Monday, January 9, 2012

My Working Birthday

I love you family!

It was a big week! Tomorrow is week 31 of the mission, I left teenagehood Saturday with my 20th birthday and yesterday was 7 months. My age is getting to me. Mitch asked me if he should send me a cane. Also G-pa's words came to mind as he frequently said, "You don't get praise for doing what is expected of you." This with the words of Mitch and Orson, "We're not here to be on vacation" my birthday and 7 months were celebrated by working! 

It was a slightly traumatic week.  Last Monday Moncada received his papers but in the walk home he set them down to take a picture and didn't pick them back up. His Dad resent them and they got here Thursday.  He just got off the phone with the Mexican Embassy and has a cita for Thursday at 09:00.  He could leave me Friday or Saturday or hopefully not until next week. Things are still up in the air. I am not eager to get rid of him because he works and is obedient and the replacement will likely be a mini-misionero. Who knows what could happen then. 

Tuesday we had a great experience that fortified my testimony of the reality that there are no coincidences.  I really think that the Lord answers small prayers and as His children He puts us in the way to be the answers to others' prayers.  We were walking to a cita when we saw our friends who sell fruit everyday.  We were walking along the street and saw the Hermana on the side of the street and she told us that the car wouldn't start, she couldn't do much being preganant so we helped the hubsand push the car up the hill like 15 feet so he could roll it down to start it up. The battery was just dead so we pushed the car up the hill with him and went on our way but as we were leaving he told us that God really does send angels to answer prayers.  I really think that God arranged our entire day for that one moment.  There are no coincidences and He answers prayers! At the end of Tuesday we returned to the house tired. It was a long hard day of work. 

Wednesday we did some painting at the house of the Presidenta of the Sociedad de Socorro.  Serving the members has been the key Dad, last week you asked me about the perception of former missionaries in our area.  From what I have heard and what we have experienced after serving the members here the perception wasn't so great. The bishop actually banned members from letting the missionaries in at one point because they would only pass to the members houses and cook and hang out. The service that we've been doing has been necessary, I think, in gaining their confidence. We've painted lots! Wednesday rocked because we got free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had a super weird experience.  We were walking to our dinner appointment and we talked to an Hermana in the street who was caring a bag of trash. She said she was a member who was a domestic worker in a house in the area. Anyways she asked for some folletos and we kept talking and then all of a sudden there came a cloud of mosquitos and flies (what was in the trash....?!?!?) and then she took off running.  She passed many trash bins and just kept running. We thought she would stop so we could talk to her but nope, just kept running. Super weird.

Thursday was a crazy day. We had reunión de distrito in the morning.  I learned that we really have to work hard to have the company of the Holy Ghost. Moroni 8:25-26.  We then went to the office to work on the visa papers of my companion.  As mentioned above. We were going to go out to work with the Bishop Thrusday, then Saturday, then Sunday but he canceled on us all three times but despite all we had success.  Thursday night we had a noche de hogar at the home of the famila Mejía.  They invited some of their neighbors and we watched Juntos para Siempre and testified about eternal families. 

Friday we went out to work with Presidente Freddy Suazo of the Stake Presidency who lives within our ward boundaries.  We are trying to go and work with Priesthood holders or have noches de hogar every night. We had another noche de hogar Friday night at the home of the familia Mejía with an investigator with a doubt about Joseph Smith.  We watched the movie Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. It was super awesome. The spirit was there.  We work step by step. His name is Roberto, he is a leader of another church who has doubts about what they teach and what we teach but step by step we've been able to teach him.  He lets us teach and he listens. 

Friday morning we had entrevistas with Presidente Hernandez. It was awesome. Presidente and I talked about the distribution of the Christmas gifts from Mom and about future gifts. I told him to feel free to write and request things as he sees needs in the mission. He is so awesome and I have a testimony that he is the one called and set apart to direct the obra misional here in Honduras.  

Saturday...my birthday...?!?! I am old! No packages arrived but nonetheless it was a great birthday of work in the mission! I ate a snickers bar! We visited an investigator family with the Presidenta de Sociedad de Socorro and they gave us lunch.  In the night we visited the Stake Presidente's house and his seven year old daughter has a cell phone. Just thought the world should know that. 

Sundays are starting to feel overwhelming at church. We have to do so much within the 3 hour block. We have to talk and get to know members, take people to classes, put citas to visit, find out where people live, answer questions, participate in class, be on time...etc all before the person giving us lunch decides it is time to go and gives us a ride. 

Update on food. We get so much. I don't really cook ever. I currently have a great stock of sauce mixes and gravies, etc.  Since I am not cooking much so I definitely continue to enjoy snacking on the cookies, chocolates, etc 

Mommy could you look for scan and email me some Spanish choral music this week? The Stake Choir director requested: De Nostotros el Mayor (an album of several songs), Juntos por Siempre, El Espíritu de Dios (MoTab version of the Spirit of God in Spanish, 8 voices). And possibly Come Thou Fount in Spanish.  Thanks so much! 

Could someone send me the emails of Charles and Nathan?

Can latinos begin missionary service at 18 years?

The photos are of us and the 200lb Rotweiler (sp?) that the familia Mansía has. He is a show dog. They give us lunch on Sundays. 

I got letters from Caitlin Merrill, a card from the Mahanas, and a letter from Mitch. 

All is well with me. I am working hard and staying obedient. Bed at 22:30, up at 06:30.  

Miss you so so so so so so so much. 



Elder Clay

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