Week of Meetings

Monday, January 20, 2014

So this week was super long. And stressful. But it turned out being a decent week in the long run.

Last Tuesday we had Consejo de lideres de la mision....its a monthly thing for all the zls and hermana training Leaders to get instruction from Pres and the aps. But this time we had Elder Laboriel, the area 70, there and he instructed us very well. It started with an examination to see if every Elder had their scriptures. Bible and Ttriple. And then he quizzed us on the 13 articles of faith. I had to recite the 7th one, ...I mostly knew it. Gifts of the Spirit. And he talked about the importance of being leaders, and leadership traits, and used the story of Ammon to do it. It was super good. But it took a long time, with all the instructions given by Pres, the hermana, and the aps, plus a super in depth verification of the baptismal dates and stuff. But it was good. Lasted from like 8 in the morning till like 5 ish at night. Then they told us there that our zone had interviews the next day, and president likes to do them in Elders' houses. So we cleaned our house a little bit, and the next day at 9 we were with president and we went from house to house. His wife would share a message, and then he would do the interviews. It took quite a while. And then he also took us to lunch, which was nice of him. But it took literally all day, and he couldn´t even finish with ours because he had to go back to the mission home to let some people in who were leaving the next day. So that was till like 7 at night, and my comp was dying sick. So we just went to go eat.

Thursday we had to teach all the elders in our zone what we learned from consejo, and the messages that were shared. I found a quote in consejo, btw, that I loved. Strength grows in proportion to the load. Think about it. 

Then Friday, a member took us to a local market, and we bought fresh fish, and clams, and then his mom made us food!!! I ATE A TWO POUND FISH. it was delish. I don´t have pics....but soon. Very soon. 

Then on Saturday was our baptism, which was awesome!! There was no light in the church, but that is whatevs, it still worked out. Then on Sunday we confirmed her, and everything went swimmingly...hahaha. baptism joke. 

Part of what we learned on Tuesday was the importance of the articles of faith. elder Laboriel told us that we all needed to have them memorized, so I learned them on Saturday morning. all 13. In Spanish, not in English. my brain not working well in English. alñskjfalskfoasidfa. Anyways....

I love you all!!!!

Zach

 

There really are missionaries taller than Zach!

 

Treat insomnia and tiredness at the same time. .....

Monday, January 13, 2014

So the subject is a thing I heard on a bus today. That you can buy a pill that can treat insomnia and tiredness at the same time. . . riddle me that. I don´t get it.

So this week has been interesting. We have been making progress with our baptism for this weekend, Concepcion. She was saying a prayer, and she expressed in her prayer that she believes that it's all true....Book of Mormon, church, all of it. It was one of the greatest prayers I have ever heard. She is always super sincere, and I have truly seen how the gospel has made a change in her life. She has been prepared to be able to accept this gospel. She was literally a golden investigator. I have truly enjoyed being able to teach her, I have learned so much from my time spent with her.

Also, we went out with an ex missionary that served in Guatemala. Carlos Lagos. He is cool beans. He lets us use his computer to write. He helped us to get into some houses,....one of which was a bad idea.

Snakes. (dad is maybe slightly chuckling right now.) ,

A girl. 19. And we thought the interest was in the gospel....hahaha NOT. We left folletos with our phone number, and she made no delay to call us and tell us that she wanted us to come to her house, which is outside of our area. In a different stake. She also asked if I was going to be at church with my wife....that is when the red flag went off in my head....I explained that we cant have girlfriends or wives, that it is not allowed....she didn´t quite get it. She told me that sucks, because I was super guapo, and that she wanted us to teach her. At that precise moment the phone dropped the call. She had originally called to reset our appointment, so I called back to see when we could talk to her aunt....and she told me not to be mad. I told her that I wasn´t mad, and she told me that I was, and that I hung up because she was making me fall in love with her, and that I got mad. Okay, she just gave herself a little too much credit there.... So I stopped caring, and the phone cut off again.  She called back and told us not to come over, and to come over a different day.....and she asked if I thought she was bonita. ( at this point I was praying for the call to drop again.) But it didn´t drop, so I just acted like I didn´t hear the question, and asked when we could talk to her aunt. I heard in the background somebody talking about how she was making me nervous, and to lay off a little bit. Then I said see ya and hung up. Bad news bears. The sad part was that her aunt was super pilas, or at least seemed it, but now I doubt. So I don´t think I will be going back to that house. Ever. In a trillion years. With a ten foot pole.....

Apart from that, my week was fine. We had changes, and saw some of my buds in the mission. Good stuff. I also got my temple recommend renewed, (two years already????) and we have consejo de lideres mañana, which should be good. The area 70 will be there.

I also got a package from Aunt Jean! Talk about surprises....that was not waited for. She sent some Christmas stuff, which was super nice of her. Pancake mix, Lehi roller mills stuff. Yeah buddy I am going to write her back to thank her.

ALSO.. I was at changes, and moving stuff out of my packpack and my camera fell out, in its case. It broke. I got it looked at, and they told me it would be cheaper to buy a new one, so I think I am going to. At the costco here, it shouldn´t cost more than 1600 limps...so that should be in the next two ish weeks. I am going to use my home card....so please make sure that there is a little bit on there. Thanks guys....

I don´t really have much to tell this week. The pic is me in my reggae boys t shirt. It's a xxl. it's giant. I love it. And nobody told me what the reggae boyz was...I am still waiting. Trivia on. 

And dad....the lord is preparing you for big things. Just wait and see. You could be in the nursury again!!!!! que divertido seria estar alli, va? con los chiquititos, y el vomito, y diarrhea, y toda la onda!!!! (Translation:  Something about poop and throw up.)   Mom....funny how the lord is always in our lives. And Erin....good luck. I never thought my sister would go dress shopping.  But oh well. It's fine. 

Well....that is sort of it. 

I love you all.

Zach

Seriously, forgot how blue his eyes are!  Love you Zach!  It appears he sleeps on a bunk bed.  How does that work for your 6'4" body?

Zach:  "I found a reggae boyz shirt.  Family, and soccer buddies, test your soccer knowledge. Reggae boyz. Hint is AW 77. Without using google....if you can. Winner gets the present of me coming home in June....."

Christmas y ana neuvo

Monday, December 30, 2013

So, this week was good. Way too many dinner citas, and eating way too much food. I am kinda sick of being full all the time. But hey, who am I to complain?

We had two interesting experiences this week. One was super hard for me to deal with...

Which was our investigator, Conepcion, was very open with us, and really let us into her world and her life. she came to the ward Christmas party, and we had a good chat about the articles of faith. Then the next day, Saturday, we went to her house, and she showed us her `reality,` as she called it. She has been retired for many years, and has lived well off her pension from being a teacher, but she told us that her pension and retirement fund have been canceled by the government. It has left her with literally nothing. Her house is hers, and she doesn`t make payments, but she has no money. Nothing. She hasn`t told her daughters because she doesn`t want them to worry, but she told us all this with tears streaming down her face. I knew at that moment that she was talking with us because it is her time to be baptized, and so we talked about that a little bit. We are doing some service, some secret santa stuff for her, tonight, so that should go well. But it was so hard for me to watch her literally break down in front of our eyes....

The second one was that I found a church history book in my house, and I have been reading it. The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the fulness of times, but it's in Spanish. It literally starts with Joseph Smith`s family history and goes until like right after Erying got called an apostle. Like 1300 pages. In reading it, I have been able to see how Truly, there was no way that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints would have survived if it wouldn`t have been, truly, the church of God, like it is. The events, the way things happened too perfectly, the protection and the Divine guidance. Everything that has happened in the history of the `Mormon` church is a testimony that It really is Christ's church, and that Christ lives. I have loved reading it, and have come to truly appreciate the sacrifice and the work of those first saints, Especially the Prophet Joseph. I testify that really, truly, Christ restored his church through a modern day prophet, and that it truly is His Church!!! I am so touched that God trusts in me to preach His eternal truths to His beloved children, and to bring them the salvation that they need so much!!!

I love you all!!!!!

Zach

Christmas

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sothiswillbeafairlyshortletter.iwillbewritingwithoutspacestomakeitsmaller.also, I am kidding.

Sooorry, as the canadians say, but this letter will be short, due to the fact that I get to see your beautiful gringo faces on Wednesday!!! But that being said, as I write I am trying the other computers to see if they send pictures, cuz this one doesn't. 

And freaking you people in Scotland!!! Gosh darn lucky people. 

Don`t die on the wrong side of the road.

And enjoy of the snow. 

Well, we can pretty much talk on Wed. I am going to try to get on in the morningish hours, like 9 or 10 ish here. So do the math...I don`t know what that is there. No clue. Probably like 4 or 5, I would imagine. But yeah. We will be skyping from a member's house. So it should be good. They have wifi. 

Pics...me and beesley...and it wouldn`t be christmas without butter cookies and mate, or butter cookies and eggnog. And there in the background is my tree, with my 6 ornaments and the fake snow that Mikelle sent on it. 

That is pretty much it. I did give a talk on Sunday. Sounded like people kinda liked it. It was on mercy. I had like a week to prepare, which is really long notice here. So I had time to actually prepare. I think it went well. 

Alright. That is pretty much it. I will send some more photos, mom....

Love you all!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

love

Zach

Zach and Elder Beesley.

Real Christmas.  Butter cookies and egg nog.

 

ALMOST CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 16, 2013

So, its almost Christmas. Fun stuff. Honduras doesn`t change, so it doesn`t feel like Christmas, but there is a little calender that I have that says it is. Can`t believe my last one in the mission is going to pass soon, but wow....five more months until mothers day.

This week was okay. Sort of uneventful. We had our Christmas party, and I played a piano number with Vellver, it was really cool. An hermana sang to it, and did super good. Was pretty fun. We got to play some soccer, and ate some turkey and potatoes, so it was worth it. Also, we lost a lot of time waiting in the office the next day, which wasn`t fun.

We are in the hunt for new investigators, that family we found isn`t really progressing. We had four baptisms and a marriage this last weekend, so all of out investigators aren`t investigators anymore. I don`t have pictures, but Lars will be home, and he has them, so get them from him. Plus, I have no way to send pictures on these computers. So next week I will send what I have.

Honestly, our week was pretty slow, and sort of boring, just doing stuff for the baptisms, interviews and whatnot. I did meet Manuel Flores, an RM from my ward here who was a translator for your trip, Mom and Dad. He says he got to talk to both of you. Served in Idaho. Speaks super good English. Said that Davìd Gonzalez will be moving to Salt Lake soon, he got a job with the church there, so he will be moving. Sad day. I have not seen Luis Rubio, I haven`t had a chance. I haven`t had time to really go and do that stuff.

Ovesons are good. Baggy (which is just thinking of home.) Lars doesn`t sleep much anymore. Super nervous. Oh well. And Stephen is super sick poor guy. Ear infection, cough, everything. Sucks to be him right now.

I also saw Beesley for the last time on my mission. I will miss that guy alot. Love him to DEATH. Sad day...but he needs to go home. It's time. Same with Lars. It's about time.

Me and Lars were talking about the time we were in mission prep together, and Brother ________ was teaching it...he remembered the time when Brother _______ was telling me that I had to take it for another semester because I wasn`t ready yet, and Lars told me, ``you pretty much smirked and like, `well, that should be difficult, becuase I am going to college, so...whatevs'``.  We were both laughing. It's amazing to think how much I have changed since then. 

 

Good to hear all are well. Just gear up for the cold!!! Enjoy it for me.

I bought butter cookies and eggnog last week, and I had to pour the eggnog into a cup and mix it with milk because I heard mom's voice tell me too...to make it last longer and more value for my money!! I will be enjoying those butter cookies with mate soon, pops.

I love you all!!!! until next week!!!!

lñiasfioparoaroawjer waoerjiwar

I am so excited to talk to you peeps I can`t even type!!!!

Love

Zach

Another week gone ................

Monday, December, 9, 2013

So this week was pretty good. Long, but very short, if that makes any sense. Being with the Ovesons is pretty ridiculous. Stephen practically can`t walk anymore, and so that makes it hard for them to work. But they are somehow still managing to baptize five people in between last weekend and this coming weekend. And a family.  Which is fine. 

We spent last week working. Wednesday we had to go to Consejo (council), it’s for the mission leaders and stuff. It was relatively short in comparison to what I had heard in the past. Which is fine. They gave us food and stuff, so it wasn’t bad. The mission hasn`t been baptizing well lately, but we are slowly picking back up. 

We found a new family this week, Juan and Ana. They are pretty cool. References from the ward mission leader. 18 months, and this is the first real ward mission leader I have had in my whole mission.  He leaves with us two to three nights a week to be able to help us, and is super cool. He has a little van, and he uses it to pick people up for church for us. super pilas.  Up here in the city, there is much more order. People here are a little bit more centered, and the leaders here are a lot better about their jobs. They actually do stuff. 

I am also experiencing a little bit of what it is to be a parent. When you are a zl, people in your zone come to you with all their problems. And when I say problems, I mean with whatever they deem is the slightest incommodity to them. Most of the time it really isn`t necessary, but they make it our problem. I am also learning that you can`t give people whatever they want, because then they walk all over you. Which isn`t good either.   

But for the funny and spiritual side of this week. 

Saturday the elders had a baptism planned with una hermana, Maricruz.  She has been an investigator for 8 years, but has never been able to get baptized because her husband never wanted to get married.  Her children, daughters, are members, and she has been coming to church for all this time. Well, her husband is also just a stubborn man, and wouldn`t get married unless he could do it in his own house. This is the first time he had considered getting married. He also changed the date last second, and poor Oveson had to run around like a crazy man. But they got it all done, so we took the lawyer- ummm other story.  ….. Then on Saturday, for the baptism, the bishop told us that he would fill up the font for us and set up the chairs. super nice of him. Well, he got back and told us that he didn`t have time to set up the chairs, so just the font got filled. So we went over to the church.

And oh, was the font filled.

He left the water on!!! There was 3 inches of water in some parts of the chapel. So it was 230 and the baptism was scheduled for 4. So off came the shoes, socks, and tie, and on with the brooms and mops!!! We spent a solid two hours, my comp and I, getting water out of the meetinghouse. It had filled most of the hallways and some of the classrooms and the chapel. Quite the chore. There was nothing we could do other than laugh about it. 

Then was the baptismal service. I gave the message on the holy ghost....which was interesting. I talked right to her, and tried to really help her understand, even though she has been coming to church for 8 years. Well, partway through, I felt the incredibly strong urge to promise her that if she was faithful, her husband would soon follow. I didn`t want to say it, but the words forced themselves out of my mouth. The last time I felt that strongly about promising somebody something was the man who afterwards committed suicide.  So yeah. It came out, and then the bishop also said it in the confirmation. So I feel like it will come true. Just sometimes we have to have a little bit of faith in the Lord that he will fulfill the promises that he makes through his servants. 

I had a decent birthday.  Nothing special.  Thanks for the gifts and all, I loved them!! It sucks that real lost though.

Well, that’s pretty much it for this week. I got nothing else. 

16 DAYS TILL I CAN TALK TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love 

Zach

Changes .............

Monday, December 2, 2013

Well, shoot, I got changed.

Sucks.

I am in the city in zona Tegucigalpa with Elder Fielding, from Idaho Falls. I am in La Reforma....and zl. but I have learned that means nothing.

Also, I am with..........

.drum roll..................

OVESON.

and Stephen.. 

 

(Editor's note.  Oveson is an Elder whose is from our Stake.  He and Zach met in the mission.  Stephen is Oveson's brother, who attends the ysa ward where Nelson serves.  Stephen got permission to spend the last month of his brother's mission with him.  He was kind enough to take Zach's bday and Christmas to him.  Who knew they would spend a month together.  I think Oveson and Zach are the tallest kids in the mission at 6'5" and 6'4".  Go giant elders!)

So yes, I got the backpack. We are in a foursome right now, so its super interesting. But I get to hang with Lars and Steve for 3 weeks, so its super fun. Our house is freaking tiny. Like, literally the size of my room at home. Maybe smaller. But like, without the closet, and the bathroom is smaller too. It's really crammed with four of us in there. More like an apartment than a house. But the ward is good. We get dinner every night, and lunch like some days of the week. So it's not bad. Its freaking FREEZING right now, though. I came from Cholu, which was like 95 daily. And here, its like in the 50`s. Everything is cold. And our hot water heater only works a little because the water is SO COLD that it can`t heat it up any more. So its like living in 50 degrees and showering with Camp Frontier Uintah water. Cold, to say the least. But doable. I bought a HUGE hammock, and can put it up on our roof, so it's chill. I spend some time there every day. It's super relaxing.

As for my last comp, Smith is training. So that is cool beans. Also, we made steak and potatoes last tuesday with a legit salad and ranch dressing. And welch`s sparkling soda. I would send pics, but there is nowhere to connect my camera or insert the card. So some other time. Also, I sat next to Justin all bus ride to Teguc, which was a ton of fun. We talked about old memories, and whatnot. about his ``bull`` cut. haha. bowl cut. and also, I am cold.

We have spent the weekend trying to get to know the new area and ward. Seem pretty pilas, and the food is good. We have some positives for this month, so it should go well.

I know there is nothing really interesting, but it's been a short week. I can`t play with fireworks or my slingshot anymore, so that's sad. And there is member in my area who got shot a few months ago, so he has some dope scars. And we are teaching a ------. But nothing really progessing there. He is nuts and his wife is full of apostasy, and they are really close minded. And the ----------------- never stops talking, which is kind of a problem.

That is pretty much it. Not much else to say.

Hope all are well....

Zach