Well here I am in lovely San Marcos de Colon!
He is keeping up and is learning fast! Something that we are super happy about is that this town is alot bigger than we thought! A couple days ago we thought we pretty much had the whole area down, but then we found out there are still HUGE neighborhoods farter southeast! Its crazy! So we are super excited to see what people we find there. But anyway, we have had a lot of cool experiences!
Well first of all, like Ive mentioned before, we are in a small group. We are doing our best to have it grow. So we went around getting to know all of the members and guess what? The group leader is inactive! He hasnt even gone to church in the past 6 months!! what?! He hasnt been able to attend church because of his job. He is a driver of a motortaxi and they are alwaysss working, even sundays. And part of that too was the he wouldnt make church a priority either. But that job has been getting him into some serious problems. For example, the first time we went to his house to meet him he wasnt there, he was in jail... who would have known that was actually a blessing!! Why? because since then he has had the desire to change. It was his perfect way out! They took away his motortaxi, so he doesnt have to work on sundays anymore. He can start going back to church...wierd, exactly the same week when two new missionaries show up to his house ready to make a difference! So we are really working hard together! Its hard to get him going though haha our first week we animated him enough to get to church... the next week we animated him to get to church... on time! and also direct the meeting! So that was a huge accomplishment because he cant even remember the last time he directed, it has always been the elders!
The cool thing about this area is that we have an awesome cocinera! There is a lady that we pay and she cooks us lunch! The good thing is that she actually knows how to cook! Her name is Karla and she is one of the most active members in the group. She and her family are pretty awesome too! We had a really funny experience the other day... we were talking about where the church used to me here in San Marcos, and I told her that yeah I`ve seen it before because i`ve came to San Marcos before to play soccer with other missionaries, and that I went into the church when it was right next to Las Michoacanas. (If you remember about a year ago I sent pictures of that when I was in the south) and so she said Ohh!! I remember about a year ago I saw a bunch of missionaries there and all I remember were two papos (which means Idiots in Honduran language) taking pictures of Las Michoacanas when they should be taking pictures of the town and the park and the landscape!! .... I was like Hermana... that was me....... she got all red and was super embarrased! hahaha it was so funny!
Her husband is very interesting. He is Honduran but grew up in the states all of his life. His life has been being in and out of different prisons in the usa. He grew up in cali and so he knows the gang life. But the other day we were really chatting with him and he told us everything about his life pretty much. He most talked about the things that hes done, but the most important part is the part where hes had a mighty change of heart. Hes changed completely! Now, he didnt just spill the beans, we had to gain his confidence first over time. But, well my parents know, most of friends were kind of like that anyway haha so im kind of used to it. My poor companion was pretty much scared to death! But it was good for him, I really want him to learn to love EVERYONE. It doesnt matter what theyve done or who they are. So the husband told us that he has been working with President Bowler with the repentance process, but since President Bowler is gone now... he doesnt know whats next. Thats when I thought... hmmm... I know someone that could help! President Chase! And so we are working alot with him trying to change and become a better person. He knows perfect english and so he also helping me teach my companion to learn spanish. Just that night, guess what happened? We went to sleep early because the lights went out, and so I was asleep from like 8pm. And at around 10:10pm I receive a phone call.... from?? President Chase!! So I get up and he says " Okay Elder Madero, I need you to remember some AP things and help me with some information" Ahhhh! But I left the office!! jk I didnt say that lol. But it was perfect that he called because we talked about Karla`s husband and how we can help!
As we`ve been working here in this area, my companion and I have really learned something important, REALLY following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Something that I`ve repeated in my head alot while contacting is "Why am I here in this part of the area? Why were we sent here?" And from there, we ALWAYS find someone, someone is really willing to listen to us, or an inactive member. There is always somone, if we stop and listen. We had a really cool experience the other when we contacted two really positive people, Karen and Sandra... it was insane how positive they were when we went and taught the first lesson!! Insane!! So for our next visit, we went with Karla so she can help them progress and guess what? The father said Theyre not here! But I could see into his soul that he was lying!! Ahhh! I was sooo mad! So Karla went back home and we just kept on contacting, but I did not feel good at all. Because as we were walking there we turned the corner to the road, and I saw someone with a white shirt in the next door house that ran inside when she saw us, and I thought it was her or someone that went and told them Hide! The mormons are coming! And so I just kept thinking of that person... who wasss that?? After about an hour I told my companion, Look man, I dont feel right, I`ll feel alot better if we go back and knock on Karen and Sandras door to see if theyre there. He said Okay! So we walk all of the way back, and when we knock on their door guess what? Nothing! no answer... bu then we went and knocked on the next house where I saw that person... and sure enough, it was that same person with the white shirt! i said WHO ARE YOU!!?! lol just kidding... we introduced ourselves and we contacted her and guess what... she became of our BEST investigators that we currently have!! She is really catholic, but super smart! She completely understands our message! Not only that, but when we finished with her, we knocked on Karen and Sandras door and they had just arrived! So although we werent expecting that, it was all part of the Lords plan... we just had to be obedient to the promptings to go back at that time!
Another cool experience was our first week here, we were completely lost... and so we start contacting to meet some new people! we found a lot of awesome people and some even let us in and teach. There was this one house where they easily and lovingly let us into their home, we shared our message, it was a little rough for my companion because it was one of his first, but it was good! It was strange because when we finished, the mom said, where is your church? so we gave her the directions and she asked what time is started, and so we told her... and then obviously we invited her. And she just like that she said Yes. It was funny though because when we left that house I told my companion, man, if I had a lempira for everytime someone has told me that they would go to church and wouldnt go, I`d be rich! But this experience kind of reminded me of the movie the Best Two Years. That one part of the investigator actually calls them back! Because on Sunday, guess what? She came to church!!!! What?! That was a miracle!
Something that Im really trying to teach my companion is that we need to love everyone here! If they dont want to listen to us thats fine, but we can still serve them. And we`ve been putting that into practice! We have been giving service to everyone! One time we were walking around and we saw a sister that was resting, she had a broom right next to her so we went up to her door and asked if she needed help sweeping! She said No she already finished. So we offered to Mop! She laughed and said no, but instead we can go to the back of the house and help the guys finish shoveling dirt! (She said it in a sarcastic way, thinking we werent serious) And so we say Okay! And she yells Gordo!! Los muchachos te van a ayudar!! And you can hear him say, Mandolos atras pues! And she laughed, thinking we were still just messing around! And so we say, Podemos pasar? And she sure, we went to the back of the house and we asked... Donde esta la pala?! and we started shoveling, and shoveling, and shoveling! But they were super fun!
And they were actually really grateful for te help and they put the appointment to come back! It turns out that one of the guys working has actually read the book of mormon and wants another copy! Yes!! We also helped one of our most positive investigators Seidy with her house, shes pregrant right now so she is super sick, but she said >jokingly< you can cut the weeds and trees at my house! She didnt believe us when we said That we would be there the next morning in working clothes ready to clean her house!! It was alot of fun, we taught my companion how to use a machete the honduran way! haha
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