Week 34

This week was good, and we worked hard.  

We found many new people to teach.  They are all nice and receptive.  

We had divisions from Wednesday to Sunday.  I worked here with Elder Mendez from El Salvador, and my companion went to another area to work with Elder Hansgen.  We were all able to learn new things and make new friendships.  

We are planning R´s baptism this Saturday.  He is very excited.  We have been teaching him the letters of the alphabet with cards.  

F is doing very well.  We invited her husband to accompany us in a discussion this week. She wants to be baptized.  

We are currently teaching various new families, and people are enjoying the message and learning a lot.  We are looking forward to seeing their progress and the blessings that are in store for each one of them.  

Thank you for all your support!

Aaron and Elder Tumax

Aaron and Elder Ventura

Aaron eating chicken that he helped cook

Banana tree

Week 33

I am doing well!

One of our investigators, R has stopped smoking for three weeks.  We're planning his baptism for the 21st.  He is very excited and working hard.  R can't read, so we have been teaching him how to read also.

F is learning a lot and has been really enjoying the Book of Mormon and the Church.  She is finding strength through their messages to face the problems in her life.  She even printed scriptures to put on the door of her room.  She is working hard to meet the requirements for baptism.  We are very excited for her. 

We have been teaching R who worked as a retired school teacher.  She is reading the Book of Mormon and learning the lessons.  She is praying and reading to find out the truth.  We are also excited for her.  

We have been working hard this past week and are excited to see the progress of the investigators.  I am getting a little better every day at teaching and speaking Spanish.  We give English classes every week also, which are fun. 

I received many of my Christmas packages and letters this week!  I loved them all!  Thank you everyone for all the support that you have given me!  I feel overwhelmed to know that so many of you care for me.

I found out that Latinos don't like mint chocolate or wasabi when I was sharing my packages. They think it's super gross. Haha.

P-day soccer!

Indoor soccer court

  

Week 32

I am doing well.  We have been working hard here this last week.  It's difficult.  

We've been teaching this joven, J and his mom.  J is 13, and his mom is single. They've been in contact with the missionaries for about a year.  They are a nice family.  J has been coming to church, but hasn't gotten baptized.  He understands the restoration of the gospel, the Plan of Salvation, and all the commandments well.  

We had invited the two to read the scriptures and to pray about baptism.  We went Sunday to share a scripture about baptism, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and our responsibility to follow Him.  We invited them to be baptized.  His Mom said he's not ready, and he isn't sure. We tried very hard to explain that baptism was a big step, but that it was also a commandment, that he would be blessed for taking a big act of faith.  We told him would receive the help necessary from God for his obedience.  We explained that we are all imperfect and that participating in the sacrament renews our baptismal covenants. She told us that she is always willing to receive us and our lessons, but didn't want her son to get baptized.  We've worked very hard with him trying to help him to follow Heavenly Father's plan and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I really hope they do pray about baptism.  I hope they do because if they do, they will receive an answer to their prayers.

F and M came to church this week again! They enjoyed it a lot.  F is very attentive in Sunday school class and always answers the questions.  We had a lesson with her boyfriend this past week, but he decided to go out with his friends instead of coming to church.  She is awesome and is learning a lot from church and the discussions.  She also gives us milk and coconut tablets from her home business which she and her boyfriend run.  F has some challenges in her life. We're sure that with patience, diligence, and faith, she'll reach her goal of baptism!

We have been teaching R for about 3 weeks now.  We've visited her a handful of times.  She's a teacher and very nice.  She has been reading the lessons and the Book of Mormon.  She says she will pray to ask God if the Book is true and about baptism. 

We have been meeting a lot of new people.  Many of them are really nice people.  We're doing our best to make a positive difference here!  

Aaron decided to try out the popular Honduran haircut

Week 31

I am doing well!  This week, we worked hard and are starting to see investigators progress spiritually.

We have started to focus more on teaching with the Book of Mormon.  It's been helping a lot! 

I'm working on my teaching skills.  I want to be able to teach more clearly and concisely with more love so the people can feel that the message is true and understand it.  

We did two service projects; we helped a family move and helped chop down a tree.  It was fun.  

We have a new investigator, R.  She is very nice and always has good questions.  Le desafiamos para el bautismo y lo aceptó con tal de que reciba una respuesta de sus oraciones.  (We challenged him be baptized, and he accepted it provided that he receives an answer to his prayers.) We read 3 Nefi 11 with her, and she really enjoyed it.  

We contacted a man a week ago and came back yesterday and started to talk with him.  He thoroughly read the pamphlet  multiple times.  We shared the Book of Mormon with him in front of the house that he works at.  He was very interested and accepted it.  He told us he would read it.  

We taught the mother of a joven investigator that we have.  We shared the Book of Mormon with her, and she plans on reading it and praying about it.  We hope their family can get baptized. 

We have another investigator, F, who wants to get baptized.  She has been to church twice and reads the Book of Mormon.  We are trying to teach her boyfriend, but he's never home.  We're praying and working to see how we can help her and her family to be happier and more united through the gospel.  

We have another investigator, J, who has gone to church for a year now.  He has a testimony, understands the doctrine well (even better than many members), but his mom won't give him permission.  We have invited them to read the Book of Mormon and pray about baptism, but they haven't done it.  I'm a little bit lost on what to do.  He is so close to getting baptized.  With a little faith, I know we will be able to help him accomplish it!

In February, I hope that some of these investigators can be baptized and make covenants with their Heavenly Father.  That would be super macizo.  

Elder Ventura photo bombing

Week 30

Hi everyone! I'm doing great! We have three investigators, F, her son, and J that are preparing to get baptized soon! It's great to help them prepare to make a sacred promise with their Heavenly Father.  I love you all and thank you for the support you give me every week!

P-day hike

The waterfall

Aaron and Elder Ventura at the waterfall

Week 29

This week was nice.  One of our investigators, F, came to church again with her son.  They both enjoyed it, and F answered many questions in Sunday school.  She has desire to be baptized, but she isn't married with her pareja.  We have been able to find more investigators that are interested, which was really nice.  We are going to work hard with all of them to the best of our ability.  We are giving English classes again.  I enjoy teaching them.  I'm trying to improve myself this change as much as I can with my obedience, diligence, and teaching skills.  

We did a service project on Saturday for a sister from the ward which consisted of chapeando her lawn while getting eaten alive by ants haha.  During the project, we noticed a sister carrying heavy planks of wood to her house (located in the middle of nowhere).  When we finished with the yard work, we all helped the sister carry the wood planks over some very slippery hills (it was raining) to her house.  There were a lot of planks.  When we finished, Elder Tumax asked her if she and her family would like to receive the missionary discussions.  She didn't want anything, but called us angelitos.  It was nice being able to help the two families with what they needed especially because there wasn't anyone to help them, and the tasks were considerably large and difficult.  

Aaron and Elder Ventura

Aaron and Elder Tumax

New Year's!

American food

Week 28

I am doing well. An investigator from my last area, A got baptized on Saturday.  He's been talking with missionaries for almost a year now.  I'm really glad I didn't decide to stop visiting him when he or the lessons were difficult.  He had a lot of challenges spiritually.  We gave him a priesthood blessing to help him with his challenges that he had.  He still doesn't understand some doctrinal points, but has faith that as he keeps learning, he'll be able to understand them in the future. I am very grateful he got baptized.  I wish I could have seen it, but it's awesome either way.  His conversion taught me that faith, diligence, and love for a person can work miracles. 

Many people just aren't open to new ideas here.  We have worked hard looking for new investigators, and only a very, very small portion truly progress.  A lot of people don't want to change or open their eyes to a different point of view, or even learn something new.  It's sad to see people throw away potential blessings for no reason at all, but I know there are people here who have a strong desire and willingness to do the right.  We just have to find them!

The ward has been apagado (sleepy) in a lot of aspects.  We've received little support from the leaders.  It's been a little difficult trying to show the investigators that this is the true church when people have been asleep in sacrament meeting and commonly debate about irrelevant topics in the classes.  But, it's improving a little every Sunday, and I'm excited to see what the ward can do this new year.  

J isn't coming to church because he keeps sleeping in.  He'll get baptized because he has a testimony, but it's now just a question of when and permission from his mother. 

Some of the members here are awesome.  One hermana, B, takes care of us very well.  She is a very special person with a big heart.  

We have some cool investigators that are progressing.  F and her son, came to church on Sunday.  She participated in the classes and liked it a lot. She's super pilas (on top of things) and is very interested in the lessons and the Book of Mormon.  We're excited to keep working with her.  

I hope I can make a difference in the lives of people here through the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Élder Ventura as we serve here.  

We went to the beach today.  It was really pretty.  The water is warm and blue and the sand was really soft.  We just played sports and hung out, then ate food.  It was nice.

Aaron and Elder Ventura at the church

The beach 

Aaron and Elder Ventura at the beach

More beach

Even more beach

Aaron at the beach

The zone at the beach