8 months out and I'm living my dream...

Hola mis amigos y mi familia! I hope that this letter finds you all doing great! I am doing well. Other than sweating like a crazy man I am doing great! I am enjoying the journey that I am having and taking it all in. So lets get to it, shall we.

This week absolutely flew by. It went so fast. I am lost in the work and time is flying. I am enjoying it more and more every day. I am loving Spanish and the people more and more. I really can’t express my love for the people here and the work that I am embraced in. I don’t go a day without thanking my Heavenly Father for the opportunidad que tengo para servir ahorita aqui en Sabana Gande. Don’t worry about me, my loving followers, all is good!

So we had stake conference this weekend at the temple in Tegucigalpa. It was awesome! We had three people come that we didn’t even know that they were going to come. They walked 2 hours just too get to the church where the bus was going to leave from. 2 hours… we visited them later on Sunday and it literally was 2 hours. HAHA you can see Nicaragua and El Salvador from where they live. It was a very cool experience. We will be heading there a lot now that we will be teaching them. So that was good! I got to see everyone from Ojojona because everyone was in the reunion. It was fun to see all my old friends from my old area and all. So that was really fun and rewarding.

I had intercambios this week with the zone leaders. I was with Elder M. He’s from Utah. He has like 3 months left – he’s on the tail end of his mission. So, I gave him a good talk about finishing strong and giving it all he has. He has a good mind frame and I was just helping him out. At the end some slack off but I told him to give it all he has. He will do so!

So this week we were playing in the park at some table that had chess pieces. We were playing while waiting for the other elders to come to end the intercambio and there were 7 people around us cheering and learning how to play chess - it was so funny. Like they were literally cheering HAHA it was so funny. So that was quite the experience that I never thought I would have… a crowd and cheer leaders when playing chess... HAHA…another wonderful experience here.

Also this week I had to help some missionaries out that were having some differences. They are really great missionaries, but I needed to help them work through some things and while doing so I also learned. I just love working with people. Aren’t people just so great! I love people!

I am so happy to be serving right now my brothers and sisters. There is no other place that I would rather be than Honduras serving and helping others come unto Christ. I know that this work is very important y que it’s short. I love helping and seeing people change their lives for the better. I’ve seen people change from drug addicts to people who go to church and have the spirit in their lives. We are children of God. When we act like it we will receive blessings. I am so proud to have a loving Heavenly Father that can provide direction not only for me but for all of us. When we follow the commandments, help others, and give ourselves to the Lord in all things, we will receive blessings. I know this to be true. I challenge each of you this week to serve someone in some kind of fashion and I know that you will be blessed - I promise. Hagalo! (Do it!)

Thank you so much for all the love and support guys, you are truly amazing. Thanks for the example that you guys are to me, through all your examples I have the opportunity to learn and grow and to be here. Without you all I would not be here today. I have had great example in my life and I am so thankful for that. I am so thankful for loving parents, my brother and friends who have guided me in my life. Thank you. I wish I could express this day how much I love you all and know that you guys are all doing great things. Have a great week and make a big difference. Be the example to those around you like Jesus Christ is for us.

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet and are with as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. Aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward always!

Con much amor,
Elder Long