September 28, 2015

Would you still love me If I got sent home for beating the living daylights out of my comp?

I´m gonna complain a little bit, bear with me.

I´ve heard alot of people talk about how humble the latin people are.

It´s garbage. I´ve never met a people so proud. It´s like Alma says to the outcast zoramites-they´re humble because they´re compelled to be humble. And the humble people of Honduras are truly wonderful. But as soon as they get a little money, a little power, a little authority, it goes straight to their head. I am convinced that The poor here are forced to be poor because if they were not poor they would head straight to hell. A little example this week that left a really bad taste in my mouth-There was a conference a little bit ago in another city in Honduras-I didn´t go, but I heard about it-And one of the area authorities, a latin, walks up like a rooster in full strut, and starts calling out the bishop´s name by name. Says ¨Bishop Medina, how many baptisms have you planned for the upcoming year?¨ The bishop stammers a little bit. The area authority walks up to him, sniffs the air around the bishop, and says ¨You don´t smell like a sheep. Sit down.¨¨  (The latins have this thing, always comparing sheep and goats. To call someone a goat is a bad word). And then he moves on to the next bishop doing the same thing. And my comp is telling the story like it´s the best thing ever, and how awesome the machete is, and I´m just thinking...what pride! This leader got himself a little authority and look what happens. D&C 121. I despise that. And that´s the kind of leader my comp wants to be. He only wants numbers, only wants to machete people, and basically he wants us to see how righteous and competent he is and what awful sinners we all are.

Now, I love honduras and hondurans, but I can testify that the Nephite pride cycle is alive and well in their descendents.

But apart from all that, Hondurans are great! Still loving the ward, the members, the bishop, and the investigators. couldn´t be happier.

We also had two baptisms this week, Yohanna and her son Acner. Love them to death. Great baptisms, solid converts. I baptized Acner who´s excited as anything to get the priesthood and pass the sacrament, and the bishop baptized his mom. For some reason he thought that after the baptism we would be transfered, and he was starting to say goodbye and getting all emotional and we had to explain to him that we´re not getting transfered. He´s a good kid and I like him alot. He´ll go far, we have a solid young men´s program.

Also, my comp just about lost it when I bought a little bag of water on sunday. We passed by the pulperia and I told him I was about to buy it, and he´s like ¨It´s the sabbath.¨ and then I was like ¨you are correct. But we don´t have any water, the ox is in the mire¨. And then he got mad and stormed off shaking his head, real ticked off to be chained to a sinner such as I. Then we get back to the house and he´s like ¨hey, wanna give me some of your water?¨ You hypocrite. I gave it to him though, without comment. I´m improving.

It´s hard though. Our leadership styles do not mash. He gets mad when I talk to the missionaries. He´s jealous of personal relationships. He erases text messages to hide messages when the missionaries are like ¨hansen, love you bro¨. I´ll be talking to the district leaders about their districts, problems, strong points, ideas, and he´s just tapping the desk whisper shouting ¨Only ask for the numbers!¨ If I didn´t have to put the example and be a good ZL I would honestly have hit him by now. But I´m happy, I´ve found a real happy medium. I know why I´m doing what I´m doing, I´m confident in myself, and he can go burn all the bridges he wants but I´ll just keep on doing my thing. Also, I have to look at the positives, he´s a really hard worker and he is truly focused in the work, but...still sucks.

Had a real hectic week. We had to organize a multi zone conference, spend some time with the AP´s, and give a training workshop to all the ward missionaries and ward missionaries of the stake. I get about 5 hours of sleep sometimes. We get home at 9:30 from working, plan for us, then plan for the zone, and then listen to my comp nag for a while, and then It´s 11 o´clock and I realize I have to plan my workshop or my class or something for the next day. I´m not tired though, I have no doubt I´m being strengthened and helped because without some divine help there´s no way I´d be able to function like this.

´That´s basically my update. I can´t think of what else I want to tell you. In case you were wondering my two favorite latin countries are mexico and the dominican republic. I´m a big fan of both Mexicans and dominicans. Laid back, friendly, just good, genuine people.

But yeah, La Ceiba is great. Great members, missionary work is solid, and its relatively safe. Our area is pure mountain and we have to hike every day but I´m not complaining. And we´re sending a recent convert to the temple this week! I´m gonna do better next week about pictures, telling you about people, and throwing in a few stories. And regardless of all my complaining, I´m doing really well, growing in testinomny still, and I´m healthy. Every day is a struggle but that´s life I guess.

Love you all!

Did ya have a good birthday?? What did they all do for ya?

It´s so nice having a building. I don´t think the members here appreciate it. The ward is great and I´m a big fan. Its still Honduras, there´s still a ton of lazy, shiftless, ne´er do wells but theres like 5 families that are solid and make up the difference. The bishop is stellar, he´s just like Dad. We get along great. He´s got a little cabinetmaking business, drives a 90 something toyota, and lives in a humble little house with a happy family. They fed us on sunday and we got to know them and we just had a good ol time laughing and joking for a while. They fed us crab soup and balleadas.

We´ve been fed every night this week! The relief society really pulled through for us this week. It´s such a huge help for us. And we get to know the members too.

I have all those pictures you want but I forgot my camera...next week!

Our house is small and ugly but we´re only there to sleep so it doesn´t matter too much. I just live with my comp.

But yes, I´m so excited for conference. once we get all our investigators comfortable and settled in I´m off to the bishops office to watch it in english with all the americans.

And yeah, we´re still meeting with Omer. He´s got a baptimsal date but the challenge is that he fell in love with a member and then she left him and she still attends church here so that´s complicating things for him.

And the Mt. Timp thing is funny...speaking of marriage, I´m really learning what I want in a marriage partner. And its still not a returned missionary, if you were wondering.

 I´m gonna have to ask sarah about lake powell, holy cow! sounds like a blast, I´m jealous. Have you seen her grades? How is she doing? You´re just paying her to party! I´m glad she´s doing so well though, seems like she´s pretty happy with her choice.

 And Kate makes me laugh. Typical. I can´t wait to hang out with everybody after the mission.

Do you ever talk to your cousins and extended family? That´s too bad though, are they all sealed and everything?

And about my comp...haha I don´t even want to talk about it. He´s just a terrible human being. That´s all you need to know. The worst part is that he´s a short little guatemalan and I literally have to restrain myself from hitting him. Not even kidding. If I wasn´t a zone leader I would have left him hog tied in the closet.

And packages! I will always want...little LDS bookstore things but not cheesey things, good things-little cards, pictures, stuff like that.

I´m still waiting on a picture of the orlando temple! Also, just for fun, I want some florida stuff too-even if its just a tiny little gift shop florida flag. Tshirts are always good. And ties! I´m running out quick. Honduras is real rough on ties. And protein bars. Just so you know. Not that you need to send all that in the next package, but just so you have ideas for future packages!

And are you exercising and dieting? You look downright fit and young in that picture!

And yes, I´m safe and healthy. I have some foot problems but I´ll be going to the doctor this week, I´ve got a really bad ingrown toenail.

But my weight/stomach problems are over, for now!

And you all are only gonna get two more phone calls from me! Any more cold fronts coming through?

Anyways, I´m gonna write my update now. Love ya!