THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CALLING

As a senior couple serving a mission we find that our duties are so diverse that we don't have time to get bored.  We do so many things.  This week in addition to the normal hours of financial reports, delivery of supplies throughout the entire mission, the mail runs, recording of all the baptismal records, office staff meetings, and everything else we do, we found the time to do a bit more. 

BABY SHOWER



We still try to get out and do a little bit of the regular friendshipping that the young missionaries do.  These are our neighbors, Eric and Naty.  They are expecting their first baby in February and they invited us to attend their baby shower.  We had such a pleasant time with them.  They are both from Peru but have made Honduras their home for several years.

 

MISSIONARY SUPPORT.

These two sweet sisters missionaries, Sisters Jimenez and Tercero, were robbed this week and it left them feeling nervous as you could imagine.  So, we traveled to Puerto Cortez to spend a morning with them, give them a priesthood blessing, change the locks on their gate, and just try to help them feel safe again.

 

SAYING GOODBYE

The missionaries come and go so quickly.  We are now saying goodbye to missionaries that arrived after we did.  Sister Abrica from Santa Rosa, California was the latest to leave.  When the missions divided last June we lost many of the missionaries we had loved.  About the only time we get to see them now is when they come into the office to leave.  It is kind of sad.

 

VISITING THE BRANCHES OF THE CHURCH

We typically attend a different ward or branch every Sunday.  This week we traveled together with President and Sister Dester to Nuevo Ocotopeque on the very far outskirts of our mission.  This is the furthest area away from the mission headquarters.  There we met with sixty-four awesome Latter-day Saints.  We had both been asked to speak.  Our sweet children, Alan and Danielle, had sent us 30 "Choose the Right" rings (Spanish versions) for Christmas.  LaRae went into the Primary and youth Sunday School classes to give them each a little ring.  It brought such excitement.  She had parents running all around looking for her because their child arrived late and they wanted a ring. 

After church we just waited for President Dester to finish up his interviews with the missionaries and with a few people from the branch.  While waiting LaRae and Sister Dester were surrounded by the little children.  It was cute.  Even though Sister Dester can't yet speak much Spanish, the little ones feel comfortable with her.  Love is its own special kind of language.

INSPECTING MISSIONARY HOMES

 

We still get out and do a few home inspections.  They range from pretty dang clean to the absolutely embarrassing.  It's pretty rare that we don't require the change of something: for example, defrost a fridge, take the tape off of the walls, clean the toilet, do the dishes  etc. We also check for needs such as a new mattress, stove, fan, etc.

 

HEALTH ISSUES ARE CONSTANTLY PRESENT

 

LaRae and I really don't do a lot with health issues, but the missionaries like to use us as a sounding board.  Here Elder Vasquez had an ingrown toenail removed.  He was bravely trying to wear his normal shoes, but they were killing him.  LaRae told him to wear his sandals until the toe was healed.  Sometimes age offers a little bit of common sense as well as wisdom.  We have so many health issues in the mission.  They range from rabies shots (honestly!), ingrown toenails, dengue fever, sunburn, athletes foot, regular flu and much more.

 

GENERAL AUTHORITY CONFERENCE WITH ALL OF THE MISSIONARIES

 

This last Thursday we had the opportunity to have Elder Adrian Ochoa of the Seventy and Elder Ullises Soares from the Seven Presidents of the Seventy with us.  Both the West and the East Missions were invited and we had over 300 missionaries there.  Some couldn't come because of the distance and the difficulty of returning home so late at  night.  It was a spiritual feast for us all.  Elder O'Campo, our Area Seventy, conducted the meeting.  Testimonies were born by both the Desters and the Kleins (the East Mission president and wife) and then by both of the wives of these two general authorities.  The theme of the meeting was obedience!  Elder Soares told us that he was impressed that there was a great need in these two missions for an improvement in the area of our obedience, dedication and focus upon the work. 

Wayne tried to take a couple pictures of the group.  These are the only two pictures he was able to sneak before he was asked to not take pictures in the chapel.  Maybe if you are lucky you will be able to spot your child here. 

 

 

 

Three hundred!  Just as the Spartans who famously held off the onrushing Babylonian hordes, this little group of 300 daily stand toe to toe against the evil of this world.  They do a great job and it is a pleasure to associate with them. 

SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS.

San Pedro Sula really isn't very large.  We thought you might be interested in seeing where some of the major places we frequent are located.

Bus terminal

This picture is looking due north towards Merendon and Villanueva.  The bus terminal is the main hub of action for this city.  Literally hundreds of buses come and go from there every day.  It is the mail delivery system of this country. We put letters and packages on the buses and the missionaries pick them up at the local bus stop in their cities.
    The Catholic cathedral pictured here is the second largest one in the city.  Directly in front of it is what is called the statue of the mother.  It creates a roundabout for traffic.  Junior's grocery store is probably the second best grocery store in town.  We shop here occasionally.  The pyramid looking building is Banco Occidental.  Wayne does quite a bit of business there.  Directly behind it is the Intercontinental Hotel and a little mall.  The City Mall is beautiful.  It has just about every American brand name I can think of: Cinnabuns, Victoria Secret, Jareds, Florsheim Shoes, and just about every fast food place you can name, etc.  And then there is our office.  It is actually a Ford dealership.  Our office is on the third floor.  The San Pedro Sula East Mission office shares a reception area with our mission office.

Main Catholic Cathedral at city center

This picture is looking due west.  This picture shows the absolute dead center of town.  The Catholic Cathedral shown here is very large - a full city block.  This pictures shows it from the back.  Spanish culture always places the cathedral at the very center of town. Just to the right of the cathedral is the town plaza.  At one time it was probably a very beautiful place, but it is not kept up very well.  The Boulevard Morazán is what we would call Center Street in Utah. It is a very congested two lane road that runs east and west through the city. Both to the north and the south of this central boulevard the streets begin to number up from one.  Often banks are the largest buildings in town as is shown by the size of the main Banco Atlántida office building.  Every transaction involving money must be done inside of a bank.  Often - very often - the waiting line to enter a bank will be a hundred or more people.  We spend a lot of time waiting in bank lines.

This picture is looking south towards Fesitranh. The main road on the left is the road towards the bus terminal.  The other main road to the right is the Circunvalacion. (The belt way road that goes around San Pedro sula like a ring).  Our office is just barely outside of this picture to the left.  The white tower in the background is the Panarama tower where President and Sister Dester live.  Our house is in the trees just to the right of President Dester's tower.  It takes us about 15 minutes to drive to work.  It is about 6 miles - but only about two as the crow flies. 
    This is the city where we have lived and worked now for nearly a year and a half.  We have come to know its meandering streets quite well.  We know the areas to avoid and the areas that are relatively safer.  In just a couple of hours yesterday we drove nearly every single road shown in the pictures above to go to the post office, drop off some name tags, carry some papers to the Benque Stake Center where a zone leaders council was being held, pick up some office supplies, drop off a package at the bus terminal and more.  However, we spend the majority of our time right here in good old Bosque Real - our home away from home.  Our house is the one you see just to the left of the club house.  It is a wonderful place to live.  We need to take advantage of the pool more than we do, but by the time we get home from the office and cook some dinner we are usually too tired to swim.  Oh well, such is our life and our city - San Pedro Sula.

THE FUTURE OF HONDURAS IS BRIGHT

There are so many reasons to wring your hands and to say all is lost. The world is, obviously, going to the birds and most here in Honduras feel the same way about their country.  Crime, poverty, the destruction of the family and a hundred other factors sometimes blind us to the reasons for optimism we should have.  Several times since we arrived here we have read newspaper articles that tell us that San Pedro Sula is the murder capital of the world.  We should be terrified, but we are not.  Just take a minute with us and let us mention a few of the reasons we have for believing the future of Honduras is bright.

 

THE CHILDREN:

 

 

Their faces shine with joy! Each is a living testimony that love still exists in the world.  And so does hope!  These children come with divine potential.  In our opinion, as long as there are children there is a reason to be optimistic about the future.  Here in Honduras our LDS primary classes are full of laughter and smiles and song.  They sing with radiant happiness and a certain God-given knowledge that they are a "Child of God."  They don't doubt for a second that He will "lead them, guide them and walk beside them." In 20 years they will be mothers and fathers themselves.  They will have been raised with a solid foundation of truth.  They will not be blind to the evils of the world, but they won´t be participants in them either.   The future is bright.

 

 

Four LDS young lady wearing their Young Women's medallions and a recommend for the temple dedication

 

2. WILLINGNESS TO WORK

 

The people of Honduras feel that eight hours is a good start!  Many of them work twelve hours each day - often in strenuous, physical labor.  They work for pennies, but they never  miss a day of work.  They view work as a blessing, and if they are among the lucky ones who have a job they never fail to offer up their thanks to God for it. 

 

 

Day after day men and women are at their posts.  Even those who beg for a living never miss a day.  This fellow has been a familiar fixture for us here in San Pedro Sula.  He walks up and down through traffic in hopes for a penny or two.  Even on days when no one else is working we will see him.  Every time we offer him a tiny token he returns the favor with a cheerful "May God bless you."  We think God has blessed us to get to know these people and to witness their willingness to work.  The future of Honduras is bright.

3. THE GROWTH AND SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL 

 

Everywhere you look you see evidence that the gospel is rolling forth to fill this land.  Just last week the Fesitranh Stake was divided - the first stake division in fifteen years.  In March the first temple in this country was dedicated and the people are sacrificing of their time and means to frequent it.

 

This is the Leon family from Copan Ruinas.  They were the very first people baptized in that tiny little city.  Their daughter, Rosa, was set apart as a missionary this week by President Dester.  We were told that she is the first missionary to ever leave from that branch of the Church.  Their story of faith is so impressive.  While talking with him he explained that they had to walk 90 minutes to church every week, but that they are always there.  I exclaimed, "Ninety minutes!"  He calmly said, "It only takes 40 minutes on the way home because it is all downhill."  With people that have that kind of faith, the future of Honduras is bright.

4. THE AVERAGE MAN.

Honduras is home to drug cartels which traffic billions of dollars of illegal drugs throughout the world.  There are two rival gangs - both known by numbers: 18 and 13 - which cause certain areas of our city and this county to be terribly dangerous.  But, the average person here in Honduras is kind, a little bit shy, and quick with a smile and a warm hello.  Given the chance, they will open their hearts and their homes to people who are complete strangers. 

The Paulino family and the Rodriguez family from El Carmen

We have been welcomed and loved by these people.  They would do the same for anyone who came to their door bearing them no ill will.  More than any other reason, we believe the future of Honduras is bright because we believe in the overall goodness of their people.  The truth is that we will never fully recognize all the problems that exist in Honduras nor be able to express all of the reasons there are for optimism.  But, we believe in these people, and we believe that Heavenly Father has a special role for them to play in the unfolding of future events.  It has been an honor to be here.