Ten Months

 Hello Rio Lindo!

 

  

 

  Farewell Photos from Ocotillo

 

 

 

Well, another week in the mission field. It was a decent work week with its ups and downs, but all in all pretty good. On Tuesday, I had to go to Choloma to take a picture for my resident´s card in Honduras. The line was super long for people trying to get visas for the States. The camera angle was really low and the lady told me just to tilt my head down a ton. It was really uncomfortable and I don´t know how well the picture turned out, but we will see. 

Wow, it´s a lot tougher to get people to church than in Ocotillo. I don´t really blame the investigators, it would be a little tough to attend church in a small cramped house, but in the end it shouldn´t matter and we´ll keep working on it. The two weeks before I got here there were no investigators, last week we had 1 investigator, and this week we had 3 come to church. Small improvements.

We didn´t get to really focus on Sacerdocio this week because we didn´t have the records or addresses. On Friday, we met with the Branch President and his counselor in order to print out some forms. We saw the branch´s statistics on LDS.org and it was interesting to see how organized everything was. Another little testimony builder of the Lord´s church and His work of salvation.

I´ve gotten a little tired of just studying grammar out of the textbook for language study so I started something new: translating from English to Spanish and Spanish to English. President Dester is really good at translating and I would like to be able to translate both here and when I get back. Anyways, during the translation, when I don´t know something, I write the word or sentence structure down. I started out translating "Our Search for Happiness" but realized that Elder Ballard´s language is a little too complex...not tough to understand or translate, but he uses english sentence structures that don´t translate well into Spanish. Because of this, sometimes "Nuestra Busqueda de la Verdad" isn´t a direct translation and it is open up to judgement of the translator to make the change/adjustment. So...I started translating "Our Heritage" instead and the translations are more precise and therefore a better tool for language study.

We have been teaching and helping investigators progress, but nothing really has stood out or is interesting to tell about. We are hoping for 3 or 4 baptisms this change (hope is not a plan, but we only have 3 Sundays left in the change before the last Saturday) and working on preparing more for the next change.

Well, today I complete 10 months in the mission. 14 to get a lot of work done and become who I need to become. Cheque.

-Elder Lund

Río Lindo, Zona Yojoa 10/21/14 - 10/27/14

It's Cooler in Rio Lindo

¡Adiós Ocotillo...El Señor me mandó a ____!

Well, yes, I had changes this past Wednesday. I was placed in Río Lindo (Zona Yojoa) as comp mayor with Elder C from El Salvador.

Entonces, my new area is...a little different. Río Lindo is about an hour and a half bus ride south of SPS and it´s a bout 20 minutes from Lago Yojoa. It´s a little bit cooler here. When the people here acostumbrado to this cool weather say "Que Calor!" From what I´ve heard, it will be raining just about every day for the next 2 - 4 changes. I never used an umbrella because people mistake us for Testigos de Jehová, but I got drenched the first two days here, so I am going to start using it. Río Lindo, and San Francisco de Yojoa (part of our area) are a lot wealthier. Still not even close to the Residenciales, Jardines del Valle, or the States, but the houses are a bit nicer. Our house is nice. It was really dirty when I got there but we cleaned it today. There are 4 missionaries in the house - Elder C, Elder T (Chapin from Zona El Carmen), Elder P (Chapin from Zona El Carmen as well), and me. I will be speaking very little English this change.

The church is relatively small here. We have an asistencia of about 60-90. The "chapel" is a house that has been retrofitted to be a church. The church has already bought land for an actual chapel, but they need around 25 worthy male priesthood holders in order to construct, and we´re at less than 6 from what I´ve heard. There are already 30 on record and 97 who haven´t received the priesthood yet, so we´ll be working a lot on reactivating those hombres so that we can have a chapel sometime next year. It is really jam packed in the small house and I suppose that´s why attendance from our investigators has been pretty low before I got here. In order to further missionary work in the long run (and the short run, I guess), we need a chapel. Simple as that. More space, more activities to hermanar the investigators and less actives, etc. Work hard for baptisms, but work hard for reactivating priesthood holders as well.

When I as in Ocotillo, I spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday saying goodbye to all the people there - members, investigators, converts, pandilleros (the mototaxi guy jaja), and a lot of people we had contacted. I have a bunch of pictures...maybe I´ll send them next week because I don´t have my cable. It was a little tough saying goodbye, but hopefully we can keep in touch through Facebook when I get back or even return sometime after my mission.

Still getting to know the new area a little bit. Not a whole lot of quality investigators but we do have plans for a baptism on November 1st. 

Some goals I have for my time here in Río Lindo - Reactivate priesthood holders so we can start construction on a chapel, work hard, baptisms, develop Christlike attributes especially patience, charity, and humility, "luchar por dominar" my Spanish (not just the "missionary vocabulary" as Holland says in PMG), inspire all those around me ("light people up" as said in a previous email...I think from the former mission president in San Jose), and become the missionary and person the Lord wants me to become.

That´s all I have this week. Cheque! By the way, cheque is a slang word for saying "ok all good" or other phrases like that.

-Elder Lund

Río Lindo, Zona Yojoa 10/15/14 - 10/20/14

Truly Enjoying the Mission

 Pictures From the Weddings and Baptisms

  

  And the Grave Digging as well

 Elder Lund found his Great-Great-Great Grandpa Lund

¡Buenas!

Well, first things first, I have changes this Wednesday. I have been serving here in Ocotillo for four changes, and it has been, by far, my favorite area. It´s going to be a little tough to leave. I have already said goodbye to some families and left them my photos with name and emails on them so that we can keep in touch.

We had a great start and end of my final week here in Ocotillo. We played fútbol at the synthetic turf canchitas with Zona San Pedro. It was a lot of fun but we were all super sore the next day. Later that night, we visited Hermana R, a super pilas contact that we´ve had, but nearly everytime we pass by she has not been there or was sleeping at only 6:00 PM. We have taught the Restoration and the Book of Mormon to her, but she has had problems with commitments during this time. We found out this past Monday that her husband left the house with his other woman that was living in the house. With the husband gone, R had no income coming in to support her or her two kids. We decided to read 1 Nefi 16 where Nefi breaks his bow...we taught her to rely on the Lord, but to take action. We promised her if she read the Book of Mormon everyday, and sincerely prayed, she would be able to provide for her family. Later that lesson she told us she knew the church was true because of a dream she had. In her dream, she said she entered the chapel in Ocotillo (she has never entered before) where she saw a lot of people in white including my companion and me. She said that I told her in the dream, "Hermana, didn´t I tell you this is the true church of Jesus Christ?" and she responded "Yes, I know" ... After hearing her account, we told her to continue reading and praying so these initial seeds of her testimony would grow. A lot of people seem to have dreams here in Honduras, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, usually it doesn´t lead to change. Similar to Laman and Lemuel not changing after seeing an angel, when we went back to her house later in the week. We asked her if she had been reading in the Book of Mormon. She said she had been "busy" as she was watching Caso Cerrado en la tele. It´s really tough when people don´t keep commitments, especially when they say they will.

M (9), on the other hand, was able to get baptized this Saturday. In August, I thought the family wouldn´t be coming back to church while I was here, but the Lord has his timetable to touch hearts. They have come back to church, been very open to us, and have had sincere desires to learn and fulfill commitments. I had the priveledge to baptize him. The baptismal service itself helped strengthen the family spiritually. His brother J (11) is preparing to receive the Aaronic Priesthood in March and G (7) is preparing to be baptized in April. There is still a lot of work for the future missionaries and especially the members, but I know if they get the necessary support, they will be able to continue faithfully in el camino.

I went on divisions in La Aldea with Elder C. We had some really good lessons in his area. Later we had interviews with President Dester. My interview was really short, but good. We talked about the area, the importance of writing in journals, etc. I always learn something new or am more inspired after talking or hearing from him.

Quick question: who won Super Bowl XLV? I saw a "Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl Champs" today on the bus back to Ocotillo from SPS. It would be funny if they lost that year.

Well, you guys will find out next week where my new area is. I have loved Ocotillo. The members are great, we´ve had a lot of success, and I have learned how to truly enjoy the mission.

Cheque!

-Elder Lund

Ocotillo, El Carmen, SPS 10/6/14 - 10/13/14

Ocotillo and General Conference

(Looking at a new big-screeen TV)..."Hey, imagine Monday Night Football!!!"..."No, imagine General Conference...ya!!!" A quote from The Singles Ward for those of you who are not aware. I tried explaining the scene to my companion from El Salvador, but it just "doesn´t translate" culturally and he didn´t truly understand the joke. Oh well. The beat goes on.

Decent week here in Ocotillo. No one else has died, yet, thankfully. Kind of a so-so work week because a lot of our citas were falling and contacting wasn´t very productive. Despite this, however, one of our investigators from a part member family came to church on Sunday and a couple sessions to General Conference  which makes his second and third asistencia, or in other words, he has an opportunity to be baptized this upcoming Saturday. His name is M, he is 9 and his mother has been so-so in the church the past 3 months but has started to come back. His brother J is 11 (already baptized) and his sister G is 7 (plan is to get baptized in April) and they are super animado and pilas. They came to conference on Sunday by themsleves because their mom was sick and couldn´t make the 15 minute walk to the church. We´ll see how it goes.

Our recent converts from the wedding, E and D, are super pilas. E is getting ready to get the priesthood this upcoming Sunday. It´s kind of tricky because we still don´t have a new bishop (probably will be called this Sunday) but we´ll see what we can do. E asked about Family History work because he´s been having a lot of dreams lately where he sees written "historia familiar" on whiteboards. We gave him a "Mi Familia" foletto and he is excited to start the temple work for his ancestors.

A week ago, we visited the Familia V (part-member...we baptized G, 21, in July) where we saw the mother, not a member, really really upset. Her chancho, aka pig, had somehow gotten loose and wandered off.  We taught a lesson about prayer and finished with a prayer that the pig would come back. And it did! She was really happy...we´ll see if it increases her faith unto repentance and baptism in the only true church of Jesus Christ. 

 

Conference was pretty good. I really wanted to go to the Stake Center to watch it in English, but we ultimately stayed here in Ocotillo and watched it in Spanish. Richard G. Scott did his own translation in Spanish and we of course watched the talks in native Spanish. Interesting the new language change. The internet was really slow so it would stop and buffer sometimes, but it was good except for Sunday afternoon. We didn´t get to listen to the talks from Ballard and Bednar...but we´ve got the Liahona. I liked how they mentioned "Gifted Hands"...what a great film. I thought it was really interesting how many talks were about receiving or strengthening a personal testimony of the Restoration and how we need to follow the prophet. Something we all need to do, whether it´s receiving or strengthening. My favorite part of conference was when the choir sang "How Firm a Foundation" the 3rd verse: 

1. 3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
   For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
   I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
   Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
   Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

I don´t know why, but I felt the spirit super strongly. It´s always good to know the the Lord is with us and that we should not fear.

Well, this will probably be my last week here in Ocotillo. Changes are the 15th of October. But until then, I´m here working with investigators and strengthening our recent converts.

Cheque!

-Elder Lund

Ocotillo, El Carmen, SPS 9/30/14 - 10/6/14

One Wedding and Another Funeral

¡Buenas!

Well, another quick week in the mission field. To be honest, it had its tough moments where I really felt the Lord was turning up the heat of the "refiner´s fire" but overall it was really good.

E and D, investigators from the days of Elder M in May, finally were able to get married and baptized this past Saturday. There was a really good turnout for both the wedding and the baptism. I didn´t know if my white shirt would fit E but it does so I gave it to him. He is smart and has a lot of leadership potential. Erick, his 7 year old who turns 8 this upcoming March 19th (shout out to Victoria), kept telling me that he wants to be a missionary and "baptize a lot of people" haha. I´m really happy for them. Bishop Ramirez who passed away Sunday earlier in the week was like a second father to E and he took it pretty hard, but they are both really animated right now after having entered into the covenant path. I look forward to 1 year from now when they can be sealed in the temple in Teguc.

We are having a lot of success with other investigators, but the number one problem right now is marriages. We have 4 families that need to get married in order to get baptized and they are all really poor. Don´t know what to do. We are working on just strengthening the testimonies of the Restoration and of the Savior.

Another member died early this morning. Hermano S of the bishopric called us and asked us to help dig the grave in the cemetery. We spent most of our p-day doing it, but it was fun. We helped out and had other members of the ward help out too.  We were at their house from 9 in the morning on putting her in the casket (spelling?) and talking with members and then finished the grave around 5 so that´s why we are writing now. Not much of a "fun" p-day but rewarding.

I fulfilled 9 months in the mission on Saturday. It was a really good day because of the wedding and baptism. After, we tried to watch the women´s broadcast but the internet was really slow and wouldn´t load in the chapel. I had been sick (I know, the two headed dragon strikes again!) the previous two days and thought it had gone away. When we went to dinner after the baptism I felt it coming back. I told the mom, Hermana D H (S´s wife for future personal reference), but told her I wanted to finish the meal she prepared. Right after we left, it all came back out. The hermana had heard it and I assured her it wasn´t her cooking. As we walked back to the apartments, I saw several horses in the dirt street, an american school bus blasting music, little kids playing soccer with plastic futbols from the pulperia´s when you buy a bunch of churros (not mexican churros, chips like doritos), and a night sky filled with stars. At that moment, I said to myself...wow, I´m really a missionary in Honduras and only have 15 months left. A moment I hope to never forget.

Well, that´s all I have for this week. Take care!!!

-Elder Lund

Ocotillo, El Carmen, SPS 9/22/14 - 9/29/14

Life Is A Fragile Thing

Well, I might as well start out with this. Sunday night (last night) we were at our recent convert´s house eating some arroz con pollo when we got a phone call from a return missionary in the ward named Toño...He´s the unofficial assistant ward clerk..." He asked us where we were, and then told us the unthinkable news: the bishop had died. (The bishop´s family lives on the same street as the church about a hundred meters away). I hung up and told my comp that we had to go, not saying anything to the recent convert or the investigators there. A couple seconds later, the ward secretary called saying the same thing. On the way there, another sister in the ward called us. Nevertheless, we hoped for the best. We finally arrived at the house where probably 100-200 people were waiting, talking, crying, and praying. The Stake Presidency had already arrived as well. We went inside where we saw him on the table laying lifeless. We received permission to stay there and help as long as we stayed together and went home with a member. We stayed there helping out, talking, cleaning up and preparing the church for the funeral the next day (today) until around midnight. Very very tough to describe all the emotions and I won´t be able to say everything that happened. We had the funeral today around 3:00 and then we went to the cemetery where he was buried. Hundreds of people went. The bishop was loved by many...he had his enemies too (he was firm in his decisions as a bishop so to say) but even they came to the funeral and even they cried. He was also a leadership figure in Ocotillo and many nonmembers went. It was tough to see the bishops family...the 18 year old son who will leave on his mission in December or so received the Melchizedek Priesthood earlier that day at a Stake Priesthood Meeting. The youngest daughter is 10 or 11 with three older sons of 16,18, and 22 (return missionary). I have heard a lot of different stories of what happened so I will try to say basically what might have happened: he was feeding his pig, he slipped and fell on the concrete pila, ruptured an artery or something internally, and died shortly after. Tough, tough, tough. Life is a fragile thing.

I´ve had a lot to think about because of this experience. First and foremost, I am grateful for the knowledge that I have about the Plan of Happiness that our Heavenly Father has for us. I´m grateful for our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and what he did for us. (Video-Gracias a El ... I think it´s thanks to him or Because of Him in English) I love my family...and I know that whatever happens we will always be together if we keep covenants. I also want to live my life in such a way in order to touch the lives of others. I´m full of emotions and thoughts and can´t write clearly right now, but this has definitely been a life-changing experience.

In other news, we had two baptisms this past week. J (11) and A (8) are the sons of a recent convert (R) from 3 weeks ago. It was awesome to see them get baptized. She has another son who is 6. I hope they continue in the gospel so that one day all 3 can serve missions and help bring others unto Christ.  Anyways, during the official ordinance, Christian (7) one of the children of our investigators (Irma) asked "Hey how do you feel!!!!" super loud through the glass in front of the font. Frustrating at the time but kind of funny looking back at it. I asked them after how they felt. They both said "super limpito de mis pecados." I´ll send pics next week.

I had an interesting contact at Wendy´s today, but maybe I´ll tell it another week or when I get back.

Well, that´s all I have this week. Take care.

RIP Samuel Ramirez.  Que le vaya bien.

-Elder Lund

Ocotillo, El Carmen, SPS 9/15/14 - 9/22/14

Clean Up Work and Some New Photos

 Storm Clouds

 R's Baptism

The District

Drying Out from the Flood

 

Outside the Barber Shop

Pizza Hut

 

 

Another week in the mission field. The work was a little tough this week. Some of our investigators are having some troubles with keeping commitments. One of the investigators finally got his papers to get married. His soon to be wife was supposed to go this weekend to get them. Hopefully they will be baptized the 27 of September or 4 of October depending on when they actually get married.

Our toilet was acting up Friday night. We let it be and decided to move along and plan for the next day. About 15 minutes into our planning, the neighbor downstairs (who is the niece of the owner) knocked on our door. We thought it was the other Elders so we said just a minute, wanting to finish up planning. She knocked again and said there was a problem. We got up and noticed that the floor was all wet coming from the bathroom. The water was leaving the front door into the main hallway of the apartment complex and was running off the second floor like a waterfall into the main entrance way. I went to the bathroom and turned off the water connected to the toilet. For the next hour or so, we spent sweeping out the water, mopping the floor, and drying off things that got wet. All in all, it wasn´t too bad, just a little embarrassing. Kind of funny looking back on it.

The bishop took the ward council to Pizza Hut. It was a lot of fun. It was also Elder T´s birthday so the employees sung to him. The primary president is a recent convert and ordered iced tea...apparently she didn´t know that was against the word of wisdom, but now she does. The bishop talked with her and told her that iced tea was included.

Nothing much besides that. Talk to you next week!

-Elder Lund

Ocotillo, El Carmen, SPS 9/8/14 - 9/15/14