Getting Caught Up - A few weeks of letters

**Dad note, I have been busy travelling and savoring the notes home from travelling that I have not taken the time to update the blog.  Well, today is the day, Enjoy! - Rich**

Feb 15

Hey family and friends! 

It has been perfect weather here in the department of Cortes. From San Pedro Sula to where I am at now in a town called Portrerillos is about an hour and it has been rainy and cool weather!

I will share a few crazy experiences and then I will answer some questions that mom had! I was so sad this week to miss syds bday, moms bday, and valentines day! But know how much I love and miss you and pray for you! 

This week we visited with a few members and investigators. It is weird to see sometimes when people lose interest in the gospel. I always get sad and wonder what they are thinking.. but I guess everyone has their agency. we are goingto San Pedro this week to help the Family Humania get married and their baptism will be coming up to! Every time we go to their house they give us coconuts to drink. They dont have much, but they are an example of giving what little they have in gratitude to us. I am grateful for them and their example to me. 

Something that was of a little bit of concern was that a gang member in our area was killed and when that happens there is a little more tention.. but we were safe and so were the others in our area. It was a scary thing at first, but it died down after a day.

We also had the opportunity to hear from a general authority, Elder Alonzo, from the quorum of the 70. It was awesome to hear him speak at stake conference this week, he is good at delivering a message and joking with the people. He gave some great advice.. reminding the priesthood that they need to bring the bread to church, and that we should prepare ourselves spiritually to take the sacrament. Also that partaking of the sacrament is a vital part of the perfeccion of the saints, and that it is something that requires repetition. 

At the end of the priesthood session on Saturday I asked him if he could take a picture with me. He told me to wait until tomorrow.. I thought that meant no. So the next day I wasnt going to ask again, but my companion told me I should and so I stood outside the door waiting as they set apart the new stake president. when he stepped out of the room he said, ¨who wanted to take a picture?¨ I was really surprised that he remembered.. but I will attach the picture, it was a very cool experience. 

I am thankful for the people we encounter each day. They are crazy, but fun to talk to and be around. I have felt touched by the generosity many times. I know the church is true and in helpin gand teaching others, I can feel my own testimony grow as well. 

Who are you excited to teach again?  

the main people that are fun to teach are those who really listen to us and ask questions. not many people ask questions.. but there is a couple named judi and manuel. they both are married with other people and are living together.. but they have been going to church which is awesome. they even went to stake conference. 

When was the time you felt the spirit teaching this week?  

A time when I felt the spirit was when I was giving my testimony. I have felt peace when I bare my testimony with all my heart and I think it helps others as well to know that they can have a testimony through prayer and acting on the answer that they recieve. 

What did you learn in your scripture study this week? 

In scripture study I always feel like I can do better in contacting, or in delivering the initial message of the restoration. I studied how we can help others to realize that not everyone that screams into a microphone is a prophet, and that God choses his profets. I find myself learning how to teach stuff that I have known since I was little. I know that Heavenly Father uses profets to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but through studying I have gotten better at explaining that God has always chosen profets, and that he chose Joseph Smith in these latter days to act as a prophet. I alwyas think that if someone understands the great apostasy, they will feel the need for a restoration of the gospel. Amos 8.11 is one of those scriptures that talks about the apostasy.. after reading that we can explain the need for the restoration. I know a restoration of the gospel was necesary for us to act in Gods name, with His power on the earth again!

I love you guys.. have a great week this week!

Love

Elder Dowell

Feb 22

Family and friends,

This week we saw the fruits of many days of work here in Paraiso. The most rewarding of all was on Friday when the Humania family finally got married. We saw Heavenly Fathers help as we got their papers together. On wednesday morning we woke up at 4 to go stand in a long line in San Pedro Sula to take out the last of the papers that they needed. At 10 oclock the line hadnt moved and we were tired of sitting there so long. A street pastor even stood preaching from the hours of 8 oclock to 10 oclock because he knew we werent going to leave so he yelled at us to have the holy ghost. I always wonder what people´s perception of Heavenly Father is when they choose different ways to worship Him. At 11 o clock a nice guy told us that because brother humania is so old that he could cut to the front of the line. He saved us alot of time and trouble, and on Friday a member of the church that works at the courthouse helped us get them married quick. their baptism is scheduled for this saturday.

In trying to find people to teach this week we have encountered many people who are interested in hearing our message. One family in particular was of surprise to me because the dad was the one that was asking questions and wanted to hear us. I have noticed that the people that usually accept us are single women with a few kids whose dad doesnt live with them or doesnt stay in the house much. But this family was different. It makes such a big difference when the man of the house is interested, because he can help his family understand and be a good influence on them. They told us that they would read the pamphlet that we gave them and that they would pray to know if it is true that the gospel was restored through prophets in these latter days. I hope that they will follow up on that promise.

I am so thankful for the chance that we have to help others by sharing the gospel. There have been many times where I feel like I really am fighting for the right. Many people have a skewed vision of who God is and what we need to do to return to live in His presence. In studying and teaching, little by little I have learned that it really isnt that complicated, and that as imperfect human beings, we have a little wiggle room!

What I mean by this can be explained using one of my favorite scriptures. 

3 Nephi 31.12

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father givethe Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

 13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shallfollow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting nohypocrisy and no deception before God, but with realintent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, bybaptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh thebaptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

 14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

 15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, thewords of my Beloved are true and faithful. He thatendureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

 16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following theexample of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.

At first this scripture seemed a little bit harsh to me. After I read it I thought about all the people who have not completed the steps of the Gospel of Christ. But afterwards, I tried to apply this scripture to my own life. In this scripture, Nephi explains the simplicity of the gospel of Christ, and what it is that we need to to to return to live with Heavenly Father. He is very clear to that those who do not follow these steps ¨cannot be saved¨. That was the part that seemed a little bit harsh to me. I began to think, what is my job? after having completed the first 4 steps, faith, repentance, baptism, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost my job is to endure to the end. This is the part that I think allows us a little wiggle room! Enduring to the end is hard, but I think it should be happy too. Enduring to the end is not being perfect, so each time that I feel like I don't get to talk as much as I want to in the lessons, or I mess up on a part in the lesson because I am still learning Spanish, or  have things that don't go my way, I am comforted to know that these situations have no effect on my chances of returning to live with Heavenly Father. What does matter is what I do. I think this can be applied to everyones life. Everyone feels inadequate at times, hearts get broken, things don't go our way, we want to have fun and it doesn't feel like were having fun, but these are things that Satan can use to distract us from our eternal purpose of being happy and returning to live with Heavenly Father. Comfort cannot be found in temporal things, but in following what Nephi has explained as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know this to be true. I love you guys and I hope you have a great week! Be safe and love one another, Ill try too! ha ha

Love

Elder Dowell

Feb 29

Dear Family and friends,

This week was another good one her in Paraiso. We were able to see all of our hard work pay off as the Humania family got baptized together this week! It was a humbling experience for me to see them be baptized, even when they dont have much. I know that they have much more prepared for them after this life.

I had the chance to baptize two people, and Elder Figueroa baptized three. Although it was a very cool experience, it had rained all day so everyone got to church all rainy and muddy, and the water in the baptismal font was freezing! I have gotten used to cold water a little bit from taking bucket showers in the morning, but I don't know if I would have gotten baptized in that water! haha 

One of my mission buddies Elder Palma who is from Honduras had to have transfers so our District Leader has been a third companion for a few days. I think we will stay a trio until changes next week. It has been a fun time to share the gospel and teach. Having 3 people adds a different element to teaching because all of us want to talk and explain. It reminds me a lot of living with Pete and Chinedu because sometimes it is 2 on 1. We have had much success in these past few weeks, more than I have seen in my whole mission. We have more people wanting to learn about our message and more people willing to open their door and their hearts as well. As to why, I don't know! I would like to say because of our obedience or hard work but I always feel like we are trying hard, so the most reasonable answer for that is that our prayers are being answered. I know that Jesus Christ is hastening His work, and that He has prepared people in different places and in different stages of their life, and I am very thankful to be apart of that. 

Yesterday we had the chance to explain Lehi's vision to a couple that we are teaching. They initially thought that the tree represented the tree of knowledge of good and bad.. We explained to them and drew them a picture of the dream, and got to explain to them that they need to hold on to the iron rod. I love that story because of its simplicity. They understood that they just need to hold on to the iron rod as tight as they can to reach the goal of Eternal life.

Each day I feel that the experience that I am having is helping me to grow, and I am so thankful for the people who are examples in my life. Mom and Dad, Marshy, Syd, and Savannah, Grandparents, aunts uncles, leaders, friends, teachers, and all those who have always lovingly counselled me to do what is right. I am full of gratitude because I know that I am not doing this alone. There are so many who have supported me and I am so thankful for that. I know that this church is true and I can testify of the happiness that comes from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He lives!

Have a great week everyone! I love and miss you guys, 

Elder Dowell

Honduran Spaghetti

**Dad note, I have been slacking in getting these letters posted.  Here are the last two notes from Chandler**

Dear Family and friends,

I have had many funny experiences this week and also things that have helped my testimony grow.. and experiences that have pushed my buttons, but all in good fun.

We have many awesome members in our branch, many of which give us food and cook for us. On one occasion this week I helped make some Honduran spaghetti. I say Honduran spaghetti because it is different than any spaghetti that I have ever had. The noodles are normal, but as I watched the member make the sauce I was shocked! she started off with a little bit of tomato sauce and some oil.. pretty normal. she proceded to add water.. ok. then she added some mayonase and milk.. weird but not too bad. Then to finish she added a glass of coke. Only then did I understand why I love Honduran spaghetti. 

Some things as we were walking in the street that are out of the normal were a full on techno dance party in the evangelical church by where we live.. and something pretty normal is little kids shouting, asking us if we want coffee. I dont give it too much attention, its kinda funny I think.. but I think it makes my companion mad because he always says yes to see what they will say.

We also had a new investigator come to church with us! we have been offering her service and one morning we took her some firewood. She has 2 little kids who are a little bit crazy. I got to help her out with one of her kids during sacrament meeting and wow. I have no Idea how I will be a dad someday! 

It is normal for some people that we teach to not have a place to sit, so we find a rock or cement blocks nearby to pop a squat. It was so nice outside this week that I wore a sweater one of the days. I never thought I would use a longsleeve shirt but the weather makes all the difference. I think one can feel the spirit more in colder weather. Not doctrine, just opinion. 

This week was a milestone for me as well because I finished reading the book of Mormon in spanish! It took forever, but It really helped me to learn spanish better and to learn the book of mormon stories. I know it is true. I know that the book of mormon is true and It didnt take reading it in spanish for me to know that. Its teachings are based upon those of Jesus Christ. His teachings are perfect, and only through living what He taught will we reach our eternal goal of returning to live with Heavenly Father.

Along with teaching and trying to find new people to teach, it has been hard to be with my companion. That is something that every missionary will say so I wont spend too much time on that, but I was reading the general conference Liahona or Ensign and it was the talk, What Lack I Yet? I read the talk and did what it says to do. The answer that I got was to love my companion. 

This is one of the many things that Heavenly Father could have told me, but I know that if we really ask and have the desire to act on the answer, Heavenly Father will point us in the right direction. 

Mom asked me a few questions this week too so I will share my answers.

Where did you see the hand of the Lord in your life this week?

I saw Him in the weather this week. It could have been hot like any other week but my problems didnt seem as bad because the weather was perfect. It was a big blessing.. and reminded me of the AZ winter!

Where did you see the hand of the Lord in one of your investigators this week?

This week we had the opportunity to share the first vision with a few of our investigators. I was thankful that I could recite the first vision, its my favortie part. Our investigators rarely read what they ask them to and rarely pray to know that the message that we are giving is true. even after we explain it in simple terms, I feel that some people still dont understand why we are different than every other church. But, after explaining the first vision and asking a few questions, I could tell that they were thinking. They seemed like they were starting to understand the information that we gave them. Jesus Christ is able to help us understand through the spirit and when we learn something new, I think it is the spirit that makes them think and understand. In moments of true undertanding I think the Lord helps us with the spirit to understand.

What stuck out to you in your scripture study this week?

John 13.15

I have given you an example.

The gospel is so simple that its easy to get frustrated when peop`le dont understand.

faith in Jesus Christ leads us to repent of the bad things that we have done in our lives. Faith that we can be freed from our burdens, pains, and sins lead us to follow the commandments, repent, and be baptized. If we are baptized with the authortiy of God, we will recieve a remission of our sins. 

I learned of many instances in the scriptures that Jesus says Follow me, I am the way, Do as I do, etc.. but this is very misunderstood by our investigators. They think that being like Jesus means doing good deeds every now and then and then youll go to Heaven. There is some truth in this, but Jesus taught us to have faith unto repentance, be baptized with His authority that has been restored on the earth, recieve the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the end. Nothing more and nothing less can allow us to enter into His kindgdom. I know this is true.

 I love and miss you all at home.. enjoy the colder weather!

Love

Elder Dowell

Family and Friends,

This week has been a good week here in Paraiso. We have been trying to get a few people excited for baptism. We have been focusing on teaching repentace and baptism to our investigators so that they can understand the importance of making covenants with Heavenly Father. As we have been teaching, our investigators have had a few challenges. The first is an 18 year old. He is a very sincere guy and wants to be baptized. This past lesson he told us that his girlfriend might be having a baby, so we had the opportunity to teach him about the law of chastity, and the need for repentance to be baptized and be clean from his sins. He was very receptive and accepted a baptismal date in February. 

Another Investigator of ours was having challenges understanding some commandments that we have because her friends at her work were telling her a bunch of lies about the church. They were absolutely crazy things. One was that we have a steeple at the church because Joseph Smith was decapitated on a steeple. Another one was that after women get baptized, they are forced to marry a member of the church right after, even if they were married with someone who is not a member. The other lies were pretty normal to hear such as, we dont drink pop or eat meat. We were able to clear up her doubts and challenged her to pray for a baptismal date in February also.

This week we also had the opportunity to sell donuts to members of the church to raise money for the Family Humania who wants to be baptized soon. It was difficult because my companion had to get half of his toenail removed because it was an ingrown toenail.. It looked like it hurt really bad.

I am also convinced, after all my years of training for football, that there is no better way to train than going deep into a mountain to chop and haul wood. We helped out 2 young men from the church Jason and Jimmy(names not very hondureñan) get some firewood for their house so that they could cook. I weigh about 200 pounds and these guys are about 150 pounds and they were kicking my butt hauling this wood. it was probably around 50 pounds but it was rainy so the ground was slippery and I could tell they were laughing a little bit because I had never done it before, but they were good sports for letting us help them.

When we went to San Pedro Sula to go to the doctor for my companion I could help but smile the whole time.. I love it! It brought back alot of good memories from the first part of the mission and I loved being there for a bit. 

This week after church, the church bus got in a small accident. It was a big yellow school bus and nothing happened to us or anyone else on the bus.. we barely even felt anything, but a car had pushed a little taxi car into the back of the bus and the driver of the taxi shattered the windshield with his head and had to go to the hospital. That was a little bit scary. My companion thought it was his fault because one of our investigators was complaining that they wanted to buy watermelon and so he told the bus driver to stop.. I was like.. um its Sunday! It is true that everyone has their own thought of the rules of what is ok and whats not on the sabbath day. Keep it Holy! 

Have a great week, I love you guys!

con amor

Elder Dowell

A Real Honduran

This week was a little different than usual. I got called to go to San Pedro to take my picture for my residency so soon I will be an official Honduran! I don't know if I am ready for that title..

This week we have also been working with the branch for our activity to raise money for the Humaña family. They are a very poor family that we are teaching that wants to get baptized.. but they don't have the money to get married. It costs around 1500 limpiras which is about 75 bucks. We made 100 limpiras this week making and selling baleadas to the members.. so we are getting close to getting them married, although it is a little more difficult with getting the papers that they need (birth certificate etc).

We are planning to have one more small activity for them this week.. but we need to talk to the branch president first. The branch has helped us out a lot this week and there are tons of awesome people.. and many young men that are good friends with us. The youth this week went to SOY which is the central american EFY. It was funny to see them come back and bare their testimonies. I remember the great experiences at EFY and the Book of Mormon Journey and the role they play in my testimony today. I know I will say that about my experience now as well.

This bridge in our area is a little sketchy, but a great view

This coming week I will finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish! It feels like it has taken me forever.. but I am 3 chapters from the end. There was a promise made by a general authority that if you read the book of Mormon in your mission language that by the end you will be fluent in speaking. I don't know how to compare my fluency.. but I feel that I can express myself and what I want to say in Spanish.. although fully learning Spanish will be a life struggle! haha

    

My companion wanted to help a kid fix his kite so he fixed the kite and they flew it today. The wind stopped and the kite fell into someones yard. The kid ran to see where it was.. then ran back to us to tell us. When we got there someone had cut the string and the kite was gone.. we asked the people who lived there and they blamed it on the neighbors. We hung around for about 5 minutes and they brought it back out to us. It was very shameful.

Eating healthy!

It helps to have a companion that is from Honduras.. but he wasn't too motivated this last week so I guess I just gotta get him motivated for this next change! 

I love and miss you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love

One Year Down!

Hello family and friends!

This week is my one year mark! It is hard to believe all that has happened in this year and although the days feel long.. the year has gone by pretty quickly! I think I have learned more in this year of my life than all of the other years combined. Never in my life have I been so thankful for the scriptures, the church, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This experience is helping me to see a bigger picture of the plan that Heavenly Father has for each one of us. If we are going through hard times or just feel like we need a friend, Jesus Christ always has His hand extended for us.

This week on the year mark we had our interviews with the mission president. He told me that it is important to be patient through our times of trial. I asked him how we can know what Heavenly Father thinks of us. I have always wondered what Heavenly Father thinks of me. He told me that I will probably not receive a direct answer, but we can feel of his love and approval through words from family, friends, and from leaders.

We also had the opportunity to baptize 3 siblings.

The 11 year old boy and asked me to baptize him.  The girls are 16 and 19.. They are very smart and are setting an example for their parents who are not members of the church. I think because of their examples that they will hopefully take the lessons soon.

mini turtle

Yesterday I got sick and had to take a little rest.. but I am feeling better today. Looking back on this year there have been many ups and downs, but I know they are all helping me to grow closer to Heavenly Father. I am so thankful that I can be His servant during this time of my life. I love and miss you all at home! Have a great week this week!

Love

Elder Dowell

Those cool Santa Barbara nights

Hello Family and Friends,

It has been cooling down more and more here in Santa Barbara and each night I get to use the blanket that grandma made for me, I like the cold much better than the heat. I have had many experiences this week that have helped give me a greater perspective on missionary work, service, and life in general. 

I am very thankful for the experiences that I am having and for the help and support of those who have pushed and encouraged me, I know that these experiences and learning doesn't just happen for no reason.  I know Heavenly Father gives each one of us what we need and even the people that we need too. 

This week we spent an entire day helping the branch president, President Lopez, paint his house. It hurt our weekly stats a little bit, but we talked with him about the history of Santa Barbara and how far it has come in the church. Presidnet Lopez has been the branch prez for 3 years and when he arrived the church only had an asistance of 41 members, and they were basically teaching apostasy from what he tells us. Now we have around 120 attendance and will probably be a ward soon. 

This week, starting on the 4th, the fair came to Santa Barbara! Tons of people set up shop in el Centro ( our area) and sell stuff! food, souveniers, etc. It has been packed every single night and we have been handing out pass along cards to many people, although many of the people are not from here, we run into many people that do live in our area too. It is one of the many little culture things that I love about Santa Barbara. Some stuff I still dont like but it has grown on me alot. 

This week I have also been saying goodbye to many of the members because I will be changing areas tomorrow. I am very sad to leave Santa Barbara, but I know that change can help us grow. I have made some great friends here and I am very thankful for the relationships that I have made here. I hope that I have made as much an impact on them as they have on me. I am very thankful for the many relationships that I have had in my life. I didnt realize how important relationships with others are, but it is one of the most important things in this life. Jesus was a perfect example of making great relationships, although many rejected, he was the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I am so thankful for all of those who have been great friends to me, many of you have! and I will send some pictures of the friends I have made in my time here.

Mom and Dad asked me a few questions so I will conclude with a few answers.

How is Chandler doing?

You know me, I am doing fine. I worry all the time (like mom) but I think that is what it is. I am enjoying being in Honduras, more than I did before anyways. I hope that the ¨Chandler¨that you know is being changed. I often feel like I dont like the Chandler that you guys know, because he has many faults. So I am trying ( and usually failing) to improve the old Chandler so that I can be an improved version of myself.

Is he getting more comfortable with Spanish?

Yes. I found myself getting frustrated with spanish, but my companion Elder Markus reminded me that if I went back to get a job in the states, I would be able to do everything that I need to do. It is true. I make my way around, teach the lessons, buy what I need to buy, tell people what I need to tell them. I will continue to learn, but I am more comfortable than before.

What is the difference between learning to teach in the MTC and actually teaching?

Everything. If I had to pick to learn spanish in the street or in a book I would have never gone to the MTC. Teaching comes from practicing with real people. If I sit in the classroom and practice with my companion I will gain very little experience. For missionaries to learn the rules and get a few good meals the MTC is fine, but learning to teach comes from talking to the lady thats telling me that I am worshipping satan if I celebrate Christmas.

Are the people where you are poor?  How does that affect you?

Yes they are poor. Almost everyone makes money buy going up in the mountains and cutting coffee. they take the coffee plant and they pick the coffee beans off of it one by one. If its in season they can get about 9 bags. each bag they pick they get paid 30 limpiras for 9 bags thats about 13 bucks a day.  Right now it is not the season and they get about 3 bags a day which is about 4.50. They use that to buy food for their family. There is not much in the budget for much else. How does this effect me? everything is super cheap and I am gaining weight because I can buy a lot more food than I normally could. But it also helps me to be more willing to buy someone a baleada or give them a few limps.

Since you have learned the church in Honduras, what does it make you think about the Church here in America?

Although the culture is different, this is something that Elder Markus and I were discussing. My testimony has grown in part because the church is the same here and in the US. The people, no. But the same rules, handbooks, 3 hours of church, sacrament every week, president and his councilors, etc. The other churches may have some type of structure in the states but I dare you to come here and tell me that the catholic church teaches the same things in the US as they do here in Honduras, its just not the same. The church is true, no matter where you are!

What is the biggest difference(s) between Cedar City and San Pedro Sula?

Alot more drunk people in the street, and people are much more comfortable with confrontations here. It is alot more dirty here too. It is basically a giant trash can. But in San Pedro there are buildings and roads and normal things like that so maybe not too different. haha

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! I am thankful for all of you and for the relationship that we have!

Love

Elder Dowell

Christmas Preparations

This week has been a good week because it is finally starting to cool down!! I don't think I will ever need a sweater, but it is perfect t-shirt weather. As it is getting close to Christmas, everyone has started preparing with their trees and food! There are many nice people and they sometimes just come up and give us tamales or baleadas. As we are contacting people for Christmas, there are some that do it for the right reasons, but when we ask them what the reason is for celebrating Christmas, there are not many that know that the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus! The people celebrate by throwing little fireworks and more than anything, by drinking. it is a bit redundant, but I suppose it is the Honduran culture. 

 

We have even ran into people that do not celebrate Christmas. When we ask them if the believe in Jesus Christ they say yes of course! One lady specifically told us that it is a sin to celebrate Christmas because it is not in the bible. We were shocked, but she said that nobody in her church celebrates Christmas because that is what their pastor taught them. I asked her if she thinks its OK that we celebrate Christmas. she said no. Then I asked if it is okay if we celebrate Jesus Christ every day. She said yes. Then I asked if it were ok if Christmas was everyday, and she said yes! I think we just have to make it a little more clear for them what Christmas really is.

 

Although they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, we invited the other elders, elder Navarro (from Panama) and elder Chapeton (from Guatemala and my first Zone leader) to eat with us at Bettys. We go to a restaurant called Bettys because they have giant baleadas and hamburgers too! We had a little thanksgiving dinner with them. To them it was a normal meal but for Elder Markus and I it meant alot! 

 

We have also been teaching a few younger guys. one kid that is 18 and one that is 16. Elder Markus and I noticed how when people are young it is easier to teach them. I think its because they havent quite figured out what they want in life. We meet with the 18 year old and his family too. We visited them with a very helpful sister in our ward, she is almost like our mom in the mission because she gives us food and sometimes visits investigators with us. Her son is serving in Nicaragua. But we went to visit Juan and his family and we taught them the plan of salvation. I could tell the spirit was there. We explained it, and the sister testified of the plan and it was very powerful. It is better to have a member of the church there to help us, and to testify of what we are teaching. 

 

This week until the 13th there is a fair in town and so El Centro, the main part of our area, is packed with people from out of town. It is awesome! They sell stuff for super cheap and there are tons of people for us to talk to. This week we have plans to have lessons with lots of members, and to contact many people that are in our area for the fair.

I hope you all have a great week, I love and miss you!

 

Love

Elder Dowell

The Children of Honduras

Hello everyone!

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions as we prepared a little girl for baptism, and had many ups and downs of the week.






I will start with the baptism. The girl we baptized asked my companion, Elder Melgar to do the service. The members of the branch really didn’t help us out to much. When we called to ask for people that could speak or give their testimony at the service, they acted like it was such a huge burden, so we had to call a few before we could convince someone to do it. The service was held after church yesterday. We lost the agenda for the service and nobody seemed to care so I put together the schedule again on a piece of paper.


I was also able to teach the Gospel Principles class this week! The thing is, I love to teach the class, and the only problem is that I am not too good at it. I prepared the message and it felt like nobody understood me! I would usually get angry but this time I decided to stay calm and think of a few ways to better my teaching. But part of the reason it was not too great was because yesterday in the street a guy came up and started talking nonsense to us. I thought he was drunk, so I invited him to church, not thinking much of it. Well, he actually came! But it turned out that he was mentally challenged and kept trying to talk over me in the class, it was super disruptive, but one of the other missionaries helped him out.

As far as statistics go, our week was not a bad week. We had many new people to visit with. One in particular was a lady that we had visited before. We contacted her a few weeks ago and she didn’t seem too interested. We were walking down her street when my comp wanted to contact her. I had little faith and said that she didn’t want anything. My comp pointed out that we had nothing to do, and we knocked and she let us in. I was spiritually slapped in the face because it was one of the best lessons I have ever had! She had many questions about the plan of salvation, and she even told us that she was very interested in our message and she didn’t know why. We explained that this was the spirit, it was a great opportunity to teach of the Plan that Heavenly Father has for us.

The best story that I have for this week is one of my favorites of the whole mission so far.

Elder Melgar and I were on our way to a visit with a member when we saw the cutest little girl sitting on the porch steps outside of her humble Honduran house. She was light skinned, and had her hair all done up to go out somewhere with her mom. She had some cute little flip flops and big eyes. she was even eating a giant thing of pink cotton candy. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. I pointed out this scene to Elder Melgar and he agreed that this little 4 year old girl was cute, so when we got close to her we both waved, and smiled at her like a mom smiles at a baby. Hoping for a cute little wave back. we were not so warmly welcomed with a middle finger from this 3-4 year old girl. I just about died from laughing. This might help describe the people that we teach each day. We walked by the same street later in the week and she flipped us off again. A little more expected but equally as funny.

I hope you all have a great week this week and my stories can lift your mood a bit!

I love and miss you all!

Love

Elder Dowell

The "average" Honduran Bus