Hola hola hola todo!
My responses to yáll with be a bit brief, bc I want to finally tell you about my investigators. haha. Maybe I´ll talk about them first so I can be sure to get it in.
Familia Sandres: We had had a really bad day on Wednesday and were stopping by our house really quick in the tarde-noche to switch out stuff in our mochilas (which are so hugeand heavy hahah). We had just lost practically all of our investigators all at once. We even had one woman tell us with not-very-nice insinuations never to return. We had also found several people with very tragic stories and we were feeling a bit of the weight of the world. Anyway, we knelt to pray before we left and asked to find the people we needed to teach and the people who would be prepared to hear the word. We´ve already fasted for this twice, so we were really praying hard. Anyway, we got up, walked out the front door (getting mauled with slobber and nose marks from the woof woofs) and started to cross the street. We were about to enter an avenue when we looked up and saw a man sitting on his front steps with his head lowered and his hands clasped in front of him like he was praying. Even though he´s our neighbor, we´ve never seen him before, so it was strange. My comp made a beeline and said BUENAS! (did I tell you, youdont knock doors, you BUENAS doors... you stand at the gate and shout as loud as you can BUENAS!) He lifted his head up, looked at us and said pasen, meaning come in-come here. We stepped inside the gate and he disappeared. We were naturally nervous, but he returned only a moment later; he had gone to put on a shirt. We sat on his steps and talked to him, and a few minutes later, he called out his wife and she came and listened, and a few minutes later she called out her mother, who came and listened. We taught the plan of salvation, and everything we said was met with "claro" (of course!) or "tiene razon" (you have reason). They believed everything we were teaching, and when we discussed the Lord´s earthly ministry (as part of explaining the atonement), we explained the need to be baptized by someone with the proper authority and they stopped us midsentence to say that they didn´t think they´d been baptized witht he proper authority because they hadn´t felt anything at their baptisms and the men who baptized them were just men, not men with the authority to baptize. Naturally we liked this, cause we happen to know a plethura of men who have the authority. The mother then stated that she had never been baptized (with the exception of infant baptism, which she clearly didn´t count) because she was waiting to find the right churhc with the right authority. Checkaroo. We talked about this and invited them to be baptized once they found the truth of our message for themselves. We then continued talking and they interrupted us again to say "You know, we´ve been thinking of getting married (they´re just "together")... I think we´ll definitley do it now". Checkaroo. We continued and they interrupted us again to ask us what time our church was, becasue they were coming. Haha. Essentiallyy they invited themselved to attend churhc, get married, and be baptized. Macizo. That´s golden right there. At the end of our lesson, they told us that they believed everything we said and that there was something different about us, that they had talked to bastante other religious missionaries before, but they had never felt the way they felt with us.
We came back with priesthood holders to give them a blessing (the mom had just had a toe amputated and the husband had a problem with his shoulder, and the wife was pregnant for the first time). By the next day the husband was practically completely better and the mom was up around and walking. They told us they were being healed because of their faith. We agreed.
We went back the next night to take them to English class (did I tell you, I´m teaching an English class). They came, met members, and loved it. Friday we went back to teach them the Restoration and they interrupted us to say, "It doesn´t make sense to us that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one person... we think they´re three people." We told them we agreed wholeheartedly. They then told us that, of course Joseph Smith was a prophet and of course we don´t worship him. Check. They then asked us if we had a Book of Mormon and if they could read it (they had heard about it from someone). We said of course and handed over two with the assignement to read the introduction. We saw them on Saturday and they asked us if they could please read more. We said of course. haha. Yesterday the mom and daughter went to church for the first time, and when we asked them how they liked it, they said they loved it. Then the mom (she has maybe 50 or 60 years) looked at us and said, "I´m going to be baptized in your church, ok?" Ummm ok. (!!!!!) "It´s my first baptism! I´ve never wanted to be baptized, but I know this is right."
God absolutley prepared them and put them in our path. The husband, who we saw on the porch that first night, had been asleep for the entire day and had only come outside not even five minutes before, just becaseu he felt like he should go sit on the front porch. Just think, there are people just waiting to hear the gospel, and God has prepared them to hear and to believe. The amazing thing is sometimes they´re right in front of us (in this case, literally).
Idon´t have time for Familia Rauda, but let me leave a brief one about the husband. He asks so many questions and genenrally believes the exact same things as us. However, he always wants proof of what we say, especially from the bible. Someday he´s going to be a general authority, just you wait. Anyway, as a testimony of how great he is going to be in the church: we were teaching and we were coming to a high point in the lesson. The spirit was so strong and he was beginning a serious and question that had great spiritual significanc. Suddenly the chickens all started squaking, the rooster s all started crowing, the cat strted yowling, the wind picked up, someone started pounding a nail peg into a cement house, his neighbor started chopping down a palm tree, the dog barked, and his wife started yelling to him from the house as his daughter started crying in the street. As very real as the Holy Spirit is, the adversary is just as real and active, and sometimes he tells us how great a work we´re doing by how hard he opposes us. Be careful when you embark on a road to spirituality or to bettering yourself, becasuefor every good action, he will try to tear you down to the ground. Don´t you dare let it happen. Don´t you dare. When you feel opposition for something good that you´re doing, count it as a testimony of how great you can become.
Now. Funny things about Honduras. If you try to have manners, they will mock and scorn you. They will look at you trying to cut your meat with a knife and say, "pick it up and eat it like a catracha!" If you´re hands aren´t messy by the end of the meal, you did it wrong. If you didn´t eat at least a little bit of bone and cartilage from gnawingon the bone so much, you did it wrong. That´s not to say that we eat a plethura of meat, but when we do, we do it right. Also, this week I ate my first full fish. It had teeth and spines, and it´s eyeballs looked at me while I tried to get the head meat. It was delicious.
Now very breifly because I took way too long. (sorry).
Popadoodle, I´m gladeverything is going well with you and that yougot to go t the temple. Sounds bien macizo. We definitely don´t fertilize in Honduras, unless you count all the poo in the dirt roads. Good for da Bodda.Hope the birthday party goes smashingly well. no chnges in the mission til June.Ill pet the doggies for you. They like to jump on me and slime me every time they see me, so I don´t think that´ll be too hard. haha. I have nose marks on all of my faldas. haha. Lov eyou lots!
Eileen,
Sounds like things are fun but busy. Did you know that a lot of the temple presidents here are from the US? Theyré called almost like missionaries to serve as templepresident in Latin America. Apparently it´s pretty common. I didni´t know taht. I´m excited for Nigil and for Evan´s baptism. He just took one of the greatest steps of his life ( that applies to both of them, but it was intended for Evan haha). Power going out, that doesn´t sound fun. Thanks for the quotes. D and C 88 is perhaps my favortie section of modern revelation. Love it. So much. Anyway, I hope you´re doing well. Love you Lots!
Mums,
Samoans are rather large, I´ll admit. haha Great thoughts youvé got there from the temple. It´s such an important and beautfful place. I´m glad the class is going well and I like that quote from sister Hinckley. She´s a very wise woman. As far as the Whitings go, I think you know where I stand with them. Celestial kingdom on earth, right there. They´re are indeed two very fine people. I hope they realize I´m counting on them as family in the eternities. haha Soudslike a lot fo things were broken, but sounds like life is staying fun. I´m glad your trees are alive and well, good metaphor. I´ve gotta go now, but remind me to send pics of the castle-fortress I visited today. Apparently Honduras has been around for awhile... it´s almost like it was semi-conquered by Spain or something. Weird. haha Anyway. Love you!!
Lovesies hugsies and all of that! Staystrong!
Hna. Bay
My responses to yáll with be a bit brief, bc I want to finally tell you about my investigators. haha. Maybe I´ll talk about them first so I can be sure to get it in.
Familia Sandres: We had had a really bad day on Wednesday and were stopping by our house really quick in the tarde-noche to switch out stuff in our mochilas (which are so hugeand heavy hahah). We had just lost practically all of our investigators all at once. We even had one woman tell us with not-very-nice insinuations never to return. We had also found several people with very tragic stories and we were feeling a bit of the weight of the world. Anyway, we knelt to pray before we left and asked to find the people we needed to teach and the people who would be prepared to hear the word. We´ve already fasted for this twice, so we were really praying hard. Anyway, we got up, walked out the front door (getting mauled with slobber and nose marks from the woof woofs) and started to cross the street. We were about to enter an avenue when we looked up and saw a man sitting on his front steps with his head lowered and his hands clasped in front of him like he was praying. Even though he´s our neighbor, we´ve never seen him before, so it was strange. My comp made a beeline and said BUENAS! (did I tell you, youdont knock doors, you BUENAS doors... you stand at the gate and shout as loud as you can BUENAS!) He lifted his head up, looked at us and said pasen, meaning come in-come here. We stepped inside the gate and he disappeared. We were naturally nervous, but he returned only a moment later; he had gone to put on a shirt. We sat on his steps and talked to him, and a few minutes later, he called out his wife and she came and listened, and a few minutes later she called out her mother, who came and listened. We taught the plan of salvation, and everything we said was met with "claro" (of course!) or "tiene razon" (you have reason). They believed everything we were teaching, and when we discussed the Lord´s earthly ministry (as part of explaining the atonement), we explained the need to be baptized by someone with the proper authority and they stopped us midsentence to say that they didn´t think they´d been baptized witht he proper authority because they hadn´t felt anything at their baptisms and the men who baptized them were just men, not men with the authority to baptize. Naturally we liked this, cause we happen to know a plethura of men who have the authority. The mother then stated that she had never been baptized (with the exception of infant baptism, which she clearly didn´t count) because she was waiting to find the right churhc with the right authority. Checkaroo. We talked about this and invited them to be baptized once they found the truth of our message for themselves. We then continued talking and they interrupted us again to say "You know, we´ve been thinking of getting married (they´re just "together")... I think we´ll definitley do it now". Checkaroo. We continued and they interrupted us again to ask us what time our church was, becasue they were coming. Haha. Essentiallyy they invited themselved to attend churhc, get married, and be baptized. Macizo. That´s golden right there. At the end of our lesson, they told us that they believed everything we said and that there was something different about us, that they had talked to bastante other religious missionaries before, but they had never felt the way they felt with us.
We came back with priesthood holders to give them a blessing (the mom had just had a toe amputated and the husband had a problem with his shoulder, and the wife was pregnant for the first time). By the next day the husband was practically completely better and the mom was up around and walking. They told us they were being healed because of their faith. We agreed.
We went back the next night to take them to English class (did I tell you, I´m teaching an English class). They came, met members, and loved it. Friday we went back to teach them the Restoration and they interrupted us to say, "It doesn´t make sense to us that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one person... we think they´re three people." We told them we agreed wholeheartedly. They then told us that, of course Joseph Smith was a prophet and of course we don´t worship him. Check. They then asked us if we had a Book of Mormon and if they could read it (they had heard about it from someone). We said of course and handed over two with the assignement to read the introduction. We saw them on Saturday and they asked us if they could please read more. We said of course. haha. Yesterday the mom and daughter went to church for the first time, and when we asked them how they liked it, they said they loved it. Then the mom (she has maybe 50 or 60 years) looked at us and said, "I´m going to be baptized in your church, ok?" Ummm ok. (!!!!!) "It´s my first baptism! I´ve never wanted to be baptized, but I know this is right."
God absolutley prepared them and put them in our path. The husband, who we saw on the porch that first night, had been asleep for the entire day and had only come outside not even five minutes before, just becaseu he felt like he should go sit on the front porch. Just think, there are people just waiting to hear the gospel, and God has prepared them to hear and to believe. The amazing thing is sometimes they´re right in front of us (in this case, literally).
Idon´t have time for Familia Rauda, but let me leave a brief one about the husband. He asks so many questions and genenrally believes the exact same things as us. However, he always wants proof of what we say, especially from the bible. Someday he´s going to be a general authority, just you wait. Anyway, as a testimony of how great he is going to be in the church: we were teaching and we were coming to a high point in the lesson. The spirit was so strong and he was beginning a serious and question that had great spiritual significanc. Suddenly the chickens all started squaking, the rooster s all started crowing, the cat strted yowling, the wind picked up, someone started pounding a nail peg into a cement house, his neighbor started chopping down a palm tree, the dog barked, and his wife started yelling to him from the house as his daughter started crying in the street. As very real as the Holy Spirit is, the adversary is just as real and active, and sometimes he tells us how great a work we´re doing by how hard he opposes us. Be careful when you embark on a road to spirituality or to bettering yourself, becasuefor every good action, he will try to tear you down to the ground. Don´t you dare let it happen. Don´t you dare. When you feel opposition for something good that you´re doing, count it as a testimony of how great you can become.
Now. Funny things about Honduras. If you try to have manners, they will mock and scorn you. They will look at you trying to cut your meat with a knife and say, "pick it up and eat it like a catracha!" If you´re hands aren´t messy by the end of the meal, you did it wrong. If you didn´t eat at least a little bit of bone and cartilage from gnawingon the bone so much, you did it wrong. That´s not to say that we eat a plethura of meat, but when we do, we do it right. Also, this week I ate my first full fish. It had teeth and spines, and it´s eyeballs looked at me while I tried to get the head meat. It was delicious.
Now very breifly because I took way too long. (sorry).
Popadoodle, I´m gladeverything is going well with you and that yougot to go t the temple. Sounds bien macizo. We definitely don´t fertilize in Honduras, unless you count all the poo in the dirt roads. Good for da Bodda.Hope the birthday party goes smashingly well. no chnges in the mission til June.Ill pet the doggies for you. They like to jump on me and slime me every time they see me, so I don´t think that´ll be too hard. haha. I have nose marks on all of my faldas. haha. Lov eyou lots!
Eileen,
Sounds like things are fun but busy. Did you know that a lot of the temple presidents here are from the US? Theyré called almost like missionaries to serve as templepresident in Latin America. Apparently it´s pretty common. I didni´t know taht. I´m excited for Nigil and for Evan´s baptism. He just took one of the greatest steps of his life ( that applies to both of them, but it was intended for Evan haha). Power going out, that doesn´t sound fun. Thanks for the quotes. D and C 88 is perhaps my favortie section of modern revelation. Love it. So much. Anyway, I hope you´re doing well. Love you Lots!
Mums,
Samoans are rather large, I´ll admit. haha Great thoughts youvé got there from the temple. It´s such an important and beautfful place. I´m glad the class is going well and I like that quote from sister Hinckley. She´s a very wise woman. As far as the Whitings go, I think you know where I stand with them. Celestial kingdom on earth, right there. They´re are indeed two very fine people. I hope they realize I´m counting on them as family in the eternities. haha Soudslike a lot fo things were broken, but sounds like life is staying fun. I´m glad your trees are alive and well, good metaphor. I´ve gotta go now, but remind me to send pics of the castle-fortress I visited today. Apparently Honduras has been around for awhile... it´s almost like it was semi-conquered by Spain or something. Weird. haha Anyway. Love you!!
Lovesies hugsies and all of that! Staystrong!
Hna. Bay
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