BIRTH... FAMILY... DEATH. THREE SEGMENTS OF MISSIONARY LIFE

A thousand toothless smiles have brightened our day

 

These little ones come to earth so pure and innocent.  They learn from every element of their environment.  If they are raised with love, they learn to love.  If they are raised with compliments and encouragement, they learn to believe in themselves.  If they are taught in their childhood of the Lord and His goodness, they will grow up trusting Him, serving Him and loving Him.
   These are the lucky ones here in Honduras.  These are some of the very few that have been born into families where the gospel is present.  Some proudly boast of being born "in the covenant."  These are the lucky ones. 


  The Primary classes in some of the wards down here literally burst at the seams with little ones.  From the time they learn to walk they will proudly carry their Bible or Book of Mormon with them.  Heads held high!  Happy, safe, wanted, secure in the knowledge that this is a wonderful world and that it is going to treat them fairly and well.  The songs of Zion ring from the classrooms. 
    They are the future of the Church here in Honduras.  They will grow up not knowing anything else.  The Church has been here for 34 years now and is growing fast.  Somewhere around 1000 people are baptized every month in Honduras.  There are now four missions and numerous stakes and wards.  In another 20 years they will be the leaders of an entire nation.  They will be entrenched in the truth.  They will be deeply embedded in gospel principles.  These are the future, and they are incredibly beautiful.  I love to take pictures of them.  They remind me of the 17 grandchildren we have back home.  These little ones can't replace those who are our own, but ... they help ease the pain.







Missionaries use unusual lingo.  A missionary's first area is known as the place of their "birth."  They will forever call their first companion "Dad" or "Mom."  If there are two or more new missionaries in the same zone they are called "cousins."  Once a missionary who was "born" to a companion becomes a "father" himself, the original training missionary now calls himself a "Grandpa or Grandma."  Not too long after that it will be time to leave for home.  That moment is called your "death."  So, someone might say, "I was born in Fesitranh; my son is now a district leader in Copan; and it looks like I am going to die in Choloma."



Elder Skousen leaves us

Sister Quib, LaRae, Sister Dester, Sister Zelada

This week 23 new missionaries were "born" into our mission.  They are a bright, happy, excited group.  They come representing Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala,  Mexico,  Panama, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and four or five different states in the United States.  We also had a couple of missionaries "die".  Elder Skousen had served for months as a zone leader and was one of the most faithful missionaries we have known.  Sister Quib was a quiet little woman from Guatemala who came here speaking only the K'iche' or Quiche' language, an old Mayan dialect, and had to learn Spanish once she arrived here.  Her very own cousin actually arrived the very day before she left and has the same challenge.

They're tired!  But, they are here!

The transfer meetings have changed.  There is no shouting or hooting anymore.  It is a reverent, sacred moment where assignments are changed and commitments are made.  These meetings feel different for some of us than for others.  For those of us who serve in the office it is the end of a very long and tiresome two weeks of work.  For this transfer meeting we rented nine new homes and traveled for two full days to furnish them.  We rode over every pothole of the road between San Pedro Sula and Santa Rosa (four hours).  We have loaded and unloaded trucks, arranged for contracts on the houses, created presentations for training sessions and more.  We have driven back and forth to the airport on Monday, twice on Tuesday, Wednesday and again on Thursday.  President Dester and his two Assistants have barricaded themselves in his office for several full days just to decide where each missionary should be placed.  There isn't a one of us that isn't exhausted.  The other missionaries, however, are full of joy!  A great surprise awaits them.  Some are very saddened by the news that they will leave their companion; others couldn't be happier.  New friends are made that will last a lifetime.

 

In so many ways this mission is a metaphor for our life here on earth.  We arrive from another place with partially developed talents and abilities.  We come into this "new home" with limited knowledge of what it will be like.  We start out nervous.  All seems so very new.  Some are better prepared to succeed here than are others because of what they had accomplished in their "previous life."  Work is done, friendships and relationships are made.  Those with whom we had become so close "die" and leave us. Then the day comes when we must leave this "life" and move on to another.  It will resemble our "previous life" but it will be very different because all the successes and failures that we encountered here have shaped us into something different. Our next home will be different because we are different!  Our next life will be better because we are better for having served as a missionary. 

    Birth... family... death!  The three segments of life as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

  

 

We feel some of the same pains felt by the young missionaries.  We, too, draw close to those with whom we work.  This week our dear little Elder Rangel left us to go back out into the mission field.  He has served so faithfully as the immigration secretary for eight long months.  His quirky little ways often made us laugh.  He would walk into my office every other day or so asking for money to satisfy another government requirement placed upon us.  Usually, he would do it exactly as it is pictured above.  So long, Elder Rangel, nuestro amigo!  Que le vaya bien. 

THE FIVE MOST POWERFUL INFLUENCES ON THIS NATION

We are all influenced by a variety of forces every day of our lives.  There is nowhere to hide from them.  Some things influence us for good, others for bad.  Some things tend to make us happy while others drain from us our joy.  Honduras is no different.  We thought we would list what we feel are the five most powerful influences upon this nation.  We have put them in order of their significance.

#1.  THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

You see the influence of the Catholic Church everywhere in Honduras.  Every city has a Catholic cathedral and they are typically located at that city's very heart. They are more a symbol than a place of worship as only rarely are they open and most of its parishioners only attend a few times during a year.  However, the influence of the Catholic Church cannot be overestimated.  Nearly all of the people we have met here in the last fifteen months have taken their core values from what they learned from the Catholic Church.  The largest university in San Pedro Sula is the Catholic University.  The cross is worn by many, and they can be seen hanging from the walls of nearly all homes.  Upon offering our message to these people, the first objection we hear is "I'm a Catholic."  That objection is typically followed by, "I was born a Catholic, and I'll die a Catholic.  My father was a Catholic, me grandfather and great grandfather was a Catholic."  They know little of Catholic doctrine and make no pretense of proclaiming that the Catholic Church is true.  They only cling to it as the foundation of their lives.  Without a doubt, the single greatest influence upon the nation of Honduras is the Catholic Church.

#2.  POVERTY

Poverty is felt in every part of Honduras.  The poor do whatever they can do to try to make enough money to feed their family that day.  Horse drawn carts are common and share the roads with the cars.  Everywhere you look you can see men and women making their living by selling a hot dog, or standing all day long in the middle of the road with a handful of socks in their hands in hopes of making one sale. We are fully aware that there are places in the world where the poverty exceeds that experienced in Honduras, but it influences this nation every day.  When the belly isn't full it is hard to tell people that they should take a day off work to honor the Sabbath.  Every day men and boys head out into the forests to chop and carry out wood for the fires that will cook up their daily food, and the fires need tending every day.  People who don't have a penny to spare find it difficult to take a bus ride into town to go to church.  Poverty is, in our opinion, the second most powerful influence on this nation.

3.  LACK OF EDUCATION.

Little boys who ought to be in school sit by the sides of roads hoping to beg a penny or two.  They hold in their hands the rewards of their day's labors.  Without a trade or education to lift them from this cycle, they will stay in this pattern for the rest of their lives.  Adults sit all day in the shade of their front porch, occasionally talking to a neighbor that passes by, but often just doing nothing.  Finding a cool spot to rest from the heat seems to be the objective.  Minds go untrained.  Potential is untapped.  Education is offered to all in this land, but often just the cost of the required uniform causes many from continuing past the first few years.  The wonderful pastime of just sitting back and reading a book is all but non-existent in this land.  Finding a book store is difficult.  We have never seen a public library.  The lack of education makes it difficult for people to read the materials we leave at their doors.  This has influenced the entire nation of Honduras and will continue to do so for years to come.

4. A BASIC KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS OF THE PEOPLE

It might be nothing more than a reflection of those influences listed above, but the people of Honduras are just nice people.  You can strike up a conversation with anyone.  From the security guards that stand all day long in the blazing sun to those more highly educated people who work in the downtown offices, they meet you with a smile.  They don't have a lot, but they will always offer a bite to eat or a drink.  They have time for us.
   Now, there is an exception to this rule.  When one from Honduras gets behind the wheel of a car, they change!  They become aggressive and angry.  However, they normally are not this way.  Little children will gather around us as we walk down the streets.  Smiles and "inside jokes" about the old gringos and their lousy Spanish cause spontaneous bursts of laughter.  Normally they are a little bit shy.  We love these people.  Their nature is to be good.  They enjoy life.  Those of us who are privileged enough to spend some time with them come to appreciate them for their goodness and kindness.  Their nature to be such has a huge influence on this land.

#5. THE FRIGHTFUL WICKEDNESS OF SOME

 Many walls are covered with graffiti, but this message, we thought, was particularly insightful.  It says "La maldad nunca fue felicidad."  (Wickedness never was happiness)  While almost all Hondurans are kind and gentle, there are a few that cause all the rest to live in a constant state of fear.  People barricade themselves behind huge walls of wire and cement in hopes of avoiding the inevitable robberies (or worse) that would occur if they didn't do so.  Windows are barred to prevent unlawful entry. It truly is a shame.  The government vows to clean up the cities, but everyone with whom we speak say that it "just wasn't this way ten years ago."  They, too, long for the days when they used to be able to walk the streets at night in safety and comfort.  Certainly, the frightful wickedness of the few has had a major impact on this nation.

Finally, there is one more influence that is filling this land.  It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  One out of every 52 Hondurans is a member of the Church today. (1.84%)  That number is small, but it is rolling forth.  We are grateful to be a part of this influence.  In time, hopefully not too long of a time, this final influence will overcome the other influences that affect this people.  Education will improve, people will not be afraid of their neighbors, false traditions will fall by the wayside, and all that will remain of the former will be the goodness and kindness of the people.  This "desert" will someday fully blossom as a rose.  We are glad to be a part of the harvest.

I LOVE MY COMPANION

When I met LaRae I had very little to offer.  I was young, inexperienced, uneducated and still had three and one-half years of a four-year US Army commitment left before I could even start my college education.  The war in Vietnam had reached its apex and there was an uncertainty in the air.  I was just over a year returned from my LDS mission to Chile and in the middle of a year long language training program at the Presidio of Monterey, California. LaRae was home for the summer from BYU.  We were from completely different states and status.  However, we both went to church.  That is where we met.  And it has been our common feelings about the Church and the gospel that have bound us together for the past many years.  In the truest sense of the word, she is my companion. This week she celebrated her birthday.

As you can tell from the candles, LaRae turned the big 6-0.  She has never worried much about her age.  She takes it all in stride, just like she does with any "challenge."  Little things like age, location and wealth aren't the things that matter most to her.  She focuses her energies on family, faith and friends.  The rest can take care of itself.
    She has never been one that demanded pricey gifts.  A dandelion picked by a child would brighten her day.  She loves all things that are beautiful.  Before coming here to Honduras she would spend hours and hours in our yard planting and cultivating her flowers. More than going to a movie, she enjoyed just sitting on the back deck and gazing out over the beauty that she had helped to create.  When a coven of quail decided to take up there abode in our backyard, she would marvel at them each time they trotted across the yard to feed upon the birdseed she had left for them.  Very simple things bring my companion great joy.  Happy birthday, sweetheart!  I'm glad you are my companion.

After talking with our son this week we found out that you could plant pineapple by just placing the top in the ground.  So, we decided to give it a try.  The pineapple down here is delicious and if we can grow one it will even make it sweeter.

Zone conferences were held this week.  President and Sister Dester, along with our Assistants to the President, Elders Hebert and Polendo, were kept quite busy.  The message they taught was one of the importance of obedience.  Obedience really does bring down the blessings of heaven.  The vast majority of these young men and women follow the rules with exactness.  They are down here serving for the right reasons.  Wayne made a powerpoint presentation about houses and the problems we encounter.  The missionaries got a good laugh at the weird things we have seen.
   Zone conferences provide the missionaries a chance to see old friends, get re-energized and even to get the occasional toe problem fixed.  Sister Tolliver, our mission nurse, always has her hands full at these functions.  Health concerns are a real issue.  With 150 missionaries - and growing fast - there seems to always be someone who is sick. 
 

We are always receiving supplies.  Sometimes they take longer to arrive than we would like, but eventually they get here.  114 boxes of Book of Mormon, pamphlets, Bibles and more.  Hauling them around from place to place is about all the exercise we get.  It has now been six weeks since the San Pedro Sula Mission split into two.  It has taken us that long to get the new mission up and running efficiently.  There were just so many things that had to be done.  We have made a half dozen trips to Office Depot for supplies.  We have had to obtain a new post office box, get new letter head, set up new bank accounts and new checks, create a new mission seal for official documents, replace all of the old contacts in our email account and much more.  It has been a busy month.  Time has flown by. 
    What a privilege it is to serve! Everyday another opportunity.  We can hardly wait to find out what next week will bring.

RANDOMNESS

"And who is grateful that they decided to serve this mission?"

LaRae gives hug to Sister McCuiston

Such was the question asked by President Dester at a special sister missionary training meeting held this week.  Twenty-four young ladies from throughout the USA and Central America spontaneously shot their hands towards the sky.  Their service is one wrought because of their love for the Savior not from peer pressure or perceived duty.  Daily they trudge through the same heat and dust as the young men, but they also face unique challenges unknown to their male counterparts.  Nevertheless, they love the opportunity and are grateful for the decision they made to serve.  There is a real sisterhood amongst them. "Abrasos," or hugs, are offered each time they meet, but that is common to this culture.  These greetings are freely given to even complete strangers meeting for the first time.  A quick hug, a cheek-to-cheek kiss, and then you've said "hello."

Elders Gardner and Breshears

Missionary work is a team sport!  Just as the Savior adjoined his disciples to go out into the world two-by-two, we do the same today.  President and Sister Dester are standing side-by-side in this work.  Young men and women are assigned companions.  Often they have never met when they are assigned to be companions, but very quickly they forge friendships that will last a lifetime.  For three to six months they will work together to accomplish a common goal.  They will pray together; they will fast together.  They will walk together through the wild rainstorms of Honduras.  They will wake up five minutes early just to surprise the other one by having already shined his shoes for the day.  They will rejoice in the other's success and weep together with him or her when someone rejects their message.  For the rest of their lives they will tell stories about the good old days spent with their companions.  You will never feel alone as a missionary.

Becoming acquainted with the customs and culture of another land is a vital part of missionary service.  I learned that this week.  Seeing all of these shoes hanging from the wires that crossed over the streets of La Union, a little suburb of San Pedro Sula, I decided to stop and take a picture.  As I focused in on the scene a lady rounded the corner in front of me.  I said, "How funny!"  She answered, "It's not funny at all.  Each pair of those shoes belonged to a young man who lost his life in this neighborhood." I apologized for my lack of understanding, and quickly added that I now shared with her in her sorrow.  Each land, even each separate part of the land, has their way.  We come to this land as invited guests.  One of the greatest blessings that come into the lives of missionaries is the privilege to become aware of these cultural diversities.  You can tell how mature a missionary is by the way he/she learns to celebrate the diversity rather than criticize or mock it.  Honduras is a wonderful land; these are precious people.  We share the common heritage of all - we are all sons and daughters of God.  Experiencing the richness and color of new cultures has been a blessing to us.

Elder Peraza

This week has included a leadership conference, a sister-training meeting, home inspections, the normal delivery of packages and letters throughout the mission, meetings with people who are seeking employment, seeking for and recording the names of those who have been baptized, a myriad of financial challenges, helping a lady fill-out some USA social-security papers because she couldn't read the English forms, driving to some obscure, out of the way pueblo to get a police report of the accident one of the missionaries had, trying to rent nine new homes for  missionaries who will arrive in two weeks, giving last-minute financial advice to missionaries who left for home, countless trips to the bank, store and the office, and dinner and games with two amazing mission presidents and their wives. We are busy and happy! It is a great work.
   Perhaps, nothing quite expresses the real story of missionary work like the story of Elder Peraza.  This fine young man came into the mission field with a shattered leg.  Bones that had been patched together by metal rods were protected by having him walk with the aid of crutches.  Up and down the dusty streets of Trincheras he traveled, hopping on one foot the whole time.  He never lagged behind, and he never complained.  When it was learned that his leg wasn't healing properly and had to again be surgically repaired, he begged to stay!  Despite the pain that he suffered, he wanted to continue in the work.  His story, and countless others just like him, are the real story of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  A fire to share our message burns within the hearts of these young men and women.  And it also burns within ours.  This Church is true!