San Pedro Week 4

My beloved family

I bet you guys are reading this in a room with air conditioning....count your blessings. Haha no I'm joking but it is crazy hot today! Its ok it will get better in a couple weeks. Thank you all for the emails I love seeing what you guys are doing. ( for the people not writing me, get to it). This week was so awesome! So many great stories and experiences. At the beginning of this week we had ward council but when we showed up, no one was there. But when we went out back to the basketball court everyone was playing tennis! They brought rackets and a net and it was awesome! We got to play for a little and man was it a good time. My comp told them I used to play when I was little and they want me to teach them on P-day haha. But I can't because I have to wash clothes....

I realized this week that I really don't know anything. Haha thats weird to say but its true! I need to rely on the Spirit for everything! We had an appt to go back to this guys house to teach the second lesson but in my head I really didn't want to go back because he was kind of rude, he didn't want to listen, and already told us he didn't want to get baptized ever. But the Spirit told us that we still needed to visit him. And it turns out that his cousin was there and is realllllyyyy prepared for this gospel. It was just a huge testimony for me that as missionaries we shouldn't do what we want to do but we need to do what the Lord wants us to do.

Normally when we are out walking around we are always greating people and saying hi and usually the people answer with same thing. But when someone says "Adios Elders" we always turn around and go talk to them because either they were baptized or they have talked to missionaries before. And this week it happened 3 times! The first was a woman that had received all the lessons but just wasnt ready and she told us she thinks she is ready now and wants the lessons again! Cool experience. Next one was 2 women that have been inactive for a super long time and the daughter had just had surgery and was feeling really sick. We were able to give her a blessing and they came to church this last sunday! The last one was a sister that is married to a non member that really has been praying for help for her husband to be a better person. And told us that she has been praying that the Lord would send her help. All these experiences happened just from people saying Hola Elders and us turning around to talk to them. I love this work!

This Saturday we had 2 baptisms! Alejandro and Angelo! Brothers of a part member family. It was such a great day, alllll their family that are members that live all around San Pedro came to the baptism to support them and it was so great to see the strength of this family. And all because one sister in the family got baptized 10 years ago. I had the blessing of getting to baptize and it was really special because they seem like my little brothers. They are excited to go on missions and serve in arizona and come to my house haha. Their testimonies after the baptism were so powerful for being younger kids and I know they are going to grow so much in the gospel. The friuts of serving this mission are worth everything!

Thank you all for your support and remember to write me! love you!

-Elder Sessions

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For one dinner this last week we ate at this sisters house but she wasn't going to be there so she gave us the keys earlier that day and said to use whatever food you want and cook because I'm going to be out of town.. haha we made tacos!

This baby really wanted my juice haha so adorable

My district leader and I study english ever day after lunch!

San Pedro Week 3

Hey Family!

So great to hear about your guys week! Everyone is on vacations which is just awesome....not. You guys are suppose to wait till I get home! Well I hit the 6 month mark this week! Woooo YAAA so exciting. Todavía estoy tan joven. I still got a sister mission left (the sisters serve for 18 months) to help the people in Honduras! 

At 6 months we burn a tie!

I'm loving it here! My comp and I had a good last week and we were able to work a lot of with our members! Early in the week we had a correlation meeting as a ward and it was amazinggggg! The ward is super focused on getting all the recent converts activated again and everyday this week we went out with members in the ward to go meet with the families that haven't been coming to church. It has helped so much in receiving references and new people to teach from helping people come back to church. And its so nice to see the ward animated and ready to help the missionaries. ( just like all you guys are doing right? ). Its a huge blessing for me to be in this ward and to have them to back us up when ever we need their help.

Our zone meeting this week ended a lot differently than most. Everything was normal, we had a good lesson everything was good then when we went to leave....both of the gates were locked!!! Zone meetings are in the church and we don't have keys so the workers let us in every week. But this time they forgot about us and we were stuck in the church for 3 hourssss. The only people with keys were working super far away and it was 1000 degrees with no water. But what did we do? We played basketball outside the whole 3 hours to pass the time haha It was a waste of time and I was frustrated that we couldn't leave and go get lunch but it was a good zone bonding activity. We just had to work extra hard the whole rest of the day ;)

One thing that's been great is that we have a gym in our area that we go to every morning! My comp has a heart problem so I make him go to make him feel better haha. The guy who owns the gym is like a trainer and he tells us what to do and one day this week he made us do legs..I told him, hey I walk allllll day please don't make me do legs I will be so sore. He didn't care and he ended up murdering my legs. I was walking like a drunk guy for 3 days my legs hurt so bad haha Other than that, the gym has been a positive experience and it's good to work off that fried chicken.

My comp and I had a really cool testimony experience this week about the power of the priesthood and the role it has in everyone's lives. We are teaching this family that comes from a very humble background and at this time the father didn't have a job and everything was going to downhill. They wanted desperately to get baptized but didn't have the money to get married first. This week when we stopped by he was very sick and we had the chance to give him a blessing. The next day he felt completely better and he called and asked for another blessing to find a job. And the next day he got a job! He was so happy and I'm so glad to see his family progress in the gospel and to receive the blessings that the Lord has to offer! 

Love you all!

-Elder Sessions

This is where you find me on p-day!

San Pedro Week 2

A family that is preparing for baptism

Hey hey!

Hows everyone doing?! It seems like last week was full for you guys! My week has been very very different. I think I am going to learn more in this change than in all my other time in the mission...which isnt a good thing haha. Having a Latin comp is just so different and they do things so different so its going to be interesting haha but today we got to go eat pizza and that was awesome! Its so nice being in the city!

Early this week one day we were getting ready and we got a surprise call from our AP's that they were coming to do divisions! Which was great because we got the gringo Elder Lindsy in our area. He's so legit and its sad because he finishes his mission this change....he's a great missionary and we learned so much from him that one day that he was with us. He gave us some pointers which was awesome because we need it! Poor kid had to sleep on the ground because we only have two beds. But hey thats what you get for doing surprise divisions haha!

One thing that is so funny here is that alottttt of people can speak English. Not perfect or anything but enough to communicate. And when we talk they switch back and forth from english to spanish and it hurts my brain! Some of the people that have a little more money pay 1000 USA dollars for an english school which is a lotttt of money down here. One day this week we were with a family and she pays that money for each one of her kids and she told the kids that they could only speak english when the elders are in the house. Well one of the kids came in and yelled, Good Morning! Its was 8 at night. I said its "Good Night". and he goes nooooo its Good Morning I know it. Then I said, " well there goes 1000 bucks down the drain" haha only my comp understood me but it was hilarious.

Because people have more money here they buy more expensive food but just because it cost alot doesnt mean it tastes good haha! Well for them it is good food but for gringos like me its the stuff you throw in the trash. This last week I had cow tongue, cow stomach, cow tail again, and some type of cartilage from an animal I don't know haha crazy! For you that dont know, Im not a huge fish fan but I got fed that this week a couple times. One time I accidently swallowed a sharp bone they call a spine and I almost died! No I'm joking but everyone was freaking out, I just ate a tortilla and it went down normal. See this is why we should not eat sea food people. haha

The fish that almost killed me!

We have these 2 younger kids named Alejandro and Angelo that are getting baptised in 2 weeks and its like a breathe of fresh air teaching them! Their mom and sister are members and we reactivating! These kids can see how bad the life around them is and they want to change and be better people. They have had a lot of good examples and bad examples and its great to see their desire to have bettter in their life. Thats what I love about this church and gospel!

Love you all! 

-Elder Sessions

I get to eat cereal out of a cars bowl and it reminds me of my nephews

I got a free shirt and hat!

San Pedro Week 1

Gringos!

  Wow this week was crazy fast! and crazy different! Hmmmm where to begin.... well I had changes! It was a sad time. All Tuesday I spent visiting members and investigators saying goodbyes. It was rough! I made some really great friends there and I will miss them! And I'm disappointed that I won't see the people we have been teaching get baptized and progress :/ But its all good because I get to go spread the word in a new area!!.....the city of San Pedro!! And my comp is Elder de Leon from Guatemala!

New Comp Elder de Leon!

 Im super excited to be here! My area is called El Smith! Its right in San Pedro like the west side I think. And let me tell you...it is soooo different than Dos Caminos. First there are no dirt roads which is super weird and all the streets are numbered and people actually give good directions haha. The houses all have' big walls and we have to ring doorbells to talk to people! Our house is just for me and my comp and its pretty nice! Big for 2 people. We live behind a members house. We also have a ward here! Church was so organized and started on time I almost felt like I was in the states haha And everyone has cars so its weird not seeing any moto taxis. If we visit a member at night and its 9 and time to go home, they drive us home because they don't want us to get robbed.....and they want to help us with our investigators...very different than Dos Caminos haha

Here in the Smith we had 2 baptisms this Saturday! It was so cool to see the whole ward show up and support them. One to get baptised is named Janette and she is so awesome! She is heading to the temple this next week to do temple work for her family!

 Next was this little girl named Sury whose family we are reactivating! She is a special little girl and is so funny. And the first day I met her my comp asked her who she wanted to baptise her this saturday and she pointed at me! So this last saturday I had the great oportunity to baptize Sury! It was so amazing! usually she is bouncing off the walls but she was so sincere and full with the spirit. It was a great day!

Also In Dos Caminos Alicia and Mariela got baptised so hopefully I will get the pics today to send to you guys.

The weather here is really different. Every night it just pours rain(not like in mesa this last week) and my first day here when it started to rain I remembered I didn't have any of my books and camera in a bag and I had to crouch over and carry my bag and run through the streets. Its a weird sight for Latins to see some lanky gringo running by their house haha. But I'm excited to get to know more of my area and meet more of my zone!

Elder Porter, his bro from the CCM ,  is in San Pedro too!
They get to see each other on Pdays!

One thing i want to share was when I was in my last day in Dos Caminos. Its about Isis again im sorry im sorry its the last time I promise! haha. Well the last time we visited her it was a rough visit. She told us she believes in what we were saying but she wanted to know for sure and was praying to God to find the answer. But she hasn't received anything. She said when she reads the Book of Mormon she doesn't feel anything. She says when she's at church she doesn't feel anything special. And her whole family is fighting against her to get baptised and feels like God isnt answering her. As a missionary that is so hard to hear and I felt really down. I felt like that's not right... why is Heavenly Father not helping her? For a week I was praying to figure out what we could say to help her and my answer came literally the morning of our appt with her. I was packing my things and one of my old Ensigns fell to the ground on a page from a talk from Elder Ballard exactly about what Isis needed! About how God answers our prayers and what we need to do and really it was just perfect. We used his points in the next lesson and her whole attitude changed. It strengthened my testimony so much about the power of prayer and Heavenly Father always answers. Doesnt matter how hard the mission is at times, its expierences like this that make it all worth it!

Love you all! 

Adios!

-Elder Sessions

2 familys from Dos Caminos!

First day with de Leon

Hiked this mountain today. It was sooo hot!

Dos Caminos Week 18

At the meeting in San Pedro and got to hang out with Elder Porter my boy

Family!

Howdy everyone! Sorry... my comp is from Idaho and has got me talking like a farmer. This week was AWESOME! So many great stories and experiences with the Spirit. It is a little sad because changes are coming this Wednesday  and I'm almost positive I am leaving. I've been with Duff for 2 changes and I was here before him. I am excited to experience a new area and everything but I am going to miss all my friends here! So many awesome members and investigators that have been changing my life! We have 2 people getting baptized this Saturday and I really wish I could be here with them.

One of the girls getting baptized is Alicia. She is 16 and really is the investigator that missionaries pray for. Right from the beginning she prayed and got her testimony. She has come to every church meeting and activity for the last 5 weeks and she even paid to go to the temple with the ward this last week just to see the temple and go to the visitor center! Super cool experience. The other investigator is Mariela! She has 2 little girls and I actually taught her a couple months ago but she didn't want anything. She recently gave us a call saying she lost her job and needed a better relationship with God. During our visits and her coming to church she just started to receive a ton of blessings and received her testimony thanks to her experiences. Both of these investigators are awesome and I'm so sad I won't be there to see them in white! But planting the seed is what is important. Doesn't matter who does the harvesting.

This week we had a meeting for all the missionaries in San Pedro! It was given by a member of the 70, Elder Alonso. He reminds me exactly like President Wright... it was kinda weird. But we learned a lot and it was awesome to see everyone and get a huge spiritual boost.  When we were traveling there we had to take a bus like normal. It was a regular size school bus. With about 400 people shoved inside. We were more towards the front and this last month the road to San Pedro has been closed to a one way for construction which is super slow bumper to bumper traffic. Well as soon as there is an opening our driver cuts over to the ONCOMING TRAFFIC and starts hauling it down the center of the street! Cars and other bus are swerving out of the way and our driver never once touches the brake. All the other drivers driving normal on the other side of the road are just pointing and laughing while we were about to die! This goes on for a long time until the construction ends and he zips back over. And all he says is" Hey these people need to get to their jobs on time". Man people are crazy here.

It was Duffs birthday this week! super exciting because if you have a bday everyone makes you cake! We had 4 cakes for his birthday haha its the great life. The other Elders in the house got him a dart gun and water gun and it was a huge mistake. Since being ex-military Dufff just runs around shooting us all day haha this is my life here in Dos Caminos.

At hermana Isis house to eat cake for duffs bday!

The family Mejias tradition for bdays is you have to soak the person! sweet action shot haha

This Sunday which might be my last here in my area was so amazing because allllll of our progressing investigators came! We had 11 at church and all 7 that have a date for baptism came too! It was just so cool to see the fruits of teaching and seeing all of them really searching for the truth. The doctor Isis came! That was special because she studies and does practice allll week and can only make money on sundays but she choose to come to church! And the family Donaire came and they made a ton of friends and their son loves primary and its great ... I cant really explain it.

I love teaching this gospel pf Jesus Christ!

I love you all, make sure to write me or I won't send anymore pics haha

-Elder Sessions

Dos Caminos Week 17

Like a real catracho ( a Honduras man) eating fried chicken and tortillas!

Hola!

Hows everyone doing?! This week had a lot of ups and downs but ended up being really awesome. It all started when we were teaching this family and this little girl coughed into our faces maybe 20 times. She has bronchitis. So of course the next day when we woke up we were almost about to die. We were coughing our lungs out and couldn't open our eyes. But we had a lot of appointments that day that we had to go to. The Lord blessed us with strength to finish the day but right when we got home it was just horrible. I had my magic juju oils and by the next day I just had a head ache but Duff didn't want to be healed so for the next 3 days he suffered. We all have our agency right? haha I'm just joking he just thought they smelled weird. Which is right I'm not going to lie.

So I had a lot of time for about 2 days while Duff couldn't walk so I did a lot of reading and studying. But after a while you just gotta move you know? So I decided to be productive and clean the whole house. Well I still had time after that so I decided to chop the front and back yard. Well I was almost finished and my foot landed right on the main water line for the house. Darn hondurans use PVC pipe for main water lines....who knows why..well we headed to the hardware store and bought new pipe and glue and borrowed a saw and fixed it but dug deeper in the ground so it wouldn't happen again. See Mom? This is what happens when I try to be productive. I break things.

One cool thing that happened this week was with 3 different times teaching the Word of Wisdom. Almost every single time we have taught this the investigator has had problems with coffee and tea. But the three times we taught it this week each person said they hated coffee and tea and that they liked juice better. Which was just a huge weight off our shoulders and was awesome for these investigators. I thought it was funny how each one said they liked juice better haha maybe they can become friends and have juice parties together and stay active in the church :)

We had a cool activity for all of our investigators this week. We had a movie night at the church and watched the Restoration! Man I love this movie. It was great because so many of our investigators showed up and they all had so many questions and they got all their answers! And the best part was the family Donaire gave us a ride home and they were able to express their feelings about Joseph Smith with out everyone else around and they said that they believe he was a prophet and are excited for their baptismal date! It made me super stoked and I'm so thankful for the spirit for touching this great family!

Had a really cool experience this week. I had divisions this week with my DL Elder Bingham. We were in his area and I loved meeting all these new people. Makes me excited for my next area. I had the great opportunity to meet this investigator that was about to get baptised. Before we taught the lesson I felt like she really trusted me and she went in detail of what has happened in her life in the last 6 months. She just had her baby 6 days earlier and now she has 4 little kids. Her husband was murdered 6 months ago and she hasn't had a job since because she has been pregnant. they live in this tiny tiny shack on the top of a huge mountain and don't have water. They have to carry water all the way up when they want some. I felt so bad for her and the hardest part was we planned to teach the law of tithing with her! It was a very spiritual lesson and at the very end after we taught where the money for tithing goes she said." wow that makes a lot of sense because there are a lot of people in this word that have it way worse than me". And I was speechless. I really just wanted to cry and thank her so much for being so amazing! Even tho she has this huge trials in her life she knew what was important. That is one of my favorite things about this gospel.

Love you all! till next week! (send me candy)

-Elder Sessions

A member during divisions gave us money to go eat at this place
that made super good meat!

Came over to our ward mission leaders house to talk to him
and found him asleep on the couch!

Our investigator Isis the doctora gave Duff a HUGE shot when he was sick hahaha it was hilarious

Dos Caminos Week 16

                             Average doors in Honduras

Hey family!

   Fast week here in the mission! It looks like everyone is having a great time enjoying the heat! Just know that it's not hot there at all. Come take a trip to Honduras and you will know what hot is! Except we have been having these crazy thunder storms that are just insane! The thunder is literally right over our heads and hurts our ears it's so loud. But don't worry I always have my emergency plastic bags for my books haha.

   This week as been full of blessings and great experiences for Elder Duff and I. One thing we love doing for our early morning visits is doing service. It's something Duff has taught me and has helped a lot in our area. This week every single day we had an appt. with someone to help with chopping their grass and things like that. We built a new wood fence for a sister and redid someones whole barbwire fence. And i love it! I get to work on my tan which is great but also the people start to trust us more and talk to us more as friends which is what our goal is through service! I also have you guys as great examples on doing service which I'm so thankful for! Can't wait to chop the grass at home back in the states with my machete ;)

   This last Tuesday my life flashed before my eyes and I almost died. No not really but it WAS scary. We stopped by this members house to teach a lesson and she had us wait while she put her dog back behind this cage thing on the other side of her house. Well this isnt just any dog....its a massive HUGE pit bull! The biggest scariest honduras pit bull you could imagine. So we start to walk around towards the back door when all the sudden we hear metal moving around and the sisters eyes get huge and she yells "Elders! Run! Get inside!" Then this insane dog comes bolting around the corner straight for me. In 2 seconds I jumped over this dog who wants gringo blood and jump over 3 stairs to grab the metal gate and swing inside like Indiana Jones. Duff was already in the house and was laughing like crazy at how scared I looked. I got a huge bruise on my leg from jumping on the metal gate. It was a great lesson we had afterwards though and we got a good reference haha!

The crazy Pit bull!

In our zone meeting this week we learned a lot how we need more confidence. Which I need a lot so it was great! When they asked what I had a problem with when contacting people I said talking to groups of people. So th y made me practice with the district like they were a whole family and I just got to know them and ask questions and teach a little of the gospel. It was great and I learned al ot and I got to practice it a lot this week! As missionaries we sometimes get scared to talk to people but it nice to know that the worst thing thing they can say is no they don't want anything. And that's not even bad because our job is to invite everyone to come to Christ! And as member missionaries you guys have the same purpose ;) just remember they can only say no or yes :)

One experience teaching this week was with the family Donire. They are one of the first full familyies that I have taught that have been progressing. They have a real desire to learn and be closer to the Lord and this week we taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Which I love because its just the simple principles and they are easy to understand and know that they are true. They have an 8 year old boy who after we taught about baptism is said " I want to get baptised". Which was awesome! But he also said he didn't feel prepared yet. And it was great to teach that as missionaries we are here to help prepare you for baptism. They all accepted a date and they are loving coming to church! Those kind of lessons are the best in the mission. Love being here in Dos Caminos and I'm going to be sad when I leave! The spirit is so strong here! Love you all!

-Elder Sessions

Baby turtle they are watching for a few days

Sweet looking spider