WEEK 100

Hey everyone!

 

It'll be a short email, not a lot of things happened this week.

It's the start of the new transfer and last transfer. It's strange to say it's the last. It's kinda sad haha. But my new comp Elder Peterson is pretty great. We get along really well. We are working hard and trying to find some more people to teach. 

There were some great lessons we had, one was with a man named Atiba. He is really wanting to know more about his gospel and has a great desire to learn more. He had some questions about Joseph Smith so we taught a lesson and all we did was read the whole way through the first vison account and see what we could learn about our heavenly father. It was great, he learned more how he appeared to Joseph Smith to restore His church and that they have bodies of flesh and bone. He said he has to do some serious praying but those who seek shall find. And with his desire I know he will get answers to his prayers.

Other than that it just has been a fun week of memories. 

enjoy each and everyday. 

love elder bastian

WEEK 99

LAST TRANSFER!!

Hey everyone!

This was a very productive week! A lot of this happened.

It was carnival week and Valentine's day. For a few days we had to go in early cuz of the craziness going on outside haha, during those days we had exchanges. I was here in Arima with Elder Mckay, he is a great elder. 

On Thursday we had a few special guests, Elder Kearon and Elder Zivic from the Seventy and their wives came and spoke to us missionaries in Trinidad. It was awesome to be able to hear from them, the spirit was really strong and they talked about some great things. They mentioned how it's a commandment to rejoice. So be happy... be joyful of the things around you. We have so many great blessings all around us.

Also we had a baptism this week!! Dionyese was able to get baptized. She has been so patient for it. She's been waiting for almost 2 years and now she finally accomplished her goal so I am so happy for her, her knowledge and testimony has grown so much!

We also got transfer calls, I am staying in Arima for my last transfer and Elder Peterson will be my companion. He is from California and a pretty funny elder. It will be fun and working really hard as well.

Elder Hill is going to Tobago! so that will be fun for him.

It is amazing how many experiences you have as a missionary and how much the spirit helps you along. The experiences I have been having has been great to see how much His hand is helping us find and help those around us. I know as we always rely on the spirit we will see things happen.

love elder bastian

ELDER MCKAY AND I WITH SOME BROWNIES WE MADE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

PAINTING A SHOP FOR A MEMBER

DIONYESE BAPTISM

CHANGING A TIRE.....HAHA

WEEK 98

carnival week!

hey everyone!

The last couple days were carnival so everything was closed.

this week was pretty good.

We had some great lessons with a lot of people. we went through the Joseph Smith history with a less active member and it was such a spiritual experience to see what she was able to learn from Joseph Smith's experience. I've read that so many times but she taught me some new things from it.

We had a lesson with a man named Atiba, he is really seeking for the truth. We shared the restoration video with him and he was like wow it all makes sense, he said he really has to study and pray to really know that heavenly father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. But he is really seeking for that truth and wants to know as well, such a great desire just like the scriptures say if ye shall seek ye shall find and I know he will find.

We have been teaching a nice lady named Dionyese for a little while now and she is getting baptized this Saturday!!! She has been coming to church for a while now and has been really patient. She is so excited and I am really happy for her.

Also a few minutes before sacrament meeting the branch president asked me if I could talk in sacrament. Of course I said yes. I wasn't sure what to talk about so as we were sitting and singing the opening song I said a quiet prayer asking for the help and guidance of the holy ghost. A thought came in my head to talk about prayer. I'm not sure why but I got that prompting to. I was able to give the talk. I shared my personal example with prayer and how we can gain that relationship with him as we pray. I know my words were guided by the holy ghost. Starting of the mission I know there was no way I could have done that. I am grateful for the guidance of the spirit and learning to trust in the promptings and also in Him. 

The past two days was carnival so a lot of craziness haha so Monday we had a few lessons and then we chilled with the branch. We played cricket and basketball . It was a ton of fun! 

take care!

elder bastian

WEEK 97

fishers of men

Hey everyone,

 

Couldn't email yesterday due to the shop was closed haha but this last week was really good!  We had Zone Conference this last week, it was really good. We talked a lot about the goals for this new years and what as missionaries can we do. We also talked about the conduct we do as missionaries and how we can change and improve on the things we need to, of course we can always improve each and everyday. It's a process, we even talked about after our missions and who we want to become. It was a great and spiritual conference.

Also we have been getting referrals lately. We got one from headquarters and this referral was from 2 years ago. I called her she was still interested in the Book of Mormon. We met with her and she is really awesome she wants to learn more about this message and about the church, she is definitely prepared. And through all the patience she is thrilled we were able to stop by. Also with a family we taught last night Brother Victor (who is a strong member) wanted us to teach his children. They are part member families and less active members. We met with them the first time last night and they are amazing. There are 2 reactivation's and 5 baptisms right there. They are all prepared, they love church! They say they learn more from the days they went then the whole life in any other churches. Everyone in the lesson participated too even the little kids were raising there hands and giving great answers. Their family is close and they know our Heavenly Father loves them. They all decided to come to church because Brother Victor had a family home evening with them all and the words he said to them all made them all want to change and come to church and be closer as a family. I do know how heavenly father answers prayers. We have been praying for a family to teach and to baptized. I know we have found that family. He prepares His children. I also know family home evenings are very important. This help with their choice on coming to church. I'm excited to work with this family.

Also yesterday we went fishing at a pond at La Vega it was a ton of fun. Just remember to be fishers of men and share the gospel and the happiness it brings.

love elder bastian

WEEK 96

hey everyone!

This week was pretty good! It was pretty eventful.

One cool experience we had was with referrals. The assistants gave us a lot of referrals that were never contacted the past two years, so we had a good amount. In them we found Jennette, she asked for a Book of Mormon two years ago.  I called her and said we wanted to deliver the book that she asked for. She was excited about that so we set a time up to see her, we went by on Tuesday and started talking with her and it turns out that two years ago missionaries already contacted her and gave her a Book of Mormon, she also even had a baptismal date. When we called and told her we had a book for her she thought it was a different one and wanted it. She is really excited for us to come by and teach her again, she is really interested in learning more about the message and wants to start reading the Book of Mormon again. She is pretty prepared so it's pretty amazing that we were able to find her again and start teaching her again. Amazing how we are guided to find those that He wants us to. I know that we are being helped through this work and guided every step of the way.

Also this week we went to Tobago. We did an exchange over there so we went with the missionaries there and taught with them. It was great to see the wonderful views again, also to see some of the people I used to teach. One women actually got baptized that at first rejected my comp and I but after reading the pamphlet she wanted to learn more. So it was cool to see even tho you may get rejected down the road they will prepare and the spirit will touch them as you share.

This morning as well we went to a waterfall in Maracas it was awesome, great adventure with the district. It was up in the mountains and jungle. It was a blast.

that's about it for this week.. we have zone conference this week too so that should be fun!

3 nephi 18  great chapter. it is amazing how we can always be filled with the spirit that will always help us in our lives.

love elder bastian 

bye to senior couple Stecker's

Tobago views

MOM RECEIVED A TEXT FROM THE VANCE'S WITH THIS PIC SAYING I WAS DOING GREAT!

THE WATERFALLS!!

WEEK 95

 "Stay on the Covenant path"

Hey everyone!

Not a super eventful week, being on bikes in Guyana you get a lot more stories than being in a car haha.

We were able to watch the broadcast on Tuesday, it was a great broadcast and to listen to the new President of the church Russell M Nelson. It was great to listen to the words of encourage "stay on the covenant path". 

Also to help out the Assistants to the President we went to the mission office, my comp and one of the APs went to pick Pres. Gonzalas (area president.) unfortunately I had to stay in the mission office haha so I didn't get to drop him off at the airport.

Also this week we contacted, the area we are in is more of a ghetto neighborhood haha so the people are pretty interesting but nice tho. We found some cool people and a family, the family invited us for lunch yesterday so that was great. We are having good fun doing the work.

We have a few baptismal dates set up for February so that should be a great month for some baptisms. The people we are working with are super great! Really prepared too so the work is great.

Thanks for everything you all do and thanks for the Christmas letters every sent as well. I just barely got them haha. I would write back but by the time it would get there I would be home haha. so thank you.

Be the best you can be

love elder bastian

WEEK 94

Be the Change you Want to See

hey everyone!

So pretty great week, I am now in Trinidad back in Arima with Elder Hill. Guyana was really awesome! I'm going to miss it a lot and the people too. I left Friday to come to Trinidad so I spent most of my week there.

In Guyana we have a lot of prepared people we are teaching. Data and Shanti should be baptized next week, they are so excited for it. We are teaching a women named Sister Paul, she has been Hindu her whole life but now is converting over to Christianity. Teaching her it's amazing to see the light that has been brought on her life as she has been coming closer to her Savior. She has a desire to be baptized now and feels that peace that he brings. Julie is awesome too, she has cancer but her faith is so strong and she knows she can be healed through Jesus Christ. Her knowledge is great, it's pretty easy teaching her cuz her understanding is there.

 

In Trinidad now we have a few people on baptismal dates now. They all have a desire so it's awesome too see their want to get baptized. I'm pretty grateful to be able to work all of these people. My testimony has grown teaching them and working with them. 

In Guyana we were with the Henry family. They are less active that we picked up when I was down there. I taught them 19 months ago and I remembered them and was sad to hear they are less active. We started to go by again and they have a strong desire to come back to church and to fellowship and do missionary work on their own. They want to have that change in their lives. She told us this quote "be the change you want to see". as we put ourselves out there and act on our faith we can have that change that we desire.

 

I have been learning a lot from the Book of Mormon as well, I am in 3 nephi 9. This is right before Christ comes and visits the people, before he comes there were disasters and darkness for three days. Enough darkness that no flame could be seen. It's amazing how He is the light of the World and how He can be light in our lives that will always helps us see and feel that love.

Continue to read. Continue to look towards Him.

love elder bastian

GUYANA VIEW

SHANTI AND DATA

AWESOME RECENT CONVERT SISTER DERESA

HENRY FAMILY

BIKE GEAR

FOUND THE GARDEN OF EDEN

STREET THAT FITS US

WEEK 93

2018 begins

Hey everyone!

Weeks are going faster and faster. It's pretty crazy. I got my transfer call, I leave this Friday and I'm going to Trinidad again. I'll be in Arima with Elder Hill again so that will be great. I'm excited to go back there.

From last week few things have happened. Guyana is still amazing, we have been working hard and having fun. This week our bikes were giving us problems, we broke 5 chains and punctured my tire this week. Not sure if the chains are bad or we have been biking too hard haha. So when we breakdown we will pull one another on the bikes. We hold on to our comp bag and he has to bike harder. so it's pretty fun.

We have some solid investigators here. Shanti and Data have a date planned for the 20th of this month. They are so prepared, they will keep their commitments so they are able to almost teach us in the lesson. So they are awesome. Marlon is really cool and really wants to know the truth. He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Sahadeo was a Hindu for 58 yrs and now he is converting to Christianity so that's really cool. We were teaching Bro Jacobs and he asked if he could get baptized. He wants to change and want to do the right thing. That was awesome to see.

That's all that has been happening this week. I wish I could stay here in Guyana. It's a great place.

Our goal in the mission this month is get all those that were baptized to the temple. That is a goal we should all have. 

Thanks for the support and the love.

Always remember what the Lord as done for you. never forget, always remember

love elder bastian

some Guyana views