E-mail received 8/15/2011

Last Tuesday was just a fluke. And the charge for Burlington Coat Factory is legitimate. To commemorate the threesome we bought a tie that came with matching handkerchief, tie-bar, and cuff-links. It's really nice and it was a pretty good deal. You should actually be getting some pictures from the bishop's wife in the second ward soon. We played games with them today and they took some pictures.

 

It's crazy that Katelyn is leaving this week! I was talking with Derek Sanchez on Sunday and he said that he's going to say "Hi" to her for me. It was crazy when I looked at all of the people in the two wards who are leaving for BYU this week and realized that I'll be going to school with all of them in a few months! I wish her the best of luck and I'll see her in a few months. One question, is she taking the car?

 

With the larger area we do have a car but we are on our bikes when we are in the Trenton area. We found out last night that they are re-splitting the areas and Elder Smith is getting transferred tomorrow. I have been re-assigned as a trainer again and will be receiving a new missionary companion tomorrow! It'll be great to have an excited new missionary again and knowing that he will be my last companion (The new training program lasts for two transfers)  and I'll be training in Trenton for my last transfer!

 

This week was definitely a really busy one. We met with so many families and I really bonded with many of the families in the Princeton 1st Ward. I'm sad I won't be serving there anymore. There was one great family named the Wartenbakers who are a Filipino-American family from Dad's Island of Becoel( I know I just slaughtered the spelling)! They were just like any other half-Filipino family and their children were amazingly bright and talented. We had pansit and chicken adobo and I was just home on Sunday again! We also had a Filipino barbeque with a Sister Golden. She said she may have a sister who knows dad. Her sister's name is LeGrace Akino. I don't know if it rings any bells.

 

Some of our investigators have really caught the fire this week. One particular investigator started reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it daily. She hasn't quite received what she might merit as an answer yet but she's seen a definite difference in the way that she's been feeling lately. You can even see a huge difference in her 2-year old son! He used to be super disobedient and quite the little hoodlum but now he folds his arms during the prayer and shares with everyone! She's so excited to come to church and to get baptized!

 

There was a great opportunity in church that we had, going to the two wards, to see both a missionary farewell talk and a homecoming missionary report! They were both incredibly prepared for the world that they were heading in to and both equally frightened of the individual tasks ahead of them. One missionary was coming home from an incredible mission in Los Angeles, California and the other was just heading out to Santiago, Dominican Republic. They were both an inspiration to me to take advantage of every spare moment that I'm having out here!

 

The more I'm here the more I realize how precious my mission is to me. It's shaped me and molded me into more of a man of God and it's really giving me all of the tools that I'm going to need as a worker, a husband, and a father. It's a priceless gift given from an eternal father to his once wayward son. I love it out here. I love the Spirit out here. My joy is really coming from serving and helping others and I know that's how God is getting all of His eternal joy. I hope this week we can strive to find more joy from serving others and being charitable. It's definitely the most ordained way to finding happiness.

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 8/9/2011 - 92 days left!

Tell Katelyn to go for the iHome if she wants it. Also the word choice I think she was going for was "rugged ugliness." It makes a difference. Tell her also that she needs to write me even when she's at Utah! It's not so hard to send her chubby brother an email every week or so. Hopefully she'll do well at college with adjusting to not having Mom around all the time. It's definitely way different when you have to pay for EVERYTHING!

 

Thanks a bunch for the countdown. It feels super weird to know that it's that close. Days turn into weeks and months so fast you can't even realize how much has gone by! There's a missionary whose going home to Washington next Tuesday and a bunch of other missionaries who started their missions around the same time as I did and it's so odd to see the people who you've been with your whole mission going away. It really just goes by way too fast.

 

Bah! Maleah can't do grown up things! She's 8! How can she be going on dates already?! Remember that she shouldn't be having steady relationships before she's eighteen! Everybody else does it but it's not good! Hopefully she's not dating this guy and him having that kind of an expectation that there will be a steady relationship. Take it from someone who's seen a lot of immaturely early relationships just result in unnecessary heartache and a stunt of natural growth. I know that Maleah will be responsible I just hope that she knows those correct principles that are in the "For the Strength of the Youth" pamphlet are to be understood and followed. They're there for a reason and they will bless her in future relationships and in her friends and relationships now. Also it's best to date people with similar values. Dating non-members is fine but make sure they're good people. I myself will probably avoid dating nonmembers but that's just my preference. Remember that dates when you're 16 are about having fun and getting to know people, not for kissing and other emotional stuff like that! Happy dating!

 

Hopefully your back starts feeling better. I'll make sure and pray for you this week so that you can feel better. I hope that working again isn't taking too much of a toll on you.

 

We had a pretty exciting week this week. We've been put together into a temporary trio, due to another missionary returning home. My new companion is Elder Tuaila of San Bernadino, California. He's Samoan and he's an amazing missionary! Is one of the last surviving missionaries from the Cherry Hill mission combination. We now cover a very large area of all the cities from Hamilton and Trenton to Hillsborough. It's a very large are to cover. Dad will be interested to know that Princeton University is now in my proselyting area.

 

The new Princeton 1st Ward is super supportive of the missionaries! By the end of Sunday we had been approached by almost every member of the ward and offering for us to be in their home some time during the month! They have a great Bishop who definitely leads them by example and has great enthusiasm for serving the members and focusing on their needs.

 

We've definitely enjoyed the Spirit a ton in our companionship. We actually taught in complete unity from the first day that we were together and we've really just seen the awesome power of the Spirit working in the hearts of our investigators. One investigator had told us that he was just going to stick with his own church but the Spirit kept telling us to strive with him. The Spirit was so thick in that room that revelation was just pouring out to both teacher and investigator. It told us about the things that he was going through and how serious of a question that it was in his mind about finding out these things and it was definitely working on him to be able to figure out that he really needed to pour more of his effort in to finding out if these things really are from God and that he really does have to do them if they are true. We saw even more changes as we followed the Spirit and testified of our purpose to others.

 

I'm definitely afraid that I won't feel the Spirit as much when I go home because it's just so powerful and plentiful when you're out here serving for the Lord. Sure the rules are a little less strict when you're at home but I definitely think that the added measure of rules and responsibilities brings the Holy Ghost in to such an incredible degree that it's undeniable. I hope that as everyone strives for the Spirit this week they can be blessed with a direction they can go to get it. Have a great week and see you all in a few months!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 8/1/2011

I did finally get the debit card on Saturday. We finally got a batch of mail! I activated it and everything so all should be well. If you could tell me what my balance is in your next email that would be great. Hopefully I don't lose my identity again!

 

Thanks for Andrea's address. Hopefully she doesn't take a letter from me the wrong way! That's interesting to find out that they moved. I hope everything worked out with her having problems with her stomach.

That's so excited to hear about the future and returned missionaries from our stake! I'm so excited for Cameron! It is a little sad that I'll not see him for four years now but it'll be interesting what man returns. He will definitely be going out a lot more prepared than I did and he'll be able to do wonders in Brazil! My former companion, Elder Calderoni, actually lived right across the street from the MTC that Cameron will be going to and he said that it was always a reminder to him and his family to be able to be around and among the servants of the Lord. I know Jaron has done great works and continues to contribute in huge ways to the work of the Lord where he can. It's great to know that no matter what part of life that I may be in that I'll always be able to be a missionary!

 

We had an amazing week this week with miracles everywhere! We started everything off being able to have a personal interview with our new mission president: President Jeppson. He is definitely a dedicated servant of God! He's a former patriarch and you can definitely see that he continues to uphold the sacred standard of that assignment. He prophesied to my companion a little bit about the great things that he could do in the mission field and when he returns home and he talked with me about my own conversion experience. He's definitely spiritually in tune, valiant in obedience and a diligent example. It brought great zeal to us to know we have such a great new mission president!

 

That day we were able to help three new investigators to set dates for baptism but one of the greatest miracles happened in the heart of one of our other investigators. He's a young bloke we've noticed coming to church recently with his girlfriend. She more or less forces him to go but when we invited him to learn from the lessons he wasn't hesitant at all. He said he figures that he might as well learn something while he's there. This last week was our very first lesson with him and we had only about 15 minutes. We asked him if he had any questions about what he saw at church and his one question was what the significance was about the Sacrament. We were able to bear testimony about the cleansing power of the Atonement and then teach about how these glorious truths have been restored through a prophet of God after many long years of apostasy and corruption by men. You could see each truth hit him as an unseeable force but the impact was clearly visible. At church yesterday he told us that he really liked what he learned and how he felt. Hearts changing is the real miracle of this work.

 

Our own potential is more than we can comprehend. Christ knows where we can be but especially exactly what we need to be to be happy. In turn He's given us commandments so that we can reach that divine goal. Though we may not understand all of them, each of them is vitally important. The one commandment that encompasses them all is to love one another. If we have love one to another we follow Christ's example. Perfect love isn't packaged in candy boxes or grown in fresh gardens but it is nurtured in our thoughts as well as in our sacrifice. God's love was selfless when he gave his best to many of the worst so that in it they could find ever lasting joy. Let us forgo the judgement we may reserve for others and give our very best to those who may censure us. I know that this brings joy and peace.

 

I love you all and hope that your prayers this week may be fervent and faithful!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 7/25/2011

Hmmm. Well at least it's reassuring to you that I haven't taken out any loans that you don't know about! I guess nothing changes then, which I guess is the best that anyone could've asked for. I haven't gotten the debit card yet because we haven't gotten mail in a while. The mission hasn't been super adamant lately at getting mail to us at every opportunity they get but that's ok. It gives me a chance to stay focused and not worry about getting stuff from home. Plus when we do get mail I usually actually get something.

One funny request regarding mail, actually, and don't freak out about this one. I was wondering if Andrea is still home and if she is I was wondering if you could get her mailing address for me. I'm not going to do anything romantic or anything like that. I just wanted to send her a thank you for being an example to me in high school and the way I've been effected by it. I just thought about it this week and thought I should express appreciation.

I'm actually surprised that Kelsie didn't get married sooner! It seems like nobody's gotten married! Atleast not as many as I had expected. I was completely expecting everyone from seminary to be married by the time I'd get back but it looks like only a few have. I still haven't really heard anything about Nick Smith going on a mission. I sure hope that he did.

That's crazy that Maleah's going to be 16!!! I guess that's tomorrow huh? Tell her that the same rules apply to her that apply to Katelyn! If she wants an excuse not to date people tell her to tell the boys that she has a wild brother who's out loose in the concrete jungles of the Eastern U.S. who'll swoop in and break them if they touch his little sister. Then we'll see how they feel about it. Tell her to remember that dating in high school isn't to have boyfriends or anything like that. Dating when you're young is essentially to have fun and gain experience interacting with people of the opposite gender so when she is in a position to seek a deeper relationship she won't be a total fish out of water. The Lord allows proper relationships to grow in appropriate settings and the ones she chooses to foster can either strengthen and prepare her for a future eternal companionship or desensitize and devalue the future bonds I'm sure she hopes to find. Elder Smith and I were actually talking today about how dating too seriously too early really can cripple the youth of today. I know that Maleah's got a good head on her shoulders though so she'll make good choices.

I try not to think of home as much as possible. I really don't think about it very much unless someone brings it up. It's definitely easier to work when you've got everything focused on what you're doing. I keep praying for focus and charity so that I can be more like Christ.

We had an interesting week this week. Like you guessed, it was definitely a scorcher. Every day, except for Sunday, was in the upper 90's and lower 100's. Being a walking missionary in that kind of weather can be pretty brutal sometimes but the Lord definitely blessed us in countless ways so that we could keep doing the work. I couldn't count how many times we just be to the brink of exhaustion when out of nowhere someone would offer us a swig of water or a brief reprieve from the beating sun. We even found a few new investigators out of sheer pity! The Lord really brings it all for the benefit of His children and if we just have a few days of sweltering heat for it, so be it!

We helped one of our new investigators to set a baptismal date for August 28th! He's a tattoo artist but he just wants to do what the Lord wants him to do. He's seen a lot of things in his life and he really attributes his existence today to miracles that the Lord has put in his path. He asked us if it was wrong, reassuring us that he just wanted to know if he needed to make a change. He said if he has to he will because it's all about what God wants. He's a man of intense faith and it's good to see such devotion among the people of New Jersey.

We found some amazing success also among the people who some may have given up on. We've been working for some time with a less-active teen in our ward. She's fallen into divers sins and feels somewhat opposed to a few principles of the Gospel. Others may think very critically of her but my companion, the bishop, and myself definitely feel prompted that there's more there than most people see. We actually started teaching her boyfriend and we've seen a new light come into her as we've been teaching him and then inviting her to testify of the truths that she does know. This week she also went with the youth to Kirtland, Ohio, to see the temple and the other sights there. She definitely felt the Spirit there and it's incredible what that influence can do to change a person.

I really think that one of the most amazing things that the experience of the mission offers is change. Whether it's in me or in those that I have an opportunity to see the Lord teach, it's life changing. The central blessing and purpose of this life is change and what a wonder to be able to be an instrument of that purpose. There's little that a young man can do during these two years of his life that will come close to measuring up to what he can accomplish with the Spirit in the service of the Lord. Anyone who sacrifices that opportunity will be letting go of a life filled with some of the choicest blessings God can offer.

I love my mission and we're excited to work and sweat and teach like missionaries do!

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 7/18/2011 - Week of Miracles

We've been seeing signs all over the place for the new Harry Potter movie and probably for the first time on the mission I've felt like I'm missing out on something. It'll be cool though to just watch them both back to back. I was telling Elder Smith that the girls and I are going to do an all day marathon! It'll be fabulous!

 

It's honestly so exciting to hear that Jacob's going out on a mission and that he seems to have come a long way from where he was at two years ago. It sounds like he's grown into a great young man and he'll do wonders in the mission field as he continues to follow the Spirit. He's got a lot of potential and going on a mission just multiplies his ability tenfold. Tell him I wish him the best and Godspeed!

 

Our week this week was amazing! We just had miracle after miracle as we had a great time walking and teaching in Trenton. Our bikes were out of commission all week and so we walked everywhere! We walked probably about 8-10 miles each day. When you're walking though you have an opportunity to just stop and talk to everyone that you see and it's just amazing.  You have your line in the water all day!

 

We had a great miracle when an investigator, who's for the most part been pretty contentious about the Book of Mormon, had a huge change of heart this week. We were teaching him and we felt impressed to just start testifying of the Book of Mormon and how he can gain a testimony of it. It kind of hit him that he really hadn't done everything that he could do to test the Book of Mormon, especially he got the impression that he hadn't quite pondered on it enough and really just assumed that it went against what the Lord has said in the Bible. He made it his personal mission to find an answer and he committed to preparing to be baptized on August 28th!

 

Another miracle was when we taught the message of the Restoration to a lady from Liberia and she felt the Spirit so strong when we taught about Joseph Smith and she felt right then and there that this was God's church and she needed to be a part of it! On everything else this family that we've been working with for weeks finally came to church and loved it!

 

The Lord is really showering his blessings on Elder Smith and I and we're just trying our best to give the glory to God for all that he's doing. We're growing from it the more that we work with the Spirit and testify of it's converting power and others are benefitting from it as well.

 

I love being a missionary. Never have I seen so much happen because of the Spirit and see so much change in the lives of other people. It's a priceless opportunity to see face to face, foot to pavement, and hand to hand the tender mercies, awesome power and the hand of God among His children. I hope those who are considering going on missions or who are already preparing to serve look forward to the experience with excitement and just go for it head first. The sooner we let Christ be our shepherd, the sooner He will lead us to green pastures.

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 7/11/2011

I did send the copy of the license on Tuesday so you should've gotten it already. I'll make another copy and send it today though, just in case. There is a copier right here in the library and it's what I used to make the last one. I have no idea what an SS# is, much less remember it. Hopefully that's not super important... oh well.

 

I don't remember hearing that Brandon had joined the army. So is this Reina a member? You should send me the announcement just so I can see. I'll make sure I don't lose it because I know you like to keep things like that.

 

I did see Maleah with braces in the video so I guess I won't be totally devastated if I don't get to see them. It's nice to know that we've all had the wonderful experience of orthodaunture. It's been a fun one. I got a new toothbrush this week and I love it to death!

 

I can't believe that all these people are leaving on missions! There's going to be no one home when I get there and I'm going to be super depressed if I'm not working! It's so great to see so many willing to serve the Lord. I really wish that more people would choose to serve. I often think that there's just so few of us for the so many people in this world. To think it's an amazing accomplishment to have over 50,000 missionaries worldwide serving from the church in comparison to the over 6,000,000,000 people who need the Gospel. It's amazing that anything ever gets done and at the alarming rate that it does. How we need more and more missionaries for this great world.

 

To the best of my knowledge my release date didn't change with the new mission president. We're having a shortened transfer with this next one so I should still be coming home on November 9th. So you can tell the bishop that so he can plan what he needs to and anyone else who wants to be there. It's still very weird that it's even within sight. I know it'll be a hard adjustment for me if I don't hit the ground running. I'm not a huge fan of down time anymore. I don't like feeling unproductive.

 

We definitely had a great week. We were able to meet the new mission president and get to know him a little bit. His name is President John M. Jeppson and his wife Bonnie Jean Bult Jeppson. They're both from Salt Lake City Utah and have 6 children. They both come from direct prophetic lineage, Pres. Jeppson's great, great, great, great grandfather was President John Taylor and Sis. Jeppson's great, great, great grandfather was President Wilford Woodruff! They probably have totally legendary kids! The Jeppson's oldest daughter is actually married to the famous singer Alex Boye, who's the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's premier soloist right now. We're expecting a concert some time during Pres. Jeppson's time here. Hopefully it's before I leave! Pres. Jeppson's very musical and has sung in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for many years as well. He's had an incredible conversion over many years and has had many ,MANY trials over his lifetime, including the violent deaths of his father and brother and the amputation of his left leg at about mid thigh. We're all really excited to work with him.

 

We had a miracle investigator in church this week. We'd been praying and fasting for weeks that she would be able to get work off and she was finally able to get work off so that she could come and enjoy the Spirit there. She's excited to be able to be baptized next week on July 19!

 

Elder Smith and I have been working well together and learning a lot of life lessons from each other. I really see how getting along with your companion will be a great watermark for your ability to get along with anyone and especially an eternal companion. Patience and guidance from the Spirit are very important and we're really growing as a companionship.

 

We're excited for another fun and exciting transfer and we love the Lord and His work!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 7/5/2011

We actually were allowed to go to a fireworks show after hours but we chose not to so that we could be doing more productive things. I think that after you've been on your mission for a while you stop caring about those kind of festivities but there were definitely some missionaries who went and had uplifting experiences so God bless America!

 

Wow that's amazing that Brandon Hensley is getting married. I really hadn't heard much since he'd decided not to go on a mission? How's he doing? Has he still been going to church? Who's he getting married to? How long is his hair? Just kidding on the last one, I hope that he's doing well.

 

We had an amazing week of miracles this week and our testimony of the power of God has increased immensely. We were focusing, this week, on using the Book of Mormon in our teaching and it's just the greatest tool that we could ever have.

 

One day we were just not having a very successful day and we were coming up to the last few hours of the day. All of our appointments had cancelled and we really needed to get something done that day. We said a prayer after making some hasty plans of what we wanted to accomplished and prayed that we could find a family to teach. We went out and after 2 of the people not being there we were approached by the cutest 2 year old girl on a big wheel. She told us that the house we were knocking on was vacant but that we should come talk to her mommy and knock on her door! Wanting to humor the little angel we went and knocked on the door of  lady we knew got in frequent, loud, very public fights with her husband and didn't believe in God. She came out after a very forced and hesitant ascension from the couch and told us that she wasn't interested in the whole religion thing. We asked her about it and she said that she'd gone to all of them and just felt an emptiness inside that she's never been able to fill with anything. I lept inside when she said that and pulled out my copy of the Book of Mormon. She started talking about how she doesn't know why we're here or what's the purpose of life. As I turned to Alma 34, she started sharing about how her husband and her are going through a nasty separation and she really just doesn't know if there's anything really out there. We bore testimony to her that her Heavenly Father loved her and were led to share Ether 12:27. It bore testimony to her that not only did God love her but if she came unto Him she could be made strong. After we finished she said that the scripture really hit home. She told us that she felt a warm pressure in her chest that she couldn't really understand. We told her it was the Spirit and she told us, in short, that she could feel the void she's had for so long being filled.

 

This work is powerful and as we move forward the Book of Mormon in a monumental way we will be too. I hope you all see how the book will apply to you and see the miracles that can come from it.

 

-Elder Guinto