April 11, 2016 (9 months)

For PDay we went and hung out with some members today, the big dude Douglas and his brother. He lives close by, return missionary, and idk hes just like a really solid dude and I get along with him and his family really well so they invite me over for pancakes (also did that today) and we told him we were going to another town and so he said he would take us. Douglas and his brother are both pretty funny.... his brother speaks like perfect english so its fun.  We went to a nearby town called Progresso, took me to the mall and got some shoes... went to burger king.... the usual. I saw some teens from new Zealand traveling through Honduras scuba diving.... gave me a good idea of what to do here when we come back.... 

lol almost ran over an igunana today! Douglas drove us through the airport just to make us homesick lol and we were on this long road leading to the airport so we were booking down it cuz no one was there, then he just slams on the brakes and stops right in front of a iguana that didn't even flinch.

Here's a sucky situation that need our prayers:

One of the families we visit has a 12 year old daughter... and she may have gotten taken by some gang dudes... kinda a crappy situation because out here there isn't much they can do.... most of the criminal groups out here are better organized than the police... not much they can do out of fear for the rest of the family.... kinda violent out here.

We have come across a ton of solid investigators and went from 5 people with baptismal dates to 12. We are working on getting them to church..... We are  coming across a lot of good families and investigators! Jose has got a baptismal date for the 16th and we are planning on doing it so hopefully all goes well.  We had like 8 investigators go to church.

April 4

Hey all!  Hope all is well!  Honduras is sweet and big things are coming my way!

Mission is sweet again! No more stupid comp. New one is the exact opposite and we are going to kill it here! My new comp elder Gomez is sick (that's good) ... out going and social... good with people. We stayed up till one last night making plans and thinking about what we are going to do with investigators to get em baptized.

Funny dude from my district got changed

but soo did my comp so im not complaining!

one quick story:

So we have an investigator, named Jose.

Been listening to the missionaries for about 9 months... overcame an alcohol addiction, but hasn't ever been able to read the book of mormon due to an issue with his eye.

This guy always went to church... but our lessons were sooo frusterating.... he believes the church is true, but never could say he believed in everything Joseph Smith did to restore the church.... always spoke a ton of apostacy and really was a tough case...

He had surgey not too long ago and started reading the Book of Mormon .... starting with little versus at a time, now to chapters.....

I probably explained to him the same message of Joseph Smith to him one hundred times... and it never clicked till he started reading the Book of Mormon himself.... we now go to his house everyday to read with him, and he is getting ready for a baptismal date for the 16th....Just to put into view how the scriptures can answer questions better than we can with our own words!

New addition to my house: 

March 28, 2016

Changes happen tomorrow and Wednesday.  I'm getting a new companion. I'm now the trainer. I'll have a latino companion that I'll be training that had time in the mission, but went home due to injury.

Here is my kitchen set up.

Doing a hondi breakfast with my zone leader..Baliadas and pepsi

I swear I don't usually drink soda for breakfast! This is just a 100 percent hondi breakfast.

It's been a pretty solid week:

Went on divisions with my ZLs, one of which was De La Cruz.  Divisions lasted two days.... one in their area and one in mine.... Things went pretty well in their area.... just that the local gangs sent out letters to a huge part of their area saying if the people their don't leave their houses within 24 hours they would be killed.... so it was all kinda sketchy with all the police everywhere...

Ended the night at some dudes house, under a tarp with a small light bulb, waiting over a grill for some massive dude to make us steak and tajadas... pretty cool... 

My area has been getting a bit better.... numbers have been higher. I've got some good work done and have had some solid lessons with some solid people. Had 10 investigators come to church which was awesome. 

Update on Hermano Rodriguez, he now has a baptismal date for the 16th. He has a tough time reading so we are going to visit him every day and start reading through the Book of Mormon. I started reading Joseph Smiths history with him which seems to help. This dude has been investigating for 9 months and overcame a drinking addiction.  I'm pretty pumped for the future here. 

water ballon fight today for Pday

Got signs at the store to hang in the house

(He is an 18 year old boy - no dumping - over the toilet- Jesus the Chist book in there too!) 

March 21, 2016 

Choco Piña, the new thing.

Pday today consisted of going to a members house, Douglas, for massive pancakes and hanging there for a bit. 

After that we went to the Dover party pad and had yet again, another monopoly tournament.

Things really aren't great with my comp. Thing have gotten better and I've done a lot of different things to make a change but I'm just done. Nothing has brought really any difference and its been a pretty miserable time to be honest. Didn't really see a whole lot of good coming out of our area... really frustrating all in all... at this point I'm just tired and waiting for changes. They come on the 28th. I honestly did not think I would get through changes without punching him. ( clearly had a frustrating companion) 

Investigators are doing ok. Not all that great at the moment but I've spent some good time thinking about who we have and how I'm going to manage my time in the next change. 

This week is semana santa, the hottest week there is. Just getting hotter and hotter.

Changed next week. 

Thanks for the support. 

March 14, 2016 

went on divisions with the APs

goooood fun! It was my first hot shower in like 7 months in the Frat House (mission home) 

I wish I could buy shoes.  It's kinda wishy washy buying shoes out here. The shoes made here don't last and lots of them are fake. It seems lots get donated from the states... saw some aldos the other day with a 150 dollar price tag going for 500 lemps.... 25 bucks.... but if they aren't your size, you're out of luck. no real shoe stores here. (He's wearing through all his shoes already, walking, rain and rough roads wears them out quick!) 

basically my canes box combo out here! 

jk its not even close to that good. It's just some of the better food out here. 

its. so. hot. out. here.

March 7 2016

*as a parent reading this.. It makes me cringe..but then I cannot help but stop and give thanks... He was kept safe, he was protected, he was not injured. His safety is ever in our prayers and those prayers were answered this week and the weeks before and the weeks to come. Faith reassures us.. We know he is where he needs to be.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel i had a crazy week.

My area is getting a tad bit dangerous.....

If you didnt know, now you know haha.

But yeah this week had something happen that id never thought would happen.... well i at least hoped it wouldnt...

Heres the story....

I was walking from one area, Lomas, to where we live.... an area called San Juan... a fenced in guarded area..... Just as we entered through a gate, i hear a bunch of gun shots go off! Machine gun stuff....

We stop and look up to see if by anyyyyyyy small chance it was fireworks.... but no lights followed up... just more gun shots... I was at a point where i could see down three streets, looking down a street that intersects all of them.

Stood there and waited to see where it was coming from... i start hearing whizzing sounds above me so we kinda duck down....

Then down the street i see a group of 5, all armed, running to the gate.... exactly where i was.... still in a gun fight.... 

So we lay down in the dirt behind some bushes and stuff... bullets still buzzing over and hitting nearby houses... 

These guys run over, and start slipping through the gate we were just at... like some real life Call of Duty stuff.... bunch of teens all armed yeling at each other shooting back at other people... just in real life... 

And just like it started, it ended.... they ran off into a different colonia like nothing ever happened.... all that was left was an innocent guy left dead 2 houses below mine.....

I layed there for a few minuets.... just realizing what had just happened, and how lucky i got....

The night ended with a pizza party so whatevs 

Cops

Pizza!!

Investigators are alright

Lot of people have challenges outside of our hands that keep them from getting baptized... really frusterating to be honest.

We went to a really poor family, family of 12, to pass a happy bday to one of the daughters....

They had a bday cake.... we shared a message and all and I was with 2 other missionaries talking to the parents. The other missionaries and I didn't accept all the food and cake and soda they offered because they are really poor, and were rationing out the food to the younger kids, so we just told them we were fine with just soda.

* Here's photos of the new and improved house... It may not seem like much.. But apparently the last house was covered in mold and other horrible conditions. It was making him sick..he asked the mission President what he could do.. He was given the paperwork and told the steps to find a new place etc... He did not waste time..and found a nicer apartment with air condition ... Which is a luxury.. Electricity and running water are not even expected... He got it and cheaper than the rent on the old place. 

 Living room

Study area 

Yup.. Mavs sheets - see the ac !

Bathroom 

February 29th (32 weeks/ 7+ months)

Busy week.  It hit 40 degrees this week..... Celsius  (that's 104)

Had surgery on my toe...I'm alright. (I will spare the blog readers the photos of his toe before and after.. Wet conditions and dirt roads are not a great combo. He's already worn out the shoes we sent him with and he's not even half way through.. Means he's working hard and covering a lot of areas- just glad he is pain free and has a great attitude about it!) 

We had 8 investigators in church! Also we got some converts to the temple........ nbd.  (That's no big deal..huge deal!).  We sold baliadas to get money, got them clothes, set up interviews... and even made them bagged lunches because they didn't have enough food or money.  The taller dude is mute, doesn't hear or talk but was the first of the family to get baptized. It was hard but totally worth it!! 

pics from San Pedro sula 

dead center

We went to the city mall while I was there and it felt sooooo weird

seeing people with money.... an actual mall...... ate at Wendy's and talked to some white people! it was weirdest thing in 7 months! 

Had work done on my machete