Stand in Holy Places

Hello.

This week has been a blast and a half.

It rained...

We had district meeting (just us 4 here in La Masica) but it was really good. We are currently studying chapter 5 in Preach My Gospel, and it is really amazing. I encourage all of you to read about it. It helps me understand why its so important to explain to people why our church is different (Book Of Mormon).

So this week we have been really working hard on contacting all the people from the zone super contacto that we directed here in La Masica. Let me just tell you, Its exactly what we needed. It's amazing to see how many people we dont know in this little pueblo. Amazing.

Anyway, we didn't have mutual this week, because it rained...again. for like the 400th time this week and I was a little sick this week. Im not sure what it was from, but I think that it might be since we get up at like 5 in the morning to go to the gym and work out, and I dont get much sleep. 

However, on Sunday, no one who had a talk showed up, so we each had to prepare a talk in like 5 minutes to give. It was way weird, because I blessed the sacrament, and directed the hymns too. So I literally led the music, immediately sat down, blessed the sacrament, then after sacrament, stood up, led the music, put my hymnbook down, gave my talk, picked up my hymnbook, etc... But it wasn't half bad, since it was raining, there were only like 28 people at church, so it wasn't as awkward as it would have been. 

Oh ya, I had to gave my backpack to a member, so I bought a new one for like 73 limpiras, which is literally the price of a burger at McDonalds. Its a fake Jansport (joy sport) which is pretty awesome, so theres that. 

Sunday, we contacted all day. All day. And all day, Nothing. Every reference, Every house, nothing. Well, we were about to go to dinner, when we decided to make one last call. We called this particular gentleman who seemed really interested. We weren't sure though, because it was a reference from the hermanas (sisters). We weren't sure if he was interested in our message, or just talking to the girls again.

Anyway, we called him, and the first thing he said was that he had prayed earlier that day for the missionaries to contact him again!! Wow, so we said we were free then and he invited us over. We had one of the best lessons ever. He is literally asking the golden questions. About Joseph Smith, The book of mormon, the plan of salvation, and inspiration. It was awesome. He also gave us food (pastelitos)-cupcakes.  And Elder G says that when an investigator gives you food on the first visit, he or she gets baptized... Pretty funny, but I really hope this guy holds firm to his questions and really tries to find and answers because, WE got the answers.

To make things even cooler, I read Alma 26:27 right before I went to bed that night, which just tied everything up perfectly. 

27- Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. 

We need to have an open heart to those we serve. It's not about the numbers. People are not numbers. It's about the people you teach, not the lessons. And God promises success if you go about your work this way.

Love you all
Con Amor+
Elder Smart

Doing laundry, Central American Style

We all have work

Tiña o algo (ringworm or something)

This week, This week, Where to start.

Well, its rained. Um. we have a pig living in our yard... Not a lot has happened. Things are going a little bit better from last week. Things have settled down. Oh ya, hey I have Ringworm, yay. Dang humidity. Its ok though. 

This week we had Reunion de Zona, where we talked about how to more affectively contact with the Book of Mormon. It was exactly what i needed to hear, and has really helped me in placing Books of Mormon, and retaining first contacts. it was amazing to see how much easier it was to explain to people why we are here, with the Book of Mormon. I know what your thinking... you are a missionary, why aren't you using the Book of Mormon. 

Well, we are, just not for contacting. But that is all changed now. BOM all day, every day, and for everything.

This helped us find our new favorite investigator. her name is Rudi, and she is gold. All her questions are literally the questions that we have all the answers for. All 3 of the first lessons, her questions were perfect for what we were teaching. It was amazing.

Zone p-day was today, and we went to Pico Bonito. We also hiked to this way cool waterfall in the middle of the jungle. This waterfall was so huge, that you could be standing like 150 yards away, and the spray would still hit you. It was amazing. Just another example of the hand of the Lord on the earth. The missionaries are so awesome in my zone, so helpful for every worry, or problem I have. Truly amazing.

One more thing. Shoutout to my favorite sister for this scripture. D&C 68:6 It has helped her, and it definitely was the perfect scripture, exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks ace.

D&C 68:6

6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

This week has been another strange, average week here in the land of the lost.

But I still know that the lost need to be found, and thats why we are here.

Con Amor+

Élder

Smart

Pues pues pues qué tenemos aquí (well, well, well, what have we here)

 

This week has been Catracho!

Just real quick here is a list of stuff that happened.

-mud facials at a members house

-service cutting again

-washed everything, clothes, ourselves, house, everything in the pila.

-and last, we directed a super contact in our area for all the missionaries in our zone. Thats like 30 people and we contacted all day in La Masica. That was really awesome. We found a mountain of people and I think all the missionaries enjoyed it.

Sorry for the short email this week, its been a trippy one.

Oh one more thing. I just wanna give a shout out to my neighbor (who had a monkey once), you know who you are.

Love you all a ton, and some more.

Con Amor+

Elder Smar

New Year New Me

So first of all, this man with Elder V is blind and deaf. Second of all he lives in Confité...

So we were in Confité for New Years Eve, and then realized that there were no busses on New Years day, so we weren’t able to leave. We stayed an extra day and played soccer and messed around. It was a great time. New Years was just as loco as Christmas, except for more explosions, more crazy and more Catracho.

The next day we had divisions with the ZLs. Elder Larson and Elder Monterosa. Both studs. Elder L is leaving to Hogar on Thursday, and I’m really sad. I really got to know Elder Larson and he’s been a real role model for me. And plus his Spanish is incredible. Anyway that day, we had a mountain of lessons, like more than I’ve ever had in one day. It was so cool. Elder L had so many positive things to say. What a stud. Anyway, he’s the one in my pics covered in flour and soda.

Zone P day was today, and we went to Tela. Beautiful. Qué Hermosa. The beach was beautiful, and we just hung out, played volleyball and some soccer, and then ate at a member’s house.  

I don’t really  have a scripture that I found and that really stood out this week, so I’ll just tell you Alma 32 is all about faith.  

 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

This is usually the scripture I use for our investigators. Necesitamos crecer en nuestra fe, Siempre (we need to grow in our faith, always). 

Man I love being a missionary in Honduras!

Sorry my email is so short this week. It went by really fast.

Con Amor+

Elder Smarty

Merry Christmas, Machine Guns and Happy Birthday Sis!

Man, this week has been such a roller-coaster.  Ups, Downs, todo (everything).

First off it was multi- zone conference on the 23rd, which was a blast. I saw some of the old Hondo group, like E. Tobes and Dakota C’s cousin gave me an influenza shot. Jeje.  We had really good food, and some good lessons. We also watched the San Pedro Sula Este movie on service that our mission made, it’s really awesome.  (This is the link to the video. Andy is in Zona Miramar at about 9:35 minutes into the video. You can see him a couple of times if you watch for his blonde hair and his tall companion wearing a Santa hat.)  

http://youtu.be/SGjKE4CZeyE

Now, Christmas... What a fiesta…so people here celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve more than on the actual day. However, we made Chicken, rice, french fries, and bought some soda from La Ceiba, so we actually had a great feast. 

Then, when the clock struck 12 midnight, chaos blew up in the streets of Hondo. We’re talking kids throwing fireworks at everything that moves, everybody yelling, and cheering, and everyone unloading lead into the air like there’s no tomorrow. Our neighbor, as kind as he is, pulled out his AK and was just unloading clips into the air. Tatatatatatatat. That was wild.

But then, it was Christmas day!!! Which means I got to talk to my family and my best friends and oh what a surprise!  More than the AK for sure. Everyone is so good and awesome. I just love everyone. There is no more to say.

THE 28TH!!! ANNA’s b-day. Man, 15 is way too old, but relax, you’re not 16 yet! Played soccer in the canchita (soccer arena) for mutual, and the whole time I was thinking about my sis. Anna, why couldn’t you like Harry Potter and JRR Tolkien I dunno, say about 4 months ago or something? Amazing right? Stay gold.

Anyway, Christmas in Honduras was just as wild as I expected, but it was also my favorite so far. It was so cool wearing the name Jesus Christ over my heart, on Christ’s day. It really helped me focus on what really happened. Not the parties, food, and festivities, but what our gospel testifies of. Representing Jesus is what I do and what I love.

Even though it rained all day on Christmas, and it wasn’t exactly a ¨White Christmas¨, there was still the white of missionary shirts and ties going about making Christmas more white with the word of God.

That’s all, thanks for all the support, all of you with emails, and letters, I don’t have enough time to explain or thank enough.

Feliz Navidad, and a Happy new year

Con amor+

Elder Smart

PS. Love you mom. This week has been a little rough with my comp. Won’t go into detail, not much time. But I love you and appreciate all you do for me and nuestra familia (our family)