The streets of Copan part 2

This week I have felt very blessed. Getting to see and read about Marshalls experiences have given me a whole different perspective. I can remember so acutely those times in the MTC and they are just pure growing experiences that you cant get anywhere else! 

It was so sad to see Elder Westerlind leave. There is always a lot of hype around changes, people leaving, and new people coming in. I learned a lot of things, but I know I am going to continue learning with my new companion. His name is Elder Vasquez and he is from Panama. He is 21 years old and his bday is on the 30th of August. He is a really cool guy and so far we get along very well. He is trying to learn English so I will try and help him with that in the short time we have together.

Since Elder Vasquez came we have been focused on getting people to sacrament meeting. Making that our main focus showed a few fruits on Sunday when 3 of our investigators showed up and another member brought 2 of their friends that live in our area. It was a great blessing to have them because I got to give a talk! There were 2 kids that talked before I did. they talked about the spirit and why it is important and I felt a little bit like they blew me out of the water. their testimonies were so strong and it was a very well thought out message. Our investigators were asking how old the 14 year old kid was because he delivered a great message. My message was on the city of Zion and the way that they lived to be able to go straight to heaven. 

We have been focusing on the men that we have as investigators and more recently I have noticed the great impact that the man has on his wife and children. Bsically whatever the man does, his family will do too. We visited with a guy named David and he read the pamphlet that we gave him and later explained to us everything that he had learned about the apostasy and the restored gospel. I felt the spirit as he explained it to us. I know the spirit is the only thing that can teach us those simple yet profound truths. I continue to be amazed by them as well. I am looking forward to this week.

We had our interviews with president Bush and he told me "you don't need 2 years to change someones life.. you only need a day" that made a great impact on me. I am thankful for each day that I have to be a missionary. I love you guys. know that I am praying for you.. and for your success. I love you! Have a great week!

Love

Elder Dowell

Visiting the Temple

Hey family and friends!

This week has been very upbeat in the sense that we have had much to do.. but wow I feel that I am being stretched more in my capacity to love and be patient! I know that the experiences that I am having will help me grow closer to Heavenly Father, and help others grow closer to him as well.

One of the most spiritual parts of my week this week was in sacrament meeting yesterday. I was assigned to give a talk.. but when I got there the councilors of our mission president were there so they took over and I will talk next week. But before they spoke, the branch president had the youth give there testimonies of their trip to the temple this weekend. It was very powerful to see them give their testimonies of the temple. For many it was the first time that they had gone. I think it impacted me the most because each day we see the type of people that they have been surrounded by their whole lives. Drunks, drug addicts, and men who are completely spiritually lost. It is a miracle that they have grown to be spiritual giants in a place where worldly things are held as a higher treasure. One of the youth said, "I know that Jesus walks through the same doors that I walked through". That almost brought me to tears as the spirit confirmed to me that the temple is the house of God. I know it is the most sacred place on earth. I miss it.

This week was Elder Westerlind´s last full week of missionary work! He told me to help him stay at it if he got lazy. and I think we have been doing the best we can. He is a very hard worker and determined guy. I have grown to be great friends with him and I will miss him, but sure I will see him in the future. We were asked by the assistants to go to Ocotepeque again this week. It is a city about 4 hours away from our house where there are 4 missionaries. The missionaries were having a few problems so we were sent on a secret mission to figure out what President should do with the upcoming transf

ers. Luckily everything was ok, the missionaries had been having some trouble with their branch president because he never wanted to meet with them and is kind of a lazy guy. 

Elder Westerlind and I also went to San Pedro Sula to a meeting with President Bush and the other ZLs. I love going because we always learn alot and see our good friends from other parts of the mission. Elder Bate and Elder Vasquez are the APs and I am really good friends with them too. President Bush is different than President Dester, but he is a really awesome guy. He was a lawyer in Washington DC. 

On Thursday night we ran the Family home evening at the church and did the experiment where you have to squeeze a hard boiled egg through a glass bottle. We related it to faith and how we must have faith if we want to see miracles. I find myself learning from the simple lessons like that. I know that the spirit doesn't always need something super profound to be able to testify of truth, but through simple things also can truth be found. I love this church and the simple truth that it teaches! 

Marshy I hope you have a great first week in the mission!! I am so proud of you and so proud to be serving at your side. Have a great week, I love you guys!

Love

Elder Dowell 

Left Behind

Happy 4th of July!!!

I am so thankful to be from the land of the free and the home of the brave. We haven't done much to celebrate, but it has been a busy week! Elder Westerlind and I have had to do many baptismal interviews a little bit farther away. It is awesome to see  the other people in our zone have such great success. I often wonder why I cant have that kind of success. I got a call also from my old companion Elder Dipko who told me that many of the people who we had previously taught are progressing. I was talking to Elder Westerlind and telling him how I feel about that. It is not a new feeling to me.. but he helped me to understand that maybe it is not God's will that it happen for me right now. He was right. I find myself being humbled like that many times a week. I do want to be better at accepting God's will and not just my own selfish desires. 

One of the nights that we had interviews we were about an hour away from our area when we finished and we were waiting for the bus to go home. We were told that the bus would come around 7.. then around 8.. then it never came. SO we had to stay at the Elder's house in their area. It set us back a little bit but I was so thankful that we were able to stay somewhere. I think about if we were just some random people with no money.. what would we do in that situation? crazy.

This Pday we just got back from visiting the Copan Ruins with many people from our zone! It was a really cool experience to see more of the Honduran culture. I love the weather.. although it is hot sometimes, the green mountains have my heart. it is so beautiful. If i had to live outside of the United States, I would live here!!! .. I hope that never happens though.. haha 

Marshy, I am also so so excited for you and so proud of you! I wish I could be there to hug you goodbye, just as you did for me a year and a half ago! but I know you will be such a great missionary and touch the lives of so many. I will be thinking about you this week, and praying for you extra! Let me know how everything goes down at home! I love and miss you! Marshy, you're the best brother in the universe!!

Love

Elder Chandler Dowell