Week 47

Hey everybody,

I am doing very well.  Élder Solís and I are working hard here and enjoying the life in the mission.  My companion and I have been looking for new people to teach and have met many different and amazing people.  We are excited for the opportunity they have given us to enter in their homes to teach them.  

We recently started to teach the cousin of one of our investigators, F.  His name is B.  We talked with him about Jesus Christ, the church He established, and about the restoration of that church through the prophet Joseph Smith with the Book of Mormon as a testament and evidence of its veracity and the invitation to ask God in a sincere prayer if such things were true.  Returning a week after to visit him again, we asked B. if he had the opportunity to pray about the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the true church of Jesus Christ. 'Yes', he said, so we asked him how he felt upon doing so.  'Muy tranquilo', he replied.  B. told us that he knew the message we had shared with him was true, and he knew that through the power of a simple, humble prayer. We invited him to be baptized the 13th of June, and he accepted.  

I was able to learn from this experience that the Lord always has people prepared and willing to follow Him.  It is our duty to help these people come to the knowledge of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He will help us and guide us as we try our best to assist Him in his glorious work.  This experience also taught me a impactful lesson about the power of prayer.  A humble, simple prayer with faith will answer the questions that we have not the power to answer for ourselves and to help us do things that through other means, we would be incapable of doing.  

This week we served by digging out a septic pool (just a bunch of dirt and garbage) to help a family build a new bathroom.  It was a good experience.  

Never forget to pray always for yourselves and for your families and for those in need.  The Lord will always listen to and answer your prayers.  Never forget to act in accordance with your prayers so that He will have a base upon which He might help you!

Thank you all for your support and love- I feel it frequently as I serve here in Honduras.  I will continue to work as best as I can for all of you.  

Soccer jersey from World Cup

                     P-day hike with Elder Cruz and Solis

P-day pizza with Elder Solis

First members in Honduras

Week 46

I am doing well.  Hermana O. was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday.  It was a very nice experience.  I accompanied Hermano R. in a special musical number for the ward's Mother's Day party after the baptism, which was also nice.  Talking to my family was very special for me.  I am very grateful to have their support in everything that I do. 

My new companion Elder Solís is great.  He is an excellent missionary and we work very well together.  We have been working hard together.  We have been looking for new people to teach, and we are hoping to see the results this week. 

Hermana O's baptism

Week 45

I got a new companion named Elder Solís.  He's from Costa Rica.  I saw Elder Cruz on Wednesday.  He'll go home after this change.

I am now the district leader.  District leader helps by interviewing investigators for baptisms, revising mission data to see how the missionaries are working, gives little capacitations every Tuesday to help missionaries work well, and does interchanges to help other companionships.  There are 8 missionaries in the district.  

We have a baptism for this Saturday for Hermana O.  She's the daughter of the member that tailors my clothes.  

I've been having a lot of great experiences since my new comp has come. We are meeting lots of new people.  More people = more seeds = more plants= more fruits or conversions.  

Aaron and Elder Solis

Birthday dinner for Elder Ventura

Elder Ventura's Birthday

Week 44

This week was good.  The investigators are progressing well.  We should be expecting a few baptisms in May and others to come in the following months.  L. went to church for the second time, has a testimony of the restoration, and has a desire to get baptized.  F is very intelligent and always participates in the classes.  Her son, M also wants to be baptized.  Hermana O is the daughter of one of the sisters in our ward, Hermana. E.  She is planning to be baptized on the 9th of May, and we are currently teaching her.  Hermana R, whom we have been teaching since January, told us that she knows that the church is true, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but fears joining the church for the criticisms of friends and family.  We'll continue supporting her and include the help of members in order to help her overcome her fears. We attended a seminar about family history with Hermano R.  He is excited to start the temple work for his late father and grandfather.  We chopped more grass this week as well. 

Week 43

This week was good.  We had three more service projects- chopping grass, chopping even more grass, and moving furniture.  Many investigators are progressing well.  We met new people this week. A few seem interested.  The ward's attendance numbers augmented this Sunday.  R, who was baptized last month gave a talk in Sacrament meeting.  It went very well.  Not much new has passed.  We are expecting baptisms in May.  

We are teaching a young single mother of five.  She is very intelligent and interested in the Gospel.  She is looking for a place where she can raise her children in the truth and light.  

We are teaching the fiancé of the son of the Hermana B. Her name is L.  Lorna came to church and received a visit from the soc. soc.  She wants to be baptized.  She is a very nice person and wants to follow God more in her life and transform herself into a better person.

I am doing well.  It is very hot here and very humid as well.  We walk lots every day and climb lots of hills.  The soles of my shoes are almost destroyed!

They use old U.S. school buses 

A fruit called guanabana 

A bag of water