Welcome to Copan

This week was a  little harder than others, but the weather was nice and cool and it even rained a few times so it wasn't as hot. Copan is absolutely gorgeous. If I lived in Honduras I would live in Copan. The people are very nice. We had an experience this week where we were walking to dinner and a less active member stopped and gave us a ride. He told us that he is one of the people that takes people to the US illegally, but he then offered to pay for our dinner. We ate and as we were paying, the police officer that was eating there too offered to pay for our meal! It was a great act of kindness, the people really aren't too hard hearted! 

Later in the week we did divisions with some missionaries in Ocotepeque. It is a city about 6 hours from where we are. It rook forever to get there, but it was a great experience. Driving in and out it felt like we were driving through a picture! there were giant green mountains covered with clouds and little bright colored houses at the bottom of the mountain. I felt like we helped the missionaries out a lot. It is a hard area because the only church meets in a house and is a branch of about 30 members. When we were there I felt the spirit prompting us a few times to visit places that maybe the other elders never would have visited. I know that Heavenly Father puts us where we need to be. 

Last week there was a branch President change and while they are still looking for people to be the counselors, Elder Westerlind and I, and the other 2 missionaries that live with us are the assigned branch counselors. It isn't much different than what we normally do, we just gotta meet with the branch president each week to talk about growth and sacrament meeting things. 

The funniest thing that happened this week was when we went to visit our best investigator. She is a little bit rebellious, but she tries to do whats right. We got to her house and there were some guys drinking beer and smoking, and there was loud music playing. we figured it was just her brother that she lives with, they are both in their late 20s. We got there and the older brother had hired someone to come give him a tattoo in his living room. we were a little shocked, but we asked our investigators what he was going to get tattooed.. she responded, the same one I got!! ha ha ha just minutes before she had gotten a tattoo on her side of a giant anchor with flowers on it. We were like, Have we taught you nothing?! ha ha She has a little ways to go  before she can get baptized, but I know that they will be able to be members of the church one day. Two of our other investigators went to church too! It was so awesome to see them talking to the members and fitting in. They have challenges, but nothing that the gospel cant fix! I love this Church. I know its true. Happy Fathers day dad!! I love you so much and I am so incredibly grateful of your example to me. I want to be like you and I always think of what you would do in my situations. I want to be the type of man that you are. I love you!! Have a great week.
 

Love

Elder Dowell