E-mail received 10/31/2011 - 9 days to go!

That definitely is a very strange dream. Tell Dad that I'll be home soon enough. The less he thinks about it the easier it'll be with waiting. I'm planning on sending the last box the Monday before I leave. There's a lot of stuff that I'll need right up till then but will be much easier to send rather than pack (Books and other reference materials). So I'll be sending stuff next monday.

 

One last request, that I don't know if you remembered. If it would be plausible I would like to take advantage of flying in to Seattle and going to the temple. If it would be possible that would be amazing. I also know that Maleah was planning on coming so I don't know if it will be but if you could figure something out that we could do that I would love to!!

 

The classes sound fine, especially the doing them in the morning (You know I'm a morning person! ) I have no idea what humanities entails and I'll do my best to have a good attitude towards American Heritage. I'll probably end up really liking it. I've decided to as of now go for the medical field. Either physical therapy or pediatrics. (I'll definitely have a funny story to tell you for the one on pediatrics when I see you next.)

 

I'm actually really excited to have a busy first week. If you see any job openings it would be great if you could grab applications for me. I want to work as soon as I can!! I do not want to be the missionary who comes home and just sits for a month!

 

We definitely had an awesome week this week! We were led every step of the way by the Spirit. It guided our footsteps and gave us the words that we should speak to those whom we met. There were a lot of appointments that cancelled but every one opened a new door. We were led to find 9 new investigators this week and every one is awesome. One family comes from Camaroon in Central Africa. They are devout members of their own faith but they wanted to know our unique message of Christ. They are intrigued by the Book of Mormon and seeing if it really is a true testament of Jesus Christ. Their humble Spirit is astounding.

 

I had the privelage of giving a baptismal interview for a young lady who was getting baptized in another companionship's area and it was great to see her diligent, spiritual preparation for the covenant she was about to make. She had a little bit of the grunge type of look with the dark hair covering most of her face. When she came out of the water you could see a change in her face. I don't know if it was just that her wet hair now no longer covered her face but you could sense her beaming smile that filled the room. It was a great service.

 

I really don't think it's quite hit me that I'm actually coming home. I'm still working and trying my hardest just like I have on any other week of my mission. I have come to peace with the fact that it will eventually end but it still seems just too far away to be of any importance. I think the most paramount thing to me isn't that my mission is about to end but that I'll be able to take the skills and experiences that God has given me in to a new mission field. Mission work is something that I'll never be released from and I will continue to do it as long as God gives me a testimony to bear. I guess, in my head, not much is really changing with the change of scenery. Nothing can stop the work from progressing. Elders may go home, others are transferred, others stay for months, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent until it has penetrated every continent, visited every chlime, swept every country and sounded in every ear until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done. It's never done and I will never stop serving.

 

I'm excited to see you all next week and I hope that our meeting will be like that of Alma and the sons of Mosiah. That when we meet we will still be brethren in the Lord and we will rejoice over our wonderous legacy that our Lord has left over all our works. (Alma 17:2-3)

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 10/25/2011 - 14 days!

Wow, i'm definitely excited to be able to see everyone! You know I like things informal. I don't think we have to have a big meet and greet thing but I would definitely want to go to the chili cook off! I don't have much experience making chili so you may have to give me some pointers! Sister Dicou made me the brownies today and they were like yummy! They were an interesting color though.

 

That would be cool if Ate Mercie and Louie came. I haven't seen them in forever! I should probably know this but are they members of the church? Just curious. Don't really have many dinner requests. You already know everything I like. The only thing I do really want is to sleep in my old bed when I get back. I've really been missing a bed that's the right size and I really want to sleep in the queen sleigh bed. Unless you guys don't have it anymore. In that case, no big deal.

 

I'm more than willing to sing with the Samoan sister. My voice definitely isn't what it used to be so I'll be excited to start working on developing my voice again.

 

So I definitely have to include this in the email. There's a guy sitting next to me while I'm emailing right now and he just came out and challenged the church. He seems like a really dark kind of person and definitely talked like he felt like he knew what he was talking about and seemed pretty "wise in the ways of the world." It's so apparent though, from the exchange that we had, that the truth in one is so absent. He's listening to his loud rock music and you can tell that there is a disturbing spirit that makes his soul restless and uncomfortable. Truly his wisdom has become foolishness as he hearkens not to the counsels of God. I felt the Spirit burning strongly within my breast as I bore my testimony to him in a simple, quite library of the truthfulness and infalibility of the church. He shrugged his shoulders and told me that my help is coming from false prophets and truly he doesn't understand what he's saying. I pray that he can one day learn and be open to the glorious truths that are available to him. 

 

We're experiencing miracles with helping people to set dates for baptism and prepare themselves to find the wonderful joys that obedience to the Gospel can bring. It seems that opposition seems to be peaking but we're seeing many others push through it and progress!

 

One boy is really growing and you can see his interest and passion increase. He's really going to be a great young man and after he has the Holy Ghost guiding him he'll work many mighty miracles!

 

Can't wait to see everyone and I hope that we all remain consistent in our scripture study!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 10/17/2011-24 days!

They haven't given me the itinerary yet but we're not getting mail for another two weeks so that's probably why. This is one of the disadvantages from living at the south western corner of the mission. I'm really excited to see everyone and really happy that I'll be able to see Candace and her new baby son! From the way things sound it sounds like she's been doing really well and that brings peace to my heart.

 

Good to hear that you're finally going to be settling in to a nicer schedule. You've always got so much to do and never enough hours in the day to do them. Remember to take some time for relaxing every once and a while. Even missionaries get preparation days! Hopefully you and Maleah can go on a nice outing or something together and you can both destress a little bit from the weekly cares.

 

How's dad? I haven't heard from him in a while and I always worry about him.

 

Bah! What's with all this guy stuff?! Where'd the little freshman sister in high school that I had go? You know, the one that didn't get involved in this kind of stuff?! Oh wait, I do have one! What happens when she starts dating? AHH!! I'm sure you're definitely feeling as I do: They just grow up so FAST!! I know Katelyn will make right choices though. I just worry about peer pressure, and boy pressure, and school pressure, and self pressure and having it all pile up. I worry she's getting involved in too much stuff. But she'll learn from it and it seems to be giving a great learning experience for her. I can definitely see just from the emails that I've gotten from her in the past few weeks that she's growing and becoming more mature. She'll do alright.

 

Thanks for the recipe. I actually asked for it because one of the sister missionaries in the district wants to bake me my favorite baked good for my last district meeting and when I said tiramesu she asked for something more affordable.

 

$100 will probably be perfect. I had to use some funds to buy groceries this week because I'm waiting on a big reimbursement which should come in a few days so you'll see a charge from Shoprite for $21.32. I'm also trying to get a rugby ball but I can't find one so we'll probably have to do with the football that we have.

 

We had a very interesting week this week. Everything seemed to go wrong and then every time it went wrong everything seemed to go just right!! Lots of our investigators in the past week decided that they better talk to their former pastor about their meeting with us and subsequently were convinced to sever all contact with us without talking with us about it. Others it just didn't see to work out that we could visit them.

 

These opened up greater opportunities though and we found 7 new investigators with amazing potential!! Each one has been prepared in their own way and are actively seeking for the gospel. One came from all of our appointments cancelling in a day and we met her just standing outside her house watering flowers. We offered to help and she asked who we were. When we told her she told us about how she had left the Catholic church and really hadn't found what she was looking for yet and she immediately told us she wanted to set up a time when we could come and visit her! We've had a lot of big miracles just like this one that have led to tremendous experiences with finding.

 

I'm loving the Lord and all the things that He's doing in our lives and in others and I'm growing each day from these experiences. He continues to shape me and support me to fit the burdens placed upon us, which at once become lighter and lighter as we trust in Him!

 

I hope we all are seeking to put more of our trust in God and then acting with all diligence to see the hand of God pushing us forward!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 10/03/2011

I didn't get much news from Katelyn other than she definitely got a major boost from conference. I think she paid  lot more attention to it being away from home. I think watching it with friends can be a big help as well. (Sorry if the "A" on this keyboard isn't working very well.") She said she's still working on the time management but the great talk from Elder Ardern was perfect for that I thought.

 

Haven't gotten the package yet but we get mail this Friday so it should be included with that shipment. As far as classes go it would be nice just to get as many of my general education out as possible. I think I would like to start out with the Book of Mormon class first and then move on to marriage and family later. I think Dad would probably prefer that one! I feel confident that I could take on a lot more than the average freshman just because of the rigorous study habits I've developed on my mission but I'll leave it up to you to decide what would probably be the wise choice of how much to take on my first semester. I hope that there's a few math classes open. I don't know how ready I'd be up for calculus right off the bat but a trig class might be fun. Sorry I'm not of much help. I really have no idea what I want to be. There's a lot of things I would like to do but people keep telling me they're not very probable careers. Truth be told I really don't think about it either. But we'll see.

 

It's sad to hear about Bradley making some pretty poor choices but I can't help but feel this could be a great opportunity to show him more support than he's ever gotten. I'm glad that he chose to own up to his mistake and at least marry the girl. Hopefully they'll both be able to grow. The best thing I think we could do for him would be to pray for him and have an added increase of love and support to invite him and his new wife to walk in the right path as a companionship. The deeds been done and there's little productivity to be done in striving to undo it so if we embrace them and seek to help them act to refine themselves I really could see them progressing. All of their happiness, of course, will be based on their own choices.

 

Conference was amazing!! We spent the whole week preparing ourselves and others to hear the wonderful messages of our beloved prophet and the apostles. Dad would've been the only one to hear this talk but W. Christopher Waddell gave a talk that was definitely given just to me. It talked about being all that you can be and retaining the blessings enjoyed on a mission. It helped me to see what I needed to be doing and focusing on at this critical junction of my life and especially to appreciate what blessings God has given me with serving a mission. The Spirit spoke directly to my heart. My testimony that God truly does speak to living prophets today was strengthened as I saw a humble general authority, with no knowledge of me or my heart's desire or situation, speak as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost and revealed to me the mind of the Lord, the will of the Lord, the voice of the Lord and the power of God unto my own salvation.

 

Others in our area definitely received answers this week too and we're so excited to yield the fruits of the seeds sewn by the hand of the Lord through the words of our wonderful prophet. My companion and I were wonderfully blessed this week to meet many of our goals. We realized that the Lord can only really work with honesty. We have to set goals with Him which are in harmony with His call to us to find, teach and baptize but they must also be in line with our hopes, desires, and what effort we are able to muster. An unreasonable goal will not be achieved by a companionship without the commitment to achieve it. As we set daily goals we always considered three things. Is this goal really what we WILL get at the end of the day? Are we really committed to this goal? Is this really what the Lord wants us to accomplish? As we set goals in line with His will we achieved them! It was as simple as that.

 

I definitely know that when we seek the Lord first all falls as it should. If a man has it in his heart to follow God in all things there will be no frustration, anxiety or dilemma because he can be sure that God will guide him and support him in all things.

 

I hope we all hearken to His voice and act on the revelation that we've all received this past weekend. It is our guiding star for the next six months!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 9/26/2011

The charges are legitimate. I've been getting lax with it being the end of the transfer but I've got a handle on it now. I just sent two packages to you full of stuff so you should be getting it in a few days. It definitely felt weird packing up things and sending them off.

 

Excited to hear about the manageable schedule. I loved my schedule of working 4 tens a week because it gave me a ton of days off and I just got it done. Looks like you get off at a pretty reasonable time as well. I hope you're making sure that you're enjoying work. Work's only temporal until you MAKE it spiritual. There's loads of missionaries who come out here with the attitude of this just being another job when really any job and any experience that we have in life can be taken and handled in the spirit of joy and thanksgiving. Find meaningful things to do that you can see how you are helping people. Find little activities to make work fun! I know your creative mind can factor these simple yet life-enhancing past-times which will make labor much more fun! The purpose of work and life is joy! (2 Ne. 2:25)

 

I love the name of Paige and Tyree's little girl. I assume that the middle name is reminiscent
of Aunt Kelly. I can't wait to greet the beautiful infant!

 

I'm definitely glad also that I didn't have to wait! I'm also pretty excited for Elder Anderton. Finnish was one of the languages that I was hoping to be blessed to learn while on my mission. I'm definitely grateful and love where I serve but I'd just love to go on a mission everywhere I think! Hopefully Chris gets his call soon!!

 

What an awesome talk subject! I was just waiting for a talk on the temple, or on marriage or dating or something like that! (; I am actually excited to give a talk on that. It would be really great if we could attend a session that day that I get home so that we would take full advantage of the trip up to Seattle!

 

This week was definitely a great one. I've tried to really grow and progress spiritually this week and it's definitely been a miracle with our companionship. Elder McMillian and I have really started trusting each other much more and it has brought so much power and the Spirit in to our teaching. I think I often times have a hard time trusting people and it definitely takes a lot of faith for me to put my trust in someone else when lives and salvation are on the line. I was reminded of the scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6, which states: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I had to have faith that God had called and qualified my companion and I needed to give him room to grow. To make it short: I did and he did! We've experienced a great unity in our companionship and the Spirit flows directly through us without restraint. We can see how it effects our investigators and three new people committed to baptism this week!

 

We taught a man who couldn't speak because of an injury he sustained from a knife fight! He couldn't communicate much to us but he told us that he felt the Spirit and knows the Book of Mormon is true! I definitely know that it's the Spirit that shapes the missionary and does the work and I know that I've still a long ways to go till I'm done serving here in New Jersey! I love this work and what it does to me! There's no greater service than this!

 

-Elder Guinto

E-mail received 9/19/2011 - 51 days! (But who's counting!)

It definitely warmed my heart to hear about Briden. Him and Nate Coleman hold a special place in my heart all the time. I wasn't very close with Briden but his pure love and care for everyone is definitely an inspiration. I really believe that people like them are the ones that God loved so much that He just couldn't find it in His heart to even take a chance that they might not return to Him so he gave them a grace and then filled them to the brim with Christ-like virtue. I think everyone who gets to know them can attest to that same feeling.

 

I really should start sending a bunch of things home. We just passed by a UPS store and it reminded me of that. I'm probably going to throw a lot out or pass things down. Certain things have just worn out their usefulness. My hushpuppy shoes are destroyed but the eccos seemed to weather the storm of mission life fairly well. I will probably have to do quite a bit of purchasing when I get back, but lets not think about that too much.

 

It's pretty wrenching to think that the mission actually ends. I was talking with a member today and she said, "Just stay! Or go and come right back." Oh how amazing it would be to be out here in the service of the Lord all the days of my life. I feel like Alma when he says, "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." I also have been feeling a lot of truth in the second part as well: "But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction." My biggest desire is to finish my mission the way that the Lord would intend me to do it. Make His will, my will. It's definitely tough sometimes but every day I pray that I can be more like Him and represent Him as I should.

 

I'm excited that they're doing what they did here where you guys are. Our area was the first to get the new advertisement campaign. The new pass-along cards actually include some members and missionaries who served in our mission! It's definitely made a profound difference in the effect missionary work is having on the community. People can see that Mormons are regular people! But on top of that they have this blessing that changes their lives forever. It helps people become more receptive to the message that the missionaries have.

 

We've gained a great testimony this week of the power of member missionary work. Yesterday we united with over 2000 volunteers in a monumental effort to help thousands of suffering souls in the Caldwell Stake area who endured the effects of Hurricane Irene. The response was phenomenal! I thought of churches all over New Jersey, whose idea of keeping the Sabbath day holy would be to go to church and listen to a moving talk about how the strength of God will help those in desperate need to overcome their trials. I saw an even more consecrated act of Sabbath observance when all the 300 or so members of our three wards in Princeton met for a very short 20 minute "Serve the Sacrament" meeting before driving an hour to go and BE the strength of God to help those in desperate need to overcome their trials. It was awesome! We helped this lady who was at a total loss of what to do when we got there. Her entire house had been flooded and everything had to be ripped out and replaced and she just didn't know where to turn to get everything done. At pretty large risk to ourselves ( The floor was so waterlogged and rotted that several of us fell through the floor at different stages of the work! ) we gutted the house of all the rotted material that we had means to do. Ripping up carpets, taking up two layers of hardwood floor, pulling out sheetrock and insulation and helping her to save what could be saved from tv's to ovens and cabinets. It's incredible how the Lord truly does provide for every soul who cries unto Him in the night and He heareth their cries and delivers them from their trials. Her heart was so full of the love of the Lord and so was ours. He continues to work the miracles and pour out the wondrous blessings.

 

Hopefully the girls can get a handle on things. Are they reading their scriptures? I know that's something that I included in my email to Katelyn. It's definitely my opinion that if one prayerfully reads the scriptures every day, every day, EVERY day that they will have enough of the Spirit to instruct, uplift and chasten them in all things what they should do. (2 Ne. 32:3) Of course don't compel them to read but invite them and testify that it's exactly what they need. The world may convince them that it's a most improbable medicine but it's most assuredly the spiritual cure one could ever need.

 

I'll definitely pray for both of them and I pray daily that the Lord will take care of each of you and I know that He will. He continues to move the work in monumental ways out here. One of our investigators began to really progress this week. She was referred to us by a member and quite frankly when we first met her she seemed a pretty unlikely candidate. We kept our faith the Lord could work miracles but we definitely judged her a little bit because of her stereotype. When we came back we found out that she'd read the assignment we left her and she was applying it to herself! She even wanted to come to church! Her desire for good is overcoming her desire for evil and she's changing bit by bit. I've been chastened to reserve judgment.

 

I hope we all continue to serve in our spheres and seek to build the Lord' kingdom. "Lift where you stand!" There is no greater cause than one that is eternal and no better time than the present.

 

-Elder Guinto

 

E-mail received 9/12/2011 - Hurricane Cleanup Underway

We didn't get much flooding where we are and everything that did happen was long taken care of. We did have some awesome opportunities to help other areas that were devastated by the hurricane though and it was awesome to be able to help. We went back to Paterson, which was completely submerged during the Hurricane. There's still some major flooding there after two weeks of the storm and other places have millions of dollars in water damage. 

 

The whole mission as well as hundreds of other volunteers went there as well as other surrounding areas to help out and it was just an incredible effort. We were dressed in the yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" t-shirts and everyone recognized us for who we were and who we represented. All throughout the streets we could be seen, helping people to remove decaying walls and debri, pumping out water-logged basements, and providing needed food and other cleaning kits and supplies. Everyone was so thankful and relieved from the help that we were able to give them. All who participated in the service were richly blessed with the Spirit for doing so.

 

Why is it that I always miss all of the amazing stake conferences where awesome general authorities speak?!

 

It's exciting to see awesome missionaries preparing and heading out to the field. Chris Hensley and Cameron Bruce will both do amazing things in their individual fields. I hope that Chris doesn't go so soon so that I can see his departing words. How the Lord needs more and more missionaries to serve so that greater numbers of His children can experience the joys of the Gospel. I've said it before, and it's as true now as it was then, any young, able man should serve a mission and if he chooses not to he will be giving up the greatest opportunity of his young adult life. Sisters make such an invaluable contribution to the work of the Lord. Everyone who can should serve! With the exception of building a righteous family in the Gospel, there is no more satisfying work than that of bring souls unto Christ. The Lord and those who are touched will thank you forever!

 

I had the opportunity to bless the sacrament this Sunday with one of the people who's baptism I performed. It felt wonderful, even special, to be helping him to exercise his priesthood authority and to help others to repent and grow closer to their Heavenly Father. You never feel so big as when you're helping someone feel bigger.

 

We're excited for more hours of service this week and knowing that what we are doing is in line with what our Savior would have us do and showed us that we need to do. It's a marvelous work and a wonder. I hope we all recognize that part that we have in it and strive our very best to magnify our role as missionaries in the Lord's vineyard.

 

-Elder Guinto