Another Week in the Coast

Dear All,

It's been another pretty good week here in the coast of Guatemala. Yes, it's still at least 90 degrees outside, often more than 100, and we're about to head into summer here. That's fine with me, because the Lord wants me to be here. If he wanted me somewhere else, I would be somewhere else.

We finished up divisions with the Zone Leaders last week, and that was fun. I learned a lot from Elder Acosta. Then, we had a meeting of District Leaders with the Zone Leaders on Friday. Since then, my companion and I have just been sweating and working hard here in Puerto San José. We've got some good possibilities for baptism this month as well. We have at least 2 people who could be baptized very soon. I'm happy to be here, and even though I pretty much never stop sweating, it's worth it, because the people here are really great.

I went to church for the first time in the branch this past Sunday. We have literally the smallest chapel I have ever seen, and we don't even fill it. 51 people attended church on Sunday, and most of them left after sacrament meeting. I blessed the sacrament for the 2nd time in Spanish (the 1st time was in the CCM) which was good. We teach the Gospel Principles class which is fun. We have some good converts here, and we have some good challenges as well. We'll have to get working with the leaders to get the members in action. Once we get the members in action, we'll have success. I know it. The members are vital in missionary work, because we leave after a couple of months, but the members pretty much stay here forever. They're here to be able to teach and support our converts after we leave, and to help us bring them into the church while we're here. That's what happened with Alonzo, who we just baptized in Villa Hermosa. We brought a member, they got along really well, and the following Sunday he came to church. He then asked us "Hey, when will you be having baptisms?" That's the best when they ask that question!

Yesterday was P-day, and we went to the beach. The whole zone came here to our area and we went to play in the sand. We can't get wet, but we can go play in the sand or just relax. It was great. The sand here is black, which is pretty cool. I guess it's because of the volcanoes that there are here in Guatemala, I imagine that this is volcanic earth, at least in part. The coolest part is that in part of the area, you walk along the dirt/sand road surprising a ton of little tiny crabs. They're literally about 3/4 inch in their biggest direction. Some are smaller, and some a little bigger, but most are basically about that size, about the size of a big spider.

As for my companion, he's a pretty good guy. He likes to go running in the mornings, so it's something that we've been doing. The area is really, really big, so we can do a lot of running if we want to.
I also directed my first district meeting today. I gave the lesson about how to begin teaching, how we can gain confidence, and how people can better understand our purpose as missionaries. Many people just think we're here to teach them and talk about God, but they don't realize that we're here to baptize them into the true church of Jesus Christ.

We've got a zone conference on Thursday, and all we know is that President Brough has some higher goals for us to reach. I'm a little nervous, but definitely excited to see what the Lord has revealed to President that he has in store for the mission at this time.

I love you all. Thanks for being great and keep up being great!

Sincerely,
Elder Banks   

Heat and Responsibility

Dear All,

I have been transferred.

The Guatemala City Central Mission is divided into 3 parts: The Capital, the Mountains, and the Coast. Up to this point, I have been in the capital. My 3rd area was supposedly in the coast, but it was really in the capital. I have now received the blessing to be able to get to know another part of the mission: the coast. I am now in the zone Escuintla, in the area Puerto San José. I have also received the assignment to be a district leader. First, I want to talk about the coast, then about the district, and then about General Conference.

As the subject line says, the coast is hot. And humid. I came to Escuintla once before for a zone conference, and I thought "Man, this is hot. I could put up with it, but it's pretty hot." That was the city of Escuintla, which is about an hour away from Puerto San José by bus. Puerto means "port," so, yes, I have a beach in my area. And no, I can't go swimming, it's a rule for safety reasons. Anyway, Puerto is a LOT hotter than Escuintla, which is interesting. I've been sweating a LOT, and because of that, my clothes get dirty faster, but I don't really care about any of that, because the people here are so fantastic! They are much more open and receptive than people in the capital, and while they may already attend their church, they don't make a huge deal about it, and listen to the message. There are a few who have heard something false about the Church from an outside source, and insist that they're right, but basically the people are a lot more awesome for missionary work here in the Coast than they are in the capital. They're very open-hearted and kind. Also, Escuintla is a Zone in the mission, and a District in church terms.

Since I have lived in Utah all my life, I never knew what a district was until I got here in the mission. In areas where there is a decent number of members of the church, the church is organized into wards (congregations), or if it's smaller, branches (smaller congregations). These wards and branches are then organized into stakes, which are groups of congregations according to the geographical area. In areas where the church is still developing, a district is established. A district is made up of only branches, not wards, and the district president operates under the authority of the mission president, whereas a stake president does not have to do so, he has his own authority for the stake. So here, there's a lot more work, and I'm excited to be part of it.

Now for the district. The district of which I am assigned as leader only includes 2 areas: Puerto San José, and Puerta de Hierro. It's a small, but great (and hot) district. As district leader, I will be required to interview candidates for baptism who have been taught by the members of my district. My investigators will now be interviewed by the zone leaders. I'm excited to be able to serve the Lord to an even greater level in this assignment, and I'm excited to be able to work hard, and bring about much success here in the coast.

Now for conference!!! I was pretty shocked when President Monson announced the new age at which young men and women can leave on their missions! Young men at 18, and young women at 19!! That's pretty exciting. And what it means is that we need more missionaries. I invite you all to read the talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from last October's conference entitled "We are all enlisted." Get ready, and go and do, just like Nephi (see 1 Nephi 3:7). This is the most spiritual experience I've ever had with Conference, and I really felt close to our prophet and the apostles, I imagine because we're engaged in the same work for the moment. I learned that it's important to repent, and always be ready, and that we need to find joy in the journey of whatever we may be doing. I also learned that no matter what area you're in, no matter what part of the Lord's work you're engaged in, if you're there on the Lord's assignment and doing you're best, it doesn't really matter what happens. Pres. Uchtdorf explained this in one of his famous airplane analogies. He compared flying a plane from the 1940's to flying with the Blue Angels. Both are work, and both are beautiful, but both are a very different type of activity. It doesn't matter if you're serving as a primary teacher, a bishop, a missionary in Guatemala, or an apostle, or if you do missionary work or family history work, the Lord has entrusted you with something, and you need to seek his guidance in taking care of it. And do your best, always. As we do this, the Lord will bless us with the guidance we need, and with many other things in every aspect of our lives (see Mosiah 2:41).

I know this is the Lord's true church newly established in these latter days, and I know that if we serve him well, he will bless us abundantly. He always remembers you, even when you don't remember him. So let's remember him together!
Thank you for your prayers.

I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,
Elder Banks

6 Weeks in Villa Hermosa

Dear All,

Now, for a little inside scoop about the Guatemala City Central Mission: the changes (transfers). If you come or go, it happens on Wednesday, without question. They always tell you Monday morning, so you can use P-Day to pack. When they call, they will tell each missionary if he is leaving or staying, and if he has an interview. If someone has an interview, that means that they will be receiving an assignment, such as senior companion, district leader, zone leader, secretary, assistant to the president, or retention leader. You get to the "change meeting" without knowing where you're going, and you leave the meeting with your new companion to your new area. From there, it's all history.

We received the call Monday morning about 11:15am. Our district leader told us that I will be leaving, that Elder Perez will be staying, and that both of us have interviews tomorrow at 8am. That means that my companion will probably become senior companion, and I will probably receive one of the other assignments. We won't know until tomorrow, but I do know that I won't be training this change, because President calls all the trainers on the phone during the week before changes. Also, district leaders have cell phones. They just received them a couple months ago. They can only carry them at certain times, and they can't let ANYBODY borrow the phone, but they have them. Zone leaders, secretaries, and assistants carry their cell phones always, and there is always one per companionship. Only the assistants have two phones. So who knows? I may be carrying a phone in the near future.

For know, I'll keep working, and go say goodbye to my converts here. It's been really great to be here, and it's been a little bit of a break from assignments. But I'm not here to relax, I'm here to work, so here I go, working on something new!
As for Villa Hermosa, it's been fantastic. Just like last time I was in this zone, I only stayed 1 change, or 6 weeks. And, just like last time I was in this zone, my companion is from El Salvador, and really wants to learn English. Elder Perez is fantastic, and will keep working hard, and keep the great relationship we have with the Bishop and the Ward Mission Leader.

And to tell you a little about the divisions I had last week with Elder Silva in La Hermosa:
We had some good little lessons, and we got to go have the correlation meeting with Hno. Samayoa, the ward mission leader. They fed us BBQ ribs, which were delicious, and they're a great family. He works for the Church, in maintenance of buildings, and I actually saw him once before, in the Amatitlan stake center, waiting to have my interview with President Brough. He seems pretty cool, and it would be great to work with him. It was a fun little excursion, and I got to learn a little more about the things a district leader does.

I just wanted to tell you how much I love the Lord, and how much He loves all of you. His love is infinite, and no matter what happens, He'll be able to take away your pain. Trust Him, and He will help you. As He says in Psalms, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalms 46:10) I know He lives, and I am honored to be able to wear His name on my badge every day, and to be able to represent Him in all I do. Don't ever forget how much He loves you.

Thank you for everything. I love you all.

Sincerely,
Elder Banks

Another Great Week in the Vineyard

Dear All,

This has been a really great week. First of all, Alonzo was confirmed and ordained a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. It was pretty cool. We've also found some great investigator families.

Yesterday we found a family, the Mayen Smith family. Yes, you did read that right. Smith. It's the Mom's last name, and what's more, she has absolutely no ancestors in the USA or the UK, so who knows how she got that name! But they're really cool. They alreay want to come to church. They've come a couple of times with other Elders about a year ago, but they weren't baptized. We don't know why the missionaries stopped visiting them, because they're pretty awesome. I'm really excited to be able to know them and to be able to bring them into the Gospel. They're even looking for a church to go to right now, so the Lord let us come to them in the right time.

I also got to play the piano in a house yesterday! We went to visit a less-active family whose daughter is 11 and hasn't been baptized. The Dad is learning to play piano, and they have a little piano keyboard in their living room. I played them a couple of hymns and it was really fun. It's been more than a year since I've played a piano outside of a church building.
Our district is rather successful this month. The most successful district gets the prize of having a district meeting in the mission home with President, and with the new missionaries who are going to come into the mission the following day. We're in the battle with by previous district, Sonora, and the Office (the secretaries and assistants) to be able to win the prize. Prospects are good that we may win the prize, but that's not why we're here. It would be really fun, but we're not here for fun, we're here on the Lord's errand.

Yesterday was a really fun p-day as well. Since I discovered that my current jacket isn't waterproof, I bought another one at Megapaca, which is basically Guatemalan D.I. or Goodwill. It's black, and it fits me pretty well and is very classy, and most importantly, waterproof!! I also bought a couple of church DVDs there that actually have D.I. tags on them: "On the Lord's Errand" (Thomas S. Monson's Biography), which I can use in my teaching, and "Mr. Krueger's Christmas," which I can't, but I can watch when I get home! Overall, I spent about $9 on the jacket and the 2 DVDs, and I'm very happy with my purchase. Especially with the jacket.

Also, we had some visitors in our district meeting: Elder Israelsen and Elder Trejo, the assistants to the president. They're pretty cool, and Elder Israelsen was actually in my area almost a year ago, so he knows a lot of the members and we're still working with a lot of his converts. It wasn't too eventful, but it was really good. Now, I'll be going on divisions again, this time in La Hermosa with Elder Silva, and Elder Finau Ngalu will be with my companion in my area.
Well, that's just about all for now. Keep the faith, and keep the commandments. As says the hymn, "In this there is safety and peace."

I love you all. Have a fantastic week, as will I.

Sincerely,
Elder Banks

Another Great Week, and Baptism!

Dear All,

First of all, to calm the worries of those of you who read the news, I'm not anywhere near Volcan de Fuego. I didn't even know it erupted until I read the email my parents just sent me. Yes, it is within the Central Mission, but the eruption was absolutely nowhere near my zone. I'm still in the capital, not in the mountains, where the volcano is.

Here in the Guatemala City Central Mission, we have a little saying. We always say "Nosotros Bautizamos Familias" ("We baptize families"). Here in Villa Hermosa, it seems to be a little different. As you will see in the attached baptism pictures of this week and last week, in Villa Hermosa, we say "Nosotros Bautizamos Viajitos," or "We baptize little old men." We just baptized Isidro, and this week we baptized Alonzo, and there's another gentleman named Augusto who may be baptized very soon. Usually the older part of the population isn't that receptive to listen to the Gospel and be baptized, because they "Already have their church," but here in Villa Hermosa, it's a little different, which is fantastic.

Alonzo was absolutely excited to get baptized. He wants to be part of the Church and serve in the Church. He's a widower and is retired, so basically has all the time he wants to be able to serve or work a little. During the baptismal service, he had changed back into street clothes, and he saw me mopping up some of the water on the floor. He said "Oh, no, Hermano, let me do that. Don't you worry!" He's got such a great heart and I'm so glad to know him. He'll be a great member of the Church! He's dressed in white in the picture, and the other guy is Hno. Batres, who really helped him get to baptism, and will really help him from here on out. Every new convert needs a friend, and Hno. Batres is Alonzo's friend within the church. He also knows several other members already, so he's right on the way to being a faithful member. We're going to see him again tomorrow, and I'm excited.

As far as the rest goes, it's been pretty normal. Yesterday we had a district activity. We ate delicious burritos made by Hna. Garcia, and we watched "The Other Side of Heaven." It was fun, especially because Elder Finau Ngalu is of Tongan descent and speaks Tongan. Also, there was a guy in the movie named Finau, which was kind of a funny coincidence! Overall, we had a great day, and got to relax a bit.

Other than that, it's just going great, working hard, working with the Spirit, and helping God's children return to him. It's really cool, and I'm really greatful that my Heavenly Father has let me be part of this work.

I love you all. Have a great day, and thank you for your prayers!

Sincerely,
Elder Banks    

Divisions!!!

Dear All,

This has been a pretty good week.

As last week we had district meeting with Pres. Brough, this week was different, too. We had a training session with the whole zone, which was pretty cool. We did some practices, looked through our area books, and watched a short video on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how it relates to missionary work. It was really powerful, and awesome. Our zone leaders are really cool, and our zone is fantastic. The secretaries and assistants are in our zone as well, so it's nice to be able to get things quickly.

Speaking of getting things, thanks to the Mulveys for sending me the notes from the 31st! It's so awesome to be able to hear from my aunts, uncles and cousins!

Yesterday we had a zone activity, and we got permission to go to Zona 1, where the central market is. I bought a little duffel bag made of "Corte" (typical Guatemalan fabric), a white shirt adorned with a little black-and-white corte, and a jersey of the Guatemalan soccer team. It was pretty cool, and it only cost me Q195, or about $25. The white shirt alone would have cost at least $15 in the states. It sounds like a lot to spend 195 of any currency, but for us North Americans, it doesn't really seem to add up to that much.

And it was perfect timing, too, because today I'll be going on divisions with Elder Finau Ngalu, who is from Australia. I believe he is of Tongan descent. He entered the mission with Elder Luna, so he's pretty new as well. Elder Silva will be with my companion, Elder Perez, until tomorrow morning. For the first time in a while, they took me out of my own area for divisions, because usually the senior companion stays in his own area, but due to some special circumstances, the divisions have been arranged differently this time. It should be really fun, and I hope to learn a lot from Elder Finau Ngalu.

We also have a baptism this Sunday! We will be baptizing Alonzo, who is 67 years old and a widower. He's got so much faith! We set his baptismal date last week, and taught him about the Word of Wisdom. Yesterday we went by to make sure that he hasn't had any coffee, because people who will be baptized have to give up these things for a certain amount of time before they can be baptized. We talked to him and he said "Since the day you taught me it was bad, I haven't had any coffee. I've had a few aches and pains because of it, but if it's bad, I won't drink it." What faith!! He's one of the coolest people I've met here. He told us he wants to serve in the church after being baptized. We also taught him that he can be sealed to his late wife, and have an eternal family. Now, we just need to find and baptize his kids! They don't live in our area, but we can always pass on the reference! This man came to church the first time 2 Sundays ago, and while there, asked us when we would be having baptisms. He reads the Book of Mormon and marks it, and is now reading the Gospel Principles manual the Ward gave him. I am so happy to be able to be associated with him!

I guess that in this area it's the older guys who are awesome. Isidro was just baptized (in the attached photo, I've got my arm around him), Alonzo will be baptized soon, and a guy named Augusto came to church for the first time this Sunday. It was funny, because the member of the bishopric who conducts welcomes in the meeting every person when there for the first time. The bishop and 2nd counselor can be funny, but the 1st counselor is really serious and almost never smiles. He was conducting, and said something really funny without noticing. The name "Augusto" sounds a lot like the phrase "A gusto," which means "to your liking" or "comfortable." Before church, Augusto said to us that he always feels "a gusto" in church, or something to that effect. Then, in sacrament meeting, the really serious first counselor said "We would like to welcome our brother Augusto, who is visiting us for the first time. Brother, we hope you feel 'a gusto.' " I was sitting at the piano, and I had to really contain myself not to laugh. It wasn't his intention to make a joke, but he said that, and noticed afterwards. I couldn't really see his face from the piano, but it was great.

I love the people so much here. They're so funny and full of love. Some are very closed to the Gospel, but most are very kind about everything. The people here would give us the shirt off their back if it were necessary, something which in the States just doesn't happen all that much. It's really a manifestation of charity, which is the pure love of Christ.

Thank you for all your prayers and your love. Never lose the faith!

Sincerely,
Elder Banks

Another Great Week in the Vineyard

Dear All,

It has been another great week in Villa Hermosa. It's actually a great name for this area, because it means "Beautiful Villa." It's one of the wealthiest areas I've had here in Guatemala. Our bishop lives in a community almost identical to one that was in my last ward, and the houses in this neighborhood are a lot like houses in Europe. The rest is typical Guatemala, but nice. Here we are in the city San Miguel Petapa, meaning that I've only had one area in Guatemala City. Jerusalén and Sonora 1 are parts of Villa Nueva, and now I'm in San Miguel Petapa, meaning that only in La Corona (Ciudad Real) have I been in Guatemala City.

On Saturday, we had a really busy day, beginning with a baptismal interview, then getting ready for a wedding, then the wedding, then a baptismal service. We baptized Isidro, after marrying him, then we confirmed him on Sunday. It was great, since I really saw a change in him. Last week they were having some family problems, but since he was baptized, everything has been peaceful, and he's just been a whole lot happier. It's amazing to see the power of God in people's lives. We just have to have faith that he can help us, and he will help us do whatever he needs us to do. As Moroni teaches us "And Christ hath said: If ye have faith in me, ye shall have power to do anything that is expedient in me." (Moroni 7:33)

I will send the picture of the baptism next week, because I forgot the camera today.

We just finished a great district meeting, because President Brough and Sister Brough came to the meeting. They do that sometimes, and it was the first time for me. President helped us out a ton with our investigators, and it looks like we're set to have a great month, we just have to keep working hard. Nephi teaches that "...by grace we are saved, after all we can do," and in my experience, it's not just about being saved, but rather this principle applies in whatever we need to do. If we work as if it all depended on us, then pray as if it all depended on God, then the problems are resolved, and depending on our faith, the miracles come. It's a two-part relationship, it's not just lazing around and waiting for God, nor is it just us working ourselves to a pulp and God doing nothing. Nobody cares more about this work than the Savior, so we work hard under his direction, and with his guidance through the Holy Ghost. This was taught in Doctrine and Covenants, I believe 42:14 "And ye shall receive the Spirit by the prayer of faith. And if ye receive not the Spirit YE SHALL NOT TEACH." (empasis added) And it's not just prayer, it's WORK as well that brings the Spirit. If you think you don't need to work, read D&C 58:26-29, and also remember verses 4, and 42-43. Something the people always ask us is "and when is your day off?" The answer of course, is my day off will be in September 2013, or rather, when I get home. The Lord doesn't give days off. The Lord makes us work hard, because he knows how important this work is. He knows that there is no other way to do it, and he knows how urgent the work is. That's something I'm still working on understanding, as President Brough always says: "¡Hay urgencia en la Obra!" ("There is Urgency in the Work!")

This applies especially now as I am in the home stretch of my mission. I feel really old, because I just passed the year mark. There are people waiting, and I can't leave them waiting, they need to be brought to the Fold! I didn't really do anything special passing the year, I just bought some ice cream. Ice cream is popular here, but it's funny because ice cream and what we would consider a popsicle (or "ice lolly" in England) are referred to with the same word, so you have to find what you really want to be able to eat it. We also had cake on Saturday, but it was for the wedding, not my "birthday."

They also asked me to play the piano in church on Sunday, the first time in months. It was great.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. They're a big help. It's good work, and sometimes hard work, so every little bit helps.

Keep the faith. Never forget who you are.

Sincerely,
Elder Banks