Week 25 Santa Ana Ward

Tell us about a family you have been teaching. We have a lot of people that we are teaching. We think that this area is just giving away free baptisms. We have planned to have a baptism every week or more. We have two investigators with a baptism date right now and one will be baptized in the next week. One of them is Hna A. R. and she has been a active member her whole life but we don’t think that she was ever confirmed and so we get to baptize her. Also Hna G. she is 11 and her grandma I think or her legal guardian is a member she has been going to the church for much time but hasn’t ever been baptized so she is the next and the rest will follow.

Did you have any baptisms this weekend? No we didn’t have any baptisms this week.

Are you working with any in-actives in your ward? Lots I asked for the list of members and well there are like 400 inactive members. I like to look for them because they are impossible to find because there is really no address system here. There really aren’t even house numbers, or street names. 

What have you been studying this week?  I have been studying the conference talks and well I really like it.   I have also been studying the plan of salvation and it is really interesting to see why things are this way. Why there is opposition in all things. 

Has your companion bought him a hammock yet? No I bought a hammock this week, it was 6 dollars and well it is pretty nice but it is a little small because it hasn’t been stretched out yet.

What is a spiritual experience for the week? We were teaching G. and it was a really good lesson we talked a lot and the spirit was really strong. I can’t describe it but she is ready to be baptized and well she will have the opportunity in a couple weeks. We just taught the basics and she could tell us the doctrine really good. She already has a testimony so it will be a lot easier for her to gain a stronger testimony. 

Tell us about a funny thing that happened to you this week. Yes we had a bird that came in to the house. Well first I was washing my clothes and the bird hit me in the back 2 times. After I finished washing and we left the door of the house open and the bird came in to the house and well we played with it a while. It was very funny because it returned the next day at the same time. 

How has the weather been?  It has been cold and hot it changes back and forth on Thursday it rained all day and we went to the Lempira which is along ways from our house and there is just step paths and a lot and I mean a lot of mud. Lempira is the name of the money but also it is a lugar in our area it is a neighborhood called the Lempira and it is far from here like 25 minutes walking. Are there ward members that live here?  Is it up a hill?  Yes it is up a hill and it is a long steep hill. There are a few ward members and there is an inactive hna that has come to the church because we invited her we think that her kids will be some of the next baptisms. 

Was your companion ok with not being moved last week?  Yes he was fine with it; he wanted to stay because I think that this is one of the best areas one could have.

No I haven’t had to speak in church. This Sunday was the conferencia of the stake.

How is the hospital that dad is in? The hospital that we went to with my companion was nicer than the hospital in Logan. There are some pictures of Dad’s Hospital on drop box.  Dad said that there was a gas explosion in the market a few days ago with 69 injured.  Dad said what they showed on TV was very graphic.  Yes there is no filter on the TV.   If there is something dead or dying they are graphic photos. I found the pictures of dad in drop box. It doesn’t even look like the Honduras that I know.

Do you see R. often?  A motorcycle hit R. and he is now with a lady that is caring for him for 3 months. He sleeps outside on something that isn’t a mattress and he has a huge bruise and the other knee was destroyed and has a huge cast. But he is doing ok. He has a little of an infection but I hope it will all end well. It’s really interesting; I can almost understand his hand motions. 

For p day we washed a dog and we went and ate in the terminal.  Why did you wash the dog?  Because it was really dirty, we even cut some of the hair because we think there were some fleas or something weird. Whose dog was it; do you have another pet besides a bird?  It is the dog of the hna that gives us pollo con tajadas. Her name is Hna M. Glad you wore Baggies on your hands.  Yes we weren’t going to touch the dog. It was a little gross especially when the dog started to shake. 

I think that I saw the bus line that dad will be traveling on today.  Make sure that he doesn’t put any this really important under the bus. Ok I will let him know that.  Will it be bad to have the TSA lock on it?  No make sure that there is one on it.

Well I don’t have any more time to talk but I will write some letters. Thanks for all that you have done for me, and all the things that you will do for me, as my family. Have another good week without boys in the house. And don’t forget to read your scriptures and don’t just read, them look at every single footnote that you can.

Love Elder Olsen and tell dad to be safe in his travels. 

Week 24 Santa Ana

Did you have the two baptisms? Yes both of the baptisms happened, I baptized one of them and one of the members baptized the other.

Has you comps rash totally gone away?  Yes the rash on my companion went away after a couple days.

Have you heard on transfers this week? Pres. D. in his email said, you and Elder M.would be coming to dinner so I don’t know if he forgot about transfers or if you two are staying together.  I am almost positive that we will be here for the next change but there is always a chance that someone could go.  How long has he been there?  3 Months.

Did you do any splits with other elders?  No I didn’t do any splits with the other elders.

What was the best food for the week and what is the name of the restaurant that the member owns that feeds you twice a week?  I have no idea what the restaurant is called for sure, but I think that it is called myriams pollo.

What was your most spiritual experience of the week? The baptism of hno R. was very amazing. After, he shared his testimony with us it was very powerful. I can’t even describe the power of the spirit that was present.  After, we talked about how powerful his testimony was and how prepared he was to receive this message.

What scripture helped you out this last week? This week I studied in Revelations in the Bible, I can’t remember what chapter, but it is talking about New Jerusalem and how there will be twelve gates, three on each side, the name of the city, and it talks about what is necessary to enter. The names listed are the 12 tribes; very interesting and then to read the description of Heaven is amazing.

How is your health? I haven’t had any problems with my health. I think I might have had some sort of virus or something because I had a sore throat all week but it is better now.

I have something for you to take home. What dimensions is your suitcase?  It is just a board of wood that is carved. There is also a picture somewhere of a bed and it has a box on it, this is what I will send home. 

How was p day?  It was good we went to San Pedro Centro and bought a couple things and printed pictures.   In my spare time I made a spider web with silicone.

Thank you for all that you do and tell everyone thanks. Tell grandma to read a lot of the scriptures especially the chapter in Revelations.   I am thankful for all of your support and all the things that you have given me. 

 Well I don’t have any more time so have a good week and everything is good. 

Week 23 Santa Ana

Where in Mexico is your companion from? My companion is from Monterey Mexico it is like 3 hours from the U.S. He has taken 8 years of English and has travel to the U.S. a lot. 

When are transfers? Transfers are the 18 of this month. 

What was your spiritual experience of the week? We were teaching S. and it was amazing to see his response. We were teaching with one of the bishopric member, who has a wife in Utah. It was amazing to see the lesson. The counselor was teaching the investigator as if the counselor was God and he was looking down on S. and evaluating things. Wow the spirit was present and S. was listening really good. We ate dinner with the his family this week; we again ate Pollo con tajadas. His mother said she was really interested in the church, but she goes back and forth from the U.S. to work and his dad is working in Spain, so we will see what happens.  S. had really good friends in the church, so he will be ok. 

What are you studying in the mornings? In the mornings I have been reading and studying all the conference talks and other doctrinal question. I have almost finished reading all the conference talks, I think that I will finish this week so we will se how things go. 

How is your comps chickenchaga, is he feeling better? Has the rash gone away?  Yes the crazy sickness only lasted 3 days for him and all the symptoms have disappeared. 

What was the best meal you had this week? I think that the beast meal that I had this week was pollo con tajadas it is always very good and luckily the member that owns the restaurant gives us dinner 2 times a week. Wow is it good. 

Did the baptism go thru. No we have 2 baptisms scheduled for this week and they are both as solid as concrete. So next week I should have some pictures.  I don’t think that we will be baptizing them; we are having the members baptize them. But there will be 2 different baptismal services this Saturday so it should be a little fun. 

How many investigators came to church on Sunday?  We had 5 Investigators in sacrament meeting. We have been looking for some new investigators and we have been searching for inactive family’s to teach their children and activate them. We only had one complete family come today and well we found them by looking for names on the list of members. It is a single wife and 3 kids so it is a pretty good family. 

Did you have an opportunity to do any service last week? What was it and who was it for. I don’t remember if we had the opportunity to do any service last week. But we will see this week possibly painting a school.

How is the weather do I need a rain jacket and a sweatshirt for your area? You probably just need to bring a rain jacket that is breathable or an umbrella. Today it is close to 90 with real high humidity but that’s not hot at all.   When it gets hotter, are there less Mosquitos.  Yes there haven’t been mosquitoes today. 

What did you do for p day?  We played ping-pong and that is it. We don’t have permission to leave the zone and there is nothing to do. Did you play with other elders?  No just with Elder M.

Whose house is that with garments hanging on the line?

Oh we went on divisions with the zone leaders so I spent a night in this area. They had air conditioning. This is the house of the zone leaders and another companionship; it’s a really nice house. Yeah it is really cold in the bedroom.

Those pictures on the bridge are nice, good thing you didn't drop your camera.  

Who are all the boys in the pictures that look like missionaries?

One is A. T. our mission leader the other is E.

The one I took a picture of that was taking a picture is our investigator S., our future missionary de barrio, once he is baptized he will be called. He likes to leave and teach with us.

Did you get any letters?  Yes I got 3 packets of letters this week.   Tell everyone thank you for their letters. 

Have toy been using the blender?  Yes almost every day. I can make some good smoothies and milk shakes.  How big is your freezer for the ice cream.  I don’t use ice cream, all they use here is ice milk and the mix in and it turns out smooth.    Are mangos in season yet?  I think there coming on. But the bananas and piñas right now aren’t on that much and they’re a little expensive.   What do you put in your smoothies?  Ice, Milk, Yogurt, Banana, Granola, Vanilla, Sugar or I have made some other crazy things like crazy and sometimes with hostess type cupcakes.

If you see the chips that I sent picture, buy them they are some of the best chips here.

I don’t have any more time but thank you for all that you do and I will have another week that doesn’t feel like a day here in the mission. Be safe and don’t get any weird ideas. Tell Madi good luck in basketball and to do her homework. Also tell every one that sent the letters thank you, I have read them all. Tell grandma thanks for her email. And thanks for all you guys go as my parents. 

Week 22 Santa Ana

What was the spiritual experience of the week?  I think it was when we put a baptismal date with hno R. It was powerful and we feel like he will be a bishop or something some day because wow, wow. That’s all I can say. He understands very quickly and has a desire to learn and follow the Savior. Also it helps that he is now married to a member.

 What did you do for p-day?  We went to the downtown San Pedro with the 2 counselors of the bishop. One of them is about 22 he married a year ago. He is a return missionary, and his wife lives in North Logan. The other lives here.   It was really fun rolling down the road in the jeep that he had. We ate at Costas Burgers and the burger was amazing. Wow it had a really good flavor.  If you see one in Tegucigalpa I would suggest that you try the big double burger. I also bought me a blender.  The blender cost 750 lempiras. I was thinking about the magic bullet aluminum but it was 2500 and I said no.

How was the interview with the President? It was really good. And the president commented about one of my letters and it was interesting. We can’t pray and ask for an attribute but we can pray and ask for trials and challenges to develop and attribute.

Did you do any service this week?  No nothing very big we helped a lady carry corn down some steps and that was about it. We were returning from San Pedro. 

Do you ever see the bus terminal? Is it near your area?  Yes I was in the bus terminal on the 28, but it is outside my area. 

Did the baptism that was scheduled happen?  No we rescheduled for the 14 we have two solid investigators for this date. Hno R. and Hno S. Hno R married a member last week but we were teaching him before he got married and they were already making plans to be sealed in the temple. 

Your companion seems fun.  Yes my companion is really fun.  Do you think your comp will be transferred this next transfer?  I think my comp will be transferred in the next transfer.  Transfers are on the 18th of February. 

Tell us a funny experience from this week? My companion had Chickengunya and we went to a hospital in San Pedro near the oficinas to take his blood and see what he had. We rode with president after the interviews to the offices and then we went to the hospital. President likes to drive very fast, like insanely fast. There are 3 stages to this chickengunya:  1^st the fever.  2^nd the pain in the bones and muscles and 3^rd is the allergic reaction with the skin.  My Companion had all the pain in the legs and feet he was walking like a penguin and really slow. We were told by the nurse that he should rest a day, so we sat in the house one day but we still went to 2 lessons that we had and they were really good with S. and R.  My companion is feeling better; right now he has a rash on his arms and even his fingers.  How long is it supposed to last, about a week or more but it didn’t hit him that bad.  How do they treat it?  You can take acetaminophen.  Make sure you wear mosquito repellent so you don’t get this.

Did you get any letters?  Yes I got the package that grandma sent me with a letter or two in it, l also received a dear elder from mom.

Has it started to warm up down there?  Yes some days it has been really hot, but is will get twice as hot and I will be dying of heat.