E-mail received 02/28/2011

Must be the signs of the times with all this crazy cold weather in Washington. I can't remember it ever really getting like that. I always tell people here about how wonderfully mild the weather always is in Washington but apparently it hasn't been so lately.

 

That's awesome that Katelyn got accepted! Although I really think there was little doubt that she would. Now that your talking about housing that raises a question. So, Pres. Bahr, in his last interview with me, talked with me a lot about preparing to go home. Probably one of the weirdest conversations ever, but he talked a lot about making sure I was prepared to go to school. One thing we might want to start thinking about is where I'm going to live while I'm at school at BYU. A few thoughts had crossed my mind since I've been out here that I might ask the Vellas if I could live with them but with Kelly not being there I don't know if that situation may or may not have changed. Another thought was living with Grandma but there may already be too many people there. I kind of don't want to have to hassle with living on campus but if that's the only option I'm willing to do whatever. Just a thought though that it may be something we might invest some time looking in to. It's also weird to think that I'll get home and Katelyn's ahead of me in school!

 

The baptismal service yesterday was amazing. There were a ton of people there. 7 people were baptized and they all wanted different people to baptize so there were 14 people in white yesterday. The picture of it is quite spectacular. There was one baptism, the one that I performed that was particularly interesting though. We've been working with this guy, who's a total champion, whose rather large in stature. Anyway, long story short he was too tall and too large to bend all the way back and get all the way under the water. We eventually had him sit down in the water and just lay down and sit back up to do the baptism! (After the 9th time trying it!) It was intense but he was a fighter through the whole ordeal. He's really going to go on to do great things in the church. He's got such a great spirit and a powerful heart.

 

We are still teaching the scary guy and his family. We're actually meeting him this Saturday. We actually visited him last week and he had colored contacts in his eyes that were bright bright red! It was pretty freaky because he looked super satanic but he talks like a soft hearted father. We're excited to see where he goes.

 

Transfers are this week but thankfully Elder Summerhays and I are staying together here in Jersey City. My fifth transfer in the area! I also got assigned to serve as the district leader for what I think will be the Jersey City/Bayonne district, but I'm not quite sure yet. I'm a little sad that I only got one transfer as a regular missionary. Truth be told I was loving not having a ton of responsibilities, but I'm really excited to serve as a district leader again.

 

I think what I like most about being a district leader and also just a missionary in general is it's so personal. I should tell you that on Saturday I sat three feet away from, shook hands with, and had a great question and answer period with Elder David A. Bednar. He visited the mission, also with Elder Whitney L. Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy. One of the things that he taught was enabling those we teach to be independent and to learn to receive revelation. We've been viciously seeking to implement what he taught us and it's really turning us into great teachers. We're really getting to know our investigators and as a district leader I'll really get to know our district on a personal level and be able to help each other to improve. It's really an exciting opportunity.

 

It's going to be a great week. Elder Summerhays and I are excited to find that next person who the Lord has prepared to receive his Gospel and to be tools in His hands. Have a great week and keep reading those scriptures! They really are the keys to great treasures of hope.

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 02/22/2011

Is Mike living in Utah again? That would be a big step. That's really good that he has a good job though. Being a mechanic will really get him going and associating with industrious people will help him to set some good goals. That's really good and I'm happy for him.

I hope Maleah starts feeling better. I can't believe you finally broke down and got her a cell phone. That's a new development. Just one word of advice for Maleah about cell phones: Don't get sucked in to the degrading and life destroying world of texting. Too much of the world is turning to cyber communication, bearing the message of "Fast" and "Convenient." The more that society turns to such impassioned and fickle communication, the more the world as a whole will lose it's literacy and tact to deal with the finer things of this world. Families who email when it's time for dinner and text each other across the table are growing more and more common in American society and greater enlarge the dangerous gap between the wisdom of the experienced and the growth of the rising generation. When you call someone it's not only faster and easier but it helps you develop a relationship with those with whom you are talking. When you text someone, a five minute conversation turns into two hours of interrupted and unfocused time spent in idle frustration as you constantly wait for the exchange of meaningless memos passed through today's "State of the Art." Be careful with it. The most cherished and loving relationships you will have will be ones you foster face to face.

It's Katelyn's birthday today! Happy birthday! I remembered when I was sitting in district meeting and I wrote down the date. It's so crazy that she's 18! She's old now! I'm glad everything seemed to go well with her birthday party.

This has been one exciting week here in Jersey City. We definitely had the best week that I've had my entire time in this area. Elder Summerhays and I were just really on the ball with planning this week and everything worked out so that we accomplished great things.

We've really been pouring a lot of our efforts in finding and in preparing our candidates for baptism. Two in particular are getting ready for baptism this Sunday, with a hopefully an added extra if we work hard enough at it. It's amazing how much they've sacrificed personally to be able to get to this point. One investigator left his job so that he can be able to go to church every Sunday! We were kind of blown away that he actually did it but when we met with him yesterday he talked to us about it. He said that he struggled to make the decision but when he finally made it there was no regret. He said that he knew that God would provide for him if he just put a little faith in him and that he could not afford, above everything else, to sacrifice the blessings that God would give to him and his family. Now that's faith in action!

Another just knew that it was true from the very beginning and has just accepted that this is the new life that God wants for him. We met him just a week and a half ago and he's come to church twice and is getting baptized this Sunday! I think finding him has really just been a testament that the Lord does His own work and that we are but tools in His hands.

We really don't do as much as people or even other missionaries think we do. This is God's work and not ours and we're given an opportunity to assist in this work. I see a lot of missionaries that are extremely occupied with being a "Successful Missionary" when that's really not the aim that God wants us to aim for. We should seek rather to do what the Lord asks of us, to be a servant. To do all that we can to serve others and serve in the way that the Lord has asked us to do it. Preach My Gospel says that without the Spirit we cannot succeed in this work regardless of our talent or ability. The more and more I serve the more I realize that I have little to contribute and that if I get so caught up in things I do I'll miss the miracles that God does.

We're really excited for this upcoming week and really anxious to see whether Elder Summerhays and I stay together for the transfer. We've really been having a good time together and I really enjoy serving with him. He's a bright eyed missionary with a lot of enthusiasm and a ton of heart.

I hope that you guys have a great week and I hope that all the time issues seem to work out with careful planning and hard work!

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 02/14/2011

Bleh, Katelyn's going to be 18. Weird. She's going to be like making her own choices and dating and stuff. Bleh. She's still a puju though.

It's especially different to hear about Kylee getting married. I thought it wasn't going to be till June or something like that but it seems they've pushed it up. It'll be fun to see how she's changed since I've left and how everything will be going. It's quite strange to think that the world will be different than what you left it. You always have this vision of picking up right back where you started when you go home from your mission and the more and more you walk down the road you see that there's no going back to where you started. It's left you far behind and you can either dwell on the past or look towards the future. It makes me more and more apprehensive for the transition. Why can't missions just be for like ten years?

It's good that Maleah is still taking on challenges. Hard work reveals capacity and she can gauge how far she can go and grow. Help her to remember that her possibilities are endless but that reaching greater and greater heights takes time and patience. I think what held me back in school so much is that I lacked the patience to stick with something important. I fooled around with the fickle things in life and lost sight of the goal. Keep your eye on the ball and our short comings and weaknesses won't matter. Remember that when we come unto Christ, or try to do better, we are shown our weakness first. In fact the more we work at it the more aware we become of our falls and blemishes. We are promised that through Christ our weaknesses can become strengths. (Ether 12:27) Christ suffered so that we might overcome the world and have peace in him. (John 16:33) Pres. Hinckley said, "Things will work out! Be believing, be happy, don't get discouraged. Things will work out!"

That's really been one phrase that Elder Summerhays and I have been applying a lot this week. We haven't been able to find as much success as we'd hoped for with some of the people that we've been working with but we've been working our tails off, praying our hearts out, and planning our brains out! We were able to find some really awesome people this week and our one baptismal candidate for the 27th was able to overcome his addiction and he's super excited for baptism!

We've decided to focus our finding efforts in an area that we haven't really exercised any faith to find in and it turned up some amazing success. The area around our church, Journal Square, is EXTRAORDINARILY densely populated. You have thousands of people who all come from different countries and everyone has a different story. We started working there a lot and in just a few days we met some great people who are excited or have come to church already and who really have an incredible thirst for the truths of the Gospel. One we met who's been looking for the right church for a while and another is a scientist who's just been looking for a way to reconcile her belief in God with the things that seem to conflict at work. All of them are different and yet they all are tied together by their need for the gift we have. It's been really cool to see how the Lord does prepare people where ever we may be.

One in particular was amazing as we just went out of our comfort zone to talk with a child of God. One of our backups had fallen through and we were about to leave when we saw a guy about to go up the stairs with a ton of groceries. We offered to help but he declined the offer. He was one of the scariest looking guys you ever could see. He had several piercings and tattoos, three of which were large screws in his mouth right below his lower lip. He definitely looked like he's killed several people. Even so I felt that he was a child of God and I started talking with him. He struggled to talk because he kept having to adjust the piercings in his mouth but he invited us in to talk to him. After a few short minutes of meeting his wonderful wife and their two young daughters he was telling us about how he's been living a lie and he really wants to turn his life around and feel forgiven of his sins. He really felt the spirit and he committed to be baptized at the end of the month! It's wonderful what the Spirit does when we obey those promptings!

I hope that everyone looks this week for the Spirit to prompt them to do something they've never done before. Something that takes them out of their comfort zone but will do something that will help, or even potentially help, another person this week. I know that the Spirit of the Lord will lead us in to all truth and guide us in the way that is right and will bless His children.

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 02/07/2011

My daze I haven't made pound cake since I've been in Fairlawn!

Yeah it's not the same car that we got crashed in to, that was the van, but this car has seriously been bad luck for us. We actually were supposed to get it back today but I talked with the Elder who manages the cars for us and told him how much the car seems to be a problem for us and he gave us a brand new 2010 Ford Fusion instead. So now we have a much nicer car that hopefully will rid us of the curse. I think I'll do fine without a gps. Several other missionaries have them now and I'll be fine while I'm in Jersey City because I know the area pretty well and how to get to all the major mission locations from it.

Yeah, just goes to show I wasn't kidding when I said you guys might want to rethink picking me up. Jersey isn't a playground. Although there are some places that are pretty good. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it though.

It's weird that you've been having all these dreams about me coming home. I had a weird dream the other night that I came home but it was because all of you guys had gotten into a huge accident and died! Hopefully none of this comes true but it had me a little on edge coming to do emails!

Katelyn, you are a spaz. Face it.

I did get your package and I did get the message about Mitchell and Jacob getting their calls. That's so cool that Jacob is going on a mission. I couldn't believe it when you guys told me on Christmas. It sounds like he's come a long way and I'm really wondering what made the change or the difference. I can't wait to see him after he gets home from his mission. The Lord truly shapes us and molds us into the best that we can be.

I really do wonder what new calling they would give Bro. Renda. He's a scriptural champion! He'd be perfect for primary or some calling with the young men. Whatever it is it'll be inspired.

The weather here's been pretty bad but nothing that's stopped us from working. We've gotten more snow and freezing rain as well, which is miserable, but we worked through it all. We actually had a pretty good week this week. We've really been working with this one investigator who's from Sierra Leone and he's really working hard to turn his life around. It's really cool to see how much the scriptures mean to him now and see someone just love them. He takes it with him everywhere he goes now and he loves the Spirit he gets from them.

We also taught a new investigator this week who's from Haiti and he already had a firm knowledge that after the death of Jesus Christ the church fell and that all the other churches were just churches built by men. When we taught him about the apostasy and the Restoration it just really clicked with him and he told us that he really thought that Joseph Smith might be a prophet. He committed to be baptized when he gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon and he'll be coming to church this Sunday!

We had an awesome opportunity to have Elder Paul V. Johnson of the first quorum of the Seventy meet with us in a zone conference on Saturday. He's a great speaker and it was an excellent conference. We learned a lot about being a consecrated missionary and also in teaching to the level of our investigators. He did a funny example where he had two Spanish-speaking missionaries come and role-play knocking his door. When they answered the door he started speaking in Norwegian to them. The Elders thought for a second that he was kidding and one of them responded in German. When Elder Johnson responded back in Norwegian they we stunned. Their faces were priceless. They did a good job of handling the situation but he wanted to show us that even though we both speak English, that kind of miscommunication happens more than we think it does. We're really focusing on teaching to the needs of our investigators now.

Elder Summerhays and I have been working really hard at finding some new people and we found some great ones in a building with golden hallways. It was funny when we walked in and there was a chandelier in the hallway and the walls were white with gold woodwork. It looked like the hallways of a temple! We were even more amazed when the people there just opened their doors to us and talked cordially, politely and with great interest in what we had to say. It was a testament that we can be guided to those who are searching and they are out there.

Well I hope that you guys have a great week. Hopefully no one gets robbed and the weather stays mild!

-Elder Guinto

E-mail sent 9/21/2010, but that thankfully I didn't read until 1/31/2011

This message was a P.S. that Kyle somehow sent to my gmail account which I never check.  I used it once when we were on vacation in July so I'm not sure why this got sent to this address.  After reading it, I'm kind of glad I hadn't read it before.  Now I just have to hope that Kyle never gets transferred to Newark!

P.S.  Also just as a note I thought you'd like to hear. In Newark, the next city over, a couple missionaries got mugged! My old companion Elder Quist and his companion got attacked from behind in broad daylight. The other missionary took the first hit to the back of the head from a lead pipe and had his pockets empties and his backpack gone in seconds. Elder Quist didn't get anything stolen because his companion came to in time to chase them off but he got beat in the face with canes and fists. They're fine now after a couple staples and stitches and they're still working the streets of New Jersey! I love the city!

E-mail received 01/31/2011

Wow that sounds like a super specific dream about me coming home. Weird. I am glad to say though that that hasn't happened and all is pretty well out here in New Jersey. We missed out on P-day last week because we woke up Monday morning and our car had a flat frozen tire so we had to drive out to pep boys and were stuck there all day. But everything worked out.

That's super sad about Brother Chapman! He was a really great guy and he always had a love for those he worked with. He died very young but he will always be remembered for his charity to others and the great boys he raised.

This past few weeks have been pretty eventful here in Jersey City. My new companion's name is Elder Summerhays. He's from Pleasant Grove, UT and he's got a major attitude! He's so much fun to work with! He just lays it out for the investigators in the plainest, bluntest, bravest way possible and it just works for the level the people are at. He's got the least fear of any missionary I've ever worked with and he's only been out a transfer! He's definitely going to do a lot of great things in leadership because he's valiant in every activity that he does. He sets great goals and he sticks to them.

We've been having a lot of success because we've really been focused and attentive. There were a couple big storms this week but we didn't let them stop us. We hit the road, ran through the snow, even threw a few snowballs at each other and taught as we went.

We've been able to find a few great people this week. There was one particular investigator who I met the first transfer that I'd been here. We lost contact with her a long time ago but for some strange reason I always felt prompted to keep writing her name in the back of the new planners I would get. She's the only potential from September that's still in there. Anyway we decided to stop by this week and we met them and set them with baptismal dates! Within five minutes they were asking us when they could get baptized! It was a really cool miracle and awesome to see how humble and prepared they really are.

One funny cool experience that we did have this week that I just have to tell you about is that we got robbed! It happened yesterday. We went into an appointment and Elder Summberhays noticed some guys who were just hanging out around the park. When we came out of our appointment I noticed things were moved around in the car a little bit and Elder Summerhays was the one to notice the smashed in window. They stole my gps. Don't worry dad, everything was packed away and there was no evidence that they could've seen to know that we had one so we weren't robbed out of any negligence on our part. The cops just said, "I guess tonight was your night." It was kind of a funny, awkward experience. I think Elder Summerhays was more devastated than I was when he found out they took his gloves. But that was all they took was the gloves and the gps. They left the 2 bags of food that were in there, the gas card, our supplies. Very odd, but whatever.

Things have been getting pretty exciting and we're in for more. There's supposed to be a big storm tomorrow but we're really hoping that it just blows over. Elder Summerhays is just as big of a fan of snow as I am so we're both just really hoping it ends up being nothing. I hope that everything works out for you guys and remember how important sleep is! (No matter what Elder Summerhays refuses to wake up early with me!)

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 1/18/2011

I'm glad that you didn't forget!

We weren't able to write yesterday because of Martin Luther King Jr. day but we got on today just before transfer conference so that we can get emails off.

Sounds like work continues to be super special awesome! It's funny because work's going to be so much less fulfilling when I get home after doing missionary work for two years.

I'm excited to see the videos. I'll probably send you a package soon with the card that I have now and some clothes. If not next p-day then the one after that. I returned the beige pants that you bought me, because we can't wear that light of a color, and finally bought a good pair of shoes! Yay! I've needed them for so long and now I finally have them so it's good to have good shoes to exercise in. Thanks so much!

That makes me feel old knowing that Tanar is getting ready to go out on his mission. I still have him in my mind of when he was 12! I wonder if he's still the same mop-headed little kid he was so long ago. Crazy!

So yeah you guessed right. I need to learn how to write stuff faster. It's not so much stories that Jaron and I exchange so much as stuff that's useful in missionary work, so it gets me jazzed and I write a lot and then there's just no time to write. Plus I've been writing Chris and Steph too so there's even less time. You're still priority one though! Has everyone been pretty good at coming to church?

Don't know if I approve of this sweet stuff from Caleb but if it brightens KT's day that's fine. He'll leave on his mission before too long anyway so I'm not worried.

This week was pretty fun. I got a letter from Miranda so that was fun and exciting and we also did a lot of exchanges this week so unfortunately there isn't much news from Jersey City since I've been gone from it all week.

We really have some amazing district leaders we're working with so it's really exciting to see everyone improve drastically the last week of transfers.

Speaking of transfers, I'm staying for my fourth transfer in Jersey City! Elder Calderoni is being transferred but we're pretty sure we know where he's going. I also know exactly who my companion is but we'll wait till next week to tell you, just to be sure. I'm no longer a zone leader, which I'm soooooo happy about, but I'm training (or rather as president described it: doing the second phase of training) a newer missionary. I'm so excited! You really love being a leader and it's so cool to see all the blessings in the zone but it's a super big relief when it's over because there's just too much for us to do and only 24 hours in the day! Seriously, we need more!!

We're preparing one great guy for baptism this Sunday. He's really an amazing story. He read the Book of Mormon and just after reading the introduction the Spirit filled him and he received an undeniable impression that the Book was true. Whenever we taught him anything after that he has such faith in it because he always prays about it and gets a firm spiritual answer. We're so excited to see him baptized this Sunday.

I'm so stoked for what the new transfer will bring and what new surprises that Jersey City has in store. We're really going to focus on a new area in the City that I've never gone proselyting in because it's mostly Americans and, as a unwritten code, most missionaries here don't like teaching Americans. But we're going to swallow our pride and laziness and go to work! Hope you guys have a great week!

-Elder Guinto