Elder and Sister Anderson and Brother and Sister Maynes

Week 21 in the Field: La Vainilla

Hey guys. This week has been really great. We had two baptisms (one of the baptisms fell because he drank coffee a few days before) and we found 11 new investigators.

We had a really neat experience the other day going to a place called La Vainilla. The Vainilla is a small town about 10 minutes by taxi from where we live. It´s technically part of our area but it´s small and far away so we had never gone before. One day we felt like we should go. We went and found a secluded spot to offer a prayer and ask for the Lord´s guidance. We wanted to find the person or people he had sent us there to find and we sought his direction by the Holy Ghost. The very first person we encountered after the prayer was an old man who had been baptized six years ago. He is inactive but was incredibly greatful for our visit. This week we will return to meet his family and friends and hopefully bring the man to activity and find lots of prepared people.

At our baptismal service I was able to share a short talk about the Holy Ghost and I shared some words from a talk from Elder Bednar. In the talk, Elder Bednar explains that receiving the Holy Ghost is not a passive process but an active acquiring. He states:

The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).

What should we do to make this authorized admonition to seek for the companionship of the third member of the Godhead an ongoing reality? Let me suggest that we need to (1) sincerely desire to receive the Holy Ghost, (2) appropriately invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, and (3) faithfully obey God’s commandments.

I invite you all to seek more fully the companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life by following the counsel of Elder Bednar. I love you all and hope everyone is doing great. Thanks for your love and support. We will be having a conference with Elder Neil L Andersen this week so I´ll tell you all about that in the next email!

Elder Dawson

Baptism Saturday March 14, 2015

Elder Proby, Digna Esperanza Ramirez Diaz, Ingrid Arseli Ramirez Diaz, Elder Dawson

Beverly Hills of Gualan

Beverly Hills of Gualan Part 2

Robes,  Josefa Vargas, in our branch made us

Burger King trip with the District

Prayer Spot in La Vainilla

(Answers to Mom's questions:)

What did the Doctor say about your rash? Like how you got it/how to prevent it?

I just sent pictures of it to him and he told me what medicine to take. I didn´t actually go to a doctor here, just got the advice from the Central America church doctor. Probably a bacterial infection from my razor based on the advice.

When you have computer time on your P-day are you allowed to look up stuff like Minute to Win it games and lesson ideas and stuff?

Yeah if your District Leader lets you. Mine normally will.

When do you think your next transfer will be?

I don´t know. I have a feeling maybe I´ll stay here with Elder Proby another change? Word on the street is that President Crapo is having missionaries stay longer than before, like 8 or 9 months in an area.

Is you luggage holding up OK? (Any opinion or advice for Jayden's set we buy him?)

I have literally never used it since I got to Gualan but yeah it´s fine. I only used it from AZ to Guatemala and from Guatemala City to Gualan. Maybe get him one where the luggage can train though? Those look a lot easier to carry around.

Week 20 - Should get to baptize three people on Saturday and 16 new investigators this past week.

This email is going to be pretty short because I´m almost out of time. Great week. Should get to baptize three people on Saturday. Face rash is gone. 16 new investigators this past week. Love you all, I´ll write more next week!

Elder Dawson

(Answers to Grandma's questions)

What bugs do you have there?

We have mosquitos and an occasional cockroach but other than than we are pretty free of bugs.

Love you lots Grandma, thanks for the email! I got your package yesterday and my companion and I have been eating the treats you sent. Thanks so much!

Unfortunately we didn´t do anything to celebrate my six months. Sorry! Pretty busy out here. 

Thanks for all you do Grandma, love you so much!

(Answers to Mom's questions)

How is your rash? Did they give you an antibiotic?

It´s all cleared up. Yeah I got an antibiotic.

How are your shoes holding up? What should we get Jayden?

I really like the hushpuppies, the Doc Martins honestly aren´t as comfortable. I would say get Jayden Hush Puppies.

Is your ingrown toenail better?

Yeah it´s okay.

Did they tell you places that you can eat at, or do you eat anywhere?

We can eat wherever we want.

Week 19 - Blessings will come more frequently and abundantly as you follow the gospel plan of Jesus Christ.

Hey guys! Hope everyone has had an excellent week.

This week we went to Guatemala City to fill out paperwork for my companion Elder Proby. Fortunately we got to go to the mall in the capital afterwards which was pretty cool. Elder Proby got some glasses and I got a shirt. 

We also had a Zone Meeting this week where we talked about personal conversion and working with leaders. I had a really neat spiritual experience as a part of this as well. The previous night I prayed in my evening prayer and after I prayed I paused and distinctly had the word "raíces" come to my mind which means "roots" in Spanish and I thought that was super random. The following day we talked about making our roots deeper in the soil of the gospel and I´m certain that Heavenly Father wanted me to pay special attention to that message. Certainly a fantastic experience!

We also had a cool mission activity this week where we played some Minute to Win it games. We distributed about 500 pamphlets with invitations this week and had an attendance a little bit shy of 100 people. It was fun and successful, albeit a little hectic.

This week I might have to go to the doctor because I have a rash on my chin. My guess is that I shaved with some bacteria on my razor. It looks pretty ugly but it´s gonna be treatable.

I want you all to know that you´re in my prayers and that I´m doing very well! I hope the best for each one of you and I can personally promise that blessings will come more frequently and abundantly as you follow the gospel plan of Jesus Christ.

"Do we realize that happiness here and now consists in freely, lovingly, joyfully acknowledging God’s will for us—and doing it in all ways and all affairs big and small? To live perfectly is to live happily. To live happily is to grow in spiritual strength toward perfection. Every action performed in accord with God’s will is part of that growth. Let us not partition our lives. Let us unify our lives, being contemptuous of fictitious honors and glories that do not come with God’s approval. Let us remember that the real source of our strength and happiness is beyond the reach of men and circumstances." - Ezra Taft Benson 

Have a great week!

(Answers to Tatum's questions)

What is your favorite part of Guatemala so far?

Things like haircuts and food at restaurants are super cheap. A haircut is less than two dollars and a meal at a restaurant is around 3 dollars. The people are really cool too. A lot of times it´s sad cause they´re super poor but there´s never really mean people here.

Is the language getting easier?

Yeah it´s a lot easier now. When I´m talking to people I think pretty much 100% in spanish. Every once in a while there will be a specific word that I don´t know but when they explain it I know what they are talking about.

Elder Dawson in Guatemala City

A woman in Guatemala City asked me if I knew Dic Johnson (because I was from Arizona). I told her he was my Grandma's brother. She took this picture of me and sent it to him. Uncle Dic then sent it to my Grandma Jane and my Grandma Jane sent it to my mom)

Week 18 in the Field - The Life of a Trainer

Hey guys, I hope everyone has had a great week.

This week has been great and really beneficial for my growth as a missionary. Being the senior companion is tiring and I teach about 80% of the lessons or so now but as my companion learns more and more spanish that percentage will decrease.

We´ve started some cool programs to be more organized and animated as missionaries in Gualán. We are going to have an activity this Saturday playing some Minute to Win it games and we are hoping to have a lot of investigators in the chapel.

We also had our first branch counsel here in Gualan which means the leaders are now more willing to work with us.

Unfortunately we lost two baptism dates this week because they suddenly moved to the Guatemala City.

Today I am also in Guatemala City. We were supposed to be here in the morning to fill out some legal paperwork for my companion but our bus got stopped for 5 hours because of a protest in the middle of the freeway. Literally random people just stopped the flow of traffic for 5 hours protesting an electricity company. Nobody even came to stop them so people could go to work. Easily a few thousand people were prevented from travellng. News crews came and stuff. Pretty cool.

This week we were also approached by a somewhat aggressive drunk man who confessed to have killed many people in his life. We were saved by a stranger in a truck who rolled up and said he was a member of the church and took the guy with him in his truck.

We are excited for the ten new investigators who we met this week. Planning on setting quite a few baptism dates this week.

Hope everyone is doing great! Love you all.

"We do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help - divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help,we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with."

-D Todd Christofferson

(Answers to Mom's questions)

Do you hear from any of your companions that have already gone home?

Yes, Elder Rivera writes me. Maybe Elder Torres will write me too but Elder Rojas hasn´t written me.

Maybe take the smaller size pants and 1 pair of larger pants and see how someone does tailoring one pair before you take them all?

Yeah Elder Proby already got his pants tailored by Sister Josefa and they turned out really good but I´ll just bring one the start with.

Did you move your two beds back into the bedroom?

No, we like them better in that bigger room.

Does your new hot shower thing work well?

No, it broke already. It was like the equivalent of $10 so it was a piece of junk.

Are you still doing Saturday English Classes?  How is it going?

Yes, it´s pretty good. We only have like 4 people go though, we need more.

Are your neighbors friendly?

Yeah we only have one neighbor and he´s super super cool. Yesterday he bought us a cake.

Has Cristino used the headlamps?

Not gonna lie, we are actually holding onto those for a bit because we are planning to go explore some caves. After that we will give them to him.

What can I send you? I still have some cocoa to send.  It just hasn't fit in the last couple of packages I have sent.

I´m pretty good right now, but thanks! I love the valentines day package! We used the decorating stuff for a party we had this week in the church.

Are you going to do some kind of tradition for your 6 month mark? People say you burn a tie? Do you want me to send you some new ties - if you burn one?

We have a bag with like 15 ugly ties in the house. When you have companions that leave you get a bunch of hand me downs so I´m good haha.

Do you wear your retainer? You should go to the dentist soon.  It has almost been 6 months since you had a cleaning. I guess they schedule that for you.  Have they said anything?

Honesty I do not wear my retainer but I guess I´ll start. No idea how dentists work here either. You might just get to go if you have a problem. But I can ask.

Week 17 in the Field - No More Elder Torres and I´m a Trainer

Hey guys, hope everything is going well!

Well this week was kind of sad because my companion Elder Torres left and now we´re just a companionship of two. But now I get to train which is really exciting!

Right now I´m really excited for two investigators named Raquel and Walter. They are fundamental christian-type people but they are reading the Book of Mormon and they are progressing a lot in knowledge.

Other than that I´m really good. This week was honestly a little uneventful, just saying goodbye to Elder Torres and teaching lessons to our progressing investigators.

I spoke this Sunday in sacrament about the Book of Mormon. I love this quote from Bruce R McConkie:

Let this message be sounded in every ear with an angelic trump; let it roll round the earth in resounding claps of never-ending thunder; let it be whispered in every heart by the still, small voice. Those who believe the Book of Mormon and accept Joseph Smith as a prophet thereby open the door to salvation; those who reject the book outright or who simply fail to learn its message and believe its teachings never so much as begin to travel that course along the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life.

I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon, and if you are already doing so then with increased passion and fervor. I testify that this book allows us to grow closer to the Savior and to receive divine blessings in our lives.

Love you all, have a great week!

(Questions/Answers from Grandma's email):

Do you think more in Spanish now than in English?

Right now I am companions with Elder Proby and he speaks English so we always talk in English when we´re at the house (Unless we´re practicing for lessons). So I still think in English a lot. But when I´m in lessons I think pretty much exclusively in Spanish.

Are you eating anything?

Haha yeah we have plenty of food, we just walk a lot so I´ve been slimming down.

Does it seem longer than 6 month that you have been a missionary?

This has definitely been a super busy six months but at the same time things move quickly when you have a schedule and you´re always busy. So in some ways it seems like I´ve been here a long time and in other ways I don´t even feel like I have six months yet.