Sunday July 23, 2023

We had our multi Zone Conference this week in Progreso, the one where there are three zones that get together and President and Hermana Ostler and the Assistants come and it is a big training session on how to be better missionaries.  They are always good and they are once between every transfer which is every 6 weeks.   The Hermana's here in our district bought new dresses to match each other and they asked the rest of us to wear something yellow so we are a matching district. It is fun to be around these "Kids",  they are awesome but still very young.  They have these conferences in the cultural hall of a church where they set up tables and so we are seated at these tables.  They ask the missionaries to be there early so they can have some study time there, we normally do not get there as early as they ask the young missionaries to be there so when we get there there are two spots left open and we set by whoever it is at that table.  So when we came in this Thursday we sat down by these two Elders and the one next to me Elder Scholes had his scriptures out and was studying in Jacob, in the Book of Mormon.  He said, "Do you know what I just realized as I was reading here in Jacob,....."  He went on about some things he had been studying and it was really quite interesting the things he was learning and explaining to me.  He went on for probably 5-6 minutes, it was a very spiritual experience to have him share those things with me.  In the Preach my Gospel book chapter 2 it says, "Gospel study is one of the most rewarding kinds of spiritual work you can do. It is invigorating both mentally and spiritually."    

I believe that to be true.  It really is rewarding to study the scriptures and I am trying to take advantage of the time I have here to do more of that, mostly in Español, but some in English too.  

We had another baptism in our Tela Branch yesterday, Saturday afternoon.  Sofia, who is 8 years old was baptized as a third generation member in her family.  Los Montano family were of the first families baptized here in Tela, back in the early 1980's.  I had no idea there was this kind of a legacy here.  We continue to learn the history of the church here.  The Hermana's were teaching Sofia the lessons because they haven't been to church all that much.  When they got to the point about talking about baptism, the Herman's asked Sofia who she wanted to baptize her, and she said, "The one with the blue eyes".  I suppose that pretty much eliminates everyone here in Tela except me,  So I had the opportunity to baptize her.  I am always happy to help in any way possible in the Lord's work so that was baptism number 4 for me. David Antonio,  Antony Gael, Junior Josué, and now Sofia Isamar.  I really didn't expect to ever have the opportunity to baptize anyone when we came here on our mission.  While the Elders were here in Tela, they did all the baptisms but since the Elders were moved out and there are now Hermana's here, it has become my opportunity, which is great.   The Elders in our district are assigned to the other branch, Telemar, which is close by but separate.  

Here we are during our District Council which we do every week on Wed morning at 10:00,  They all love Hermana Chappell, as do I.   She is such a great example in so many ways, I am so blessed to have her at my side.  We are almost 7 months out!  They all miss their mom so Colleen is their mom away from home.

Last Monday we went out and helped (We were just there more in their way than helping) A family where they are building a new pila.  All the houses have a Pila, which is outside their house where they do their laundry and store water, because there are places like this one here where they only have water one day out of three.  So they fill up this big cement block container and then they use that for washing and cleaning for the next few days.  

They don't build things quite the same way here as they do back in the states, but it is what works for them.  I will have to take a picture of the completed pila when we go out there another day so you can see.  But it turned out very nice.  They are so happy to have it.  The old one was leaking very badly so it didn't hold the water nearly long enough so they were always without water.  With this new one that problem is solved.  

We received this picture today from Jeff and Julie who are serving in Lima Peru on a mission there.  They were able to travel to Huancayo which is where Clever lives, and spend some time there with him.  It is so nice to see this picture of the three of them together there.  Clever lived in Bicknell for 8-10 years and we became very good friends.  While he was in Bicknell he would go home every year for about two months then return for a 10 month period on a work visa.  He worked for Mack Morrell in Bicknell helping him with the farming/beef operation.  Clever had a wife and 4 children all living there in Huancayo Perú.  While living and working in Bicknell his wife got cancer, underwent months of treatment and ultimately died while he was still in Bicknell.  It was a very difficult time for them.  They have to bury their dead within a day or two, and his visa did not allow him to travel back and forth, plus he didn't have the money to do that anyway.  They did have the two month period earlier that year while he was at home but I am not sure that when he left that time if they realized that would be the last time they would see each other in this life.  Jeff and Julie finish their mission this next January, 2024.  Clever and I communicate through messenger on facebook and so I am so glad that we have that communication available.