Tuesday, May 31, 2011

We were holding on off the side of a bus going out to pueblo modelo, and a random lady gave me 5 quets and walked away.... about 30min later after we were done teaching a lesson to a part member family, they asked if they could have 5 quets to buy water... the Lord sure does work in mysterious ways!! i went on some divisions with some elders of my district this week.. im pretty sure i learned more from them, than what they learned from me.. we had the chance to see dr.phill hall at the airport friday morning at 6 am before he left.. we talked for a few min and it was good to see someone from my home land.. they wouldnt let me into the airport cuz i didnt have my passport.. so that was a bummer.. but it was worth it!! we had a super sweet investigator family show up to church yesterday.. i was so happy when they showed up!! i cant explain how happy i was!! or maybe.. lets see.. super duper luper happy.. ya, and thats really happy for me if you didnt know.. sorry no zacapa crips yet but its commin...
Elder Oakey


option 2
Mr. Billiards

man on the moon

Dr. Phill

chambers is dying

ok.. i had changes.. im now in a area called los almendros (the almonds) in zacapa.. i was also called to district leader.. as matthew said im glad i dont have sisters in my district.. haha.. (no offence Becca).. my new comp is named elder castillo from el salvador, he has around 9 months in the mission.. so i never got to see my baptism presentation when it was presented.. kinda sad.. but it happens.. Zacapa is like st.george summer weather all year round.. but the catch is that their is no air conditioning.. so you pretty much sleep sweating, haha... our house is pretty cool. ill make a quate cribs zacapa video this week for ya.. we have a huge mango tree in the back yard.. the mangos are huge.. and gynormous lizards and creatures live in it.. i met all the neighbors by asking them if they had a plunger that they would lend me.... they all got a kick out of that!!

the kids here mostly play with marbles and with tires.. they roll the tires.. we met the sunoon family, (check the pic).. their house is made of a tin roof with a dirt foundation and wooden posts with a tarp for walls.. they also live without electricity or running water.. as we were teaching them i was just pondering about their situation and thinking if i could live like that.. It really brings you back down to earth.. i even feel bad that us missionaries live in some of the nicer houses in all the areas that we are in.. today for pday we went to chiquimula to play soccer with the zone.. it was fun. we have a actual ward here in los almendros. about 85 to 90 active members.. well were workin building the kingdom


Elder Oakey

wait
salva vidas


hechando hueva

Elder Castillo

fam sunoon

bye bye conchis

70's

Monday, May 23, 2011

last Wednesday we went to the temple!! it was super sweet as normal.. elder shipley and i were doing work for brothers!!


ill let elder shipley tell the story.. haha Wednesday- so we went to the temple in the morning. we had to wake up at 4 am. so early. then we headed over there and it was really neat. elder oakey and I sat next to each other and we looked at our cards and saw that they were brothers. it was so neat. how cool is that. brothers are finally going through the temple and getting their work done and were sitting next to each other. so that made it pretty special. then after the temple we went out of there. my comp and another elder did another session so me and elder oakey left on divisions. when we left the temple there were about 50 gringos. it was so weird. they were from byu Idaho and were touring down here in Guatemala. it was so neat talking to them and we had a good time laughing and all. ps it was like 40 girls 10 guys. lucky for them haha. their teacher called them on the bus and they were about to leave when me and oakey were thinking, hmm i really wanted a photo. and he did too. ha so we ran to the bus and he got on the microphone and said, is it cool if we take a pic with you guys. they all screamed yes. so we got in the middle of the bus and the girls were like can we touch you guys, and a guy yelled, “no they’re missionaries”. haha it was just so dang funny. but we took a pic so it was good.






haha elder shipley is a funny man.. haha



so after the temple we headed to the zoo!! the zoo is super cool i decided!! i really didnt remember how narley the zoo was.. it brought back some memories.. at the end of our zoo experience we hopped into the bumper cars and had a laugh attack for about 5 min..!! haha what a blast!! we also had our last zone conference with pres.. it was very different from the zone conferences before..... hehe my comp bonilla received a English certificate!! he is a very good English studyer.. were havin a baptism this month, with abby!! im so happy for her.. remember, she is the girlfriend of a member.... well, they ended up getting married!! which is a good thing! about a month ago we tried to put a baptismal date with her, and she strait up said no... but we kept on teaching her and she was coming to church and doing her part.. this week we visited her. i felt the strongest feeling to ask her again.. i asked her, "Abby, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized on the 28 of this month". with tears in her eyes almost before i was done asking her she said yes!! she was able to feel and have a testimony of what we were teaching her! her husband Oscar has really helped also to answer all of her questions!! it works, it really does!!



Tennessee Ernie Ford- 16 Tons



Conchis was listening to and singing the song grandpa and i always sang (but in Spanish).. i owe my soul to the company store!! haha.. i was singing it in English and she was singing it in Spanish, it was pretty cool!!



all right that's a wrap...







we've got everything!!


webb presdents, the luck challenge



flat top tommy



exclusive



dont worry were at the zoo



divisions with Price



BYU I



Thursday, May 12, 2011

can you hear me now?
this week in district meeting i gave a lesson on one of the Christlike attributes, la paciencia.. patience is a virtue.. hehe.. last Monday we also watched the best 2 years! i have not seen that for about 4 years.. this time was hilarious.. Conchis is getting better just so you know. it was super cool talking to my mommy on mothers day!! i was glad to know that everything was fine with the fam... we tried really hard this week.. we ended up knocking alot of doors.. not the best way, but it works.. week 6 of the change.. wow that flew by.. i need to make sure im doing everything i can before this time runs out.. we taught a man named Jorge this week. he is around 25 years old. he didnt want to say the prayer, and he told us he didnt want to do it because he had never prayed out loud before.. the appointment before he said he would pray the next time.. so this day was this next time.. but he still said that he didnt want to. little by little we explained about prayer, and to make a long story short he ended up praying out loud this night.. i could feel the spirit in that moment and i know Jorge felt that same thing.. i was really proud of Jorge for praying. i know he is going to pray more now!! i was teaching English class on Saturday night and i was writing down questions with my answers.. on of the questions was "when are you most happy?"... my answer was - i am most happy when i am with my family-, as i said this out loud to the class i almost choked up.. but i held my cool.. but its true, im really most happy when i am with my family.. although i cannot be with my family right now.. i know they love and support me.. and as Zach said, "we leave our families for 2 years so we can help families be together forever!" dont be afraid to bear your testimony to everyone.. if we never tell them they will never know..
haz lo justo..
Elder Oakey

we can't vote but we can rep..

(don't worry, shirts are not worn in the street. I didn't want to get shot)
The best 2 years, staring a vacuum cleaner!

TEACH IT SON!!!!

singing for the Mommy's

Chewwwwwwwwwwww...

cooking at the presidents house.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

wow.. its all happening.. i dont really know whats happening but its happening... i cant explain it.. i dont even know if its good or bad, happy or sad.. anyways.. we got 7 investigator to Church yesterday!! and 2 families!! yup.. and one of my investigators from San Francisco was baptised an i got permission to go to her baptism!! very cool.. we also had interviews with president this week.. i always like interviews it kinda brings you back to square one.. president Alvarado leaves next change and then we get president stay.. i guess its a good experience to have 2 presidents on your mission.. change is good, it makes you get out of your comfort zone and better yourself.. Conchis our cooker lady, has been really sick this week.. her daughter has been cooking us food.. its really weird to see Conchis like this.. she has to stay in her bed and she is very not like her self.. she is normally very animated and making jokes and havin a fun time, but right now its the opposite.. and it makes me sad to see her like that.. so if you could pray for her she would like that.. thanks.. i love the guide of the spirit!! last night as we were walking to dinner as saw a house off in the distance with the lights on, as i saw it if felt right away that i should contact it!! its always "just one more house" haha.. the good ole spirit did er again!! new investigator family!! another cat story: the other night we saw a cat up in a tree and the firemen were trying to get it down, their was even a crowd!!.. haha its a Clifford classic!!! Task for the week: study and find what the song of the heart is.. Ready.. Go.. On of the hardest emotional things to deal with here on the mission is with families not accepting this Gospel.. when they say no, something inside of me bursts and i cant control it.. its really the saddest thing ever.. because without this gospel in their lives they will never really be able to be "happy". they will be separated at death. their is a whole bag of blessings they can receive, and its right in front of them, its even free. all they need to do is act.. demonstrating faith with their actions.. but God is big on agency, and we cant change that.. sometimes i think. is it me.. am i the one that is not teaching correctly.. or a better question.. do i have the spirit with me.. if i dont have the spirit with me when im teaching then its almost positive that they wont feel the spirit, and if they dont feel the spirit they can never have a conversion.. so in the long run its really up to me..
like Elder Ballard told us.. "we have to be dang good"..
i love you all,
take luck.
"i wish i had a dollar for every time i spent a dollar".....
Elder Oakey



Patojos
Jennifers Baptism


Bolibri
this week was kinda crazy.. the catholics go all out this week.. lets just say that they are super creative and lets leave it at that... last week i asked a man from English class if we could come visit him... he said yes!! so we went over to his house and he wasn't home... the next day we came by and yuuuup he was home and so was all of his family!! new fam! they really have some potential en em!! i dont know why but i get super happy when i find new families to teach!! its like a spoon full of sugar!! and you know that helps the medicine go down.. we came home the other night and their was a kitty in our room.. super random.. so we played with it for a little bit. then we went to search for its family.. after one or two minutes we tried handing it out to people in the street.. but nobody wanted the poor little thing.. i ended up knocking on the neighbors door and asking them if they wanted it.. they said no.. but they said they recognized the kitty cat and the family might live in the tortillaria shack down the street. and guess what?! it was the family of the kitty!! wow, they were so excited to have that lost family member back in home.. after i felt kinda sorry that i was trying to give it away in the street... haha.... we are planning and preparing a missionary activity for the ward.. ill give you details when we get er done.. its gonna be huge!! everyone and their favorite uncle is gonna be their..!! stay tuned. happy days of birth to my brothers, Chan, Landon, and Ryan!! have a good one.. i met a guy from Wilmington!!.. haha he is a thug.. but were good buddies...
"sleep tight dont let the bed bugs bite" is a real and true statement!!
Elder Oakey
orale....

Burning Judas
The Crew

Semana Santa

Kitty Cat

It Happens

Calling Home

They call me Stacy, always the same.