Week 18 & 19 No Letters

Week 18 he emailed to schedule the Christmas call and week 19 he called home.

Next Monday there will be a letter.

Week 17 Black Magic Saliva

*Moment of silence for the passing of Elder De Jesus*

Elder Kelvin De Jesus Figueroa

December 2013-December 2015

Son, brother, father, companion, trainer, friend.

´´De modo que los que creen en Dios pueden tener la firme esperanza de un mundo mejor, sí, aun un lugar a la diestra de Dios; y esta esperanza viene por la fe, proporciona un ancla a las almas de los hombres y los hace seguros y firmes, abundando siempre en buenas obras, siendo impulsados a glorificar a Dios.´´ Éter 12:4

And a warm welcome to Elder Ávila, my new companion, from El Salvador. He has 11 months in the mission, and just got moved up to DL, so he and I will be visiting other areas, so I might have some more pictures coming up from different places.

This week on Tuesday we left for Choluteca, where I stayed after dropping off Elder De Jesus, on Wednesday, Elder Ávila come to Choluteca, and we stayed in the house of two missionaries, Elder Clark and his comp, I don´t know his name, he just got here. My favorite thing about Elder Ávila... is that when he arrived, the first thing he asked me, was if I liked Chess. We played, and currently the score is 2-0. I´ve won two, and he has yet to win. I like Chess. But not as much as I like preaching the Gospel.

Since Thursday, he and I have gone to work. In the past couple of days, we have gotten 9 new investigators as well as 3 new familes. Also the familia Sanchez has commenced their work to get married.

In Elder Ávila´s first area, he was comp to the DL and actually visited Orocuina for a baptismal interview. But the girl no longer attends church, so we went to go find her. We found her on Sunday afternoon in a backwoods part of Apacilagua. We met her family and the were very warm and welcoming... A bit too welcoming. The father of the house carried his baby daughter out to meet us and she began to cry a little bit. So he lifted up the back of her shirt and told us to lick our fingers and rub our spit on her back. I thought I misunderstood so I asked Elder Ávila what he meant, and he said that he didn´t understand either. So I asked if we were going to get the baby dirty, and the father said, (in spanish) ´´No, we´re all children of God.´´

... long story short, I wrote my name on her back. Will keep in contact if any black magic happens. She stopped crying though.

This week that comes, the week of Christmas, we won´t have Pday on Monday, but rather on the 24th. I have no information on the Skype call or anything either... So that´s a problem, but I´m sure it´ll all be sorted out. Ojalá.

Something you learn as a missionary, is that you can do a lot more than you thought you could. You just have to live without fear or embarressment. I´ve never had experience as a counselor to a branch president, or as a clerk/secretary, Sunday School, Primary, Seminary, or English Teacher. I´ve never really taught in the Church before the mission, and only gave 3 or 4 talks, including my farewells, yet here I am, doing each one of those things every week. Everyone has potential. Don´t be afraid to give a talk or teach a class, or share a spiritual thought. If I can do it, anyone can. A cheesy phrase that helps a lot of missionaries is this. I´m a child of God, and I fear no man.

Z.L. said 25th is the Skype Call as usual.

week 16 Do Squirrels Lay Eggs

There we were... walking up the street in Nueva Esperanza... when out of the sudden, a wild dog appeared!

-fade to black-

-battle music-

Wild Dog used GROWL!

Elder Anderson`s ATK was lowered!

Elder Anderson used PICK UP A ROCK!

Wild Dog fled!

-0 EXP-

-Nueva Esperanza theme continues-

(!)

Mototaxi Driver Jorge wants to give you a ride!

-accept-

-decline-

(accept!)

10 minutes later...

We Arrived in Apacilagua...

That would take too long to tell the story to be honest...

We went to the house of the family Gomez-Gomez. And the husband wasn`t home. We are pretty tight with this family and she started to make us fried banana chips. Well I think that`s what they are. They`re super good though. And then she received a call from her husband who is a radio personality in the valley. Which isn`t that big of a deal considering how puny our valley is, but still cool. She then called to us in the other room and told us to turn up the radio. About 30 seconds later, the song finished and Hermano Gomez came on to talk. Basically... He gave us a 5 minute shout out. Telling everyone in the valley to talk to the missionaries, and that we were representatives of Jesus Christ and that if you close the doors to us, then you close the doors to Jesus Christ, and then went on forever about how great the Gospel is. Honestly it was the funniest but also coolest thing to get a shoutout like that. Name and everything.

This week we had interviews with the Mission President so Elder De Jesus and I stayed overnight in Choluteca, in the house of Elder Clark and Elder Gonzalez. WHICH MEANS!!! I GOT TO TAKE MY FIRST SHOWER SINCE I LEFT THE MTC. Man, it was so nice, you have no idea, it was great...

Elder De Jesus asked me if Squirrels laid eggs. No to all of you who have wondered, they don`t lay eggs.

This week I kill Elder De Jesus. Mission slang for being his last companion before going home. So I`ll have a new companion by the time I write.

Mono has been going around the mission, and I thought it was the funniest thing ever, until 3 people went home because they were sick for so long... Pray for me to not have mono. OK it`s not funny, but it is a little.

No pics again. Ghetto Cyber.