friday, we headed up to San Marcos and I went to work with Elder Garboza, We went to work in Palo Gordo with Elder Villegas and Elder Hansen. We went to teach a family and we were going to challenge them with a fecha for baptism when all of a sudden a whole group of people from the Evangelico church showed up and decided to have a culto in the families' home. So they kinda crashed our message.  But it was cool. They wanted us to stay and listen to their whole meeting (But having been in the middle of one before I knew better than to accept.) So we decided to say goodbye by Singing ''I Believe in Christ'' To just testify of Christ. The Spirit was super strong,
I know that they felt the Spirit.

Me and Christopher in Palo Gordo

We asked this guy if we could help him with anything and he actually said yes! So we washed his moto! Photo creds to Christopher

We then put a baptismal date with a guy I had gone to teach a month earlier named Edwin, He accepted to be baptized!!! It was awesome!

Then we ate dinner at a little gas station store that ended up being super good and we came home.

Me, Elder Wilcox, Elder Kahl, and Elder Virgin coming back from San Marcos.

We ate at a gas station that was actually a super good restaurant! You can tell we were all pretty happy with our food! BEST SMOOTHIES EVER!!!!

Saturday we went to the temple and we went to support the Hermanas' de Peru in a baptism they had.

Standard Guatemala Transportation. Level Pick up truck. Notice the only thing keeping that kid in the truck over the tumulos is that woman’s arm.

We listened to Elder Cruz play and sing the ukulele. He is a prodigy!

Me, Elder Kahl, and Elder Cruz (Elder Cruz is just a wizard on any instrument you give him!)

The temple was great! It's so nice just to go and feel the peace that the Spirit Brings there.

THE TEMPLE!!!!

Me and Elder Kahl

Sunday was full of miracles! We had this one girl named Stephanie to come to church with some members. She's from Honduras but we have a cita with her on Monday so that's going to be amazing!!!! She Seems super positive! Life is great I love being a mission missionary!

Love,
Elder Pugmire

Elder Kahl and I headed to a p/day in Coatepeque

With Zonas Malacatan, Tecun Uman, and Coatepeque. We played soccer and then ate some Hotdogs and Nachos!

Elder, Elder Wilden, Elder Bastian, Elder Hill, Elder Hastings

    Elder Steiner

My companion took most of the photos! There a photo of him and Elder Lagos (my son!)

My mission family, mi hijo, nieto y almos bis-nieto

Me Elder Call, Elder Kahl, Elder Canaviri, Elder Roney y Elder Campos, Elder Hastings, And Elder McGuire.

 

My comp and his piece of ice, Turned out to be a pretty good photo

Me and Elder Gutierrez

Me and Elder Taylor, just outside our house even though it looks like a forest.

Me and Elder Rodas! My mission stepson

This palm leaf fell on the wires and caught on fire, then the wire exploded…. It was pretty exciting.

My belt finally lost the last string…. Good thing I’ve got one more!