"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." -CS Lewis

                                                                                                                                                        22 June 2015

Martes 16 de Junio:

Old lady flipped me off today. But I think she was crazy. 

I went to the house where we eat the first day I got to Honduras and I remember thinking that it was ratchet and cramped and I felt uncomfortable. But today I was like wowww this is a really nice house, spacious, well furnished wow. So there's that.

While we were teaching lecciòn 2 about mundo de los espiritus to this lady in a wheelchair that's always sick. She made this really good analogy to how it's like an operation and then you go to this room of recuperation to wait the results of the operation. And I was like yeah that's a really good example! Then she goes and tells us about how when her mom died and then her dad some years later, she had this dream; there was this big white field and everyone was dressed in white and it was really pretty. And she saw her mom. And her mom told her not to cry. Because she had been crying a lot and asking why her mom died if she was such a good person. And her mom told her that they were all just waiting and there was this realllly long line of people and they were all waiting as one by one they got to talk to the person at the front of it all and pass through. 

But she said that she never saw who was at the front of the line, who they were talking to...

And she had that dream twice. So I thought that was pretty neat.

Mièrcoles: I have an 85 year old guiper. (someone who has a crush) He said that I have a really nice body. Not creepy at all. 

But we have this other investigator that's really old too but he's adorable and his hair is super white and he just smiles all the time and has the cutest dimples. And today he told us okay after 5 months of recieving the missionaries I think it's time to get baptized. And I feel like nobody believes him but I do!

Jueves; We went to this neighborhood called casa nava but everyone calls it casanova. We talked to a family there and they said that they were the only members in their neighborhood and that the missionaries have been visiting for 7 years and havent baptized anybody. Yay!

New goal is to baptize someone in that neighborhood

Viernes: ¨Es una cosa seria de vivir en una sociedad de posibles dioses y diosas..No hay gente comùn. Usted nunca ha hallado con un simple mortal.¨ -("“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses ....There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.")       C.S.Lewis

We had a multi zone conference today! This was different from the other meetings because I didnt have to wake up at 4 freaking o clock in the morning to catch a bus out of the pueblito de Morazán.

Just had to catch a Rapidito and in like 10 minutes we were there. But I feel like it kind of makes it less of an event.

Part of one of the activities we did I had to ask an Elder to say the names of all four of his grandparents. And he was having difficulty so I was like Jose maybe? Jokingly but he was like yeah that's one of them #typicallatinonames

Sàbado: Wooohooo happy anniversary yo my fav couple Elise and Leo Silva

One of our investigators, Jose, is addicted to coffee. He drinks at least three cups a day. So when we taught him that it's not healthy for him physically or spiritually to be addicted to something he said that he would stop, but poco a poco...

But just the other day he said I haven't had coffee in three days. I tried to have a little bit but it made me feel sick.
 It's a little thing but it's an awesome thing for me.

Domingo: Today I was reading the Liahona magazine with all the conference talks and I wrote down in my study journal just all of the testimonies at the end of every talk, it was like a testimony meeting on steroids and it was really cool to see the faith of such spiritual giants all condensed like that.

The church is true and the work is hard but it's worth it

love you! 

My photos arent loading on dropbox...

Hola! from La Paz

I ended up in La Paz. You can look it up if you'd like.

Martes 9 de Junio: Last zone meeting in Santa Rita. I got to give my going-away testimony but it felt off. Like I didn't feel like I was actually leaving, like I'd been that zone my whole mission haha.

After the meeting we went to restaurant ¨International¨ and it was POURING rain and I spent too much on soup. Had to say goodbye to a lot of people I don't like saying goodbye. But there was cake, and pastelitos, and I finally took a picture in front of Pulperia Nelson!
Definition of PULPERIA. : a Spanish American rural grocery store often functioning also as a drinking establishment.

Mièrcoles: So I'm in La Paz and it makes me baggy because this was the first place we went after the airport in december. Well, after the chapel. Oh and there's an actual chapel in my area! 

Jueves: So I miss Morazan :( today was super long but we only had three lessons. We contacted for a long time but I started to get a little frustrated because I feel like we only contacted old people that are sitting outside of their house. Like all they do is sit outside all day, they arent going to have the initiative to change their lives but I guess you cant know that until you try. 

I'm getting eaten alive here by mosquitos. 

The members feed us a lot here though so it seems...Everyone's been really nice. Contacting however the people don't seem to be as receptive here.

Viernes: I can't tell if the dogs here are just meaner or they don't like my companion. here they eat pasta with rice a lot because they like to carbo load I guess.

Sàbado: This one guy I saw said I looked like I was from germany.

Domingo: Church in a real chapel!! 

"Adios Morazán"

"Hosanna" is a Greek form of the Hebrew expression for ¨Save us now¨ or ¨Save, we pray¨ 

 Martes 2 de Junio: We ordered pizza for lunch after our district meeting and it was pretty funny because there's no addresses here so Elder Mendieta just described where the house was as best as he could, and it arrived really fast! #smalltownbenefits

Some of my notes from reading Jesus the Christ, JT did a good job with this book.

¨No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconcsciousness and welcome oblivion¨

Even bodily, the atonement of Jesus Christ is an awe-inspiring thing to consider. 

Also, Judas Iscariot partook of the sacrament. One of the guys that we're teaching, William, didn't like the fact that anyone could partake of the sacrament in our church if they choose to do so. We offer to everyone because how are we supposed to find out who is worthy or not??? That's not our job.

¨Herod is the only character in history to whom Jesus is known to have applied a personal epithet of contempt. 'Go ye and tell that fox' He once said to certain Pharisees who had come to Him with the story that Herod intended to Kill Him. 

As far as we know, Herod is further distinguished as the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to Him, yet never heard His voice.¨ #bloodisthickerthanwater #hekilledhiscousinJohn 

¨The present writer believes that the Lord Jesus died of a broken heart. The psalmist sang in dolorous measures according to his inspired prevision of the Lord's passion: ´Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness; and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.' 

We were all checking out our family history trees and I found an ancestor with the last name ¨Hansen¨ and Elder Hansen and I were like omg we're RELATED but nobody else cared I think they consider all gringos related.

Miercoles: Made a snake out of plastic cups and yarn with Wendy. 

Went over to visit our abuelitos and swept up the back yard and stacked some firewood. Then Rosita asked me if I was going to go ¨Misionar¨ and I told her not yet so she goes and makes this elaborate lunch and I didn't know what to say, they really just live day to day but they are so generous. 

Mario said that he would drive me to the bus stop on Wednesday with all my luggage and we all got a little misty eyed...

Jueves: We did the weekly planning and I was just like 

'whatever I'm not even going to be here. I mean I really DO care and all and I hope everything goes well but it's going to be out of my hands honestly." 

Bought some RayBans knock offs for like 5 bucks that now that I think about it I don't think I'm ever going to wear. 

And foundation that isn't as powdery as I hoped and too dark for me and smells like grandmotherly.

Then we all went to Negrito which is about 30 minutes away from Morazán and met three families that are members. They don't go to church because it's far and costs money. This one lady was suuuuper nice and made us all stay for baleadas and even though everyone before, was like we're only going to stay for five minutes because we have to go but then she brought up food and suddenly we had all the time in the world haha. 

Viernes: Spent the morning helping Ilda with her English, that's the thing I don't liiike. I thought I wasn´t going to have to do homework for at least a year and a half. #littledidsheknow Then I went to go ask Maribel if she could sew up my backpack and after an hour and a half and lunch she told me yes, she could sew it. Yes, she made us lunch, and yes I took a picture, and yes that is a chicken foot. you can see my meal in all it's claw-like finery.

But with the hna Maribel, I know that whatever typical food I'm trying, it's the absolute best version of that dish. 

We talked with this guy that was trying to tell us that God the father and the son were the same person and I'm just like that makes no sense. And he still didn't change his mind even after we talked about the vision Stephen saw when he was about to die when he said that he saw two people, God the father and Jesus Christ like you can't accept the new testament and ignore that simple doctrine that they are distinct beings.

Sabado: We passed by to visit Alejandra and she hid under a blanklet and didn't want to talk to us. 

Went and helped Dersi with her English homework and it was a little difficult because it was all banking terms like that's not a vocab that I know well. 

Domingo: There were good parts and not so good parts of today.

not so good- Carla didn't wake up to go to church and wendy didn't wan't to take her teething baby

good- the way Isis's face lit up when we came to walk her to church because she thought we weren't going to come

not so good- I cried while directing the last hymn in church.

good- this random little girl ran up and gave me a hug afterwards because she said she didn't want to see me cry.

not so good- we didn't study 12 semanas and we took a 3 hour nap. 

good- we were able to leave after and visit with Johnny and Bernadino. 

not so good- Marta shut the door in our face, fam Lemus hid from us and Israel told me he wanted to give the Book of Mormon back that I gave him and that he doesn't want us to come and teach him anymore.

good- I talked to Maria and she said that after our family home evening that we had with them, her husband has started to change and that they've been praying together as a family. 

not so good- both Selvin and Eduardo didn't show up for our planned appointments. 

good-Selvin's mom fed us dinner and I played (tried to) chess with Elder Alfaro while we all watched pinnochio 

"Endowed with Power from on High"

Martes 26 de Mayo

Santa Rita otra vez. The Mission President called me on the bus ride about this Sunday. And with some things I was asking the elders and he was like "Hermana Nelson...who else are you talking to?? Why do I hear a male voice are you in divisions or whatever you call it?" And I was like noooooooo I'm on the bus so that's why the Elders are with me! Because it was in the morning and we are just supposed to be in the house studying with our companions not hanging out with Elders haha. 

Went out visiting and a 19 year old señorita came with us and it went well, but she called me a boring person and I don't think I've ever been called that before.

The power went out around 7:30 so we had to go (almost run) back to the house early and we studied for my comp's 12 week training with flashlights.

Miércoles

I took a shower this morning for the first time in IDK how long. Still hardly any running water in our apartment. 

¨Peter, with all the fervor of his soul, voiced the great confession: ´thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.´ This was no avowal of mere belief, no expression of a result at which he had arrived by mental process, no solution of a problem laboriously worked out, no verdict based on the weighing of evidence; he spoke in the sure knowledge that knows no question and from which doubt and reservation are as far removed as is the sky from the ground¨

This made me think about the reason I'm here and the testimony I have. And how some people I talk to have tried to shake that and I was so surprised. It caught me off guard. That anyone would even feel satisfaction cutting other people down. Yes, we teach people of other faiths and it would be a lie if we said that we didn't try to change their minds. But the way that I see it, we are just trying to bring more light. Not create doubt. I always laugh a little bit in my head when people try to make me question my testimony of my calling and of this church. Like do you really think you have the slightest chance of changing my mind? I have been endowed with power from on high. I have been set apart from the world for this specific period of time and in this specific country. I may not know everything but I am absolutely positive that no outside force can make me turn away from the promises that I have made with my God. Only I have the ability to do that. And I will not. With all that I have seen and experienced in my own life and in the life of my friends and family, I can't. The Lord lives and this is his church. Just like Peter, what better answer than from God?

We received a referral from the Ramos family and we hiked over to see her. When we got to the house she beckoned us in but she wasn't smiling or anything so I wasn't quite sure if she wanted to recieve us. Then we got to talking and she tells us that today she came home from work, closed the door and just sat down and cried because she felt so alone. She was praying that someone would come and comfort her. I was really glad we came right away instead of waiting until later to contact that referral. By the end of the visit she was smiling and laughing and excited to go to church on Sunday. 

Jueves: ¨Porque el me envió, conmigo está; no me ha dejado solo el Padre, porque yo hago siempre lo que a él le agrada¨ Juan 8:29 ¨The evident earnestness and profound conviction with which Jesus spoke caused many of His hearers to believe on Him; and these He addressed with the promise that if they continued in that belief, and shaped their lives according to His word, they should be His disciples indeed¨ ¨Y conoceréis la verdad, y la verdad os hará libres.¨

Learned how to make ¨catrachas¨ today. You just fry (of course) corn tortillas and put refried beans and crumbly cheese on top. It's funny because ¨catrachas¨ is another name for the women from honduras. 

Viernes: ¨Amados, no creáis a todo espíritu, sino discernid entre los espíritus para saver si son de Dios; porque muchos falsos profetas han salido al mundo.¨ 1 Juan 4:1 okay happy 7 months to me.

¨ Excuses are easy to find; they spring up as readily and plentifully as weeds by the wayside; when the Samaritan came along and saw the wretched state of the wounded man, he had no excuse for he wanted none.¨

So my hija is sick again :(  I let her rest for a little while and then we left to work.

When we talked with one of our investigators, towards the end of the lesson her baby was finally asleep so we could talk normally but my comp was dying of the sniffles so we finally had to leave. 

Her baby literally does not let her rest. It's 18 months old but constantly needing her attention. 

We did an activity in the church and it was supposed to start at 6pm but nobody showed up until 6:30.

We were there for the spiritual thought and then left during the game to go make the catrachas, there was enough for everyone thank goodness. 

Sábado: I made spaghetti sauce and I got to let it simmer for a reaaallllly long time because my companion was sick and didn't want to leave the house. I couldn't find any tomato paste or canned diced tomatoes in the supermarket so I just used fresh tomatoes. 

Domingo: Today was the day that the mission president and his lovely wife visited Morazán! They both talked a little bit and it was great. Lunch was great, the salad turned out great and it was the same salad and bread that we had in that meeting for just the sister missionaries. And the spagetti sauce turned out really good if I do say so myself. President was really nice about it and said that all of us in the kitchen cooking together made him baggy. like he actually said baggy and removed his nametag part of the way hahah. IDK if I ever explained this, but baggy is what we say when we get homesick.

Like when I tried the cookies that Hermana Klein brought and almost cried. 

Oh and right when we wanted to all go our separate ways it started to rain cats and dogs (and it hasn't rained in quite a while!)

President took us to our house and we had left the windows open and water got in and also under the doors. Because it was raining and windy and for some reason in Honduras it's normal to have really loud thunder in the middle of the day. We stayed in the house a little while to try and get it dry and ourselves dry. I was absolutely soaked because I spent a good amount of time on the balcony just letting it all soak in. I think I'm gettting transfered to Progresso which is city instead of pueblito. Morazán is beautiful and green and I'm going to miss it. 

Also, I received the wedding announcement of Jennie and Walter on Sunday and I opened it in church after President handed it to me. Everyone wanted to see and said that my friend is very beautiful.

It breaks my heart to hear about her father passing away. Dan Lamb is a great man and always so kind to me and treated me like just another one of his kids when I was in their home.  How beautiful are the promises that we have that families can be together forever. My heart goes out to the Lamb family - I love them so much!

But this was the week! And I have one more full week in this area so I hope to enjoy it as much as I can.