Baptisms, Basketball, & Bread

Isabel's Letter
fernanda and david were baptized this week!

buenos dias familia thanks for your emails and just letting me know how you all are doing, i love you. i have asked the president to stay another transfer the president said he can extend my mish till the 29th of feb without permission but that he has to ask for permission from a general authority to have me here till the end of the transfer which would be april 10 and usually we do a family home evening at the mish home the monday of that week when we leave and tuesday we go to the temple and have the final interview and then i ship out either wed or thur. but none of this is totally for sure until i have my flight information which i wont have until the two weeks or three prior. i want to arrive to the salt lake airport and then give my homecoming talk in the roy ward since they have supported me so much, and i am forever indebted. this week my new companion was ill for most of the week we went out only like 4 times the whole week it was kinda sucky but we still got everything done for the baptism. theres not a whole lot to tell this week except viva el rock! thats my converts´ favorite phrase when he didnt know what to respond during the discussions. anyway i am having a really great time and i am so blessed president just agreed to let me stay aperantly he usually tells the sisters to go home study and get married. any i love you all take care! chris congrats on the family! i am so happy for you

Chris' Letter

I am!!!... Peludo. (Hairy.)

Dear mom and dad,

This week we didnt baptize that family! They had to work the day of their baptism!
Haha. It is funny how things go. It is very probable that in two weeks I am going
to another area. We had interviews the week before last and I dont remember
what he told me honestly, but he asked my companion in his interview if he was ready
to receive a new missionary and to another Elder in my district, he said,"Elder, you are
trained to be district leader, right? Are you prepared if your distrit leader has changes?"

SO. It is pretty (I wrote pretture... who knows what that means) sure that I am leaving in
two weeks. Who knows where I will go? I would like to go to a pueblo again. A change of
scenary. Campesinos (Hicks. Haha. No, really it means "field people or people from the field")

In this week, I have had lots of thoughts of personality, or who I am,
and what will life be like after the mission. People change in the mission.
Not who we are, rather who we have become. I like how it is said in
Spanish. "llegar a ser" which means become, but litteraly means
"arrive to be." So the mission is a means by whcih we arrive to be
a new creature. The same person refined and reborn in the work of
the Lord. I dont know if that makes sense.

My changes are:
1) respect for authority
2) a comprehension of obedience
3) I have lost 37 pounds
4) I understand the atonement and
how to take advantage of it.

Today we as a district are going to play basketball and make "Pan de Pan."
Bread of Bread. It is kind of like carrot bread, but without carrots, made of
white bread, "semitas," and... other types of bread. And you mix it all with
sugar, eggs and other ingredients. I dont really know how to make it. The
sisters are going to make it. Haha. I think that Isabel would like it, because
she likes to bake. The other day I saw pumpkin pie mix and it made me want
to make pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, like she made us once.

I will send you pictures.

Love you.

Elder Hill

...

I hope that you get to stay like you want to. The mission is the best.
Congradulations on your baptisms! They look crazy but like a lot of
fun your investigadors. Love you. Have fun.

Hey! You should show me a typical food from Bolivia that I could make
here. It would be a good activity as a district.

Onward, Ever Onward!!!

Isabella's Letter

sorry i cant write i was writting to the president, this week we have two baptisms fernanda and david. fer is shy and 13 and david outgoing and wants to be a magician his favorite topic is final judgement and has introduce us to all his friends they have baptismal dates now. anyway i love you all take care. oh and thats hna nevarez my chill pal shes from washington and is awesome we tell eachother todo so cool to have her. love ya hna florido

Christopher's Letter

Hi.

Hi, mom! Hi, dad! Hi, Isabel! Hi, everyone.

This week has been crazy. We only taught 6 lessons! However, we were planning on having a baptisms of the Zambrano family, but things were nuts. We were running from the church to their house to the house of members and back the house of the Zambrano family and the Gaitán family, trying to arrange baptismal interviews and get baptismal clothes and the week seemed quite hectic. In the end, we only had 4 baptisms of the Gaitán family and one of the children of the Zambrano
family. This week we expect to excite the Zambrano family to get baptized. They really like the church, but the thing is they work SO hard.

 

You have no idea how people fight for what they have... even if it´s just 4 walls, a floor and rice and beans. Brother Zambrano is a watchman for a goverment contracted company. He is 55 years old and has 10 children living in a house half the size of the garage and it´s made of wood. Sister Zambrano
is 35 years old (a 20 year difference!), who is overweight and extremely stressed; however, she loves her children very much. But you have to catch her in the right moment to talk to her. Always I have noticed the difference when we come home from church with him. She is more relaxed and happy
and with much ease we can converse and get to know each other.

The 10 kids spands a whole generation or even 2 decades of which are inbetween 6 months and 20 years old! Only 2 children have a true interest in the church. One of those is called Joel, who is 12 years old and when I first met him, he honestly desired anything BUT talking with us. Nevertheless,
the miracle is that he is the most active in the church right now; even so that he, after being baptized and confirmed this week, went visiting with the Young Men to less active "Young Men." Children are the purest (and most strange) of heart.

Here people make about 1 dollar an hour. It´s less than the minimum wage, which is about 250 dollars a month. However, the workers of a place like Wal-Mart would earn said 250 dollars, but their work schedule begins from 7 AM and ends at 10 or 11 PM. An 3 room apartment with one bathroom here costs 3,500 limpiras, which is about 190 dollars a month. Figure, making 250 dollars a month and havingto pay 190 for where you live, which leaves you with 60 dollars to buy food and clothing.
... for a wfie and 10 children. Haha. It´s difficult.

But the membership in the Church of Jesus Christ takes away the burdens of the people. In the Church, we are Something. We are accepted for who we are and our talents, if we wish, are put to work immediately. Which is one of the things that Sister Zambrano loves: The Relief Society and its activities.

One of the things I love about the mission is that we are all equal. As missionaries, we are not poor or rich, or anything of prejudgement. I love Equality. Things are changing, I know. I don´t know who I am, but I have learned to live and love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I imagine I am still Me; however, the changes have been many in the mission. Love is forever, but the changes must be so that we might come closer to perfection. God prepares the way. We must seek the Change. In the MTC, Elder Bender gave a talk saying that it doesn´t matter that we do good things, rather it is who or what we  are becoming. We all can do good, but who are we at the end of having done good. 

I have had fear of falling away from the church after the mission. I am trying to hard to have the purest change of heart in all things that I might truly come unto Christ. I don´t want to fall, rather, I want to be an inmovable mountain of spiritual strength for everyone else.

I love you all, but I have to go now.
I miss your faces.
I complete eighteen months this coming Saturday.
The curtains are coming to a close.

6 Weeks & Hooola!!!

Isabella's Letter & Pictures

first off im finishing my mission did you know? have i not talked about it enough? i have 6 weeks left. and i am giving bolivia all i have left which is alot of excitment and cheer sometimes i get a bit gloomy to leave but i dont focus on that and we found a whole family whose mom is a less active and desperatly wants to quit drinking they are so wonderful and humble and just longing for a positive change and even though they drink and its a problem that affects all of their lifes you can feel the love they have one for another. unfortunetly they werent strong enough this week to make it to church but thats where we come in and we will nurture them and strengthen them until they can walk on their own. i still havent taken pictures of them but will soon bc my camera doesnt have anymore virus. yay but now the lens is making strange noises but thats okay i still have my comps camera. i couldnt send you pics of the mine last time like a month ago but that pday was so epic here they are. my comp wasnt with me bc she didnt feel well enough to slide down and so i went with the elders it was so fun we sled s good way down and even though my butt hurt it was worth it no other sister wanted to come with me though. also i told the president last time i saw him during xmas time that in my humble opinion hna nevares had stayed way too much time in cochabamba and that she would most likely love my area i dont know from where i got the spunk but i winked at him and said so what do you think president maybe? and guess what this week i am getting my new companion and bestie hna nevaress im ending well. and though i am very sad that my comp cherres is leaving me bc we became very close i know she is moving to better and bigger things she is going to villamoscu and thats a tough area she is usto dirt roads and polite people who let you in and now this is the polishing part of the mission creating a need for the rich people to listen to her.

 

anyway i just looked at the time i have to go. i love you all and am so happy for the baptism of troy and the packages still havent come yet but they will hopefully not by the end of my mish though ha ha. love hna florido

 

 

Christopher's Letter and Pictures

 

Dear Mom and Dad,

It is so wonderful to see those pictures and hear of that story.  I hope that you are both keeping record of it in your journal. For the first time in my life that I remember, you are actually participating in the salvation of other souls! Haha. It brings me great joy. I hope that you help him stay in the church. It is
really, really beautiful. And there is nothing else of value in this world than serve one another and bring others unto the knowledge the Good Pastor. He knows and loves us.

I have had a really difficult and excellent week. We had a wedding. Once again, the Sacrament has brought me peace and fixed my soul. I testify that the Atonement is true and powerful. I recommend that you study the Atonement, Justice and Mercy in the topical guide and study for the scriptures. They make a big difference in my day to day life.

 

Look. So, mom, you need that story.

The name of the man is Gustavo Caceres. All of his family are members of the Church and have been pioneers here in Honduras since long ago.  His wife is the Pres. of Relief Society. He has received the missionaries for more than 27 years and never has treated them very well. We began visiting him and we see that the Lord knows the way to a persons heart, if we will let him, he will come in and fill us with joy. And we will know without a doubt that it is of God. That is what happened with Gustavo. Little by little, we completed with his commitments and I remember when he said for the first
time in prayer, after having attended church with his family for the second or third time,"Father in Heaven, I know that I have felt thy spirit tonight..." And we find a tall, powerful, punctual man was braught to tears many time by the Holy Ghost and he courageously answered the call, despite the pressure of his other family who hate the church. He was baptized by his oldest son who is a returned missionary.

"I am the Good Pastor and I know my sheep, and my sheep know my voice."
John 10:14

I know that this is the church of God. I testify with much love. But I have to go. I used 8 minutes extra to write this. I love you so much.

I got my package. Thanks for everything! I loved it. I also am going to need
money to buy a new suit, because mine is ripped in the pants and a few places.
They cost here like 150 dollars. Sorry, but thanks!

I love you, Dad. I love you, Mom. I look forward to doing Family Home Evening with you when I get home.  And helping all that we know to come unto Christ. The mission has just begun. I want to come home on the plane, but may we return someday to Honduras.

Con amor,
Elder Hill