December 23, 2013

We had our Christmas activity as a mission this last week and it was a lot of fun.  We also had a sweet activity in the branch; we had a bunch of investigators go to the activity.  After the activity we did divisions with a couple of youth from the ward; it was awesome.  We went looking for a family and they weren't home so I felt the impression to go to a different family's home; we hadn't found this family in their house in a long time.  We got there just like five minutes after they had gotten home; it was awesome for the first time in weeks we were able to teach them and help them come unto Christ!  We invited them to come to church with us on Sunday and they said that they would go.  It was awesome because they actually showed up; they got there way late but they came to church and they know a lot of members.  It was super awesome because we were able to put an appointment to go and visit them with the members.  We have a lot of families to be teaching and for Christmas we have our whole day planned with people that have invited us to go eat with them.  It is going to be a great week.  Pray for us so we can put more baptism dates!

December 16, 2013

Well another week has come and gone and really I don't know who is taking all the time away because it is flying by.  This week we have our Christmas activity and it is going to be a crazy week.  This week was really crazy trying to help the zone out and get everything done.  My companion and I decided that we have to wake up at 6 every day just to be able to get everything done.  We had a baptism this week.  It was a reference; it was super sweet.  This kid (13 years old) has been going to church for a long time and he was sooo excited to get baptized.  It was awesome but super stressful.  We got to Saturday to arrange the room where we were going to have the baptism and as we get there we see that someone had left the tap open in the baptismal font and it had filled up with super dirty water.  My companion had to go swimming to take the plug out and then we grabbed garbage cans and spent a half hour taking all the water out so we could fill it again with clean water.  Then finally the moment came and it was a sweet baptism.  He was super excited and hasn't quit asking when he is going to be able to pass the sacrament.  Then the other day as well we celebrated one of our investigators birthdays; we had bought her a cake and went to her house to eat cake with her and her family.  We were there with the family and she told us that they weren't going to go to church because she was mad about something.  We left and were waiting the next day; she had her phone turned off and wouldn't answer.  The next thing we know we are in church and we get a call from her daughter telling us to wait in the door because they were coming to church.  It was such a tender mercy of the Lord to be able to see that and that they came to church.  Yesterday we went and were teaching with a new family that we had found last week and they felt the spirit so strongly it was awesome to see the change in them and to know that they understood and knew our message was true.  The Lord loves us so much!

December 9, 2013

This week has flown by and I can't believe it has flown by soooo fast; time is flying to fast - oh well it is a blast.  We had a lot of sweet experiences.  We have been working our butts off trying to help our investigators and at the same time find new investigators.  We had two baptisms planned for this week and as the week went on she had her interview on Thursday and her baptism for Friday.  When the hour came to baptize her she didn't come because she got sick. We went and taught her and changed it for Saturday in the morning.  When we went Saturday morning to bring her to the baptism Satan had been working and she said that she didn't want to be baptized.  We talked to her for a little bit and helped her feel the spirit and the desire to be baptized so we planned it for a couple of hours later.  It was a sweet experience.  When she shared her testimony after her baptism she just said that Satan didn't want her and her son to be baptized and that he had done everything to get in the way of the baptisms.  She was super grateful that we had been there to help her overcome it and that she was baptized.  I learned that God's power always wins and is always stronger than Satan's power.  It was awesome to see that work this week.  Sometimes Satan  wins but in the long run God always wins!  After the baptism Saturday we had the impression to go with the contact and we ended up finding him and teaching his whole family; it was awesome!  After that though all of our appointments fell through and we got really down.  I just had in mind the scripture that is in Alma that when are hearts are down to keep working and the Lord will give us success.  I knew that he would but it didn't come Saturday.  As we woke up Sunday I just knew it was going to be a good day.  We went and passed by our investigators houses and the family that we had found on Saturday said they were going to go to church.  At the end we had 8 people show up to church and 3 different families.  It was such a miracle and it really strengthened my testimony that the Lord hears and answers our prayers and that he will always help us have success if we look for him and do our part.

December 2, 2013

It was really an awesome week.  We started the week with some much desire to leave and help the people come unto Christ.  We had the idea and the goal to find new families and to put new baptism dates.  It was awesome as we started the wee.  On Tuesday we left the last hour of the day to go contacting to find a family.  After contacting a lot of houses we found a young man from the branch in the street and we started talking to him and asked him who he knew in the area where we were at and it was sweet.  At first he wasn't quite sure of anyone that lived there but he is like let's go ask my mom and she knows someone.  So we went and started talking to his mom and she is like hey I have been waiting for you guys to get here, I have been preparing a family for you guys to visit.  It was soooo sweet.  We went with them on Tuesday and it was an awesome family and they are actually married!!!!!  Miracles!  Then as the week went on we were visiting a lot of people and on Sunday a members friend came to church and he asked me for a hymn book and when we were going to go to the house.  We said we were going to go with the members.  The members little boys was so awesome when we got to the house he was so excited to go and help us find people and he took us to like 5 different houses telling us that we should teach them the gospel.  When we got to the house of the boy that came to church we taught him and his sister; it was a really sweet experience.  We were teaching them and invited them to be baptized and they both told us that they were excited to be baptized and that they have been going to church for a while and they wanted to always go to church and get baptized.  Yesterday as well we had put a lot of appointments to go visit but we weren't sure how we were going to do everything at the same time.  We had planned to leave with one guy to go visit but were still doubting.  When we met up with him he had invited his friend so that we could do divisions.  It was really awesome to be able to do divisions and be able to help everyone.  We have a lot to do this week.  Pray for us!

November 26, 2013

Well it is another week come and gone in the mission. It was the longest week of my mission. We wanted to work so much but the power was out almost everyday in our area so almost everyday from 530 and after we were shut into the hosue and couldnt leave because it was dark outiside and couldnt leave. Then this weekend we couldnt leave the house for the elections. Frustrating but it was a good week. We were really able to see a lot of tender mercies of the Lord. It was really evident this week that God loves us and that he has a plan for us. We have basically dropped all of our investigators and we are starting over again and we have found a lot of positive people. We had  found a couple a couple weeks ago and they had told us that the husband worked with a member but we couldnt figure out hçwho it was but finally I found out on Sunday that it is the branch presidents wife! It was awesome she volunteered to help us teach them and she out the appointment so that we could go to there directly after that they get out of work. It was really sweet and in everything we did this week. We had been teaching a family and we just couldnt figure out why they wont go to church but we decided to take the relief society president to there house to help out and she was able to find out why and fix the problem! It was an awesome experience! God always prepares they way so that the people progress! We are going to have a lot of success this month we put the goal to baptize a family for  Christmas pray for us tçso tha we can do it! Love you all!

November 18, 2013

Well this week has flown by like always but it was a great week! We had transfers this week and it has been crazy! My companion left and I got a new companion Elder Vicab from MExico!  HE is awesome and we get a long real well! This week has been really crazy! WE had a baptism planned for Saturday but he told us last Sunday after going to church that he wasnt going to be here this week until Saturday! So we were super worried all week long that he wasnt there to be able to teach him and finish getting him ready to be baptized but it all worked out! I had been calling the house where he says when he is in our area and asking everyday if he had got there and when he was coming! THen it came down to saturday and it was like 3 in the afternoon and we were going to a stake activity and we hadnt heard from him! Then finally we got a call and took him with us to the stake activity and had his interview there! It had all worked out even though we had lal been stressed out all week long if he was going to be there he finally came back and was baptized Saturday night! It makes me realize that God answers our prayers when we really humble ourselves before him and plead his help! Then yesaterday we had a really sweet experience! Saturday night we had told the zone that we were going to be having a competition between teh districts! we were trying to see who could find the  most families on Sunday! As we started the day my companion and I had nothing going for us but we just astarted praying and went to a members house and in the moment we got there some lady walked by and then entered the house! Then after that the miracles began! WE were really guided by the spirit to be able to find 3 new families yesterday! I love being a missionary and feeling the spirit that we have! We are really aparted form the world and we feel the spirit more strongly than ever! God really can guide our every step if we listen to him! I am so grateful to be a member of the true church and that we really have the gift of the holy Ghost to guide us and direct us in all the decisions that we make! It is an evidence of the love that GOd has for us! There is no doubt this is the true church! Love you all!

November 11, 2013

Well another week is come and gone! Stupid time I don't know why it flies by. My companion and I were talking and we just commented that as we were diligent God blesses us and the time flies by so fast. It is ridiculous! This week was awesome! On Sunday we got a reference but we had forgot about it! So on Wednesday we went and contacted them! It was super awesome! They were super positive and ready to receive the gospel! They had already received the missionaries months ago! IT was awesome we briefly explained the Restoration and then they explained it back to us and told us that they knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is the true church! IT was awesome so the next lesson we went with them we put baptismal dates with Gisela, Angie, and Carlos They are really chosen people it was an awesome experience! Then the next day we had an awesome experience we had just gotten back from being gone the whole morning and we felt the impression to go with a recent convert and as we were going there a member from another ward spoke to us and we got another reference and we went straight with them to their house to teach them! It was yet again another awesome experience that the Lord prepared for us! The lord was merciful in helping us this weekend we were really able to see many tender mercies! It was awesome! WE ended up finishing the week putting 1 more baptismal date with a young man named Roger! God is blessing us immensely for our efforts! This is definitely gods work and he loves us! Like the scriptures say this work will advance and will not be stopped! So lets all join in and get working! Hope you all have a great week!

November 4, 2013

It is crazy to think that it is Monday again and I don't really have anything to write.  It was a good week.  We went with one of the families that we have been teaching and we finally got started on their paperwork so that they can get married - that will be great.  We just need to help them progress a little bit more so that they can get baptized this month.  This week we went to a meeting with President Fortuna and I loved it.  They are the best meetings; they are all so spiritual.  On Friday we had our Zone meeting.  It was a real awesome meeting.  We all felt the spirit really strongly and everyone left the meeting excited to work and put baptism dates.  Then we started a fast on Saturday.  It was an awesome fast.  I think it was one of the most spiritual fasts that I have ever done in my life.  As we were sitting in the church on Sunday right before we ended our fast I was thinking about everything that God does for us everyday of our lives and how grateful we should be for him.  I really have come to learn and understand the importance of the sacrament.  It is the most important thing that we do in the church every week!  We are able to go and renew the covenants that we have made with God and we are able to start over again.  That is just how loving God is; he knows that we are all imperfect but his perfect plan allows us every week to start a clean sheet and try to be better.  No one else really understands that - only us as members of the church.  We are all so blessed.

October 28, 2013

Trials and Miracles!  It has really been an awesome week.  Last Sunday our Ward Mission Leader had challenged us to have 40 lessons this week.  When we started out the week we had that in mind and how we were going to accomplish it.  It was really helped us get focused and stay focused.  We ended up doing and and had 41 lessons this week which was awesome.  We were always busy thing about who needed us and how we could help them; just focusing on one need they had at a time.  This week we also have been helping a lady fix up her papers so she can get married.  When she went to get her papers it says she was dead in the computer.  We went on Wednesday to try and get it all fixed up; it was crazy.  We really were helped a lot by a supreme being.  We were trying to get everything done and God really opened a lot of doors that we couldn't open.  As we were going from place to place trying to get all the paperwork we found the right person at the right time and they could help us.  It was really awesome.  At the end we had to go to a lawyer and she said it could take a couple of months or a year to investigate it; it all depended on the lady who was doing the investigation.  It was awesome to see God work after we found that out.  As we were leaving the building to go make some copies we found the lead investigator that would have to do all the investigation and she has family  members that are members of the church.  She gave us her number and told us to call her and she was going to put pressure on so that it would get done as soon as possible.  It was super awesome to see God help us for doing all this work trying to help this old lady.  After all our hard work this week in visiting everyone and trying to help them so that they could progress NO ONE came to church.  We passed by all of their houses but no one was there or they couldn't go to church; it was super sad.  My companion and I are super sad.  My companion and I were super frustrated and we didn't know what to do; it was a super rough day.  Then we went to an appointment and we were reading in 1 Nephi 16 about when Nephi's bow breaks and it made me realize even when we are doing the right things and trying to have success there are trials.  God tries us so that we grow and learn. It made me feel like Nephi and it was awesome.  God always permits that we are tried so that we grow closer to him and repent.  Today my companion and I were talking and we just started analyzing how we can be better and made plans to repent and be better.  It was really awesome.  This week is going to be a great week!  After the trial comes the testimony.  Pray for us; we really need it.

October 21, 2013

This week has been a great week!  We have been working really hard and I can't believe it is Monday again.  I am definitely in the best area of the mission.  It is super awesome here; we always find a lot of people to be teaching.  We have been having a lot of fun.  Yesterday we had a sweet experience.  We were finishing the day and were thinking about our goals to find new people in the week.  As we were walking through the street I told my companion we need to find one more person to reach our goal.  The next thing we know we look up and there was a guy looking at us; we just started talking to him and we entered his house and started teaching him.  It was an answer to our prayers.  It has been so awesome to see that when we start praying in our hearts that God answers our prayers if we do our part.  We are teaching some really awesome families.  It is a lot of fun to go and teach them about eternal families.  They just don't see their potential as we do.  It makes me realize that as members of the church we have a great blessing in being able to live with our families forever no matter what happens.  In these 18 months my testimony has really grown and I know that God has a plan for everyone and it is personal for each and every one of us but usually we don't take advantage of having a perfect plan.  God really has made it easy for us to return to his presence as families but we make it difficult.  Gods plan is easy!  We are the ones who make it hard.  Pray for the families that we are teaching that they can get married and baptized.  Love you all!

October 14, 2013

This week has been a crazy one!  We have been super busy all this week! We had a meeting with President Fortuna this week and also he had invited Elder Valledares that is from the seventy. It was an awesome meeting and when our mission president was talking something he said really stood out to me. I have been thinking about it a lot in these past few days. He said We all come to this earth with the potential to become like God but we put our own limits. As I thought about that and thinking back on what has happened in my mission it is true we put the limits in our lives God gives us the power and ability to become and to do whatever righteous thing that we want if we just strive for it! It made me think that we are going to accomplish a lot here in this zone because our potential is great and we aren't going to put limits on our work! We also had a funny experience this week! One of the assistants came and was working with us in our area one day this week. He used to be in this area and so we went with him and taught some of the old families that he had taught! It was super funny we ended up finding a family in the street that talked to us and told us that they were going to go to church with us on Sunday! We were super excited and they ended up following through. The funniest part about it is they live right in front of the other Elders! They live in an alley and their house is like 6 feet apart! The other Elders needless to say were a little angry with us when they found out we were teaching them.. All I can say is you snooze you lose. We also had a sweet lesson yesterday! WE got a text from one of the members here in the Branch (oh ya I am in a branch that the church attendance is like 175) she wrote us a message and told us at 5 we had an appointment with a family. So we went with her we get to the house and we had an awesome experience with this family. I was talking to the father while my companion was talking to the son and he told me about 3 years ago his son was murdered and as we got talking about it the spirit confirmed the words that I said when I told him that families can be eternal. You could see the tears swell up in his eyes as I taught him such a basic principle. I love this work and I know that God has a plan for all of us!

October 7, 2013

Well it was a great week! I have never had a week so bus y iun my mission! TRANSFERS! I am now in one of the sweetest areas in the mission! I am a zone leader and we are opening a new zone it is a lot of fun! My new companion is Elder Cifuentes from Guatemala! He is awesome and it is going to be an awesome change! THis week has been so crazy though! I havent really been in my area at all! Wednesday I got to the area and we went and started working and I met some of the investigators and then thrusday and friday we did divisions had interviews and we did interchanges so I didnt get to work in my area! It was super awesome though! WE have a lot of fun together and our enjoying ourselves a lot! COnference was so fgreat! I love conference! I loved what PResident Uchtdorf said! Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith! I loved that it is so true! A lot of people here doubt there faith a lot and trust more int eh doubts that they have! That is why we are here as missionareies to help people overcome there doubts! Then on Sunday after the first session we had a baptism! I didnt really know our investigator I think I had talked to here like 1 time before she got baptized but it was really sweet! We combined the baptisms in all the zone and we had five baptisms all there together it was awesome! WE have been working a lot and have a lot of work tto do in this week but we are ready and willing to do it! I probably have one of the best companions that I have had my whole mission. We think a lot a like and we are both willing to sacrifice everrything to help the people get married and baptized! Hope all is well for you guys as well as it is for us!

September 30, 3013

I really dont know what to say this week other than it was probably the longest week of my life and definitely of my mission but finally it is over! Everything went wrong this week! it was the week leading up to our ward COnference! My companion really wanted to get out of here everyday he was calling president to see when he was going home lets just say he didnt want to work at all that was definetly a burden to carrty. It is impossible to be a missionary and do it all by yourself! Finally wednesday came around and I just felt the impression to go back to the house and we had a call from President saying that my companin left that night and that I was going to go stay with the Zone LEaders. Then on Thursday I got switched to be with the Elders whose area is right next to mine! SO since Thursday I have been in a trio and when I have found a member from the ward I went and did divisions in my own ward! That is when I started working with my new ward mission leader! He is pretty much awesome he has been working with me every day and we have been having success for the litttle time that we have been able to work! IT has been awesome! We went to a lesson and we were teaching a lady! I had asked her a question she is from a different church and she couldnt really answer the question! We just started teaching her true doctrine and she just kept getting confused by it! IT made me realize that true doctrine is the most clear that there is and that it confuses those that are members of other churchs. We finally got done teaching her and she understood perfectly what we had taught he and new that our message was true but it was sad to see her reject the truth! She just doesnt understand how it can bless our lives! It really made me realize that Satan is smart and its little by little that he feeds lies into the other churchs and they get confused and dont know what to do. Until they get to the point that they are trapped. I love being able to save people from the traps of satan but it makes me sad when they use there agency wrong and wont acept the truth! I know God is so loving and that this gospel is the most simple complete and perfect that exists in this world! I love it! This week will be an interesting one. Transfer week!

September 23, 2013

Well another week has come and gone and this week has been a roller coaster.  We started off the week getting Tania ready to get baptized and everything was going awesome until we got to Thursday.  She had her interview Wednesday and was super ready to be baptized.  We showed up to her house on Thursday and she told us "I am not going to get baptized".  I just looked at her like what the heck happened.  I was so shocked and this day I learned a really good lesson.  I started talking and trying to convince her that she was ready; it wasn't doing any good and then the spirit spoke and told me to shut up.  I just shut my mouth and looked at her; we were there in silence for like 3 minutes.  It was a little awkward for a minute and then as I was sitting there the spirit came to my mind and told what to say.  I was able to share an experience with her from before my mission that helped her.  She started crying and so I expressed the love that our Heavenly Father and us as missionaries have for her.  As we were leaving she told "Yes, I am going to be baptized."  It was a really sacred experience.  I have really learned a lot about the spirit this week in helping my companion and helping investigators.  The words that we can say as humans really have little value but when the spirit enters into our hearts and minds and tells us what to say and do it becomes something that is eternal that the people really feel and know that God loves them.  The things that the spirit inspire us to do are PRICELESS!  It was awesome.  It is awesome to be able to feel the Lord direct me through the spirit.  I love it.  This week will be an interesting one.  I will have emergency changes this week and my companion is going home.  We will see what God has in store for us this week.  What a roller coaster.

September 16, 2013

It was an awesome week.  I love being a missionary; really there is no greater joy than being a missionary and helping people change their lives!  This week on Wednesday we went to the temple and it was soooo awesome.  I love going to the temple and learning there.  As I was sitting in the celestial room just praying and analyzing everything that has been going on and what we have been doing, the spirit just entered my mind and I heard the words "Son, I am proud of you!"  It was an awesome and sacred experience at the same time.  I know that God lives and that he is our father; he is always there waiting to help us and listening to our prayers.  This weekend we had two baptisms!  I got to baptize them both - it was awesome!  Fabrico and Jeanine!  It was a super sweet experience just to see how much they have changed in the short time I have known them.  I love seeing how people change.  The changes are always drastic.  It just makes me realize how awesome this gospel really is.  As we left from the baptism the spirit we had with us was so strong, we were basically running from appointment to appointment because we were both so excited.  Then yesterday Fabrico didn't show up to church so he wasn't confirmed but next week he will be.  This work is the best!  The love loves us and he really provides the way that we can change and be better.  I love this gospel and love being a missionary.

Pictures - YEAH!!!

 Love this Elder!

 Tegucigalpa Temple

 Missionaries doing service work

 Elder Lake with child

 Elders on the bus

Love this face - just can't get enough!!

September 9, 2013

It's been another week here in the mission; I don't know where all the time goes but oh well.  My companion got better just in time to pass it off to me and now I am sick! oh well!  We had a sweet experience this week.  I was on interchange this week with one of the Zone Leaders.  He came and we were working and went looking for an investigator; as we were almost to his house there was a little girl there.  She's like "Hey, I live down by the river with my parents."  So I asked her, "Are they there?"  She is like Ya but they are sleeping.  So we ended up not going.  We went to the investigators house and he wasn't there so we started heading back and we find the same little girl.  She asked, "Hey did you guys go to my house?" "No, you said your dad was asleep."  She is like "well my mom is there."  We listened to her.  This little 3 year old girl showed us who is boss.  We went down and found a bunch of members of the church that always go to the other ward but no one visits them.  We talked to them for a while and got a couple of references.  It was awesome!  I just love the little children.  Later that day we were talking to a 10 year old son of a member just outside so I asked him, "Hey, do you want to get baptized?" because he isn't a member yet.  He is like YES.  So I asked when and he said Sunday.  We responded with Saturday and he asked his dad and has a date for Saturday.  It was super awesome.  If all goes well we will have two baptisms this weekend.

September 2, 2013

WEll it has been another week here in the mission. Time flies and it is crazy. Weeks just come and go like it is nothing but that is alright we are having a good time. My ocmpanion has been sick this week so it has been very few days that we have worked the whole day without a problem. Thats alright though. I have been studying a lot this week and have learned soo much. I love reading in Nefi he is the bomb with testifying of the savior! We have had some sweet experiences this week! Yesterday we went to the temple to have a fireside with our mission president and it was awesome! HE is the man! They talked about marriage and eternal marriage! Our few investigators that went loved it and all learnned a lot! The spirit was awesome there! As I was there I was thinking a lot about the priorities in life! The most important thing in life is God! God is more important than anything else be it a spóuse companion or whoever else we owe everything to God first and then to our family and then to everyone else! When we put things in order how they should be we really see that the family and God go together unless the family tries to put themselves before God! IT has been really cool to think about and to know that God knows us all and loves us all personally and that with him everything is possible! Things are going great! This week I have to do like 5 baptism interviews and then next week we have a baptism! Pray for Jeannine she really needs it so she can be baptized the 14!!!

August 26, 2013

This week was awesome!  We didn't have transfers so me and my companion will be staying here one more transfer together and it will be great.  This week was a normal week.  We felt the spirit and helped a lot of people.  It really got interesting on Friday.  Friday I was really worried about district meeting for the first time; worried about how it would go but we had a really awesome district meeting and we all left spiritually uplifted.  That night we all saw the miracles.  My Companion and I put baptism dates with Jeannine and Kevin.  Jeannine is the sister that came and found us a couple of weeks ago.  The great miracle came that night.  I was talking to all the Elders in the district and we ended up putting 7 baptism dates that day and we are all super excited.  We are going to start the month of September with 9 baptism dates as a district.  Then on Saturday we spent the whole day running around.  We had to go and do an interview and then when we got back we had to go remind all of the members and investigators of a ward activity that we had that day.  The activity turned out to be a blast; we had about 10 investigators there and all the members had a great time.  Then of course it was a freaking downpour outside and the power went out right after the activity.  The Lords hand is real in our lives.  We have seen so many miracles and it is awesome.  We have a living God that loves and cares for all of his children.  I love this  work - it really is the Lord's work.

August 19, 2013

Crazy we are back to transfer week again; we will see what happens.  This week was awesome.  We went to the temple on Friday with President Fortuna, our mission president.  It was super awesome.  Just getting to the temple you could feel the spirit that was there not to mention the awesome lesson that President gave.  It was awesome.  One of our investigators said that one thing he has noticed about the Mormons is that they are persistent.  President stopped him and said the reason that we are so persistent is because we have the truth and we want everyone to have it as well.  It was awesome.  We had a really sweet lesson and everyone left super excited!  It was really interesting to see how God tries our faith.  This week we had Thursday planned out super awesome.  We were going to go visit people with the Bishop, one of his counselors and a sister missionary that came home this week.  We were going to divide and conquer.  We get to the first appointment and everything went well.  Then it started a great downpour and the lights went out so we had to go back to the house.  As we got back to the house, we had been there about 5 minutes, the power came back.  It was super frustrating because after only the Bishop left with us and all of the appointments fell through.  The Lord always finds the way to try our patience, we just have to learn from these experiences.  There is no doubt this is the true church with a loving and living God.

August 12, 2013

Well another week has come and gone and I have no idea where all the time has gone but it has abandoned me.  Time is flying by and it blows me away.  This week was really interesting; a lot of our appointments fell but we also had a lot of sweet experiences.  We were walking in the street this week and we started talking to a member that's been inactive for a couple of months.  As we were talking a lady that we had just seen came up and started talking to us.  She started asking about the process to get baptized and get married to her husband who is a member.  It was a really awesome experience.  The Lord has been doing a lot of miracles here in this area.  The Lord really prepares people or prepares us to find positive families and it is awesome.  I love teaching these families; they are the best.  We are planning on taking them to the temple this week to teach them a lesson.  The ward and everything is great.  They all love us a lot and are willing to help us out if we ask them to.

August 5, 2013

This week was awesome.  We are starting off the week with a baptism.  We baptized Sister Escarleth.  It was an awesome baptism even though everything went wrong.  As the week passed by everything was all planned long time ahead of the baptism.  Our ward mission leader was going to invite everyone and make the agenda and the bishop was going to baptize her; then all went wrong on Saturday morning.  Saturday morning I woke up and had a message from our ward mission leader that he wouldn't be there and he didn't have an agenda made.  He didn't invite anyone and then the Bishop had an interview that day with a member of the 70's . . . It all turned out alright.  We started running around trying to invite everyone and the Sister decided that I was going to baptize her and then we just joined our baptism with the other ward.  It turned out awesome.  Sometimes things like this happen and the missionaries get super down.  I don't know if I am used to it happening or what but we made things happen out of the worst and we had a good baptism.  Saturday we also had a sweet service project as a zone.  We cleaned up a field.  The grass and trees there were like 10 feet tall but it was awesome; we got it done in like 2 hours and everyone driving by was shocked to see a bunch of missionaries doing service.  I was studying in the morning and was thinking about the 99 sheep and that one that gets lost.  I realized that we leave the 99 because they should be able to work together to keep everyone there.  I could relate this to the members - they are there to strengthen themselves so no one falls away while the missionaries and other church leaders are sent out to find all the lost sheep.  Man I love the spirit and receiving revelation.  Things are great here.  The ward is great.  I have a great companion and we are teaching great people.  Pray for us so we can put more baptism dates.

July 29, 2013

We had a great week.  We found a lot of new families this week; it was super sweet.  We had to make a hard decision, me and my companion, we had to drop a super positive family for some problems that the husband has.  We were super down about it because they were a hope for a baptism this month but the Lord blessed us and the next day we found a new family.  I did interchanges this week with an Elder from Brazil.  We were standing in the street and we were talking to some lady and then some guy passed by and said paisano to me.  I just started talking to him and his buddy and it turned out really awesome.  They ended up taking us to their houses and introducing us to their families.  The Lord is really blessing us a lot here in our district.  We are seeing  many miracles in the work.  We also saw a huge miracle, we have been trying so hard to baptize families or to complete families and we have been praying everyday and then all of a sudden one of the secretaries from the ward told us that there was a sister that goes to church frequently whose membership was lost and she has to be baptized.  It is just another evidence of a living God that lives and answers prayers.  We are seeing many miracles here in our area even though it is super small; we are able to find a lot of new people to teach.  Everything is going good.  The members love us and starting every week to work more and more.  Hopefully if all goes well this week we will have a baptism.  Pray for Sister Escarleth.

July 22, 2013

This week has been super awesome. We have really been able to see the Lords hand in this work! Delmy got baptized this week it was awesome.,.. She had us worried there for a bit though. WE were waiting for her to show up for her baptism and she ended up getting there about 40 minutes late. I was starting to get super stressed worried about what happened but finally we got a call from a member that she was with her and they finally showed up! Then Sunday the day of her confirmation again she got there late and we were super stressed out about it! it was awesome she is now a member of the only true church in the world. We have had a really sweet week! It went by so fast I couldn't even believe it. When it was Friday I still thought it was Tuesday. My companion is great we pass all or time laughing and working hard so its awesome. This week has been awesome in our prayers we have really been focused on asking to find the elect people here in the area and families! The Lord has really softened the hearts of many people and we have been able to find them! Or they have found us! The lord has a lot of miracles prepared for us in the area. The members are seeing all the work that we are doing and every day they get more and more excited to help us! It looks like it is going to be an awesome week we are going to find many families. Truly the Lord helps us when we look to him! The work is awesome and we are super happy

July 15, 2013

This week has been awesome.  We had transfers and I stayed in the area and I am happy for that because I didn't want to leave.  I love it here.  I have a new companion; his name is Elder Guevara from El Salvador.  It has been really interesting as I started writing my letter today I got an email from President and he just told me that he trusts me and that he has put my companion with me for a reason so that he can learn to be obedient.  I feel great knowing that my president trusts in me to always put companions with me that always need help.  That's alright - he is a good companion and a lot of fun.  This wee we have a baptism planned and it will be awesome.  I am super excited that Delmy will be getting baptized on Saturday.  It is a great blessing and really the Lord trusts us to be able to baptize.  We are in the process of working a lot with members and just trying to use them to find new investigators - it is really hard for me because I love to knock doors but in this area its the only efficient way to do it.  The work is picking up and the members are great, we will see many miracles here in the area.  I was studying the scriptures today and I really loved something that I read.  I was reading in Nephi where Lehi is talking right before he dies and I love how he says to his sons to be men.  I love how many kings and fathers before they die they tell their people to be men.  We just need to be men of the priesthood.  I started thinking of all the great leaders in the church and prophets that they never put excuses - they always repent and recognize that they didn't do all that they could.  That's how we all have to be as missionaries and members of the church - there are no excuses.  We can't put excuses for what we didn't do.  It's gods plan and it is perfect and he just expects our best effort.  It really is the only true church and the true source of happiness in the world.  Pray for Delmy this week so that she can be baptized.

July 8, 2013

This week has been super awesome!  The work is going great!  We put a baptism date with Delmy.  She is so great; she is a young single mom and just trying to make things work in her life.  It has been awesome visiting her; she wants to change her life and do the right things.  She will be getting baptized the 20 of this month.  I have learned a lot this week.  Sometimes we don't know what else we can do but we just keep doing something and the Lord always provides something.  It has been a little tough with Delmy; at first she didn't talk much at all with us but the more time we spend there she is starting to open up and share how she feels and what she wants in life.  She came to church with us yesterday.  She was really hesitant at first but then she went and she love it.  Her one little daughter was nervous too - she is 6.  She was nervous so she grabbed me by the hand so I took her to primary to help her make friends.  It was awesome.  Things are going really well.  the members love us and are starting to help out a lot.  We are just putting them to work whether they like it or not and they are loving it.  They all have been inviting us to go eat and go visit their friends.  It is awesome.  Transfers are this week and I hope I stay in the area - I love it.  This week too I had an awesome experience.  I was interviewing two kids that the ZL's were going to baptize and they were super awesome - it was a great experience.  They were both so excited to receive the spirit but they didn't really know why.  It just made me think that if the children understand how important it is to get the spirit how come we don't understand how awesome it is to keep it with us.  The spirit is the best.  It directs us even if we have no idea what to do.  Follow the spirit - its the best decision you can take.

July 1, 2013

This week has been an interesting one! It has really been humbling as a district leader! Its humbling being a district leader of new missionaries. In the past month here in this district 16 baptism dates have fallen! WOW! its been rough but July is looking to be better! It seems when things are getting rolling Satan always throws an obstacle in the way! Everything was going great! Claudia is doing great and we found a new investigator whose name is Delmy! She is doing awesome as well! We have been fighting all week to put an appointment with Claudia but she has started working and we haven't been able to go and visit her! Satan works just as hard as we do sometimes but we just have to figure out a way to out smart him! I had an awesome experience the other day I was in interchanges with the Zone leaders in the area and we were gong around visiting all there positive investigators and we went with two that had, had a baptism date that fell through and we were able to go have a powerful lesson and to put the dates more firm than they have ever been! The spirit is really directing this work and we are seeing many differences the members every week get more and more excited to work with us! We will see what this week has in store for us!

June 24, 2013

What a week! Lets just say the satellite transmission yesterday was awesome! It was an answer for the prayers of many many people! The missionary work is taking changes that are going to be seen in the eternities. This week has really been a trial of our faith! Its been awesome though. It has been the worst best week of my mission! Everything fell through for the first part of the week but I have never been so excited to work in my mission. All of the members love us and they are slowly getting the desire to help! I came up with ideas to help the ward and we have been putting it in practice and seeing the difference! We made a competition with the members to see who can read the Book of Mormon first and it is really helping the spirit of the Ward! In the past 3 days we have received 4 references and that is the first time it has happened here in a long time! The members are excited to see we have a sister that we are preparing for baptism! Her name is Claudia! She is awesome! She has such a sincere desire to change her life! It has been awesome teaching her. She is sincere and if all goes well we will put a baptism date with her today or tomorrow! The work is picking up slowly but we are seeing and going to see many more miracles here! Love you all pray for us and for our success!

June 17, 2013

This week has been a great one I have really learned a lot of who I am. This area is great I love my area and my companion and I am really learning about the impact I have on other people. I feel blessed that a lot of people trust and confide in me in many things. I have really learned as well that us as missionaries we are angels. The members always tell us that here and it had never really sank in until right now. We are angels and its the greatest thing in the world! WE had a super sucky but awesome experience this week. WE had a day that all of our appointments fell through. We started just doing the only other option that there was. WE just started knocking doors. Seriously I knocked 20 doors and I have never been rejected so much in my life. People would open the door and just start saying we alrready go to a church! It was rediculous. I kept going though. I got to the point we were just standing in the middle of the street and my companion just had the look on his face like what do we do now. I just started praying and went to knock one more door. I knocked the door and a old guy came and answered.. I just started praying that he would receive us. He ended up letting us in and we were able to find 2 new families in that house! The lord really is conscience of us and he always helps us especially in the moment that we want to give up! It is a blast being a district leader 5 of the 8 elders have less than 6 months in the mission so they all look up to me and when something goes wrong or they have a hard day they always call me asking for help! It is a blessing that the Lord trusts in me enough that I can do it! WE need to always live our lives so that the Lord can trust in us! Because we never know the moment that HE or someone else is going to call us! I hope you all have a great week! Love you.

Elder Lake

June 10, 2013

This week has been great.  I can tell that the Lord has put me in this area and my companion for a reason.  We have a lot of work to do.  It will be interesting because my companion doesn't want to be in the area but I know at the end of the change he will only want to stay.  As we went and met all the investigators that they were teaching I started noticing that there weren't any investigators positive at all and so basically we are opening an area.  We dropped all the investigators and we are starting from scratch.  It should be an interesting week.  I have been studying lots lately and really have been loving more and more the scriptures.  I have been studying about the prophets and when the Lord commanded them to do something they did it even though it was difficult.  I like thinking of Nephi - the Lord commanded him to build a ship and instead of asking how, he asked where can I make the tools.  He didn't know how to build a ship but the Lord did know.  As well with the Brother of Jared, he didn't know how to light up the boats but the Lord knew.  The same with Moses he didn't know how to save the people from Egypt but the Lord did know.  It made me realize that sometimes we do things before the Lord commands us but we don't have the faith so we become like Laman and Lemuel and ask why or say we can't do it.  The Lord always knows how and we just have to do our part to figure out the Lord's way - he always provides a way.  Our area is great and I that's the case.  We don't know how to do it but the Lord knows how.  The members love us and want to work.  We got a reference from a member and we went to meet her for the first time and the sister accepted to get baptized.  Oh how I love the members here.  The Lord provides, he always has and always will, we just have to look for his direction in our lives.  The Lord lives and LOVES us!

June 3, 2013

Well it was a LONG WEEK - WORST week of my mission.  Starting since last Monday I was super sick and then at the end of the week I was sick enough to the point that I couldn't leave the house!  I did though get transferred.  Good-bye little pueblos and middle of nowhere and HELLO to the City!  I am now in Toncontin Teguicigalpa as District Leader.  I am a district leader of 8 elders!  I have served in one of the biggest areas of the mission and NOW this area is the smallest area of the mission so it will be awesome!  It has been awesome.  I feel like the Lord has put me here for a reason.  I know that there are people here in the ward and investigators that need my help.  Once again though I have gotten to an area and it's basically like I am opening the area!  That's alright though it will be good.  I am really grateful for the time I had in my last area; I have really learned to love people and figure out how to help them and what  they need!  I know God lets everything happen for a reason even though we don't understand why.  Being here in the new area and being sick was the worst and hardest thing in the world for me.  First I hate being sick and second I hate not being able to work.  I really learned that the Lord tries our patience and prepares us to work.  He prepares - we don't prepare ourselves.  I know he lives and loves everyone of us.

May 27, 2013

This week has been an awesome week.  I just want to say that I love General Authorities.  We had a conference this week with Elder Amado from the area 70 and it was awesome.  It was sweet being able to feel the spirit that he brings with him and it really helped us to all receive inspiration.  The more and more that I see General Authorities the more I realize that they are all fun loving good humored men.  This week we have transfers and who knows what will happen.  I took a moment this week to reflect back on what has happened here in the area.  Really we have seen so many miracles but what happens is we forget about them or they don't seem like anything in the moment.  Whether I get changed or not does not matter for sure - I have left my mark here on the area.  We went with Leonardo, one of our investigators, yesterday and he was telling us that he had never thought about joining the Mormon church; he had always seen it but never wanted to join.  He has now been coming to church every week and says that he is a Mormon!  It has really been awesome.  If all goes well this week we will put a baptism date with him and his wife and we will help them get married.  It has really been a blessing this week to be worthy of the spirit.  The spirit really protects us from danger.  We really felt and experienced that this week; the spirit was guiding us and directing us from physical and spiritual danger.  We have to be worthy of the spirit in this world if we want to get back to the presence of God one day; repent so you can all be worthy of this guide.

May 20, 2013

This week has been awesome.  We started out the week with interchanges and it was awesome.  We were working hard than at night all of our appointments feel through.  We just started contacting the houses right close to where we live.  We started contacting a house and a girl walks out to talk to us.  We started talking and then she stops and starts talking in English.  We were shocked - it was super weird - to have our contact change real quickly into English and both me and my companion were shocked and stuttering speaking English.  Tuesday we were able to go to the Temple!  It was the best!  Even though in our travels to get there Satan was really trying to stop us from going.  There were a bunch of things that happened that almost caused us to not go.  When we finally got there it was such a great blessing.  It was awesome to be able to be in the temple receiving revelation from God for how we can do better and how we can help our investigators.  There is no better place to be than in the temple.  It's really God's house and he really is there. Things are all getting better here in the area.  We are working our butts off here and even though we don't have any baptism dates we are teaching a lot of positive people that will hopefully accept baptism dates this week.  The Lord blesses us for our efforts.  It blows me away being a missionary and seeing all the miracles that God does during the week changing peoples lives.

May 13, 2013

It was a great week with Mother's Day and all that good stuff.  My companion and I are really happy even though at times he really acts like a child - we get along really well.  We have really been seeing the miracles this week.  We have been visiting Leonardo just about every day trying to get him to accept a baptism date and progress more.  It just got complicated because his wife just had a baby and they are not married.  But with a lot of prayer and fasting we will see miracles.  We are also now teaching a guy named Melkis, he is the husband of a member.  He is progressing really well and we will hopefully put a baptism date with him right now when I leave from writing.  The Lord is powerful and he really answers prayers.  We had a zone conference with President this week and something that he said is that we need to be the kind of missionaries that we leave a mark on the area so that when the future missionaries come the members will say we want you to be like that Elder.  After a lot of time the branch is changing, they have all gotten excited to get working and to do what they are supposed to do.  It really is true with faith, prayers and the hope of a better future the Lord does the work.  If we do our part the Lord takes care of the outcome.  That is what matters. It doesn't matter if we baptize 100 - it matters that we do what the Lord wants!  WORK! WORK! WORK! That all there is.  We are working hard and loving life and I hope it's the same for you.  Pray for Melkis and the Ruiz Family.

May 6, 2013

 We really had an interesting week and Satan was fighting hard against us.  In one day we had really good plans and had confirmed all our plans and it was crazy to see how Satan worked against us.  We showed up to one of our first appointments and as we get there to begin teaching a Pastor from another church and a couple of the members of the other church all show up to visit this guys wife.  It was a little awkward but luckily our investigator speaks English so he told me that it was a little weird so it would be better to go back a different day.  We left that appointment to go to another appointment and we get there and the door was wide open to this guys house.  As we come to find out the firemen (which are right in front of this guys house) had just barely left - he had a fire there in the roof of his house and so he was in the process of cleaning up all the mess so we helped a few minutes and he decided it was better for us to go back the next day.  It was weird - me and my companion left laughing a little bit from all the things that had happened and not thinking anything else could go wrong.  Well we thought wrong.  We got to our last appointment of the day and it was weird - for the first time ALL the family was there.  We get there, sit down and we are talking for like 5 minutes and the power went out so me and my companion had to leave to go to our house.  It was ridiculous.  Satan has really worked hard against us this week to stop us from doing good things.  We ended the week in a fast and really the Lord is blessing us.  I started my fast pleading that we could baptize a family this month and if the Lord could send a family to church the next day.  As we showed up to the church we saw coming up the street a member and her husband who isn't a member.  It really was an answer to our fasting that the Lord wants us to baptize this month.  When they got to the church the sister told us that she wanted us to start visiting her husband so that he can get baptized and they can get married.  We have really seen a lot of miracles this week and we know that we have a great week to come.  The power of fasting and prayer is real.  Pray for Melkis and the Ruiz family so that they can get baptized this month.

April 29, 2013

This week has been interesting.  I just love when our plans fall through.  Viernes we had all of our plans set and ready for the night; all our plans were set in stone and we were really excited and then the power went out!  That is the worst thing in the world for a missionary here - when the power goes out - No power = no food, no working and you get really bored!  It was really funny - me and my companion were starving so I started to get creative.  I found a tin can, candles and a little metal cooling rack and we cooked food using that.  This week was awesome too - we found an awesome investigator - Felipe!  We taught him on Monday and then we haven't been able to go back because he has been working as a taxi driver in a different city  We saw him on Saturday and he had read from the introduction of the Book of Mormon and was about to finish 1st Nephi.  We were super excited.  Sunday came around and all of our investigators had bailed and didn't have plans to go to church.  I just started calling everyone I could to invite them.  I called Leonardo and he was like well I have this and this to do but I will try.  As we were sitting there starting the meeting he showed up!  We were both super excited.  We are really seeing the blessing even when things are rough.  We have been praying to have people come to church so that they can progress and we have been working our butts off and the Lord is answering our prayers.  He really hears and answers.  A lot of work to do but deep praying for us and we will have success!

April 22, 2013

We had a lot of success this week and it was great.  Starting out on Thursday I had interchanges with one of the Zone Leaders so that he could do Bernardos interview and he passed.  That night Elder Marin and I had a little party to celebrate our year in the mission.  Yesterday we had Bernardos baptism - it was Awesome!  He had me a little worried at first because he showed up 15 minutes late to his baptism - he really had me stressing!  One of my favorite things to do is to talk to the people after their baptism to ask them how they feel.  It just is a surety that this is the true Gospel because they all tell us how pure that they feel.  It was awesome.  Then yesterday after church we went visiting with one of the leaders from the branch and ended up finding a couple of positive families to be teaching.  The work is picking up and it looks like May will be a great month and if all goes well we will be baptizing families!  My companion and I are focusing in on teaching just families and whatever other chosen person that we can find.  Really when we put our mind to a purpose the Lord helps us fulfill it but if we don't have a purpose we don't do anything!  We have it in our minds that we are going to find, teach and baptize families and we have really been seeing the Lord bless us with many miracles in the process.  As we were teaching a family this week I asked the sister if she had received an answer to her prayers yet.  She paused for a minute and started to tell us that she had had a dream and that she thought it was her answer telling her that this is the true church.  It was awesome to see.  Now we just need to focus in on the husband so that he can have the same experience and receive his answer.  I know the Lord answers always to our prayers but we just have to look for the way he is responding.

April 15, 2013

It was an awesome week.  My companion and I are getting work done.  I have no idea where all the time is going but at least we are accomplishing something with out time!  The highlight of the week is that we HAVE A BAPTISM DATE!  This Sunday we are going to have a baptism.  A guy we just started visiting a little while ago, we went and visited him this week and started talking to him about baptism and he accepted a date and doesn't have any problems right now in being ready for his baptism.  It is awesome.  We are having a lot of fun and visiting a lot of people.  Normally in the area they  haven't been teaching much but now we are teaching more than 20 lessons and closing in on 30 lessons a week.  We are starting to see a difference in the area.  One thing President taught us a little while ago that I loved - He said when we leave the house what we have in mind is what we do!  It's true and we have been putting into our minds to teach a lot of people and to find new people.  It is awesome to see how the Lord blesses us just when we have a change of mentality.  The work is picking up.  My companion tells me every day he doesn't know what happens with all the time.  We leave and work hard and the time flies by.  Sometimes there isn't enough time to get everything we want done.  The Lord always helps us get everything done that he wants.  The Lord lives and loves us.  He helps us if we ask for it.  The majority of the time though we are too stupid to ask for help.  It's a no brainer if you need help ask him!  He answers!

April 8, 2013

Conference was awesome.  I loved Elder Holland's talk!  That man is powerful.  I love hearing his testimony and I just hope mine is powerful like his when I bear it to the investigators.  We had a good week.  We have been focusing a lot on finding new people to teach and we found 12 and 3 new families.  I just have to put my mind to finding and I love it.  We left one night just walking down a road and I told my companion as we were walking if there were any people in the street or if there was a door open we would stop and contact them.  We started walking and there was no one!  We contacted a couple of open doors and no one wanted anything to do with us; that's alright, we just going!  We finally were getting to the end of the street and I was getting anxious to find someone.  We passed a door and I saw it was closed but a light was on.  We walked past it and it was just like someone turned me around to go and contact the door.  It was about 8:40 at night and we knocked the door.  A girl came to the door and was talking to us.  She just had the door open a little bit but I got my hand in enough to shake hands.  We shared a little bit there on the door step and she told us we could come in and share a message.  We ended up finding a new family of 5!  It was awesome!  I started later this week just praying and leaving the house with the idea in mind to find new families.  We have been able to do it.  We did it 4 days straight.  It was awesome.  It really is true that the Lord blesses us with the way to be able to do it.  It has been crazy to see miracle after miracle this week being able to find new people.  The Lord is preparing the people we just have to be obedient and open our eyes.  I know this is the work of the Lord!  He lives and He loves us!  He did call Joseph Smith to be a prophet to restore the church here on the earth today.  Thomas S Monson is God's prophet here on the earth.  We have a cause to be happy because God lives and loves us!  We are members of the true church!  Be Happy!

April 1, 2013

I don't know what is happening - I feel like March just started and now it is April!! YIKES!!!  It has been a really interesting and really good week.  We started the week with Monday and the power was out so we couldn't leave and visit because that would be stupid and dangerous.  I was on exchanges with one of the Zone Leaders that night and we spent the whole night sharing stories and we even had to kill a mouse so that made for an interesting start of the week.  The next day we just got straight to work and had an awesome day.  This week we had a lot of success.  We were able to lift our numbers up higher than they have been in months find a bunch of new people.  It was crazy to see the difference in this week and last week.  It is just like what happened with Joseph Smith right before God and Jesus Christ came he was tempted by Satan and that is like what happened to us.  Last week was really sucky and this week was awesome.  I started this week that it doesn't matter who it is I at least would say hello to everyone; it was a great blessing.  It has really showed me that God guides the people to us that need us.  In the process of just talking to everyone we had 5 people contact  us.  They either asked for Books of Mormon or for us to go visit them.  The Lord really is preparing people but we have to sacrifice to be able to receive these blessings.  There really are two sides of the veil in this work.  There are people on the other side that are changing the hearts of the people so that they accept us.  The missionary work is going further along than it has in months in this area.  The members don't help at all and don't want any part of it.  It's kind of funny, I get to teach every Sunday in church and at this point all the people are starting to either really love me or really hate me.  Those that are fulfilling their callings really love me and those that are sinners and don't do anything really hate me because the spirit always puts words in my mouth that they don't like to hear.  I have really learned one thing in the past couple of weeks - it is to follow the spirit.  The spirit really can guide us in everything we do if we just pay attention.  Sometimes we follow the spirit and we don't realize it until after.  I invite you all to look for the spirit in your lives and fulfill your callings.  God hates when people don't compete. Ecclesiastes 5:5

March 25, 2013

This week has been interesting.  If something could have gone wrong this week it surely went wrong - that is for sure.  Everything fell through this week - it was kind of an ugly week.  Our baptism dates fell through; everyone that was progressing isn't right now.  No one could come to church and when we were contacting no one wanted to receive us.  It was great fun.  Me and my companion really learned a lot.  Sometimes it is not about what you are able to accomplish during the week - it is about the effort that you put into working.  The Lord doesn't bless us for the results, the Lord blesses us for the efforts that we make.  I was really able to learn a lot about that and see the Lord bless us.  We were able to finish the week really well though.  Yesterday we had District Conference and one of the converts received the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It really was a blessing and to be able to see someone progress and to be able to have such a sacred responsibility.  Then in afternoon we went looking for a contact and we found him.  We had a really awesome lesson with him and we just talked with him and he said that before he was able to go to church and that he loved it and feels that the church is true but sometimes the circumstances effect your life and that he felt bad that he hasn't been back.  He just expressed a sincere desire to change his life and to be able to make his relationship with God better.  It made me realize what a great blessing it is to  no matter where we are in life we can always repent and make it back.  God loves us all so much that repentance is always there for us.  Let's take advantage of it then - we all should repent daily to partake of these blessings.

March 18, 2013

It was a great week.  Besides the fact that I had to travel just about every day this week, that's alright - it was fun!  Tuesday me and one of the Elders in my district went to Tegucigalpa for a meeting for the leaders and we were there just about all day.  We got back at about 6 that night so I just told him that he was stuck with me for the rest of the night and we were going to go and take advantage of the situation.  We went and spent about all night knocking doors (which is great fun with a good companion)!  We went and were rejected like 10 consecutive houses it was rough!  We then just passed by a member to see how they were and then went contacting again.  The first door we knocked, the people asked who it was and we just responded "the missionaries", the lady and her husband then opened the door and told us to enter.  They are a family and super positive; we have hopes to put a baptism date with them.  Another lade that we are visiting (Lela) is super nice.  We went to teach her the other day and she told us that she wanted to be baptized so clearly we put a date with her.  The highlight of the whole week was that we got to see the broadcast of the temple dedication.  It was so awesome; I am so grateful to speak English and to have understood the words that left President Uchtdorf's mouth!  It was awesome!  It was just a testimony builder that this really is the Lord's church.  I learned and understood a lot more as well about the Lord's blessing in the temple.  I also noticed that the prophet and apostles are all happy and fun loving guys!  It's true - this gospel brings happiness so why the heck aren't we happy all the time.  Sometimes we just have to close our eyes to the bad things and only see the blessings.

March 11, 2013

What a week!  I am now training and my companion is from San Pedro Sula.  He is a really nice Elder but he doesn't understand a lot of the doctrine or know a lot of the doctrine but it will be a lot of fun.  I am super excited to be with a Latin again to just be speaking Spanish all the time!  Changes were super interesting - President threw me a curve ball this change.  Not only am I training but I have been called to be a district leader here in my area.  So it will be a really awesome transfer.  We had a really sweet experience this week.  We went to go visit this old guy from the branch and for the past three months I have been asking this man for references but haven't received a single one until the other day.  We went looking for these two ladies that are less actives and we ended up finding them and their families.  It was sweet.  We went with the member and he talked to them forever but he got them convinced that the church where they were going was completely incorrect and that they were lost in that church and then he convinced them to come to our church and even invited them.  They were super nice people and they came to church on Sunday.  It just helped me realize that it doesn't matter how many times you have to ask someone for a reference they will eventually give one if you keep asking.  I have really learned a lot this week and have been really humbled by the spirit with these new opportunities I have.  The spirit really is living and he can guide our every step if we just learn to listen to his voice.  The more we listen the more he speaks.  This has to be the Lord's work because if it wasn't there wouldn't be so many miracles like there are.  Look for the miracles in your lives - they are there and there are many - you just have to look for them.

March 4, 2013

Transfers are this week and it's going to be a good time!  I know for sure that I am going to have a new companion.  President called me this past week one morning right before I was going to start my personal study.  I answered and he said Elder Lake and asked me how I was, the basics like normal and then said, "the Lord has called you to be a trainer and you need to come to Tegucigalpa tomorrow."  I am super excited!  It will be a lot of fun to be able to train a new missionary again.  While we were at the meeting for trainers President had a copy of Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 that he gave out to all of us and we all read it.  He then said this is a covenant that we are all going to make.  He had us all sign one that he kept.  I have been studying a lot about it this week and it really hit me.  The Lord doesn't call the people that are perfect to serve.  It really hit me.  He just wants us to have a desire to serve and to be better.  The Lord has a lot of trust in us and we have a lot of work to do.  It will be awesome though.

February 25, 2013

Well another week has come and gone and it sure has been interesting.  We have been working our butts off but we aren't seeing the results of our efforts.  The more things go wrong the more we start to look at ourselves and try to decide the things that we need to change to get things going again.  This week we had a really powerful spiritual experience.  We went to visit Marvin who just got baptized a couple of months ago. His mom had a broken vein in her leg and then she had stroke.  She wasn't doing very well and she still isn't. We went to visit him and we had one of the most powerful spiritual experiences in the world.  We offered him a blessing and he said that he wanted one.  I gave him the blessing and never have I felt the spirit guide my words like it did in that moment.  We just stood there afterwards without saying anything to him at all.  It was just a powerful spirit that stayed there in the room with us.  It was powerful, I didn't have to say anything because I knew that the spirit was doing all the talking that needed to be done.  He felt better afterwards.  We just told him if he needed anything to call us.  It really is just a blessing to be a priesthood holder and to be able to give blessings and have spiritual experiences like that.  Really makes me want to work my butt off to give a priesthood blessing completely directed by the spirit.  The power of the priesthood is real - if you don't believe it - ask for a blessing.

February 18, 2013

Well it has been a good week.  We had a sweet P-day on Wednesday.  We not only played soccer but we played soccer against the firemen, the local police and the national police!  It was a lot of fun actually.  It was also a good experience because the day after we were playing we were just walking to go to an appointment and I felt the impression that we had to walk the street where the fire station is.  I didn't think anything of it, just followed the impression with the hope that someone was there waiting for us.  We started walking and as we were getting close to the fire station they all saw us and started yelling at me and my companion to go talk to them.  So clearly we went to go talk to them.  We ended up teaching all of them and answering questions for about an hour and a half, answering all their questions that they had about the church.  It was way sweet and then afterward they were all inviting us to go visit them at their houses and to go eat dinner with them.  It was just evidence for me that God is preparing people to receive the gospel.  We also had a sweet experience - an investigator that went with us to the temple.  She had to close down her business for the day and just open it when we got back.  She thought she was going to lose a lot of money this day but when she got back in the few hours she was open she made 300 lempiras.  We just talked to her and testified that it was the Lord blessing her for her sacrifices.  It's really obvious that God loves us and blesses us for sacrifices.  I just wish everyone understood that.

February 13, 2013

Well it was a week of ups and downs.  I am pretty sure it has been one of the worst/best weeks of my mission!  Everything fell through this week.  All the appointments, all the plans, everything fell through this week.  If there is something that could go wrong it went wrong.  God is definitely testing us to see what we can do and if we can listen to the spirit.  It has been interesting.  On the positive side we were able to go to the open house of the temple on Monday.  It was so beautiful and we had 10 investigators that went with us. It was awesome to have them come with us.  It was awesome to be able to enter the temple and just feel the spirit.  Even though it isn't dedicated yet the spirit is still there.  It just gets me so pumped and I want to just go spend hours in the temple.  It's been interesting to see.  God really has his hands in our lives sometimes its just to keep us up and going everyday.  It has been interesting this week we have taught a lot about overcoming trials and how the scriptures say the Lord's path is narrow but it never says that you don't have to climb stairs, cross a river, climb over broken trees.  God never says his path is easy but it is always worth it and always brings blessings.  Really just a testimony builder that God loves us and want us to achieve the most.  Sometimes the difficulties bring the most happiness and the way to learn how to improve.  Love you all and hope that when the road gets rough you keep going.

February 4, 2013

It has been an interesting week.  It all started last Monday - I am in the middle of teaching a lesson and reading from the scriptures and from the roof fell two lizards and landed right on top of my scriptures!  I was a little shocked.  I had no idea what to do - the sisters we were visiting were all freaking out.  It was a pretty funny experience.  It will definitely be an experience that they nor I will ever forget.  We had a good week.  We are teaching a really positive family that if all goes well they will be baptized in the next couple of weeks.  There is lots of work to do but I know the Lord has his hands in the work.  It was pretty sweet this week we also had interviews with President - it is always fun to be with President.  He just told me that the Lord had put me here for a reason and that he and the Lord trusted in me and knew that I could help change the area.  The work continues but we are in need of lots of prayers.  Please pray for Isabel and also the Zolano Family.  We are hoping they will get baptized and progress.

January 28, 2013

Well another week rolls by.  Things are a little crazy here!  The work is picking up.  We got an excellent reference from some members from a different area this week.  We went and visited this family and they were super excellent before we even introduced ourselves we were in their house sitting down and they were bringing us food!  Let's just say it was an awesome day.  They are super awesome I know the Lord has put them in our path for a reason.  They are progressing with the hope that they will be getting baptized next month.  The Lord is really blessing our efforts.  This week in church we had the most there than we have had the whole time - we had 66 people.  It was awesome.  We are hoping we can keep them all there and active.  The fight goes on.  We are doing all that we can.  The work has really picked up with this other companionship here.  It looks like there is a lot of hope for the future here.  I have been praying so much to be strengthened by the Lord and trying to be as perfect as possible.  It's like someone talked about in conference when you are in the fire of trials is when you really get perfected - I see why.  It has been super hard to be here where there haven't been a lot of baptisms but the Lord is blessing us now for our efforts and I know that in February there will be some baptisms with the Lords help.  The Lord really is aware of all of us and wants us to succeed we just have to put off the natural man and be made perfect through the atonement - maybe one day I will get to the perfection or I will die trying.

January 21, 2013

Wow - what a week!  Let's just say it will be interesting - for the emergency changes they just sent me an Elder from the area closest to me.  We had a week together and then transfers came and it looks like we will have a transfer together.  The interesting thing is because of the huge number of missionaries that will be coming to the mission this transfer will be 7 weeks instead of 6.  We will see how this goes.  The area got 2 more missionaries as well this week.  It is super awesome that we finally have a lot of support and the burden is less upon our shoulders now that there are two pair of missionaries.  This week was a really good week.  We couldn't do as much as we wanted because we had to help out the new guys here a bunch but it was awesome.  This week we have been teaching Isabel and she is progressing really well - she knows she needs to be baptized just hasn't accepted a date yet.  She just hasn't prayed!!!!  So frustrating when investigators don't pray.  I can't imagine how disappointed God feels when we don't say our prayers a couple of times a day.  I feel super frustrated and I am just a missionary.  So don't be stupid and say your Prayers!  God is waiting to hear from all of us everyday and often.  We have been looking so hard to find little rays of light poking through the clouds in the area that could bring some good news to the branch.  Yesterday we went to contact a reference from the Zone Leaders.  I was super pumped because they were talking up how awesome the reference was.  We went to contact him and the Brother walked out to welcome us in and ushered us into a room and before even saying anything brought us food and a drink.  Then as we were talking I just realized how elect they are and I am confident they will be baptized.  One thing impacted me a lot from what they said - the brother, his names is Harley.  It's a family of him and his wife, Jesica, and they have 3 kids.  He asked us - do you know why we like your church and I just responded "No, why?"  He goes on to tell me "We like your church because it all seems positive and everyone seems happy and we want to be a part of that happiness!"  It made me think that really we are happy because we have and we know so much!  It just makes me grateful for the knowledge that we do have.  We have the plan of happiness so we should be happy!  I love you all and hope you all realize how blessed we all are!

January 14, 2013

This week has been super crazy - the week leading up before transfers and let's just say it was a wild one!  We did interchanges this week and I had a super sweet experience.  We were on our way back to the area and I was the last one to get up on the bus and like normal there were no seats left on the bus and I was the only one standing up.  No big deal, it was normal and I was happy standing up.  As I got on the bus though I passed a guy that was sitting in a seat by himself and the seat next to him was filled with boxes.  I didn't think anything of it and kept going.  The next thing I know the helper guy on the bus is motioning for me that he had a seat for me up closer to the front so I start going up and it was the guy who had the boxes in the seat.  I sat down and didn't think anything of it and then continued on with my life as a missionary.  I just started talking to him and contacted him.  He lives in the area of my district leader where I was going to be working that day so we called him up and went and visited him.  He is a doctor here and canceled his appointments for a little over an hour to accept us.  He accepted us really well and is a positive contact.  That night is when it got interesting.  We get to the house and are making our plans for the next day and we call him to make a follow up appointment and then we ended up talking to him for 10 minutes.  He goes on to tell us that when he got on the bus that day he told the guy working on the bus to charge him for two seats for his boxes because he didn't want to sit by anyone.  The next thing that he goes on to tell us was that he wasn't going to talk to me but he remembered a little kid in the street and the kid said hi and he just looked at him and said nothing.  The kid then told this doctor to stop and goes on to say that he was the first mute doctor he had ever met because all the doctors are always talking.  He said when I sat by him on the bus he remembered that experience and knew that he had to talk.  It was just a testimony builder to me that the Lord is preparing people and that they are out there - we just have to open our mouths.  It was super awesome!  Then to make the week get even more interesting the day after we had emergency transfers and my companion was changed out of the area and I got one of the Elders that was in an area close by.  Life is good.  The branch is picking up and starting to get excited and President is sending m ore missionaries out to help.  For sure with a lot of prayer we will have success.  Keep praying for us here in Campamento - we need it!

January 7, 2013

The work is finally starting to pick up.  We are winning some battles and losing others in this work!  We are finally to the point that we are actually finding investigators and not worrying so much about the members.  It is super sad to see that the members here don't have a lot of hope for the future or even care about the present.  One told us that they are all lost and then the Branch President said he is ready to throw in the towel.  It is sad to see but with new people in the church it will bring new energy.  The work is picking up - when I got to the area there were about 6 investigators that have all been dropped and now replaced with new ones.  It is amazing to see the Lord's hand in trials.  The Lord gives us times in the fire of trials so that we can get polished up and so that we can endure more.  He really loves us and sometimes it takes trials for us to learn the little lessons.  Prayer really is powerful - it is the way that we can do all things.  The Lord just expects us to talk to him and to ask him for help and to be specific and he is waiting and willing to help us.  He really does want to help sometimes we are just too stubborn to humble ourselves and ask him.  It took a lot for me to learn that but it is the truth.  Look for the little bright rays of sunshine that can always conquer the darkness.  They are everywhere we just have to look for them.