Leap Year

February 29th

To be honest. Not a lot happened this week.  I got sick after eating platano pancakes on Tuesday, and was straight out barfing until Wednesday in the afternoon. When I stopped, we hit the hills.

We also came into contact with a guy from Colombia. Super cool guy. But we were teaching him about the Book of Mormon, when all of a sudden, like 20 mins into the lesson he's like... Ya know how I said that I was going to church in Guatemala? Well the elders baptized me there, so I'm already a member... jajaja the guy is already a member, and then he said, ya I just wanted to know where the church was so I could start going again... jaja ok we said, well do you still remember what the book of mormon is? No. Ok well, let’s continue... then we kept teaching the lesson on the BOM then told him where the chapel was. Este tipo.

My new Honduras ID,  after 18 months

We also gave a blessing to a sister in the ward that needed a serious knee surgery.  

She was super nervous.  She was going to go get the final checkup before the surgery, so we gave her the blessing.  At church she comes up to us all excited and jumping around, which doesn't really happen when you have a bad knee, so we were a little confused. Then she told us that she went into the checkup, and the doctors told her that for some reason, she doesn't need surgery anymore, just a ton of physical rehabilitation, and some weird shots and stuff, but no surgery!!   Way cool.

Other than that it rained tropical tears of fury again for like 3 days... floods of blessings.

stay dry my friends

Ether 12:37

 37 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

☮ 

MACIZO

Elder Smart

This One’s For Ferris

February 22nd

Old Comp saying goodbye

New Comp ready to go

So there were Cambios this past week and Elder Navas, my comp, got changed. So I'm here in Las Colinas still. My new comp is Elder Monroy from Guatemala. I knew him in Berlin. He's super chill like a panda, looks like one too :-), but he doesn't even have a year in the mission, so I'm helping him a little with the ZL stuff, he's super pilas.  He's going to be great.

My new companion taking on the mountains we climb every day 

But holy cow, changes were insane.  Like half my zone had changes, so there were like 14 elders in my house the night before, sleeping over, because our house is the closest to the bus station.  That was insanity.   All night insanity.

Our cook's daughter's Birthday was this week and I got her pretty good with an egg.  There is a video thats pretty golden jajajaja. It’s great, she was so ticked off.  It’s a Honduran tradition to throw eggs at people when it’s their birthday.

Cleaning up after a little fun

Then yesterday we did Service in a school by our house.  Since it rained so much, the field area became like a permanent swamp, so we went over there and hauled buckets of sand and rocks to fill the swamped areas.  It was great.

There is a Multi-zone conference this next week, so thats going to be great as well.

Happy 30th Ferris Bueller!

D&C 122:7

 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

MACIZO

Elder Smart

Week of miracles and electric saws

Sent February 15th 

What does it mean!?

Its been raining for a week straight non stop. #Tropicaltears.

We have rats in our house, well better said they are in my suitcase...

We did have some baptisms this week!!!!!! We baptized G, E, and E. They are siblings and they are awesome. The missionaries have been visiting them for some time. Their parents are members, but their dad was shot and killed a really long time ago, and their mom has been inactive for years. We were working really hard on reactivating M, the mom, and helping them make a covenant with God.  They always go to church now, always.  They just were struggling with family life and their mom. They are all such great people and I love them.

We woke up a few days ago and something had happened to the padlock on our front door.   The barred metal door outside of the wood door.  Bottom line is that it was jacked and we couldn't get out... now this was right before the baptism.  Well we just jumped the 5 foot barbed-wire fence in the back yard instead. That was fun, but then we got to the chapel and because of the gallons it was dumping out-side, there was no water to fill up the pila baptismal (heavy rains can wash out the clean(er) water system) So we had to go to the stake center to do the baptisms.  Dang Satan fights until the very end doesn't he!

Well they were baptized, and it was amazing!

Then we went and borrowed an electric disc saw and spent the next 30 mins sawing off the lock on our front door… Sketch. 

People kept walking by and we had to keep saying ¨no no no... were not really braking in here.  We actually live here! hehe... hehe. ok bye¨

It was great.

Solid week.

1 Corinthians 8:6

 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him 

MACIZO

Elder Smart

What you would seem to be, be really.

Sent February 8th

This week we divorced a couple that aren't living together anymore so that they can get married to the people they are living with, and then get baptized.  That was quite a hassle, but it was worth it. They always come to church, are pretty much members, and just cant get baptized because they aren't worthy...  

We also did divisiones with the APs (assistants to the President) in San Pedro Sula this week. It was pretty fun.

I saw my convert Reyna, from La Masica in a stake leadership meeting we had here in La Ceiba. She is doing great!  She is still waiting on her mission call. Bummer it hasn’t come yet. In this part of Honduras it takes a really long time to receive it.

Oh also at the beginning of the week we went to Pico Bonito, with all the Zone leaders and Presidente, and Hermana Klein. It was sweet.  A ton of cool Waterfalls, and a great hike.

Great week overall.

D&C 11:7

7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom; and, behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich

MACIZO

Elder Smart

Hondy

DOPE:

Sent February 1st

I got this in the email this morning: 

Multiple sources report: On January 27, 2016, a high ranking gang member of the Mara 18, under the guard of the Honduran National Police (HNP), was assassinated by six to eight armed rival gang members  while receiving treatment at the La Granja Medical Center.  A member of the HNP was also killed in this highly coordinated attack.  Whenever a high ranking gang member is murdered, there is always the possibility that the targeted gang will initiate reprisal killings against the assailants.  U.S. citizens are advised to exercise extreme caution and to avoid all gang controlled areas of Honduras, especially in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

This week nothing really cool happened... just the usual

Well, my comp got topsoplasmosis or something like that.  I’m not sure how it is in english, but bottom line is that he has infection in his eye from a microbe or something that is caused by eating something contaminated (probably cat poop).  So he can't see anything at all in his right eye. We went to the hospital, and the freaking analysis costed like 700 limps!  Just the diagnosis!   And then we had to do a blood test, then buy meds. uggh. Straight complicated... 

We did have an awesome experience though. We were in a lesson with 2 of our investigators, and we were explaining the holy ghost to them.  They always go to church, always. They have a date for baptism, but we were like halfway through the lesson and their brother walks in.  He tells us, hey what’s up.  Look, i got to tell you guys something... and we were like, oh great,  he's going to say he doesn't want them to do anything- dang it.  But he was like look, elders, “I want to be baptized”.  I got to do this!  Boom thats right, coolest thing ever.  We took care of that request. cheque.

Also, we almost have the marriage papers for “C” and “I” to get married and then baptized!!  I think we are going to get things finalized this week.

My area is pure mountain. But its kinda weird because instead of dirt on the ground, its clay.

I eat more seafood in this area because were like 30 seconds away from the ocean.  And i still eat like 4 guineo (green bananas) like every day….

Mormon 5:23

 23 Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?

MACIZO+

Elder Smart