Week 51: Christmas miracles in Juticalpa

This week was a week of miracles! Last week we had the trouble with dates, so Elder Banda and I took a minute and we made plans for what we could do. We really felt like we should focus on Family Home Evenings and references, so we went and looked them up. The success we had was incredible. We have found some good people who are ready for the message we bring. I hope to be able to give good news next week about them. 

We had a branch Christmas activity. I bought a Santa costume the kids and the families loved it! I had a lot of pictures taken with everybody as it was me that was chosen to be Santa. The kids came up, stood beside me and asked for gifts. We enjoyed the Christmas dinner and took pictures with signs and a Light the World backdrop. We shared a good message and Santa spoke to the branch. (I thought that was weird.) The branch president wanted me to speak, so I got to talk about the importance of the birth of the Saviour standing there in my Santa costume. In the end all the families and the kids thought it was good. I plan to leave the costume here for future use. The parties here don’t really do Santa stuff. I kinda hope they do because it’s one of the things that I always remember doing at ward Christmas parties-- the Santa photos that mom always wanted. 

I had a cool experience with the Book of Mormon this week. We had a Family Home Evening at the familia Medina's and a non member was there. She was very shy, and didn’t want to really speak too much. Well, at the end Elder Banda and I were asked to give a message. We talked about the importance of the Christmas season and about Christ’s birth. We spoke a little about the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith, but after the message was shared the lady came up and asked, ''what is the Book of Mormon?''  I looked to my companion - who looked back to me to answer her. I bore my solemn testimony of it, that it is a true work, that the prophecies of the Bible have been completed and that we can now hold the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim as one in our hand. I felt prompted to testify of Joseph Smith and I did. I testified of him as one of the Lord’s chosen servants in our latter days, and then my companion bore an even stronger testimony of the restored gospel. It was amazing, I can say I have never felt the spirit so strong! The lady sat back and then said, ''I think I'll look into you mormons''. Banda and I weren't surprised... well we were kind of.  We invited her to the branch Christmas party. She came and she loved it! She has accepted to be baptized on the 30th of this month along with two of her grandchildren. 

The Lord works miracles in Juticalpa!!!

keep truckin'

Our Light the World backdrop. Santa with the Primary Children. (I don't remember their names)

The little girl on the right was super cute! At one point she came up to me and said ''Señor Santa gracias por venir a nosotros y dar regalos a los niños pero espero que sabe que es bueno también a andar en las cosas de Cristo.'' (Santa, Thank you for coming to us and giving gifts to the children, but I hope you know that it is good also to walk in the things of Christ.)

The missionaries of Juticalpa with a lady in our Branch, Hermana Melba. There were about 140 that showed up to the branch Christmas party. That is huge!

Me with Hermana Melba. She helped us decorate. She has seven year old twin daughters and really likes Christmas.

Banda's sign says, Let the children come unto me. Mine says, Blessed are the Merciful -Matthew 5:7

We were told that we are technically in another lockdown so I drew a sad face on a balloon.
I have time to write today. We don't know what our schedule will be like this week.  It is bad. They announced the winner of the election yesterday and the people went nuts! (from what I hear, they are leveling Tegucigalpa at night.) In our Juticalpa zone we have to be inside our homes by 5 & 6 the rest of the week. 

I am thankful for faithful ward members. Every branch needs a familia Medina.  They are a really good family. They have a pick up truck and they say they will give rides to church to investigators. It is a huge blessing!  They live really far away. It is a 40 minute walk to them for Elder Banda and I.  

Next monday is Christmas! If nothing bad happens I will Skype you guys around 2 or 3.  Our zone will be having it's Christmas party the first week of January because we are on lockdown. It was supposed to be today but nobody could come. It will be a New Years Party instead. 

I will get my Christmas packages that were delivered to the mission office when everything is safe too. Don't worry, it should be maybe by the first week of January.

Week 50: ¿All is calm in Juticalpa

So there isn´ t much time to write this week. I want to let you guys know that I am back in Juticalpa and for the time being working a normal schedule. 

We got back on Tuesday. The ride back went pretty smooth. We did get stopped at one point for a search, but they didn’t find anything so it was all good. 

The country is still in civil unrest. When they really announce who won the election everything is going to go nuts! Our Mission President is doing good keeping us informed about what he is planning and how we can help the plan go into action. He has mentioned that we should be ready when everything picks back up. It´s been really worrisome out here because well, nothing is happening, but everyone says Tegucigalpa is still in the same shape. 

Juticalpa is Juticalpa...it is calm and still hot here in December. I am coming up on my 1 year mark. It will be just one more year before the return of ´´Mister Twister´´, as Aunt Cassie calls me! I don´t want to think on that too much, just focusing on the work.  

This week was sad. All, and I mean literally ALL of our fechas fell through! All of our investigators lost interest and confidence by the lockdown. It has put more pressure on Elder Banda and I. SO Elder Banda and I have been out  ´´snapping necks and cashing checks´´! That’s a Will Ferrel movie quote... just meaning we have been working extra hard this week, working so hard that it is hard to recall everything. Heck I don´t even have photos! (mom is going to kill me!) Don´t worry, I have a sister from the ward that is going to send me some photos of a ´´service´´ activity we did in a retirement center. We sang carols and we had lots of fun smashing a santa piñata. It was fun, and my camera was dead and I didn´t know. Well, no photos until next week! 

Elder Banda and I have been talking with some good people this last week. We found some old investigators that hopefully with a little bit of time will have sprouted from the planted seed and want the gospel and really seek it. We hope to have a better week because of them. 

I don´t know how to explain what it is I felt when everyone who had been so positive fell through. It has been a literal heart break! I care so much about these people and it´s hard to see it go like this. I just hope that in the future I can or another missionary can go and bring back these lost sheep of the Lord. 

I´m proud to announce the rest of the zone is prospering though, we are finding a lot of people who are ready for the gospel and we hope to have baptisms for the end of this month, and the beginning of next. 

Hope all goes well! 

Keep Trucking´

Week 49: Political Turmoil

Hey- so we were given permission to write, and buy food and stuff for the next couple of days. But from what I have gathered, you guys think I’m in Juticalpa. I’m not. We had a meeting with a Seventy (Elder Cordón) on the 30th. Elder Banda and I have been in Tegucigalpa since then. On the 1st of December we had a leadership meeting, so Elder Banda and I waited in Tegucigalpa with Elder Valdetano and his companion, Elder Divett. And then just a day later everything got to the way it is now. Political turmoil! We missionaries have been told to stay in our apartments until things settle down. It has been five days and I only have with me the necessities for one day.  It’s been super stressful.   

I don’t have my English scriptures with me. It is in them that I like to study from, so it’s been hard to find anything that stands out. For the last 4 days we missionaries have been on lockdown. Elder Banda and I are staying in the zone leaders house in Torocagua. We have been making the most of Presidents orders to keep us safe. It has been fun staying here with four other elders along with my comp. There are also some elders from the Torocagua area here. Their house is almost right on the main street in Tegucigalpa where all the riots and protests are happening so we brought them here, it is in a safer area called San Rafael. We have been keeping our spirits up by sharing spiritual thoughts and jokes. (...a lot of tu jefa, which is kind of a bad phrase in Spanish, but in English it’s just your good old ‘Yo Momma’ jokes.) 

Elder Banda and I have been stressed for our area and the others in the zone.  I don’t think we will finish the month meeting our goals.  With faith we will have some success. 

One of the things we got to do yesterday was have a small meeting in the place of Sacrament meeting. We didn’t have the sacrament, but we all gave little talks and thoughts for about an hour. I decided to talk about peace. I had originally planned on sharing Alma 31 where Alma gives his mission pep talk, but then my thoughts changed and I wanted to share Luke 2:14, Philippians 4:6-8, and Alma 40:12. It was just a cool spiritual experience I had thinking about the peace that Jesus Christ offers all of us. ‘Tis the season right? I exhort you all to think a little about the peace you guys have because of him. I know that He can change who ever let’s him in their life. I know all of our problems whether spiritual, physical or political can be helped and solved through Jesus Christ. I hope this year we can think of Him more. Think of Him instead of ourselves and what’s going on around us. It has helped me a lot just in these last couple days. I have felt the peace. A lot of what has been going around is rumors and some of them break my heart. But in the end I know the Lord will bring me the peace I need. All of us, as missionaries need to go and give it all we have. 

I love you guys! I hope all is well back wherever you are! 

KEEP TRUCKIN’

Keeping our spirits up on lock down. We are really in the dark about what is going on. President gave us permission until 3 O'clock today to go out and get necessities. We can go to a pupleria. We aren't allowed to go near large commercial spots. After that we will go back home and study, pray, and exercise.

Me with Elder Gomez. I have no idea how long we will be here. It looks like we could be here a few more days. 

Elder Divett. There are six missionaries in this house in San Rafael. Elder Valdetano, Elder Divett, Elder Banda, Elder Gomez, Elder Clavijo and me. 

Banda and Valdetano.We had to travel to Tegucigalpa for our multi zone meeting with Elder Cordón. Banda and I left at 2 in the morning because of expected traffic delays getting in to Tegucigalpa.

Elder Divett and Gomez playing Chess.  Elder Gomez and I are looking to go at it when we get back. We have been the best so far.

Me with Elder Clavijo.  I am wearing Elder Valdetano's shirt. I only have the pair of garments I am wearing, the church clothes I brought, and some basketball shorts.  

Elder Banda chillin'. Today will be 5 days that we have been here. The rest of our zone is safe in Olancho with the exception of Hermana Latimer and Gamez. They are with the sister training leaders in the country and are safe. We talk to them each night to make sure everything is okay. 

He is not always sleeping, but this guy can sleep anywhere. His sleep today is justified. He had 2 hours of sleep because we had to leave so early in the morning to get to our meeting in Tegucigalpa. (Elder Divett looking on)

Lockdown with a bunch of guys can get crazy. They shaved my legs while I was sleeping and we took a sharpie to Elder Banda. I still have my eyebrows XD