Hello Goodwin family! Move that bus! Haha, I just felt like starting that e-mail off like Ty on Extreme Makeover. Now you all have a legitimate sad story to send them though that you have a long lost brother in Honduras.
Anyways, after my random start, here we go with the latest and greatest in Honduras:So this week we had a zone meeting and one of the zone leaders Elder Valle wrote "goal" with a bullseye on the whiteboard and told everyone to stare at it for as long as they could and keep their focus. Little did everyone know that Ruus had secretly told me to cause a diversion so I tipped back in my chair and yelled an indian war call really loud. It kind of hurt my elbow. I got a few people to look away from the word "goal." Looking back, I wish I didn't tip back in my chair. Haha. But that was a really cool analogy I thought. When we set goals, we need to be focused on them and not let distractions or other things lose our focus.
You're all gonna laugh at this one. I went on splits with Elder Trejo this week, E. Stevenson's companion, and it was the day after it had rained really hard so there were big puddles everywhere. I thought I'd be really cool and leap across an unusually big on and it would've been really awesome, but I flomped backwards right onto my butt! Got my pants all muddy and stuff. And then there was a little kid their pointing his finger at me and laughing. Trejo got a kick out of it too. The only thing I could do was laugh as well. No point in getting mad, it wouldn't help anything. So I had to walk to the house with mud all over my butt to change. I learned this week to not get mad easily and to just to be calm because we are all in control of our emotions and how we react. I learned to just laugh and smile when I want to do the opposite. It's a lot more helpful. But I liked going on splits with Trejo, it's always fun to see other teaching methods and to switch things up a bit.
We had an investigator (baptized Saturday) this last week who wanted to get baptized but was underage so we had to get permission. The mom couldn't write her name so we just scribbled a bunch of times on a paper to make a dark circle and had her put her thumb print in it and then on the paper for permission. Cool, huh? The people don't have many possessions at all here. But they do have what is more important than any possession in this world: their families. They're so loving and unselfish. Naturally, they're spiritually receptive to the strong and divine msg that we bring with us ABOUT families. It's the truth and they see that.
I started reading our search for happiness this week and it's really good. It's only like 140 pages, you all should read it. It basically explains all our beliefs in depth and why we believe what we do and brings in some dominant BOM scriptures that if a non-member were to read it, it would be impossible to not believe what we do. Really powerful.
So one of our investigators named Erazmo mutters his own prayer while we pray even though we clearly said that one person prays real nice and polite before we prayed. Haha, it's hard to keep a straight face when this happens.
One day, Rivera and I were studying this week and a guy came to our house. I went out and had a normal conversation with a completely random guy. He understood me and I understood him! It was awesome. But he was a rep. (missionary if you will) from Evangelica and was handing out pamphlets. He kept saying according to the word of God, according to the word of God... so I let him talk and after I said, so you believe the word of God and therefore everything in the Bible, right? Yeah. Then I said, what would you say, if I told you that the Bible doesn't contain all the word of God and that there's another sacred book. He got interested and I got a BOM and taught him a brief introduction right then and there solo! It was way sweet. The Lord is blessing me with the gift of tongues and is making me an instrument in his hands.
We have an investigator who we've been teaching for like a month and a half or 2 months whos like 18. He has a lot of member friends and reads what we leave behind and is receptive. The only problem is that when we challenge him to be baptized, he just says that he wants to learn more and wants to know for sure before he decides. We've been teaching him about faith and stuff but still no. So that's one of our challenges.
I also got to go on splits with Elder Ruus once again this week! I learn so much every time I go with him. I didn't understand everything last time (only like 2 or 3 weeks ago) but through my OCD study and constant prayer, I understood everything but like 5 or 6 words when I was with him! Amazing! He told me that my spanish has gotten a lot better REALLY quick. He also told me that there's a good chance I could be training in 2 more changes. (about 3 and a half months) WOW! Ruus dominates at getting people committed to baptism. He forces people to think and when there's silence after a question, he just waits. He doesn't answer for the investigator. He also describes baptism so powerful and in depth with the spirit and then challenges for baptism and it's hard to say no to how he does it. Great missionary. I learned with him also that people here eat chicken feet. Ewk! I also learned with him to just slow down in a lesson and teach for understanding, don't teach just to cover the material.
Last Sunday was Stake Conference for us and Rivera and I thought we needed to go in suits because after all, every other missionary would have suits on too, right? Wrong. We went in our hot suits and NO ONE else had them on. So we just went home and changed after meeting. Luckily, the Stake Center is in my area.
Ha. I show all the people here that bookmark you gave me quite often. They all enjoy it and find it hard to imagine that there are actually babies out there who aren't latino. A gringo baby? Proposterous!
What does the word "cold" mean? Haha, 76 degrees is actually cold for me and I am profusely sweating daily. Sweet tan though.
Yeah, the rains let up a little, thank goodness but I bought an umbrella so don't worry. I'm semi dry! The sun, rain, sun, rain, sun, and rain don't affect me one bit!
I'm progressing and learning everyday and coming to know stronger and stronger that this Gospel is true. It's what each of our brothers and sisters need. I'm humbled to know that I am one of those messengers of this precious truth. I love you all and thank you all for your support and prayers. Until next week (in the blink of an eye!)
Elder Goodwin
No comments:
Post a Comment