Week 70: El Picacho visit and baptism of Cristofer!

So this week I have some very good news, Cristofer got baptized! He was so happy. I asked him how he felt before and he just responded with one word "Tranquilo". It was a great service and I had the opportunity to baptize him, I was very honored. Along with the sweet this week there was bitter, unfortunately. 

Gabriela, she is one of our best investigators, well we have had a visit from her pastor who went on to destroy a lot of the progress we had made with her. She believes the book of Mormon is true, the only problem is the pastor has impacted the faith she has in what we are teaching ...if you understand me. It was sad when we showed up and she felt like she needed to return to the Adventists because of how she felt originally. It was very sad and she feels that being baptized isn´t something she is going to be doing in the near future until the Lord responds in a different way to what the pastor had taught. I am still very sad but we will be visiting from time to time to see if there is anything that changes. 

We went to Picachu this last Monday. It was fun we had a lot of time to reflect in the spot where President Nelson dedicated Honduras to missionary work. I had time to reflect on the work and felt the spirit near the statue and the respect that you could feel there. 

This week we have planned an activity to make pizza and tacos with our district. It should be fun and we should get full.

Love you guys hope you have a good week! 

Elder Vazquez and I with Cristofer. He is 16.  I was able to baptize him and Elder Vazquez confirmed.

Us with our newest convert and Hermana Pacheco
I surprisingly got my whites back. I thought I would never see them again.

Me in front of The Christ at El Picacho. It's a monument that stands on the hill El Picacho in the north area of Tegucigalpa.
We went last p-day. 17 missionaries. Elder Vazquez, Roberts, Sullivan, Jimenez, Katashima, Castillo, Franco, Morales, Mesa, Hernandez, Rocha, Ordoñez, Hermanas, Velesquez, Peterson, Las, Rojas, and Hernandez.

Elder Vazquez and I. I lost my other name badge in a bus from Juticalpa, so I'm never seeing it again.  On Thursday I got a new magnet badge. 

This is a replica of a "Mayan" stairs and temple of others in Copan. Copan is one of the biggest ruins we have in the world after Macchu Picchu.
The temple and stairs were built by Mexican architect. The whole design looks more Aztec than Mayan.

I might have a headache later.

We took this picture in one of the gazebos that is between the temple and the statue. Elder Franco and I.

In these next fotos I am told we are about in the place where President Nelson was when he dedicated Honduras to missionary work. Elder Katashima conveniently had our prophets picture in his backpack.

Tu Y Yo = You And I

Your Favorite Missionary!

I have a problem every time I walk by this. Christ behind bars?
They just don't want us to touch and there is nothing near to explain.

I bought the shirt and shorts close to my house. All I packed for shorts were basketball shorts for working out. The shirt was 35 limps and the shorts were 20. Elder Vazquez liked my shirt so he bought one like it.

Our little field trip went from about 11 to 3, roughly 4 hours with travel time. I'm sitting by Elder Rocha.  We fit 17 missionaries in the van. It was 1000 limps there and back. We were packed in, everything here in Honduras is made for people 5'10 and smaller.

I don't know, he does what he does.

Hermana Peterson was taking our foto.  7 missionaries stuck in a box!

These concrete boxes... I have no idea what they are for.

7 months and me voy!!! In the distance is a view of the Toncontín airport takeoff and landing strip.

(someone is baggy;) me voy=I'm going) 

Bottle Flippin' -Honduran style- (flipping tortillas)

Elder Roberts trying ...

Elder Vazquez in 1 shot!

Week 69: Mexican Tacos and FHE at the Familia Cardoza

So this was another tough week, but it was a gratifying experience. I´m glad the Lord gives us trials as missionaries. I feel my thought process on trials isn´t the same as before. Now when the trials come I find myself looking forward to them because I grow and know I´m a better person after. 

Our investigator Cristofer had another emergency this week on Saturday. I´m becoming suspicious that he may not want to be baptized or is afraid. We are going to talk to him today and try our best to help him. 

We had an awesome experience with one of our investigators named Gabriela. She has always attended an adventist church. She attended the baptism of her nephew and came and talked to us after. Well, if you know anything about us missionaries you can guess what happened next... we kept talking to her. We shared our testimony of the Book of Mormon and the restoration and later gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon. She told us in the beginning, ´´I´ll read and pray, but I don´t know about you guys, I feel good attending the adventist church. And we respected her decision, and continued to go to her home and teach and read the Book of Mormon with her. She has arrived to chapter 13 in 1 Nephi in a week, and the last time we visited her she told us something that caused me to glory at the power of the Book of Mormon. She told us, ´´I don´t know what it is about you guys or this book, but when I read or when you guys teach from the book I feel so good inside. I think the feeling I have for the adventist church is something I put there, not God.´´ She said she was a little more sure of a baptismal date and she would continue seeking. I am so grateful to the Lord for giving us more of his word through the Book of Mormon. 

We have been contacting a little more frequently and on Saturday in the time we had planned to go and contact we felt we needed to go visit some members so we went speedily to the members house. Upon arriving the members, the Familia Ozorio (they are a very fun family), they let us in and invited us to sit down and upon sitting down the dad says very excitedly, ´´We have two references for you guys!!!´´ Literally, just two seconds in his home! My companion and I looked at each other and smiled. The two references names are Andrea and Angy and they are sisters. They are daughters of a less active who the familia Ozorio decided to visit and found the two daughters ages 12 and 9 who haven´t been baptized. Elder Vazquez and I once again found ourselves thanking the Lord for leading us to more people he has prepared. 

I hope that this week Cristofer can be baptized, that Gabriela will continue in her seeking, and that we can activate the mom of these two references. Thanks for reading love you guys! 

Have a fantastic week, Love you!!!

four elders in a bus on our way back from our pday trip to Walmart.
I bought the hat, some deodorant, and some soap that's american made.  It is nice to have and it wasn't super expensive like other places.  It smells better and works better.  I would say that in the States we have better merchandise and that the things that we sell are better than here for sure.  I have really come to appreciate good hygiene. 

The Elders and Hermana's.  Hermana Hernandez, and Hermana Rojas.  We rode in a small little bus, smaller than the van, but they put like 10 people inside. It's sooo cramped.  It costs ten lempiras and it took us about 10 minutes to get there from our area. 

Elder Vazquez did some mexican tacos for some members for a Family Home Evening Activity at the Familia Cardoza. 

We are at the Family Cordoza.  The Cardoza's are members in our area but invited Elder Sullivan and Jimenez to the FHE  that was last monday after we got back from Walmart.  Elder Sullivan and Jimenez are in our zone and serve in the Las Mercede area. We usually see Elder's Sullivan and Jimenez on pdays and for district meetings. 

This is Hermana Cardoza. She is a sweet lady. She has been a member for about 15 years. She has a lot of kids, most live in the states (Illinois, and Florida), 2 children live with her right now, her boy Ashmer is 15 years old, and her daughter Jasmine is 20 years old.  I don't know how many others she has.

This is how the people dressed and walked around for the protests. They have had the same flag since the party started. The bottom of the flag says freedom and refoundation.

This is a view of my neighborhood looking in the direction toward Olancho, my last area. I took the picture looking out my front door. I think it looks pretty!

Week 68: Familia Ortega and Quezada Interchanges

Some unhappy news for the week is that Cristofer was not able to be baptized this past Saturday as he had a family emergency. I think his grandma got sick. He told us that this week on the 21st he will be baptized. I hope he does, he is honestly a “member” already with how he acts and all that he knows about the church. 

I was able to go on interchanges this week on Tuesday. I stayed in Santa Fe and received Elder Jimenez for the day. We worked hard and we spoke to some less active families who attended church on Sunday which was really cool! When Elder Vazquez and I got back together we went contacting to my request ... nothing like the old reliable tricks ... but nothing! I was shocked once again by this area. So, with a very discouraged gringo elder, Elder Vazquez felt we needed to go to David´s, and shortly after arriving and talking for a little bit Vazquez brought up an old family they had never been able to meet with. David told us he would speak with them and on Friday he got back to us and said that they are interested again, so this coming Saturday we should be able to meet with them. They are the Familia Ortega and have 5 people over the age of 8. I was so surprised and humbled that the Lord has looked out for us. 

So this weekend with Cristofer’s baptism we should be pretty busy with all the planning and the last details in preparation. 

I then had the experience of going on interchanges with Elder Katashima from San Diego. He is currently in the Quezada area and I also got to spend time with Elder Franco from Tabasco, Mexico and Elder Morlaes from El Salvador, San Salvador. It was a fun interchange. We talked and joked about stories from the mission all I experienced accumulated into a very good interchange. I learn a lot from these faithful Elders. 

Elder Katashima honestly was a highlight to my week. He is such a joyful and enthusiastic person. The worst thing can happen, like an important appointment falling through, or an elder gets sick and this guy stays happy. He taught me that just through his example in a day long period of interchanges with him. I hope I can develop a quality like this, to be happy and enthusiastic in troubling circumstances. I know the Savior can strengthen us, he looked on each one of us through his suffering.

I hope you all have a good week and can be happy and enthusiastic as I try to be as well! 

Love you guys! 

I am in Quezada with Katashima, Franco, and Morales

Elder Morales is a  little quiet, but when he talks he is hilarious.

Four missionaries live in the Quezada house. It is gigantic.

for our pday activity today our district is going to Walmart. (I know, right? but it is what they wanted to do) 

but next week we are going to Picachu!

Week 67: Hermana Pacheko is fearless!

This week was a tough one. I say this so people don’t just think missionary work is sunshine and rainbows. We had a great struggle to find new investigators this week. Our normal manner of receiving “news” is through references. It was an awe to me that all the references that we received weren’t able to meet with us. We were heartbroken and now we have to formulate a plan to have a better week next week. 

This week we also had a leadership meeting and once again I was not called on to speak. I escaped once again.

I did receive my package from home this week and it has been a great help. I love the ties and belt --that I hope lasts to the end of my mission. I am approaching 18 months out (“a sisters mission”, that feels crazy to say). My companion enjoys all of the easter candy I got and on some occasions I catch him grabbing some of the Girl Scout tagalong cookies before we leave the house. He was very surprised by the taste and says they are better than Reese’s, and I have to agree. 

This week we are preparing a young man named Cristofer for his baptism on the fourteenth. He attended conference and has been to church numerous times and enjoys the way he feels there. I’m so happy that we were able to find him as he lives in a more dangerous part of town and can’t go out often for the danger. He is kind of shy and goes with an 80 year old sister named Hermana Pacheko (I really think she believes she is made of steel). She fearlessly plunges into areas that are filled with drunks and drug addicts that at times seek my wallet, but she goes without fear literally. She told us the other day that she knows the Lord will protect her because she is on the Lords errand. Her testimony touched me and in thanks for the efforts we have given she is buying us lunch. It is for members like these that the church is as it is. I hope I can be like Hermana Pacheko. I may not need to go to the ghettos, but follow her fearlessness when I go about the Lords work.  I know that I am watched over and protected, I have never had my money taken away or robbed, though they try. He is watching over me and my companion. 

So with another week down, I hope to work harder than I ever have here. I hope the Lord accepts our sacrifice. 

love all of you have a good week!  

This is Andrew. He is a little boy that lives in a house of a member called David.  David is 19 and wants to serve a mission, so he helps us frequently with references.
Andrew is special, he is just like a minion.  He actually speaks a language like theirs and he has language confusion. He loves Marcha the Little Red Riding Hood show with a bear and so he watches the new episodes on Youtube. The only problem is they come on randomly in different languages so he speaks a little bit of Spanish, English and Russian all mixed together.  He is really funny.

This is Antuan and Andrew, they are brothers.

I met up with Elder Huscroft in Lempira for changes.  He is still the zone leader in Juticalpa for now,  he says he likes it but wants a change soon.

It's Valdetano! He is currently in Siguatepeque. He likes where he is at and is going about the Lords work as he always  has done, in absolute diligence! ...and yeah, the guys a beast, he is known to have model areas and President calls on him often to speak in meetings.

This is Elder Purser. He is currently a zone leader in Torocagua where I was on lockdown during the political turmoil of the Honduran General Election. He goes home in August.

It's us! Elder Jimenez, Sullivan, Me, and Vazquez with the sister missionaries... Rojas, Laz, and Hernandez.  Hernandez is from Guatemala, Quetzaltenango and has been out for about 6 months. 

My package from home! Easter Candy! Ties! Belt! Girl Scout Cookies! 

I put the candy and cookies in the fridge when we got home and everything held up. It's all good now. The belt and ties are honestly my favorite part.

This pictures was taken while at the leadership meeting.  Elder Vazquez is a very effective worker, there are no lost efforts with this guy.

Week 66: General Conference

So with General Conference weekend came some changes that I won´t be able to experience here in my area. We are still awaiting changes as tomorrow marks the day they are planned to happen. We normally receive the transfer news of who goes where via email by now, but they still have not arrived. 

Conference was as Jeffrey R Holland put it ´´a rush of revelation and we don’t know if we can take another rush´´. I was very surprised with all of the news we received this past weekend. The change in the higher priesthood meetings to the change in visiting and home teaching. I´m a little afraid of how different the world will be when I arrive home. No, I´m not trunky or baggy, I´m still focused on serving the people of Honduras and bringing them to Christ. The month of April should be a good one here in Santa Fe. 

I loved the talks of our beloved prophet, Russel M. Nelson when he spoke of revelation and how to better receive it. I was lifted out of a rut that I felt I was in. It was just what I needed to hear. His list is one I now follow and am finding success with the promise to make our spiritual capacity for revelation greater with just one morning study session. My companion and I now find ourselves in the middle of study making our way to a secluded place to pray and then speak of how we felt when we are planning. I feel the Saviors hand more steadily in the work. I know this talk was one that was for me and many others. 

I am so happy for the two new apostles and the proof that the Lord still converses and reveals his plans to man. I don´t know if I told you but Gerrit W. Wong, one of the newly sustained Apostles came with Quentin L. Cook to speak to us. When he was called I knew it was divine truth and that Ulisses Soares is called of God as well. 

This week flew by with it being Semana Santa or Spring Break, not a lot of people were home so we could only visit a select few people. In each visit all were very aware of the season and were very open to the message of Jesus Christ that we are trying to spread across the world. I am so proud and happy to be a missionary of God. I love him and his divinely called servants.
I love all of you and hope to have a very busy week and to get a lot done and to sacrifice much for the Savior of the world.

Love,

Elder Roberts

A member (Hermana Blanca) helped us make these ties. We saw this fabric and thought it would be fun to have.

We made this pizza for our pday activity last Monday. We had the help of a member who makes bread. We bought the rest of the stuff. Us gringos attempted making some barbecue pizza, it wasn't like Domino's, but good enough.

Elder Sullivan, Vazquez, Jimenez, and I in front of the Honduras Flag. We need a bigger flag.

Hermana Rojas and Cronin.  Rojas is from Costa Rica and Cronin is from Mississippi.  They both  currently serve in the area of Country.

I guess Hermana Cronin was having some fun with my camera when I wasn't paying attention. 

a view from the balcony at our house in Country