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.
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| 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’
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| Here we are with a Jimmy, a member. We are close to teh Lagoona. |
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| This is the top of the Nueva Capital (highest pointe in the city limits of Tegucigalpa) |
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| It's me! (Los Cielos means the sky or heavens) |
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| Me with Mercy, the Birthday girl. |
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| Mercy's Party was on Tuesday. |
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| Mercy, Daughter of Hermana Ana birthday cake |
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| Elder Navarro ate some super spicy chile |
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I ate the same one and didn't have a problem. ha ha ha!
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| Elder Navarro and I at the top of our area. It is the highest someone can get in the limits of Tegucigalpa. |
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| My birthday dinner. |
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| My Surprise Birthday Cake |
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| 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. |
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| Cake in my face! |
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| Saturday's lunch. One of my favorites. Vilma, a member fed us. |
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| Elder Navarro baptized Valery and Jose on Saturday. |
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| I confirmed them both on Sunday in Sacrament Meeting. |
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