San Pedro Sula Smith 2 Week 5

From Mom...
We had a GREAT visit with Elder Sessions on Christmas Day! It was so good to see his face and hear his voice! We are so proud of him and appreciate his willingness to sacrifice this time of his life in serving the Lord and the people of Honduras!!

Hey family!

Just got done playing soccer with the zone and boy am I going to be sore! Such an awesome christmas week! I feel like a gained 50 pounds from all the food the members gave us. On the 24th we got invited to eat at 4 different houses and on the way home I was like man I'm just so excited to go to bed and rest my stomach. But what happens? Our landlord invites us to eat with his family! I said a prayer and I recieved the strength to finish the food. It was a huge blessing because really I was about to explode. And then after I couldn't even sleep because they lit off those bomb things till 2 in the morning! They said that the 31st is worse so I'm kinda scared.

It was a rough week for the missionary work with everyone being out of town. Almost all of our investigators left to visit family and its really hard to contact when everyone is asleep haha  serious no one was in the streets and I didn't see any cars! They all had food comas. But we were able to visit many families that were still in town. The Peña family gave us two cakes and fed us dinner like 3 times this week! I am really thankful for the support that some of the memembersive us, its helps alot. I hope you guys support your missionaries! But don't give them to much food haha.

We were able to go caroling with a few other missionaries on the 24th and it was great! We had to walk allllll over our zone and it was a really hot day but it was a nice experience to meet a bunch of new people and share the christmas spirit! A Tongan elder had a ukulele and played all the songs for us!

We had a christmas zone activity and it was the best! We played white elephant with all the missionaries and it was hilarious. My gift that I brought was so cool honduras stuff. And as luck would have it I got Elder Porters gift! Its a picture of of him modeling an american flag hahaha so awesome. After we played  american football it was so sick! The latins were struggling so they finally understood how it is for us gringos haha. The hermanas made us lunch that was really good so overall it was an awesome day.

Well I think pictures speak louder than words so I just got lots of pics. Sorry I can't remember more! Have a good new years love you all!

-Elder Sessions

the new puppy of our landlords!

this member had some sweet old japanese swords!

dinner with the Rodrigues fam!

News flash elder sessions back home getting into his car

San Pedro Sula Smith 2 Week 4

Merry Christmas!

Hey fam hows everyone doing!? I hope everyone is having fun with there christmas traditions and being with family! The only tradition people have here for the holidays is drinking and lighting off fireworks. Well really they arnt fire works, more like tiny bombs. They dont look cool or sparkle or nada. They just make an extremly loud noise that wakes me up at 3 in the morning. The other day a 7 year old kid threw one at our feet and I had to pull my comp out of the way! Of coarse the parents of the kid just laughed....Honduras...

At church this last sunday we got a surprise visit from President and Hermana Dester! They dont have specific ward so somtimes they visit other ones. The cool part was that their son was with them! He's like 25 or 26 and is here for the holidays. We got to talk for a while he was legit. He can speak a little bit of spanish so that was cool too. The best part was that the second speaker didnt show up to church so the 1st counselor ask president Dester to talk hahaha it was so funny because it happens to him all the time he said. But he gave a great talk about christmas and Christ. Really lucky to have him as my president!

So this last week we got invited to help a family do some servic for a man that lived next door. We were going to clean his house and the back yard that was full a tonnnn of trash and all the poop from the 6 dogs he has. Well when we entered into the house thats where it went down hill. The man we were helping was the man that tried to attack me and Elder Olivas that one night! Man I started tripping out and when the man saw me it was like we had never met. So I came to the conclusion that he was probably so drunk do doesnt remember who we are. But anyway we spent 4 hours cleaning the back yard and I have like 100 bug bites. Huge massive bug bites the size of quarters on my legs haha who knows what bugs they were....but the yard looked really good afterwards!

My favorite part about the mission is seeing your converts progress after their baptism. 3 young kids that we baptized here in Smith had the oportunity to go to EFY this last week and had great experiences. They shared their testimonies in church this last sunday and man my cheeks hurt so bad from smiling so hard. Their lifes have changed completly and its just a great experience to see their growth. I also found out that Alicia who we baptized back in Dos Caminos has brought her whole family to the church and they all got baptized! Aunts cousins and siblings! SOO AWESOME. They all went to the temple to baptisms! I love being a missionary!

It finally happened!!! Ronald got all the papers for his wedding and this last Saturday him and his wife got married! and right after he got baptized! Such a happy day. I have not been teaching him since I was with Elder de Leon! like 3 months! Ronald is an awesome guy and will be a great leader in the church. He was been paying his tithing ever since we taught about it even tho he wasn't a member! His family had alot of challenges during our time with them but they always had a positive attitude and kept their faith in the Lord. This family has been a great example for me and everyone in the ward.

The baptism and wedding of the Enamorado family! 

Well I hope you guys all have a great christmas and you eat lots of good food. Save a plate for me and spend me tons of pictures! Looking forward to skype! love you all!

-Elder Sessions

Our landlord always gives us free bannanas...its the best!

a huge house with christmas lights! so cool!

San Pedro Sula Smith 2 Week 3

I like the mountains with the cool clouds

Hey family!

It looks like everyone is having a great time this holiday season at home! Is it cold yet at home? This week has been awesome! We didn't see the sun one time and it was chilly. All the people here were freaking out and had like 4 sweaters on haha. They all hate the cold and just sit in their houses all day, which makes it hard to contact. And when we put our clothes on the line to dry it takes like 5 or 6 days to dry because there is no sun haha. My comp and I are doing good! He's my first quiet comp so its just different. But he's obedient so that's really all that matters! We still get to see Elder Olivas for lunch everyday so that's good. 

Had my first experience of getting robbed this week. I mean it wasn't anything big but this 6 year was really fast. I was buying something from the pulperia and when I was handing my money over, this crazy kid behind me grabbed the money out of my hand and took off running. I didnt even move or open my mouth. I was just so confused that a child would rob 20 lemps (1 dollar) from someone that is bigger than them haha hes lucky I'm not use to people robbing me! I just hope he used it to buy some food or something. This is a good example for why the gospel is important!

We have an awesome investigator named Alberto that is the grandson of a member family that is inactive. He's 21 and at a perfect time in his life to receive this gospel! His aunt is his same age and always sits in with us during the lessons. She was bapstized when she was 8 but now goes to some other random church. We had an awesomeeeee lesson with them this last week. Pretty much cleared up all their doubts and talked about the organization of Chrsit´s church. At the end they were saying things like "How come our church doesnt have that? If the bible says this why does my pastor say differnt things?" It was like their minds were racing and they just had a 100 questions. Which as a missionary is our favorite thing. I hope they start to progress. Hardest part in the mission is when people that understand everything don't end up progressing.

We had an appointment in the Smith with the other two missionaries and were going to meet up at Olivas´s house. But when we got there they hadn't got back from there other appointment. The landlord was out front and we are great friends so he let us in the house of the missionaries. And of course the first thing that came into my mind....We have to scare them. So we hid in the 2nd room and when they got home 3 minutes later, they came in and sat down at their desk waiting for us to arrive. We waited a couple mintues and then BAM jumped out. I still dont think they have recovered. They literally screamed like a couple of sister missionaries! hahaha should of recorded it. Who says the mission isn't fun?

This week was the week of conferences. We had 2 stake conferences for the leaders of ward council and we had the general stake conference. They were awesome!! They were all focused on the work of the Lord. Trying to motivate the members to help the missionaries and support our investigators. I have been waiting for them to say this forever. I'm so tried of my investigators not coming back to church because they feel like our church is like the Catholic church because no one talks to them. President Dester spoke at stake conference and man was it good. He's such a loving guy. When he talks everyone listens. A great example for us missionaries. 

We had a awesome Christmas party with the ward! We got to bring some investigators and they got to have a great time. There was a Latin Santa Clause so that was new for me haha. 

We have been trying to work with some of the inactive members in our area and man is that rough. They straight up tell us they will never come back to the church. Man what do you say after that? We can only testify and invite. Which is more powerful than teaching sometimes! Well I love all homies back in the states. Thanks for your support and your prayers! Merry Christmas! 

-Elder Sessions

I love this dog!

Porter had these made for us!

Making dinner at the Pena's (Riiiiiight Jarom....)

San Pedro Sula Smith 2 Week 2

Jarom with President and Sister Dester

Hey family!!

Man that week just zoomed by! So many blessings this week. I didn't get the blessing of a new fan but I'm learning patience. Working with Ibarra has been great. He has one transfer less than me and is more of quiet person but he really knows his stuff and is a great teacher. I am learning alot from him. I am so glad that I keep getting new comps all the time because I learn so much from each one! We started out this week with divisions with AP Nichols. He is such an awesome guy. He's like 6'5". It's like walking around with a giant. He was able to help us in our area for a day and really taught us alot. One of my favorite parts of the mission is getting to know all these new people that make an impact on my life.

In the mission is it so easy to see when Satan does something so we don't have success. Our neighbor has a pulperia which is like a little store and we have been passing by to teach him. But while we teach him he still has to watch his little store and sells the food when someone comes up. And its not even funny how everytime when we try to testify of something, someone comes to buy food in his store and we have to wait a minute or two. Very easy for the spirt to leave. He even said, " Wow, I never get this many people, you guys need to come around more often." How more direct could the devil be! It's like he just puts thoughts in everyone's head that they are hungry and they just need to buy chips this instant haha! It's okay because we have the Lord on our side and will always come out on top!

We had a conference this week on Family History and I loved it! We really can't work on our family history in the mission so the focus was to help investigators and recent converts do their family work! They say when a recent member does the temple work for their family, they almost never go inactive. Its such a great tool to help bring the spirit into lessons when we talk about their grandparents or parents that have passed and they have the opportunity to help them. We just started working with it so I hope as time goes on we can get better at teaching it and use it more when we teach! A recent convert in my area has many relatives that have passed and she has been able to find alot of names and is getting ready to go to the temple to do the work! She has had more difficulties than anyone I know but she has one of the strongest testimonies of this restored goespel that I have seen. Really her example teaches us so much I feel like she is the missionary haha!

We also had our multi zone conference this week with president Dester! It was a Christmas themed conference and it was awesomeeee. We started with learning about the new video He is the Gift. I think thats what it is in english. But it's the video that the church as made to help with the work of the Lord and to help everyone remember what christmas is really about. We use it alot when we contact and teach and its great! I really hope you guys can all watch it and tell me what you think about it. The talks where all centered in Christ and they were really great. One other thing that I have loved about the mission is that im getting to know my Savior more. Its been such a great blessing to study His life and teachings and to really have a relationship with Him. I had a great opportunity to recieve another answer to my prayers that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. And that His church is here on the earth today. I am so thankful to be his servant here in Honduras! I love you all I hope you have a good week and have the Christmas spirit!

-Elder Sessions

Elder Lyon and I at Multi Zone Conference

End of our area with my friend Jenifer

Man I have lost weight!

San Pedro Sula Smith 2 Week 1

Elder Porter and I posing for Christmas Photo

HO HO HO

Missed eating turkey with the family so to make up for it the whole zone went to Fridays! Wasn't the same but my bacon cheese burger was still really good. 

Well I guess I will start at the beginning. I had transfers! and I got moved to the distant lands of the Smith 2! YaY! I'm opening the area and we extended it more. My comps name is Elder Ibarra and he's from Panama. He's a cool cat. Different from my other comps so it means I will learn a lot! I'm going to miss being with Olivas but he's close by so we will be able to talk still and hang out. Our house is sooooooo far away from the church and from everything so its alot of walking everyday. There aren't many active members or investigators in our area so we got a lot on our plate!

Our house is super tiny but its clean and nice so that's all that matters. We don't have a bathroom door or shower curtain so that's been interesting as well. We had to spend a whole day cleaning the house and moving all the stuff in and putting all the beds and dressers together. And when I put my brand new fan together and plugged it in it worked for 3 seconds than made a noise and started to smoke and now it won't turn on. My luck with fans in the mission has just been the worst. Every single fan I've had in the mission has broke its such a joke haha. But we got one of the new fridges with freezer so now I can buy ice cream! 

view from our apartment

We have spent most our time this week getting to know the area and getting to know some of the active members that can help us find all the inactive members. Its been kind of stressful because our ward is really struggling right now and its rough trying to excite them to help with the work. But I know the Lord will bless us with His spirit and prepare the way for us. So many blessings are waiting for these people!

Well it was bound to happen some time....a dog bit me! We were walking to a house from their front gate and the guy had his dog away from us but he looked away for one second and this crazy dog bolted straight for me and gave me a good one right one my calf! one long tooth got in good and the other went in a little and scratched down. It stings some times but it will be ok ha. They said the dog doesnt have rabbies so I guess im good? haha I'm just super scared of dogs now... And now that the dog had a taste of gringo blood, he is bound to tell his friends to come and get a taste. I walk around with a rock in my hand for protection now so don't worry. And yes mom I put some of your magic oils on the holes on my legs. I'm ahead of the game. 

Well I'm excited for this next week to really start to find new people and help the work of the Lord! Thank you guys for all of your support and my mom has the mission office address if you want to send me Christmas things....just saying....love you guys!

Elder Sessions

FHE in old area

New Comp!