And so it begins...!

 
Monday - October 14, 2013

Beautiful Honduras
 

Hola mi familia! Other week has come and gone. I don`t know how it happened, but it seemed like all in one day - all within the same 2 hours - everyone decided to get sick! There was one period where I received call after call right after each other. Literally, I would hang up and then it would start ringing again with someone new! I was a little overwhelmed at first, but the miracle was that most of them were North American and I could actually talk to them :)  There were a few that I would pass on to Hermana Baltazar, she would get all of the symptoms and information, hang up and explain everything to me, then I`d have to figure out the plan of action, try and translate it all in spanish, explain it to Hermana Baltazar the best I could, and then she would call and explain it to the missionary with the issue..... haha Ahhhh! But seriously I love it :) I know that I can do hard things with Christ`s help. And I`m not alone! My mission president`s wife has been SUPER helpful, as well as my mission president. They keep reassuring me that we are a team and that they are there to help.

 

This week more than any other, our plans kept falling through, including our baptism on Saturday. We would plan the day, then a bunch of nursing stuff would come up and we would have to completely change it. Then we would walk and walk and walk and no one would be home, and none of our lessons would work out how we wanted. There was one night in particular in which we had done absolutely EVERYTHING we could, but there literally was no other options. It was too dark to walk to other areas and no one was home in the area we were in. So... We bought a topogigio (popsicle in a bag) (oh my goodness... so delicious) and a chocobanana, sat ourselves on the curb outside our apartment, and just let ourselves be still, look at the stars, listen to the night sounds, take a deep breath. And I felt peace :) Then after a little while, other options came up and we were able to finish out the night giving a Book of Mormon to a neighbor and bearing testimony of it`s truthfulness. My mission president said something that really helped me in an interview with him yesterday. That this really isn`t our work - it`s His (Jesus Christ). There is no way we could possibly do all of the things we are expected to do, and yet somehow they get done. All He expects of us is to do all we can, and then get out of the way and let Him to the rest :) I`ve heard that over and over, but I`m seeing more and more everyday just how true that is. Our "stats" were the lowest they`ve ever been and we didn`t reach hardly any of our goals, yet somehow we had 13 investigators in sacrament meeting yesterday... What?! I was beyond grateful. It was nothing we had done, no way! We tried our best, doing all we could, and then the Lord stepped in and did the rest.
 

So on Saturday, I traveled with my companion and then another companionship to the hospital in San Pedro Sula so one of the sisters could get a CT scan. Before we went back we stopped by a food court in the city and there were so many American restaurants!!! We ended up eating at KFC and then getting a Wendy`s frosty for dessert.... haha mmmmmmm it was so delicious! A little taste of home :) One thing I think they need in the states are Pulperìas. What a brilliant idea - in the neighborhoods, there are several houses that have little mini stores in them. So if you are trying to make something for dinner and are missing an egg or a cup of milk, instead of scrambling to find one from a neighbor or having to get in your car and drive to a store, hey... just walk next door and huzzah! It really is so convenient. Maybe I`ll start my own when I get home... haha. There are a bunch of houses in different areas that sell what are called topogigios - all it is is some form of fruit blended up in a blender and then frozen in a little plastic baggy. You just bite off a corner and enjoy. My favorite is the coconut ones! It`s super easy, too. Milk, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, blend it all up, put it in a baggy and freeze it! Tried something new... Of course the member made me try it before telling me what it was... haha It`s called sopa de mondogo - wasn`t super gross, actually it wasn`t bad. Apparently it`s super common here. It`s a soup with cow stomach, cow foot, and cow tongue with veggies and potatoes... haha

 

Sopa de Mondogo
 

One thing I am learning from the members here in this ward is selfless service. Oh how happy it makes my heart. We had just finished a lesson with P, our investigator getting baptized on Saturday (fingers crossed). She is in the process of building a little hut in the back of her house and it was just her and a family friend doing it all by themselves. As we were walking to another visit, we ran into all the young men and leaders and bishopric who had just been helping a member lay cement for a house. So, we recruited all of them to help and at the drop of a hat they gathered their tools and headed to Paola`s! I will always remember the look on her face as we entered her yard with an army of helping hands. The feeling one gets through service is so awesome!

 

 

 

 

I don`t know why I didn`t find more opportunities to serve when I was at home. I`m determined to be better! I seriously love the people in this ward. They are incredible :) The youth especially are so strong and spiritual. It`s awesome!

 

 One last miracle before I end. A few weeks ago we contacted a man on a bike at a banana stand who said he lived in Oro Verde. I felt like I needed to ask for his number so we could get a hold of him, but I hesitated and then he was gone :( I prayed and prayed and prayed that we would be able to find him. We tried to find him, but we didn`t even know his name and so it didn`t go anywhere. I still prayed that somehow we would find him. On a particularly unsuccessful night this week when all of our plans had fallen through, we had just started walking away from an investigators house (who wasn`t home... of course) and I see this man pass by us on a bike. It was him! We were able to flag him down (hna Baltazar shouted "HERMANO!" really loud to get his attention.... haha) and got his information so we can return another day. My prayer may not have been answered right away, but it was answered several weeks later :) It`s a testimony that our prayers are always answered... not necessarily when we want them or how we want them to be, but they are answered. In Alma 5 it talks about how Alma had to pray and fast "many days" before knowing the truth for himself. The key is to not stop praying and to not lose faith. Trusting in Heavenly Father includes trusting in his timing.

 

 

 

 

I love you all! I hope that this fall season is treating you all well. Someone PLEASE carve a pumpkin for me.... haha Until next week!
 
Hermana Bennett

Got my first haircut from a member!
 

Lots of walking!