Sunday February 11, 2024
We had such a great week with these three friends from Provo. They all work at the surgical center in Provo with Colleen and they took a week off work to come here to see Honduras and to see us, to participate for a week in what our world is like here. It was really good for Colleen to have conversations, with friends about familiar experiences. They have a lot in common, so it was very therapeutic for Colleen to be able to talk for a whole week with English speaking friends. I think that has been the most difficult thing for Colleen about being here is the lack of conversations. We went to Roatán, saw the monkeys and sloths, then when we got back here, we had to be missionaries again and so we went back out to La Ceiba for a multi zone conference. They had to give rabies shots to the new missionaries who have recently arrived, there were 5 of them out there to that conference. It would be really great if they took care of that at the MTC's before they get here, but they don't. Oh well, that means that we have to seem them all twice for shots shortly after they get here. The two doses need to be between 7-28 days apart, so that means more traveling for us, but that is ok, we have a mission car and it gets good gas mileage, it is a tiny engine so it should. We went out to the Lancetilla botanical garden the next day. That is a park here near Tela. I enjoy going out there and they all seemed to as well, it is pretty and green and outside. There are a lot of trees and plants there that are from throughout central America, so it is fun to learn about them.
We also got a few pictures here in Tela .......
Since they are all nurses, Colleen took advantage of their expertise and we went to the pharmacy and bought an IV, and some nexium for her stomach. It helped her soooo much, she has felt so much better since receiving the IV fluid and nexium.
We bought two of everything, just in case.... I hope she stays well, because the next time it would be me starting the IV, and I am not too excited about poking her, I have never done that before on a person. Cow yes, but not on Colleen. Time will tell, I'll be sure to put a picture on her if we end up using it. I am really glad that they were here and were able to do that for her, it has really helped her stomach pain. Michelle is a wonderful cook and she likes to prepare meals, so she was willing and happy to make us several delicious meals and deserts while they were here.
We went shopping at the local markets downtown, she was able to find most of the needed ingredients and then we came back home and she worked her magic and we all enjoyed her delicious meals. We still have leftovers in the fridge which is awesome. There were some ingredients and seasonings that they just don't have here so she wasn't entirely happy with the outcome but everything she fixed was super good, we all enjoyed having her take care of us that way. She is from the Philippines and so the dishes were asian, so different from the typical Honduras dishes, and even different from what we traditionally fix, so it was nice to have something different. She even brought two different bags of rice from home, which we can't get here, to make her food. There is rice here but only the traditional white rice, is about the only one we can buy here.
We got to see some wonderful missionaries at the Zone Conference that we have come to love, it is always so great to get to see them again.
Then after a wonderful, very busy week they had to go home, we were all sad to depart, but it was so great to have them here with us for a week.
This week is Valentine's day so we made some sugar cookies. The recipe called for almond extract, there is no such thing here, but there is coconut extract, so we put that in the cookies, and they are great. We are going to mix up some pink frosting and enjoy a frosted valentine sugar cookie. They don't make cookies here, but we make them every so often. They taste like back home, that is nice.
The roller pin was a water can bottle but it did what needed to be done, we will enjoy them.
Joel Romero, the other counselor in the Branch Presidency has moved away so today there was a new counselor sustained, Hermano Victor Morales. I am so happy, He is a wonderful man with a wonderful family, at home they have a 16 year old son and an 18 year old daughter. They are the sweetest most committed family here. I don't know why but the previous Branch President, Hernandez had something against them and wouldn't ever let them do anything in the Branch or give them their temple recommends or anything. I am so happy that the new Branch President Garcia has a better outlook and will see people for who they are and allow them to serve. It is such a different experience in the Branch as a whole. It is so much more enjoyable to be here with them. The other Branch President has been given a calling on the High Council, so he is in other wards or branches almost all the time now so we don't even see him that much, and his wife and two daughters have gone to Guatemala. His wife is from there and with the two daughters now gone from here I wonder how the situation is in their family. It doesn't look great which makes me feel bad but he really is a difficult man, at least from my perspective. Today President Garcia had to go to Progresso for Stake meetings so Hermano Morales conducted the Branch Council meeting this afternoon. It was soooo awesome to feel the spirit again in the meetings, It is a totally different spirit now than when President Hernandez was running the branch. I am happy to serve here now with President Garcia who is a wonderful young capable person and now with Hermano Morales who is 67, and has been actively engaged ever since becoming a member in 2011. He has experience being a Branch President as well as everything else, and he has a very caring humble personality. Manuel Mendoza serves as Elders Quorum President, he is wonderfully committed as well, recently sealed with his wife Martha. Hermana Dilcia as Primary president, I love her so very happy personality and leadership style, hermana Castro, a spitfire not afraid of anything or anybody, as Relief Society President, and Samantha Morales as Branch YW President, young but so very capable. Our Branch is in very good hands. Sacrament meeting attendance shows the tremendous change since one year ago. When we first arrived here, the sacrament meeting attendance was between 20 - 30, a year ago, and now it is always between 70 - 90. There is such a better spirit in all the meetings now. I enjoy being there so much more now.
Another bit of wonderful news, Hermano Germán Madrid is going to be baptized this next Tuesday evening at 6:00. He has asked me to baptize him and we are so happy for him and his dear sweet wife Gloria. I will take time in next weeks blog to tell a little more about his history. We are so happy for them. It truly has been a blessing for us to have been here this past year and to see the changes in so many wonderful peoples lives as we have been here in Tela Honduras.
In closing here are a couple more pictures from this past week.
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