A Solid Week!

It was a pretty solid week. We had divisions with the assistants on Tuesday, worldwide conference for missionaries on Wednesday and then on Thursday we had a small service project and then worked all day so it was kind of a crazy week but it was super fun and super busy!!

I enjoy being with the assistants. They're super good missionaries that have a real desire to help the missionaries make it to their true potential.  It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot!  One thing I learned from the assistants was how our attitude makes the biggest difference. When we're happy and excited to share our message, it's a whole different lesson but when it becomes a habit or a routine to be sharing the lessons then it's a whole different message. Also, I learned that when we make our invitations more direct, it makes the compromise more direct if that makes sense. We had several lessons where we invited people to change something specific in their lives like read the scriptures more or pray more and we had some super awesome lessons.

For the worldwide missionary conference, we got together with 2 other zones and President Crapo came with us too! It was basically just a change in everything. They told us that we basically have the option to choose our schedule. That we know our areas and everything and we know what we need to do and when so that was super cool. Lots of training and counsels. It was fun to hear them.

It was a super busy week but I like having busy weeks cause that way we're not looking for things to do or trying to fill the time. It's all just laid out for us you know? The service project was good!! We are pros at little service projects now hahaha!  My companion and I helped a member clear out the house to repaint everything and painted the house and then moved everything back inside. Painting here is so much different then painting there.... over here you just kind of slap it on hahaha!

Our missionaries are doing good though.  Some are getting ready to have changes and I'm kind nervous about it all honestly.  I should have transfer information next week.

I'm so glad to hear that Paul’s family is doing alright.  I know that Paul is needed in another place but he will always be a special friend.  Heavenly Father's plan for us is perfect though and I know that everything is alright.

Our investigators are progressing.  Many came to church again yesterday and seem to really enjoy it and learn a lot.  The members are so welcoming!  We are looking forward to baptism dates in no time!

The new apartment is fantastic.  Hot water is the secret to good missionary life hahaha! We finally got our phone and we can call and check up on everyone now.

All is well in Guatemala!

Love to you all—

Elder Lott

Hard Work and Dedication Pay Off

It has been a good week!! We have done lots of traveling and lots of walking and lots of visits! We have been traveling all over our area without stopping.  We have been working with members and we have like 12 investigators that have their baptism as a goal.  

I was so sad to hear about the passing of one of our fellow lacrosse brothers, Paul Evans.  It seems so weird to lose a classmate and a teammate…someone that you have so many memories with and such a good friendship with.  I loved that kid!  I wish I could have seen him one more time before his passing.  I know I’ll see him again but it sure is rough to hear those things. 

All is well here though. We just received news today that our phone is with our neighboring elders here. We just have to go and pick it up!

The haircut is finally at a point where I feel comfortable taking pictures so I'll try and get a few your way.  Sorry about that.

We are working super hard.  We're getting everything ready for when my companion goes so I can pick it right up with my new companion and baptize lots.  In two weeks they tell us about transfers but I imagine that Elder Martinez is outta here because he has 6 months here already. I'm good to stay though. I like the area and the members have really helped me out and love me so I'm good to stay a little while longer.  I learn so much from all the members and investigators in every area. I love the mission!

A moment in my week that stands out...I think what stood out to me is just how hard work and dedicated work pay off. We went and visited a less active family and invited them to come to church and they accepted and then told us to go and visit a family member of theirs that lived just up the street.... well... mountain.  So, we went and visited her and left the same invitation. We also found out that the daughter of this family member hasn't been baptized and has the desire. The Lord has prepared these people for baptism.  It's so crazy. I LOVE to see the Lord's hand in his work and I see it literally like every single day.

I'm super healthy. We are getting up and running like every day or every other day and I'm feeling super good. Oh, but yesterday we went and ate lunch with a member and forgot we had made a lunch appointment with another family so when they called to confirm the appointment we had to go and eat a 2nd time and I wasn't feeling too good yesterday.... I ate wayyyyyyyy too much!  It's impossible to say no to the people here.... I think that's why missionaries gain weight 

The missionaries in our zone and doing good! Staying busy!! We're trying to plan a fun service activity as a zone for next week.  We want to do a community cleaning project and paint the curbs and plant trees and clean the streets and everything but we have to talk to the like city government or something like that...  Gotta run…

Love you all!

Elder Lott

10 Investigators at church :) and a lost phone :(

My week has been so good!  We had TONS of visits this last week and on Sunday we brought 10 investigators to church!!! We made like 50 phone calls on Saturday night to get everything lined up.  It was a riot to keep them all together and get them to their classes and then get them all home afterwards but it was so worth it and such a good feeling :)  It was a successful week and we're hoping for more help and more success this coming week!! 

We have been teaching a young woman.  She came to church with us and then we walked her home with another brother after church and we were asking her tons of questions about the church and everything and she seems to be super excited about it.  The young women had new beginnings this week and we took her to that and that was fun.  It made me think of mom.

Guess what happened to us on Friday?  We lost our little brick phone.  We were going to visit some other missionaries in their area so we hopped on the bus and then when we were in our way we called the missionaries and asked them where we were going to meet. I put the phone right back in my pocket and when we got off the bus... it wasn't there anymore :(

I don't really know if it was a pick pocket or not.  I remember putting it in my pocket and my companion said he saw me put it in my pocket too so I don't know if it fell out of my pocket while I was still sitting down or if someone snagged it... not sure... huge bummer though!

We already called the phone and someone answered and said that somebody had sold it to him in another city and that he wasn't willing to give it back.  We offered to buy it back from him but he wasn't willing.  The thing is that the missionaries’ phones have like unlimited phone calls so he was loving life.  We already called the mission office though and they are going to cancel it and send us a new one... but not until like Wednesday.  We have to use the public payphones to make any phone calls now.... good thing I have a coin stash where I've saved all the coins I've ever had from the whole mission.  And it’s a good thing Guatemala is still like the old days you describe with pay phones everywhere on the streets.

No, I will not take a picture of my haircut.  It's like the haircut that I got when we buzzed my head... almost identical.  It doesn't matter how I tell them to cut my hair, it always ends up being the same.  My haircut is doing a little better now. It's not unbearably short anymore. It's grown a little bit. 

Yes, I seem to be struggling to get you pictures.  It's a combination of having my camera with me and finding WiFi. Sometimes when I find WiFi, I don't have my camera.  I will eventually get you some holiday pictures.

We already got our “to do” list done for today so now we’re off to do visits.  I love the gospel and these good people and I love you all!

Love,

Elder Lott

Bad Haircut

I couldn’t take any pictures this week because I got a haircut and my hair is way too short.   I look ugly so I didn't want to take any pictures.  We went to get haircuts the day after New Year and ALL of the hair stores were closed so we found like this old beat up sketchy place that was cutting hair and made a go with it.... Big mistake.... oh well.  I have chubbier cheeks with shorter hair but the nice thing about bad haircuts is they eventually grow out.

We were able to explore a new part of our area that we didn't know about until we got a reference from one of the members and we went to visit the reference with the member in a new part of our area. My companion was like, “geez I have like 5 months here and I've never heard of or seen this place.”  It was super funny but a great time!

 

Our investigators are doing good!! Slowly but surely they're progressing.  We're finding more and more now too because we have a new goal as a mission to work with members to find and visit references and it has been super effective for us!! We're finding or receiving like one reference every day!! In the future that will lead to lots of baptisms.  It is amazing to see how the Lord's work is moving forward and it is so fun to be involved.  It's definitely moving forward and the Lord is definitely preparing his children.

This week has been super good. With the new mission goals for this year we have really just taken a whole new approach on visiting members more and sharing a message with them and asking for references. After we have references we try to make plans then and there with the members to go and visit their friends or neighbors and it has been a huge success.   It is definitely easier when we can say a friend sent us or especially when we show up at the house with that friend.  It’s great!

We also have zone conference coming up so me and my companion have to get everything prepared for a visit from President Crapo and his wife.  We will share a little class with the zone and we're kind of nervous for that but it'll be fun.

It's freezing cold today and we're going to make the last of the hot chocolate you sent tonight.  Me and my companion were both super excited to get it because the only hot drink they sell here is coffee and he said he always bought hot chocolate in Mexico too so it was definitely a treat!

You say it’s so warm here compared to home.  Maybe I'm just not used to this kind of cold anymore and I'm more used to the hot so it's freezing cold for me. I would say it's less than 60 degrees though.... the air is freezing cold and we still got up and went for a run today. My companion is motivated.  (It’s a good thing he’s coming home in the summer.)

Hope you all have a great week—stay warm and dry :)

Love,

Elder Lott

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How is everyone?

The celebrations for Christmas and New Years here are basically the same. Just tons and TONS of fireworks in every single house here and lots and lots of food. The people here make lots of food and snacks that they don't make throughout the whole year like we do with Christmas fudge so there's lots of good food for the holidays. Most of the people are too busy to hang out with the missionaries but others are happy to welcome the missionaries and give them food :)

We got all moved into our new apartment. Nothing like a good move to clean things up! It's lots smaller, but it's super clean and everything is in order. We have water every day and even have hot water to shower in.  The hot water comes right out of the shower head already heated up and it’s amazing!! The new house is super warm all the time too.  In fact, at like noon it's burning hot in our house because it's upstairs and the sun is hitting it all day.  Moving is basically the worst thing ever but I'm glad we did it because having a new house where everything is clean and nice is super wonderful.  Life is great!

Hey I saw David and Janet!!!  They came looking for me in my area and they found me! They came to give me a Christmas gift with some chocolates. It was so fun to see them and talk for a minute. They said they're going to cook for me and my comp and then bring us the food so I'm excited for that too.

Almost every single companionship in our zone is in training right now but I think we’re helping them lots.  There is a brand-new missionary from Wyoming that came to our zone.  He came here right out of the CCM.  He’s a little scared and reminds me of days past.  I try to be for him somebody that he can talk to in English and express his frustrations and everything because that's always what I wanted!! I don't really remember those days until I see somebody else going through them and then I remember it like it was yesterday! Throwing yourself into a new country not knowing a bit of the language is probably the one of the biggest challenges ever. But it's super cool in the end to look back and see all of the progress. 

Our leader meeting with President Crapo was super good. We talked about the changes coming up in the new schedule for the mission and the new mission standard as well and how we can work better with the members and everything. It was a great meeting.  I always learn a lot from President Crapo.

No, our Sunday schedule didn’t change…just stays the same.  I haven't ever been in a ward here that starts after 9. It has always been at 9 or at 8.... yikes!

We are still hoping to have at least like 3 or 4 baptisms for January.... Lots of faith!

Gotta go…we're about to go eat dinner with a family and then visit another family and call it a day.

Happy New Year!
Love, 

Elder Lott