The Berlin Wall

Multi zone conference was this week and it was awesome!  Presidente Klein talked about amor and animo (love and courage).   I also saw a bunch of people I haven't seen in a while.  Namely Elder Vera, my caballo, I mean dad (training companion).  No ya, but he's with elder Harris who came with me, and Vera goes home this next change.  

Elders Smart and Criddle

Also Elder Criddle was there, jaja I remember when I first got to Honduras and he was there, and he was like... my sister told me you were coming... And I was like, what??  And he was like ya.. that's right, and then we were best friends.   So he's awesome.

It rained…

I was given 3 dinners and then the next day you can imagine what happened. Yo estaba vomitando pues.  Ya, so we didn't leave the house that day.  But I'm all good now.  I also learned that gatorade is magic.

We also had J, K, J, and R come to sacrament meeting again! They are all awesome, and they all came to church on their own!

Wow time is flying. I know I keep saying that, but its really just slipping away.  My parents keep telling me that this happened to this person and that happened to him and guess what she did? stuff like that.  And santa vaca! se va rapido el tiempo (holy cow time goes fast)

My emails have been pretty short lately, and its just because all that is happening is the Lord’s work.  We have lessons all day, and if we don't have lessons, we find lessons.  So I'm just here in the land of the loco, tag teaming it with my comp Elder Martinez, who goes home in a month, so well see how that goes.

Elders Smart and Martinez

Ether 12:27 

 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Moses 7:13

 13 And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

Answers to questions:
How is it being a DL? Everything is going fine with being District Leader. All good. I'm actually enjoying it! My district is a district of 8 elders and 2 hermanas. The Zone Leaders are in my district.
Are your rashes better? No, but Rich (Ingebretsen, MD) hooked me up on email. He says it's poison ivy. It's from walking around the yard doing my laundry barefoot. There are a ton of weeds in the yard that could have caused it.
How have you changed since you have been out? I'm a completely different person now, still the same doof, but when it comes to stuff that matters like family, the gospel and helping, I'm completely different. And this version comes with Spanish!
How are you doing emotionally? I'm still crazy but I'm 100% fine.

I've been ready since the pre-existence

Con Amor+

Elder Smart

-------another message given to the missionaries:

The Regional Security Office (RSO) has been made aware that another "March of Torches" will likely take place on Friday, June 26 at approximately 5:00 pm. The march will start on Boulevard Kennedy near the Supermercado La Colonia and proceed north, concluding in front of Casa Presidencial.  Please avoid the area. 

Pictures on social media regarding the Torch Protests against corruption  in the capital city of Tegucigalpa

barba pelón lo mejor (bald beard the best?)

Well I just got this notification...

“Last night, Sunday, 21 June, 2015, around 2130 hours, an explosive device detonated at the Honduran Supreme Court of Justice in Tegucigalpa, and the local anti-bomb squad responded. Thus far, experts have not yet determined what kind of explosive was used, but Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team members are currently conducting an investigation. There are no reported casualties or damage to the building.In addition, there is a proposed hunger strike on Juan Pablo Segundo, in front of Casa Presidential. Protest organizers have asked citizens to come to the area today with torches and to set up tents in front of Casa Presidential.  The area is currently closed to traffic.”

 (Tegucigalpa is not within Andy's mission boundaries)

Only in Honduras…!

So not a lot happened this week, just work and work and work...

But... I did get the package with my new book of mormon!  That was awesome!  I finally will be able to use a book of mormon that isn't so damaged by water you cant read it!

Well, we have a Multi-Zone reunion tomorrow and I'm stoked!

It rained.

So funny story real quick.  We were walking home from our last lesson a few days ago, on our way to the house, and we were just talking about how the lesson went.  When all of a sudden, around the corner came a few people.  We didn't think anything about it, so we kept walking.  When the people got to us, they kind of hesitated for a second, so we stopped too.  One of the guys of the other group all of a sudden grabbed my comps arm, said something like hello beautiful, and then kissed my comps bicep.  My comp screamed like a little girl. As we walked home, we didn't talk. He was to busy being in shock and i was too busy laughing. That was real funny.

Inside joke between friends 

Andy did't explain... but sent several pictures of what looks like poison ivy, or similar "contact" blisters around his ankles and feet

Just remember to soak it all in. 

All of it, because you are only going to have today once.

Alma 34:14-17 

 14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. 15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. 16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption. 17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

SOAK IT IN

Con Amor+

Elder Smart

Jefe... 10 months... Double digits… It’s kinda cool here.

This was sent June 15th:

Maybe only the central American missionaries are going to understand me, but when it rains you can hear it coming (metal roofs), and when you hear it... You run. 

So that was a lot of this week. 

I also was called as District Leader as changes were this week, so all=C3= =AD

vamos. 

The “12 gringos” went home this week with honor (a particularly tight-knit  group of Americans)

But this week my district had 3 baptisms!   That was really cool.

These kids  have the hardest life ever in the hardest country ever.  Its super cool to  see them try to make the best of what they do have, and  follow the savior  in all things.  

We got a referral from the states this week also. That was a bit weird, but really cool to see how the office works.  The reference was from Texas, but  the family of this hermana lived in Utah!  First person I've talked to that actually knows  where utah is and doesn't think that Miami is a state.  Super  cool.  

We also had Josylin and Isaac and Kaylin come to sacrament this week and Hermana Morlen came again too!  Oh, and we got the Family Marinez who have been inactive for a year to come!  They are really cool.

Sorry this letter was really short, but it has been jam packed with work, and these are the highlights. 

Hondy is the best and I love it more than anything.

2 Nefi 31:20

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Con Amor+

Elder Smart

Time Warp

Sent June 8th 2015:

Patience is something I do not have at all. I need to work on that. Hey but this week was really sweet, I got a ton of rashes from something... dunno, but it is going away, but really gave me a hard time because I'm always wet. It rained a lot this week.

Ya, so school ended this week in the 801... was that really a year ago? I seriously feel like I'm in hyper speed. Time is just a blink.

There was a couple of murders this week in Berlin, so it was crawling with police, which meant more violence and killing, so that didn't work out. This week was a little tricky finding people, and getting lessons in because of that, but all is well.

I have never been a fan of futbol, or Barcelona, but I didn't think I would ever be screaming that loud in Spanish while we saw the big game (ate lunch with the familia George Reyes that was watching the finals). Messi is tight.

Changes are on the 10th... wow that was fast. This change came, and went. Bye.

We finally got Ledwin to go to church!! he was real hesitant about it because its super dangerous over by the chapel, but we said a prayer with him, and he said he felt like it was the right thing to do. That was super cool. Its kind of funny too, because Ledwin is like 6 foot 3 and is a body builder, so he's like the biggest, most massive guy in Berlin, but yet, he is scared of the little skinny ladrones (thieves) that are in the streets. He's super cool though.

Well not much happened this week, but it was a killer one.

Mark 6:11

 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Relajate (relax)

Con Amor+

Elder Smart

¿Qué hay de nuevo Scooby-Doo? (what's new Scooby-Doo)

(what's up?)

Seriously this week feels like a few seconds...

Here’s a quick rundown of the hondy side of the woods...

We had a super cool super contact in the hermanas area this week after district reunion, and that ended up real nice.

We also contacted some awesome people in our area this week. We've been praying a ton for escogidos this week, and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor! There was even one guy that straight out asked us Why do people believe in jesus here in the americas? He was going about doing his stuff in Jerusalem... What the heck? How did the good word get here?    Ha!!! Gold!!! (thats the first time in my mission that someone has asked me that question) But we then explained all the cool stuff about the BOOK OF MORMON another testament of Jesus Christ, and he was blown away!  Ya, he's pretty cool.

We also had divisiones withs the zone leaders today. That was pretty cool, a little out of the way, because we had a ton of important lessons planed that day, and the lessons just don't flow as good when there are 3 people teaching the lesson.  But it was good.

We went to the beach in Tela again and it is always super awesome.  A ton of wild horses were chillin on the beach

Spirit, Stallion of Hondy

This week was pretty relajado (relaxed), but always llena! (full to the brim)

1Timothy 6:12

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1Corinthians 13:11 (No more childs-play)

 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

no te rindas

Con Amor+

Elder Smart