Week 13

We've had a good week so far! Hermana S. got confirmed this Sunday.  Almost all the recent converts and investigators came to church which was great to see.  We've been really busy lately as both our ward and the other ward have been asking me to help them with the piano.  The primary program is next Sunday, so I had the opportunity to learn some songs from the Children's Songbook (I've needed to do that for a while- I love playing with the primary and love the music too).  

I also had the opportunity to help out with the other ward with a Young Men's/Women's activity about serving a mission.  I learned a song and accompanied them.  

I also played the piano for a funeral of the husband of a Hermana in our ward.  It was really sad, but it's wonderful to have the knowledge that through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and living the teachings and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the promise that death isn't the end, and that families can be together forever.  

Elder Cruz will still have his boot on for two more weeks, but he's a good sport walking everywhere even though it hurts.  We've been contacting a lot lately, and I've been talking with people at every opportunity I get.  I don't know what happened with me haha, but I just decided I was going to do it without any fear, and I've been doing really well at it!  Before, I'd feel awkward and not do it very often, but I know my responsibility and privilege as a missionary to help others find greater happiness in their lives. My companion is really proud that I've started to talk to people at every opportunity (he has no fear). I'm more confident with my Spanish, and as long as I don't get too nervous, I make few mistakes. 

I'm learning that faith, diligence, and patience are essential in becoming a better missionary, or learning anything worthwhile.  It's difficult, but the reward of attaining a goal, ambition, or objective of merit is almost always directly proportional to the amount of work put into it.  I've been trying to become more like my Savior every day by learning about his attritubutes and working every day to implement these qualities and become a better missionary and person. I realized that I'm missing a lot, but I know that every day with faith, dilligence, patience, and the help of the Holy Ghost guiding me, I can become more like Him.  

We are teaching lots of people and meeting a lot of new people every day.  We've been having a lot of unplanned setbacks and other responsibilities to tend to recently.  We're working every day to help the wonderful people we've been teaching learn how to bless their lives through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's amazing to see the changes in people as they come to know God as their loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved son as the Christ and the pathway to eternal and genuine happiness.  

I love you all!!

Aaron with Jocelyn's poster

A giant cathedral

Massive 2 lb avocado

A family's iguana

Aaron caught a scorpion outside his bedroom.

Week 12

Hi! We had a baptism this week, Hermana S. got baptized, but her boy had a little accident so she wasn't able to get confirmed.  The secretaries from the mission office had a baptism which is super mas hizo since they only get to leave the office in the evening.  I've been asked to accompany the primary of two wards for a program they're making for next Sunday, I believe.  It's great to be able to help the members with music, but I get almost zero time to practice! Hermano A. and Hermana S. accepted the invitation! The wife of Hermano A. is still waiting for an answer to her prayers.  

We've been doing great, except that Elder Cruz sprained his ankle badly, so he has to walk with a boot for the next 3 weeks.  He can't walk too far, but he's a really good sport about it.

My Spanish is steadily improving, I hope I don't slow down or stop progressing in pronunciation or fluency. 

They have a Día de los Niños aquí, which doesn't exist in the U.S.  All the schools put on a sort of marching band parade today with drums and percussion.  It was mas hizo.  I'm having a great time here serving the people of Honduras!  

I've learned to be grateful for paved roads and tile as we just deep cleaned our home.  Filthy, gross, and dusty don't even begin to describe how it was haha.  Writing down new words and information about investigators is essential here, and I've realized how much it helps to write things down.Writing down new words and information about investigators is essential here, and I've realized how much it helps to write things down.  

Hermana S.

Día de los Niños

P-day

Street

Selfie with Elder Cruz

Week 11

This week was good, not as many lessons fell through like the past week. We have three investigators with baptismal dates and a lot of progressing investigators. One investigator, whom we've been teaching for the past two months is finally developing a desire to get baptized! We were able to bring 7 investigators to the Stake Conference which was awesome as well. Other than this, we have been blessed with a lot of progressing investigators and lessons which is wonderful. I really enjoyed Stake Conference and the opportunity to accompany the choir Saturday and Sunday.

There was a multi-zone conference last week.  I made an arrangement of "If you Could Hie to Kolob" with Hermanas Garcia and Baird.  We performed it, and it went very well.  I also was asked to play "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" with another district.  I didn't get to practice with them, but it went well also.  This conference helped me realize that I need to read Preach My Gospel more to teach better!

The rapiditos are crazy!  I've seen over twenty people in a vehicle the size of a 8-10 seat passenger van.  They modify the vans and add attachable chairs and rails and such.  They also drive like maniacs.  We got to go into town to buy some new shirts for Elder Cruz.  It's basically like a street flea market in the center with lots of fruit.  The mountains are beautiful.

The Spanish is coming well.  As long as they don't speak sloppy, I understand almost all of it.  I am still working on some stuff.  I need to annotate when I can't speak, so I can actually correct the problems instead of forgetting them haha.  I've gotten some compliments, but one day we were contacting, and this 13 year old girl started giggling when I was talking ugh.  

Aaron and los niños

Los niños

Un burro

Puppies are growing

Stake Conference!

Stake Conference selfie

Week 10

Tuesday and Wednesday we had divisions because Elder Cruz had to go to a meeting with the other district leader from our area, Elder Stuart for a District Leader's conference, so I got to teach with Elder Xol from Guatemala.  He speaks a native dialect from Guatemala- it's super mas hizo.  

Due to the Juegos (pretty much a big carnival), this whole week has been pretty interesting. A lot of lessons fell through, so we contacted a lot.  We met a man who builds his own Marimbas.  I got to listen to a bit of typical Central American music, and he even let me play a little bit.  We met a couple of new investigators, which was awesome.  Hopefully, not so many lessons will fall through this week...

I got to arrange 'If You Could Hie to Kolob' with Hermana Baird and Hermana Garcia from our District.  We'll be performing it tomorrow in the Multi-zone Conference.  I'm excited for that. I'll also get the opportunity to help the stake by playing the piano for the stake choir during Stake Conference this weekend.  I get to make up fancy intros, so I'm excited for that too.  

I never realized how poor the people are here... There are people that spend 8 hours working a day and earn $5.  $1-2 an hour is normal here too.  It's really sad.  No one could live on that in America because the cost of living is much higher, but also the living quality is higher.  There aren't building codes here, so a lot of homes are built poorer than a log cabin, except with a toilet, sink (running water half the time), light bulbs (power goes out a couple of times a week), a stereo, and an old tv.  People get their phones stolen all the time.  A lot of jovenes don't graduate colegio (school) due to work, or they just don't want to.  

I tried new fruits, the rambutan and the pulasan.  The mangosteens are super tasty.  Rambutans are cheap here.  They're tasty and only like .5 cents for each fruit.  

Mangosteens, rambutans, and pulasans

I love and miss you all!