Pena!!

Monday, October 14, 2013

 

So this week was rough. Nothing is going like we want it. We had lots of investigators that we were sure were going to get baptized. And right now, all is in jeopardy. It sucks super bad. We are doing everything we can to try and find new people to teach, and getting to be able to do the stuff that we need to do to help them, but nobody responds. It's really frustrating. Makes me want to really kind of hit people. 

But that isn`t what Christ would do....So I try not to. 

All is good, though. Working like always, doing more to work with the ward. They don`t really help us. The same members are always doing the helping, and they will get burned out. The bishop sat us down and tried to give us a talking to about how we need to do better....the problem started with him telling us how humble he is. I respect the guy for a bishop.  Time will tell. 

I did have a huge event this week. We invited ourselves to ward council yesterday, because I am needing help from the members, and that is the easiest way to get it. Well, we were there and the bishop was kind of talking about missionary work and how the members need to be more involved. One of the ladies there, a counselor of yw....spoke up for us in a huge way. She told how the two elders...me and Smith, had been a huge help for her. She has a nonmember husband who drinks and stuff, and she lives trying to stay with him, and help him. He is a hardened man. Anyway, she told the whole council how awesome we were, and how much we have personally helped her and her family. It was a confirmation for me that I am actually doing some good in my area, even if it seems like nobody wants to progress. I felt so much better after that. 

And then, this morning for pday, we went to the Peña. I went there when I got to the mission, but i forgot to take my camera, so i took it this time and wow, worth the climb and all. So COOL!!!!!! We went as a zone, it was so dope!!! Absolutely loved it!!! I got a little burned, but I put sunblock on, so it wasn`t so bad. 

I also sort of kind of got in a members face this week. Not proud of it, but it needed to be done. Nobody in this country understands the whole one true church concept, so its sad. And they have a lot of misconceptions about a lot of things. Even members. I was very strong and very direct. It maybe was a little harsh, but sometimes, I have learned, you have to do it. The church is true, and we have to defend it. Elder James E. Talmage said that ¨Ignorance is a fertile soil for apostasy.¨ So lets do our best to help our friends and neighbors know exactly who we are and what we believe.

I love you all!!!

Zach

 

Waldo or Zach? 

More pictures of the missionary please!!

 

Conference ....

Monday, October 7, 2013

 

So conference was good. I missed most of it due to bringing investigators, and most of the sessions because it was not being transmitted well. But it is okay. We had some interesting stuff happen this week.

First off, we lost our four kids that we were going to be baptizing. They really loved coming to church and all, but their father....banned them from meeting with us.

Also, Noly, an investigator we have, is progressing more slowly than we thought, but it is okay. We are being very thorough, and trying to help her the best that we possibly can to make it a true change....and we are also working with the littlest sister of the member who found us Noly, her name is Adelfa. Her sister that is getting baptized is named Neymi. Names are weird here.

And we also started teaching a couple that the last Elders were teaching. Luz and Edwin. Edwin is 25, and Luz is 35. Her first husband died, and she had four kids to raise...so she shacked up with Edwin.  They are okay.  We will see what happens. 

I had a very cool experience this week. There is a little boy in our area, David. He is 7, and his family are members. He got super sick with Dengue this week. And the poor kid got freaked out of his mind because the clinic where they took him to do the tests had some guy that was like dying from dengue. So when the doctor told him he had dengue, he started bawling because he thought he was going to die from it. So we gave him a blessing. It also didn`t help that his mom and grandma were freaking out like he was going to die. So I took some time to just talk to him. I convinced him that being sick is the best thing ever because he can watch as many real madrid games as he wants. So he took it to heart and did just that. The doctor had told his mother that his blood platelet level would drop before it got better, because dengue attacks platelets. It's a hemorrhagic disease, and when little David went in for the cita, the doctor couldn`t understand why his count had gone up. THE PRIESTHOOD WORKS.

That is pretty much it right now. I have no real cool stories this week. Jst a lot of working, and trying to be me.   I just am surviving here in little old Honduras. loving it. pics!!!

I also got to visit my old area this week, and saw Carlos and Karla, Pamela, Norde and Glenda, all of my old friends!!! It was good!!!! I loved them all, and am so glad I got to see all of them. So here are some pictures....

Cheers!!!

Zach

All the pictures this week are from friends in Zach's first round in Choluteca.  I think the couple in the last photo are those being sealed on November 2.  Zach has permission to go with them!

 

Anti-mormon literature

September 30, 2013

So. This week just made me angry. Like, really angry. We had a great week, don`t get me wrong. Taught thirty lessons, seven baptismal challenges. Have some good positive people. 

What got me most angry was what happened to our baptism.

There are some jovenes and their mom that we are teaching. Suyapa, the mom, and her seven kids Luis16 junior 15 oliver 12 Alejandro 10 Ariel 7 Yasir 3 and Anita 1.5. The father has never been there, due to the fact that he lives and works in Tegucigalpa. So we didn`t even think to ask him for permission. We have had the registros bautismales full for the last 2 weeks, and they come to church. They are awesome, and were found by members, so it was super great. We love this family.  And on thursday we went over to review the baptismal interview questions...and Suyapa tells me that the dad found out and forbid it. Well, logic tells me this. 

He comes once every two months to Choluteca to supposedly leave money with his family. but members told us that he really doesn`t make any money to bring them,  .....He said no. So I said I wanted to talk to him. We were at their house the next morning. I bought the minutes and called him on Suyapa`s phone. We talked for 25 minutes...and he got absolutely nowhere. He was definitely reading straight from a book of anti mormon literature. He would ask me things like, "Why do mormons teach that Christ had 7 wives and lots of children and Joseph Smith Jr claimed to be one of those descendants??¨ I told him that that was the first time in 21 years I had ever heard that. He asked why we can't see the plates, and why Joseph Smith didn`t show them to anyone. I told him that we can't see them so we have faith and believe on something we can't see, and 11 other people saw them. He asked why we practice vicarious baptism if it isn`t in the bible. So I explained that God is a just God, and everybody needs to hear the gospel. Then used 1 peter 3 18-20, juan 3 5 and 1 cor. 15:29. quoted them. And he kept asking. I literally answered everything he asked me, and did it from the bible. He asked why Joseph Smith had to use special magic rocks, ....and I told him the urim and thummim appear in the bible. Everything. And I was fine until he asked why I believe in such a book as the Book of Mormon, and how it just talks about joseph smith. I very curtly asked him if he had read the book. The ACTUAL book. He said no. So I told him to read it, and that it would change his life. I bore my testimony to him, and thought maybe I had it. but he still said no. He wants to speak with us the next time he comes to Cholu. hopefully its soon. 

Then we had a super great experience Sunday afternoon!!!!! We have an investigator that is named Noly. She is super great, and actually very interested in everything. She learned this week that the Book of Mormon is true....and knows it. She goes to a church named Cedars of Lebanon, so I left her one scripture....just one. 3 Nephi 27:8. Go find it. She was very taken aback. But she says it made sense. Then we started talking,...and she opened up. She has had a very difficult life. She has been playing mom for her sisters since age 12, has a four year old daughter, and has 24 years. She has sacrificed her own life and goals for her sisters. so she just opened up and started crying. She told us that she had asked for help from her church, to help her feel better...but she felt like they can`t make her feel like we do when we talk to her. And this day was no different. She was definitely impacted by our chat...and has promised to do everything we ask her to do as representatives of Christ. So I am super excited to keep working with her.

Then, we celebrated a birthday, and broke eggs, and everything, but it just went downhill. Today we are eating a TON of ice cream....so stoked. and cake.  Can't wait. 

Everything is good. This week was super freaking hot, but it stormed like NUTS on Saturday. rained like crazy. Crazy crazy rain. This has got to be winter season now. 

But I am loving it here. We are working hard...and doing everything we can to help people down here. I love the ward, and the investigators are awesome. I can`t wait for General Conference, and am looking forward to hearing the prophet's voice. 

And home sounds crazier than ever. I talked with a member this week...she has a very good life, her husband is very successful, and they have two kids. the kids go to a bilingual school, and have the American school schedule. She was telling me about how she doesn`t let her kids to extra curricular stuff because its too much wear and tear for her, and how she wishes they didn`t want to do stuff. OH MY GOODNESS. Thank you, MOM and DAD, for sacrificing everything for us kids. Thanks for always putting us first, and making sure that we are happy before you. Thank you for taking the time to raise us in the gospel, and getting us into good programs, and doing whatever we ever asked you!!!! I love you both so much!!!!!

That is all for this week.

Zach

Making pancakes, Glassett style -  many at a time.

He's not a fan of homemade self rising flour, but he now has the real deal so hopefully his pancakes will taste more like home.

I think this was originally a birthday party because of the flour all over the girl.  Zach hasn't changed too much.  He is still the one who is the most clean. 

Pancakes

September 23, 2013

So, this week was good. Solid new people and good lessons. It wasn`t what we hoped for in some aspects... But it was still good.

As for Carlos and Karla, They are going to the temple the 2nd of November. I almost told them to switch it to the 3rd, but that is a Sunday. And president told me I had permission to go. So I will be going. Super stoked. 

As for everything else, it's great. We have a super pilas lady named Noly that we found this week. She is awesome. She goes to two churches right now, but she really wants to know which church is true. So she came to the chapel for a kids day activity with her 4 year old daughter, and while they were playing, we took her on a tour of the chapel, and it really changed her. Not like oh my gosh, baptize me here is water Phillip said the eunuch, but she said she felt something. She got to the chapel chapel, where we do sacrament, and said she just felt something incredible, something she had never felt before. It was cool to watch her. You could see it- it was a visible. How she was acting, talking, held herself, everything. different. She said that she wasn`t coming to church on Sunday, that she wasn`t planning on it, until she went to that room. I am a full believer in the fact that our buildings are something special. The spirit really does dwell. 

Wendy and Roman are never home, and Roman told the kids around there that we bug them a lot, so we don`t really go by there anymore. It is sort of sad, but they are just choosing to not progress. 

We have two baptisms for this weekend. Two jovenes, Luis and Alejandro. They are so cool. Their family is awesome, and love us. They are of scarce resources....and it is sad. But they love us. And we love them!!! They all came to church. all the kids, anyways. They loved it.

And then we got rained on a lot, and ate a ton. Yesterday we ate with our lunch lady. Normal. Well, then there is a member here who is from guate, but served in ciudad nueva years ago, and married a chick from there. Well, they have two kids, and one of them turned 7 yesterday. So he begged his mom to let us come, they love us. His restaurant is super good and REALLY successful. They are pretty well off. And the food is so GOOD. They have a super spicy sauce, ...almost as bad as the habanero I bit once. Hot. And yesterday it was free with a drink and cake, and candy, and bocaditos, and all the food we wanted.  Then our cook lady made us baleadas....oh my gosh. My body was mad at me. Then this morning we ATE PANCAKES!!!!! Mostly homemade, but they just weren't the same. The homemade self rising flour didn`t work. But its okay. They still tasted BOMB. I would send pictures, but won`t send pictures. But they weren`t the same. 

It has been tranquilo. I will say, though, I am disappointed. UTAH BEAT BYU AND NOT ONE MENTION OF IT IN ANY OF YOUR LETTERS. The MUSS and Crimson Club would be sad and disappointed. I had to learn from another elder. Shame on all you ahahahahahahaha. just kidding. 

Everything is good here. Just waiting for my 2nd to last conference. That means that I am really coming home soon. HAHAHA. 

From the Phantom.

Skeletor Glassett

What a week

Monday, September 16, 2013

 

I had a fairly nuts week. We have found our area super prepared for us, and even with no help from the Elder that stayed, we are seeing miracles.

So at the beginning of the week, we had a FHE with a family that is mostly kids...there are 7 of them. And the mom. she can`t get married because her spouse comes and visits once a month from teguc....nuf said. But her kids want to get baptized. And they were given to us by members. pilas (great) members. Their kid is on a mission in Peru, and they love working with us...something about treating the missionaries like she hopes they treat her son. Needless to say, they always feed us. We have the registros ready for the baptisms, and just need to have them come to church again. 

Then on the mundane side, we got a phone call on Wednesday night that Elder Martinez had a plane ticket for Friday, so he had to be in Teguc on Thursday, and we had to take him. So I spent 3.5 hours going, 1.5 hours in Teguc, and 4.5 hours returning to my area. It was HORRIBLE. Worse than the rides to Teguc from Yuscaran. The bus died coming back...and I just said a little silent prayer...God, if this bus dies, you are going to have one unhappy missionary...so don`t let it die. And it started right up.  Such a good result. God really does answer prayers. haha.

and then for two really spiritual experiences....

The first one was with a lady named Ada. She is a married lady that has her and her kids baptized, but her husband is not a member and won`t get baptized. We went to visit her to ask her to help with an investigator...and longer story made less long...she ended sort of spilling to us a lot of stuff that was going on. I could tell that she was going through a really tough time....and then she asked for blessing. I honestly didn`t know what I was going to say, and was just waiting for the spirit to kick in. From what I can remember, it was a super specific blessing. And it was sort of personal for her....when I finished she was crying. The spirit was super strong. I shared with her the story of Carlos and Karla, because she is going through like the same thing. I hope it helped her.

The second one was from yesterday. We were teaching a lesson to two jovenes (youth) that had fecha for this weekend. One of them at least, Wendy, 13. She and her brother go to a baptist church, and they didn`t come to our church yesterday because their pastor came and got them. so it was super like...do or die. So I laid everything out on the table for them. I felt like I was literally having words put in my mouth. And then we tried something I started using in my last area...where they pray to see if its true, and then we just all be silent for like a minute. So she asked if she could say it silently, so I just told her to say amen out loud. She did. And then she started just biting her lip, and looked kind of funny. So I asked her if she could describe what she was feeling. And she broke down sobbing and said that she couldn`t. She just kept sobbing...and had just put make up on, so then she wouldn`t look at me afterwards. But I asked her if she knew it was true, and she said yes. Then I asked her about baptism and she said she was too young. haha. One thing at a time, then. 

But I started thinking about as she had broken down sobbing. It made me think of all the times that I had felt that spirit, and how I had reacted. I cry very rarely now, and I think that it comes from being used to having this kind of spirit with me. It was SO STRONG yesterday in that lesson. I could totally feel it. But how strange it must be for her to be feeling that. She literally couldn`t describe it with words. I am so grateful that the Lord comes through when you need him most. I know that the spirit touches lives. And with force. 

That is sort of all that happened this week. We are working hard, and trying our best to do our best. I can barely wrap my head around 9 more months. Seems like just yesterday I was starting this whole shebang....but whatevs.

I love you all!!!

Zach

So changes. .... at last

Note:  Let me preface this with two things.  He is so happy to be back "home."  He is in the area which he told me last year at this time, was the beginning of his two year camping trip.  Not because it isn't a great area, but because it is pretty much dusty road and camping conditions.   Also, he is almost giddy in this letter and he wrote a few things that don't make sense to me.  I asked him to clarify but he was still so giddy that he didn't help me at all.

Family....

I came home. I am BACK in Choluteca!!!!

I am in Limon B, which is part of Ciudad Nueva, and is in the same stake as Los Llanos, where I started, and I went to a conference last night and saw Everybody!!!! I was so happy!!!! It was fantastic!!!!!!

I am also training again, and I am a DL still, so it's always busy. I am in a trio, and the other elder is a Honduran waiting to go to Mexico. And he is leaving this week, which is great, I can stop sharing a bed. 

I love my area.

I love my area. 

I love my area.

I had a lady tell us,....."Hey, this is my neighbor. This is where she lives. Go teach her.¨  Wow....so much time since I heard that last. Our attendance was over 200 this Sunday. I just bore my testimony at the request of the ward. No talk, no leading, no receiving tithing, no teaching classes, no audit....breath of fresh air!!!!!

Knowing that, I was told today that Yuscaran had two members at church yesterday.

My new comp is Elder Smith. He is from Lehi, and played soccer....he beat Cody 7-0, and took state. He is cool beans. He speaks Spanish pretty well.  I had forgotten how working with someone who speaks Spanish is...it's actually great. 

My zone is chill. Elder Clawson is my ZL...and I was his in this MTC. There is an elder who was on the BYU football team. Pau´u. Big Tongan. And it's chill. We played dodgeball this morning for pday. So great. My house is the house where my first Zone leaders lived....and I am in the chapel where we had District meeting and pday for my first four changes. So I am right at home. 

I also know that the US national team lost. So I have been saying I am Canadian. Nobody believes me. Probably because I told them all I am from the states first. But oh well. We will win against Mexico. it's all good. 

And the members already love me. I don`t think they know I love them more. But I am definitely aprovecharing (mix of English and Spanish here and we think he means he is totally loving having member help)  having members. It's great. I think that is many times that I have said that...but I can`t stop!!! It's amazing!!!!

Mas has super games always....super. mas, its super. sorry, drives me nuts.

And mom...I am skinny because I spent 7 months in an area where members voluntarily fed me twice. And because I am walking like crazy. And I will stay this skinny....

Dad, tell Abuela and Tia Lenna I got their stuff.

and Cody and Erin, I hope Homecoming was fun...I am sure it was. Good job in volleyball erin, and congrats on the commercial Cody! That should be good stuff.

I really have nothing else to write. I love my area. 

Here are some pictures with me and my child, and President and Hermana Hernandez. good stuff. 

I caught you a delicious bass....  (Note:  Napoleon Dynamite reference.)

Elder Glassett

 

 

Almost there ..... wow.

Monday, September 2, 2013

So, this is super weird, considering that this is my last email to be sent from Yuscaran. I am pretty positive that I am out this change. My saludos to this area, but I am sort of anxious to see somewhere new.

I had a super good week. I worked my freaking BUTT OFF. We killed it. Needless to say we have no new or progressing investigators, but we taught a buttload. I honestly have never worked and tried so hard in a while. But it will pay off. For somebody else that is not me. but it is okay. ningun esfuerzo es en vano. I have killed my kid, too, I think. He has been so dead, and had so many headaches from speaking Spanish. But its a good thing.

One spiritual experience from the week was a lesson we taught on Friday night. We are teaching a less active couple of girls who are the little sisters of an old branch president from this area. We studied about the whole receiving answers through prayer earlier in the day, and had been trying to apply it all day with little success. Well, we were teaching about the Book of Mormon, and she had read it, but hadn´t prayed about it. So I asked her to pray about it to know right then....and she was very hesitant. (For those of you who have seen the district, it comes right from there.) So I offered to offer a prayer first, and then she would offer another prayer to be able to know if its true or not. She did. And then I asked for silence for a minute so that she could think. When she got done, she started talking about all the doubts she still had. Well, I sort of rudely interrupted her and asked her to just be silent, and focus on what she felt, not what she thought. And she felt something incredible. She believes the Book of Mormon is true, or at least wants to believe it. And we have a cita with her tonight to go back and teach some more. Probably lesson two. But the spirit was so strong, and me and Benning taught the best lesson we have had together. Which is saying a lot. I absolutely loved it. I have a good feeling about them.

And the pictures that I sent this week are from what we do in the branch on Sundays, and then a photo we took of the branch presidency. We modeled it after the first presidency. I am sending some other ones too, but in a different carta.

I love you all, and thanks for writing me!!! I hope you had a bomb time in Payson this last weekend, fam, and I look forward to joining you next year.

Love 

Zach

 

A birthday party at the branch.  They broke and egg and dumped flour on her head.

"Pato" (the duck) and "taller"

The Zone

Zach calls himself "taller" so his description of this photo is "taller de zona"

Zach's post mission list of things to do which include:  meet Oprah, read all of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, build his own house and wear a suit everyday for a year.  Before I understood the list I told him he could cross off wear a suit everyday for a year.  His reply was, "It can be any kind of suit....birthday suit, swim suit, sunday suit, space suit."

Branch Presidency photo taken in the same manner as the First Presidency Photo.  I guess that makes Zach the first counselor.  Yep, I think he is thinner too!!

What they do on Sundays in Yuscaran.  LtoR read the lesson manual, count tithing, study the handbook and study the scriptures.