Ammon in Guatemala: March 7, 2016 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--Elder Marroquin Nueva Santa Rosa, Cuilapa 13

Okay first things first, if you have never seen "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" watch it now. It is an all star film. hehe. I actually really enjoyed it. Also, Elder Marroquin is Good, Bad, and flat out Ugly. Haha. We have so much fun making fun of each other and stuff like that. Our relationship is above and beyond right now about at 12 out of 10. Perfect. . . . Just in time for changes.

Tomorrow, Elder Marroquin, my papi, is leaving me. How fast the time flies! Elder Marroquin was an AWESOME trainer, and trained me all the more with each of his imperfections. When we have to deal with difficult characteristics of others, we are blessed with attributes that we cannot gain otherwise. Elder Marroquin has about 4 things that are bad about him (the average being has 2,874) He has 6,826 good things about him (I counted last night). He's got good Peruvian looks, but with his cologne that he LOVES he just blows the top off. We have SOO many SNAKES!!! (women that are dangerously flirty). Haha (I hate saying "Haha" and I know you hate it too, especially you mom, Sorry, but I am typing really fast and need to express a jolt of excitement. Ideas?) Elder Marroquin apologizes so much for all the flirty girls. I tell him it's alright and I know he just can't help it. Well I love this Kid (who is older than Jarom). I am going to miss him.

Last Monday, (after all of my pictures corrupted) we went in towards the capital as a district and went to one of three malls like in the United States in all of Guatemala. There we ate Chinese food and shopped for ties and Jerseys. EXPENSIVE!!!!!!! Yea I didn't even think of buying anything, it hurt my brain. I get bothered when something in the tienda is 5 Quetzales (about 75 cents) and these were going for 200Q - 650Q AYAYAY!!!!!!!

Here's a little insight snipped from my letter to President Caffaro:

"There is a difference between having the spirit present in a lesson and teaching WITH the spirit. At first, I thought that as long as they can feel the spirit, all is set, and they (the investigators) would be baptized. But there is something more profound. I LOVE reading the Book of Mormon and I have come across story after story of a prophet or missionary of the Lord teaching the people with profound power that penetrated the hearts of all who listened. I was thinking, "Why can't I do that?"

I think I've received my answer. For all of the children of God, baptized members of His church or not, the Holy Ghost has the role or responsibility to testify of the truth. This means that if I say or share a truth about Christ or His church, the Holy Ghost will be there to testify of those words; however, if I am worthy in every bit of my being, the Holy Spirit can fill me and use me as an instrument to testify with divine power. These marvelous men of the Book of Mormon spoke with and had this divine power in their words. I have been fighting this week to achieve this dignity of the Spirit. To clean up whichever thing that isn't necessarily bad, but that is detaining me from my spiritual potencial. I think you have read, "La Purificacion Misional" by Gene L. Cook where it talks about a 40 day spritiual fast. It has such power. My sister who is serving in Osorno, Chile sent me this talk by mail.

I don't just want the Holy Ghost to testify of MY words, I want to speak with and BY the power of the Spirit of God. This is my search.

Also, with cambios coming up, and with a self-evaluation to be more obedient and a harder worker, I found this common scripture which is scripture mastery: Isaiah 55:8-9

8 ¶For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

One of the most open and important attributes of Christ (amazingly displayed in the Book of John) is his utter submittance to the will of the Father. We need to find our Faith and Humility to submit to His will in all things, but to do so Joyfully knowing that it is the absolute best way for us."

This Thursday was CRAZY. We went to Cuilapa to file some divorce papers, but stopped off in Barberena and hiked all the way to their chapel to meet the Zone Leaders, but turned out they were waiting at the Chapel . . . in Cuilapa, then we went to Cuilapa, and on our way back, Elder Marroquin, our district leader, decided to stop off in Barberena to do a baptismal interview, so we hiked all the way to the chapel, then Elder Gollaher showed up and asked if the Zone Leaders had more pamphlets, so Elder Magdaleno and I ditched Elder Galvan in the Chapel and ran all the way to their house through hills and STEEP streets and all the way back. In the mist of all of this, I received a Letter from one Hermana Olson in Osorno Chile. SNAKE!!!!!! No. Annamarie sent me a talk called "La Purificacion Misional" by Gene R. Cook. This is awesome. Look it up on LDS.org and read it. It is for missionaries, but search for a way to apply it to you!

This is me studying up on Annamarie's letter

On Saturday, it was beautiful out and all the. . . . Then it POURED rain. This was one of my favorite days though. When it rains here, the land turns into rivers. More people let us in though!!!!!! Just imagine utter happiness and joy and this is how I felt for all of this day. I love the Mission field!!!!!! What a blessing and dream I am living!

We changed comedors, people that feed us--it's a rule here, to our investigators, Pablo and Elizabeth. We pay them more than they ask for because they need it, and they always come on time, but don't have a phone! on Thursday, Pablo waited on our doorstep for an hour!!!!! (we had told him that if he waits more than 10 minutes to leave and the food is his). He replied, "no, don't sweat it, all is well, I totally just took a nap here so it's cool, I can wait like two or three hours." Haha He is awesome!!!!

...

except yesterday he didn't come to church, nor his wife, and he has missed three meals with us. !?! We passed by his house and he wasn't there. So yea, he disappeared. We're still trying to figure that one out. Well yesterday was Fast Sunday, when the whole church does a 24 hour fast. We ended our fast and the food never came . . . so we went to work. Every single person offered us food. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Olson