Monday, February 11, 2013

HOLY CRAP!!!!!! I had some crazy intense changes. But first if you are wondering why I am writing on a Sunday, I have permission. from our branch president, Elder Gomez. We are going to be going to the temple on tours for the next three Mondays, so we probably won't have time to write.

Well, I am in a place called Yuscaran. I am in Valle Verde district. I am junior comp to Elder-------, who was with me in Cholu Este. He is DL. We are opening an area. HAHA. So much fun!!!!

We are in a branch of about 20. There are two other elders here, Gomez and his kid, Guzman. Gomez is Branch Pres. Right now, we are living in the chapel, and they have an apartment, but seeing as how he is BP, we are switching tomorrow. Don't worry I took pictures.

I am definitely on quite the adventure in this place. Yuscaran was founded for mines, and has tons of gold and silver still in them. It was the first city in Honduras to receive electric lights, and is super colonial like. But there is just one problem. We sit about two hours out of Teguc, and there are hardly no buses that go in or out of here. District meetings are like half an hour away, and we end up having to get rides in truck beds most of the time. There are also two factories of alcohol here in Yuscaran. So remember when we went to Salem in Mass. and we walked past that brewery and it smelled awful? Imagine waking up to that in the morning. Its terrible. Also, there is the river where they dump all the excess and waste from the factory, and that is in our area as well, so we have to cross it. and it smells even worse. But I am super excited to be here. It's cold here, like I have to use blankets at night, and i love it!!! After coming from the south and dying all day, its super fresco here. Also, both houses have hot water, because the apartment is super nice and the church used to be a hotel. so, it's all dandy in the morning showering with hot water.

We are trying to find more members to fill gaps. for example, I am temp. sec of branch, and training the primary president how to teach a class of 3 niñas and 3 babies. Harder than you think. She practically just reads them the primary manual. So, I am going to be helping her a lot. Also, we are trying to find more priesthood, and more families. The advantage is that there are a ton of non actives that live here, and a lot of them have families, so we are focusing to trying to find all of those to teach them, because then we accomplish both goals with less work.

Also, mother., you will never believe what happened this week. I FOUND SOMEONE WITH THE LAST NAME OF LATHROP. IN THIS LITTLE COLONIAL TOWN: Yeah, I know. Her grandfather is a gringo, from Kansas, and came here to mine, and had one child-her father. her grandfathers name is David Lathrop, and her great grandfather's is Virgil Lathrop. They are from Kansas. And left an inheritance for her Father that they will sadly never probably be able to claim. But I explained to her who John Lathrop was, and she is dying to know more. Please see what you can find.

I know you all probably have a million questions. I will answer a few quickly.

Our apartment is DOPE!!!!! It is easily the nicest house in the mission. We have a washer, dryer, stove, oven, microwave, blender, and tapwater we can practically drink. It is a really, really, really nice house. Like, states standards nice. I would live there to go to school no problem. So, can you put together some easy recipes, and send them my way?? I started the Sunday tradition of cooking a big meal for the three other elders and myself, and made homemade burgers today. Even made french fries and fry sauce.and put eggs on the burgers. But like, the pancake recipe that we have, easy pastas, meats maybe even some dessert stuff. like, i don't know. just see what you can find. That would be more than helpful. THANK YOU.

Umm...I don't know what else you want to know. Ask me this next week, but if you can send the letter earlier than Sunday, that would be great. I will send pictures next week, I hope. Hope.

Well, just one or two spiritual experiences.

I was thinking about it today while my comp was speaking in sacrament meeting. This town is full of precious metal. Makes me think of D and C when God says that if they go to a certain town, which I am pretty sure was Kirtland, they would find great treasures. Something like that. and I was thinking about what we are going to do to find all that treasure. Like, its probably hidden. We don't know anybody, or anything, we are going to be lost, the area is huge, and yada yada yada. I was thinking about that today as I was reading D and C 124. Jjust flipping through it, trying to find something else. Then I read verse 44. I don't know it in English, I was reading in Spanish, and the Spanish is ¨Si trabajáis con toda vuestra fuerza, yo consagraré ése lugar para que sea santo.¨ Pretty much, if you work with all your might, I will consecrate this place, so that it is sacred. I think that is pretty literal. But holy cow, that got me. I realized that I just needed to work, and if I worked hard, with all my might, and gave it all 110% of me, and more, that the lord will sanctify this town.

Sanctify it.

I prayed then to thank Him, and to let him know that I would do everything I possibly could to sanctify myself, so that He could work wonders through me. Joshua 5, I think. but that's for sure in Joshua. By me working hard, and sanctifying myself, he will sanctify this town. And That's what I plan on happening.

I love you all!!! I hope you all have had a great week, and that this next one is even better. I am going to the temple tomorrow, so I will let you know how it is.

Zach