Week 38 Semana Santa

So this was a special kind of week.  A long one at that.  Still good.  It had its ups and downs and full of information and drama!  Let us begin!

This week was so so so so so boring!!  It was Semana Santa this week.  It is a catholic thing and everyone just takes advantage of it and leaves on vacation.  And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE.  Like there was not one soul in my area.  We literally talked to everyone we found in the street this whole week and we talked to a total of 90 people.  That means about 13 people a day.  That was my kind of week haha.  We did not enter one house to get a lesson this week.  We did visit 1 investigator and it was right before she was about to leave for vacation.  So we basically said hi as she said bye haha  We basically found the members that didn't leave and piled at their houses all week.  We spent 5 hours with one family just talking.  Normally I would be like ugghhh we gotta go do something, but this was the only thing we could do without burning in the street alone.  I have a fun picture of one of the busiest roads in all of Danli and there is not one soul in that picture.  It was incredible.  We did not eat because there were no restaurants open.  Except for Pizza Hut.  So we did eat pizza hut one time.

What else.  So the members are going crazy.  In a good way.  They all got super motivated to work with us.  All I'm saying is that i gave a talk on missionary work yesterday and now all they want to do is work with us.  I'm not saying that I'm the reason but you already know! so yeah.  yesterday night we had a 2 hour meeting with the ward mission leaders and the bishop about ideas and the investigators and what we can do to have baptisms.  They said that they are super excited because Elder Solis and I had baptisms in the area for the first time since August.  And the dude that got baptized is already inactive.  So now they just want to work and work and work!  So I'm super excited to work with them.

Another bit of information is that Elder Solis has transfers! So he is out and headed to Teguc!  I'm sad because he might have been my favorite companion but my new companion who is coming is said to be just as cool!  His name is Elder Guarez from El Salvador!  So that will put my list of countries that my companions come from to: Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador!  I'm trying to hit every country from Central America haha  I still need Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize (but they speak English so they don't count).

So over all a fun week.  We kind of piled around and didn't do anything.  I'm ready to get back in action and start teaching again!

I love you all
Elder Garry

This is my name that I wrote on the big cross in Danli.  

That is a real fish with real bones that I ate.  I did not like it.  The little bones are invisible and broke really bad.  I looked at it and I was like "hermana, the truth is I have no idea how to eat this" then she taught me haha

Then that is the road completely emply.  

Week 37

What a week. I'm telling you that every week is faster and faster than the last one.
So this week was good. My companion and I are just doing work out here.
Some of the highlights.....

So we went to visit an investigator of ours on Tuesday and we knocked on the door and there were a pack of niños at the door. We asked if Leticia was there and half said yes and the other half said no. So we asked if they could go and ask the mom if she was home haha they came back and one said that she was there and the other smacked her and said "noooo she said she isn't home!!" So we were like ugghhhhh we just lost an investigator. She was super positive too so we were way bumed out. Fast forward to Thursday. My birthday. We planned to go make a cake with another investigator and he couldn't do it. I was way ticked. I wanted cake. But we were like ugh now what do we do. So we sat down in the shade, because it was extremely hot, and thought for a minute and we both felt like we should go visit Leticia again. So we went. And she was there and let us in. We were talking and talking and finally we just asked her straight up if she has prayed yet to know if our message is true. She was like wellll what do you guys think. Out of faith I just said yes! And she said "yeah I prayed". but the way she said it was super negative. And I was like ugh she didn't get an answer. So we asked if she felt like she got an answer and she tells us, "so I prayed and afterwards I sat and thought and I felt SUPER good. I felt only peace and happiness. So I feel ready to be baptized"......... we literally just sat there with out mouths open. I looked at Elder Solis and he at me and we just smiled and were like uhhhhh that's great!!! So we put a baptismal date for the 9 of April!!! How cool. We thought she was ignoring us and turns out she wants to get baptized!! So that was a Birthday miracle.


Speaking of Birthday. Apparently im 19 now. I don't feel it. 19 is for big kids on missions. I feel like I'm still in 5th grade waiting to go to recess haha It didn't even feel like my birthday. I just woke up. Went to district meeting. They all sang to me. I got some candy from my District leader. Then we all went out to pizza and Elder Pickron and I split a huuuge pizza and we ate it all. It was a solid day. Then the birthday miracle of Leticia. We worked some more. It was just another normal day at work. Then at night we made a cake with The family Salinas!! They are my favorite family. When we go there we have to watch the time because we could easily spend all day at that house. I do have photos of the cake. It turned out super great. It was just a box of cake mix but when you go 8 months without cake, that cake looks like the ones they sell on Cake Boss.


What else what else. Oh yesterday we didn't go to church. We decided to become inactives. No but the reason is because that night I woke up at like 1 and had to go throw up. I don't know why. I didn't eat anything bad. My companion wasn't sick. But I was up all night throwing up. The worst part is that our house doesn't have running water so I was up throwing up then running out side to our little Pila which is just a big bucket of water. I filled a little bucket of water up and then used it to flush the toilet. I did that 3 times haha I didnt sleep at all that night. And today I didn't sleep at all either. Pretty sure I have insomnia.


But that was basically my week. This week will be tough. It is the biggest week to do vacations and everyone leaves to go on vacation. So this week we will do nothing but we still gotta work. Maybe we will fill time and climb a mountain or something. We shall see.


I love you all so much!!
Elder Garry

Week 36 Another baptism

What a great week!! We worked hard again! It is getting closer and closer to semana santa and we are just dying out in the sun but we still out here grinding! Here are some of the highlights....

We have to start off with how this week started. So Juan Jose who got baptized didn't come to church again so I am afraid that we will have to baptize him again. After a few weeks without receiving the Holy Ghost, we have to do it again... so fingers crossed this dude shows up this Sunday. If not I am still counting him as my baptism. No me importa quien lo hace. ( I don't care who does it)

We gave a lesson to a witch!! Thats always exciting haha She has like garlic cloves above the door and deflated baloons all throughout the house. She has orange hair and terrible makeup. BUT SHE WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED! We only went because the members are mad at us because we haven't baptized her but it is because they don't know she is a witch! My companion one time went to her house and when he walked in she got up super quick and grabbed a rag doll from off the table and never came back. That was all before I came though so I really don't know. When we were teaching her she was like a golden investigator. Like "ohhhhh I KNOW that Joseph Smith was a prophet" "I can not even leave my room without reading the scriptures and saying my prayers first in the morning!" She seems perfect but she is a low key witch. When we were teaching the restoration to her she looked zoned out. Then randomly jumps in with some comment. And when I started to teach the first vision she got up and left. But I said yeet boi. And called her back in haha. She and her daughter want to get baptized so bad. I think we could baptized the daughter but her..... no se. We actually called Pres. Bowler to talk to him about it and he said we could do it if she legitimately wants to get baptized and will no longer be a witch. This Wednesday we are about to go back but we are bringing the old Stake Pres with us so she doesn't do any spells on us. But to inform you all, she has no black cat. No flying broom, and her nose is a normal size. Also she is not green.

What else. Oh I know.. we got a dunk again!! His name is Marlon and after about a month of fighting to get him baptized he did it and was soooo happy!! He was super nervous but afterwards was so happy and so ready to get the Holy Ghost afterwards. Then on Sunday he was confirmed and received the Priesthood!! He is a priest!!! MY little buddy is a Priest!!! I have photos. just wait please haha he was even asking about when he could get "ordained to a missionary" so he could leave and start teaching with us haha this guy is incredible! He wants to be a missionary and have the Melc. Priesthood! Hes just ready to be a great worthy young man!!

What else. no scorpions. no crazy parasites. everything is good. I'm eating a lot. I still have candy from your package! My companion and I really appreciate that haha I think that is all of the fun and exciting things that happened from this week.

I love you all so much
Elder Garry

                                                          The girls did his hair haha

Jon writes:

The little one that is on my neck has the cutest face ever and is always asking me to hold her and I can't but I want to love her forever and ever and take her home haha

The littlest one is named Genesis.  Then the one I love is Daniela but I just call her catrachita which is like the word for gringo but for Hondurans, and the older girl is Gabbi

8 months and photos!

So this was a good week! It went by so fast!
So some of the highlights of this week...

The first was that on Thursday we got to listen to a member of the 70 speak, Elder Alonso. He literally just told us all that we are terrible missionaries so you can imagine how that went. I almost didn't like it but then i realized that I am not allowed to be angry at a member of the 70 so I had to humble myself and learn what I need to know to not be a sucky missionary. But I did learn quite a bit of things. Like the story of the Good Samaritan has nothing to do with being kind to people but that it is a story about the atonement. Like the thieves are sin, we are the dying Levite in the street. The first guy that came was a priest that represented the law of Moses and how the Law of Moses cant save us in our sin. And the other guy was a representation of the Melchizedek Priesthood and how that also cannot save us and give us salvation. But not until Jesus comes. A Samaritan. Someone that no one expected to come and save us. He comes and gives us oil, which represents the atonement, and wine, which represents the crucifixion. Then he took the guy to the inn which is the church so that he can go and talk to the inn keeper who is the bishop and then he can be healed. It was super cool how he drew it out and explained every detail. It all made sense. Afterwords some were saying how they didn't learn anything and I was like "what do you mean! I learned a lot!"  and it is true. Sometimes we need to hop off of our high horse and accept the things that were being said.  He was sent by President Monson to come and speak to us so it had to be important! Very cool.


Another highlight is that we had a baptism on Saturday. His name is Juan Jose. And to my surprise he chose me to do it even though he had known Elder Solis since November. It was really cool. After we did the baptism and we were in there changing he told me that he wanted to cry as soon as he left the water. He said that never in all his life had he felt so good. So clean and so at peace. It was a very fun moment. The baptisms always make all of the hard work worth it in the end. And we have another baptism this Saturday and then another the week after. I want to plan to have a baptism every week so that we are constantly in the font.


So every day is getting hotter and hotter and hotter. Semana Santa is coming. It is the hottest part of the year. I am just dying every day. Yesterday we had to walk for like an hour to go and drop off oil to this guy to lent us his oil to give a blessing and I was like crawling I was so tired and so hot. It will just keep getting hotter too. And will stay hot until November.... I just might die here in Honduras. But at least I will go straight to Heaven. Missionary Perks right?


So overall this was a good week. I think I am slowly getting addicted to Coca Cola and I'm okay with that. I drink about 3 liters of water every day because it is so hot and I am eating good. Life is good and I will have 8 months tomorrow!!! Ya me voy! mas o menos. Un dia... creo....
I love you all so so so so so much!

Elder Garry

Week 34

So this was another super fast week! We were occupied with divisions, interviews, and Stake Conference.  Every week is just going by faster and faster.  The days feel long and the weeks fly by. And this week will be another super fast one because we get to go and listen to a member of the 70, Elder Alonzo, on Thursday.

So let me just talk about divisions real quick.  Our District Leader and the kid he is training aren't the sharpest knives in the crayon box.  We did the divisions on Thursday and we showed up and they were both super excited to do divisions like they had this whole day planned out and it should have been magnificent.  I even saw their agendas and it was full of investigators and members to visit too.  Let me just say that in the whole day of divisions, I entered 2 houses.  I went with the guy in training and he doesn't even know his area yet so we literally walked around and around and around trying to find the houses of the investigators and members.  After about 2 hours of being lost I finally just told him that we are wasting time so lets just contact.  We contacted the whole day.  And he was like afraid to do it so I had to lead every contact.  Then he just sat there and fought with each person about Joseph Smith.  After the day he was so proud of himself for the "great" day that we had.  I asked my companion and he said that he did about the same with the District Leader.  It was a huge waste of the day.  In 24 hours we taught 1 lesson and visited 2 members.  The DL was praising us for contacting so much.  So then my companion asked why he was so happy.  We all just wasted a whole day of working so that you could talk to people in the street and hand out little pictures of Jesus.  And then we hit the tag team and we both started to tell them that if you want success, you have to teach.  It was a really long day filled with nothing.  And rain!

But the interviews were sick!!  I love talking to President Bowler so much!  I respect that guy like no other.  In our interview he told me I was living the perfect mission!  That made me feel pretty well.  He told me that he remembers when I came and how timid I was and nervous I was and now I speak well, I'm a good teacher, and I work hard!  That made me feel so good!!  In the interviews we played Family Feud while waiting and I translated for Hermana Bowler.  Straight up killed it!!  And the game was way fun.  Because I was translating, I was like the game host and in charge of the points and everything.  It was just a fun time.

Then stake conference was fun too.  Elder Alonzo came and basically just wrecked every member that was there.  He was talking about how they are all future inactives if they stay how they are.  And how the inactives are all petty.  He asked someone in the congregation for a marker and 2 hands went up with markers and he took one and in the microphone in front of everyone said "now just because I chose his marker and not yours doesn't mean you will go inactive right?"  I mean he was just wrecking everyone.  I really liked it to be honest.  As a missionary we have to be all loving and ohhhh I know its not your fault your inactive.  But he just went hard core and just destroyed these people. haha  but he was hilarious while doing it so I thoroughly enjoyed that day.

So we have two baptisms for this Saturday because none of our baptisms worked for the Saturday past.  We had one of the people ask to be baptized on Saturday but he didn't have his interview and when he asked it was Saturday so we didn't have time to prepare for it haha but it will happen this week!!

I love you all so much!
Elder Garry