When it began. Letter Home

I'm not really sure how to start this letter.  It is P-Day and I finished emailing you like 3 hours ago or something. Who's counting? I just told you guys to send me a letter so it only seems appropriate that I send you one too, You guys don't even comprehend how much I miss you all! I'm just a boy going off into the big scary world by myself with people I don't know for 2 years. I'm so scared. We had a devotional and a doctor came and gave a 2 hour lesson on how to stay safe and not die from a random disease. There's basically a 100% chance that I will be sick for over a month with some crazy disease from just drinking water, eating food, or from the bugs. Why the heck am I here?! People leave every week. Every week I think to myself, is this my week? Should I go home? and then I remember why I am here. People need ME. They don't need a different missionary, they need Jonothon Richard Garry. I cannot leave and I will not leave. This is going to be the hardest thing I will ever do, but it will also be the best thing I ever do and the thing that makes me the happiest. If I didn't absolutely know that this was the true church of Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be here at all. I love you and miss you but unfortunately you will have to wait the full 2 years to come and see me again. By then, I will no longer be a boy I will be a man. I will be an adult and a leader. I will be fluent in Spanish and able to answer doctrinal questions thrown at me in 2 languages. I am excited for my mission. 2 years is a long time but I'm in it for the long haul. 2 years will end eventually and when it does I won't want to leave at all. I'm excited to get to that point because that is when I will become the best missionary possible. I love you all very much. I pray for you every night. Keep me in your prayers and seriously pray that I can learn this language! It's tough but I can do it. Hasta Luego!!

Week 101 Best 2 Years

Alright, so I guess this is it, and I don't really know how to take it. For the last 2 years this has been my life and now I have to go and change my whole life in a second. It's weird but I know that I did my part for the Lord, and I know that He will do his part for me. It is all about faith.

So I guess I will just say the main thing that I have learned in my mission. And I mean there are so many different things to say, I could talk about how the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith really was a prophet, I could even mention that this is the True Church. all of which are true, but I think what I want to say more than anything, is that I know that my Redeemer really does Live. And I have had the privilege to walk side by side with Him. I realized that every time I was happy, excited, scared, sad, frustrated, or exhausted, there was the Lord with me helping me out. Every night, I would go to bed, my feet would hurt, my back would hurt, I would be so exhausted, so frustrated from the names that people screamed at me through the day, so sad because people didn't want to hear our message, and when I just didn't want to go anymore, I would try to think of the poem that Elder Duncan of the 70 read to us in the MTC saying that Jesus` hands and feet hurt too when he was crucified, that his back hurt too when he had to carry the cross up Calvary. He also heard bad things being yelled at him. and He was also rejected. I would just try to remember that I was in good company and that if He could do it, I could too. I know that He was there for me in the hardest of times. Even Christ didn't want to keep going in the Atonement as his whole body ached as he was suffering for our sins. I would remember that and think, if He can do it, I can do it. He has been my biggest example and my best friend during this crazy mission.

I testify that He lives. and because He lives, we can too. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us, and cares for us. He hears our prayers. I love this gospel. If we let the gospel change us, we will become the people that our Heavenly Father wishes we become.

Thank you all for being apart of my crazy Honduran adventure. Listening to me complain and praying for me when I needed it most.

I love you all and I will see you in a little bit.

For the last time,

Elder Garry

Week 100

Alright, this week was a big tough but it went by so quick!! I am hoping that this week goes by even quicker,
So this week we received news that Elder Renlund of the 12 Apostles will be coming to our mission on Wednesday! I'm super excited!!! He will be my 3rd apostle in the mission!!!! I will leave ready and edified to go home! hahaha
Also I had my last interview with President Bowler, that was really sad. I almost started crying when he just talked about how much he loves me. I have always had the question of "Was I a good missionary" and president told me that he was proud of the things that I accomplished in my mission and really answered my question and through the Spirit, I felt a confirmation that Heavenly Father is also happy and proud of me. I was so happy and content. in my interview, Pres. told me that I have to get married and start looking for a wife......crazy.
But this week should be fun, I'm excited. We will have a few days to work, then I will only have 3 more days until I am home! I love you all

Elder Garry

Week 99

This week was tough. Not gunna lie. It wasn't tough because I was sick or tired or busy, it was tough because now I just don't want to do anything.  I know I need to and that is what makes it tough. Luckily I have the best companion ever and he really helps me out with just motivating myself to go and work. We work everyday and we are obedient to the rules, but we just aren't working as hard as we should and staying more time in lessons and in meals. But this week I will be better and work harder!! That is the goal.

We did have a baptism this week!! It was so awesome. His name is Osmar and he turned 9 on the 15 of May. His family are members and I don't know why he never got baptized but I am not asking why because we got the baptism for that. It was stressful, like always. because the person who was assigned to baptize Osmar, never showed up..... and he was the Branch President.  Never showed up. We had called and called and called and nothing. so me and my comp just ran home and grabbed my white pants and I baptized him. It was so funny because after the baptism the kid just starts screaming "I'M CLEAN I'M CLEAN" and wouldn't get out of the font. So I picked him up and carried him up the steps hahaha crazy kids.

This week we have a lot of stuff planned and I'm excited!! Pray for me that I might be able to not focus on the time and just focus on the work.

But I will see you all so soon!

Love

Elder Garry

Week 98

This week was a bit frustrating because we had so many great plans but no time to do it at all. I had to run around all day on Thursday to do a bunch of interviews for baptism in an island called Amapala. It's super cool because we have to go in a boat! fun. Then on Friday in the morning I wasn't feeling well. took a nap and woke up with a 104 fever. and then my mission pres called me and told me that i wasn't allowed to work Friday nor Saturday. So we had like 3 days in the week where we did nothing.. then Sunday comes along and it just decides to rain allllll the live long day. That was frustrating. and the ground gets so hot from the sun that when it rains it like steams!! Then it just gets hotter and more humid! I don't know that San Lorenzo did to receive such a punishment from God but they need to repent and then maybe they wont be burning of heat haha

We were going to have a baptism but the girls parents are expecting like a 100% change in her but the parents don't care about her so they just yell and abuse her with words. our last lesson ther she started to cry from the things her parents were saying. and me and Pineda just called the parents out and told them that they need to stop. we could tell they got bothered but we spoke not with our words but with the spirit so it was a lot better and they didn't get to mad. But it makes me so sad how they treat this girl. and she is trying to make changes but the changes that her parents are expecting are just to make her a slave. Saying that people who serve God are servicial so she needs to do everything in the house.... and me and my comp said that they are also loving! And look at the parents with the angry eyes. its a tough case!!

This next week we are planning on her baptism and the baptism of this kid who just turned 9 and never got baptized.... it counts for the mission so its exciting for us! We have a bunch planned out and I'm excited and ready to work hard in these last 3 weeks so we can have a bunch of success!!

I love you all!!! See you in 24 days!

Elder Garry

Week 96 Pictures

Week 95 Don't Want to Come Home!

This week was awesome! Today, I have news..... starting today, I can now say that next month I will be going home!!!! Isn't that just so crazy! I think I only have like 45 days or something crazy like that!!!

This week was honestly so great because I had a lot of time to reflect on how my mission has been. I got to go up in front of about half of the mission and give my "last testimony" it is for the people who are in there last transfers. and as I sat there thinking about what I was going to say, I received a confirmation that the Lord is truly proud of me and happy with what i was able to accomplish I'm my short time in the mission. I stood up with tears already in my eyes as I was going to say my testimony and advice to the mission. I made a bunch of people cry as I told the story about the young man in Danli who died in the car accident and I never contacted him. Then I talked about the importance of following the promptings of the Holy Ghost and to finish the mission with no regrets. I cried. I don't want to go home. It scares me to think that I might not have such great spiritual experiences like I do now. It makes me sad. my whole mission I have just thought about going home and now that I am on the point of going home, I just sit and think, I don't want to leave. I am happy with my mission and how it went. I know I could have been better but I know that what I am doing now, is what the Lord wants me to do.

And another cool thing is that we had interviews with Pres. Bowler, I love that guy so much. he is just so great. Well in my interview he told me that I now have permission to start thinking about things in my house. Like where to work, where to go to school, what to study, and who to marry. It was weird but I have started to pray about these things and i can really see some progress. I know that Heavenly Father wants the best for me so I know that he will guide me in the right path.

And he told us that if our zone gets 21 baptisms in the month of May, he and sister Bowler will make a great lunch and invite us to eat and buy us coca cola!! It's a big deal because this is one of the harder zones to baptize but Sister Bowler saw how many baptismal dates we have in the zone so she made this bet. and in the first week our zone only has two, us and another area but after that week we will start to just baptize like crazy in this zone!!!! I'm so excited!! I love when we have success!!

I love you so much!

Elder Garry

Week 94 Lovin' it!

This week was great. No complaints. Honestly the life is pretty great right now. I love my companion and our investigators and the area. The branch is even getting better.

We had a baptism this Saturday and his name is Sainz Smith. I know how crazy that his name is Smith! Like Joseph! It was destiny I think haha but he was so excited this whole week for the baptism! Like every time we got there he would run to the door and be like okay tell me more about how we are going to do it so I don't mess up haha but the baptism went great. I got to baptize him it just went great!!!!

Another cool thing is that we have another investigator named Asusena and she is a reference from sister missionaries. She is the cousin of another investigator that they had. We invited her to the baptism and when we got there we see her with the bible and the Book of Mormon out studying the Plan of Salvation pamphlet AND filling out the questions! She is so great and will be getting baptized on the 6th of May! So exciting!

Another fun thing was our family home evening that we did last night. we talked about the strategies of satan to make our lives bad and then we talked about the strategies we have to conquer satan. it was a great class. And it was for one of our investigators who isn't really progressing that great but after this class we could see her just shining. I just know that was what she needs and that she is know excited to learn more and keep studying. And maybe even baptism!

I'm just so happy in the mission right now! Even the heat doesn't make me that mad anymore!

I love you all!

Elder Garry

T-Minus 8 weeks New Companion

This week was so awesome!
So Elder Chojolan finished the mission and now I have a new companion named Elder Pineda from Guatemala as well. Just that this time he and i get a long great! haha
Elder Pineda is the coolest. It has only been like 5 days together and he is already on of my favorite comps that I have had. We work super hard and we just talk all day long as well. Like for example, last night we just talked about all of our favorite songs and we would just sing them all. We have the same interests and everything. He always says "we are twins" whenever we figure out that we have the same interests hahaha

So lets talk about the work!
As of right now we have 7 investigators with a baptismal date! and they are all so great! We have baptisms lined up for the next 6 weeks! We have one lined up for this week and then another for the next and that's how it will be this whole month and the month of May!!!!
Just yesterday we found 2 new investigators who are so great I love them so much!!! One is named Asusena! She is 18 and during the lesson when we were talking about Jesus and how through him we can live with God, she just starts crying so hard and the Spirit just filled the room. It was kind of funny because as Elder Pineda was talking I was watching him, then he stopped to pass me the time and I look over at her and she is crying and it startled me because I wasn't expecting it. She just starts saying that she knows it is all true and that she will be baptized!! She has a date for the 6th of May!
Then another guy named Noun. He was like this big time gangster and about 6 months ago, someone tried to kill him and shot him in the arm. He said that he was just full of rage and hate and was going to do something bad and then the missionaries just walked right up to him and said "would you like to be happier" and he was like well I guess I do. Then he was going to get baptized but his grandpa died and the missionaries stopped visiting. The other day we were walking and he yells out, ADIOS and my comp goes, I feel like I know him. and I was like how do you think you know him... and he said that one time he did divisions in the area and visited him. And we had the lesson and it was just so spiritual!!

So I am so happy right now!! I love life and the mission and my companion and my investigators!!

I love you all!

Elder Garry

Week 92 9 weeks to go!

This week was so hot. it fried my memory and i almost didn't remember anything that happened. but i asked my comp and he reminded me haha

I guess it was a pretty good week!!

My companion and I are working hard and having some success here now! We are teaching pretty fun as well! We realized that people really don't understand the restoration as well as they should so instead of just teaching to teach, we are now teaching super cool. We are teaching with the Rubik's cube.. exactly how Elder Coleman and Elder Bird taught us the restoration, we are teaching. Showing how the cube is perfect and teaching the elements of the church of Christ, then teaching the apostasy and mixing it. Then little by little fixing it as we teach the restoration. We taught it to the husband of a member. This husband I guess has never wanted to be baptized nor listen to the missionaries but we have been able to bring him to church and we taught him this lesson this way and then we put a baptismal date and he accepted it!! The wife was almost crying!! It was so awesome the lesson.

I was thinking about the struggles I have had this change with some people coughcompanioncough and I just started to think, what is it that I have learned from this. like there has to be something. i think that i have learned patience. And finally, after all of this time, I think I have it down pretty well. Like I am super patient now. I never was. Another thing that I have realized and understood is the importance of picking my battles. If something bothers me, I think for a second, "is it worth mentioning" and I think well what will happen if I say something, and if the outcome isn't worth it, I just don't say anything and I feel good about this learning. My goal was to be his best companion and I know that I wasn't but I have for sure learned a lot from him!!

He is actually going home on Wednesday and I will be getting a new companion named Elder Pineda. also from Guatemala. That makes 3! and zero gringo companions!

I look forward to it! He will be my last companion as well!!!

I love you all!!

Elder Garry

Week 91 Conference

This week went by so fast it was incredible! it was so great as well.

First off we have a great investigator named Sainz. He is 12 but his family are members. I guess he used to be really disobedient then the family said he needs to find someone to help him and then we showed up!! It is true he is kind of disobedient but when we are there he is so respectful and nice. And I talked to him and said he has to help the family out and I am hearing that he is getting a lot better! So basically he went to alll of the sessions of conference. And he is 12. And he didn't freak out or anything. He sat there and asked questions and it was so great! After conference he told us, "hey I know that my baptismal date is for the 15 but is it okay if I get baptized on the 4th". We had to say no because we still have to teach him stuff but he is so great! I love him. I call him my disciple because he wants to learn my magic tricks.

And conference was honestly so great. I loved all of the talks because they were all so centered in Jesus Christ and his atonement. But out of all of the talks, I think that I loved the talk by Elder Palmer the most because it helped me receive more personal revelation than the other talks. He said that we must "become the person that the Lord wants us to become" and it was a nice little quote and I loved it. We have all heard it before but this time I heard it and then I got a question that came rushing into my mind. "who does the Lord want me to become" and in that same moment it was like I could see my future. I'm not a fortune teller but I could see myself in the future paying my tithing. I could picture myself getting sealed in the temple. And I could picture myself baptizing my little kids. I realized that if I want to be the person the Lord wants me to be, I have to do as Elder Hales taught and to be a true disciple of Christ. Not just follow Christ but to do as he would do. I have to live this gospel and not just teach it. It makes me want to be a better person. What the Lord wants are people will to become better. And that is through living the gospel of Christ. It was just such a great moment where I could see the big picture and not just the normal 5 steps ahead that we normally can see.

So I loved conference, and I am excited to put into practice everything that I learned and to go back and study my notes so it stays in my mind nice and fresh.

I love you all!

Elder Garry

Week 90 Photos

There was no big email today. He was in a great mood. He got to go to the beach. Lots of pictures. He wrote 
me eating fish
me kissing fish
me wishing i could not sweat but swim like a fish

Week 89 Long Week

This week was soooo stressful.

We had to plan a bus to get the whole zone to take us to Choluteca and one set of hermanas got lost and we had to go and find them.

Then the day after we had to prepare the church for interviews with President Bowler. Everything went well. But I think the thing that stressed me out the most was that we were in divisions all week because of the conference and interviews. And then one missionary had to go to Teguc on Friday and so we were in divisions from Tuesday until Saturday. It was incredible. On Friday we had to do divisions with this missionary who isn't even from the zone and he was just a loco taco. He was just screaming and singing and dancing in the street. When we contacted people, he would just speak in pure slang.... and I was with him all day. I would pass him the time to teach and he wouldn't even know what to say... it was tough. And it was my birthday so I was hoping to have a better day but instead I was just baby sitting all day. And we didn't find anyone to teach the whole day, we just contacted alllllllll the live long day.

But this week ended and I'm glad and I'm excited for a new week. This week should be less stressful but still really hot and tiring. This area is great but it is kicking my butt. It's just so hot and we are working so hard and not having any success. We never have investigators at church. And my companion wants to just work his way and not really listen to my advice. Like yesterday I realized that the president of the relief society has a husband but he isn't baptized... but for some reason we aren't even teaching him. We have investigators that could be baptized but we don't visit them, just knock on doors. So yesterday I talked to my comp and we placed some lessons with those people that could be baptized and we will see what we can do with them.

Thank you guys for all of the happy birthday wishes,

I love you all

Elder Garry

Week 88 Birthday Week

This week was hot. Like last week and probably will be hot this week again. I'm turning into a weird orange and red color. Time to use sun screen. But I sweat so much that the sun screen will probably just come right off and I will start sweating a weird white paste.... decisions decisions.
My comp and I are working so hard!!! We are out in that hot hot sun trying to find people to give them salvation!! I don't think the people know that because they just hide and leave us in the heat and our message of salvation in our hands... we did divisions the other day with a 16 year old and he was like so surprised the whole time we were teaching. We would knock on the door and then he would turn to us and say "you saw them hide right?" and we said yep, lets go to the next house. And then we knock the the baby runs to the door and says "my mom says shes not home" and then the guys says.... that was a lie right. And he was just like "does this happen every day" and we said, yeah, usually they don't send the baby so today is actually better than the other days hahaha the poor guy is probably never going to go on a mission now hahahaha
We are trying so hard to find people. our area is huge!! like giant. and i think we have knocked on like half of the doors already. I just don't know if we are working effectively. I think we will start to visit more members to try to get references now. We do have some great investigators but they have to get divorced then remarried and that never happens. We have to convince parents that hate Mormons to let their kids who go to church every week get baptized. We have to convince people who think they are catholic to realized that they haven't ever gone to church so it is okay to get baptized..... Honduras.But I love it here!
This week will be so great!!! I am grateful for all of your birthday wishes!! I hope you have a great week and I hope you all eat Taco Bell for me in honor of my birthday. A green taco because its still St Patricks day and you have to respect the green.
I love you all!!
Elder Garry

Week 87 T-minus 100 days

This was a tough week. but a great one at the same time

So I wasn't even expecting to have transfers so having to say goodbye to everyone was really tough because I wasn't mentally prepared. I wish I could have stayed another transfer in Danli where it is nice and cold and everything. But I got transfers and now I am here in the hottest place in all of Honduras. The thing is that the area really isn't bad at all. This is the only area that I have ever been in where there are actually real streets. like paved roads!!!! I didn't know that they excited!! My area is right there on the beach too so we area always passing by and it is really pretty. the only thing is that it is like another level of HOT. it is the hottest place in all of Honduras.  And I testify that it is true. After like 4 days, I am already more Brown. People ask if I am from Guatemala now because I am not a gringo anymore. Not true but it could happen.

I am feeling really stressed though. It is so hot that I cant sleep. We have fans but they just blow hot air. So I don't get cooled off. because I cant sleep it makes it really hard to want to work. And my new companion is a beast at working. He can do about 58 hours of work in the 48 hours that the week gives to us. So I am working like a dog, in the hot hot hot hot sun, and I cant sleep. And our investigators live sooooo far away so to visit them, we have to go and walk for like 20 minutes to visit them. I just feel exhausted in this area. And our pday suuuucckkss! We just watch a Disney movie in our church then my comp was like, "Alright, everyone leave" and made them leave!!! So it's just me and him again like this whole week. And I love him. Honestly he is probably one of my most fun companion to talk to. He and I get along perfectly! It's just frustrating how tired I am all of the time. I'm just exhausted.

But lets talk about the blessings that we have received from the crazy amount of work that we have done.

We found a less active family with a 10 year old daughter who hasn't gotten baptized.

We found a family that are actually married. I know I know I know, I didn't think that a married couple existed either but they have proven me wrong haha and they are Golden!! They have some great questions and are even parents of kids who can get married too!

We are visiting a guy who has been an investigator for 2 years and we can see him progressing.

So yeah, through this sacrifice and exhaustion, are coming very great things!

Pray for me. just so that I can maybe sleep during the week so that I'm not as tired.

I love you all

Elder Garry

Week 86 New Area

Alright well this week was pretty good!!

I think that the highlight of the whole week was getting to see our recent convert Kevin go to church in his suit again and pass the sacrament and then later get called to be the president of the teachers quorum! I was so happy and excited and me and my comp went and gave him a huge hug after wards.  He even brought his friend Jerson to church. And Jerson after being there for the first time in his life, told us, "I want to be baptized too". Our convert is a beast.
Cool story about Jerson, I knew him like a week before meeting him properly. We had met at a pulperia and we just started talking about sports and then I asked if he likes soccer and he said yes. Then I asked if he knew a few members of the church because there are 2 twins that will go pro. They are incredible. And he said yeah and then we kind of left. Then when Kevin presented us to Jerson, I had already known him!! It was so cool seeing how God will prepare people to receive this gospel. First we started to teach his best friend, we met Jerson, Then his best friend got baptized, then his best friend presented him to us, then he went to church and will now be getting baptized on the 11 of March. It's incredible how it all just worked out. Jerson already told me that he wants me to baptize him. Only sad part is that now I have changes so now I cant get to see his baptism nor baptize him. Really sad. But the fun part is that I will be going to my last area. Another bad... is that my area is in the middle of NO WHERE. and its so hot. and my zone is like the worst that there is. and I'm a little worried about my companion. but I'm always up for a challenge! I'm sure it will be great!

This week was pretty good. next week I will write about how it is going on the surface of the sun!
Love Elder Garry

Week 85 Pictures

Okay, I get the feeling that this might be a long letter so sit back, make some popcorn, and stay with me.

With this week, I have no complaints, I was sick on Friday again but still no complaints.

I will run through the highlights

This Saturday we had a baptism! His name is Kevin, hes turning 14 this Wednesday, and he is a 100% future missionary! He was a golden investigator for sure. We legit started teaching him like 3 weeks ago. For 3 weeks he went to seminary every day, even institute. he went to church every week.  When he got baptized, he stood right up and bore his testimony. And started to cry during it because he said he could feel the Holy Ghost so strong in his heart. It was such a great moment. Then for his confirmation, he showed up in a suit, with a white shirt, and the tie that we had given him! And he was confirmed in the Aaronic priesthood!!It was just so great to see all of that. It was fun and all but for me, the best part was thinking about who he can and will become.  He is a convert for sure. He is fully converted. And I know that he will become a missionary. So he will also be able to go and teach people in his mission and baptize. His kids will as well. His converts in the mission will have kids and they will also be missionaries. It was just so great to think not only in the right now, but the eternal perspective.

Another great thing this week was that we got to go down to my first area for Pday!! We finally got permission for the APs and it was probably one of the best days of my mission. I honestly felt like I was going home to see my family.

I got to see my first convert who was a bit rebellious. He saw me and ran to me and gave me a hug. He told me that he was going to seminary and going to church!!! He still doesn't like going in a white shirt and tie but I gave him an extra plaque (name tag) that I always have with me in case I lose mine or forget it, and he said that he will put on his white shirt just to put on the plaque that I gave him with my name on it!

I got to see my second convert and she told me that she was preparing to go to the temple and that she was so proud of herself that she is paying her tithing!!!!! She called all of her kids out of school to come home and see me!! And she made us all baleadas!! It was so fun!!

I got to see my favorite family and hear that they are all so excited to go to church and go to seminary!! That the parents are going to finally get married!! That the dad is now going to church every week and reads the BOM every day and they do family home evenings in the house!! When I saw momma Sonya, she saw me and said hey elders, then turned around and then shot back around and screamed GARRRRYYYYYYYY!! It was soo funny!! And then her little kids saw me and came running out into the living room and all just jumped up onto me and gave me huge hugs including kisses on the cheeks and everything!! It was like seeing my family all over again. I went there every single day for 6 months. She gave me dinner, she took care of me when I was sick, and even talked to me when I was sad. She also said I speak better Spanish now. #goals

I was able to see that the little seeds that I dropped over a year ago are all growing into strong testimonies and strong families!!! I about cried with every person that I saw!!!!

Its like my favorite scripture says in DC 64:33 Be not weary, for you are in the well doing of a great work. And out of small things, proceed that which is great!!

It seemed to me like I didn't do much there, but now I see that the small things that I did, are now growing into great and important things

And another fun story that I loved is about this 16 year old who is really rebellious and kind of rude, his name is Rafael. He is a stubborn guy who only looks to the negative and is really rude to everyone. But for some reason, still goes to church. So I think he has a small testimony or just uses the free wifi. either way he goes!!!. But the thing is that I went to visit with the Young Mens pres. this week to visit him because he told me that he needed help with Rafael. He explained to me what was happening and I said, sure lets go. While there, he was really rude. like crazy rude to everyone. Said that he will never go to church because the youth are all bad and that he will never go to seminary because he doesn't want to wake up. And it was just full of a bad spirit. But before I left, I got the impression to ask him about his hobby which is contortionism. and he is actually like crazy good at it.  He lit up and got half way happy. So we left on kind of bad terms but not too bad. Then a few days later on Sunday, we went back to ask why he didn't go to church. and I knew the plan was ask why, But instead of doing that, I immediately went and started asking him about contortionism and showed him that I could touch my toes because I was stretching all week to get better and make him proud. He even laughed and then proceeded to stick his knee behind his head... I told him it wasn't a competition and then started to awkwardly stretch and show him I could touch my toes again and he laughed again!. The Spirit just told me to love him. I realized that no one else did. not even Rafael, loved himself. So I just talked to him about him. And instead of asking why he didn't go, I just talked about him and we laughed and it was completely different and then a the very end, I invited him to church for the next week and said he will go!! Now I don't know if he will pay attention but that's the first step in the eternal view!!

Over all a great week!!

Another highlight was that we made intestine tacos with our land lord.... not as bad as you would think. Not as good as you would hope either hahaha

And you guys wonder why I get sick. because I'm eating dog food hahaha

I just feel so happy to be here in the mission!

I love you all!!!

Elder Garry

Week 84

Ok this week was honestly so great!

I will start off by saying that I was feeling really tired here in the mission. Just ready for the 24 months to end and go home. So I had my interviews with President Bowler and he really helped me out. He said that now is the time to really focus on the mission because they are my last 4 months. And I will always remember my last 4 months more than any other time in my mission. If I just blow it, I will always remember that I was a bad missionary, but if I just dive right into the work, I will always have a great taste in my mouth about the mission. And then he just started telling me how much he trusts me and how much he loves me and appreciates me. He gave me the option to just train because it will help me be more excited but he said that he needs me as a zone leader right now. He just really made me feel special and appreciate and it was nice to hear it all. and now I feel so energized and ready to go and conquer the world!

Another cool thing was that the day after our interviews, we woke up and were so excited to work. Instead of just doing a prayer before we left, we really asked for guidance to know where to go and work. We were walking without plans and randomly would just knock on a door. and we did it about 10 times before we knocked on a certain door. There were kids out side and when I saw them, I saw their smiles and I thought, they must be members if they are that happy. Then I see their mom and I think, wow, I think she is a member as well. Not because I recognized them but because of their radiance and appearance. So we start talking to them and they say that missionaries have never gone to their house. That the mom hates all churches because she feels like no matter what she does, she cant be blessed. And that only the rich are blessed but the poor are never blessed. She said that God doesn’t love her, he doesn’t even know her. She was crying because of how frustrated she was with God, but Elder Flores and I were just connected that day and we both knew her medicine. We talked about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and that he died for her as well. We talked about Job and how hard his life was and then came the blessings. We promised her that as she listened to our messages and starts going to church, she will also be able to see the blessings in her life multiply. Then he tears started to change from tears of frustration to tears of hope. She invited us back for this Saturday and said that she will be there and waiting for us at 10 in the morning.

It was so awesome. It was great how we asked for guidance and we received it. It was such a great experience

Another crazy thing happened.

There was stake conference this week and a member invited someone to the priesthood session. He went and when he was going back home, he got into a car accident and died. He was only like 19 maybe 20. I saw him every day because he lived right in front of the church and even entered to play with the jovenes. The thing that kills me the most is that every time I saw him, I wanted to talk to him. Every single time. I would see him and he would look at me and the Spirit would tell me to talk to him. I would see him many times during the day. and yet not once did I ever talk to him. Now it is too late to talk to him. Now I feel like it is my fault that he never got baptized because I denied him the opportunity. I learned that he attended seminary a few years ago. He went to church and everything. Never baptized. We could have done something but I never acted on the prompting to talk to him. It really crushes my heart and makes me really sad and full of guilt.

This week was a good one in learning experiences. Always seek the guidance of the Spirit like in the story of contacting, and also to act of the promptings of the Spirit. I will always remember these things.

I love you all

Elder Garry

Decided to get dressed up for stake conference

Week 83

Well my week was pretty good! It had its ups and downs. I realized that I haven't written a big email in a while so I will stop by and say hi.

This week started off pretty well. We had some cool lessons and we worked really hot. During the day here it is starting to get really hot so we are starting to sweat. It is weird because I haven't sweated since Choluteca. Then its weird because at night it gets super cold. And it started to rain recently. It's like Honduras just doesn't know what it wants. Bipolar for sure.

But we were able to have some great lessons with out investigators Kevin and Angel. They are both friends of some guys that will be leaving on their missions soon and they are super great! Kevin already has family that are members and goes to church on his own and even goes to seminary that starts at 5!!! That is so early!!! He goes to institute as well. And he is 14. He is just a stud. Angel is going to church too but not as motivated as Kevin is I think haha

So yeah the week was good. Saturday came around and I started to die. I think Friday I ate something bad and because of that it gave me food poisoning allllll day! I remember just dying. I threw up so often that I got super dehydrated. To the point that I actually started to hallucinate. My comp went and did divisions so I stayed in a gringo division with Elder Strickland who is a stud. He said that I would just start randomly talking to myself in Spanish about nothing. I could have sworn that was like at home but it was all a dream. it was super crazy. I drank so much water that next day but I still feel a bit weak and odd. Slowly I am getting better.

You would think that after 19 months in a place as crazy as Honduras, I would already be used to all of this but I guess not.

This next week should be fun. I get to go to Tegucigalpa for leadership council and all of that fun... not. Then Friday are interviews so that should be fun to get to talk to President Bowler again one on one.

I love you all

Elder Garry

Week 82 Lookin' Good Elder Garry So many pictures!