58: Consejo, Girasoles, Santa Maria, Pikacho

It was another full week! We started in leadership council, then straight to...

Divisions in Girasoles!!!! We both went to their area and it was a blast!!! And of course a learning experience. I was with Hermana Gonzalez and Hermana Guzman, and Hermana Bissell was with Hermana Avila. I got to see Esteban and Veronica AND the Tercero family. AND we bought our favorite paletas from that area. So many blessings. I love Girasoles! They have been able to baptize some fo the investigators I left there and some are still in progress. It really is a blessing to go back to your favorite area. No matter who you see you are so happy to be there. And its even better with your old compa.

We had divisions with Santa Maria this week too, I was with Hermana Itzep and Hermana Centurion! They are in a trio as well because Hermana Wengert arrived there a week ago. She is supposed to be training this next change! I am so excited to have my Hermana Wingers back in the city! But I really love being there with those two Hermanas. They are baptizing like crazy so it was good to go and see what theyre doing to accomplish it.

Were still trying to change up things here in Prados so we can be baptizing. We havent quite figured it out yet, but we think were close. We have a lot of investigators that are incredibly positive, we just dont understand why theyre not progressing toward baptism. But its okay. Not hard, just challenging.

Lots of pictures. Happy week!

1-2. Las Hermanas del Consejo

3. Esteban and Veronica and more of their family that the Hermanas are now teaching :)

4-5. THE TERCERO FAMILY!!!!!

6-9. Las Hermanas de Girasoles

10. Divisions with Santa Maria

11-12. Tu y Yo 

13-20. Pikacho: Zona Villa Olympica

57: Presidente Nelson, Te Sostengo

What a week! Semana santa, conference, and an extra zone conference. Where to start!

This last tuesday, after having our zone conference the week before, Presidente Chase invited our zone and the other zone with us to the other city zone conference to receive more instruction. When we heard that, we were a little confused, but we all went ready to listen. He had received results from a worldwide missionary survey we took that pointed out lots of things, but most of all that our focus has not been on BAPTISM. He talked about how missionary work was organized to BAPTIZE, it has many other side affects, but our most important purpose is getting people to perform that ordinance. He requested that in our weekly email, we write him if that is our number one reason to be here in the mission. This is what I wrote this morning:

Estamos aquí para bautizar, yo lo sé. No hay ninguna duda acerca de eso. No he tenido mucho éxito personalmente con ese indicador en la misión, pero yo sé con lo que he hecho en la misión, mi enfoque siempre ha sido bautizar. 

We finished SEMANA SANTA. I attached the document that explains all we did. We didnt quite get to the goal, but given as our investigators and more than 50% (no joke) of our area left, we did a lot of door knocking. Los Prados now has a lot of new investigators! Given that, no investigator updates.

And CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!

Best ever! You should have seen us every time announcements were made. We went crazy! ESPECIALLY for the temple in Nicaragua, they have been waiting for a temple for so long, they all come to Tegucigalpa to do their temple work, which is a long and great sacrifice. What a blessing all of these announcements and changes, this truly is the church of the Lord, and is progressing rapidly to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Favorite Talks:

Elder Bednar: all about meekness, more submissive, more like the Savior

President Nelson: revelation, I need that! A lot of that! All the time! And so do you!

Elder Gong: his testimony might have been what impressed me most of all. His will to dedicate everything he has to the Lord, to him family, his quorum, and the spreading of this gospel struck me. 

What an incredible example for me and for every acceptor of this gospel. And now, nothing is more important than spreading this gospel to CADA RINCÓN DE LA TIERRA. What a blessing it is to consecrate this time of my life towards that, and continue the work even after I take off my name badge.

Feliz semana!

1. Fresa

2. Knock doors so hard (just kidding this comes from cleaning our bathroom so hard on Pday, but we did knock a considerable amount of doors)

3-4. Los gringos de la zona Villa Olympica, eating taqueritos until their tongues are red and canned cinnamon rolls until their stomachs hurt

56: SEMANA SANTA

Happy HOLY WEEK! This is typically one of the hardest and hottest weeks of the year, but this year the hermanas in the city are changing that. Hermana Bissell have been planning a challenge for our hermanas since two weeks ago. We want everyone to focus on the Saviors atonement by studying it EVERY DAY and searching for new lost sheep EVERY DAY. President Chase is focusing more on CONSTANTLY FINDING, so that is just what well do to remember the sacrifice and resurrection of our Redeemer Jesucristo.

Bad news, Karla feels confused and no longer wants us to visit her. She has a lot of things on her head right now, her boyfriend serving a mission, her mom not wanting her to get baptized, etc. Not excuses to forget everything, but we are giving her time right now. Its okay, another moment soon will be hers.

Lots of our investigators have left for vacation this week. But when I mean lots, I mean almost all of them. So we will be searching hard for new people all week! I love contacting, it will be great.

Saturday we participated in our wards talent night to celebrate fathers day. The Elders put together a skit - Nefi and his honduranean brohers getting the plates of brass. All thanks to the elders it was pretty funny! I was Nefi. The funniest part was that the word for "plate" in spanish is "plancha", as is the word for "iron". So the biggest joke was that we brought him an iron instead of the plates of brass. 

I was studying 2 Nefi 9 all week, about the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ. As I was finishing it, I was reading what Jacob says about having no fear of the judgement day. We want God to judge us with his all searching eye because he is the only one who can do it perfectly and justly. I am so grateful that he has those characteristics, and that even though I am not perfect, I can look forward to that day with gladness, with "a perfect brightness of hope" that comes from the grace fo our Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ.

And....an invitation to all to watch general conference this week! Invite your friends, but dont just invite them on facebook, invite them to your house! Testify of the truthfulness of the gospel! Testify of gods love manifest though a living prophet. 

Love you all! Have a great week!

1. Hermana Benson and Hermana Galster before they left

2. Brown bananas + no oven = stovetop banabread. Pretty decent!

3. Finishing divisions with La Esperanza in Gelateando :)

4. Okay this pictures needs explaining. The word for water is AGUA, so one time  we were all doing impressions of honduran people selling things in the street. Elder Cherry did the impression of how people sell water in the south, they will just leave of the first letter and shout what sounds like "GUA GUA GUA GUA". Probably funnier if you were there when he did it, but this sign made us laugh pretty hard.

5-6. Divisions part 2 with La Joya

7-11. Talent night in Barrio Prados Universitarios

55: Experimentado en Quebranto

This week we saw a lot of progress in our investigators. We have a good number reading the Book of Mormon, praying, completing with all their commitments except...going to church. We are struggling in that aspect, and yesterday not having any investigators in church was really hard, but it just means theres a lot of room to improve.

So with that...Karla did not go to church, and we still dont know why. We thought she was so prepared for baptism, but there must be something more that were not understanding. We are still working with her, but at least this week too we will not have a baptism.

I have been focusing my studies on the atonement, this week dedicating lots of time to Isaiah 53. One thing that really stood out to me was the phrase "a man of sorrows, and aquainted with grief". Being aquainted with grief comes from experiencing it sufficiently. He had experienced so much greif his whole life, He was despised, He was rejected. He called people to follow him and they ignored the salvation that He brings. But He was not ashamed, He took it humbly, without complaint, never doubting the will of His father.

We were talking about that in our companionship study yesterday "aquainted with grief". Ive become aquainted with dissapointments on the mission, but no aquaintance with sadness will ever be as complete or thorough as that of Jesus Christ. I may carry around words that testify of Him, sharing His gospel, but the people arent rejecting me. They rejected Him, and when they reject me they are really directing it at Him. I can rejoice, becuase he has payed for that sadness and taken that burden away. The most foul ridicule does not match the beating our Savoir received. We are forever indebted, but eternally redeemed.

This computer isnt accepting my SD card so pictures next week. I love you all! Have a great week!

54: Calidad

To start with....we dont have changes! We will both be staying in Los Prados and Hermana Bissell will be finishing her mission in this area. My first kill! (that is what we say when you are the companion of someone who is dying, or finishing the mission) It will be my best kill, we are so excited for a change of POWER .

This week we thought we would be done with divisions....we were wrong! We had Hermana Benson and Hermana Galster stay with us from Friday until this morning, as they finish their missions tomorrow. We forgot to take a picture of us all together because it was kind of a crazy weekend, but is always a blessing to be around people who are leaving. They are full of wisdom and great ideas, we love Hermana Benson and Hermana Galster!

This week we also has consejo de lideres. The format is always: we sit down at tables in a cricle, a spiritual thought (we all study a chapter of the Book of Mormon and share our thoughts), then we discuss a set list of topics. This time, the main topics were: quality of teaching and introducing the Book of Mormon. When we received the topics I knew they were inspired for a lot of reasons, and they are two things I am very passionate about. 

As a mission we are focusing more and more on Preach my Gospel, The Book of Mormon, and doing practices of our teaching. We are given the perfect manual to do our work, and we must use it the most perfect way we can. And the Book of Mormon is our detector! If they are not ready to accept the Book of Mormon, theyre probably not ready to be converted to the gospel. So, we should contact with it, share it in every lesson, even walk with a copy in our hand! And practices, because perfect practice will make perfect teaching.

We are waiting until next week for the baptism of Karla because she wants to make sure all of her family can assist, as she is from Olanchito. We are constantly finding new people, and we hope this week with no divisions and starting a new change this week will be ORTO NIVEL.

Quote of the week:

(last night after saying our prayers)

H Bissell: "What letter comes before P?"

H Morgan: "O"

H Bissell: "Happy O-day!"

1. Last district meeting of the change

2. Hermana Benson, Hermana Galster, Hermana Bissell and Is work shoes. All came to the mission distinct colors, will all finish the mission the same shade of dirt

3-8. Accidentally matching,  accidentaly taking pictures with our clothesline

53: A Donde Me Mandes Iré

This week's highlights are: our devotional with Elder Cook, our YSA FHE, ONE YEAR, and our last divisions of this change.

First - Elder Cook! This conference was incredible. Elder Cook, Elder Gong (presidency of the seventy), and Elder Ochoa (seventy area president) came. We got there at 7:45 to practice our sing for the choir, eat breakfast, and be ready to shake their hands at 10:15 along with the Comayaguela mission.

The song we sang was "A donde me mandes iré", which is now one of my favorite hymns. We had practiced a million times before, but that last time the words, "Adonde me mandes iré Señor, a montañas o islas del mar. Diré lo que quieras que diga Señor, y lo que Tú quieras seré" really became my testimony. Ill go where He wants me to go. Ill say what he wants me to say. Ill be what he wants me to be. This conference was incredible for many reasons, more just for the inspiriation received during. I know that he is an apostle of the Lord, I know he has seen His face and heard His voice. I know that he is an inspired servant of God.

We also had a YSA FHE last night. Our waqrd is right next to the university, so we have a big YSA group and lots of YSA investigators. The bishop gave a message, we played some games, ate some nachos, got some references. It was awesome!

Our last divisions of this change are done, we were with the Hermanas from Santa Maria, me in our area with Hna Itzep. It was so fun because she is from my group! We even stayed in the same room in the CCM, so it was fun being her companion for a day and learning from her. But now we are done! We are hoping Hermana Bissell and I are together for one more change because the time flies so fast doing divisions, pero a ver si Dios quiere :)

And ONE YEAR! Ya estoy viejita. Jaja son bromas. But it is weird, Im in the older group, all my companions are gone or also in the older group. Taking advantage of the time, its flying!

1-2. Divisions with Santa Maria

3-9. ONE YEAR

10-11. Elder Cook conference

12. NOCHE DE HOGAR JAS 

52: RRRRRRR

I have the biggest news ever this week, I am celebrating one year rrrrrrrrrrrolling my Rs! This has been such a challenge for me since the CCM, but I can do it! I may not be pura catracha yet but Im getting closer.

Also, I hit one year this week! That is insane! I think until I had about 9 months I still felt pretty new in the mission, but now everyone sees me as one of the old ones. It is weird! Im still denying it. 

We had lots of successes this week, prouncing my Rs, Karla, Ivon, Yonis, and Angelica in church, lots of divisions, more progressing baptismal dates. It is an exciting time for the hermanas in Prados!

Karla will be baptized next week, and she is ready! She was an investigator from La Joya before she went home for vacations, and wasnt baptized because her parents didnt approve it. But now they do, and now is her time! She has a friend that we started teaching this week whose name is Ivon. She is also very prepared to receive us, in our first lesson we had with he, she cried as she said the last prayer. She had been waiting for something like this to teach her about her divine potencial and worth. She doesnt have a date, but we are hoping to put one this week.

Yonis and Angelica are progressing a little slower, but reading the Book of Mormon and have a lot of interest. Yonis has a baptismal date for the 17th of this month, so we are preparing him to be ready for that.

Right now all the college students are returning from their pueblos to study, so our area is really alive. Almost all our investigators are YSA, and we are trying to plan Family Home Evenings for all of them to get to know each other. It is a lot of fun teaching them because we are their age, and its easier to relate to their problems. They are our most positive investigators.

I thought I would share an experience we had a week ago with one of the Young Women in our ward. Her family is very inactive, but she goes to church and activities on her own. We helped her do a Personal Progress experience the other day, and after I realized how important that program is. I remember doing it, and I liked it, but I testify now that I know why it is so important. This young woman, Yanina, will be a light to her family and her future family for her faith and desire to be a godly woman. After that appointment we went home to eat lunch and I put on my medallion, I now wear it frequently and proudly. Thank you to all my YW leaders! You are incredible!

Feliz semana a todos! Lean las escrituras, oren, compartan sus testimonios, sean luces para aquellos que no tienen esa luz en sus vidas!

1-2. Family History with the Davila Family

3. The view from the sisters house in Miraflores

4-5. Divisions with Miraflores

6-7. Divisions with Valle de Angeles