Week 64 good week

So this week was actually really great.  We weren't able to get the baptism because we had a big conference in the morning and then the womans conference at night.  Because Gisenias brother died a while back all of the family is taking turns taking care of the mom and this week she was gone like allll week with the mom.  She didn't even get to go to church because she wasnt even down in choluteca.  It is all just so sad with sister gisenia.  I just dont know what to do to help her because I haven't ever had an experience like that one.  So I am really relying on the Spirit to guide the lessons so I can know what to send her.  But the thing is that she still wants to get baptized so we will just do it later on.

But the week was good.  It was really really quick.  I really love all of my investigators that I have.  We have a total of 10 investigators that are progressing.  And of those 10, they have all gone to church!! So we just really have to get into the phase of baptizing! haha  a really cool thing that happened this week was that we had 2 investigators really open up to me and my companion.  One is named Lincoln and he is a dude that didnt want anything at first.  We found him like in the first week with Elder Santacruz and I was just trying to show him how to try to put an appt even with people that dont want anything.  and because I was stubborn with him, he is now someone that has a little testimony builiding!!!  he opened up to us on like Thursday and told us, "Elders, in the past, i have been visited by so many missionaries and I always listened to be nice.  But the truth is that i didnt understand why they were there.  They told me about Joseph Smith and baptism but i didnt understand why that was important.  and then you guys came to my door and I honestly didn't want anything, but now because of you guys, i understand why this is important.  You are the only ones that really are teaching me and not just throwing the lesson in my face".  It was such a great moment.  It just shows that we really gotta get to know the investigators so we can know HOW to teach the investigator.  Because the lessons are easy to teach but they are even easier if we know how to teach it to teach their needs and problems!

then our other investigator Carlos, we have been teaching him since the days of Elder Hernandez.  and he just wasnt ever really progressing but goes to church with us and everything.  We would always put baptismal dates but he wouldnt get baptize.  We realized that maybe he just didnt understand the Resoration yet.  So we watched Joseph Smith movie with him and right after he just looked at us and says "I think it is time to get baptized" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he told us that this whole week he has wanted to get baptized and then he was nervous because of it so started dodging us.  Then he called us to invite us to come over and then we watched the movie and boom! A super awesome investigator!!!

This week was just so great!! And really wet! It rained really hard all week again.  Like honeslty, it rains everyday all day.  im either sweating form the heat or just soaking wet from rain..... its all about the experiences though right!!

Well I love you all!

Elder Garry

Week 63

So this week was just thrilling!! mostly because of what is happening with our golden investigator Gisenia.

So we had planned to visit her on Thursday but that Saturday before, her brother was kidnapped. So she calls us Thursday and tells us that on Wednesday, her brother was found murdered. I guess what had happened is like 3 years ago, he was offered a lot of money to kill his best friend and said no. And the dude told him, well that's fine if you don't want to do it, but now you know and I will kill you if you tell anyone. So he didn't tell anyone and nothing bad happened to his friend. But a few months ago, I guess he told his friend about it. And now he shows up murdered. So now our investigator is really sad and an emotional wreck. We went and visited her and she just opened the door, looked at us, and started crying again. It was really sad. But it was a perfect time to teach her the plan of salvation. She told us that in the message, she was just full of peace. That she didn't forget her brother died but that she just understood better that it is all part of the plan that God gives us all. It was a really spiritual time. We told her that the plan that God made is perfect and that there are no mistakes. That people die when they are supposed to die. She asked me why some people die in worse ways than other people. and i just told her I don't know, but that we just need to put faith that this wasn't an accident but that this is all part of the plan of God. She was so amazed at the message and the new information that we had taught her with her own bible, that she just realized that this was the True Church of Jesus Christ and that she needed to be baptized in his church. She still doesn't understand the whole Joseph Smith thing but we are working on that and tonight we have another movie about the prophet Wilford Woodruff that talks about being baptized again by the correct authority of God. So we hope that it all goes well.

Right now while I am typing, there is a bird pecking at the window trying to get in. Should i let it in???

Anyways, a fun thing was that we are finally seeing all of the fruits of our work. This Sunday we had 7 investigators in church! and they are all people that we are actually teaching and not just friends that people brought to church. But real people that could really be baptized. I am really hoping to be able to have all of them get baptized within the next 3 weeks because that would be amazing. We work hard every day and now we are finally seeing it. I think the blessings come from working in the super hot sun and the pouring rain. Whatever you throw at us, we are still out there talking to people even though they think we are crazy for walking in the streets when the rain has overflowed everything and it is now up to like our calves. I tried taking pictures but i didn't want to ruin my camera so i figured you could just take my word for it. After all, like it says in St John 20:29. It is better to have faith than seeing to believe. But it was incredible how hard it rained this week. Our whole area was just flooded because it rained for a good 3 hours straight. but wicked hard rain. It felt like hail was spiking me in the face. And I don't know why, but Choluteca is super hot, but the rain is FREEZING cold.

This week I ask that the people who actually read this, pray that Gisenia can get baptized this Saturday. This is a big moment and we all know that Satan will be working against her. So i ask that everyone will pray and pray so that she can get baptized this Saturday. It should be really fun because Elder Santacruz will be able to baptize her. And it will be his first time! I love seeing that little guy grow up! I remember his first couple steps and now he is going to baptize someone!


I love you all!

Elder Garry

Week 61 Rain more rain and pictures!

So this week nothing big happened in the life of a Honduran missionary.  This week it rained like crazy.  Like I have honestly never seen so much rain.  I feel like now, it is weird to me if it doesn't rain.  For about 4 weeks straight, it has rained almost every day without fail and I have gotten soaked, about every week without fail.  But on Thursday, it was on a whole different level.  I wish i had gotten photos of it all.  So we had just finished our district meeting on Thursday and we decided to go to KFC and eat.  So while we were there it seemed like the end of the earth type of rain.  The lights were flickering on and off, there were people running inside for shelter, and there were lightening bolts landing in the parking lot.  I mean it was some pretty legendary stuff.  I was in KFC for 3 hours waiting for it to stop raining that hard.  And when it all stopped, the roads were flooded and not one taxi wanted to take me home... so we walked.  And no I'm not bitter, just soaked.  and because of the rain that keeps coming, we basically never have power in all of the city of Choluteca.  So when like 6 comes around, we have to go home because there isn't anymore light to work with.  So legit, this week I might have had a full 2 days to work.  And without light in the house, it really isn't all that fun to stay home either.  We couldn't even play chess!

It is fun having to jump from like pebble to pebble to cross a lake of water, but if you miss that pebble, the day just turns to suck a whole lot faster haha but I think that it amuses the Hondurans to see the Mormon Missionaries trying to preach the gospel in this hurricane so I just keep doing it because at least that one someone is happy!

Another fun thing that happened this week is that we got to go to Teguc for a training meeting.  It was basically a time to find out who is working and who isnt working.  I felt pretty good about it though and it was fun to stress out the other missionaries who have already broken their children and they dont work as much hahaha  I love the meetings because they always just give us pizza so that is a good free meal.

I mean honestly that was about it.  Just a normal, regular week.  I need you all to pray that my investigators can get baptized.  We are teaching so many but they just aren't getting baptized.  They all know it is true but they just aren't baptized.  So pray that we can get them baptized!

Love you all
Jon