week 23 Advance to Nearest Railroad

This week Elder Ávila and I went to work. For this upcoming Saturday we have 3 baptisms planned.

1. Vilma

2. Daniela

3. Jahir

And if all goes according to plan (which it will) we will baptize here in Cholu... I know I`m kind of bummed it`s not the waterfall either but it`ll still be great because... well baptisms!

A lot of you probably know that I have been waiting on a ton of packages and this week during district meeting one came in for me. Elder Anderson. I read the package and it came from a Suzee Anderson.

A lot of you probably know that I don`t have any relatives named Suzee Anderson... And it turned out to be for the other Elder Anderson here in the mission... I was pretty bummed and I didn`t want to feel like that again. SO I ordered a new plaque for my name. I now have my normal Elder Anderson plaque AAND a plaque that says ``Elder Anderson Pickett.`` so that I can be cool like the Latinos and have two last names and now be distinguished from the other Elder Anderson.

This week Elder Iongi and Agren came in for divisions and it was super cool. Elder Agren and Ávila went up to Apacilagua while Iongi and I stayed in Orocuina and went to Barranco. We had a really good day and what`s best is that there is a licuado (smoothie) place in Orocuina that is pretty bomb and we went there for dinner because it is right by the house.

Today for Pday we played Monopoly in one of the chapels in Cholu and ordered Pizza, it was a chill day but after playing for 4ish hours we just called it quits and I took the win (jumbeh).

Here is a super rad jump shot of Elder Gamez, Iongi and I at the temple.

Enjoy,

Elder Anderson

week 22 To Tegucigalpa

This Tuesday Elder Àvila and I had to go to Cholu to stay the night with the missionaries in Nueva Esperanza (Yeah like Star Wars Episode 4).

The bad thing was that there were 2 two other Elders staying in there apartment too that night to go to the temple trip in the morning, so there were 6 of us crammed in the apartment.

The good news is that they have a shower and coconut shampoo.

The better news, is that we played UNO that night, and I ended up with the most wins. I won 12 games.

The best news is that we got up on time at 4 to go to the temple, and the trip went really well. The temple in Tegucigalpa is really pretty and it was just an amazing trip overall. After the temple we went across the street to a bakery, and ate suuuper good banana bread.

This Friday Elder Gamez came to Orocuina and Elder Àvila stayed in Nueva Esperanza to do the interviews for 2 investigator`s baptisms. I haven`t written about Elder Gamez, but he is one of my best friends on the mission. We got to rock divisions for a day in Orocuina and it went super well!

Sunday after church we were having a meeting with President Chavarria, president of the branch, and he was talking and picked up his backpack off the ground, squealed and jumped up to his feet. We asked him what happened and he said something pricked him on the leg. He spun his backpack around and there was a giant scorpion on his backpack. It was just about the funniest experience of my life.

So far I think this week has been my best week on the mission. I wish you all the best and hope you all have such a great week! I hope these fotos work. If not I have a bunch to send next week. Just the comp isn`t working with the photos.

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Week 21 Liure

Elder Anderson used Rest!

It was Super Effective!

Dengue fainted...

 

 

Elder Anderson gained 3867 Experience!

HAAAPPPPYYYY NEEEWW YYEEEAAARRSS!!

Just going to share a little story from Saturday. I´ve heard for the last little while that there are members in Liure, which is a town outside of Orocuina, but I wasn´t sure how far, but I was familiar with the road that led to Liure so I figured it would take 2 hours to get to Liure. We started walking to Liure around noon and after 40 minutes passed a bus and we flagged it down and they told us they were headed for Liure, so we hopped on for 20 Lemps and headed out. It felt as if we were on the bus forever. We hit a stop for 10 minutes and the sign said that it was 7 kms still for Liure. It wasn´t THAT long but eventually we made it to Liure and went to the house of the member... Who happened to also be the bus driver! We met him enterred his house and got to know his family. He is from Liure, but his wife is from Mexico, and they lived in Mesa, Arizona for many years and returned 10 years ago. It was cool to have a similar background and talk about home with them, it made it easier to gain their trust. After a while we left their house and began to get to know Liure. NOBODY in Liure has heard about the church, and EVERYBODY, was willing to let us in to hear a lesson. SO Elder Avila and I have decided to begin visiting more Liure every week. It´s also flipping pretty and because it sits in the mountains, it´s really cool temperature-wise. We left Liure on foot and asked a couple Mototaxi´s to take us to the fork in the road of Liure... He wanted 100 lemps and wouldn´t haggle with us, so we walked 5 minutes and a truck passed and gave us a lift to Orocuina.

 

This Sunday the young men and women were turds. The kids in primary were Angels.

Don´t have pics because I didn´t carry my camera because that part of the area is a little bit more dangerous.

 

Have a great week! Going to keep writing on Mondays from now on, it was just for the Christmas and New Years wacky schedule.

 

 

Week 20 New Year

Well, I´m sick, so I´m taking a day off from writing a big email.
Next monday is Pday again, so write me before then and I´ll get back on schedule.

Have a great new year, I´ll write you next year, see you in the one after.

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.