So ..... crazy week.

Monday, July 15, 2013

 

Okay, I know....every week can´t be that crazy right??? But it seems like we always have crazy weeks. It can´t be helped here in Yuscarán.  This place has crazy written all over it.

To be honest, this week was pretty boring. That´s what made it crazy. We had some branch stuff to do. Fix problems with the other elders that had submerged between us. It all started because they didn´t want to help us pay part of a light bill for washing laundry, and got to the point that they called the zone leaders. Lil ridiklus, if you ask me. But it spiraled, and they sort of lost it. Well, one of them. So we sort of lost tuesday in that.  

Wednesday I went the 2 hour walk to the Tenidero with Luis, our convert. I got stung by a freaking wasp in the crown of my head. IT HURT FREAKING BAD. But it didn´t swell, We got the stinger out perty quick. And then we did some teaching.....found some pretty awesome people. This place is nuts. I think I described it a little bit in my letter last week, but they have no electric light, they are all poor, and all grow corn and beans. And all have guns and machetes, which ties into yesterday. And then we went and visited members. We have put new talk schedules and everything for the three hours in, so we have to go help the members with talks and classes.

Thursday was district meeting, and then we helped ....well, to be honest, I don´t really remember Thursday very well. Ahh...we had a seminary and institute training. Seeing as how we don´t have either one of the two it was an ask us why session. Most of the youth...pretty much all of them here are inactive. And nobody wants to come, and everybody studies sunday morning in school. We spent literally all day in that. And then I had to be at the church so my comp could do member interviews. Long day.

Friday we had interviews with president. He told us that one of the two of us were leaving, and that the other one would stay, but he didn´t tell us who. So I legitimately have no idea what will happen the 23 of this month. I want to stay, but want to go at the same time

For this reason. The mission could possibly be organizing an extension of our branch from this place that we go. The mission counselor has seen it, and thinks its a good idea. He is asking thirty members, but the manual says two and a priesthood holder, so we are working to that. And we are working and really seeing the branch grow. It's an amazing thing to see. A little bit of work and effort on the part of four 20 year olds...and the Lord blesses an entire town. I can´t imagine what would happen if this place would wake up a little bit. Speaking of that, ...and this will be in spanish, because my English gospel grammar and vocab suffers...

Papa, me puedes ayudar con algo?? estoy haciendo el plan misional de la rama con el LIder misional, y no se si puedes scanear una copia del plan del barrio, y quizas del barrio de mama, y mandarmelos por correo electronico. necesito ideas y ayuda, y creo que esto me va a ayudar.  (Zach is asking us to send him copies of our ward mission plans so he can try to incorporate something in his areas.)

let me get my brain back into gear.....done.

Then saturday we were going to work....But our day was turned into help Luis day. His landlord is practically kicking them out, so they had to be gone by today. I don´t know what is going on....they are looking for houses in teguc, and are probably leaving the branch. It's sad stuff...but most of that has to do with Sunday.

To continue with Saturday, I saw a grown man....and his wife....cry. They literally had no idea what they were going to do. I literally felt so in between a rock and a hard place. I have literally never seen somebody so desperate. Imagine that you go from making, on a weekly basis, like 20 grand. And you sometimes earn more. Your family is taken care of, and you have everything. And one car accident, caused by drunk driving,....robs you of work. In a matter of days...you have nothing. Months is worse. And you see a man work from day to day to feed his three children, forget him and his wife....I literally have never seen anyone hit a brick wall before. And one that they cannot get over alone. It was shocking to see. my heart broke. But we took care of it. But still, they will probably be leaving here. I will seriously miss them a ton.

And then Sunday...we went...or were going to the Tenidero. The house that Luis was going to rent here fell through, and so I stayed with the other two elders here the last minute to search for houses to help them, and Esparza went with Luis; Nery, the Mission Leader and Cristian, our convert here; to the Tenidero. There was a huge fight there started by two drunks that ended with machete and knife wounds, so the meeting didn´t go very well. But we still had 57 in attendance between the two, so it´s okay.

Today I spent waiting for my comp to get back from there, Teguc, and here. Honduras is in the gold cup, which is going on right now, and they are playing, Sso there is a lot of noise.

Funny story. I had a dream that I was trying to open a locker....and when I woke up I realized I had partially opened the window next to my bed in the night. My sleep patterns are a little screwey.

I also had really bad diahrrea starting Friday night and going till sunday...so I am a lot skinnier now than I was four days ago.

I loved hearing about everybody's week. Mom...for the whole family history thing, you might want to check to see if some of the POW camps of the south kept records. Anderson was a big camp in Georgia where they sent a lot of people, so he could have gone somewhere like that. Or he could still be buried in some hill in a remote mississippi town, who knows.

and Cody...I have some VERY IMPORTANT HOMEWORK for you. I found out from my buddy mckay that fall out boy is back together. I need you to go to a store, by the album, and I will pay you back in 11 months.

That is pretty much all I have time for this week. I love you all, and will be anxiously awaiting some stuff....whatever it may be. Oh, and I bought a hammock. True story. It's blue and green.

I love you all!!!!!

Zach

WHAT A WEEK!!!!

July, 8, 2013

Hey, so this week....big news....I am having the time of my life here.

This week was another long one. We walked the whole 24 kilometer round trip  (14.9 miles for those of us who don't use the metric system!!!)  to and from the tenidero on Tuesday. Wednesday was a slow day. Thursday was district meeting, taller de zona, and so that was a nothing day. It takes so long to travel here and everything is so far apart, not to mention our zls that do the meetings in the stupidest places, and we always get back late. Really late. But I got pretty sick Thursday night and Friday morning with another head cold, and Friday woke up with the whole dizziness thing whenever you stand up. So for me, the tenidero wasn´t happening. Esparza went with Luis, and I stayed on divisions in the house with Cristian.

They came back with some big news....the people there LOVE US. First, they have two evangelical churches that nobody really goes to. Then, they told us that they were going to give some land to a Catholic church, and the Catholics never came. So they told us we could build a church there if we wanted to. Still, it takes a lot more than just boom building a church, but they are open to it. We also found a whole different group of people to teach than we had been. There are two groups of people there: the family that we have been teaching, and everbody else. And they don´t get along and definitely do not mix. The family we were teaching .... well we found out some interesting stuff about them. One is that most of them have warrants out for arrest or capture. There are no police out there, and the police in this country are a sort of joke, so there is no law in this place. People take things into their own hands, so that situation is a little bit sketchy...but not for us. We were going to do the Sunday meeting in a borrowed house from the family, but then the city mayor told us that we could do it in the city communal center, that we just had to bring chairs. so we did. the family didn´t come, due to the problem that they have (the townspeople have apparently killed several of their family members. They did it because their is no law, and the members of the family were violent drunks that had stabbed and killed several people.) This is a pretty far out place. Nobody there has electric light. think 1860s...but with Honduran jerseys and machetes. Yeah. There are three people there who have plantas....generators. Aand they only have one or two light bulbs. Super old civ there. But so great!!! We had about 30 people in the meeting there, and about 35 here. The second counselor of the mission pres. took Esparza and Luis out there in the day, and explained how an extension would work, and says it is possible!!!! We just have to show with results. So that is what we plan on doing. The difficult part is going and coming back.

So Sunday, after church, I went in the 4 o clock bus with Nery and Cristian, two members from here. Esparza was there with Lluis. We got there late, and left and came back in the 6 o clock bus this morning. We stayed the night at a guy named Mariano´s house. Super nice. But something I ate the night before, most likely the mango, did some damage and I woke up with some intense diahrrea. But it ceased, so I am good. We didn´t sleep much, but I can sleep when I get home. Plus, if i am not tired, something is wrong.

We also had the highest baptizing month in the history of the mission, with 240ish. We didn´t baptize, but what we have done in this branch is pretty honorable, I would say. Luis is getting prepared to receive the Meliquisidec Priesthood, and is pretty happy. We are working with more complete organizations, and had our first Branch Counsel the other day. Stuff is starting to pick up here.

I miss the garden!!!! and find it odd that the first summer I am truly not there is the first low maintenance summer in our history....fishy.

Sounds like everything is going good at home. I love you all and hope that all is going well.

Missionary buds...keep working!!!! The work is accelerating, and we have to as well!!!

And from those from my mtc district, anybody heard from Jensen, Bever, Cook, Tarr and Nelson?? Don´t know whats going on with those dudes.

Zach

This is the city communal center they were allowed to hold services in in the area far, far away.  Tall blondish kid on the right - Zach.

July 1, 2013 WOW

July 1, 2013

So, this week was pretty crazy. Super nuts.

Okay, so the week. Monday we did nothing. It was super great. We went to a members house, Luis, and played monopoly for like 6 hours. So fun. To just sit and do nothing. Then on Tuesday, the week began.

We left on Tuesday at 8 to go to the Tenidero, an aldea about 3 hours walking from here. We found a shortcut with the branch mission leader, and made it in under two. It was fantastic. Found a ton of ready people to listen, and super positive. It is a father, who is almost 100, and his 8 kids, and his 60 grandkids, and great grandkids. Yeah. It's a whole flipping tribe. Anyway, we met like half of them. And walked back. But when we walked back, we took the long way, because our ML told us we would def get jalon. Well, we didn´t. We arrived to the pueblo in the middle of a torrential rainstrom, at like 6. Went to Roberto's house, and taught him a little bit. Got home wet and cold and tired.  But it was so worth it.

Wednesday, I went and got an ingrown toenail removed!!! And it really didn´t hurt at all. Not even the shots. the nurse said I was the best elder she had ever seen with the shots...only a sister did better then I did. Oh well. You can´t win em all. She asked if I was going to cry, and I just looked at her. Mason would have been proud. Didn´t even flinch. Then we came back and visited Roberto again. THAT MAN IS GOLDEN. We taught him in depth the Plan of salvation. Hhe loved it. He told us, ¨I used to really love the Bible. I still do. But I am growing to love more the Book of Mormon and the church books, like Moses and Abraham. It really helps me to understand in a way that the Bible can´t do alone.¨ WOW.  He also came to church on sunday, white shirt and tie. It was awesome. He could be baptized tomorrow.

Thursday was short. We had a day of not really anything. We got back late from district meeting, so it was short.

Friday was another Tendidero day, but we were going with three members, with the five of us on four bikes. Well, not even halfway, my bike and the LM´s bike broke, so we turned back, and the other guys went there without us. We came back and did some visits and saw some people, did some visits, and then went to a FHE with like 25 members. It was awesome. We are using FHE as a way to get the branch more united. It´s working, we get tons of support from members, and we are trying to create an environment that is welcoming for inactives or non members. It's working and we are so hapy about it.

Then Saturday was all branch stuff. Office day. ehh.....not too bad. We were trying to figure out how to get all these people to church from this aldea, because supposedly there were a ton that were going to go. We didn´t want to do a bus, because they rake you over the coals. And walking wasn´t going to cut it. So we thought of trying to get somebody who has a pickup to help us. The lady was going to charge us 1000 lps...which is sort of a lot. I said okay because at the time it was the cheapest option we had. Well, my comp was a little irked by that...IDK why, I don´t know how to work this out. In my country we all have our own cars...anyway, he said that we were going out to find somebody with a car. I was all game, yellow as always. Well, we remembered a guy that sells food with his wife, and their shop has been closed for a few months. It was pretty good for decent money, and we often went there to get tacos or something. So we went to talk to him. He was out a job due to his kid being sick, because he and his wife couldn´t adequately take care of the baby and cook. He was working at the town brewery six days a week and with his cows Sunday. Then we told him we would pay him 500 limps and fill his tank to have him go pick up the people. He was all for it. More money than he makes in a week. So he went with our ward mission leader Sunday in the morning to pick them up. well, we were expecting like 12 or 14. But we called our ward mission leader....

20.

in the bed of this pickup. Wow. Then, we had sacrament and second hour. We ended early because Esparza and I had to go to a training in Ojo de Agua, and so we couldn´t really continue. We had 46 people in church on Sunday. 17 investigators, 1 family. Our zls told us that it was the highest investigators in church the mission had this week. Having all those people there, and feeling the spirit, and learning, and feeling loved and normal, was well worth all the sacrifice and problems from the week. Well worth it. 

I have suffered this week. I honestly don´t remember eating much at all. I haven´t slept well, have been exhausted, tired, sore, sunburned, spiritually and emotionally dead, and had a toenail taken out. But honestly, it was one of the best weeks of my mission. I have honestly seen how God blesses us for our efforts. I wasn´t perfect this week. Far from it. I made mistakes, and committed some errors. but God doesn´t ask us or bless us for being perfect, he does it because he loves us, and he sees we are trying.

I had a thought come to me as I was writing in my journal last night.

If I take all this credit, I am denying God the credit he deserves, and am no better than Satan. Trying to take honor and glory than God. I thought about it, and will quote it.

¨If I say that I did this all myself, I am horribly wrong. All of our efforts are what gives God the ability to work through us....mediums, like an artist. He can express himself through us to make life beautfiul for others, just as art makes like beautiful for people...¨

I am no author, but I thought it was pretty inspired. helps me to understand more and more My Eternal Father, and my flaws....as well as His willingness to accept all of me that is messed up and needs polishing and refinishing.

The training was about auditing. I learned a ton. I say it again, this scares me for the future.

But the guy who did the training was awesome. SUPER SUCCESSFUL man. He has some serious money and he attributes all of it to the church. Super strict, but man, does he love all of this. It was a district training, and it was worthwhile. He even gave us jalon in his 2013 Toyota Prado, a popular car here, like a highlander,....to yuscaran. bought us sandwiches, gatorade, tons of stuff.  He got in on the fact that it was like 6 and we hadn´t eaten all day. That is my week for you. Somebody told me that I look skinnier than a week ago. It;s probably true.

As for my week, another one is starting. I am in the mero winter in this country. It's wet, cold here and rains a ton. But I wouldn´t be anywhere else.

Part of our work this week is teach all those people out in their aldea and construct a mini meetinghouse for them. We are talking with our president about opening an extension there, missionary presided for meanwhile. It looks like it will go.

I love you all. I testify that this is God´s work. He loves us and is part of this work. More than we are.

Zach.....

Monday, June 24, 2013

"It's just such a sentence ender......"

SO THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY; but it had a FANTASTIC ending. 

To start, I owe you guys from last week. The dude on the bus. OH MY GOSH. I wanted to just reprimand and shut him up, but people like that are stupid and don´t listen. He told us that all mormon's believe and worship Joseph Smith,...which is normal for people here to say.  He told us that there are different classes of Mormons. Then he told us that Joseph Smith was killed after they went to Utah, because he had 7 wives and the members of the church were sick of him and having to run from the US Government, so they killed him. Stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. Literally. But, that opened the doors and people started asking us questions and stuff about us. It was way cool!!

Then, Tuesday, I had to go back to Teguc to get my residency. To say that I am no longer illegal...haha. I am not mojado (direction translation, wet.  Likely means he isn't new anymore.) anymore!!! That took us the whole day, because the immigration here is worse than the DMV.

Then I went on divisions for three days.

The first day, wed, I did with the ZLs. The elder I went with ... it wasn´t so bad, the members in their area gave us a ton of food, which was new for me. Then from there, I went to an area called Moroceli, with a new elder. Brand new. He is in his second week in the field, from Canada. Elder Gregson. He is taller than I am. And whiter. And is still learning Spanish. but he is a way cool kid!!! He plays volleyball and basketball, had a scholarship for vball, is lefty, and speaks like a Canadian. I asked him about why they use eh....and what he told me was this:

¨Just listen to this next sentence....This is such a beautiful area, eh? Didn´t you hear it? Eh is just such a sentence ender!¨ I couldn´t stop laughing. Canadians really do use eh. He is from Cardston. I spent Thursday there and came back to my area Friday. We visited some people and ended. Saturday the other elders had a baptism, so we helped them with that and then visited some members and investigator, Roberto. He said no to the fecha (baptism date) for this week, but he wants to learn more. We are helping him with that, and he is progressing a ton.

and for the big finale.......

WE HAD 40 PEOPLE IN CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!!!

It was a miracle.!!!!!!!!! We had sacrament done by the priesthood from the branch and in white shirts and ties, missionary donated. We had all three hours, which is the first time in a while we have had all three hours. It was incredible!!!! I am seeing the fruits of our labor.

That is really it. This week was a lot of running around and traveling. In one of my divisions, we did some service, and killed 6 scorpions, a snake, many termites, and about 10 tarantulas of a pretty good size. I have a foto of the snake....but nothing else.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I know its a little bit late, but...mas vale tarde que nunca, va?? Gracias por todo que has hecho por mi, y por todos nosotros. Eres lo mejor, y no sabes que agradecido estoy por tenerte como mi papa. Te amo mucho.

Love you all!!!

Zach

 

 

Monday, June 17, 2013

YEAR, FOOLS!!!!

So, it is coming to the point where I have less days left than when I started. Well, it has always been that way, but now I have almost been here more time than what I have left. Weird, I don`t feel like that much time has gone. But it goes crazy fast. 

Fun fact, this keyboard doesn`t have a certain key. Its the letter that comes after o, so I will be using all sorts of cut and paste tech to write you guys. 

So, I didn`t have changes this week. I will be with my comp for another change. We found out that another companionship of elders did the same thing, Abrir Area where an Elder is the Branch Pres, and they were together five changes. It could be a long go here in Yuscaran. 

On another note, Tuesday we walked from Yuscaran to Oropoli to get a partida for a wedding...and this town is anywhere from 17 to 20 kilometers from Yuscaran. We took four hours walking to get there and then we walked halfway back before getting jalon in a truck bed with 11 other dudes. I was WASTED that day. We got back at like 4 in the afternoon, and we left at 8 in the morning. we didn`t do anything really that day. 

Wednesday was normal. Sort of sad, I thought I was getting changes. But no....and I got sort of depressed. The reason is because I thought that after a year, I would have trained, or been made at least senior comp, but still nothing. There are elders who have 6 months who are already zls....it is weird to accept, and a little  hard for me. Well, I had a chat with one of my best friends here....and it helped a ton. He told me that some Elders were like Abinadi and some were like Ammon. God needed Ammon to be Ammon, and Abinadi to be Abinadi. Then he told me that I was like Abinadi, and the first thing that came to my head, dad, was  ...edit....haha. But then he got super serious....I seriously needed to chat with him because he took some time to tell me that I really was needed, and that God needed me to not give up and to just keep working. I could really feel God's love in that moment. I realized that being here for four changes was hard, and I really did want changes bad....really bad. But I now have sort of regained my ganas to work and have decided to be the best menor that this world has seen and the best first counselor too.

Speaking of church, we had 32 on Sunday. Christian passed the sacrament...and our investigator Roberto moved back from Teguc. He ended up not finding work and told us that it was a sign God needed him here....which is true. We challenged him for the 22, and we are hoping that he accepts. 

Well, my time is short this week, but I have some crazy stuff to tell you this next week. A guy got on the bus today and started  preaching about all the real truth of Mormonism. There are apparently 17 leves of mormons, and 13 are gays and homosexuals, and 4 have  plural wives. And you will all be shocked when I tell you his explanation for how and why Jose Smith died. It literally shocked me. 

I love you all!!! thanks so much, and may my first year be better than the second!!! (He's definitely confused!)

To all my mission buddies, especially those from my district and those that have the same time....halfway. Lets catch the mtc fire again, and get back to how we were in those days...and then use our year of time to really kill it in this last year. 

 

Love you all!!!

Zach

Monday, June 10, 2013

Success defined.....

Well, this was an incredible week!!!

First off, the story of the man last week?? He lived. I don´t know why I said what I said, but I said it, and it was what I was supposed to say. I asked...The Lord.  He is upbeat, and happy, and ready to forget that which has happened in his past. He has an increased desire to become active again, and we are going to start working with him to prepare him for the priesthood.

We also left and did visits with most of the relief society presidency on Saturday!!! It was fantastic. The second counselor, is a fairly heavy lady, and to see her walk all that we did was an incredible sacrifice, and she had an incredible attitude about it. The three that were there, the presidenta, the 2nd counselor, and the Sec, bonded. They are all in this together, and it shows. We have one that is missing, the first counselor. We still have to set her apart, and its really starting to irritate me. People here always put other things in front of the church...and in front of God. My comp said something very true the other day. Sister, he said to a member, God should be in first place in our lives, in fiftieth place, and in last place. And then, if there is time, we put us in our lives. So true. That´s how we become blessed. By making Gd and the church our life, and then just working in the little things. We have successfuly maintained an attendence of 26 or higher this change, since the first of May. We had a dip one week, but it was an anomoly, and we brought it right back up. I am beginning to understand what it really means to be in charge. We get all the fun and not so fun stuff, but it is all worth it.

I taught sunday school on Sunday, like always. We decided that the members don´t need gospel doctrine, they need gospel principles. So I have been teaching from that little yellow book. It is fantastic. We had a great lesson on Sunday about albedrio......agency, in English. Took me a minute to remember that. I used the stick example, but I have changed the stick for a shovel, because we always choose more consequences than actions with our actions. It works. The members are starting to get it. I think.

Our baptism for this month, Roberto, moved to teguc this last week. We had him...HAD HIM. I was so sad he left, I felt like we were getting so close with him,...but obviously, what he needs from now on has to come from someone else, and we all play for the same team, right??  Baptisms count for baptisms. So it´s all good.

In the last two weeks we set apart the relief society presidency, the branch mission leader, and gave Christian, our most recent convert, the aaronic priesthood this last Sunday!!!! He comes every week and to every activity in his missionary donated white shirt and tie. Neatly ironed by his mom. He is AWESOME!!!!!!!! He loves going places with us, and sometimes just comes and chills with us at the church if we are working in the office or something.

I was thinking about my last year....I will most likely have changes this week, and that will practically be the start of year two. I will take it like that, because it will be a new area, and a new start. They are opening three new zones this change, and a whole bunch of areas, so I might be getting the open area card again, which is fine with me. I am okay with that. I want to go to San Lorenzo, which is the hottest part of our mission, but one of the most awesome places, apparently. Plus, when I got here about ten months ago, all the city elders told me that I never wanted to go to Valle Verde, where I am, and San Lorenzo. Well, One down, one to go. Haha. I am sort of really ready for changes. 

This week we had nothing too exciting. just this stuff.

Oh, and fun facts. In my trips to Teguc, I have been able to find where I have already been. I have found the hospital, the dental school, the hotel, Nifu Nifa, and some other random stuff. The Chilis we ate in there, stuff like that. I know where I was!!!! haha!!!! its really cool.

Well, that is pretty much it. I love you all.

Zach

Monday, June 3, 2013

This week was a very long week for a few reasons. But it was amazing and humbling at the same time.

It started out with Roberto. Remember him, the guy with the tough question?? Well, I should have trusted more in the Book of Mormon. He told us on Tuesday that he received an answer that it is true, and that it really doesn´t contradict the Bible. You just have to read or interpret the Bible differently. He is an amazing man having an amazing change. He told us that he almost left last week for Teguc to find work, but someone told him they could have a job for him here. He openly acknowledged with us that it was God, keeping him here a little longer. I am constantly amazed by his spirit and his understanding. I am sad, however, becuase I don´t know if I will be here to see him get baptized, but that is not something big. I just hope he decides that it really is what God needs him to do.

We spent most of the week preparing branch business. We called a new Relief Society Presidency, and they are pumped to get working!!! We have to divide our time into branch and mission, but we are learning how. I have learned that some really humble people can do some really amazing things, and I have seen how the Lord really does qualify whom he calls. Its an amazing experience. It makes me think of an Ensign quote from Elder Andersen, when he says that worldly wisdom is always worth more when it bows down to the wisdom of the Lord. The mission counselor who is over us came this weekend, and was there for sacrament. He said that he is super pleased with how the branch is growing and how it is working. We finally have it looking somewhat like an LDS church should look. We cleaned all day saturday, and it looks ten times better!

And now, for the absolute craziness. I learned an incredibly sacred lesson this week, and even though it came through some circumstances that are tough to deal with, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Friday night we got back late from doing divisions. I stayed with the other gringo here to teach seminary, and my comp was sick, so he went with the other latin to our house to sleep. We got done with seminary, picked up some food, and and started to help out my comp with daily reports, him being dl and all, and asleep, I just did it for him. Well, we got a phone call from a member and she told us that one of our other members was dying in that exact moment. It took a moment to register, but when it did, it was all hands on deck. I took off running with the gringo to the guys house. It was cold, raining really hard, and we didn´t care. I just made sure I had oil, and we took off.

We got to the members house, and asked where he was. I didn´t even say hi, I don´t think. They took us to his room. He was laying on his bed, glassed over eyes, and rolling side to side. I tried to talk to him to get his attention to ask him about the blessing, but got no response, so I asked the people around if he could hear or speak. I think I said it in Spanish, but they all looked at me funny, and so I repeated myself. They said no, so I looked at the other gringo, Elder Ward, held out the oil, and said anoint. He did. I took a moment to steady myself and pray for some guidance. I don´t remember the blessing I really gave, but I do remember that I mentioned in some parts, in essence, that he would soon pass on. I didn´t want to say it when it came to me, but I did. I mentioned some other stuff, and even though I knew he couldn´t hear me or understand me, it was added to me that our Father loves him. I felt the most intense feeling of a type of love in that moment, and the only way I could define it was a hurting love...Like a ¨why would you do this, don´t you know how much I love you?¨ sort of a thing.

I ended crying. I couldn´t help myself. I felt so overwhelmed by feelings that weren´t mine that I couldn´t help myself. When we got done, I stood for a moment and regained myself. I asked what had happened. His cousin told me that a few hours earlier, this member had drank a lot, gotten super drunk, and had tried to hang himself with a scarf. His sister in law found him, and they took him down. He wasn´t really breathing, but they called a doctor who gave him an injection to fight swelling to open up his trachea. He didn´t check, though, against the alcohol, and the injection had a reaction against it, putting him in a conscious comatose state.

I walked home crying. Asking myself and God if that was really what I was supposed to say. I honestly got home and was just destroyed. I honestly wondered why I would say that....or why I would be prompted to say that. I felt like I had, in a way, just condemned him to die. It was tearing me apart. After the other elders left our house, I just started reading from my scriptures. Just reading and praying. I was tired before, but I wasn´t anymore. And then I read DyC 18....the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God. It hit me that I had felt the love of our Father in Heaven, who was in pain to see his own son try and do this to himself, and that even though he had messed up and was struggling, our Father in Heaven still loved him with a love we cannot comprehend. He loves me and everyone else. I couldn´t fathom it. I understood a little bit more what his love really feels like, and this experience will be forever ingrained in my soul. I felt such a peace and comfort knowing that, and I could finally fall asleep.

God lives. He loves us, and I testify of that love.

Elder Glassett