This week I got to go on divisions with a member finishing his mission papers, so I got to be the senior companion. I like having opportunities like this every once in a while, because I get to see my progression at being a leading missionary, not just a following missionary. I was surprised at how I'm able to talk to people now, and express my real thoughts. I've made a goal to talk more to people, and It's been hard to get out of a bad habit that I've had my whole life of being quiet. I know that I can change, because I need to talk to people to be a missionary, and the prophet trusts me to be a missionary, so he trusts me to turn to the Lord to help me develop the necessary traits.
Sometimes we go to member's houses and we get to play with their kids which is fun, because I've never gotten to play with younger siblings or cousins. Everybody here is always busy, which means that playing with their toddlers gets put off. so I like to play action figures, or throw or kick a ball with a kid. I figure that it doesn't matter how well we did that day, as long as I can make at least one child's day by making them laugh and have real fun.
Sometimes we go to member's houses and we get to play with their kids which is fun, because I've never gotten to play with younger siblings or cousins. Everybody here is always busy, which means that playing with their toddlers gets put off. so I like to play action figures, or throw or kick a ball with a kid. I figure that it doesn't matter how well we did that day, as long as I can make at least one child's day by making them laugh and have real fun.
Water
I'm convinced the best kind of water there is, is the water you can get out of the tap in Washington. Here, everybody buys purified water from big blue jugs, but I'm not totally convinced that the jugs get completely cleaned out when you return them. After that water, is the water you can get from the tap here on a good day. it kinda smells like pool water, and I'm pretty sure drinking that water requires, as Jesus taught the twelve after casting out devils, "much prayer and fasting." Then comes tap water on a bad day, usually after rain when the river is brown, the water comes out with sediment in it. that's when I wait another day to take a shower. Then of course there are the varieties that can be found outside. water in puddles isn't the worst, because it doesn't stink. the NASTIEST "water" is black. you can't see through it at all and it stinks. we've had to do service in a creek of black water chopping plants with machetes. the worst was when the guy chopping next to me accidently sent a splash across my face and shirt when his machete hit the water in the middle of a swing. I can't wait to come home and drink water from the tap...
2015 Plan for Central America
The Area Presidency did something nobody's ever seen before in Honduras. Sunday the 25th the whole ward (minus primary) stayed in the chapel after sacrament meeting to watch a video from the Presidency that talked about the Plan for 2015. The Big focus was Paying Tithing and offerings, doing family history, and studying the scriptures. the video visited the families of the presidency and they talked about the blessings they've seen from obeying these commandments, shared stories and scriptures, and encouraged everyone to be a part of the plan. It was a call to repentance with a smile and nice background music. they gave everyone a special calendar that had places to mark prayer, scripture study every day. and FHE on Mondays, and boxes Yes/No for fasting in the month, and paying tithing, and a space to put how many names have been prepared for the temple. Also, every third month, the Gospel Doctrine hours for the whole month will be spent refocusing on the plan, and following up on everyone's progress. I think this'll be a really good way to "hold the hands" of these people that haven't grown up in the Gospel, to teach them what it's really like to be an LDS family.
Misisonaries are part of this plan too! We are now supposed to have a Book of Mormon in our hands at all times when We're out working. This'll help us talk more about it, because we already have something in our hands to show people. Also, it'll help us from getting mistaken for Jehovah's Witnesses. It'll be awesome in a few years when people will start to recognize the missionaries for "that book that they always carry in their hands." we noticed an immediate jump in the number of BOMs we were handing out, and especially in the first lesson. The sooner we can get people reading that book, the sooner they'll be able to make a decision for themselves if it's of God or not, and we'll fulfill our purpose of proclaiming the Restoration.
We Still Love Russ!!
wow, I can't believe I missed the whole Seahawks season! But I can watch all the games when I get back. Right now I need to take advantage of the things that I can see here that I can´t for the rest of my life.
No Pictures and Short Letters
We´ve determined that my chip is sick with leprosy or something, so all the computers don´t want to communicate with it or touch it at all. So I won´t be able to send pictures through email. I´ll buy a new chip and start using it, and send this chip with pictures to you in a package or something. I'm sorry I haven't been righting a ton. The weeks are starting to get more similar and I can't really remember what happens. We can read my journals when I get home, they'll be more detailed :)