Week 52

We have the multi-zone conference tomorrow!

I'm doing well, but I haven't had the chance to take any pictures so sorry for that! But with the multi-zone and this week, I'll have the chance to take a lot of pictures!

We invited many people to go to church, but there was the 'carnaval' Saturday night, and 5 investigators who promised to go didn't go ugh.  

BUT, We have two sisters who we are going to get married and baptized in August (marriages are free in August)  and another possible family.  We are going to put up a special activity about marriage and the blessings of an eternal family.  We're planning on inviting a lawyer to help these families know how to do the paperwork (most people here have never done paperwork in their life).  We're very excited for them.  

This Sunday, we ate lunch as a district with President Klein in the house of Elder and Sister Webb.  It was fun.

Week 51

Hey everyone!

I got transferred to a new area.  It's a small, touristic beach city. There are a few hotels and resorts here, but the biggest attraction is the beach. It's very pretty.  There are two branches here, and both belong to the mission. The area is quite big and there's a lot of work to be done here, so I'm very excited to be here.  My new companion is Elder Durán from Chile.  I am excited to work here with my new companion and new area.  

It's mango season.  I'm having lots of fun picking mangos and eating them every day.  

Saying goodbye 

Aaron and Elder Duran 

District on p-day

Week 50

This week was nice.  We are teaching many people that desire to learn more about Jesus Christ and live his teachings.  A. will be baptized on July 4th!

This Sunday was really awesome because we were able to bring two new people to church, A. and B. We invited both earlier in the week, and both agreed to go.  We picked up A. and as we were heading for the chapel, I felt the impression that we needed to pick up B. even thought he told us he would go by himself.  When we got there, we found B. sitting in a chair without a shirt.  We told them that the Lord doesn't look at our appearance.  He then went to talk with his mother for what seemed like a while.  I prayed while they were talked fervently so that his mother would soften her heart and not oppose her son's decision.  The Lord had heard our prayers and B. left to go to church with us.  They both met new people and learned a lot.  

A joven from the ward was murdered last week.  It's very sad to know how  gangs, violence, and crime rob so many lives of young people here.  Please pray for their families.

Week 49

This week was good except for the two days in which my companion was sick.  We started English classes on Saturday.  I hope they turn out well.  We also did a service project with the zone leaders that consisted of breaking down a dirt wall and moving the dirt.  We were able to find new people to teach in the week, but unfortunately, some of the investigators that were progressing have stopped progressing.  The biggest difficulty seems to be going to church.  We'll work hard to help the investigators go to church this week.  

The best experience this week was finding a new family.

On Wednesday, we were contacting in one of the neighborhoods in our area to find new people to teach.  We met one family and shared a small lesson with the people present. After ending with a prayer, we felt pressed to ask if they knew anyone near their house that we might visit.  They said yes and gave us the reference of their neighbors.  We went to that house and were answered by a 15 year old boy named A. with his father.  They let us in, and we talked with the whole family.  We shared a small lesson with them and got to know them a little better.  A's mother has been a member for a long time and her oldest son also, but due to a severe leg injury they became inactive.  To resume the proceeding events: A. has been going to church with his uncle for a long time, and has a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and to be baptized.  We later met the older brother, E, who had retired from the church for a while.  He really wants to return to the Church and put his life back on track for his family.  We are really excited to teach the families of A. and E. and know that this has been an answer to our prayers and efforts to find new people and families to teach.  

Aaron and Elder Soleis made banana bread for Elder Tello's Birthday.

Week 48

Hey everyone,

This week was good.  We have been working hard getting to know more people and teaching investigators. I got to know better some of the Elders in my districts doing divisions.  There was a baptism in the ward this weekend, which was awesome.  His name is E, and the other missionaries from the ward had been teaching him.  I met him months ago, so seeing the process of his conversion was special.  

We also participated in the stake talent show with the ward. This p-day we went to the beach to play soccer. It was the first time that'd I'd touched the beach here in almost six months.  Thank you for all your support and love!

Élder Peterson

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