Tyler's time home in Richmond

All, This is Tyler's dad and I thought I'd let anyone still following the blog know a few details.

He gets home on Monday night, 10:30 ish.

He'll only spend a short time in Richmond, and leaves out Saturday (8/27/11) to start his sophomore year at BYU so he won't be here on a Sunday. We considered having a mid week fireside (but many friends will be out of town on vacation and delivering kids to college) we've decided that he could do a small fireside during Christmas break. I'll announce those details here as soon as they are made.

I was going to be cheesy ...

I was gonna do the cheesy missionary thing this week, and not write except for including a scripture from the New Testament, but there are so many new details to share and our time at home will be limited. So I'll write at least a little something :)

The change is in full swing! As of Wednesday, I find myself in Eterna Primavera, Villa Nueva, tracting, and finding, and teaching, and committing, and sweating, and getting rained on, and stepping in mud, and eating regular food, and going on buses, and everything else just like the good old days :) I'm with Elder Park and Elder Jaramillo, and my goodness I wish I could explain to you how much we are enjoying this change. Pahaha. I got so lucky to be with them both. They are hysterical so we keep ourselves entertained. There are a lot of stories I will have to keep you posted on!

Quick fun things from the past week:

1. We are opening an area (meaning that it was closed a change ago by other elders), so the house is nasty and dusty. And there was garbage all OVER the back porch! We took it out last night for the garbage to come this morning and it was horrifying. I think I got green goop on my hands. We had a lot of fun with it. Hahaha.

2. Our area is gheTTO, and we actually live outside of it. The actual area is all mud roads, in two little areas called Alioto and Village Martyrs (that's me translating...). There is so much mud! The boots Ive had all mission are REALLY coming in handy!

3. We contacted a lady the other day named Olga. She told us that she knows that Jesus is "the perfect white," and then she told us that she writes "the holy scripture." She has written almost 40 books...of scripture. Pahahahaha. We are looking on how we can find the Book of Olga.

4. We contacted another lady who told us she goes to La Iglesia del Ministerio del Relampago Divino. In English, that means The Church of the Ministry of Divine Lightning. ROFLZ.

We are absolutely living it up this change and taking advantage of every minute. Our first day we set goals for these two weeks, and in five days we found 5 families and 25 new people to teach. Its been amazing and we've seen miracles in these lessons. I'll tell you more in person about that.

Love you all and cant wait to see you. Coming home will be hard. I'm really going to miss the mission. But I love you and will see you soon :)

Read this together as a family. 3 John 1:13-14

Tyler

Tyler's birthday was the third

Getting down to the wire now. I only have 4 more days as an office elder, so it's very possible that this is the last email you'll get from me here in the office! As always, the time continues to fly by.

A missionary who was here that went home last change came by the office visiting today with his brother, and he said everything in the states is different. Everyone has I-pads (whatever that is) and data plans on their phones. I think I am going to freak out.

The work continues on wonderfully in Guatemala. You asked about the Isaguirre family, and I am happy to say that they have a date soon to be baptized. I wish I could explain to you how wonderful an experience it has been with them. They have been one of the toughest families I've ever taught in my mission, regarding as to helping them get a testimony. And now Elder Rosales and I have really seen a change in them.They are reading and praying as a family. It has been a testimony builder to us about the importance of teaching with Simplified Study. We never could have done so otherwise. I won't be there for their baptism, but I am so happy for them nonetheless, and can't wait to keep seeing them progress along in the gospel.

We did changes on Monday, so I officially know where Im going! I'll be heading to Eterna Primavera to open the area with Elder Park, one of my best mission friends. He'll be training a newbie so we will be in trio. I am SO excited to get back into the field and get a move on with the work. I think it'll be great. :)

Love and miss you, Tyler

The doorway of August

Whew! We finished the last zone conference yesterday, and I am pretty tired. It's hard to believe the last one is over. It was an incredible conference. Many of the elders mentioned to us later that it felt like a revolution for the mission. We sure hope so. All in all it was wonderful to help the Brough's manage their first conference. But I'm glad we dont have to do any more of them for the time being. :)

The change is coming to a close; we do changes on Monday, there's a zone leader council on the 3rd, and then we are pretty much done. It feels weird that my office time has gone so quickly. But I'm excited to get back into the field for the last two weeks. It'll be nice to work as much as I can until the end.

Sounds like everyone is fully enjoying the summer activities :) Youth conference, EFY, Kings Dominion, Harry Potter, it all sounds awesome. You should remember that I am completely jealous of you being able to see Harry Potter 7 without me!!! Haha just kidding. But for reals it had better be at the Byrd when I am back. :)

Hope everyone has a great week. Summer is flying by! We're in the doorway of August!

Getting to work in our own area!

My companion and I have had a great week this week. We've been doing a lot of divisions, but in our area, so we've been able to find and teach a ton more people. It's been wonderful--I've been going on divisions with some of my best friends in the mission lately--Elders Hutchings, Dodge, Park, etc--the mission really has brought me experiences and new friendships that I'll be forever grateful for. I've said it before and will continue to say so: the Lord continues ever to show His guiding hand in all things.

Love you guys, and miss you. Where is the time going???

So we're officially halfway through the change. Its the weirdest thing having to write that; I feel more and more like time is creeping up on me. I'm not going home this change, but the back of my mind keeps haunting me, for it will only be two weeks later that I actually do. In lots of ways exciting, in lots of ways I'm nervous, in lots of ways I don't know what to think. But you should know that I am enjoying my time to the fullest--the Lord has given me experiences lately that I can't even begin to be grateful. It seems he's always been watching out for me.

We're continuing on with the interviews, and Elder Rosales and I have been able to see more of how the mission is doing with regards to teaching. We have a long way to go! But I said last week, and will continue to say it--it feels very cutting edge, everything that we've been doing with the mission. To actually watch the District I movies, and notice what they've been doing wrong--I never thought we would get to this point. Its really been a blessing to help the mission access more fully the principles of Preach My Gospel.

I think I told you about the Isaguirre family, Alvaro and Sandra--we went with them last night, and verified on their praying. They got an answer about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. They want to be baptized. Our goal is the 6th of August, my last weekend in Boca del Monte. Please pray for them, that everything will go well :)

Am I getting close to a waterfall?

Finishing off Week 2 of the change. I can't believe how fast the time has continued to go. I think I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's very much like approaching the edge of a waterfall.

Pres. Brough is all settled in, and things are moving onward. We had our zone leader council for July last Thursday, and it was a great opportunity for him to get to know the zone leaders, and vice versa. We talked a lot about what the mission does well, and what it can improve. And my companion and I gave a workshop (that sounds goofy in English but I dont know how else to explain it. Ask Sis. Castanos what a "taller" is), all about Inspired Questions. It was great. I wish you could see it and understand how important it is. Elder Rosales and I have been extremelyfocused in these changes about how to improve teaching in the mission. And it's an incredibly enriching feeling to take Preach My Gospel and expound it for the missionaries--help them get to what they've missed. It's all very cutting edge, and its what the 70s are pushing in all of the missions now. Much like when they switched from discussions to preach my gospel. Its exciting to be a part of it!

We've started the tour of interviews, and we're really enjoying it. We're giving a taller about Simplified Study, but mostly we are just practicing lessons with the missionaries. Its cool; we get to see the strengths (and so many weaknesses!) of the teaching in the mission. And then we work on it right there with them. Its been a thrill, and way fun. Cant wait for more on Monday!

Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you and love you. Happy summer break!