Sunday March 12, 2023

It is interesting how every week is the same but every week is different in the great experiences here in Tela Honduras.  So a couple of weeks ago Elder Renlund of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles was doing a tour of Central America.  In the Church news they posted this picture which was from the leadership session on Saturday afternoon.  I looked at the picture and I thought, wow there are alot of people there, and even if I was there I wouldn't have known anyone.  But upon looking a little closer right there on the right side in white shirts and ties are our two Branch Presidents sitting side by side.  They have a blue circle around them.  Presidente Hernández from the Tela Branch and Presidente Mencia from the Telamar Branch.  I thought that was cool that they got their picture in the Church News!  Elder Renlund did a meeting for the youth, and a leadership meeting and a general session for everyone,  except the missionaries.  We were all a little disappointed but I am sure there are reasons they do what they do.  The meetings were all over closer to San Pedro so we would have had to travel a bit to be there but we are so happy that the members here had that opportunity.  It isn't every day that you get to listen to an Apostle in person!  People think that since we are from Utah that it happens there all the time but it really isn't that way at all, the Leaders are all over the world.  Those who went from here talk about what a wonderful experience it was for them.  

So since the missionaries were not invited to those meetings, it probably really isn't the case but it seems like maybe they are trying to make it up to us,  so this week we are having combined Zone Conference in La Lima with an Area Authority Seventy which will be awesome!  He is from South America somewhere, I am not sure where he is from but it will be a great uplifting experience for sure.  We will meet together on Tuesday in La Lima then on Wednesday they will have another multi Zone conference out in La Ceiba for the other Zones out in that area.  It really is a great experience to be here with these wonderful young missionaries.  We had two of them over for lunch today and one of them asked if we saw them as stupid kids or if maybe we saw them as mature young men.  I think he hoped that he would fall into the second category. 👨   and he does, they all do.  It is really a growing experience to go on a mission and be away from mom, family, friends, and regular life for two years.  We all grow as we are stretched.  It is fun to be with them here as we go through this mission experience together.  It is fun to hear of their experiences in other areas as well as to be here and share great experiences with them here in Tela and Telamar. 

 We had a wonderful visit with a family on Thursday night with Elders Wixom and Elder Penrod.  The husband died three years ago, they didn't say what happened but there was the mom, two daughters,  maybe 11 and 13 and a boy who is 8.  They were very interested in the lesson which was "The Plan of Salvation".  Where the lesson teaches about where we lived before coming to earth, our purpose on earth and where we go after we die.  I feel like since their dad and husband had died not too long ago it was very interesting to them to learn those things.  They said that they would come out to church today and they were there,  it is always great when they actually show up at church.  At the end of the lesson Elder Wixom asked Hermana Chappell if she would share her testimony,  She cried and said that she would love to, even though it would have to be in English.  So she shared a beautiful testimony and Elder Chappell translated it for the family,  it really was a touching beautiful experience for all of us.   There is just something about sharing beautiful spiritual experiences with each other that is so uplifting and you just feel so good to try and help someone feel Heavenly Father's love for them.  God lives and He is concerned about ALL His children wherever they are in this great big world He gave us.  

Two of the Elders in our Zone created this video which of course is in Spanish but is shows a little free time and creativity on the part of these to Elders.  I liked it so I thought I would share it here. 

I also just had to share this picture that we took today after church of this beautiful little family who have had SO many struggles and hard things in their lives.  Grandma is in the hospital,  Their parents are seperated, never married, their dad broke his leg two months ago in an accident and now has infection and still needs more surgery on his leg, their mom is not a member but lets them come to church with us. They are so sweet and love it when we go over to their house and they love coming to church with us.  We go get them and bring them to church when we attend the Tela Branch.  We alternate Sundays with the two Branches but we get them every other week and bring them to church.  They live a ways out so it is too far to walk and they have no money for taxi and of course mom and dad can't bring them but we do what we can to help them.  They are such sweet happy kids in spite of their difficult circumstances.  It is amazing how happy and resilient kids can be.  Aarón, the boy next to Hermana Chappell is the one who told us a few weeks ago, "I want one of those, pointing to our name tags,  that says Elder Aarón!"  With a great big smile on his face.  I hope one day he can!!!  It is experiences such as these that we will treasure forever.  The older brother is David, and the younger sister is Tatiana.