APOSTLE

Feb. 20
How cool is it that we have the same organization that existed in the primitive church of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20 says that Christ built his church upon the foundation or apostles and prophets and in his restored church today - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have the privelege of listening and learning from those apostles and prophets that the Lord has called again to represent him and communicate His will to His people.

And one of them came to speak to us in GUATEMALA!!! It was literally the best day of my life! The entire mission got together, which never happens, and we were able to receive personal revelation for our lives. What was even cooler is that Elder Ronald A. Rasband changed his whole talk and what he was going to say to be able to answer our questions becuase he felt that we, as a mission, were prepared to be taught of the spirit. The main point that I got out:

When we KNOW Christ, we LOVE Him. When we LOVE Christ, we SERVE Him.

What an amazing promise. We need to learn of Christ to be able to know Him. We need to study his life and his teachings and learn how to become more like him so we can love and serve him with literally all we are - all our heart, might, mind and strength.

Also 3 Nephi 18:24 - Jesus is the light that we need to hold up so everyone can come unto Him through our examples and we always need to be worthy to hold up that light.

Okay I am so sorry, I finally bought a camera but i forgot the adapter! pictures next weeek, promise(:

Also little cool experience: My comp has been telling me that Ive been talkng in my sleep (LOL) and in spanish too (WOOHOO). but this morning she told me that I said something that really impacted me,. I said ''Yo se que es verdadero'' which means ''I know it is true''. I've been praying and fasting and studying to increase my faith. It's something that has really been on my mind lately. But that little phrase that I SAID, no one else, really helped me see that I already know all these things. The Lord has testifies of them to me so many times. I just need to learn to rely on those witnesses. D&C 6:22-23.

Don't deny the faith you do have. Rely on the Savior and His power to heal and to lift us in all of our trials. I know this is His true church and we are helping so many people come unto Him and learn of Him and understand their potential. I LOVE YOU ALL. BE HAPPPYY!!!!!

Hna. Townsend

FELIZ DIA DEL CARIÑO

Feb. 13

Or Happy Valentine's Day!

What a great time we have to be able to show love to all those around us, and especially the love of Christ. I have been studying a whole lot this pure love of Christ - Charity. As Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 13 - if we dont have charity, we are nothing. As missionaries, if we dont love these people, we cant help them come unto christ. We have to sincerely love them and want the best for them. There is absolutely nothing we can do, no matter how many lessons we teach or how many times we tell them to pray or read the scriptures, if we dont love them, we can't help them progress and come unto Christ, who is waiting with arms outstretched.

As missionaries, our purpose is to help others come unto Christ, by helping them understand His restored Gospel and His doctrine. It is so simple. We need to help them understand the Love Christ has for each and every one of them. He loves us and that is why He is constantly waiting for all os us. it is never too late to come to him and let him heal you.

I love my new companion Hermana Rivera. We're gonna set Jalapa on fire!

Juan (or John) 14:15 - If you love me keep my commandments.

We all love Christ and need to develop that love for everyone else. LOVE YOU ALL! BE HAPPY!

Hermana Townsend

One Question

Feb. 6

ADOLFO Y JEFFERSON got baptized!!! AND I MADE BROWNIESSSS because i miss brownies and i wanted to share this amazing thing with everyone here who had never tried them. they loved them, to say the least(; im a great cook.. It took fiveever, partly because people here dont understand how to be on time to anythingggg, and partly becauase Satan was working really hard so that these two amazing young men wouldnt receive this saving ordinance by the right power and authority. But it happened! And they were confirmed and recieved the Holy Ghost yesterday and we are so excited for them.

This week the senor couple of our mission, the Oylers, visitied us and checked our apartment and gave us more candy because for some reason everyone here is determined to make us all fat, and then they asked if they could help with anything. We had an ''appointment'' with an eternal investigator who knows a lot about the church just cant get baptized because of her marriage situation. But we had planned to teach the Restoration again as a review and asked the Oylers if they wanted to come with us. Elder Oyler speaks a little spanish or is trying to remember from his mission and sister Oyler doesnt speak any, but they said yes and it was so cool!! It was the first lesson they had gone to with any missionaries although they visit all of them, and elder Oyler taught about prophets and shared his testimony of living day prophets and it was powerful, even though it was in very simple spanish.. makes me think of someone i know... haha me..
Later that day, the oylers took us out to Pizza cause they love the sisters the best and it was so fun!! And elder Oyler fell off his chair haha..

Im getting a new companion tomorrow!! Im so scared and need as many prayers as possible to be able to remember where all the memebers and investigators and everyone lives beacuse im still struggling with the streets.. LOL the struggle of my life. and I have to lead and direct this entire area and }plan where we're going to go and im way nervous. But this life is about change and being happy so of couse thats what we're gonna do!

the title: In our meeting last weeek with president, he asked us to ask ouir investigators one question:
IF the Savior was here with us tonight, and you could ask him one question, what would you ask him?

I still havent thought of my answer, but it really makes you wonder what you need to do or change in your life. In the mish we are focusing a ton on daily repentance. Everyone can agree that we all make mistakes every single day, a ton of times. When we realize that we are wholly dependent on our Savior and his atoning sacrifice, our love for Him motivates us to repent, or in other words, to change, to improve, to become better people, better family members, better friends. His atonement is not just for sinners (though we all are sinners and need it) it is also for good people trying hard to be better.

Mosiah 4:2-3
Keep changing and improving and becoming!!!
Hermana Townsend

Alma 30:44

Jan. 30

HOLA FAM y FRIEnDS!

Guatemala is amazing! I am still alive. We hiked a volcano last week and it was incredible. Alma 30:44 there is truly a God in heaven who loves each and every one of us and has created this beautiful earth for us to enjoy. So enjoy it! And be happy every single day!!

This week we have been reading a chapter of 3 nephi in the book of mormon. these chapters are when Christ visited the people of this continent and taught them, the same things, and more of what he taught in Jerusalem. We get to read every night with 2 little boys Adolfo and Jefferson who's mom can't get baptized for legal marriage issues but they have all attended the church faithfully for like 3 years. Our president said that the boys could get baptized if they read these chapters and wrote summaries of each one. It is literally my favorite part of the day and their testimonies are growing like crazy. Its amazing to watch, especially as we read about the savior and his plan for all of us. they are going to get baptized next Saturday and I seriously cant wait.

We also had another multizone conference this week!! We are sooo far from the capital that we always travel the night before and sleep in Jutiapa and then get up at like 3:30 to get to the capital by 7:15. MISSIOn life!! Gotta love it! But the conference was amazing. It was a worldwide training for missionaries and i learned so much about the need to apply the atonement in my life and truly teach repentance to these people so they can come unto the Savior and be free from all the burdens of sin. I know the Savior lives and loves each of us. His atonement is real. His power is real.
Keep being happy!! Choose repentance and be free from any tiny thing you have done. the Lord is always ready to receive us and he wants to bless us but will never obligate us to do anything.

Love you all!! 3 nehi 9:14
Hermana townsend

Volcano!

Jan. 23

WE HIKED A VOLCANO TODAYYYYYY. It was incredibly steep and I died but it was so much fun!! Here's a bunch of picures and you can check out the folder of Hna. Vazquez for more pics and for the pictures of our baptism of Lidia last weeek!! LOVe you ALLL​

Really cool thing we get to do - We have two little kids whose mom can't get baptized for legal marriage issues, but goes to church every week and has been attending for like 3 years. We got special permission to baptize them if they read 3 Nefi 11-28 and write summaries for every chapter. We have read with them every night this week and it is literally my favorite part of the day. 3 NEFI 17:21 has kind of been a theme in my mind this week. Jesus loves the little children (and the crazy teenagers) but we need to become like them so one day the smile of Christ will rest on us. And we need to love the children as well. Thanks for the ideas for ward activities! Hopefully we can work in some of them. Hopefully you can see all the pictures I shared becasue they are sweet.

LOVE YOU ALL with a love that seriously is hard to contain sometimes lol.

BE HAPPY GOD LIVES THE BOOK OF MORMON IS SO SO TRUE!

This is Waleska. She's gonna get baptized feb 18 and I feel like she is my best friend from the pre-earth life. The Lord really does prepare people for us to teach, specific people for specific companionships. (picture problems-none to attach :( )

January 16
No group email again, so here's some excerpts from family letters:

I sincerely can't pick just one favorite scripture, the Book of Mormon is lleno (full) of them and my testimony is built on that amazing book. I bought a tiny English one that I carry everywhere so when I don't understand exactly what a verse is saying I can quickly look it up in my English one lol. Honestly I feel so incredibly blessed to have grown up speaking the language of the Restoration. The book of Mormon is the truth in any language, I have no doubt about that, but to me, it is most powerful in English, todavia lol. I'm trying to read more in Spanish though, cause I know at some point (like when I finish the book of Mormon for the first time) I'm going to read it again in Spanish. Woooooo I'm so excited! I'm getting better every day, The Lord is blessing me so much.

Mum, I sincerely believe that the Lord is blessing you (and all our family) with trials during this time while you still have two missionaries out. (BTDUBS SO COOL THAT ABBY GETS TO TRAIN HER LAST TWO TRANSFERS. I need to email her lol)) Sometimes its hard to have such a positive outlook when people don't follow through on commitments or don't come to church, but then you have a baptism or read an amazing scripture and the Lord reminds us that He has always been there for us. I am so grateful for His loving guidance all throughout our lives. Angie shared this scripture in her email last week, 2 Nephi 2-6. This is the hope and light and everlasting happiness of the gospel. How incredibly blessed we are to know the truth and to know the plan!

Oh by the way, we had a baptism!!! LIDA PANTUJ is from the highlands of Guatemala and is moving to a city like 30 min away any day now, but she has grown so much in these two months. I emailed Dad about her last week, when she had her interview with President, and he cleared her for baptism. She is amazing. I know she is going to be so strong. And pretty much all the elders in our zone came and we bought a cake and it was so great!!!

Also, any ideas on how to ''spark' the ward members into missionary work? Or just into getting together more and feeling more closeknit? This ward is struggling right now because they are always thinking about how great the ward was in the past and they don't know how to get it back to that great glory days lol. WE NEED ideas for activities!! If you guys can think or tell me about some that you have done in your new ward, We would so appreciate it!!

Love you so so so much. Praying for you every day. And how powerful prayer is, when we do it in the right way.
Hermana Townsend

January 9
No group letter today, so here's some thoughts from her letters to family:

Oh how I miss brownies. The simple things in life. When I get home can we please make a whole bunch of brownies and naniamo bars? Or maybe not cause I'll be really fat...

I'm so glad you guys are still doing MTC hour. that helped me so much, just to have that time specifically set aside to study the scriptures, set goals, and review progress through journalling.. seriously is the mission. straight up. Mum, my testimony is so built on the book of mormon. I cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for that amazing book and the prophets who spent so much time writing it for us. Sometimes I feel like they were writing specifically to me. What an incredible privilege we have to read it every day.

Who knows, maybe my comp will push me off a mountain and I'll break a leg cause we were in the mountains a ton this week and it is so gorgeous. I might have to marry a Guatemalan and come back to live here in the mountains. My heart is so happy the whole time we are there and I always hate to leave.

We got new standards for how to count if our investigators are progressing and stuff like that and I honestly thing that it will help us so much to be able to have more strong converts that will be a blessing to the work. And it is so focused on the Book of Mormon and helping people gain a testimony of that amazing book and I am so EXCITED!!

Yikes!! So sad to hear about Kelsey and Breckon and wow, Satan is working hard..

I was reading this morning in Alma 51:31 which is now one of my fav escrituras - Each and every one of us needs to be STRONG and SKILLFUL in the ways of the Lord. There is no replacement and no one can study your scriptures for you. When we're at the battlefront (every single day) I want to be so strong and skillful that Satan and all his numerous hosts will be met with utmost disappointment.

Standard of truth, eh? Don't know if I've even heard that, I would love it if you could send it! And I'll find a way to print it out lol. We had a baptismal interview this week with LIDIA who we have both come to adore and love, but she had some issues with question 4. President is coming to give us our interviews on Friday and he's gonna interview her too. I was struck again at the power of the priesthood and the authority even the DLs have that people confide in them and trust them to be able to help them solve their problems and improve their lives. We are 18-21 yr olds and these people with so much more experience trust us because we are set apart as the Lord's personal representatives. SO COOL. Also Alma 51:31 is now one of my fav escrituras. LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR THE DOCTRINAL DISCUSSION I NEED IT AND LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH
Hna Townsend​

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2017
HOLA FAMILIA!! (Dad, check your FB messenger pls :D ) FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!!

Guatemalans absolutely love fireworks and all things to do with fire so for Christmas and New years they set the world on fire and I was sincerely scared LOL. But don't worry, I'm still alive so we're all good. Hope you guys lit at least a few things on fire, cause what better way to celebrate the time we have than to set the world on fire, right? I love fire haha.

We had such a fantastic week!!!! Our goal that our president sent us was to get 10 new people with baptismal dates for this week or 2 new families. We only found 9, and 1 family, but man the Lord is seriously preparing people. In one of our lessons with Mildred, a mom of 3 whose husband is a hardcore catholic, we took the president of the RS with us and wow members are so key. We talked about the restoration (we had already explained the PofS in other lessons) and it was literally so cool. I can't express how important the testimony of that member was. She testified of the true church and how it helps us change our entire lives and our families and we can become better, I sincerely believe that without that testimony, Mildred would not have accepted our invitation to be baptized, after she reads and discovers this gospel for herself. I am so excited for her!!

We got to do SERVICE this week!! Instead of our Weekly Planning session (that we had another day, don't worry) we went and painted a school before they all go back from vacations, with our whole district, it was so sweettt!! Oh, and transfers were last week so we have an awesome new zone and they opened another area in our zone so we have another companionship - more elders...yay... haha nah, they're all so cool and fun and I love working with these people who all have so much faith. They strengthen me every time we get together and talk, even if it's only when we're playing basketball for p-day and I school them all(; that's a lie, I'm so bad.. but I haven't lost all my skills yet haha.

Okay, probably the best experience of my mission happened this week, get ready:

We were in the home of a die-hard Lutheran whose husband is a ''maso menos'' investigator so we stopped by. He wasn't home but we sang a song with his wife and I knew my comp didn't want to stay too long, but I felt impressed to share Alma 7:11-12, which has become a pretty popular scripture for missionaries, or so it seems. But Anyway, I read it in my broken Spanish (cause reading and writing are still really, really hard lol) and I just felt an overwhelming truth to what I was reading. I honestly don't know exactly what happened. She started to share her stories of healing and the miracles that God had done in her life, but all I could do was reflect over and over and feel that warmth wash over me over and over and over again. I know He lives, guys. I have a burning testimony of Him and His power to heal and to comfort us. He wants to rescue us from whatever we are going through and wants to hold our hand and experience the happy times with us too. I have that ''burning testimony'' we always hear about. It's a seriously incredible feeling and I feel so blessed to get to spend this ENTIRE YEAR being His personal representative and testifying of Him. He is my Savior and the Savior of the world. And He loves you personally!!

Happy new year!!! Keep serving others and remember that the Savior is the reason for every season of the year!
LOVE YOU ALL
Hermana Townsend