Hermana Guera en Guatemala: Update! (I'm gonna need to tell her to get more creative with her email titles...)

Hello family!!!!

Well this week has been pretty good. Not much to report, honestly, just staying busy everyday. We spend lots of our time just visiting the different people who want to listen to us and traveling to and from their houses. Lots of buses and lots of tuc-tucs.

This past Wednesday, we actually got to go to the temple!! We went to the one in Quetzaltenango. WHY did I not get called THERE?? It's perfect weather up there in the mountains. But anyway, temple. It was so amazing. And very needed. I'm still blown away by the same spirit that is in the temple, no matter where you are. It, without fail, fills me to the brim with peace and Spirit so strongly and it was a very needed recharge day.

It was a sort of reward for our zone because apparently we broke a record for the most baptisms in May - I got there May 27 so I didn't really contribute much...but I'll take it! And it's not about numbers. Seriously, that really bugs me sometimes. Some missionaries really focus on the numbers and don't focus on the people themselves and how they can actually help them and how this can change their lives and such. They only care about the numbers they can report at the end of the month. Ok, I'm done ranting. And it's not all the missionaries! Just some. Ok I'm done.

We also spent the week inviting people to a movie they were premiering here in the center of Reu in the theater - Meet the Mormons. It's a really nice movie about different families across the world who are members and how the gospel blesses their lives and families. It's really well done and fun to watch. Lots of people went and they really liked it! It was fun.

I want to mention how impressed I am with the members of the church here. They blow me away with their strength and testimonies. For example - Hermana Felipa. She lives in Boxoma, which is an hour bus ride away from the church building. She is probably in her 70's and has trouble walking because she gets tired easily and her feet give her problems. But she not only makes it to church every single Sunday, but she picks up everyone in the area to come with her. She is such a help to us as missionaries up there and she really looks out for them. She's amazing.

Another example is Hermano Angel who is in our ward. He's probably in his 50's. He spent a good 30 years of his life drunk and really struggling and moving from place to place. He said the gospel changed his life and he now is an active member and is sober. He's never been married and has no kids, and he lives alone in a very small house - more like a room with a tin roof - with his two cats and works most days. But he is the nicest, most positive man I've ever met. He has come with us to teach some people and always offers to buy us a soda or some bread and, even though we politely say no, he still gets it for us. He just says he tries to share what little he has with everyone. He is also amazing.

It just warms my heart to see people whose lives have really changed because of this gospel. It truly works miracles in people's lives. And it makes me appreciate it more and makes me want to work harder, because there are people out there who, truly, need this.

Anyway, I have just felt extra blessed this week. I have felt a strange peace and calmness all week and have been able to focus really well. I recognize that's an answer to my prayers and I'm just trying to keep moving forward.

I love you all!!!!!

-Hermana Layton