Sunday March 26, 2023

 Isn't that a beautiful way to begin this blog post?  I think so!  I am so grateful for my Eternal companion!  Every day I am more aware of the blessings of Eternal Marriage and of Covenants with the Lord.  We are so blessed to have those opportunities provided to us.  We have deep fried bananas here with most every meal if we eat out, but most of them are not salted.  Hermana Chappell always says, "These would be so much better if they just had a little salt on them!"   Well guess what?  We were at the grocery store this week and saw these bags of fried bananas "Con Sal" 😋 "With Salt". So we had to buy a bag.  We had the Elders over yesterday for the Leadership session of our Stake Conference which was on zoom. So we had chips."Bananas" and guacamole.  They were pretty good.   After we went over to the church for the adult session on zoom, then today we drove to El Progreso an hour and a half to get to the Stake Center for the Stake Conference today.  It was really good to be with a big group of members all there together.  Out here in our little Branch I forget that in reality there are many members of the church, even though here we are few in number.  It was a great conference with several good speakers and a choir that was pretty good.  The people are so great, they say hello and where are you from and where are you located, it has been a good day.  

We went out with the Elders this week to teach a man at his home and they have this pet monkey.  It got excited to see us and was jumping all over.  It was making sounds but they were very quiet.  They said that there are many of these here in the wild,  I don't think you would ever see or hear them but I can easily see how they could be around.  

If you look closely you can see the TELA painted letters across the road.  Every town has their town name somewhere in the city like this.  They have been cleaning up and painting everything around here lately.  They say that Holy Week is the busiest tourist season here because we are right on the beach.  So a lot of people come here for their holiday and weekends for that reason.  Whenever we drive over to the Tela part of town we drive down this road, it is really pretty and a great view of the palm trees and the ocean.  

They had a "Hermanas P Day" this past Monday so we went so that Hermana Chappell could participate.  While there it was so great to be with the Hermanas in the mission.  They are all from Latin America somewhere.  Some from here in Honduras such as this sister in the black flower dress, and many from other surrounding countries.  As of right now there are no gringo, North American, Hermanas.  This sister in the black flower dress is going home this week after having completed her 18 month mission. she was so cute and sweet as we talked about what the future might hold for her.  She is quite nervous about her future.  I think she would like to get an education and get a good career and family etc but with her home finances I don't know that she will ever have that opportunity.  It is hard to be able to get education and a good paying career if you come from humble circumstances where everything you have just goes to your daily food and shelter.  She really is a sweet Hermana.  It is amazing how in such a short time you grow to love those around us here.  It is such a beautiful experience to be here and to get to know these amazing youth of the Church.  They are so dedicated and committed to serve the Lord.  I truly love being a part of this great work.  

Here is another of the tourist photo opp sites they have here.  This one also on the beach is located near several restaurants.  There are great places to visit here that are so unique to this area.  

This is out of order, sorry.  So on P day while the Hermana's were having their p day, they were playing a game of tag of sorts.  They wanted Hermana Chappell and Hermana Ostler to play with them.  So the first number called was Hermana Ostler, so she took off, well sort of,  those of us in our 60's don't run and play like those who are 19 or 20.   So she got started to run, but then her knee buckled under her and she went down to the floor with a "Oh my kneeeeeee".   We were so glad we were right there to help her get on her back and elevate her knee, they got it wrapped and ice on it almost immediately.  After a few painful minutes we helped her into the President's car and we took off in our car and we went to this Dr.  The one in the photo above.  He is an Orthopedic surgeon in San Pedro Sula.  He has helped with our mission needs and has been such an asset to have here.  He did an exam and got a leg brace for her to immobilize the knee and got her scheduled for an MRI.  He didn't think it was serious but  the MRI would tell them exactly what was going on. So the next morning, Tuesday we went with them and helped get her into the clinic where the MRI machine was.  What an experience.  It was a much more modern facility than what they have here in Tela but it was still a far cry from any hospital that we have access to in Utah.  or the USA.  We are so blessed there to have everything that there is medically speaking.  So Hermana and I waited and pretty soon they came back and said that they couldn't do it because of the contraption that they had to put the leg in to do the MRI wasn't big enough for her leg.   It makes no sense really compared to the MRI machines that Colleen is used to but it is what they have here.  So by this time it was late and so we helped get her back to their home.  By this time it was late so we didn't want to drive back to Tela. So we stayed at their place Tuesday night.  Wednesday they called the Dr. and he said that he would see what he could find out.  So at that point we decided it would be best to just come home.  She was getting around a bit better so we knew they would be ok without our help.  They eventually were able to get the MRI at another clinic and they should know results tomorrow.  So while we were at this Dr.s office we got to know a bit about him and his story.  He is not only Dr Hernandez, but is also Elder Hernandez an Area Seventy.  He travels all over Central America in his church assignment similar to what Elder Giuffra  was doing here the previous week.  Not only that but his wife is also a Dr.  some sort of psychology counselor, Mental health care professional.   And not only that but they have been called to be mission President in Nicaragua starting next July.  It was awesome to visit with him for few minutes while we were in his office and to hear his story.  He was converted as a young man.  Without any support from his family.  There was no father, just his mom and like 12 children.  He was born and raised in San Pedro Sula. When he told his mom that he wanted to get baptized and join this church, she told him that if he did he could pack his suitcase and walk out that door.  She would have nothing to do with him if he did that.  .......  He said "After my mom told me that,  I said ok, went in his room. packed his bag and said goodbye."  He said, "What else could I do?  I knew this church was true and offered so much more to me than anything I had ever had.  So I had to leave, as a young man and make it on my own.    What faith he had.  He said, "I knew it was true and to know that I had a loving Father in Heaven who knew me and cared about me was all I needed".   He got a little older and decided he wanted to go on a mission.  So with the ward's help he submitted his papers.  He got his call to serve in the Honduras San Pedro Sula mission.  He said that after serving about a year in the mission he was called to serve in the area where his mother lived.  He hadn't seen her in years and with his mission presidents approval he went to look for his mother and brothers and sisters.  He said, "I am probably the only missionary ever to go to my own mother's house to teach the gospel while on my mission.  He said that it was a beautiful experience to be able to go to my own mother's house as a missionary and teach her the message of the gospel.  She kept inviting them back and he eventually baptized his own mother a member of the Church.  After his mission he put himself through medical school and met and fell in love with a fellow student who was also a member of the Church.  They have had successful careers and have been such a huge asset to have them both here to help with missionaries as well and the church in general.  He has such a sweet humble personality.  It was truly a blessing to be able to be in his office and hear him share his story and testimony with us that day.  There are so many wonderful blessings we receive by being here.  I feel like we are the recipients of so many wonderful experiences here.  I just hope that we can be of service to others and help them in some small way while we are here.  

 

So transfers are this next Tuesday.  Three of the four Elders are leaving and we will be getting two new Hermana's and one new, NEW  Elder here.  He is coming from the Mexico CCM arriving in Honduras on Tuesday.  He is Latino we only know this because all the new missionaries arriving this month are Latinos. It will be so great to get to know the new missionaries called to serve here.  So Today Hermana Chappell fixed dinner and had them all come over for dinner after we got home from Stake Conference.  It was such a wonderful experience to share the afternoon with them.  To hear of their experiences, and hopes and dreams for the future.  Here again I feel like we are the recipients of such wonderful blessings as we get to know these incredible young men and women of the mission.  I have said way too much but I feel such gratitude for this beautiful opportunity we have to be among these dedicated young Elders and Sisters as they go forth with faith and commitment every single day to spread the love of our Savior with these wonderful brothers and sisters of Tela Honduras.  We are so very blessed.