Week Before Christmas

Tuesday We started the day off with a fun District meeting about the light and how Christ is the light. Then I had divisions with the Zone Leader Elder Webb. Him and I had lots of fun together and both were able to talk and just open up to eachother. We found some great potentials for his area and then ended the night with a sleepover in his house with my companion and his. Wednesday Woke up at 4 in the morning to go to the Christmas Party of the Mountains. It was super fun and we had lots of fun playing one minute to win it games and we received packages! I was super happy got one from President and Hermana Markham, my family, and Madi. Little sad that Taylors hadnt arrived but I couldnt complain. Then went to work and found a family of four just by inviting them to watch the AMAZING christmas video with us. It was great Thursday Just had some few good lessons but then got our investigator Alison ready for her baptism ON CHRISTMAS! It was surely a miracle how she is able to be baptized now and it definitely is a Christmas Miracle. Friday Had a good day of teaching and taught Valentina and her family. They were great and then taught Claudia and she was just full of awesome questions. Then ended the night at our ward Christmas party! I love this ward and the people. Plus they all love me even if I dont like eating their beans, they love me so much they just dont put them on my plate and give me more rice. I love it. Saturday Today was the day to find tons of goats and get rejected. But it was still a good day and we got invited to an 8 year olds baptism that was fun. Sunday I got kissed by a drunk this day... It wasnt my favorite kiss I have received but all is well. It was a good day. I actually understood a lot with the talks and the different classes. Plus we gave our fourth blessing in a row for the fourth day in a row. Got to love the preisthood. Monday Didnt have Pday but we had a good day. We started the day off with a service and then ate lunch at Pizza Hut as a zone, it was lots of fun. Our first lesson was a new family we found of who knows how many. We only taught 7 but after we got done teaching tons more came and were sad they missed the lesson. It was also awesome because we ended the night with a great lesson with our bishop and found a girl who was baptized but never confirmed so we just have to do it all over again! Christmas Miracles are everywhere.

I went into the waters

Tuesday We had a good Zone Meeting and actually learned a lot of what we could do better and what we will do better to be a better zone and missionaries. Then Elder Halverson and me had a fun day working and then I taught him how to make pasta! Wednesday This was a day of miracles. We found this guy named Abel who at the end of the lesson couldnt wait to know when we can return so we could share the message with his family! Then we started teaching old man Mario again! I was so happy to see and talk with him again and to start touching his heart once more. Then learned that the convert who we tried to get married so we could baptize but couldnt because she was too young. Her Husband left and now she can be baptized. It is very sad but I know that entering into this happiness will only help her feel the warmth and peace of our Savior that she will feel after her baptism. Thursday 100 days! It started off slow but then we just found more miracles. We got a lot of second visits and one with Maria Jose who is showing lots of interest and desire for being a super snake haha. We beleive that she will be baptized because she is feeling this love of the Gospel. Then had one with William who just apologized for not going to church and said he would definitely be there the next! What a miracle! Twas a good day. Friday Another slow start to the day but when we had our first lesson with Mario who still says he is Catholic it all went well and it was a good day. Got to meet the family of Abel who all were awesome and have a desire to follow in this path! They are a miracle family. We ended the night with what is called Noche de Hermanamiento and learned a lot on how to strengthen families! I love my family! Saturday Just had a lot of baptismal interveiws for the investigators for the Hermanas in my district and learned that I would be baptizing this 10 year old boy for the Hermanas! Then we had a Christmas Party for the Steak that was crazy and super fun. And had a lesson with Alison whom we hope to help and help her be baptized to feel this peace she needs. Sunday I went in the Waters! I got to baptize this little kid named Justin who was just so awesome. When we got to Itzapa, the area of the hermanas, he just ran up and gave me a hug. The baptism was great. I cant wait to baptize someone that I actually taught and helped get to the point of feeling ready for baptism. This only gave me more motivation to work harder and just do it. Monday Had a good Zone PDay. We had a little gift exchange and I ended up with Chocolate! And then we played a little basketball and then 4 square! It was lots of fun and Elder Halverson and I had really good lessons.

Things only get better

Tuesday We had divisions this day and I got to go work with my zone leader Elder HMelo. He is such a cool and energetic guy and I learned a lot of how to better contact and relate with people. This was a fun day and just had lots of good spiritual lessons together. Wednesday Got my companion back and man did we get blessed. We worked hard and the Lord blessed us. We found 8 new people this week that we think we can help progress in this happiness and get them to the waters. Lets see what the Lord has instore for them. Thursday Thanksgiving! What a good Thanksgiving. We celebrated with eating fried chicken potatoes and PIE. It was fun to celebrate it with the Hermanas. Then we just went out and worked and had a good rest of our Thanksgiving but I am so grateful for so many things, but I am grateful for all my suffrings because that is what brings us closer to our Lord. Friday Just a regular hard working day Saturday This is a day of miracles. And the power of fasting is amazing. We started our fast this day after lunch. We were fasting to have second visits because of all the wonderful new people we had found. We had no second visits with them and we had been trying super hard. But the first lesson we had after we started our fast was a second visit and it was amazing and such a great blessing and a good way to start out a good successful day. Sunday Just a great Primary Program Sunday. It was cute and it was awesome to see the little kids get up and share their testimonies and thoughts. I love little kids. They have lots of power and spirit. Afterwards we just had a good day of working. Monday WE CLEANED EVERYTHING. I love it. Our house is so clean and organized after this PDAy. It makes my OCDness worse but also happy. Then we just had two powerful lessons and a good night. Spiritual thought: I learned that through patience in suffering we will gain the greater reward especially if we continually show our love in our Lord through fasting. The power of fasting and how much love you can show our Heavenly Father through fasting is very powerful and will help you with whatever problem you are having in your life. Just suffer patiently and try showing your dedication through fasting.

Hay Cambios (there are changes)

Tuesday Started it off with a great District Meeting but the Assistants came. We all thought it was to bring us a lot of *Chicote. But it was just a lot of love and help for us because we havent been baptizing. Taught us a lot about suffering through our trials and life with patience knowing something always good will come out in the end. Then we just had a great day of teaching and ended the night with sad news. Elder Murray got the call that he was changing areas. I was going to lose my Trainer and a really good friend. Wednesday Had a awesome Zone Conference and learned how to change our mind sets better so that we can remain positive so we can baptize! Then I got packages! I got package from my wonderful family. Got a package from Uncle Kelly and a letter from Karlee, Madi, and Grandma and Grandpa Lott. It made my whole day. When we returned we went to visit Mario and it was heart breaking because he told us he didnt want to continue or accept our church. It just crushed my heart but we will continue with him. Thursday Started it off with another good job of mowing a lawn or what really was a jungle with machetes! It was fun but tiring. After we had an odd day. Really just went and said goodbye to a lot of members and people because Elder Murray was leaving. It was a sad day but it was still good. Friday Cambios! Got my new trainer Elder Halverson from Alabama! He is weird. But it is okay. We worked pretty well together and just did a lot of contacting. It was just a normal friday even though I wish we could have found more miracles and people to teach. Saturday This was a day of receiving lots of *chicote because we had a priesthood meeting for stake conference and one of the 70 came and gave us a lesson. Elder Cordon. He gave awesome lessons. My favorite was his on the little things and one of the little things he focused on was lies. He asked a question on how many lies do we tell a day?a week?a month?a year? How much better will be if we went a year without a single lie? He said if we do that, that is how we truly know if we are honest or not. It was awesome lesson. Ended the night very spiritually at one of converts Mildred as we just read in the Book of Mormon with them. Sunday A good Stake Conference. Got to love the Dia de Reposo (Sabbath Day). This one was a really rainy day and we contacted in the flooded streets and found some good potential miracles and had a very spiritual lesson with Araceli that we are trying to help feel ready to be baptized this Sunday. And ended the night at the awesome Bishops house. Monday First PDay with Elder Halverson. We didnt do much just went, ate, and cleaned the house. Well I cleaned. He did his own thing. It was good and then we went out and taught and actually found a very good potential family of 6 that we hope to help them change and feel this happiness. It was a good week. Wish me luck

Just full of Adventures

Tuesday We had our zone meeting and it was awesome! Then I got to write home and got some wonderful advice from my amazing Mom and Dad. I love them so much. Then had divisions again with Elder Geertson. We didnt have tons of success and it rained. But we had fun and endured the rough day with joy. Wednesday The Zoo! This day was tremendous. We went to the zoo and I got see all sorts of cool animals and other crazy stuff. Then we went to a store kind of like walmart to buy our groceries and I got stuff to make no bakes! Yep thats right, I still got Nathans grandmas recipe memorized and the cookies turned out great! Thursday This day we taught one of our new families we found. They are a bunch of SNAKES! Haha but they are actually progressing and showing true interest in our message besides interest in us attractive boys. Then we taught a very funny lady who told us she has the authority of God because she feels it in her heart. Then we ended by teaching another new we found, his name is Antoni. He is kind of depressed but he is already happier just from visiting with us twice. Hopefully we can help him feel more of this true joy. Friday We taught my favorite investigator we have, Old man Mario. I love him and he is progressing so awesomely. There were some members with us there too which was a miracle! We taught him about the priesthood but after we talked to him about his baptism. When he said he wasnt ready... thats when the members attacked because almost all members here are converts and it helps a ton! Then Mario shared with us how he always has a desire to read in the Book of Mormon and how whenever we come he feels a strong spirit of peace. Oh yeah we are going to baptize this cute old man. But another awesome part of the day was my chance I got to give my first blessing in Spanish. It was to an awesome family that is super sick and the Father asked me to be the one to give him the blessing. It was amazing and I know it wasnt me who was giving the blessing. Saturday This was a strange Saturday because usually it is our busiest day and we have the most lessons. This one no... But it was still a good Saturday and we still had great lessons. Just a day with lots of fun,laughter,rejection, and joy. Sunday This was a good Sunday. It was a conference for all of Central America and so we got to hear some awesome talks, that I couldnt fully understand, but they were awesome and all about the Sabbath Day. It is a very important day and we should all learn more about it! Monday This was a good PDay. We got everything done that we wanted too and I got a hair cut and my eyebrows done! Wahoo. Then we made more no bake cookies and other cookies! I love Cookies! But I also organized the house. I think every PDay I am getting more and more OCD. Mom just you wait to see how neat and clean I am when I get home. Haha. But it was good day and we taught good lessons and found some good news. Hopefully we can get them progressing into this happiness! Spiritual thought 1 Nephi vs 13 until 15 This explains how God will never leave us. At times we may feel that he has left us, but he never will. God is always with us. Always ready to help us and bless us. The times we feel like he is gone is because we arent being totally obedient to him and doing everything we can to feel his love and presence. And when we arent obedient, we open the door for Satan to bring us these bad feelings. Just remember God is there and he loves you and loves each and every one of us. Alma 26 27 We must suffer with patience. Life is not easy, never will be. But if we suffer through the hard times with patience and trust in the Lord. We will receive great blessings and love. Plus we never have to suffer alone. We always have someone there to help us.

some weeks are just hard

Tuesday Started it off with a good District meeting and wrote our families and friends. Then my companion and I had divisions with the Zone leaders and I went to their area and worked with Elder Geertson. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot on how to teach better just by his example. We also got close to each other and were able to find things in common with each other that grew our relationship. Wednesday Got my companion back! Wahoo. We went to lunch and we had roast... Ahh I miss my moms roast. I really appreciate all she did for me even more now. We went all day out with one of the members named Job. He is such a strong and spiritual kid. We just worked hard and had a decently succesful day. Thursday Today I was sick again haha. Guess I really will be sick my whole mission. Its okay just need to learn to work through it because I think I got called here to make up for all my ,Trevor days back home. Anyway we had a great lesson with Saira again but she wasnt going to church because she works. Good news is she is looking for a new job so she can go to church! Friday This day was better. We also found a miracle! A guy who has three houses! He has one in California, so he speaks english, one here in the mountains and one in Antigua. It was amazing and in his prayer at the end he asked for help to know he needs to be baptized so he can be part of this family! What a miracle! His name is Gamaleil. Saturday This day was a long day. All of our citas fell and so we contacted all day. We had few people accept us and all that did were goats anyway. It was just long, hard working day. But it is okay. We need to have the tough days to have the good days. Sunday. This was a better Sunday. I still didnt really understand everything and I practically fell asleep in the classes but it was good because we actually had a lot of our investigators and converts show up to church! We were so happy. Then we went out and worked and it was lots of fun. We had another member go out and work with us. Because he was bored and wanted to. These members truly love us and doing this work which is awesome. Monday Today was not Pday for once because we are having it wednesday to go to the zoo! This is why I am not sending pictures haha. But it was such a great day. There was not a moment in the day my companion and I werent laughing or smiling and just enjoying what we are doing. We started it off with a good service of mowing one of the members lawns with machetes and trimmers. Haha it was fun but I much prefer using a lawn mower. Karlee, Tanner be grateful you have a lawn mower to mow our lawn with. But it was good successful day where we accomplished all our goals but a few and had lots of fun doing it!

two months

Tuesday Wrote home after a great district meeting. then we went and ate a lot of food at Dominos and Mcdonalds bought by our Zone Leaders because my companion and I rock. Afterwards we went and worked. Taught, well kind of taught this guy named Rene Calan. Really all we did was help him build a shelf and feel better because his son is in a choma and recovering. We left his house with him crying because of the spirit that came with our prayer. Hope to baptize him because he loves us and we can see him opening up to this happiness he could really use in his life. Wednesday Today we slept in because we were both getting a little sick, by sleeping in I mean until 6! It was just a regular hard working day with lots of walking and lots of testifying. Thursday Woke up and did as normal. Had our weekly planning then went and ate some good fried chicken and rice with tortillas (tortillas with every meal here). Got a few lessons in and then it started pouring rain to where we were basically walking in rivers. It was fun because when I say I live in the mountains of Guatemala it really is the jungle. After the rain we taught one of our new investigators named Saira and it went awesome and she actuallly told us she knows our church is the true church and told us she is ready to be baptized! What a miracle! Ended the night at another new investigator. An old guy named Oscar and his wife. They love us and we taught them plan of salvation and they gave us a free painting and food! I just love the people here. Friday Woke up at four thirty to go to another meeting of the news and rode a bus for 2 and half hours. Then ate Mcdonalds breakfast and had a good companionship study before the meeting. Then in the meeting we learned awesome stuff and how there are two different types of Hope! really cool. Then we rode a bus home for 3 hours or more to go back to work. It wasnt the most successful day but I did get to hit my companion in the face with a pillow at one of our converts house! Saturday Halloween! Didnt do anything to celebrate except eat one piece of candy before our fast haha. Here in Guatemala they dont celebrate Halloween. We did have a good, successful day with finding lots of new investigators. I got to help prepare a meal for the day of the dead called Fiambre... It isnt very good. I had it Sunday and didnt really like it haha but I love to cook and I loved that feeling of being a cook again. Then ended the night with a miracle of finding a girl who hasnt been to church in two years but has a strong testimony. Helped her realize she needed to come back and it ended with tears. It was great. Sunday Sundays are not my favorite because I cant really understand the lessons or anything but it is all good. This one was more difficult because it was day of the dead and no one wanted to go to church and no one was in their house for us to teach. Monday Hit two months! What an awesome PDay. We played soccer with water balloons with my District and it was crazy fun. We are such a crazy but awesome district. Afterwards we went and ate together and my companion and I actually saw a white guy! Then we had two awesome lessons and in one of them when I told my story and testimony the girl cried. The spirit works best through testimonies let me tell ya. I love being here.

A little poem

Only you can choose what is right for you only you can choose the things youll do but wickedness never was happiness and some may say youre going to hell but in all honesty only time will tell because its your choice to decide right now if youre going to let Satan drag you down or if youre going to choose the Lord because he can help you win this was because Satan will throw all things at you try and make everything hard for you to do He may even make them appear fun because he really doesnt want this work done so its time for you to decide to decide between which is wrong or right to decide if youre going to choose the Lords light and show it to the world shining bright or decide the path of sin the one that makes you think you can win So decide right now if youre going to let Satan drag you down but just remember wickedness never was happiness and the Lord will always be there to help you through all your scares So dont let go of him because only he can help you truly win and with him we need not fear because he is always here to help us through all our trials and bring us nothing but smiles He is our loving brother and his love is that like our mothers He does not want to see us sad he does not want us to be mad he just wants us to feel his love that love that comes from our Father above that love that can beat Anything that love that will help you through Everything He loves us all and does not want us to fall we just need to turn to him through it all because he knows what to do to help each and everyone of you to defeat the trials of this life and eventually live forever with your lovely wife So decide TODAY which is the RIGHT way...

2nd week in the field

This Second week has been great. I started it off by being sick haha! But just because we get sick doesnt mean the work stops. In my mission if we are sick we still go out and work the whole day and for that the Lord blesses us tremendously because the next day I felt a lot better. On this day my companion and I tried to work as hard as we could and I felt bad because I wasnt at my hundred percent but we found a really cool, potential investigator named Rene. The Lord blesses his missionaries in everything! Next day I woke up feeling better and now my companion didnt feel the best haha. We went out and worked though and it was great. This day was really hot to working and we did a lot of contacting and got a lot of new people but the best part was the pretty views we got to see as we walked. But on this day as well there were five huge dogs that started chasing us and my companion picked up a traffic cone and threw it at them and I picked up some rocks and threw at them and we ran. It was really quite fun. This day we had divisions! I got to spend the day with one of the zone leaders and not with my companion. My companion warned me that it might be slower than our area because the zone leaders area has more shops and not as many houses so it was possible that I wasnt going to be as busy as usual. This scared me, another thing that scared me was that the zone leader was latino and didnt really know english and so I thought I would just be talking to myself all day. This was not so. We ended up having a busy day and hardly any house rejected us, I was able to talk with and have good conversations with the zone leader and we had ice cream. What a good day! Now for Saturday, I was back with my companion, Elder Murray! We just went out and worked and found some more new people and they were really positive and we think we will end up baptizing them! I sure hope so! It was just a good old Saturday of good fashion missionary work! Sunday....Sunday{s are not my favorite because I cant really understand anything and so I am not a huge fan. I do like Sundays because the members always feed us. It is different type of food and I am surprised I actually eat it but it is good and free food is always great! We found some more new people this day but only one seems really positive and one that we might be able to baptize. Got to love Sundays. Monday! I love Mondays, especially this one because we had interviews with our mission president and he is amazing. We talked about the Atonement and lots of other cool stuff. That guy really is incredible! After that it was PDay and we went to the mall and ate and cleaned and put up my companions hammack and just had a good day of relaxation! Last PDay it poured and we had to carry 15 pound water jugs on our shouders to our house for a half mile! That was so much fun. I love this work. The Lord is my Savior and this is his work that I am grateful I have the opportunity to be apart of!

I started my adventure in the Mountains !

Well wow its been a quite adventurous past two weeks. I guess I will start with my last week in the CCM. My last week in the CCM was great. We had great last lessons with our investigators and had a good last week with my incredible district. Also my last week in the CCM the Lord gave me one of the hardest trials of my life. But it has been a blessing especially now that I am in the field. The last week in the CCM was hard with this new trial in my life, it was hard for me to focus and it was hard for me to help others maintain a high spririt. This is where the Lord showed me his love because everyday of the last week in the CCM, whenever I was reading or doing personal study, He showed me a new way to overcome and not think to much of that trial. He helped me understand more of why it was to happen. He helped me feel his comfort and love and I am very grateful for it. But that last week went by really fast and I had to say good bye to a lot of really good friends that I know will be my friends forever. They were great people. Now on to adventures. Well I arrived to my mission and we went to the presidents hotel floor and had lessons and ate food and learned our areas and our trainers. I got the best trainer Elder Murray, he is from Vegas and has a twin just like my companion in the CCM did! Anyway after all that the zone leaders took us to their house because we were going to stay there for the day and the next day we would go to changes and meet our trainers and go to our areas. Okay so when we did that we dropped off our stuff and then went and the zone leaders tried to kill us. I dont think I have ever walked that far, that fast, or up such steep hills in my life. But it was so much fun! Contacting for 8 and half hours was great! But after that we ended the day with lots of pizza and then woke up at 4 the next day to go to changes! Day of changes! It was great and met my amazing companion Elder Murray. We went to our awesome area called Chimatenango and it is in the mountains and is so beautiful and actually kind of cold. It rains all the time! But with that day we went and taught some lessons and contacted a lot then got home did what we were supposed to and then crashed. Woke up the next day and repeated. The next day we had a meeting for all us newbies and it went well and I learned lots but I was just excited to get back to bus contacting, street contacting, and teach our investigators. We actually baptized on of our investigators this past Sunday! His name is Mario Guzman and his a great old man who I barely got to know but he is so cool! I love these people. Everyday we do pretty much the same thing but it is so fun. We walk fast! We contact always 35 people and 10 families at least! And do it everyday. This mission is strict but we are the best because we walk to fastest, contact the most, are the most obedient, and because of it the Lord blesses us. I love this area. Cant wait to see what else the adventure brings.

He's Officially out of the MTC Write him!!

The only message we received from Elder Shelton today was- "I made it here alive and fine love you all talk to you in a week!" He starts out in to the field now he has left the MTC. Why don't you send him a letter- Elder Trevor Austin Shelton Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission Avenida Reforma 8-60, Zona 9, Oficiana 505 Apartado Postal 921-A 01009 Guatemala City Guatemala He would love to hear from everyone!!

Week 5 Last week in the MTC

Well week 5 went by even faster! But it started off amazing. Last week we had the opportunity to actually leave the CCM and go to the super mercado and then go out and hand out Book of Mormons. Man did that really test my spanish, but it was amazing and my companion and I actually got to talk to this family of four for a long time and got their information! It was amazing and I actually think they live in my mission so hopefully when I get out NEXT WEEK I will be able to find them and talk to them more. After that amazing day we had a pretty normal week. We learned tons and got to practice even more our lessons. I just cant believe I only have one week left in this place. But now Saturday and Sunday were the best days. We were lucky enough to watch conference live. I really loved all the conference talks and never have I ever gotten so much out of them. Conference really is like the Super Bowl for Missionaries. I have grown so much just from Conference weekend. One of my favorite talks was Elder Keetch´s because it talked about the barrier. We need not look at the commandments and the things God asks of us as a barrier. But as a blessing and protection. God loves us, why would he not give us something that wouldnt bless us? That is why we have commandments and things he asks of us, because he loves us and wants the best for us and knows whats best for us. He truly knows us, each individually. He loves us all. We should not complain that there is a "barrier" but rather be thankful that God is blessing and protecting us. I love this Gospel and I am so excited to go share it. I leave the CCM in one week and couldnt be more excited to go and take all the things I have learned and put them to work. I wont be writing next week because I go out to the field but hopefully I will get to write a little bit. I love you guys and just remember trust in the Lord and our Heavenly Father. All they want for you is the best and they know exactly what is the best for each of us. Nos AMAN! y Nos Conocen

Week 4

So this last week went by ridiculously fast and I honestly dont remember a whole lot of it. All though it was a pretty normal week. One of the days I had this really cool experience to give a blessing to one of the Latino Elders. He had just recently gotten his wisdom teeth out and they were hurting him so bad and making him delirous. Anyway his friends and companion went asked the President if he could have a blessing. As to my surprise he wanted me to do it. I cant believe that he wanted me to do it. I loved the guy and we were decently close but I didnt realize I had that much influence on him. So it was really amazing to know that he could see the light in me and wanted me to use it to bless him. When I gave him the blessing within in a few minutes he was completely fine and it was amazing to see. Man the power of the priesthood is crazy and I feel so blessed to have it and be worthy to use it. The Lord really loves me and has given me so many blessings as I have been here in the CCM. Another cool experience as always is Sundays. I love Sundays here in the CCM. We had a really powerful testimony meeting and I am pretty sure every single person in my Branch was in line waiting to bare their testimonies. And each and every single on of them has such strong testimonies. Anyway after that we had powerful devotionals and then of course had awesome district meeting where my companion and I actually taught about the Atonement. Man I have such a strong testimony of the Atonement and the power of it. After all that we had more devotionals and watched the Testaments. It is super cool. But the coolest part of Sunday was our last devotional. It was an old recorded christmas one but it was by my favorite Apostle Elder Bednar. But during it I saw Bishop Sheffield! Get up and help him out with his Ipad. That was a real blessing. I really miss everyone from back home. But this work must be done and I am so excited to share it. Monday was a good day and we started it off really by watching the funeral of our beloved Apostle Richard G Scott. It was sad but very powerful and I am very grateful to know that he is reuninted with his wife and two of his kids that passed away at such young ages. I am very grateful to know that families can be together forever if we are willing to do the work to let them be together forever. I love my family so very much and cant imagine not being with them forever. I also cant wait to start my forever family. Anyway the rest of the day we just did a lot of practices because today we are going to the mall and placing copies of the Book of Mormon!!! I am so very excited. Wish me luck. I will tell you how it goes next week!

week 3

So this past week in the CCM went by so fast. I hardly remember it. Good thing I decided to start writing in my journal. So last Tuesday and Wednesday the 6th weekers and the Latinos left and we got new people and new Latinos. The crazy thing is that my room has been praying so hard to be able to have the Gift of Tongues and to know the language. The Lord thought the best way he could bless us was by giving us two of the new Latinos in our room and they dont speak or understand English. So we really have to use our Spanish. It is super hard but it really has been a blesssing and they are awesome people. So also last week I decided to start working out. Best and hardest decision I have made because I have never been in so much pain especially with my roomate who trains me and my other roommate. He really pushes us to our limits and we always wake up barely being able to move that body part the next day. Its good though I already can feel the blessings of it and the take away it has from stress. I love it. On Friday I became my District´s, District Leader, that has been a big, hard blessing because I always constitenly look for ways to bless my District and help them. So I started doing some new stuff for my District and I can already feel and see the improvements we have made. My District is seriously the best and I know the hardest day of the CCM is going to be when I have to say good bye to them. They are all such strong people and they are going to do amazing things on their msisions. My companion and me are super powerful when we teach together. All 4 of our investigators are being baptized and have prayed and now know the Book of Mormon is true. Its fun and so exciting to see the change you can have in peoples lifes even though I know it is just my teachers playing a role and acting out a story. I am so excited to see what I can do out in the field. Just three more weeks. Saturday was a normal pretty good day. Sunday. Sundays are the best thing about the CCM. It is so spiritual and the Devotionals are the best part. We had very life changing and inspirational Devotionals this past Sunday that got me really thinking. My favorite one though was when we watched Richard G Scotts Devotional on prayer and revelation to pray. (BTW when the Provo MTC choir was singing I totally saw Jake Smith singing) Anyway is talk talked a lot on how the Lord answers prayers but what I liked most was when he sat down and right as the girl was about to say the prayer, he felt prompted to get back up and say one more thing. He told all the missionaries to never forget that they are not alone on their mssions. They can always just stop and have a conversation with their Heavenly Father and he will help them do as they need to. It really touched me because I have really missed my family and Madi and all they did for me. I dont know how I got to where I am today with out them and I am very grateful for them. Monday was a great day and taught one of the most powerful lessons I have ever taught. Today well we got to go to the Temple and I just love the Guatemala temple and the simplicity of it. And the spirit you feel when you go to the temple..Always take the oportunity to go to the temple. It is such a blessing. Alma 38:5 (replace Shiblon with your name.) Love you All

week two

Man week two was spectacular and I loved it. The first day of week two was pretty long and hard to get back into the swing of things but the day after that was the hardest. It just went really slow and all of the grammar they taught us I already knew so it was hard to want to pay attention and stay focused. My teacher could tell that all of us were having a rough day and she gave one of the best talks and speeches to us. She told us that we all needed to forget ourselves and go to work because we arent here for ourselves. We are here to bring those God has prepared for us to this plan of happiness and this gospel that can bring happiness to everyone. It was a really powerful speech that got everyone focused. After she gave it though she came over to my desk and she started talking to me about how grateful she was to have me in her class because I was such an awesome example to those around me. She then told me it was my job to continue to be that example and help lift those around me up. It was really good to hear but after she said that I read in Alma 5:45-47 and the very first thing it says is "And this is not all. Do ye not know that I know this myself?" After I read that I just started to cry because that was like the Lord letting me know that he feels the same way too and letting me know that yes it was my job to continue to be an example. The next day one of my really good friends I made, Elder Pinckney, found out he had to go home. And left. It was really hard to see him leave because he was such a good spirit and really brought smiles to everyones face. The day went on though and we all stayed focused and learned a lot. The day after that my companion and I taught a new investigator and although the lesson went well and you could tell the spirit was there. I just felt like we werent intune with each other and the same spirit. So we both knew we could of done better. The rest of the day we just both worked hard and studied hard. The day after that was Sunday and it was one of the most spiritual Sundays I have ever had. Sundays in the CCM are a little different because everyone prepares a talk, all in Spanish, and when it comes time for talks. One of the presidents stand up looks at people and calls them up to give a talk and there are like 8 people who speak each week. The talks were really good though but the Devotionals after were even better. One lady talked on Faith in Jesus Christ and all that it can do for us and it was amazing. After that President Cox, CCM President, gave an awesome one on how to teach properly and everyone was so focused and it was an awesome lesson. After that we watched a Devotional by Bednar and it was on being Preach my Gospel missionaries and he gave us 5 steps on how to be those types of missionaries. I will definitely be using it in my mission. After that we watched Ephraims Rescue, let me tell you havent cried from a movie like that since Cokeville Miracle and it was an amazing and very spiritual movie. I advise all to watch both of those movies. They will change your life. Monday went well too and my companion and I taught one lesson with our investigator that, oh I forgot to tell you, said she would be baptized the 26th, and it was the most amazing spiritual lessons we have taught and we were both definitely in tune with each other and the spirit. I love this Gospel everybody and I know it can bless so many. Cant wait to see more of the City than just the temple and inside the CCM and go preach to those who are waiting for me and bring them happiness. Love you all and hope all is going well. Btw they took my camera the first day I got here so I wont be able to send pictures until after I get out of the CCM.

I made it one week!!

First week of being in the CCM (MTC) was rough but amazing. I have learned so much already. I am doing the best in my district with the language, so its getting easier everyday. The 140 people here are amazing and I have grown close and have a relationship with all of them already. Especially the people in my room. We are the closest bunch you can get and all of them live pretty close to me so we are all pretty excited to see what is to come of our relationship afterwards. Day one was the hardest day and felt like it went on for a week. The flight wasnt very fun and no one really got any sleep on it, especially me but the coolest part of the flight was when we were landing in Guatemala and there was a local Volcano that was errupting and I watched it as it spewed and ashed. Super cool to see and I learned after the CCM my mission president allows the missionaries to go on hikes and so I will be hiking that Volcano when I get out. The second day was a little easier but it was so much all at once. The language was thrown at us and the teachings were too but all of it in Spanish so no one really knew what was happening. I see my friend Bailey everyday and its awesome but makes me miss home and hanging out with my friends. My companion is Elder Schellenberg and he is a unique but really cool guy and has a twin going to speak Mandrin Chinese in Virginia. Me and him get along and joke around with each other a lot and do well when it comes to teaching. I usually do most of the talking in the lessons just because I understand the language more. Anyway day 3 was easier and was pretty much the same as day two but the food that day was probably my favorite. Oh and for those of you worried about me and my food issues. Dont the Lord is blessing me with adaptable taste buds and I have liked and eaten pretty much everything. He has blessed me so much already and I love it. Day 5 was my favorite. It was our first Sunday and it was a fast Sunday. I got up and bore my testimony and was the first of the newbies to do so. I actually understood a lot of the testimonies of the Latinos too. Sunday was really relaxed but really amazing too and you could feel the spirit super strongly. You just feel the spirit super strong here anyway but it is just amazing. Each night my district has "Physical Activity" and I love playing volleyball and basketball. I am getting better just because I have to play in the rain because it has poured everyday here. I love it! I went to the temple this morning and loved it. The Guatemala temple is really small but really pretty in a very simple way. It was an awesome way to start out the day. I love you all. I am doing great. Just pray that I learn the language better and start teaching better. Miss yall

WRITE HIM!!!!

We have not yet received a email this week from Elder Shelton but that doesn't mean we can't write him. Here is the address to write him. His MTC address is- Elder Trevor Shelton Guatemala Guatemala city central mission Guatemala Missionary Training Center Bulevar Vista Hermosa 23-71 01015 Guatemala City Guatemala ***Note he can NOT receive packages at the mtc so don't send him any. He will be in the MTC approximately 5 more weeks.

He Made it Safely!!

Hi Mom and Dad, First day is rough. Those flights not super comfortable but I was lucky that my ears only hurt after the first one. Guatemala is so pretty but there are so many people who ask you to give them money. I got asked for a shoe shine like 8 times just stepping out of the airport. The temple is right next to the MTC its awesome. They took away my camera so I wont be sending any pictures during my time in the MTC I think. I love you guys. I am tired but after I write this they are letting me take a nap. Love you. I will let you know when my Pday is soon.