Sept 26

This has been such a great week! We started it out with a Zone Conference with our Mission President. I just love it every time we have the opportunity to listen to him and learn from him. I was really impacted by what we talked about. The sacrifice that Christ made for us is literally unimaginable. He loves us SO much, that first of all he wants us to return to his presence, and second, enough to literally give up his life for us so that we are able to do that. I realized that anything I do in this life, really isn´t a sacrifice compared for what the Savior did for each one of us. Being a missionary is such a blessing, not a sacrifice. Being able to testify and teach of Christ each and everyday, and being able to help all of the people here in Guatemala learn of his true Gospel is one of the biggest blessing that I have ever had and I am more and more grateful everyday.

In our mission, we are really trying to focus on complete families more. Hermana Compton and I have been putting goals to find new families everyday. Something we have been trying to do also is increase our faith each day to be able to find these families that the Lord is preparing. Last week we were working hard all week to find one and we didn't. But we kept working and kept having the faith that we would find one. Sunday in the afternoon our prayers were answered. We were able to visit a family who we had contacted earlier in the week. It was a family of 4. Efraín, Juana, Fredy, and Angela. We entered their house and began to teach. At the end of the lesson we felt prompted by the Spirit to invite them to baptism, and the accepted! They told us that they would like to learn more and they were very receptive to our message. When we returned this week they were waiting for us outside of their house. As we shared the message of the Restoration with them, their eyes lit up, and they truly desired to know more. Efrain, the dad, told us that he had no doubt that José Smith was a profeta, and that Jesus Christ appeared to him. It was such a miracle to find this family. The Lord is truly always preparing people to hear of this message.

On Friday we did divisions with the Sisters who live in Quiche. It was such a great experience. There is a Sister there named Hermana Griffiths who just barely got to the mission about 4 weeks ago. That means that she is going through the hard times, that every gringo goes through, of not understanding anything anyone is saying to you in Spanish, and not being able to explain anything to anyone. It brought back a lot of memories when I just got to the mission and couldn't speak a word of Spanish haha. It was such a great experience being able to work with her, because although she maybe couldn't understand or explain herself perfectly, she just testified of Christ and of the church. It was a good reminder to me that the thing most important, not only as missionaries, but members too, is testify. When we do that, the people can truly feel the love of the Lord.

Well, sadly changes are next Tuesday and me and Hermana Compton probably are going to have them. I am so sad because I love her so much and she has been such an amazing companion! We have had so much fun, and also worked really hard together. I am going to miss her!

Anyways, thanks for all your support, and sorry I haven't written in so long! Love you all!
Con mucho amor de Guatemala,

Hermana Baird