Saturday, February 28, 2015

Pictures from Elder Walker's Birthday & Zone Conference

Elder Walker's Birthday

Elder Walker
He looks like he is having to much fun

Zone conference in Ipiales





Finishing Conferences

So this week was awesome
It all started off in the south of the mission and we had a blast teaching the zone leaders how to help their zones. Currently the two zones there have 125 people getting ready to get baptized. 
I love this gospel, all it takes are missionaries who are willing to open their mouths and speak miracles.

Then we had the zone conference in Pasto. Super awesome moment as well, and that’s when Elder Gomez and I got sick… hahahaha. We have a nice cough going on, but hey it was totally worth it working our tailbones off in the cold southern part of the mission.

Wednesday and Thursday we had the conferences here in Cali. Awesome experiences also. The mission is starting to understand how to teach effectively again. 
I love being a missionary. The best things happen while serving. You can meet some awesome people.

We found someone about 2 weeks ago, his name is Julian. While Elder Gomez and I have been making our way through the mission for zone conferences, our companions here in Terron Colorado have continue to teach him, he is awesome. 
Friday we finally had our first day back in the area and we went to teach him. We taught him the Plan of Salvation. I love the Plan of Salvation. While talking about the Atonement of Christ he told us that he is ready to use the Atonement of Christ in his own life and is preparing to get baptized on the 14th of March. We talked about how Christ is the center of everything. How without him we would have never had the opportunity to return to our Father in Heaven. We talked about how his choice to be baptized is the start of an incredible journey that will bring him back to live with his Heavenly Father. I love the gospel because you can understand everything so clearly. There are no fuzzy parts. Everything is clear, just as it should be, as it says in 2 Nephi 31:3

“For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.”

Things that include God should not be difficult to understand. For that reason I love his Gospel. I love my Savior and I know that he suffered for me and for all my pains. I know that through him and only through him I will have a family for time and eternity if I can do the things he has asked me to do and follow his example. 

I love you all
I think you all are awesome. 

I love Meet the Mormons, we saw it in every zone conference. I think it truly helps others understand who we are. I loved the story of the missionary and his mom and family. Honestly my favorite one. Also the family from Costa Rica was AWESOME. Actually they were all awesome. 

I love you all so much 
I know that my Savior lives and that the Book of Mormon is true and that through our Savior and only our Savior we can accomplish all things

Elder Lyle

Monday, February 23, 2015

So this week was an epic killer

This week was so much fun
We have not slept all week I feel, and it’s awesome. We started Zone conferences, and Elder Gomez and I are doing great together.

Friday we were with the missionaries in Popayan. It was so awesome to work with them, they have some super awesome people that are hearing about the gospel there.

Then Friday night at 10 Elder Gomez and I left on a bus for Ipiales. Oh my gosh it was a packed bus; there was practically nowhere to sit and a super bumpy ride let me tell you, hahaha. We finally arrived in Ipiales around 5:30am, just in time to get one hour of sleep before going to work with Elder Rojas and Elder Inman in Ipiales. 
I love working here in the southern part of the mission. The people here are so incredible and understand the gospel so well. 

We left Ipiales Sunday night and got here to Pasto around 10 and today, Elder Gomez and I said, “Hey we are in Pasto we might as well take advantage of the mountains” and we went on a hike. It was a long hike but it was epic! 
We were gone from 10 until 4 

That is one of the things that I wanted to share with you all. 
The hike we took was more like of an exploration. We knew that there was a path that would take us to a waterfall but we felt like we were in too much of a hurry to be sure of where the path was. So thinking well the waterfall is somewhere over there, let’s just make our way up. We got lost and very lost. We were in the middle of the bushes with thorns trying to make our way. Finally we decided okay we have to make it back to the first path we found. 
We started up the path and found that it was leading us in the right direction. But many times you would think, this is not the path, there is no way THIS is a path, as it was over run with bushes on the side of a cliff and honestly you could barely see nothing.

However as you followed the path just a little bit further the bushes would clear a little bit and you could see a small yet marked path of trodden grass that assured us that it was the correct path. We followed this path for 2 and half hours climbing the side of the volcano. Finally after working very hard we made it to the waterfall and it was gorgeous by the way.

Many times it is the same with our life and the gospel. We first may feel we can make it on our own, but along the path we find ourselves in the midst of blackberry bushes and weeds that you almost feel helpless to move forward. 
That is when we must make our way to the "straight and narrow path" as we continue along this path there will be times that we feel that we are lost again, that we honestly have been following a rabbit trail instead of something of worth. However if we endure just a little bit longer the blessings always come to confirm that what we are doing is correct, and that we are on the straight and narrow path. 
Endure to the End
Today I was reflecting a lot about the importance of this phrase. Sometimes we will have to make those leaps of faith that make us question if we are on the right path. However, as we continue forward with our minds eye only set on returning to live with our Heavenly Father, we will get there. 
Just keep pushing. 
I love you so much 
You are all my inspiration. 
All things are possible through Christ, and only through Christ
Lots of Love
Elder Lyle

Pictures from P-Day hike in Pasto










So wonderful to see them having a day off and having fun

Thursday, February 19, 2015

We are into the 20's


The 20's!
We are finally entering into the

20 months down
4 more to go!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Esta semana

So this week was a blast but it was super hard.
I’m writing from presidents IPad so that is why this email will not be so long.
Hace rato que yo no he usado tecnología. Tengo que escribir todo en español porque el iPad esta autocorrecting to do. 
So mom please translate it. (Well this is a problem because I don’t speak Spanish so I hope those that read his blog have someone that can translate this for them… good luck)

Esta semana fue increíble. Mi compañero y yo nos llevamos excelente ees como mi mejor amigo compañero que siempre he querido tener hahaha no fue un difícil de encontrar cosas sobre la cual pudimos basar nuestro amistad. Esta sea a recibimos nuevos misioneros y nosotros hicimos consejo de liderazgo todo juntos. Pobre Elder Gomez no estaba acostumbrado al cargo pero allí va, me hizo recordar mi primera semanaque estuve aquí. Esta semana aunque tuvimos muchas cosas que hacer salimos al área mucho. Y tuvimos algunas experiencias increíbles. Estamos enseñando a una familia ahora, la familia paz, ellos son muy buenos. Y antes de ayer tuvimos una lección increible encuanto de la restauración del evangelio de jesucristo. Testificamos de la primera visión y cantamos un himno y fue un momento tan hermoso en la cual uno podía sentir el sprint tan fuerte. Otra cosa es que ayer éldere Gómez y yo dijimos hoy, vamos encontrar 10 personas, yo se. Nosotros oramos y pedimos ayuda de dios y empezamos a trabajar y tuvimos un día tan excelente¡ no alcanzo a la meta pero el señor nos ayudó tener 7 lecciones invitar alguien a bautizarse y encontrar 7 personas. Elder Gómez y yo estamos muy emocionados de trabajar en la obra del señor juntos. Vamos a alcanzar todo que e el señor tiene preparado para nosotros.
Quiero a todos hablamos en 10 días el próximo pda y de nosotros va a ser el lunes porque vamos a estar en pasto¡ les quiero muchos se esta es la iglesia verdadera 
Elder Lyle

This week I wanted to share a personal note from Rawly because it makes me so happy to know how happy he is: 

Hey I love you so much
The reason that I can’t write much this week is; not much time, it’s been a long day. I just wanted to tell you that I love you to the moon and back that I’m happier right now than in any other moment of my life. My companion is awesome. I’m a missionary and I love it. I’ll talk to you Monday as in the Monday after next. It’s crazy. Love you so much

Saturday, February 7, 2015

A pretty full week

So this week has been awesomely intense. 

The best part is that we spent pretty much the whole week in the area. That was the best ever! We worked hard this week and met a lot of new people. Elder Walker and I do great together, I guess that’s what happens when you are with someone 24/7 for 4 and half months… hahaha. 

I think one of the more interesting parts of the week is that I can now announce the transfers! 
I’m staying here but Elder Walker is heading out to be a traveling missionary for his last transfer. (He is going to do divisions with all the missionaries in the mission.) We got to call my new companion in on Friday. 
I HAVE MY SECOND COMPANION FROM THE UNITED STATES!
So my new companion is… Elder Gomez
Elder Gomez, Elder Walker & Elder Lyle

Elder Gomez´s parents are from here. His dad is from Cali and his mom is from Barranquilla, which is on the Pacific Coast. He grew up all his life in the United States. He’s super awesome. He got to the mission with the same group as Elder Donoso and Elder Rebolledo. I remember the day he started the mission and now he is going to be my companion, weird right? hahaha. 

This week we have taught some awesome people. Earlier this week we went looking for an address in our area of someone we had talked to a long time ago. We went to the door, knocked and a lady walked out, we asked for the family and she said that they had already moved out. We told her that we were missionaries and that we wanted to share our message with her and that we would pass by the next day. 
So we went back the next day with a member named Kenny that is 18 years old. We got to know Catherine a little bit better. She is 28 years old and she grew up a Baptist but for a long time she has been far from living the standards that were taught to her when she was younger. 
We taught her the first lesson and she understood everything. You could feel the spirit so strong. When she offered the prayer at the end she started to cry and it was an incredible experience for everyone. 

We also started to teach someone named Jorge Paz and his family (his wife and son). They are also awesome. We invited them to a family home evening with the Aagard’s and it was such a great experience. We all played games and then my new companion gave the message. 

This week I was able to feel the power of the atonement in my life and in the life of others. I love my Savior, and I know that through his sacrifice all my pains, sufferings, and sorrows can be washed away.
I read a scripture this week that I really liked
Mosiah 5:8
“And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.”

I love my Savior, I know that he lives and I have seen the difference that he can make not only in my own life but also in the life of others. 

I love being a missionary it is honestly the best experience in the whole world. 

I love you so much
I hope you are all doing awesome. 

My challenge for you all this week is to think and write down the ways the atonement of Christ has affected your personal lives. 
I love you all 

Talk to you next week.
Elder Lyle

A few pictures from this week:

The new office crew

Elder Lyle

Elder problems...