Week 35: Not looking back

We had a lot of visits this week. We talked with a lot of investigators. Our goal was to try and bring them to the chapel. The chapel has a spirit about it and we wanted to get them there. 

We have a lot of people who are super excited about coming to church because it's not so dangerous for them anymore. We have had some good discussions with some families and I hope they will pray and and get an answer. Missionary work is hard. A lot listen to our message, but aren’t ready to make changes in their life. I pray for each of them. I hope that they can come unto Christ. 

It’s really feeling different, the people always used to say, "no quiero ir porque es lejos y peligroso"  and now they are saying, "Aqui en la nueva? cuando son sus reuniones yo quiero ir". (they have been saying: “I don’t want to go because it is far away and dangerous.” and now they are saying: “When are your meetings? I want to go.”) I’m glad it is changing. I feel the Lords help here in la Nueva Capital. In early August my worries were about keeping the area active and baptizing because we were in a drought. In just a month we have found a lot of good people.

We also have been visiting someone who has been in contact with the missionaries for a long time but has never had interest. On Saturday he opened up and we were able to help him. He says he wants to come to the church and has accepted an invitation to be baptized on the 23rd of September. I hope that I can be better every day and that I can continue to fulfill my purpose as a missionary and invite more and more people to Christ. 

This week passed by really fast and I hope that I will have more to write you next week. I want to end this letter with a thought that has just come up while I’m typing and it's the Lords invitation in Luke 9:61 and 62. In it it talks about joining the work and not looking back. We can’t do it, it’s really impossible to focus on the work and have the Spirit if we are continually thinking about our past mistakes, or what we left, or our family. We can’t be what the Lord called "chosen"... because yes, many of us are called. If we begin the work, if we choose to be baptized, and then start looking back we aren’t going to be as efficient or powerful in our work because our heart is elsewhere. I love this work and it is hard not to think of home. I hope the Lord can allow me to do it on Mondays while I’m writing all of you. I hope you can have a wonderful week and feel your Saviors love, and work diligently for Him and our Father in Heaven. 

Love all of you!

Keep on Truckin’

(sorry, not much for pics this week...)

Look it's my trainer! Elder Giraldo. Remember him?

missionaries singing hymns, waiting for interviews with president.

Elder Medrano.

Elder Navarro, my comp looking through his photos at night

Today for p-day we got permission to go to the El Cristo del Picacho (Honduras), and no, that's not a pokémon. It is a Christ monument that is on the hill of El Picacho in north Tegucigalpa. I'll get pics for next week. 

Benito (from this post) has been good. We haven't been able to talk to him a whole lot. He has been out of town. He had a whole party come and help him into a car to take him. We are waiting for him to come back so we can start teaching him again. But he's good.

This Wednesday I have to report to the immigration offices at Colonia El Prado at 8:30 am. I will officially, mas o menos (more or less), be a resident of Honduras.  No longer on my Visa, a "full-timer".

The sony camera has officially died. I'm now using the nikon and there is a significant difference. (we are glad we sent him with 2 of our old camera's and told him if he can find one for 200 lemps then he should grab it. He also said that missionaries leaving for home sell their camera's too)

Send some polyester ties in my next package. If they are silk or cotton the rain ruins them. I can get ties here but they just don't hold up the same. I want some well made ties. An angel moroni tie would be good. I could use some bright orange, green, and maybe another red tie.

Week 34: "Dengue"! I was sick!

I am a whole lot better than I was last week. It turns out I had symptoms of the Dengue Fever. I got checked out in a local check up place and they said I had got Dengue and gave me some acetaminophen for the pain and other symptoms and let me go. I probably recovered from the Dengue about Wednesday.  We weren’t able to work until then. I felt a lot better but my throat was all kinds of striped, I couldn't talk it hurt so bad. 

Thursday was a day that we worked all day like our regular schedule. We were able to see some major blessings. At the beginning of the week because we weren’t able to work we were suffering with our goals. I felt bad as Elder Navarro had to sit around the house as I suffered. I do feel that the time we had in the house helped us become better as a companionship. When we finally got to work and it was the longest streak we've had in days with more than ten investigators! Thursday to Saturday it was insane the people who wanted to hear us and wanted to hear more. The only problem and frustrating part is that they don't want to accept our invitations. So thats the only real struggle this week. 

We also had a pretty hardcore throw down with a pastor. We were in a lesson and this pastor walks in and says "yo pensaba los mormones estaban aqui" (I thought the Mormon’s were here). I knew what was about to go down, but my companion hasn’t experienced this yet, so he starts chatting the guy up. It was hilarious. The pastor had no idea what was going on, he just starts trying to prove our religion wrong right in front of our investigators! I was pretty ticked. The people here respect the pastors and listen to them as if it were God in front of them. So our investigators start paying more attention to the pastor, and this was frustrating. He was asking questions that only had yes or no answers like, "You believe Joseph Smith is your God?" obviously no, and then he starts spouting out lies that we pray to Joseph Smith, and it feels that the investigators are falling out of our hands. So I turned the table on him before he starts to go off again and I asked, "De donde obtenido su autoridad?" (where his authority was obtained), and he says from God obviously. I then gave a brief message on where priesthood authority needs to come from. Yes, it comes from God but by the laying on of hands. He started to say that the Spirit gives him authority. Well, it doesn’t say this in the bible. I read him Numbers 27:18 and 27 where it says that Moses gave Joshua authority by laying on of hands. The pastor was speechless, and we were able to gain back the attention of our investigators. This encounter didn't feel too great, but the pastor Martin started to listen to us and is now one of our new investigators. He like Simon, I think it is Simeon en español asked if we could give him this authority. We told him to repent and to come unto Christ and that he needs to seek for His church here on Earth. He said he would come meet us on Wednesday. I am actually really super surprised that he wants to meet again. 

Our investigator Benito, another old pastor for the Evangelical church now trusts us a lot more and has a testimony of the restored gospel. Benito just had a terrible stroke and now can’t walk or do anything. He can’t use most of the left side of his body. He wants to be healed and his faith is super strong that he can be healed. He wanted a blessing. We gave him a blessing that he little by little may be healed, it was what the Spirit directed. It was super powerful and I hope his faith stays strong so that God can work His miracles. 

On Sunday we found out the Stake is going to try and put a group in the Nueva so that the members don't have to go all the way down to the divino for church. The meeting of the group la Nueva Capital will start the 3rd of September. I'm super excited because I think we will have a bunch of people show up (or at least I hope). So this was my week, I hope you guys can have a good one this week.

I love you guys! 

Keep truckin’ 

Infected with the Dengue Fever

Elder Cleverley and Elder Candia arm wrestling
Elder Mena is on the floor (one of our zone leaders)

Elder Ruiz beating Elder Cleverley...  Cleverley had just finished with Candia

Elder Navarro takes on Candia with Cleverley and Canales looking on.

me: sick, watching the other Elders have fun

The Elders in my district played Futbol Silla (chair soccer)
In this picture: Elders Mena, Candia, Medrano, and Cleverley 

Elder Candia, Cleverley, Navarro, and Canales playing futbol silla

Cleverley, Candia, and Mena

I think Elder Canales and Mena have some pretty good futbol skills.

This is Elder Ruiz: He is playing the music for the game. lol!
I took this picture because my family has an Alligator toy like this at home.

This is our board with missionary training scriptures to help resolve concerns of other faiths

On Sunday we had Balaeda's with the familia Sanchez

People from la Nueva Capitale travel to Divino for church. (Divino is the area Elder Cleverley and Canales cover right now) They are going to test la Nueva by starting a group. A group is like a branch. They are going to see if they can put a branch or ward there permanently in the future. 

P-day plans: We are going to eat at some fast food restaurants with another companionship, probably Elder Ruiz, and Elder Candia.

Today we are also planning to buy and iron and some other things for the house.  Elder Navarro is OCD. It is kind of crazy. For now I am okay with it. I kind of feel bad for him because he will have other missionary companions who will be terrible at being clean and organized.  

Our area is really dusty, and the dust is really bugging him too. But hey- our house has never been cleaner! I am embracing as much as I can and trying to learn from him as well. I have gotten way cleaner. One thing that bugs me: He makes me clean the toilet! I'm just a little mad at him because, "he can't do it!" It's funny. He can't make every one of his companions clean the toilet. Hopefully one day he will be able to take a week here and there. But anyway, for now it is super clean. Go me!

Week 33: uber sick and some training blues

So this week seriously sucked!

I got sick Friday. I have some bad stomach pain with chills and nausea. I’m sorry this letter won’t be long. I’ve been super sick and still am. I don’t have a ton of strength. 

This past week Elder Navarro has been undergoing some stress which is normal. He felt a little scared to talk to me. I reassured him that this was normal. I told him that he can make it through these next 9 weeks and will be able to enjoy the rest of his mission. He felt way better and now confides in me a lot more. It kind of feels weird because of how quiet he is normally. 

I had a fun time in a zone conference but I was sick, so I didn't enjoy it too much. And because of that I had President talking to me most of the time. 

I hope to feel better next week and to write more, but alas I don't have the strength. (no photo's either)

Keep Truckin’

Week 32: eggs and birthday traditions

This week has been a busy one. We had a lot of work to do. We did some pretty hard core service. We were trying to dig a latrine and ended up finding some huge rocks. We will be going back with some other missionaries tomorrow to try and take them out with their help. 

We visited with our investigator, Karla Sanchez and it turns out she’s not interested anymore so that’s a bummer.  I think maybe she liked Elder Espiritu or something and now that he has been transferred she doesn’t really want to meet anymore. 

pero ni modo (but anyway) 

We talked to Jose because his baptismal date was set for Saturday the 5th along with Valery, the niece of Hermana Ana. Having two baptisms to prepare for was a bit stressful, but it all worked out. Elder Navarro, my new companion performed the Baptism ordinance and I confirmed the two of them members. 

On Wednesday we walked up to the highest point of our area to take food to a member. Josefa is 84 years old, and walks all the way down to the church every Sunday. She is extremely poor and most of the time doesn’t have food. My companion and I bought some food and hiked it all the way up there for her. I figured it was a good way to use some of the birthday money I got from my family.

We leave the colonia that is called Los Cielos to go where she lives which has no name. It is about 3,000 to 4,000 feet. It is clean and beautiful up there, but a real hike.

Later on Wednesday we had to get Joses registro bautismal signed by his dad. His dad wants to attend. He is going to try this week to go to church with his son. I am super excited! 

We went to dinner with the bishop and he ended up getting us Chinese! I was super happy. I love the Chinese food here. 

On Thursday we stopped by some of our investigators and they are progressing, but it’s going a little slow. Most of them are former Jehovahs Witnesses and in my opinion are bit hard-hearted but they listen to us and want to learn. 

Later that night we went and did a Home Evening night for Jose. We had some cookies, and gave some spiritual thoughts. I loved it. I gave him a spinner I had originally bought for myself.  He loves them. I gave him one of mine because I don’t have a ton of time to play with them. They are something the kids love here. I normally take the spinner to Family Home Evenings and the kids play with them. But now it seems everyone has one, so I’m starting to give them to people who don’t have one and they love it. 

So Friday was my birthday. I brought a towel around with me all day in case something happened... and low and behold I got some eggs smashed on my head. It is a Honduran tradition to crack eggs on your head for your birthday. They try to surprise you, but I found the eggs and I was going to break them, but everyone was giving me crap about it, so I surrendered to my birthday day fate. I have a video to send that I hope my family will attach to my blog to share it. 

After our district meeting my companion and I went and worked our tails off. I’m not going to leave excuses. We went out and talked to a Wendy Galindo, (yes, Abby her last name is the same as the Dean at Northwest. I laughed when I heard it the first time) she is a pretty hardcore testigo (witness) but she said she has felt something different from our messages from all the other churches here in the Nueva. She has a problem with her boyfriend though, he likes to drink, and is pretty violent. We are going today to see if we can't help him as well. 

That night at dinner nobody knew it was my birthday in the ward. I was kind of happy about that... and then Elder Cleverly started talking, and pretty soon more eggs were brought out ready to get smashed on my head! The members ended up not going through with it and I was very grateful. 

Later I went with Elder Cleverly to do the interviews of Jose and Valery. Everything went well, he says that the two of them are well prepared, some of the most prepared he’s seen. That made me feel super grateful and happy. 

After that we went to Hermana Yarely’s and they had a surprise party set up for me! I almost cried. She got me this super good cake, de tres leches, and I got some cards from the little kids and I felt a little bit at home. They all sang this song I didn’t understand completely, but one part was a little bit like my dads operatic version of happy birthday that he always sings us. This brought me to some pretty hardcore tears, and I just thanked my Father in Heaven for giving me this moment, for all the work I have been able to do and all the people I have been able to meet. A very grateful day.

The next day we went to visit Jenny. She is one of our more interested investigator’s right now and is attending church, so I’m happy and she loves the church and her little boy Selbin does too. Then it was time for the baptisms of Jose and Valery. August 5th is the same day that I was baptized 11 years ago.  I was feeling a pretty strong spirit in the meeting and was super glad to be a missionary in that moment. 

On Sunday, in Sacrament meeting we confirmed the two newest members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. In the meeting all the recent converts got up and bore their testimonies about the church and how grateful they are for our service, and our love for them. It was hard to not be prideful in this moment because all of them shared something that had inspired them from one of my spiritual thoughts that I had left with them. They all basically shared one big thought about the love of the Savior and all he did for us and that he sent a gringo with very little Spanish to their home to express this love sincerely. 

I am so grateful for my many blessings, for being called to this area, and this people. I am grateful for the time I still have with them to be able to talk with and share my testimony. 

I love all of you guys and hope you have an awesome week!

Keep Truckin’

Here we are with a Jimmy, a member. We are close to teh Lagoona. 

This is the top of the Nueva Capital (highest pointe in the city limits of Tegucigalpa)

It's me! (Los Cielos means the sky or heavens)

Me with Mercy, the Birthday girl.

Mercy's Party was on Tuesday.

Mercy, Daughter of Hermana Ana birthday cake

Elder Navarro ate some super spicy chile  

I ate the same one and didn't have a problem. ha ha ha!

Best Birthday Present Ever: found out I can handle more chile than a Mexican! Ha!

Elder Navarro and I at the top of our area. It is the highest someone can get in the limits of Tegucigalpa.

My birthday dinner.

My Surprise Birthday Cake

Herman Yarely is not a member. We call her an eternal investigator. She had my surprise party at her house. She can't attend regurlary so she can't be baptized yet. She has a little girl named Eva.

Cake in my face!

Saturday's lunch. One of my favorites. Vilma, a member fed us.

Elder Navarro baptized Valery and Jose on Saturday.

I confirmed them both on Sunday in Sacrament Meeting.