Merrill & Colleen's Honduran Adventure

 Sunday May 28, 2023 What a week this has been.  For sure a highlight was on Thursday when we took this picture and visited this wonderful family.  Manuel Mendoza, the older guy in the white T shirt that says TERRA, and his wife, Martha Lidia, next to him in the pink shirt are awesome members here in Tela.  He is the Elders Quorum President and they have this motorcycle repair business.  They have two sons who work there and they employ I don't know how many other young men in their business.  He is so good to them to help them with a job and to teach them a career.  They do everything from engine repair to tires, paint, electrical and upholstery for the seats. The Elders had a goal of receiving references that day and it was pure inspiration to stop there.  When we got there Manuel had everyone stop what they were working on and come over and listen to a missionary message, which was about the resauration of the Church.  This was about 20 mi...

  Sunday May 21, 2023 Happy 42 Year Anniversary!  We went out to a seafood restaurant by the beach here in Tela yesterday for our celebration.  We didn't do anything more than that out of the ordinary.  A great dinner by the Caribbean sea is pretty great I would say.  That is not something we do every day.  Unless you count eating at our house which is pretty close to the beach, sort of,  probably a 1/4 mile or less.  I got an app on my phone the other day with a compass and altimeter.  Directly North from our house which we already knew, and where we live we are 36 feet above sea level.  I am surprised it is that much, it doesn't seem like we go downhill to the beach or uphill back to our house.  Oh well that is a fun fact about where we are in Tela, Honduras.  This was the view from our table.   We went to the Tela Aquarium for P day on Monday as a district.  It was fun, it is a small aquarium with a big whale ...

  Sunday May 14, 2023 Happy Mother's Day!!!   These are the sisters in Relief Society today in the Tela Branch.  They had cake and a little happy note they pinned on all the mothers.  The Young Women helped with it and it was a nice day.  In the Telemar Branch they had a spa day at the church on Thursday.  The young women did it and it was nice for these women to get treated that way for an hour or so.  Hermana Chappell did not know I took this picture till later, she was in a zone 😀.   Mother's day is on May 10 here whatever day that falls on but it was talked about and celebrated today at church.   It really is nice to be a part of the two branches here, there are of course similarities and differences, but they are both so kind and welcoming to us.  It is still so difficult for Hermana Chappell to not be able to talk with them and share more in the experience but she really is getting so much better with her spanish....

 Sunday May 7, 2023 Hello once again.  Another week come and gone,  just like that.  They seem to be rolling along.   We had a Zone Conference in Progreso this week on Wednesday.  This is our Zone picture taken after the conference.  We always enjoy these meetings with the missionaries.  This one was directed by our Zone leaders, they always do a great job getting everyone more excited about doing missionary work and doing it more effectively.  We have so much love and respect for each and everyone of these young missionaries.  They all come from such diverse backgrounds but all come committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ with that love and commitment in their heart.  There is a young man in the Telemar branch who is now preparing for a mission we just found out today of his goal and ambition.  We are happy for him and hope that he can serve in that way.  The Hermanas next to Hermana Chappell are in our district here...