December 14. 2015

Hey everyone! 

I can't believe i'ts almost Christmas! My companions and I are so pumped! I really need to write out a plan before I write you guys because I forget everything that has happened in the week!

We are going to the temple tomorrow so that is AWESOME! I love the temple! Something else is that we had 4 people who we are preparing to be baptized this Sunday! Petrona, Olga, Ventura, and Sonia! All are like 50 year old women but I'll take it! I love them all soo much! They have changed their lives so much since I have come to know them and it feels so good to be able to see them taking the step of baptism! 

Our mission president, President Markham, came to our church this last Sunday and it was awesome! I teach the Gospel Principles class because our members are terrible with their callings and our Gospel Principles teacher told us one time that she doesn't like to do it so she won't do it... So I give the classes and I taught my mission president about faith in Jesus Christ. haha 

I absolutely love the gospel. I have experienced a real change in my heart while I have been here on the mission. I am so grateful to be here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love the mission. I love the Atonement that Christ suffered for all of us. It really is something personal. I have come to know of it, and have come to know my Savior while I have been here. I invite all of you to study to Atonement. It's really something that you can apply into your life. You will find more love for life and happiness when you come to understand and apply the Atonement. I invite you all to look and search for the happiness and peace that only our Savior can provide.  He suffered all of your sins, sicknesses, pains, and afflictions. HE ALREADY SUFFERED IT ALL. He is now ready to help. He is asking us to put our confidence in him, and he will carry us. He will support us. I know and testify that the Atonement was paid. It was paid that we may enjoy this life, because really we are meant to enjoy it. Pray, Repent, Study the Scriptures (especially the Book of Mormon), Go to Church and take the sacrament and think about what the sacrament really means, Choose the right, and share the light of the Gospel with all that will hear you or who can see you. You will see miracles in your life and be much happier. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Thanks for all the help and support that you give me!

"Volcanoes are pretty awesome.  Earthquakes are awesome too."

Packer Wilkes!

December 8, 2015

 Hey!!

First off, I will be writing Monday this next week because we are going to the Temple Tuesday! So send emails Sunday night! 

This week has been solid! We baptized! Elda Vargas was baptized and nothing has ever felt soooo good! I got to baptize her and it was awesome.

Something that happened yesterday was that it was the day of the devil. It was really weird. Everyone bought big devil dolls and lit them on fire at 6 o'clock. I felt like I was walking through a military war zone at 6. Everyone was firing off fireworks and lighting everything on fire and were even shooting guns. They celebrate it to kill the inner devil but really it's just an excuse to destroy everything for nothing. ha

This week our ward actually did their home teaching. Normally our attendance is 70 but this week it was 178. Dang its crazy. In the mission I have seen so many go to church from just one visit. I honestly believe it's really hard to baptize in this area because God doesn't have trust that the ward will be able to keep these people who we are baptizing. We upped the attendance and we were able to baptize. I don't believe that was a coincidence.

Dang, teaching with a trio is soooo hard! Our mini-missionary is really shy to just come out and say something! It's okay though. We are doing good here in Palin.

With much love,

Elder Buhrley

December 1, 2015

Hey!

This week was another week in the mission! I'm learning so much here in the mission! I'M LOVIN' IT:)

So we got rejected this week again. To start this week I told my companion we were going to give everything this week. We gave everything that we had. I've never worked harder in my whole life. We sacrificed everything. To our dismay, we still got rejected. It's really easy to get down when you are getting rejected the way that we are getting rejected. At times I wanted to break. Thursday we woke up at 4, skipped lunch, ran to every house, and still couldn't find anyone,  And then that night, after getting rejected by the whole city of Palin, we showed up at a church meeting and the Relief Society President just started going off on us.  I've learned a lot about humility here on the mission. Getting criticized by an old lady who had no right or just cause to give us any criticism after my companion and I just pushed ourselves to the limit the whole week really made me notice that I have grown here. I love the mission.

God has been pushing my companion and me. We are being put through a fire. We studied suffering, affliction and patience in one of our studies. My companion and I have really been putting our minds on suffering with patience that we may see miracles. The sons of Mosiah baptized thousands because they suffered with patience, Alma 26. My companion and I are taking this time to purify ourselves. Its been so great. I feel the power of the atonement in my life. I am leaning on it right now. We are getting rejected but my companion and I are still dancing in the street. I love the mission.  

After getting rejected all week we had 9 investigators in the church this Sunday. It felt soo good!!

I don't want to sound sad because I'm not. I am loving the mission. Other stuff that's going on is that we received a mini-missionary! So not only am I teaching my companion a lot I am basically training a missionary! So... it's going to be fun! 

Elder Duran and I are trying to get skinny before Christmas! We are only buying good stuff. A papaya is only a dollar here. We bought all this fruit in the pic for like 8 dollars!

I love the food here. We ate armadillo the other day. (shelled animal, I don't know how to spell) and we ate rabbit too. It's sooooo good. A member is going to make iguana for us. The food is so crazy but so good.  

Well.. that was my email... 

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!

Elder Buhrley

November 18, 2015

A wonderful person in Guatemala sent this link to Caitlyn.  It's our Elder Buhrley in Palin.  It's great to see his smile and hear his voice.  We're so grateful he has the opportunity to serve the Lord.

November 24, 2015

HEY EVERYONE!

I am still in Palin! I am still with Elder Duran! I am soo happy to be with Elder Duran and to also be able to be here for NAVIDAD! CHRISTMAS!!

This week has been a really hard one. We got rejected by everyone! The only cool thing that happened was that we were in a little commercial thing. My mom has the video if you guys want to see it.   (This is Mom.  You can see the video here.)

I really dont have much to write. I sat in the sacrament meeting this Sunday absolutely defeated... I sat there in absolute despair just praying about what the heck more I could do. Nothing hurts more when you work you heart out and there are no fruits. We had 14 people who told us FOR SURE they were going to be at church.. and then passing them and they all had the stupidest excuses! AHHH it's so rough. I was completely defeated. I was praying, I wanted to receive my answers. 

"Where do you want me to go?! I'll go there! just tell me where! What am I doing wrong?! I'll fix it just please tell me! Why cant we see success?! What do I need to do Father?!" 

And then the Spirit just spoke peace to my soul. I felt terrible but it was all swallowed up in the Spirit. I felt peace. I know that what I had done this last week was acceptable in God's eyes. I know and testify that the Holy Ghost is the Great Comforter. He comes when we invite him. He is there when you need him. Christ really suffered everything: pains, sins, adversities, problems, absolutely everything. He suffered what you are suffering. He overcame what you are suffering. He knows how to comfort you. He will send the Holy Ghost and he will comfort you when you feel absolutely terrible. He will help you overcome your adversities.I know this is true. When you can't stand, kneel. Pray with all the power of your soul and you will receive what you are looking.

Ever since then I have finding a lot of ways to better myself as a missionary. My companion and I are already seeing miracles this week. We go through the hard because God is preparing us for the good. I don't know what will happen this week. I hope we will be able to see the good, but if we are rejected again... it's all good. There are some things that only God can control. 

Pics- My companion got a Christmas package and it had Christmas lights and a big Rudolf poster! We have our Christmas hats and our ties and are so pumped for Christmas!

This is my new district! I have the most time in the mission in my district which is soo weird! I feel like I entered yesterday! 

I love you guys so much! Thanks for all the support! 

Elder Buhrley

November 17, 2015

Hey Everyone,

Dang I cannot believe I am writing again!

This change is coming to an end and we will receive a call tomorrow to see if I am leaving Palin or if I will be here to complete 6 months here in Palin! I am feeling like I am leaving but I guess we will see!

This change flew by soooo fast. I didn't feel it at all. I learned so many things in these past 6 weeks. This only thing I regret is that we didn't baptize anyone this change... Man that hurts. It gets so discouraging when you work your hardest and it's not working out. Frustrating. I am so ready for this next change. Start over again new. 

Something that's going on is that my companion and I are doing a commercial about the church and about the missionaries here in Palin. The ward mission leader works for a local TV station and he called us  and said that he wants everyone to know the missionaries and the church. So Elder Duran and I are going to have an interview with him and be able to share testimony; it will be kind of cool. We will be famous. haha

Spiritual thought... I have been really studying the doctrine of conversion lately. It's really an incredible thing. It doesn't happen over night. It doesn't happen in a grand spiritual experience either. Like Alma, he saw an angel, but wasn't converted until he prayed much and fasted much to know through the Holy Ghost. Paul from the Bible saw the resurrected Christ but when he explains to the Corinthianss he says that only through the Holy Ghost you may know. It's so true. Conversion takes place though and only through the Holy Ghost. I have felt the power of the conversion power, in myself and also in my investigators and converts. We are working with a guy and he has smoked for over 55 years and is now almost there to stopping completely. When I found him he was smoking multiple packs a day and yesterday he smoked a half but then he threw it out his window. I see the conversion process in him. He is soo close to being baptized! Also his wife! I am excited for them. I invite you all to strengthen the conversion of yourself. As with the people of King Benjamin, you will not have a desire to sin. The desire of sin is swallowed up in the desire to follow Christ and being closer to him. Alma 22:15-"I will give up all of my sins to know the(God)." To be more converted we must give up all of our sins. Through repentance we can come to know our Savior and have a personal relationship with God and Jesus Christ. 

Wel.. I love you guys so much!!! Thanks for all the support!

Elder Buhrley

PS  We played ping pong. The last place I played was in the Criddle house :.....(

November 10, 2015

HEYY!

I always sit down at the computer and forget what happened this past week. Ha

We had a really good week. We saw some really cool miracles and we sacrificed to see miracles. We worked out heart out and got rejected again but it's all good because we found the people that the Lord has been preparing.

We have some people who are progressing but THEY DIDN'T GO TO CHURCH! We had 11 people who told us to pass by their house so we could go to church together but ALL of them had an excuse... I was so torn in church. If you don't go to church you can't get baptized! It was a really rough Sunday because only 2 of our investigators went.. It really hurts to be working your tail off and not being able to see the fruits of your labor. Sunday was a rough one..

We had a few people set to get baptized this week but can't do it now because they didn't go to church. It's been really hard to baptize in these last few weeks.

One thing that happened was that we went to Walmart for a zone p-day. You read that right. We got pumped up as a zone to go visit a Walmart. It was my first time stepping foot in a Walmart in over 9 months. It was cool to see some of the food that I ate so often before the mission. ha

We had a lesson with a pastor of a Evangelical church. He was crazy! He wanted to Bible bash at first and I have learned that you don't want to do that. Bible bashing really is just your opinion of what the scripture means against how he interpreted the scripture. I just told him, "If you want to Bible bash, we will leave right now. It will waste our time and yours. We have a message to share, if you want to listen, we will stay." He told us he would listen so we shared a little with him. He then went on to tell us that he had fasted for 37 days and saw God and Christ one day and that he is a prophet. So that was a cool lesson. I'm finding a lot of people like that now a days. ha

Spiritual thought. If we aren't enjoying the gospel its because we aren't living it, or living it but not living it correctly. God made a plan and His plan is perfect. The goal of this plan is happiness. That's Gods desire for us. The plan is His Gospel. We need to follow the plan in order to find the happiness! Follow the plan that our Father in Heaven has for us and you will find happiness! You need to follow it with you heart. There are many people who go to church but don't go to bring themselves closer to Christ. Many people read the scriptures but don't meditate in the scriptures. I invite you all to find the joy in the gospel!

I love you guys so much! Here is a photo of one of the 4 volcanoes that we can see from our house that was spitting lava the other night!

Love you all,

Elder Buhrley