Sunday, April 14, 2013

So, if you are all wondering, yes, summer in Honduras is hot, even when you are in one of the most cool and cold areas in the mission. It´s crazy how hot it has been. But, winter rains start at the end of next month, so it will be good. nice and cool.

Hey, so this week was fun. I did divisions twice, once in my area and once in the ZL´s area. It was fun. I like and hate doing divisions, but i learn a ton. Scratch that. Three times. Once also with the other elders here in Yuscaran. We went to the extreme of the area, like an hour walking. It was long and hot and sweaty and dusty, but good. We are trying to find new people, and trying to help to progress the people we have. This month might be a little scarce on baptisms. One or two if we get some miracles. And I am praying for those daily. Missionary work is a work of miracles, because we really have no part in it. We just talk and teach, and the miracles happen inside of them. But sometimes we get a little extra help from almost visible hands. I am ever grateful for that.

Also, our new convert, Luis, used to be a fireman, so we wanted to see if we could try something that involved him and the church. No, we did not set the church on fire. We got him to do a 4 day seminar on prevention, safety, propane, extinguishers, everything. I learned a ton. We got some investigators to go, so I got to sit in on them. Learned a ton. Then there was a quiz to get a diploma. Well, you had to pass the quiz with a 60 percent or higher. And of course, without studying, nobody passes but the four elders and one investigator. and who passed one point shy of perfect??? This guy. My now academically competitive side came out, and I had to win. I owe that to Jared Potter, good classmate of mine, who started that stinking habit. But oh well. At the end, he showed the movie backdraft, which we couldn´t watch. He said it was pretty bomb. Looked pretty cool, from the thirty seconds I saw leaving the church.

And divisions were fun. I went with Elder Edwards, my ZL, to his area to go do baptismal interviews for another area. There area is big and hot and dusty. But I met the District Presidente who is super nice and got to chill with a gringo for a night, which never happens. I have only had Latin comps, and they just aren´t the same as gringo comps.  He is from Arizona, knows Jarvis, and plays a little bit of soccer, so we have some fun together. Super cool kid.

But, again, this week was sort of out of the norm due to divisions all week. We did find some new people, and are going to be working with a ton of them to get them all baptized.

We are also getting ready because the elder who is branch president is most likely leaving this change, so as his counselors we all got filled in on what was going on in the branch. Whole lots of really fun, challenging stuff. We are also suffering right now for Gossip. Gossip is a huge problem here. Elder Gomez, the bp, I don´t think has ever had problems like this with gossip before. But I think it is because the branch is growing and satan is working harder. I learned that they almost closed this branch about a year ago, but President Hernandez said no. keep it open. So we have a lot of work to do. My comp will most likely be the next bp, and if I stay, I will be first counselor. Weehoo. There are a lot of problems here. We are going to tackle a huge part of it this week. But pray for us. We will need it.

I had a really special experience today. As it was fast Sunday, I was fasting, We took the sacrament, and moved on to testimonies. Like always, the four elders bear theirs to try and help get people excited to bear theirs. And today a lady named Nubia bore hers. She has a little bit of a story. About a year ago, she and her husband got married and baptized. Their children have been one by one following suit. About six months ago her husband left to go find work, he called and told her he had found another woman and wouldn´t be coming back. She has been raising two boys, 12 and 13, and a daughter, 17, who has a baby. Her other 17 year old child, a son, just came back to live with her from Teguc because he ran out of money there. Her kids are just a struggle for her to raise, and she has so many problems in that household. She is without work, on church welfare and makes tortillas and whatever else she can do to provide. She bore her testimony today. I admire her for her work that she does, but there is someone else who admires it even more. God. and today I got to feel a little of what he felt. As she was bearing her testimony, I was just hit by a wall of spirit and a voice, a gentle voice that was not my own, that told me ¨Thanks be to God for goodly mothers in Zion!¨ I lost it and almost cried as she was speaking. I saw that woman for two seconds through God´s eyes and felt a little bit of what God feels. It was incredible. I am truly grateful for it. And it´s true. Thanks be to God for goodly mothers in Zion!!!!!!

That´s really it this week. I don´t have any new pictures, but I will see what I can do. love you all.

Zach