Colton at Provo MTC

Colton at Provo MTC

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

COMING HOME MARCH 6TH

Well I am sure you got the news. I am coming home around March 6th or something like that. So I am sorry about the whole cruise thing! You guys can go with out me if you would like. I will just go  home and sit in the house not knowing what to do with myself. I will probably go contact the neighbors that aren´t members and stuff. Just kidding! WAIT FOR ME! Please. Haha well it is good news and I think it will be good for me. Like 1 more week in the mission than what it was before. Oh and I do have other big news! I´m staying where I am with my same companion. This is going to be the first time I have been with a companion for more than 3 months! Whoo!! It is going to be really fun. We have baptisms planned for December. A great zone conference activity we are going to be doing and we also are going to be spending our birthdays together. Elder Turcios turns 21 on the 19th and well I will be 21 on the 23rd! How exciting is that! I am overly excited! I was a little nervous because I thought I would train again and I kind of wanted to just train but I think that this is the best thing for me. I love being here in Paraiso and I am having a ton of fun with Elder Turcios and we are going to have a really good month together. We still have 1 change after this one on January 16th so who knows what is going to happen then but I believe I am going to end my mission here in Paraiso. Dying in paradise. It has a nice ring to it.
This week was a really good one. We had the ZL Council on Tuesday and it was really awesome. President Watts is having us make some goals for the mission and next council we are going to make a new plan for the mission. We hope to really work hard this December so that we can get the ball rolling for the next year. It really has been amazing the progress we have made here in the zone. This zone hasn´t had a very good reputation and it has turned around. I am super happy here and the weeks are flying by. We have 18 new elders coming to stay with us on Tuesday night and I am excited because it is cool to be with new elders. They always have a ton of questions and they are so excited for everything. It reminds me of the Tuesday night before entering the mission field. I was so nervous and the trainers were showing us all their photos and scary things that had happened to them in the mission. haha! I´m sure Alyce like that one. 
Well the amazing story of the week is the following. I don´t remember if I have written about Luis Colmenares. He is 39 years old and his uncle is the High Priests Leader in my ward. His uncle brought us to his house in August to teach them for the first time. They have always let us in and slowly they were progressing. Luis came to church 2 times back then  and his progress had been really slow. We invited him to be baptized and he said that he will for sure if I receives an answer. That was about 2 months ago. We still were visiting him ever Saturday but then we felt a prompting to talk about the importance of the Book of Mormon in his conversion. He had always said that he was reading and stuff but he never explained what he had read. On Friday we went to his house to see how it went with his reading this week. He told us that he has received his answer. He said he is ready to be baptized once he starts living the commandments more and on Sunday he showed up early to church and stayed the whole 3 hours which he didn´t do before. I am super excited!! I have been working with him for so long and I know the Lord has great plans for him!! 
I hope that you all can enjoy a bit of this Spirit from that story. I love you all so much! I love this work with all my heart and I am so blessed to be here! Have an amazing week!
Elder Colty Llewelyn

Thursday, August 16, 2012

I feel weird....

feel weird because I have just seen the pictures of Elder Nelson and you guys and I think it has just hit me that all the rumors are true, I am still from Utah, and even though I act like a Guatemalan, I am still from Utah. Haha that was the craziest thing to see. Elder Nelson sent me a huge email telling me all about the good chats you had and I heard Hannah called me weird, I don´t know what he told you but don´t believe it. haha
Well another week has passed here in Guatemala and it has been a really really good one. On Tuesday we had the ZL council thing and I learned a ton. Those meetings are super different because you really do feel super involved in the work and President really has put a lot of trust in us and I am really liking it I just hope I can be the best example I can. Like Elder Nelson. I really like how President focused a ton on our worthiness as leaders and it turned out to be a super good meeting and it ended with an amazing lunch, the best I have eaten in 17 months. Sis. Watts is amazing in the kitchen. I ate gravy. I don´t think I have even seen that stuff in 18 months. It was pretty cool because I got to be with Elder Cheney and Elder Willardson from my group that entered in and we all talked about how much we have changed and how crazy and fast everything is. It is amazing how much we have changed. I remember being with them and it is crazy to see how much we have all changed. We are all more boring but in a weird way I can see that we are all a lot more happy. I love my mission. I love the success we are having and how close I feel to the Lord sometimes. I know he is here working with us and it is amazing how strong my testimony has become. 
Yesterday we saw the fruits of our labor. We have been trying really hard to have more progressing investigators and well we gave it our all and it all paid off in the end. We showed up to church yesterday with 3 families and 7 investigators total. All of them are progressing and we even found a new family this week that came to church with us on Sunday. I am so happpy with the way things are going. There are some days that are very hard but things like that just make me know that the Lord is helping and is willing to give these brothers and sisters a push so that they really can change their lives. 
I also received news that my converts are doing really great. Oscar received a calling as ward missionary and he is pretty excited! Not everything is perfect in Zion but there is progress! I love you so much family! Have an amazing week oh and invite Alex over to the house! He came home today!

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Wahoo! Alameda

Well I am sending a whole bunch of pictures just to give you a little taste of what is going on down here! I am in Zone Alameda which is in Zone 18 in the capital. I live in a mansion! haha just really that is what it is called. The Alameda Mansion. Haha but really it is amazing here. The ward is amazing and my companion is great. His name is Elder Taco from Peru. He has been in this area for 4 and a half months. I am zone leader here with him and we are working like crazy!
Monday and Tuesday were days full of saying goodbye to some of my favorite people in the world. I really do love Santa Luisa and I enjoyed my 3 changes there. The times with the gordito favorito, in Spanish that translates to be Favorite Little Fatty. Haha I think you know who that is. Here in Guatemala that is not offensive so everyone called Elder Kilts that. I also enjoyed my time with all the people there especially our converts. They really are amazing people and it was sad to say goodbye but I knew it wasn´t the last time I would be seeing them all. I got all packed up and left early Wednesday morning for the church where we have the change conferences. When we got there I was super nervous because I wasn´t sure what to expect and there were a whole bunch of elders going home that were my good friends. They told my I was ZL in Alameda and I was pretty surprised. I was a little nervous because I wasn´t sure what to expect but I was happy and then I realized Elder Kilts is in my Zone!!!! It was the greatest! My son. Father Son time! haha
These past few days have been really great and super busy. We are working really hard to find more people to teach and we found one and put a date with him for August 18th! He is a member´s brother and he has been going to church for a long time so we decided to start teaching him and he said he wants to get baptized. We also have a baptism this week which is pretty exited. He is an older man that has been investigating the church for a while. They moved here and the elders started to teach them. The wife was baptized about a year and a half ago and she is really happy that he is finally going to get baptized. So as you can see it has been really busy but amazing. The time is going by super fast and I feel like there is so much more to do. I feel the responsibility but it is great. I have to be a super good example and I am going to try my hardest! Yesterday we had a meeting with all the bishoprics, President, the assistants and us and I was a little nervous. I wasn´t sure what to expect but it really was a really good meeting. We talked about how the stake could help us a little more and the stake showed us how they can and everything went really smoothly.
I love you so much family! I am loving my new area and my new companion and everything. I needed this change and I am so happy for the way God has blessed me and blessed you as well. Tell Kato hi for me and give him a big hug. Make sure he doesn´t pee in my room. That would be gross... haha I love you! Have a good week!

SORRY!!!!

The summer has been crazy and I'm not going to add all the letters I've missed but I'll start up again!!!
Sorry, Momma Alee

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Almost time for a Call

HELLO FAMILY!!!
You sound like you are all doing amazing and everything is going well. It kind of freaks me out that the school year is almost to a close because that just means the time is going by faster and that the next year is beginning and it is going to fly just like this year went. Well I guess that is how it is. I am super excited to hear from you all next Sunday!! I feel like I just talked to you and I am super excited. Okay well what I was thinking is that you can call me at 3 in the afternoon. I get out of church at 2 30 so I think that would be great!!
This week was a pretty good week. I feel like it has been a little bit harder opening an area but I really have seen the difference here that we have made. God really has blessed us here and it is amazing how he has put people in our path if we just do what he wants us to do. We have been contacting like crazy and it is paying off. We have some investigators that are really progressing. Elder Kilts and I found a family that I feel like has been prepared. The sisters called us from the other ward and told us that they had contacted a family and they told us to pass by. We found their house and that wife answered. She told us to pass by the next day and that is what we did. We got there and had an amazing lesson with them. About a week or 2 passed without seeing them and we finally got a hold of them and we taught the first lesson. It was amazing how the Spirit had already touched them. The husband told me that he was grateful that we had brought him the truth! Miracles happen! It has been kind of a stressful change but I feel like we made some really great changes here!! Elder Kilts and I are together for another 6 weeks and we are going to live it up.
I sent a photo of my good friend Elder Kilts and it has a great story behing it. Well on Friday night I decided to get a little adventurous and make us some tacos. Ok we all know that I have never been the best cook but I made them and they tasted great. I woke up the next morning with what we like to call BOO. It was horrible but it stopped there. I got out of the shower feel fine and then I felt like I needed to sit down. I felt horrible and I couldn´t do anything. I just decided to sleep but I woke up at about 3 and felt like I was going to throw up. Well that is exactly what I did and it was one of those time when you do it until nothing is left... haha it was the worst. I don´t think I have ever experienced something so bad in my mission. So my comp and I decided to just stay in that day. Well that was a very boring day and my comp had not experienced a day like that. So to entertain ourselves we began to take some pretty great photos! haha but don´t you worry. I am all better now, I know now that leave the cooking to someone who can and that if I am going to cook, pasta is just fine.
Well that is my week! It was another week in the mission field but it was a good one. I am excited to talk to you all in a week! Have an amazing week and talk to you soon!! Whoo!!!

14 Months!

I would like you all to know you can now count on your hands how many months I have in the mission! I am so scared now! But don´t worry, I got my new suit and I look smokin. Due to all this walking I will have you know that my butt actually shows in my pants now. and now in my slighly tight new suit that looks like I could be working for J Crew. Just saying.
Haha well this week was amazing. I will all have you know that my companion is the best. He is the funniest kid ever and we are just having the best of time here in the capital. I will start out with a funny story.
It was about 8 o clock at night and we had to be at a meeting with the bishop. Well an older man stops us and asks us if we could take him home. Well being me I felt bad so I started to help him home. I then realized he had a problem with his legs and then I realized ope he was a little under the weather. He began to tell us all these stories and asking us all these questions while I am just looking at all the people looking at us with a look saying what in the world are missionaries doing with him. He then asked me if I believed in Darwin´s theory of monkeys and then he started to act like a monkey in the street. haha I just turned the other way and started walking to the Bishop´s house again. It was pretty funny and I thought it was a good growing experience for Elder Kilts.
I do have another great story. I sent a couple of pictures of our house and I haven´t really said much about it but it is a health hazard. haha so we have been looking for a house and we finally found one! It was amazing because we had heard about a house that was for rent but we couldn´t find the right one. We started asking around in the neighborhood, which is a gated community, and we asked this lady and she said she was but it wasn´t the one we were looking for. She told us to come and look at the apartment she had and we saw it and we really liked it. Just about a minute before I prayed in my heart that we would find the house but God had a different plan and found this house for us. To top it all off the real owner of the house called me a couple days later and was talking in English. He is living in Canada and he is a bishop of the church of there! haha well God answers prayers because he knows we need out. This week Elder Kilts and I having been on a rat hunt. We have two giant rats living on our back porch and we have tried poisoning them and trapping them but they are too smart. They mock us by pooping in our trap.
Also this week we have been looking for investigators. We found a family that was in the area book and we have been trying to visit them for so long and we finally found them. We show up and the mother and daughter have been reading the Book of Mormon and the mother asked me to find a part in the Teachings of the Prophet George Albert Smith book for her to read. It was a real miracle. I feel like we contacted so many people and no one really wanted anything but God blessed us with helping us find other people. God has seen our effort and he blessed us! I love this area so much. The ward is great and they are so willing to help us out. I LOVE MY MISSION!! I am working so hard and everynight I come home and in less than 2 seconds I am out after I lay down but I wouldn´t have it any different. I love my mission!!
I love you so much and I know that the blessings are there. Maybe you can´t see them but I can. We are all progressing together and I can see your testimonies growing so much. There was an article in the January Liahona that I want you all to read but I can´t remember what it is called. It is about animals. Give Rain a big hug from me! I have a picture of her and sky that I look at and it makes me sad but I think that is how it goes. I love you all so much! Look for the blessings everyday because they are there.
Cuenta tus bendiciones! Hasta luego muchás!!!
Les amo y les deseo lo mejor esta semana!! Elder Colton Llewelyn

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Lost my Funny???

FAMILY!!!!
How are you all doing?? I am pretty sure you are all doing great! It sounds like things went okay this week except for all the sicknesses. That kinda sucks but hey at least is is starting to warm up over there. Here I guess we are entering winter which means it is going to start raining every single day. Not again. I thought if I left from Coban it would not be like this but then I remember last year and it was the same here. But to tell you the truth, I feel like the people don´t really know what season we are in, they always tell me a different thing.
Well this week was a pretty amazing week. Once again it flew by and it feels like I was just writing you but I guess that is a good thing. We have been looking for a new apartment for the past 2 weeks well because it is a health hazard living where we are. But the story is pretty dang cool. So we have looked at 5 houses but the first 3 the leaders said no. I was a little frustrated so I hit one of them... and that is how Elder Underwood died. No I am kidding he is still here but my companion and I prayed to find out where we should go because we were getting a little frustrated and it was distracting the work and all. Well we found a house intentionally trying to find another house and we loved it. The owners live in Canada and the lady told us she was going to talk to him. I got a call from the owner and he told me he was a member and he really wants us to live there! It was honestly an answer to our prayers! Whoo! So now I am living in a two story house with a jacuzzi and an all you can eat chinese food restaurant downstairs! Ok lies but it is a nice house and we have our own pila!
Oh and the baptism went super well!! The only thing was I forgot to bring my other memory card so I cant show you it! But there is always next time. My compa baptized them both and he was pretty happy. It reminded me of my first baptism when I had to baptize him 4 times... haha oh I hope it is funny to you because it was to me. They were so happy to get baptized. The wife is about 65 years old but she keeps telling me that we are evangelicals but I have told her a million times that we are not. We are mormons. Haha but she is slowly understanding everything.
I am sorry if this letter was boring I feel like I am losing my funny. Tell me if I am still funny. Tell Connor to write me more so I can remember what it is like to be funny!! haha Oh and I hope you could find my house on Google! You are going to see my hood. Well I love you so much family!!! Keep it easy not sleezy!!
Elder Colton Llewelyn

Back on Track

HELLO!!!!!
My wonderful family! It was amazing to hear from you and how everything is going over there. The cruise sounded amazing and it made me really excited for my honeymoon... haha. Oh and it made me happy that you saw Eden... tell her hi from me because she doesn´t feel like writing anymore!
Well family... this week was amazing. It flew like literally flew. I feel like I had just written and now I am here again writing. I think it is because we are working like crazy people here. Here is the scoop on what is going down here in China town/ Santa Luisa.
We are now having to contact door to door for like 4 hours because we do not have any investigators. It is probably the coolest thing ever. We are just finding all these new people to teach and everything is super new to both of us. The members here are amazing and they have been helping us out a ton. We are having a baptism this saturday which is a miracle in itself! It is an older couple that have been receiving the missionaries for about a month now. They are amazing people and they want to be part of the church so bad. They understand really well except for the wife. It is a little hard teaching her because she can´t grasp everything but she knows she needs to get baptized! She has told me many times and it is amazing to see their faith. 
I am loving my area. It is completely different from Coban. I am walking on cement roads and everything is so much faster here. It kind of stresses me out because there is so much noise and I was not used to that. The ward is also a lot smaller. There are only about 100 active members and the area is a little bit harder. The people aren´t super receptive but the Lord has really blessed us. We now have 4 investigators that we had to find because the other elders left the area a little dead but it is amazing to see the difference. I feel like I have never worked so hard because we are trying to talk to everyone.   
I would also like to share an amazing experience that happened to Elder Kilts and I.
Well we had just gotten done with contacting for 3 hours and we were kind of getting tired but we decided to go a little more. We got to a house and there was a 23 year old guy that opened the door and we presented ourselves and he let us come in. We began to start the lesson and we started talking about Jesus Christ and how his atonement helps us forget what we have done and move forward. I felt prompted to invite him to be baptized and so I did. He said yes and that was the first time I have ever invited in the first lesson. It was amazing and I am super blessed to be here. I feel like I am starting this area back up but it is awesome to see the change in it since we started a week ago.
Well I love you family and I hope you have an amazing week!!
Love you, Elder Llewelyn

Grandpa Bill Passed Away

Dear Family!
Well I am first going to start this email off by say... I am so sorry! I was not able to write last week because there was absolutley no time to write. I had some problems with my companion and it didn´t give us time to write and this whole week I have felt so weird but I am hope that you feel a little bit of comfort from this email.
Well I am going to start off by saying that I love you all so much. And I am going to be honest. This has been one of the hardest weeks of the mission. Now I don´t want you all to think that it was a negative week I am still going positive but it was a hard one. I left from my beautiful land of Coban on Monday because well they told me I was training again. Haha well we got to the capital and then we went to meet all the new Elders on Tuesday. I got to spend the day with Elder LaPray and that was amazing. Wednesday in the morning they tell me I also have an interview and President told me that I was going to be district leader. Well I felt a whole lot of weight and I feel a whole lot of responsiblity but I am happy that God trusts me enough to do all of this.
I am now in the Molino zone in the zone 6 here in the Captial. My area is called Santa Luisa and I got here Wednesday with my companion and well... we had no idea where anything was, who anyone was, nothing. But we just started right off the bat. We walked out and started contacting like crazy. We found 2 new families to teach and it was pretty amazing. I absolutley love this area. The people here are amazing and it is a huge change. My companions name is Elder Kilts and he is from Ogden! He is pretty funny and we get along great. It is a little difficult because well he is new and is still learning the great language of Español but it is great. The craziest part is I am in the old area of Elder Paulsen!! It is a miracle and he got a little emotional when I told him and he told me he had prayed for this. I know I am supposed to be here and I am loving it. We have a family baptism in two weeks and I am really excited. They are old people and my comp invited them to be baptized yesterday!! Whoo!! I am telling you, my kids in the mission are great.
Well beside all of that I got a call from President Watts on Thursday telling me what had happened with Grandpa. At first I didn´t quite understand. It hadn´t hit me and I don´t think it will fully hit me until I get home but I woke up Friday morning and I said a prayer to my Heavenly Father and I asked him to tell Grandpa to help me through all of this. My grandfather was an amazing person. He had a smile that was just warm when you came up to him. I love my grandfather so much. I will miss the property trips with him. I will also miss setting up the christmas lights with him after the turkey from thanksgiving had just set in. I am having a hard time with all of it and how fast it all came but I received the package and there was a photo of my grandpa and it was exactly what I needed. He was exactly how I will always remember him.
I love you all and I am so happy here in Guatemala!!
Have a good week!
Love Elder Llewelyn

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Prom....The good old days.

 This week was amazing and the photos from Prom were the best things in the world. The lil guys looked so great. It makes me think of the time when I went to Prom and I remember how amazing it was. Whoo!! Livin the dream, it was a ¨I could throw a pigskin a quarter mile¨ moment. I am now a grown up. haha well you all sound like you are doing amazing.
This week was a great one. We worked our butts off and we walked a lot. But one day I will be able to say I spent 2 years on my feet because well... I have spent almost 13 months on my feet! They smell and I am waiting for when Hannah takes me to the asian place and the lady can massage my feet. oof.  Well I don`t have many cool stories this week just that we walked a lot. But one happened yesterday. We are currently working with 4 complete families and they are all progressing amazingly. We had stake conference yesterday and we thought it would be amazing if we could bring them all. We got rides for everyone on Saturday and my companion and I had plans to split up in the morning so that we could get all of our investigators to it. President Watts was going to speak so I knew it would be an awesome opportunity for them all to get to know President and Sister Watts. We started at 6 30 in the morning going from house to house picking up people to go to the Conference. There is a sister here that has a van which is a big thing here so we picked up a family of 6 yesterday to go to the Conference. It was AMAZING! Everyone showed up and everyone really liked it! We also put a baptismal date with a brother who has been recieving the missionaries for a long time. His wife has never been really interested but this week we talked to her and the whole family went to church! It was a miracle! I love Coban and I am hoping this is not my last week here but I feel a change coming up. They will tell us on Sunday what is going to happen so get ready for the next email. It might be filled with tears, fear, panic, and probably more excitement than anything. Where ever God decides to send me I know that is where I need to go! Well I love you family! You are the best family ever and I love you all so much!
 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Sorry, Alyce is a slacker.....and forgot to post last week.

Hello my dear family!!!
Well I write you today a little tired as well as late but I am writing. Today we took another trip to Semuc Champey and it was a really long trip. It was muddy and our van wouldn`t make it up some of the hills and streets so we had to keep getting out and pushing. It was a little rough but we got there and let me tell you, it is still beautiful the second time. We didn`t go on the hike because a couple of us have already gone so two other elders and I went straight to the pools and let the fish suck on our feet. haha it sounds super weird and yes it was but it was way funny. We would stick our feet in the pool and the fish would come up and suck on our feet. There were hundreds all over our feet. It was pretty funny!! but weird I know. I also met a whole bunch of people from Europe today which was interesting and well, I remember that in the States and Europe you don`t talk to random strangers. If you are really friendly you do but here in Guatemala everyone talks with everyone and I have grown accustomed to saying hi to everyone I pass. haha!! Hi I`m Elder Llewelyn and I am socially weird now.
Everyone sounds like they are doing really good and that Jackson Hole was really awesome. I loved the pictures of the elk. I was talking about the elk hunt last night with the other elders and today I get to see that amazing picture! Whoo!! The week over here in Coban went really well. Probably one of the more stressful ones but it was great. We are doing a lot of walking and stopping everyone we see in the street but we had very little success with contacting. So we decided to make sure we were contacting the referrels that we had and we found two new families that are very humble and pretty receptive! It was amazing!! We went and visited a family that the sisters told us they had contacted. We found them and went to their house to teach a lesson. When we got to there little house he began to tell us who God is to him. It made me have an appreciation for these people and how everyone has an amazing belief in Christ. Him and his wife live alone and he lost his job. He is looking for work and some help in his life and well, the gospel helps the life part but that is the most important.
Well I am very tired but this week I get to rest. In the new training program my companion is now in charge for a whole week. I get to rest!! Whoo!! Two more sundays in this area... maybe. We never know but I can feel it but we don`t know still but it is flying!!
Well Family I must go but know I love you all so much! Thank you for everything you do and have an amazing week and talk to you soon!
Love Elder Colty Llewelyn

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Another great week!

Dear Dear Family!!
Well I have almost hit one year and it feels really really weird. I can`t believe a year ago we went to Chuch A Rama to have my last lunch with you all. It is really weird but I know this year is going to go by really quickly. I feel like this year has passed by quickly so I can`t imagine what this year will hold but I know it is going to be great! You all sound like you are doing really well and that makes me happy. Sounds like you are also working pretty hard! Monuments. To tell you the truth, nope haven`t missed them one bit. Hahaha well maybe just the family time but the other part where we dig and dig and we never would reach the depth we needed, yeah, don`t miss it much. haha
Well this past week wasn`t much of an adventure except I got sick one day! haha I ate something bad and lost a little bit of weight but don`t worry I ate a whole half of a pizza today so I think I gained it back. Also Elder Nelson is now assistant. He is missed but at least I get to see him every change in conferences and stuff until he goes home!! Whoo!! A lot has changed here in Coban and it is very interesting to be the missionary that has been here in Coban the longest well along with another Elder but it is still weird. When this kind of stuff happens you can just feel that you are next. haha I don`t want to leave Coban at the end of this change but I have a feeling it might happen. The ward is preparing themselves. I love this ward and I have many friends here and it is weird to feel that your time with them is slowly coming to an end but when I say slowly I mean like really fast.
Alright besides me completeing one year this week we are also having a family baptism!!!!!! Whoo I am super excited. I don`t know if you remember the email I sent you about this family Gutierrez and how the husband accepted a baptismal date, but it is that family and I am super super excited! The dad, mom and their daughter Raquel are all getting baptized on Saturday and it really is going to be an amazing week but a little stressful I can already feel it. Baptism weeks are always pretty crazy because that is when Captain Adversary comes in a tries to take over! Pray for this family, Family!! It really has been amazing teaching them and helping them change their lives! I am blessed to be able to see all of this and be an instrument in the Lord`s hands.
We have also been working really hard with the Rax Pop family and we put goals to help the dad get over his addiction as well as help the family be more supportive of him. It has been amazing to help them but this week was a little hard. He drank twice and he felt the remorse from doing it. His wife, Maria, is a very sweet lady and she is trying really hard to help him do all of this. I was reading an article in the Liahona and it talked about how addiction makes really good liars. I thought about that and I can see that Carlos, the father, has become really good and doing what he is doing but I can see that he is really trying to humble himself. The twins are 9 years old and they both put the goal to go to church and pray for their dad. It was a really good lesson and the family is finally finding this light that the Gospel brings.
Alright well family! I love you and keep praying for me and our investigators this week and I know they will be baptized! Thank you for all you do family and the smile you bring to my face always! Keep it real and give hugs not drugs!!
Elder Colton Hymer Smitten Glooben.
 

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

My best week.

HEY FAMILY!!!
 
Well I would like to start off by saying this has honestly been one of the best weeks in the mission. I am doing really good and I am super happy to be where I am. Coban is the best and my area is the best but let me just tell you about the week.
The week went by very smoothly. We were teaching and preaching like champions. We got to the Gutierrez`s house to teach her and her daughter to get them ready for baptism but to our surprise her husband was finally there. We started to get to know him more and more and we decided to have the wife and the daughter help us teach the Restoration to him. We helped him understand why the church is different and how come we truly believe we are the true church. He began to ask questions and we decided to come back in two days and watch the Restoration with them. We came back on Saturday night and watched it with him. The Spirit was strong and we asked him if he would start reading the Book of Mormon with his wife and daughter. He agreed and he agreed to go to church the next day. We were waiting for them in the church building and sacrament ended. I was thinking in my mind, "What happened she always shows up for church." We called them after church and their daughter had gotten sick and they couldn`t make it. We asked if we could visit them later that night and they said that would be great. We went to a member`s house, Alfonzo, after church to eat lunch and he wanted to leave with us and also his twin brother! I thought that would be great because he is a returned missionary and already has a family. We ended up doing divisions with Hector, his brother, and my companion went with Alfonzo. We had a really good lesson with someone we had found a couple of days before and after we all met up to go to visit the Gutierrez Family. I was pretty excited because we are getting her ready for her and her daughter`s baptism. Alfonzo asked what we were going to teach and we thought maybe we should teach the Plan of Salvation but Alfonzo said maybe we should teach how the Gospel blesses families. We entered the house and everyone was ready. Alfonzo asked if they would all sit together and we began to teach the principle. Alfonzo started out by asking the husband what his responcibility is as a husband and a father. He told us what he thought and the Spirit was already very strong. Alfonzo then explained how a marriage is like two oxen with a yoke if the other falls the other cannot progress. He explained how his wife and daughter have already accepted a baptismal date and are progressing and the husband realized the importance of it all. I then shared my testimony of the Gospel. How Jesus Christ really does make it possible for the home to be a place of refuge. Where we can go to find peace and happiness because our parents taught us good principles and we have always known we are children of our Heavenly Father. I never thought that day that the husband was going to accept the gospel but he did. I asked him if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and his family and be baptized by someone who possess the Priesthood. He accepted a baptismal date and the whole family is going to be baptized in February.
I tell you this big long story because it has been the only thing on my mind for the past 12 hours. I have seen a miracle and I have been so overwhelmed by the Spirit when I felt like I was not talking, but someone else was talking for me. This mission is so incredible. The Gospel really does change peoples lives if they accept it.
Okay I hope this story has not bored you family but I think it was something very important for you all to read. That really there are miracles in the work. I have put my heart into this mission and God is compensating for what I do. Maybe I am not the best missionary and I still have a lot to learn but I love this work and I love these people.
Thank you family for everything you have done for me! Sorry that I was a crazy kid in high school who would dance with the manicans in Old Navy! But don`t worry I still do when no one is looking! I love you all and I hope this will be a good story to read in your scripture study at night!!
I love you!! Love Elder Colton Steamberry Llewelyn, whose also named Rubin.
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

11 Months....What the freak!

Dear Family!!!
Happy 11 months!! What the freak! I can`t believe it either. This time is passing way to fast and it makes me a little nervous but I guess that is how things are. This week was amazing! We had a lot of people in church and it was just a good week! Everyone else sounds like they had a good week also. It makes me a little sad that there is not a lot of snow but I think that just means the sky is waiting for me to get home and after we can go snowboarding and all that jazz.
Well this week started out really amazingly! On Tuesday, we went to visit a family that we have recently found and we showed up and everyone was very excited. We begin to talk about the Book of Mormon and I asked them if they have read. They all said yes they had read 3 Nephi 11. She began to explain what she had read and then she asked us about baptism. She asked how long does she have to wait to be baptized! We told her that she can get baptized when she wants. We put a baptismal date for February 18th!! I am super excited!! It is crazy all the small miracles that happen here in the mission. I can`t believe it! Also we talked to Marcia (the Kekchi that we baptized) and we are getting her ready to go do baptisms for the dead!! She is pretty excited but a little nervous. She doesn`t speak much spanish and so it is hard for her to understand everything all at once so we need to review some of the things but she is happy which makes me very happy! Her family lives in the Polochic where Elder Cheney is serving and he is going to go meet her family because she wants them to go up and teach them! So I got to call Elder Cheney! It was the best! He is doing really good and we are just growing up so fast!
I hope you all enjoy the pictures! I personally like the one where Derek is sticking out his tongue. He is probably my best friend here. My companion is getting used to things, he is still getting accustomed to some things but that is how it is! It is weird to see someone just barely starting out because I feel like I am just barely starting out!! haha
Well I love you family!! Keepin it real from Guate!! Chaqui la quip!!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Voice of Fergie

HELLO FAMILY!!
I think the winter has really umped your funniness because all of you put a big smile on my face! You all sound super happy and that makes me happy. Well like happier... I am in Coban! A big shout out to my grandparents! Get feeling better all of you! Coban is still green, wet and muddy!
This week was a little interesting but at the same time it was a really good one. It is a little weird training I am going to be honest. I talk a lot and I feel like people are getting bored of my voice. I thought I had a voice of Fergie and no one would get bored of hearing it but then yesterday I gave a talk and church... well I feel a little more humbled now. I´ll shut up now.haha
Well my son is growing up to be a big ol Elder Flower!! He is working hard and we are having to do a lot of searching right now for the chosen ones because well.. they are hiding. But last night, we got pumped and this week we are going to find all the chosen ones even the hidden ones. I walk a lot and that powder really helps dad thanks. I am thoroughly indebted. haha was that to much to share. I don´t think so it is part of the mission right?
Alright spiritual experience of the week is the following... We got a call last Sunday from the Elders in another ward and they told us someone from our area went to their church and she is really interested. Well us being us, called her and put a visit with her. We visited her 2 times this week and she has kept all of our commitments and she is learning way fast and the lady that works with her too. She has three kids and they all really like the church and everyone was on their best behavior yesterday except for me who gave a 20 minute talk because I like the sound of my own voice. Since you all know me this might come as a shock but yep it happened. I just kept going and going.. did i feel the bishop tap my foot in the middle of it.. nope just kept going. I hope you all get a good laugh and if it isn´t funny... just say you laughed.
Well I love you all so much!! Thank you for all the prayers and support from the best family every!! I hope everything is going well at home.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

I'm a Trainer!

HIII Family!!!!
Alright before I want to clear some confusion up. Brett Paulsen is not my companion he just entered and we have been friends for a while. It was awesome to see him but we are not companions!! Haha well this week was amazing!! I feel a little weird because well I still feel new and I am training someone new, but it is really cool and pretty fun. My new companion is Elder Salguero. He is from Peru and is straight from the CCM here in Guatemala. He doesn`t even have a month in the mission so it is a little different.
Monday after I wrote you guys I went to the bus station with Elder Opazo and we got to the Capital at 9. Then I had a sleep over with Andrew haha it was super fun and it really is the best having a cousin on the mission. You just kind of feel like your at home when you are with them. The next morning we went to the temple and the Area Presidency was in the session with us. It was really cool!! Whoo put that in your journals. haha just kidding but I did. After we had a training meeting with the new elders and we got to know them and I saw Brett!! Whoo talk about feeling like you are at home. It was kind of weird being with someone and I think I have forgotten how to act a little but it was pretty fun!! And after we found out who is our companions and we went back to the houses to wait for the next day to come to Coban!
We had some good days this week but it is always different trying to get accustomed to a companion and it was a weird saying adios to Elder Opazo but it is alright! You just need to do it. I am really excited for these next 2 changes. I am already learning a lot by being a trainer and it is going to be pretty fun. I am really excited because we are trying to focus ourselves on finding families and we are planning on doing activities for three months! I am really excited and I presented the idea alone in front of the Ward Council yesterday... let`s just say we had some people crying. OOofff pilas!! Haha and also Marcia brought her brother from the Polochic to receive the lessons and it is pretty amazing. It is amazing to hear them talk in Kekchi and it is amazing to see a new convert bear her testimony and try and help him figure out to truth. This work is amazing and full of miracles. We are going to set fire to this area!! Whoo!! haha alright well I love you family so much! Thank you for everything!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Staying in Coban Again.....Wahoo!

Hellooo Family!!!
All of your letters were so amazing and I feel the same about you all!! It was amazing to talk to you all and I am super blessed to have a family like you! I am doing really good we are starting a new change! My companion has a change to the capital and well I am TRAINING!! Whoo!! I am super excited! I am leaving today at 4 to the capital and then I am going to the temple tomorrow and then I will be going to some training classes and then I will be meeting the missionary I am training!! I am super super excited and I feel pretty good because I will still be here in Coban!!
This week has been pretty good except for my companion was sick all week and I had to leave with Priests to go and work. It was alright but it was a little hard. But we met a whole bunch of new people and Marcia`s brother came down from the Polochic and we are starting to teach him! Whoo!! I am feeling pretty good and I am loving the new change. It was a little weird helping my comp pack last night just because you get accustomed to things the way they are. This means I will be here in Coban for 2 more changes and that is the best news I could here!! Hopefully for more but we will see!
You all sound like you are doing really good and I hope that you are all happy and loving school!! My friends are all getting married so I hope you all know I need to fit in so help me out. Maybe you could make business cards with all my dats yo!! Haha but really help me out! I love you all family! I will tell you how everything goes into play!!
 Love Elder Colton Llewelyn