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!