Week Fifteen

Hola!!

 I hope this letter finds you all doing great! I am sure that you are all doing amazing! I would not expect anything less. So another week in Honduras still experiencing crazy things every day! What an adventure and spiritual experince this is. I wouldn’t wanna be in any other place at this time in my life.

So this past week… it started off in the early evening last Monday. We were walking down a dirt road where all the visitors and touristas go to buy things. We were walking to a cita. Entonces, we saw in front of us some people that looked white. Cuando we see people like this we always get emociando to see where they are from and to talk to them! So we started talking to them- they were visiting from the states. They spoke Spanish and English. yo no puedo mentir, it was hard to think in english! Even right now my mind is in Spanish.. how crazy is that... So we were talking and come to find out one of the guys was from Chicago. Then he said he was from Joliet. What a small world! So we were talking about sports and all in Chicago! Oh…such good times! So that was fun! He had a daughter that lived off Rt. 59... what a small world.

Entonces martes I had a intercombio con Elder O, the zone leader. That was a lot of fun! I was in charge of the area for the day and all. We got a lot of work done. It was so fun to be in charge and show nuestro area. Estoy emocionado por the opportunity one day to train someone. Elder O went to school where the CCM now is, so he was so excited to see all my pictures of the CCM now that it is a mission training center and all. So the intercombio was a lot of fun.

So we were teaching the neighbors a lesson. We were teaching the husband and the wife. The kids were inside. The kid came walking out bleeding a little bit on the face… well their dog had bit their son en la cara and the lip of the nino was bit through and the nose was all scratched up. It was pretty gross to say the least… but lucky he got all stitched up. I can say I don’t wanna see that again.

We had two actividades con the zona this past week. It’s where all the missioneros in our zona come to an area and help with all the less active members and also to do find more people. So we had one in nuestro area and also one yesterday in another area nearbye. So that was fun to be with all the other missionaries finding people and all! 

Elections are getting closer and closer and the partidos are getting crazier and louder. They are cool with us though! No problems there at all! I have been collecting all the stickers and trying to get shirts and stuff from all the parties! Its good memories! It’s fun to see how an election is run in a different country. I think no matter where you go, elections can get nuts. I am sure if I was closely involved with an election in the states I would have a completely different view of how they really go.

So we are teaching this family right now that is so great! They have two little kids and the family just moved to our area not too long ago.  Like all marriages, they have their challenges. We arrived at a good time so that we could help them sort through some differences. When we got there we helped calm things down. Its amazing… I was able to speak so clearly and say what I wanted to say. The spirit was for sure helping me hablar mas.  We were able to help. But it was amazing to see the gift of tongues even more. The spirit is really a strong thing and when we really need help it is there to guide us. It helped me talk more to help this family. What a cool experience!

So to talk about the language. The language is going really good! I love it so much. It is so fun to be able to carry on conversations more and more! It’s great and very fulfilling when I have put so much hard work into it. Sometimes I still have a hard time being able to understand certain people but its all good! Poca a poca I am learning and being able to speak more! Every day I am able to understand more and the people accents differente. 

We had a baptism this past weekend! He’s a great dude! He lives in my old area. We have not been teaching el since los otros misioneros llegan a my old area. But when he wanted to get baptized he said that he wanted me to do it! So that was such a privilege to do it even though the other missioneros had been ensenando el. So that was such an honor to be asked to perform the baptism.

I met a person here that had an Air Force Bag while in our activity with the other missionaries. So I started talking to him. He is in the Air Force aqui en Honduras. Entonces, we were talking about Air Force stuff, sports, y todo estos cosas. It was a lot of fun. He was teaching me Air Force stuff but in Spanish so that was fun!

Overall, another action packed week here. The week finished off amazing here in Tegucigalpa because the missionaries that are leaving to go home had a going away activity before they leave. So that included my companion. So I was here all day with Elder M. and Elder W. It  was amazing to say the least! We shared crazy stories and experiences that we all are having. It was so fun to be with them for like 4 hours and have a great time together! Their doing good. Elder W. does not have Dange. El dice fue horrible! Pero he is all good now.

I hope that you all are doing amazing! I love you all so much! So glad for a great family that is loving and caring! So grateful for great friends as well! You guys are all amazing examples to me in many different ways. I am so proud to come from such a wonderful familia! It is truly un bendicion en mi vida. All of you, keep doing amazing things! Be at the service of others at all times! Help others when it is not convienant for YOU. Always be the best. Make each day count! Always thank your heavenly father for all that we have. We are all blessed. estoy agrecido por padres muy bueno y por un hermano que es asombroso!

Make it a great week! Aim high in all that you do! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Hugs!

Looking back at what I wrote very quickly because I am short on time today…so sorry for some of the Spanish! It’s really weird to be honest to have to think in English because I always am in Spanish mode! So sorry for some of the Spanish! Deal with it :)

Love You All, Elder Long