13: Por allí en una casa de adobe

Buenas! Wow every week just goes by faster and faster!

This week we did a lot of contacting in an area called El Naranjal. The Elders Quorum had an activity where they went around talking to people and collecting information for us to visit. But the fun part about Honduras is addresses dont exist, so trying to find people an adventure. Everybody lives, "that way in an adobe house" so when someone gives us that as their address we run around in circles until we find them. But we always find them!

This week I finished the book of Heleman in the Book of Mormon. In chapter 7, Nefi is rejected by almost everyone and is feeling really frustrated because of this. He starts to feel for himself the sins and the iniquities of his people because he wants their salvation so badly. We have met a number of people this week with specific challenges, people that really need help. This chapter really helped me to lean that even though I wont literally experience what its like to be an alcoholic or have a spouse leave me, I can invest myself in their cause. I can feel their pain by helping them overcome their problems and come unto Christ. And thats what Im called here to do.

Sorry no pictures this week because this computer isnt working well. But I promise lots next week!

Yep, we teach about 25 lessons a week. Honestly the majority of it is teaching new people the restoration, and we end up dropping a ton of people after that because they either dont want to pray to receive an answer or just dont want to listen to us. Or arent married and dont want to get married. We have very few right now who are progressing a lot because its honestly just really hard to find people who are living the law of chastity or who dont reject us after the first few lessons. Its funny that everyone told me I would have a ton of baptisms, because its just really hard to find people that are ready. Other areas are different though.

Haha actually I stayed in one morning this week because I had a fever, but we ended up going out because honestly you just feel guilty laying in your bed when you should be out and about. Ima ll better it was just one day. But honeslty the food is getting to me. Hermana Josefina, the one who feeds us lunch is great but the food is so heavy. Fried everything, rice, tortillas, SODA. Tons and tons of soda. People will offer us Coke up to five times a day. Its pretty hard on my stomach after a big meal so I eat barely anything at breakfast and dinner, and what I do eat is fruits and veggies and oatmeal and really simple food to try to balance it out.

Yes cooling off! Blessed. The rain is great we get reaaaaally muddy everyday haha but winter is here!

12: It is Kind of Like Lions and Tigers and Bears

This week is transfers! But practically everyone is staying where they are. We will have transfers again in 3 weeks when they change our mission president, so were expecting a lot more to happen then. For now its still Hna Ordoñez y Yo en Yusguare!

This week Ive got a lot of stories to go with my pictures, but I want to share something from my study first. I started reading in the Doctrine and Covenants this week, and read section 45 this morning. Part of it talks about Zion, what it is and what our relationshiip should be with it. Verse 68 says "flee unto Zion". Zion is our refuge, where we can find peace and protection and true happiness. This gospel is everything, and nothing brings more joy than being a part of establishing it. And we really should FLEE, and bring other people with us! The Lord wants nothing more than for us to look unto him "in every thought" and "doubt not, fear not". 

1. The best thing I have eaten in Honduras....in a Mexican Restaurant! These are called Gringas, theyve got pork and tomatoes and cheese and avocado and all sorts of good stuff in them. We may or may not come here every Pday :) 

2. Las Hermanas de Zona Choluteca en el Restaurante Mexicano

3. The worst food Honduras has to offer :) I feel guilty writing this but really it is the worst. In all of Honduras they make spaghetti with ketchup and this sour-cream like sauce called mantequilla. And sometimes hot dog slices, and on special days with added sugar. I have to gag it down every time.

4. La Familia Mejia!!!!!!! They are our favorite investigators right now. We are working with them on setting a date to get married so they can get baptized. They really are golden investigators and really want to do whats right, but theyre passing through some hard times right now that make it harder for them to get married. So prayers appreciated! The other day we talked with them about temple marrieages, and how they can get sealed a year after their baptism, and how its possible that I could get special permission to go if I was still a missionary. So were hoping all this motivates them to save money and get married!

5. How missionaries study when the power goes out :)

6. This and my last picture are for my mom - I waited! We had a few surprise guests this week. This morning I grabbed a packet of oatmel when I thought I felt something funny. Surprise Hna Morgan!

7. We were in the ward choir for our ward conference yesterday, all matching. Happy Sunday!

8. Last night I had the biggest heart attack yet. I was showering and had already washed my hair when I looked to grab a bottle of soap and noticed this guy watching me - same color as the sponge, didnt even see him! Look twice before you shower!

11: Its a Great Day to be a Missionary!

Mothers day is a GREAT day to be a missionary! All day we were counting down the hours until we were able to call home. 40 minutes fly by but it is just what we needed to keep going here in Yusguare.

Per request of my Dad I will now tell you all about our house pets. We regulary have different bugs, lizards, spiders, frogs, etc going in and out of our house, they dont bother us much so if we cant reach them we just let them be. But the other night, we were getting ready to go to bed and  had the light turned off and everything, when Hermana Ordoñez picks up her sheets and feels something move. She threw her sheets on the ground and we just hear this THUD on the ground. We turn on the lights to see an IGUANA scurrying around on the floor. So there we are dead tired trying to move our beds around and capture this iguana to throw back outside. Friday nights as a missionary can get pretty exciting!

Mothers Day is a HUGE DEAL here in Honduras! Easter came and went and hardly anybody celebrated, but this week was hard becuase everyone was out of their houses celebrating Mothers Day, for pretty much the whole week. Almost every lesson we had planned after Wednesday didnt happen because everyone was out celebrating. A little frustrating, but interesting!

We have really been struggling to find people who are interested and ready to receive the gospel, and I have ben a little frustrated in the process. One morning, I was pretty discouraged and was having a hard time being able to understand the Spanish of one of our investigators. I sat there silently for a minute and prayed and prayed that I could understand Gods love for her so I could hear her and bring her the message she needed. This was one of the quickest and most powerful responses to a prayer I have ever received. I could feel how much our Heavenly Father cared for this sister and wanted her to receive the gospel. We had a great lesson :) I only got a glimps, but Heavenly Father really loves us so much, and he wants more than anything for us to turn our hearts to him and live the gospel.

Aaaaaaand pictures!

1. Me and Hna Ordoñez every time our investigators arent home

2 &3. Walking through Guasimol. We live in quite the place :)

4. Hermana Josefina!!!!! She is our mom here, so it was fitting to take a picture on Mothers Day. She has fed the missionaries everyday, as many times as they have wanted, since the day she was baptized. We love her so much.

5. I thought this would also be fun to share. The plumbing here is, interesting. The toilet doesnt actually flush, we use the bucket to the side to flush down with water. Also, toilet paper clogs the system, so all toilet paper goes in a bag on the side. A little gross huh? :) And the other day, we were trying to fix something when the top fell off and broke, so if anyone wants to fund a new lid for a sad toilet in Honduras LMK.

10: El Invierno?

Bienvenidos a Yusguare! Where the winter starts the first day of May every year, and it is still 100 degrees out. The only difference is it rains almost every day now which is a blessing. What a world Honduras is!

This week we ended up teaching the Restoration a ton, which is my favorite. I love being able to recite the first vision, there is such power in Joseph Smiths own words. I can always tell in that moment whether our investigator can feel the Spirit or not, and I get so happy when they can. Joseph Smith really did restore the gospel, and Jesus Christ really is the head of that gospel. And I am blessed with the opportunity to preach that same gospel.

Not much to say this week, but a few pictures!

1. Yusguare!

2. On our way to an area called El Naranjal. It is pretty far away so we have to travel by moto taxi. On our way we always have to drive up this huge hill and the view at the top is so pretty.

3. Walking through El Puente with some friends

4. I spent the day with Hermana Clark from Spokane while our companions ran errands. Use bug spray people! Zika is real!

5. The Moto Taxi. Our area is huge so this is how we get around, and how we get to the bus stops. It costs about 10-20 Lempiras or 1-2 dollars wherever we go. We still walk anywhere from 8-13 miles a day, but without Moto Taxis we would be walking....a lot!

Hasta el Fin

     

9: Celebré Dos Meses en la Playa!

2 months!!!!! Feliz cumplemeses a mi!

The time goes by faster and faster. I look at the calender and have to re check it because I swear its still January!

We have Zone conference, exchanges, interviews, and meetings upon meetings this week. All were so inspiring. All of us missionaries are so different and we have so much to learn from each other, the Honduras Tegucigalpa mission is the best!

President Bowler made us a promise this week that if we talked with everyone and work our hardest everyday, we will see two baptisms in the month of May. Our area has struggled for a while since its fairly new, so two baptisms in one month is a big deal. But since this promise, we already have TWO baptismal dates. Wooooo! Yusguare is on fire!

Also as the unofficial official ward pianist I get to play piano for every meeting we will every have in our ward in Yusgaure. This week playing A Childs Prayer with the ward choir was a truly special experience. Pray, He is there, speak, He is listening. I know He is there, and as His children he pleads for us to pour our hearts out to him. He will bless us and through the power of the Holy Ghost he will testify the truth to us if we just talk with Him, our Father.

My camera works so here are a LOT of pictures!

Hasta el Fin

1. For my BFF Lori Garcia. Thanks for my favorite shirt.

2. This is how we drink all of our water, Bolsas. Everyone here owns a pulperia, or little local grocery store, and we buy bolsas de agua throughout the day. 2 limpiras each, or about 4 cents.

3. A church in Los Zorillos or Lesson 1??? 

4. Zone conference, my companion Hna Ordoñez, Hna Bowler, and I!

5. Exchanges with Hna Posso and Hna Realivasquez

6. Two months! This morning at the beach. To the left is Nicaragua and to the right is El Salvador. 

7. Mi Madre Hna Ordoñez :)

8. In front of the church!

 

  

8: Tengo Gozo en mi Alma Hoy

There is sunshine in my soul today! These past 8 weeks  have been hard, but I have found so many reasons to rejoice every day. And every day just gets better and better. I find myself singing this hymn throughout the day, when Im happy, when Im frustrated, always. I frequently reflect on the talk given by elder holland this conference about this song, especially the line "and Jesus listening can hear the songs I cannot sing!". When we feel like nobody can understand our problems, the Savior hears us, and He understands perfectly.

This week was lots of fun! We had a lot of surprises, random new investigators showing up to church, investigators starting to progress, interesting doctrines to dispute...all of it. We are teaching one man named Pedro and we spent an entire lesson trying to explain the Peter was not part of the God head.

Nonetheless, lots of hopeful baptisms! The hardest thing here is that nobody gets married, so we find a family and they start to progress and want to be baptized but they never do because they dont think they have to get married first. So when we find someone who is single and not living with anyone and willing to listen to listen to us we RUN to them. They are gold.

Anyway, the adapter isn't working so Ill have to send my pictures next week...lo siento!

Hasta el fin

Hermana Morgan

Laundry: all ourselves. Hna Ordoñez and I switch off every single day and do a little at a time otherwise we would spend all of pday doing it ourselves. In this mission, pretty much unless you live with a member who has a washing machine, you do it all yourself and do it by hand. Kinda hard when I want to be using that time for studying spanish or something but Ive got a system down and all my clothes are fresh and clean always :)

Small house. I guess I can send you pictures, youll see some of it in my big email today. Its actually pretty big for just us two, kind of lonely actually, but the only other sisters in our zone live pretty far away. Well I guess we have a few roommates, frogs, lizards, giant spiders, ants...

Hna Ordoñez is great. Her spanish is very clear and slow and I was able to understand her from the start which is a blessing. She opened the area for sisters herer just 3 months ago with another sister that she trained. She has 9 months.

Lots of Elders in our zone and district but again, our area is one of the largest and the only time we run into people is when we come up to Choluteca for Pdays and district meetings.

We are in the ward, honestly I didnt know there was also a branch, but all through central america the wards are small. Lots of inactives, about 100 people who come regularly. Also I am the unofficial official ward pianist for...everything. I think I was even volunteered to play something at stake conference so plz pray for me 0 time to practice.

Just out of curiosity, Dad what did you do to help you learn the language faster? I've got a good system going and Im learning and understanding really fast, but do you have any cool experiences with it or with gift of tongues?

The biggest thing for me this week was being able to understand what the people are saying. Here its really hard, especially with so many people that cant read their spanish is broken and unclear, but Im really starting to understand everyone which is HUGE!!!!! I have worked so hard, I really did do over 100 words a day in the CCM, and I finished half of the BOM in spanish in 3 weeks, and now you can always find me memorizing vocab on the side of the road on our way to appointments. It really is hard, and sometimes my companion and other people dont get it, but its worth it.

Not going to lie the week before last was really hard, but this week was so much better. Every day is hard. But every day something happens to remind me why Im here. The other day when I was playing The Spirit of God during sacrament meeting I got a little choked up. It is truly a pleasure to be a part in the building up of Zion. Beofre with all of our family, here on my mission, and with my future family. Before we left the CCM, President Morris showed us a slideshow of missionaries that worked hard on their missions, pictures of their baptisms, and then pictures with them and their wives and husbands and children after their missions. Nothings matters more to me than that. I am so blessed because I have the gospel, and have so many people to share it with.

Lots of love! Tell all the niños I love them!

7: Todo Cheque

Hola from Honduras!

This week was a lot of emotions. It was really hard to leave the CCM because 1. It is paradise and 2. I made so many lifelong friends. Saying goodbye was the worst, but at least we know we can all see each other again soon.

We all left last tuesday early early early in the morning. Everyone flying left around 3 AM, then everyone going to Tegucigalpa flew to El Salvador then finally Honduras! We were so dead tired they let us sleep the whole afternoon. The presidents house is HUGE and GORGEOUS, we stayed there that nigt, then the next day we met companions and headed off to our areas. My companion is Hna Ordonez from Ecuador and she has about 9 months here in the mission. Sorry I didnt get any pictures with her but Ill try to remember next week!

We are serving in the South, Yusguare. A few little pueblos south of Cholunteca. It took about 6 hours to get here from Tegucigalpa, and this might be the hottest, poorest, largest, and weirdest accent area in our mission according to what the other missionaries have said.

But

Todo cheque!
(Everythings cool)

The people here are so nice, we eat lunch and sometimes dinner every day with one of the members who has a little bit more money, Hermana Josefina. Her accent is so strange I still cant figure out what shes saying but regardless she is so sweet. Members, investigators, random people on the street all are so nice and insist on buying us snacks or drinks. It is really humbling, especially since these people really dont have much at all.

But nonetheless, this week has been an adjustment. This place is very different, like I said, and I miss all my friends and laundry machines and plumbing and being able to understand what everyone is saying. The other day I was reading in the end of Mark 4, when Jesus calms the storm. Sometimes when things arent working out or the day drags on it can feel like the tempest is raging and we are out of control, but we have to have hope in the words of the Savior.

Yo se que el Señor vendra! Nuestro Salvador y Redentor es amoroso y poderoso, y El entiende nuestros desafios y cargas. No importa la circunstancia, El vendra, y tengo fe en sus palabras.

1. CCM Map

2. Me, Hermana Lanuza (morning teacher), and my companions Hermana Mickelson and Hermana Loosli!

3. District at the Zoo

4. Spicy nights in the CCM

5. Every week a sister comes to the CCM and sells clothes and scripture cases and the such, like my new dress??

6. Last trip to the temple in Guatemala :(

7. Someone want to do my laundry for me???

8. Our little calle surrounded by las montañas :)

 

 

 

6: Estoy Viviendo

Honduras wowowowowow! Finalmente estoy aqui!

Interviews and orientation nd even a nap today because we all woke up at 2 this morning. Nada mucho mas. Everything is great.

Just a quick note. I really cannot put to words how much I loved my district and teachers. I am really beginning to understand the pure love of christ. I need to tell you about everything. 6 weeks really leaves an impact. Voy a extrañarles a todos.

Anyway, safe and sound, meet my companion tomorrow and leave for the campo a la mediodia.



Hasta el fin.

Great Day to be a Missionary --- Isaías District at the Guatemala MTC

Dear Missionary Parents:

For the previous six weeks it has been my pleasure and blessing to work with your sons and daughters at the Guatemala City MTC.  The Isaías District has been one of the best I have ever worked with.  They have been so anxious to learn and apply the principles of the gospel, the scriptures and Preach My Gospel.

My wife and I area missionaries serving in the area administration offices.  On Sundays we are assigned to serve at the MTC.  We love your sons and daughters and it is with heavy hearts when we see them leave ´the next and fly out on their own´.  But we are proud of them and know that they will be wonderful missionaries.

Attached is a picture of them taken on their last Sunday in the MTC.

It is always a great day to be a missionary

Elder Craig A. Hill
Secretario Ejecutivo
Area de Centroamerica

5: DONDE ESTÀ HERMANA DROGAS

I am going to be very sad to leave the CCM. Like I said last week, I have to carry around this first aid kit and I am now commonly known as Hermana Drogas. Or Hermana Atea. OR if Im lucky Hermana Morgan. It is great. So fun. These hermanas are wild.

I can now say 3 phrases in Queqchi! A few weeks ago they moved our classroom right next to the Queqchi class and we love hanging out with them.

Laain lix Hermana Morgan = Me llamo Hermana Morgan = My name is Hermana Morgan

---------

Missionaries live for general conference. I came in with so many questions and I can testify that if you earnestly seek answers, the Lord will provide.

Entonces...

The most important concepts for me were having charity and the Book of Mormon. Both things President Monson talked about. He said he has a testimony of the BOM "with all of his heart" and I too can testify that it is the word of God. Through reading it as a district, with our investigators, and personally, I know it contains the words the Lord needs us to hear. It really is the most powerful tool in conversion.

---------

We had a REAL LIFE INVESTIGATOR THIS WEEK!!!!! It is usually just our teacher dressed up, but this time Hna Lanuza brought in her friend who is struggling with her faith. We again testified of the power of the BOok of Mormon and she was brought to tears. One of the sweetetst experiences here in the CCM.


One more week until they let me out of here! Vamos a predicar el evangelio!

4: ¡WOW!

4:  ¡WOW!

Wow what I week!!!!

I say WOW because that is now a joke in district Isaías. I like doing this thing with my hands and my mouth where I spell out the word "WOW" and our teacher Hno Colindres started doing it and it kills me. WOW its so hot outside! WOW its time for language study! WOW WOW WOW!

I am now an Hermana Líder de Capacitación here in the CCM, one of two! It is a great blessing, I am in charge of the well being of the sisters and elders here. I am especially blessed to get know know the Hermanas here on an even better level. Im there to give them headache medicine or there with them in the middle of the night if they need a blessing or there if theyre missing their family during the day. I may not be a perfect friend as our Savior is, but Im glad I have such a good example to look up to.

Along with that, all the new Latina Hernanas love Hermana Morgan. Seriously. I mess up my grammar and have to flip through the dictionary to find words but every time I see them in the hallway I just hear a loud "HOLAAAAA HERMANA MORGAN!!!!" and it kills me. I miss our old group of Latinos but I love these new sisters so much as well.

We had a lesson on Sunday about our callings and how we are given to the Lord and we are dedicating this time specifically to the Lord. We read in 1 Samuel chapter 1 about Hannah. She wanted a son so badly she ended up telling the Lord that if He would give her a son, she would give him to the service of the Lord. She did, and so many lives were blessed, including hers. The Lord wants us to have unshaken faith in Him, and with tham comes so many blessings. The more I rely on the Lord here, the more capable he makes me. The Spanish comes easier and I can teach more by the Spirit.

I love this gospel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so happy.

Con amor de Guatemala

3: Sunday of Savannah

Today was THE BEST DAY YET!!!!!!! We went to the temple at 6:20 AM, then came back, had breakfast, went to the ZOO, then a street market, then to Wendys, and the day isn't even over! Wow! Everyone but our district and the Queqchi district left yesterday, we are on 3 week rotations here. So lots of sad goodbyes and empty halls today but it has been really fun.

Another Norteamericana Hna Madison is a runner as well and the other day we were both so tired of not being able to run, so we ran 20 laps around the courts - a whole mile! Gotta mix up deportes somehow.

The days here are getting better and better and funnier and funnier. The other day we were craving pizza because they make it here every couple weeks and it is so good. Me and my companions literally stopped and prayed for pizza AND IT WORKED. Hay muchos milagros aquí en el CCM. And our teachers are a riot - our afternoon teacher Hermano Colindres was teaching and then he looked out the window and I guess he saw something funny so he started laughing. So we asked him what was funny and he just said "The Spirit just whispered to me a joke!"

"Oooookay Hno what was it???"
"Why do the lamanites always have bruises on their knees"
"Because of the Nephites"

Seriously any chance of him controlling the class the rest of the night was gone we were dying.

And about Sunday. A day in the life of a missionary in the CCM: I had to prepare a lesson for our Sunday school, then play piano for Relief Society, then teach Relief Society, then play piano in Sacrament meeting, then sing a musical number in Sacrament, then have a talk prepared for sacrament and wait to see if I'm one of the lucky ones whose names gets called to give a talk. Then continue to play piano in 2 more meetings throughout the day. Day of rest????????

The highlight of my week was just the other night, we were having district study reading el Libro de Mormon in Moroni 6. We only read the one chapter in 45 minutes but we talked and shared our thoughts for a long time. We all loved how Moroni explains repentance. His people could be evil and terrible and commit awful sins, and their names be blotted out, but if they came unto the Lord with a sincere heart, "they were forgiven". God wants nothing more than for us to return to Him, that we can overcome everything. I invite you all to read this chapter, it really helped our district and myself to understand how much God really loves us.

Hope all is well! Hasta luego!