Email to mom..

Momma momma momma. Te extraño mucho. That is crazy. Everyone is too young to be getting married!!!
My companion is the normal missionary age. She is 22. She is a convert to the church. I love her. She is so funny and we get along really well. I was talking with one of the Elders in my old district (he had a Dr appt.) He is from Guatemala and speaks Spanish and another dialect. He is learning English. He asked me how it was going with my new companion and I said good, we are like best friends and then he asked if we talked in English or Spanish. We almost always talk in Spanish or Spanglish. We do go to the office at least once a week. Ribera del Rio is really small, but we also go to the hospital a lot during the week. I love it though. I am really happy to be here! Hna DeRosier is in my district! How is the family?  I also like the dress Shelby is wearing. Do you think you could hook me up? 😉 How does it honestly feel to be a missionary mom? I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you. I hope the family is great. I love you all so much and pray for you all often. Also, I never know when I am going to write, because we never know when we're going to go to the hospital. Really, I Love you all. I am currently writing you on our smartphone and it's a little difficult and weird for me. Write you sometime next week.
Hey, I have to go. Love you lots!!!

New Companion, New Area, New Adventure

Buenas!!
After almost 4 months in my beloved Patzicia, I got transferred. I am now in Ribera del Rio in the capital. My new compañera is Hna Carroll, the nurse of the mission. It's so different, but it's a good different. I love it here already. The area is a lot smaller and hotter than my area before, but I will get used to it.   A lot has happened this week.. There were hard days and there were good days.

8 Junio..
We had reunion de distrito today. After we had entrevistas with the Zone Leaders. Elder Alvarez and I talked a lot about my calling to be senior companion. I know the Lord called me to this mission for a reason. I know I have the companion I have now for a reason. I know I have been given this calling for a reason. This week I am going to focus on service and how I can really share the light of Christ.

9 Junio..
This was one of the hard days. Hna Glenda died in a car accident. She was one of the members I got along with really well and I was teaching her English. This life isn't easy and isn't meant to be easy. We are here to learn and to grow. We are here to be perfected in Christ. What are we doing now to prepare to meet God? We need to cherish every moment we have and every person we meet.

10 Junio..
Today, we went to Monte to plant trees with the familia Per. By the end, I had a lot of dirt on my face, but my heart was happy to serve. Also, panchas (tamales made out of potatoes) son bien ricos.

11 Junio..
The Elders called and I am being transferred. I enjoyed my time with Hna Argueta for 3 weeks. I learned a lot and hope I became a little better as a missionary.

12 Junio..
I am going to the Capital, Ribera del Rio! I said goodbye to various miembros and my heart hurt a little. Patzicia definitely has a special part of my heart. One of the members gave me a traditional shirt for my corte.

con amor,
Hna Tibbits

Planting Trees and one photo from our PDay in Antigua (missing one Hna and one Elder).




 

Elder Renlund

Buenos!!

I am doing great and loving life here in Patzicia. I love the people here. I don't want to leave. So I forgot my agenda with what I wanted to say about this week and I don't have a lot of time. Yesterday, we had a conference with Elder Renlund of the 12 and 2 other missions. (mission South and mission East) It went really well.

Elder Renlund had three main points:
1. Thanks for the service of the missionaries
2. We are called by the power and authority of God to the places we serve (Off the mission as well).
The missions we have been assigned to are for a reason.
   -God guides the decisions we make with the spirit.
   -We are all children of God but to be a joint heirs with Jesus Christ and recieve all that our Heavenly Father has for us we need to repent and be baptised.
3. The leaders that we have are called to there callings by this same power and authority... by sacred revelation and they are called to receive revelation for us. They are perfect for us at this time.

1. Hna DeRosier and I at the conference with Elder Renlund.

2. Hna Brand and I at Zone Conference.

3. Our new zone

New Companion Same Area

Buenos!

This week went by crazy fast! I have a new compañera, Hermana Argueta. I am still in Patzicia and am loving every moment. We are working extra hard to find those who are ready and looking for the truth.

24 Mayo: Hna Brand and Hna Romero se fueron. The patzi trio came to an end. I found out that I am also in charge of retención for our zone.

25 Mayo: Here in the mountains it is a little hard, because the people have really stubborn hearts. I have learned that most often when you start with we would like to offer a prayer with you all or ask them what motivates them to attend their church they open up. It's been amazing bringing others unto Christ and always talking and testifying of Christ.

26 Mayo: I know I am not the perfect missionary, but I love being here in Patzicia. I am working really hard with my companion to find nuevos and help those come unto Christ.

27 Mayo: I love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel and the happiness that it brings. We found some really calidad people and I know they were put in our path for a reason.

28 Mayo: Today was a good day. I really want the people of Patzicia to be happy and receive the blessings of the gospel. I'm still new to this whole Senior companion and Junior companion thing. Who would have thought that I would be the senior companion right after my training...

I would encourage you all to read Matthew 11, 12, 14
Miracles exist and I am so grateful I get to see them in my life and in the lives of our investigators and conversos.

con amor,
Hna Tibbits

My Training is Over

Buenos!
I finished my training this week. 3 months flew by super fast! We have transfers tomorrow. I am staying in Patzicia and have been called to be the senior companion. I love Patzicia and am grateful I am not leaving just yet.

Highlights of the week:

17 Mayo: We had divisions with the STLs. Also, Hna Brand and I were super sick. We only had 2 lessons this day, because we went to Chima to start divisions and then rested for most of the day in the house.

18 Mayo: Hna Brand and I completed 4 months as missionaries. It has been fun being companions with her.

19 Mayo: We went to los planes. Hna Brand and I played games with 2 hijos de Hna Lupe. We also got corte to wear at Stake conference.

21 Mayo: The last day of Hna Brand and I's training. We wore corte for the conferencia. En la noche, we made funeral potatoes with our next door neighbors (son miembros). They put their funeral potatoes in tortillas.

22 Mayo: We played soccer with our zone and went to Chima for Pizza Hut. Hna Romero is going to the capital and Hna Brand is going back to San Andres. My nueva compañera is from El Salvador and we're both senior companions.

con amor,
Hna Tibbits

1. Hna Roxana and us in corte
2. Our zone before cambios
3. We completed 4 months.
4. I can make flour tortillas like they make in Honduras. Tortilleria Tibbits coming soon (:
5. Our party of international food: Guatemala, Honduras and USA

New Companion and Mother's Day

Buenos!
This week was full of miracles and activities.

10 Mayo..
Hna Brand is my new companion. We're in a trio till the 23rd (when we have transfers.) It's fun to have someone that has the same time in the mission as me. We both went to USU at the same time and know the same people, but didn't know each other before. We found a man that attended church before and stopped going, because of his work. We're hoping to be able to motivate him to attend church again.

11 Mayo..
We had entrevistas with President Markham. After we went to San Antonio, we found a family muy calidad. The mom of the family received her answer (we visited her once before but didn't find her spouse until today.) We also had an ataque of the area of los elderes in Zaragoza. We went in divisions and I honestly had so much fun. Members are awesome for helping the church progress.

12 Mayo..
Today was my final reunión de nuevos. Hna Brand and I hit our 4 month mark together this Thursday! Everyone keeps saying my spanish has improved a lot.

13 Mayo..
We found another family today! (more like 2 because there are so many of them. We just need to find the abuelo to complete the family) Hno Felix asked about where the baptisms take place. He is really excited for his baptism, just needs to get over his fears of falling back into his sins.

14 Mayo..
Mother's day is now one of my favorite holidays. We had the baptism of Hermanito Fernando. He was so happy! We got to skype our families after. I love my family so much. I am grateful for the one of the greatest blessings Heavenly Father has given us, Mothers. I wouldn't be in Guatemala serving a mission if it wasn't for the example and support of my mom.

Read Luke 1:37

Con Amor,
Hermana Tibbits

Buenos!
I only have time for a few highlights of the week!!

2 Mayo: Hno Felix received the answered that he needs to "seguir adelante" in the church.
3 Mayo: We met with Hna Roxana and taught her about repentance and are hoping that she will decide to be baptized soon. I got to teach English to two little girls.
4 Mayo: We had an ataque of our area. (when all (6) of the missionaries in our zone came and worked in our area for 2 hours. The Elders brought dulces for us Hnas. We received a bunch of referencias. Hno Abel agreed to pray about the church and wants to attend the church.
5 Mayo: We found another investigator that is practically ready for baptism just needs the permission of her mom. She attends the youth activities and has attended church the past 2 weeks.
6 Mayo: We visited Hna Roxana with the Zone Leaders and couldn't be more clear that she needs to be baptized, but she is firm in her decision to wait. Breaks my heart a little.
7 Mayo: We met with Hno Felix and challenged him to be baptized this domingo. Vamos a ver que paso.
8 Mayo: Hermanito Fernando is ready for his baptism this Domingo!! I also cut my hair and now miss my long hair like none other.

Con Amor,
 Hna Tibbits

10 de Mayo is día de madres and the Elders made a certificate for me to give to Hna Romero for being my mom of the mission