December 27, 2016---MOUNTAINS, TEMPLE, BARBECUE ON THE ROOF, NAVIDAD (CHRISTMAS), GIFT EXCHANGES AS A DISTRICT

December 27, 2016

 MOUNTAINS

TEMPLE

BARBECUE ON THE ROOF

NAVIDAD (CHRISTMAS)

GIFT EXCHANGES AS A DISTRICT

December 20, 2016---BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, SERVICE, AWESOME, GRATEFUL

BAPTISM

MARRIAGE

SERVICE
That's awesome!  Service is the best.  I have really learned to love service. 

AWESOME
We were able to have the wedding and baptism on Sunday!  Super awesome!!!  Lots of stress to get it all ready but when it happened felt so great haha.  

We are finding more people and that's great.  It's hard to find people that really want to change because  a lot of the people here don't want to even listen to us and to complete our "normas de excellencia" (standards of excellence). 

GRATEFUL
I'm so grateful for the family B---.  They are so awesome!  I'm so grateful for everything.  I'm so blessed and love the mission and you guys!!!  Be safe!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat 

YO!!! LOOKING FOR THE MIRACLES, THE GOSPEL REALLY HELPS US

YO!!!

                                                                         Bautismo de Hermana B---!!!

LOOKING FOR MIRACLES
So we had a baptism this week with Hermana B--- and that was awesome. We have plans to marry and baptize a couple this next week that are all part of the famliia B---.  They are so great and it's awesome to see the difference in thier faces and how happy they are. We are looking for some miracles for the 25th.  I know we can do it. 

THE GOSPEL REALLY HELPS US
So a drunk guy was talking to us yesterday and he was super sad and he tried walking out into the street to kill himself.  So we grabbed him and stopped him and tried finding someone to help him out cuz we were lost looking for a familiy so we sat him down and I gave him a folleto (brochure) to distract him from going into the street again. We left and when I looked back, he was gone.  So idk what happened with him or where he went, but you really can see the destruction that satan causes everywehre for alchol:  family problems, no love of you neighbor etc. The gospel really helps us.  

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

December 7, 2016

Baptism of part of the family Bac.  They are super awesome!

I got a new companion that has just left his training.  He is from Honduras, Elder Salazar.  His trainer was Elder Rosin who enterend with me ha.  Weird to have someone with only 3 months in the mission haha.  We are going to have a lot of success.  I know we can if we put our trust in God and work hard.  

Food in the house that we cooked.

A vegetable kind of, idk, like squash but less suave (smooth) in a sweet sauce that fam Bac gave us.

Les Amo 

Elder Sweat

BAPTISM, CLEAN OF THEIR SINS, ELDER QUIROS AND HIS LANDING, FOOTBALL, FOOD, AND FAMILY, THROWING UP, LETTER FROM MOM, #HOWBADDOYOUWANTIT?

BAPTISM
We were blessed to have another baptism this week of Z---------.  His family are almost all members and my companion baptized him.  But the cool thing is the pila (battery?) is outside.  Never seen anything like it.   

CLEAN OF THEIR SINS
We are doing great.  We have a lot of people who are going to church and have the opportunity to be clean of their sins.  BTW, we have changes this next week.  Fijo (fixed) that I'm staying here in my area, but idk if I'll be with Elder Quiros or what. 

ELDER QUIROS AND HIS LANDING
Funny story...we were in a bus and we jumped out the back but when Elder Quiros was leaving, the bus went and he landed on his butt, haha.  Pretty funny.  

FOOTBALL, FOOD, AND FAMILY
On Thanksgiving, we worked like normal, but a member that works for UPS gave us a Mini-Thanksgiving dinner.    So we ate a little bit of chicken and rice and tortillas with him and his family and it was awesome.  I remember all the football, food, and family on Thanksgiving at home.  Three of my greatest loves, hahaha.   

THROWING UP
It's getting a little rainy here, too.  Yeah, well I didn't get a cold but I was throwing up, haha.  Hay que pagar el precio para bautizar (you have to pay the price to baptize). 

LETTER FROM MOM

"There was a great talk today in sacrament meeting. The topic was something I needed to hear.   It was discussing complacency and how when things are good, it's easy to come to a stand-still in the gospel.  He talked about how if we are standing still, even while holding to the rod, we have the chance that we might just let go.  He gave a list of Spiritual Inhibitors.  1. Lack of desire, ie:  set alarm for 5 am to exercise.  Hit the snooze.  You want to exercise but have lack of desire to get up early.  2.  Dwell in the past.  Don't relive your glory days, you will miss what is going on while you are living your life.  3.  Lack of gospel application, skimming our scriptures, not studying.  4.  Lack of time.  Good, better, and best.  Here are the enablers.  1.  Action, 2.  Creation:  Writing a song and publishing it.  It's a powerful tool to enable spiritual growth.  Bringing something into existence that didn't exist before.  3.  Sacrifice.  Act promptly on inspiration.  Loved this perspective."  Letter from Mom

Response to letter:  No, it's true.  One of the assistants said that sometimes we are sleep walking.  It's true.  It's what I've noticed is one of my weaknesses is to get comfortable and be more relaxed.  But we can't do that.  We need to always be moving and ready do, change, and get better.

#HOWBADDOYOUWANTIT?

Oh yeah, a miracle this week is we received permission to go to a gym by our house.  So now my companion and I wake up at 4:50 a.m. to go workout.#howbaddoyouwantit? 

Le Amo usted es la mejor! (I love you you are the best!)

Elder Sweat

FOOTBALL APPLIES IN THE MISSION, TRUST MORE IN THE LORD, THE STORMIN' MORMON

FOOTBALL APPLIES IN THE MISSION
Yeah, so we were able to baptize a kid named G--------.  He's great.  We had to do it twice because of a name switch, but it's all good.  Satan was trying to stop the baptism, haha, serious.  We have a heater for the water here, cuz it's pretty cold, and it exploded.  We had the name switch, but when we trust in God everything is going to be okay.  When I baptized I literally lifted him out of the water to get him out of the cold as fast as possible, haha.  Football applies in the mission. 

TRUST MORE IN THE LORD
I always like divisions becasue I always learn something new from the Zone Leaders. To trust more in the Lord and work with the members is something that I'm doing more to help us and we are seeing the results.  

THE STORMIN' MORMON
A friend wrote me about something super cool.  He said, "By the way, I told our coaches about you (and) showed them your (football) highlight tape a couple days ago, they call you The Stormin' Mormon! haha."  Who knows?  God provides for his children when we do the right things. Never close a door. 

Hope the familiy is awesome and growing spiritually, too!!!!  Love you all so much!!!!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

November 15, 2016----GOT TO KEEP THE FAITH, EVERYTHING IS REALLY GOING TO BE OKAY, IT'S AWESOME AND TRUE

November 15, 2016 

The hike the week before.

GOT TO KEEP THE FAITH

We are doing great right now.  We have a baptism scheduled for this week and we have been working with a family that is super awesome and they went to church and they told us the church was perfect haha.  Lots of miracles this past week.  It's awesome. Got to keep the fe (faith) to see the miracles. I'm grateful I'm here, too haha.  Amo la mision (he loves the mission)  I'm learning to really appreciate work and service.  Sometimes it's hard, but feels great afterwards.  

We ate tortillas and guacamole and platanos (bananas) roasted in the fire with corn on the cob.  They just throw it the fire-ashes and it's cooks the elote (Mexican corn).  

EVERYTHING IS REALLY GOING TO BE OKAY

Well, tell the family that all is well here. We need to enjoy the moments when we are suffering, too because everything is really going to be okay.  The gospel is true.  It brings lots of joy, knowledge, and peace to our lives and what I like most is it helps us change to cumplir nuestro potencial que nuestro Padre Celestial tiene preparado para nosotros ( fulfill our potential that our Heavenly Father has in store for us). Sorry, I couldn't think of it in english, but I think you will understand haha. 

The hike the week before.

IT'S AWESOME AND TRUE

"...think of how you felt when for the first time you believed and understood that you are truly a child of God; that Jesus Christ willingly suffered for your sins so that you may be clean again; that priesthood power is real and can bind you to your loved ones for time and for all eternity; that there is a living prophet on the earth today. Isn’t that wonderful and amazing?

Considering all of this, how could it ever be possible that we of all people would not be excited about attending our Church worship services? Or get tired of reading the holy scriptures? I suppose this could be possible only if our hearts were past feeling to experience gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips, but sometimes we sleepwalk on the path of discipleship. Too often we let ourselves be distracted by the imperfections of our fellow members instead of following the example of our Master. We tread a path covered with diamonds, but we can scarcely distinguish them from ordinary pebbles." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2016 October General Conference (quote Dad sent)

Really felt the spirit reading this quote.  It is awesome and true.  Hope the family is awesome.  I love them all so much.  Another thing I'm learning, haha, is el amor (to love).

P.S.  On divisions I walked like 9 kilometros (kilometers) (5.9 miles) because there wasn't a bus haha. Blessings!!!!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

NOVEMBER 8, 2016---PERFECT, SACRAMENT, ENGLISH, 4 POUNDS OF MEAT

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Top of mountain flower power.

PERFECT
I am actually very happy that I made the decision to serve a mission.  I want to change and help this area grow and have people that are converted. The assistants told us everyone of us is perfect for area in this moment. Pretty cool to think about. Means we got to work hard and find out why we are in our areas.  

SACRAMENT
I have blessed the sacrament the last 2 Sundays here.  I enjoy it because I don't have the opportunity to do it very much.  Teaching is fun.  If I get back and have to teach I think I'm going to teach in Spanish, haha. 

ENGLISH
I was talking to President Markham on the phone and he said, "Elder Sweat, you can talk to me in English."   And so I started to and couldn't remember a word and he was like, "Don't worry!" haha. I think something that I need to do here is really help all my companions learn English.  I feel a strong impression to do so so that's what I want to do.  

After the mountain climb.

4 POUNDS OF MEAT
We climbed a mountain for p-day and we ate 4 pounds of meat, hahah.  Super awesome and full.  Churrasco (beef or grilled meat).  I'm also doing better on exercise and getting stronger otra vez (again) little by little. I love you so much!  Sigue adelante (keep going)!

P.S.  We really need to appreciate all of it, the Bible,  The Book of Mormon, the atonement, everything.

Les Amo

Elder Sweat 

Happiness is all in the mente hombre (mind man).

November 1, 2016---LETTER FROM PRESIDENT MARKHAM, COWBOYS, SOUP, MIRACLE

November 1, 2016

Elder Sweat y Elder Quiros en Patzicia!!!

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT MARKHAM

Dear family of Elder Dietrich Bowman Sweat,

It is with love that we inform you that Elder Sweat, has been called to serve as a District Leader in the Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission.  This is a responsibility and opportunity to lead missionaries by example.

As a District Leader, Elder Sweat will be required to hold a weekly training meaning and assist in the mission training program as directed by the mission president. He is expected to be an example to all of the missionaries in his district. We know that he will fulfill this responsibility with honor.

We thank Elder Sweat for his desire to serve the Lord and keep his commitment as outlined in his call from the First Presidency.

Yours Faithfully,

Melvin G. Markham
Mission President

COWBOYS
There are a bunch of cowboys here, haha. It's kind of like Idaho but more mountains.  I haven't been able to go to Tecpan yet but we will this week.  Most of the people here can speak spanish and don't respond in the native language.  But I at least want to learn a little Kaqchikel.

SOUP
It was like 60 degrees this last week, so super different ha.   The food is lots of soups with a thing called wiskil which is kind of like squash.  It's pretty good.  Lots of chicken, too.  It's definitely a new experience and hard but I know that we are going to have success here.  We can do it.

MIRACLE Letter to Presidente Markham--We had a miracle because the Presidente de Rama (branch president) had a noche de hogar con nosotros y sus consejeros y familias (home evening with us and his counsielors and the families).  We taught caridad (charity) and afterwards Pres. Escobar stood up and like did a sermon, haha. But it was awesome because he was saying that he has the trust in us and wants the they can all bring one menos activo (less active) and one investgador to the church to be converted baptized by the end of this year. Really was special b/c we now have the trust of the obizbado and we are really going to work together to help lots of people change.

P.S.  I dont know if I told you but Elder Quiros enterd the field with me so pretty cool.

Les Amo Mucho
Elder Sweat

October 26, 2016---CHANGES, FRIENDS, BAPTISM

October 26, 2016

Volcano Pacaya!!!

CHANGES
We had changes and I'm now in a place called Patzicia.  My areas are Zaragoza and Tecpan, which are in the mountains.  iI's pretty cold here especially because I am just arriving from the coast, haha.  Everyone says the missionaries in the mountains can't baptize.  But I know that my companion, Elder Quiros, from Costa Rica, and I are going to baptize and so will the whole district and zone. It's a lot different here.  People are a little more closed.  But I know that if we have pateince and love and if we pút our trust in God we will help a lot of people here.  We are opening an area here so it's a little crazy and hard right now, but I know that we are going to find lots of miracles.

Otra vez con Elder Lozano haha (again with Elder Lozano).

FRIENDS
The mission is special.  You make friends that you wouldn't have done in other places.  

Luis!!!

BAPTISM

This week was great.  We had a baptism my last Sunday.  He has been going to church ever since like the 3rd week I was in Jacarandas, so it felt good when he decided to be baptized. 

Zona Patzicia

Les Amo Mucho

Elder Sweat

October 11, 2016---THE FAST ALWAYS BRINGS MIRACLES, FASTING FOR A MIRACLE, ANIMALS IN A PEOPLE HOUSE, SHE REPEATED AND I UNDERSTOOD

October 11, 2016

 THE FAST ALWAYS BRINGS MIRACLES
 "Without the help of members, the work can't progress. It's a work of everybody putting the pieces together."  President Cook.  The fast always brings miracles.-excerpt from my letter to Presidente Markham.  

FASTING FOR A MIRACLE
This week was a little tough because we had a bunch of people that said they were going to go to church and we passed for all of them.  It was really frustrating and we were fasting and always hay un milgro cuando estamos ayunando (there is a miracle when we are fasting). A man came with a member and he was so prepared that he dreamed about a temple.   He went to church and was saying it's true and stuff.  So that was an awesome milagro (miracle) that we saw this week. I am definitely learning a lot in the mission about fasting and the priesthood, especially. 

ANIMALS IN  A PEOPLE HOUSE
We have had about every type of animal in our house haha.  Geckos, toads, rats, scorpions, ants, black wasps, spiders...just missing a snake and a bird, haha.  

SHE REPEATED AND I UNDERSTOOD
So we were eating lunch at a member's house and one of the guys in our district was sick so she (the member) asked if we wanted to sleep in the hammock for a couple minutes but I didn't listen well and thought she asked if we wanted more limonada (lemonade) so I raised the bucket that was empty like yeah,  we want some more, haha.  But she was like, no, and repeated and I understood, haha.  Had my mind focused on the drink, haha.

I pray for you guys everyday!

Love,

Elder Sweat

October 18, 2016---TRUST IN GOD, WITH GOD'S HELP, WEIRD RUMORS, A BAD SNAKE

 October 18, 2016

Excerpt from my letter to Presidente Markham---
"This week went by pretty fast. Time really is precious cuz a week can go by in like a flash of an eye. I have been thinking how am I doing, what have I've done and what am I going to do. I think self evaluations really help a lot to see how we can better ourselves. What I love about the mission is a lot of things, growth of knowledge/testimony, the people of Guatemala and the mission, the experiences. I think I like everything about ha because I'm really learning a lot about now but also for the future. The mission is a once in a lifetime and I'm glad I made this decision to serve and receive these blessings."

TRUST IN GOD
It was a pretty good week.  We have some people that can really progress. We were able to cerrar el acuerdo (close the deal) with one investigator this Sunday.  There is a scripture that says in Mark 16:16:  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  when my companion asked that question (to be baptized?) after reading that scripture, I felt the spirit very strong and I know everyone else did too. Then, he accepted.  What I'm trying to get better at is putting my trust in God more then in my own knowledge cuz it doesn't work the other way.  

WITH GOD'S HELP
"Those who are obedient to the Lord’s commandments and who faithfully observe the Word of Wisdom are promised particular blessings, among which are good health and added physical stamina." - President Thomas S. Monson, 2016, October General Conference
    
I like the quote cuz lots of people here have situations with the palabra de sabiduria (word of wisdom).  It's hard but they can do it.  With God's help we can overcome cualqier (any) addiction.

WEIRD RUMORS

We found a man that went to church and as we asked him about his experience in the church and stuff he said. "Well now I know that Joseph Smith isn't a black guy that eats humans," haha. Weird rumors always are going to be around haha.

 

A BAD SNAKE

Also, we had a bad snake in our house but luckily there was a member that drives taxi that brought the Zone leaders to our house, for divisions, that told us we needed to kill it now. So he went out side to his car as we were planning how to kill it.  He returned with his machete that he had in his trunk and chopped the snake good but couldn't cut off the head.  But, don't worry, it died haha.  Now the only thing that hasn't been in our house now is a bird haha. Amo la mision (I love the mission).

Les Amo un Monton!
Elder Sweat

WE HAVE TO SUFFER TO HAVE SUCCESS, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT OUT HERE, GENERAL CONFERENCE IS STRAIGHT REVELATION, INSPIRING PHOTOS FROM HOME, "A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, BUT 1 MILLION ON A MISSION, HA HA"

Divisions with Elder Stein!

Another photo with my companion, Elder Molina.

WE HAVE TO SUFFER TO HAVE SUCCESS
We have been having some challenges but hay que sufrir to have exito (have to suffer to have success), so we are just going to plow along. 

THAT'S HOW WE DO IT OUT HERE
Story:  So my companion found a mouse in our house the nextt day we got him cornered in our house trying to kill it.   And a long story short, I stomped him and killed him, ha ha.  Reminded me of the farm, ha ha.  Thanks for showing me what's what, ha ha. That's how we do it out here, ha ha.  

GENERAL CONFERENCE IS STRAIGHT REVELATION
General Conference is straight revelation.  We should always bring questions that we want to have answered with us when we listen to or watch General Conference. 

Les Amo Mucho

Elder Sweat 

INSPIRING PHOTOS FROM HOME

A photo of some of the wildlife on the Ohlone Farm.  (left)













Dominican Ken Doll, if there was one.  Look, Ma, no mustache.  (below)

"A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, BUT 1 MILLION ON A MISSION, HA HA"
"A picture is worth a thousand words, but 1 million on a mission, ha ha."  (Referring to the photos we send weekly)  You can quote me if you want, ha ha.  Seeing that bee reminds me that we have black wasps inside our house and we have had some fun killing them, ha ha. Also got stung for the 1st time in my bendito (blessed) life by a little black wasp, when I was contacting, right in the web of my hand, ha ha.  But it's all good cuz I got him back, ha ha.  But he ain't breathing (anymore) ha ha.

Les Amo,

Elder Sweat

PHOTOS AND A QUICK STORY

PHOTOS AND A QUICK STORY

We are doing great!  My companion and I have some pretty good unity in our relationship and in our teaching, so that's great. 

Quick story-So some of our converts wanted, for different reasons, to stop going to church.  So we all visited with the Bishop yesterday and you could really feel the spirit and they decided to go again and are pumped for the priesthood session!  Super awesome!  The power in members and liderazgo (leadership).

Love to all the fam!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

I LOVE THE MISSION!

I LOVE THE MISSION!

The sister we baptized is so great and so converted to the gospel. What I love is every time we visit she's telling us that she can wash our shirts or if we need food and this Sunday she was asking if she could pay her tithing now, ha ha. I was like for sure and she wanted take some tithing papers.  I was just like take all you want sister, ha ha she's awesome.

Elder Molina is great and teaches superb and likes to joke around.  This week was  little rough cuz we didn't have a house so we were looking for one but we are trying to find it by the spirit.

Love to all the family!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

P.S.  Funny story.  So, we went a little late to leave one of our areas that only has buses at certain times but miraculously we found one and squeezed on and there were only women on this bus and like 2 guys but the rest women.  We were crammed in this tiny busito and we found out that they were a soccer team.  But they were yelling and screaming and laughing and it just felt like something out of a movie and it was pretty funny.  Elder Molina was like, "Hey!  Don't yell!"  And then they all started like yelling at him.  Not, like mad, but like dude, be cool ha ha ha, pretty fun.  Amo la mision (I love the mission).

A LITTLE CRAZY, BLESSINGS WHETHER WE LIVE IN A BOX OR A MANSION, FEAR IS OF THE DEVIL, WE ARE YOUNG ONES THAT ARE GOING TO CAST FIRE HERE

A LITTLE CRAZY

So, this week has been a little crazy, to say the very least, ha ha.  We were able to baptize a sister.  She is so awesome and has so much faith. I don't have a picture cuz my camera doesn't work but a sister in the barrio (ward) took a photo and is going to send it to me, I think.  Sorry, ha. 

BLESSINGS WHETHER WE LIVE IN A BOX OR A MANSION

We had a noche de hogar (home night) with an awesome family.  We visited with them and it was very spiritual and I kind of realized, in that moment, as we sat there, this is the reason for the mission. This family has been changing to be better.  We all could really feel the spirit of love.  I cherish this moment.  Sometimes, we don't take time to appreciate the gospel or the family, but we really need to cuz we have so many blessings.  We have these blessings whether we live in a mansion or in a box.  God loves us all and has given us his evangelio (gospel) to help us feel His love. 

FEAR IS OF THE DEVIL

Another testimony of the sacerdocio (priesthood).  We were able to give a blessing to a sister that asked for one.  She had like a random like paralysis attack.  After the blessing, she started to breathe normal and the next day she was fine.  The sacerdocio (priesthood) is so important and is a great blessing. We need to use it to bless others and not have fear to give blessings, etc. cuz fear is of the Devil.  

WE ARE YOUNG ONES THAT ARE GOING TO CAST FIRE HERE

We also had changes and I'm staying in Jacarandas.  So, I'm going to complete 11 months and a year here, ha ha.  Pretty crazy.  My new companion is named Elder Molina and he is from Ecuador.  He has one year in the mission so we will finish together. So, we're just some young ones that are going to eachar fuego aqui (cast fire here).  We have to find a house and stuff cuz they are opening another area in our area so we will have more time to focus on areas.  Two Brazilians, the only 2 in the mission, are opening it up.  Thought you might like to know, Dad, ha ha.

P.S  Elder Lozano is now my leader de zona (Zone Leader),  ha   ha.  

P.P.S.  Oh, yeah.  My 1st baptism got to go to the temple when Elder Lozano was still there.  Ha ha, it's so awesome!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat