Wednesday, August 30, 2017

August 29, 2017---IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE MOST TALENTED TEAM, THEN BE THE HARDEST WORKING TEAM

August 29, 2017

IF YOU ARE NOT THE MOST TALENTED , THEN BE THE HARDEST WORKING
This week was still pretty hard but you know there is something to learn from it. We received a reference of a man that wants to reactivate but his wife is not a member so you have to see the miracles that come for working hard. We were running all around teaching and knocking and etc. Sometimes it's easy to just give up and just stop working so hard when it goes tough but a thought came into my mind right now. Just think if Jesus would've given up??? Where would we be??? Not here, haha. We need to appreciate the Savior but also the desafios (challenges) that come. We need to work hard and keep going. It's like in football. You get a solid team that doesn't want to roll over. If you want to win you play till the last minute cuz everything that we do or don't do can affect the outcome of the game. My companion and I were talking about the mission and I told him about when I was playing football one year my coaches would say that if we are not going to be the most winning or talented team we are going to be the most fit and conditioned team. And so he would run us, ha ha. But we ended up having success. Elder Griffen and I decided if we are not going to be the best Zone that we are going to need to be the hardest working Zone, ha ha. We will see what happens, but I love the mission and I'm glad for the many things I learn everyday.

I hope the fam is all good.

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

The G. familia gave me a surprise bday cake and food. I thought we were going over to paint at there house but, naw, ha ha. Tan agradecido por ellos y sus amor y caridad que tienen. (So grateful for them and their love and charity they have.)

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

August 22, 2017---TO HAVE SUCCESS YOU HAVE TO OFFER SOMETHING OF YOURSELF

Villa Nueva y Asistentes

TO HAVE SUCCESS YOU HAVE TO OFFER SOMETHING OF YOURSELF
Well, this week was a little hard like always, but a little extra, ha. We put a bunch of commitments and things we were going to change and it seemed like everything went for the worst and hit rock bottom. But like Elder Griffin is always saying, "It's just a prueba de la fe (test of faith) to see if we keep going or give up or go slack." I feel like God has been trying to teach me something. I've been in my areas for lots of time so I think he has been trying to get through my thick skull that I need to be patient and learn to not give up on my faith and to keep going which def applies after the mission, too. It's hard, but everything that's good in this life is hard to get. To have success you have to offer something of yourself. You have to leave your comfort zone to become like Jesus Christ. And as Elder Holland reminds us that the life of Jesus wasn't easy so why would we expect to get a free ride or not have problems and hardships. It's to strengthen us and make us become a more refined son or daughter of God. President Markham said, "Jesus is a refining fire. The closer we get, the more it hurts, but it burns off the unneeded things so we can be refined through and by Him." So, I figure that is what is happening right now and we just have to keep going so God can see our perseverance.

My testimony has grown. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. What I'm trying to do now and working on now is to have a better knowledge and love for the scriptures.

Love all the fam so much!!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

Futbol

Friday, August 18, 2017

August 16, 2017----BAPTISM, GIVING AND RECEIVING COMFORT, CHURCH IS FOR LEARNING AND EDIFICATION, FREE BUS RIDE, CHANGES

BAPTISM
This week was great. We were able to baptize J. so that was awesome! He was super pumped.

GIVING AND RECEIVING COMFORT
The missionaries in the mission are all doing good now, since the passing of Sister Ortega. We gave blessings to those that needed it and talked or listened or brightened their day of others to keep us all going. Honestly, I don't know why our mission is so close-knit. I suppose it could be because of our callings as missionaries, or because we know the truth, or because of the Sprit.

CHURCH IS FOR LEARNING AND EDIFICATION
Well, right now we are still searching and we are teaching a man who when we taught the word of wisdom he was like, "Yeah, I know that's true." We are working to get him to recognize the importance of going to church and the people that go aren't perfect. He was a little irritated or surprised that so any people in the meeting were using their phones and not paying attention. He said we go to church to learn and be edified and so we explained that everybody is on their different level, spiritually. So just got to keep going and hope they can understand the importance to pay attention in the classes.

FREE BUS RIDE
Coolest thing this week was that Hermano S. was able to bless the sacrament and also received a calling to be the secretary in the Young Mens organization. Super awesome. He also gave us a free ride on the bus cuz he was the ayudante (assistant). He is such a great guy and so is his family.

CHANGES
We had changes and I'm going to be finishing my mission here in Villa Nueva with Elder Griffin. Sounds like everyone is doing great!

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

August 1, 2017---A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE, ARE WE ALLOWED TO BRING NONMEMBERS TO CHURCH? I CAN'T QUIT

August 1, 2017

A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE

This week was pretty good. We are working hard to find more people to visit and teach and etc. We have some jovenes that can get baptized this week that have family that are members. Sergio got the priesthood!!! He had such a big smile on his face it was really special.

ARE WE ALLOWED TO BRING NONMEMBERS TO CHURCH?

The Familia J. were in a meeting cuz it was the 5th Sunday del mes. The bishop talked about visiting teaching and stuff. They asked us afterwards, in their house, if they are allowed to bring nonmembers to church, ha,ha. They were all like talking and saying we need to fill up the church and help more people feel happy and blessed. We went on a visit with them to visit a reference from them. It was so cool cuz we could feel the Spirit when they were talking and testifying. Super awesome experience.

I CAN'T QUIT

I cant quit especially cuz I got the Sweat name on my chest and Jesus' name too. Jesus never quit in the Garden of Gethsemane, so how can we quit. It's easy to quit cuz it's less painful, but we have to push ourselves to the limits and thats what I'm working on doing. Got to make the most of it with such little time left, ha.

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

PS Don't worry. I'm focused, ha, ha.

August 8, 2017---THE PLAN OF GOD KEEPS US GOING, TRUST IN THE SPIRIT AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE IN THE END, GREAT QUOTE, FUNNY STORY, LA ZONA VILLA NUEVA!!!

THE PLAN OF GOD KEEPS US GOING
This week was a little wack and hard. As you might have heard, there was a sister missionary in our mission that passed away this week so that kind of threw things off a little. But we know the plan of God so we just got to keep going.

TRUST IN THE SPIRIT AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE IN THE END
The J. family did not get baptized this week for a couple of reasons, but we are planning on helping this week. So keep them in you prayers, please. Always follow your 1st impressions which sometimes is hard but we got to get better at it every time. I'm def learning how to recognize the Spirit and that is something I love. Just trust in the Spirit and everything will be fine in the end.

GREAT QUOTE

Elder Griffin, my companion, told me a great quote, "Finish the mission how you want to start the rest of our life" I got to go hard with what I have left.

FUNNY STORY

This week we were walking and a bunch of dogs tried attacking us but we just kind of kicked them away cuz I was on the phone. Afterwards, another dog went after us and we entered a house after kicking at it a little bit. We got out and I told Elder Griffin that we were going the same way that we came...I wanted to get at the dog, ha, ha. So I walk towards him and then pick up speed and start sprinting at it. The dog got so scared and just started to try and escape but couldn't and I just chased him down the road ha, ha, ha. ha...so funny. Surprisingly I kept up with him, too, ha,ha,ha, ha. Got to enjoy life a little and enjoy the mission to get your heart beating a little ha, ha, ha.

Les Amo

Elder Sweat

LA ZONA VILLA NUEVA!!!

Mormon missionary electrocuted by live wire in Guatemala

By Tad Walch @tad_walch

Published: Aug. 6, 2017 10:50 a.m.Updated: Aug. 6, 2017 11:10 a.m.

Stock Image

FILE - A 22-year-old sister missionary from Chile died Saturday in Guatemala after she came into contact with a live electrical wire.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Mormon missionary serving in Guatemala died on Saturday after she was electrocuted by a live wire, a church spokesman said Sunday morning.

"It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of a young missionary. Sister Heidi Andrea Ortega Huber, age 22, died yesterday after she came in contact with a live electrical wire," said Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a prepared statement. "Despite attempts by missionaries and first responders to resuscitate her, Sister Ortega passed away."

Ortega was from the Santiago Chile Independencia Stake and has been serving in the Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission since April 2016.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Sister Ortega as they mourn her passing," he said, "and we pray they will be given comfort during this difficult time."

In early June, the LDS Church conducted an online survey of its 62,000 young adult, full-time missionaries around the world to learn more about their personal-safety risks.

The survey asked missionaries to share their experiences regarding any past assaults, robberies, attacks, threats, sexual assaults or sexual harassments during their day-to-day operations and in their assigned proselyting areas.

Missionary residences were also a part of the query, with questions on door locks, window coverings, smoke or fire alarms, carbon monoxide monitors and the general safety of the residential area.

The Missionary Department in Salt Lake City and presidents of the faith's 422 missions around the world regularly update missionaries about risks, from counsel about avoiding dangerous areas to protecting themselves from virus-carrying mosquitos.

Young Mormons serving missions generally are safer than other young adults their age, according to international and church statistics.

In 2013, Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy, then executive director of the Missionary Department, noted the annual mortality rate worldwide for young people in the same age range was 205 deaths per 100,000, with the LDS missionary percentage less than one-twentieth of that number.

However, no statistics can lessen the pain of a missionary’s passing, Elder Evans said at the time.

Tad Walch Tad Walch covers the LDS Church for the Deseret News.