BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CHANGES

On Wednesday, February 20, 2013, President Veirs announced to all 234 missionaries of the San Pedro Sula, Honduras mission that our mission was going to be split at the end of June.  There had been rumors floating around the mission for a couple of weeks, and we had known for a few days because an architect had come into the office to make of study of how our office space could be divided to accommodate two separate missions.  But, it was a wonderful surprise for all.

The new missions will be called the San Pedro Sula East Mission and the San Pedro Sula West Mission.  He also announced that Kristin and Norman S. Klein from Highland, Utah will be presiding over the East mission. No announcement was made about the new president of the West mission.  President Veirs quipped, "Yes, that goes to show you that it is going to take two men to replace me."  The missionaries got a kick out of that. Of course, an immediate buzz began to spread through the missionaries as they realized that this announcement meant some of them would be split from their friends.  This change was made necessary because of the huge growth in the numbers of young men and women who were applying to serve missions.  In all, fifty-eight new missions are being created to keep pace with the new missionaries.  Welcome, President and Sister Klein, we wish you well in your new opportunity.

That announcement was not the only big surprise of the day.  Wayne was given the microphone and spent nearly an hour explaining the new policy of money in the mission.  He has poured through every financial report that was received during the year 2012 and realized that there was a huge amount of money being wasted each month. Missionaries had come to believe two false ideas: (1) that the Church will always give you more money if you say you need it, and (2) that there is no need to plan ahead or to sacrifice because if you need more money, rule #1 kicks into place.  Beginning March 1, 2013 these young men and women will have to learn to sacrifice, be thrifty, use a budget and plan ahead.  The other secretaries in the office call Wayne the "secretary of fear" but his penny-pinching approach is beginning to rub off on them too.  LaRae said that as he spoke she could see many in the congregation nodding their heads in approval.  This is a change that was long overdue and was much needed.

Of course, each transfer meeting always brings change. This time we had to say "goodbye" to Elder Carlos Omar Garcia from Quetzaltenango, Guatamala who was transferred out of the office.  He has been the glue that has held us together for the past two months and every one of us shudder just a little bit to realize that he won't be there anymore to answer every question we have. We both have grown to love this happy, dedicated young missionary. And, of course, there was also the arrival of new missionaries.  This time we received 23 "newbies" and only had three missionaries that left for home.

Each time new missionaries come we have to train them and give them a little bit of insight into what is going to happen to them over the next 24 months of their lives.  They come from all over the USA, Mexico and all of Central America.  Most of them already are native in Spanish, but about one-third of them come from the USA only having spent six weeks in language training.  The miraculous power of the Lord is seen in the rapidity of their growth and understanding.  They come with such energy and excitement. Very soon they will be fearless and bold in declaring to the world the things that they have come to know are true.  We are doing the same thing.  We are sharing a message with the world.  We are declaring that God has again spoken to the earth through a prophet, and that He is manifesting his will to the people of this time period just as He did in the days of old.  You, too, can know this is true if you will humbly bow your head and ask your Heavenly Father in prayer.  He will answer your prayer, just like He answered ours.

Well, this pretty much sums up our life right now.  We are doing very little out among the people.  We miss that part of the mission very badly, but we are doing what we have been called to do.  We spend 10 hours per day in the office typing and trying to solve the day-to-day problems of the missionaries.  Eventually, we hope to become quicker at what we do so that we will be able to spend more time with the people.

WHAT WOULD PROPHETS SAY ABOUT HONDURAS?

"All things denote there is a God."  (Alma 30:44)  Honduras is such a beautiful country.  Its startling greenery; its cool, clear waters that flow down its many rivers; the beauty of its people.  All these things, and any more, prove to us that there is a God.  This week we have noticed that there are also many things that point to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  (For those reading this blog that may not know, the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, written upon plates of gold by prophets who lived on the American Continent.  If you want to know more, ask the missionaries!)  If the ancient American prophets were to roam the streets of San Pedro Sula today, what would they see, and what would they write?

(The Holy Stand of the "God is Good" Church)

"For they had a place built up in the center of the synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head....  Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted is the holy stand.  Now from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God."  (Alma 31: 13, 20-21)

(Empty prison cells that now sits rusting away in San Pedro Sula)

"And it came to pass that [they] did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for [they] did have many wives and concubines... and they did build many prisons."  (Ether 10:5-6)

(Daily newspaper.  13 out of the last 14 days have been headlined with murder)

"The whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed." (Mormon 8:8)

"And they were lost in the wilderness many days, yet they were diligent, and found ... a land which was covered... with ruins of buildings of every kind." (Mosiah 8:8)

"One limpera, one limpera." (5 cents)

"And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble." (Helaman 6:39)  "Perhaps thou shalt say: the man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just.  But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.  For behold, are we not all beggars?  Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have... I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor."  (Mosiah 4:17-19, 26)  The city of San Pedro Sula is literally full of sick, crippled and impoverished men, women and children.  It breaks our hearts on a daily basis.  

(Tatiana and Melvin Rapalo)

"And they cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou has spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2) We had this exact experience with this wonderful father as he set his baptismal date for February 23, 2013.

(Elder Garcia, Elder Cannon, Elder Rangel and Elder Mackay)

"And it came to pass that... he waxed old, and he saw that he must very soon go the way of all the earth." (Mosiah 1:9)  LaRae and the Elders threw me a surprise party, with 100 pink balloon, streamers everywhere and a birthday cake, and a wonderful rendition of "Happy Birthday to you" sung in English.

"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ." (Moroni 10:18)  The Valladares family has adopted us as their own and provided us with a delicious dinner, their love and these - very unexpected - running shoes.  "And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy... and impart [not] of your substance... your prayer is vain, and it availeth you nothing." (Alma 34:28)

Each day we awaken with the goal of doing our best to help the Lord in His work.  We live in perilous times and in a perilous place, but we have learned that the Lord keeps His promises.  He said, "I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand, and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."  (D&C 84:88)  We are so grateful to be missionaries.

NEW FACES

Every six weeks a new group of missionaries arrives to replace those who are leaving.  However, because of the huge influx of new missionaries having applied to serve missions throughout the world our mission is receiving more missionaries than are leaving.  During the month of February we will receive 36 and only have 5 leave.  Soon we will have 250 young men and women - and us two old ones - serving in San Pedro Sula - the most dangerous city in the world.  This week we received nine new ones.

From left: Elders Parada, Jordan, Valdez, Hernandez and Tax

These five young Latin American missionaries come with such hope and excitement.  Some like Elder Tax come from a family where every person in the family is a member.  Others like Elder Jordan were basically raised on the streets of Nicaragua alone.  His father was murdered when Elder Jordan was just a child and his mother died of cancer when he was twelve.  He just survived on the streets since then.  Somehow he found a "family" in being a member of the church.  Because they are native Spanish speakers they aren't nervous or afraid.

Elder Shuga and Elder Stewart

Sister Bayles and Sister Carpenter

Elder Shuga, from Arizona, and Elder Stewart, from Draper, Utah, are a different story. Neither had spoken Spanish before coming here and so for a few months they will always feel lost.  Elder Shuga's story is similar to so many of the young missionaries of these days. He is the only member of the Church in his family.  He got interested in the church through a girl friend but refused to join it just for her.  After she left to attend BYU he studied, prayed and found that personal witness of the church that he needed.  He has only been a member a very short time.  Elder Stewart is a long-time member from a solid background.  They will both be great missionaries.
Sister Bayles and Sister Carpenter are our two new sister missionaries. Sister Bayles is from Nevada and Sister Carpenter is from Wyoming.  They both arrive with energy and wisdom.  They represent two of the last group of young women who needed to wait until they were twenty-one years old to serve a mission.  Those who will be coming later in February are those who were able to apply for missionary service at the age of nineteen.

Upon arriving to San Pedro Sula the new missionaries are rushed through a full day of instruction and training. LaRae will teach them about the postal service and what we call the "ruta." It is a little supply store of teaching materials that she operates.  Wayne will teach them about their money.  Right now they receive $195.00 per month. It's actually interesting to note that most of them, or their parents, will pay $400 per month for them to be in the field. They are actually supporting themselves and another at the same time.  It truly is a testimony of their desire to bless the world.  The other secretaries and assistants to the President will train them in other very specific rules. For example: when robbed, don't resist.  Give all that you have and then walk quickly away.  Never ride in the back of a pick-up truck.  Remember to take your anti-parasite pills. etc.

Then their new companions come to town to whisk them away to parts unknown.  The "old guys" are excited, the new ones are nervous.  A few words of encouragement from President Veirs and they are on their way!  Today, three left for home and nine new ones came.  It is a continuous cycle.  The wisdom and experience of the "old guys" gets passed on to the new ones who very soon will train an even newer generation. Each group does their best to serve a little bit better than those that came before them.  The missionary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does more to bless the world than people can comprehend.  It spreads the message of hope across the world.  It changes lives every day.  And certainly, the ones who are changed and strengthened most are those who come from so far, leave their families and friends, sacrifice their time, their money and their talents - yes, the missionaries!  We are so grateful to be a part of them at this time in our lives.

(Elder Tax, Elder Cannon, Elder Chen)

These missionaries come in all shapes and sizes, but they love the Lord, each other and those they serve.

A LIGHT THAT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS

In this little part of the world houses of tin crowd together in what are called "bordos."  The English word for that is "slums."  Cement walls, now moldy from the winter's rains will soon crack from the summer's heat.  Floors of cement are worn smooth by the traffic of little feet that are often kept indoors all day and night because of the lack of safety in the streets.  There are no backyards filled with swing sets and sandboxes.  Soccer is played in any little spot where it might be flat enough to kick a ball around.  Rutted roads of mud soon turn to dusty pathways as the rains end.  Few streets are paved after you leave the central corridor that runs through each tiny pueblo.  But amid all this the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-day Saints has erected chapels that shine as a light in the darkness. Hundreds of thousands of dollars given freely by the faithful saints throughout the world are spent to try to give the people of Honduras a clean, quiet and peaceful place to worship.  Almost always they are the nicest buildings in the city.

(Chapel in Fesitranh)

(Chapel in Valle de Sula.  No "gringos" have been permitted in this area for four years)

(Chapel in Progresso Norte)

Another view of the Valle de Sula chapel

(Chapel in El Benque)

These chapels become the center of activity for the members of the Church in these areas.  In El Carmen where we spend our evenings they have seminary Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights of each week. Mutual activities begin for the youth of the area each Wednesday after seminary ends. Typically, some sort of a ward activity (dinners, dances, movies etc.) will be held on Friday nights, baptisms are on Saturdays and, of course, worship services are held on Sunday.  They are proud of their chapels.  The members do a good job of keeping them clean and attractive.

One of the many duties that we have each week is to drive a great big circle through the city of San Pedro Sula stopping at these, and other, chapels to deliver letters and packages to the missionaries who are gathered together in District meetings.  We load our little Toyota Corolla up to the brim, and head out.

The traffic in San Pedro Sula is frightful!  Four lanes of traffic squeeze into a two lane road.  Often this road will narrow to one lane without notice causing amazing traffic jams.  Bold and selfish drivers will whiz past on sidewalks, the wrong side of the road, or wherever they can cram their vehicle.  Every time we finish this route we offer a word of grateful prayer that we made it safely.

This week Wayne's financial reports were audited.  David Hernandez, the area's chief financial officer, came to visit and train for two days.  He went step by step through the financial reports.  There is so much that Wayne still has to learn, but Brother Hernandez was kind and patient.  Learning the financial lingo is an entirely new language, and to learn it in Spanish is causing Wayne to stretch.

Brother Hernandez (right) is like so many of the latter-day Saints in Honduras.  He, just like the chapels, is a light that shines in the darkness.  He is a young, 28 year old stake president in Tegulcigalpa.  Here he is meeting with Elder Douglas Ordonez, a missionary that left from his stake nearly two years ago.  Elder Ordonez will be finishing his two-year mission and will be going home to his family and friends this next week.  To see the love that existed between Stake President and missionary was awesome!  ("Masisso," as they say here.)  The gospel of Jesus Christ changes people.  It enlightens their life in a way that nothing else can do. We love these people, and they are accepting the gospel in droves!  Each week as we pass by the chapels to deliver mail we also retrieve the financial reports for the week and baptismal records.  The record that is pictured above came from the Choloma zone this past week.  It lists those who have been baptized during the week.  LaRae will then take these reports and enter them all into the computer.  With more than 200 people being baptized each month it takes her two full, 10-hour days each week to input these records  She could do it faster if she didn't have to still do all the other normal stuff like entertain elders as they come to the office, answer phones,  solve the myriad of problems that arise each day and more. We are busy, but we know that we are in the work of the Lord. This church, this gospel, this way, is the only way! There is no other reason on earth that could cause us to depart from our precious family for two years.  We're busy, happy and well.

LEARNING THE MEANING OF SACRIFICE

LaRae and I both come from a long line of people that sacrificed their lives for the betterment of their children, grandchildren and beyond.  Their vision was such that they knew that their actions "today" would bless the family forever.  They walked across the plains of the rugged and unsettled United States to find a place of religious freedom.  They pulled handcarts and drove ox teams through mud and snow to arrive in a barren but promising land. Now, many years later, we both enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice.  We call them "pioneers" because they blazed the way for a more glorious future.  But, pioneers aren't just a thing of the past.  We meet pioneers here in Honduras every single day.

Elder Douglas Ordonez is one such pioneer.  He and his family joined the Church here in Honduras when he was just a young man.  His father was then, and continues to oppose the Church.  He, the father, abandoned the family long ago and now lives in the United States.  This young man was called to serve a mission in his own country and tells us that he meets people he knew as a child nearly every week.  In fact, he was privileged to bring one of his childhood friends into the church last year.  Like all the missionaries, his call was extended two weeks because of the changes in the missionary age.  Of his group of 16 missionaries, 10 have petitioned to go home on their original date. But, Elder Ordonez is staying.  He said, "The prophet called me.  I'll stay until he tells me I'm done."  Staying these two extra weeks will mean that he will miss the temple dedication in his home town of Tegulcigalpa, Honduras, and his sister's missionary farewell. She has been called to work as a missionary in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He will not have been able to see her for 3 1/2 years.  In our opinion, he is a pioneer - forging a better way for his people at great personal cost and sacrifice.

(From left: Alexander, Patti, Victor and Valeria Lopez.)

Victor and Patti Lopez are also pioneers.  Unhappy with what they have seen of other religions, they have invited us into their home to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Victor, 82 years of age, married Patti more than twenty years ago and has raised her two children (Alexander and Valeria) as his own.  It is actually very touching to see the love that exists between them. They are so gentle with each other.  Victor was married before and had three children of his own, but his wife was constantly unfaithful.  He told me that he forgave her over and over again and that she is still "precious," but that she didn't want to be with him anymore.  He left Honduras and drove long-distance trucks in the USA for eighteen years before returning to Honduras and marrying Patti.  They are searching for a better way for their children!  Victor, though aged and pretty well confined to a wheel chair, is sharp as a tack.  He was terribly embarrassed of the fact that he didn't have teeth until I took out my false teeth and told him that we were "brothers!"  He shouted, "Look, Patti, we're brothers!"  His big toothless grin just melted my heart.  We love this family and are touched by the personal sacrifices they are making to find a better way for their family.  Time will tell the end of this story, but they have already touched our hearts.

Sister Mariah Flake from Clarksville, Tennesee, is another who is sacrificing so much to be here.  The seventh of thirteen children, raised on a horse ranch, chose to serve a mission for the Lord.  She has been a great missionary and has given her all to the work. Unfortunately, she has gotten sick.  For more than two months she has not been able to eat without getting sick.  All of our efforts to find out what is wrong have failed. She gets up sick every morning, feels terrible every day, all day, but we've never seen her without a smile.  Some final test results are due this week.  If the doctors can't discover what is wrong, she is going to have to go be treated by better doctors in the United States.  She wants so badly to stay here.  She literally is sacrificing her health to provide a better life for her "brothers and sisters."  Such is the drive and personal motivation of these missionaries.  Since we have arrived in Honduras, we have seen three other missionaries go home sick.  They are pioneers in every sense of the word.


As for us, all is well.  We sacrifice so little in comparison with what is offered here by so many.  We miss our family, of course, but we know that we will be with them again.  We are happy and well.  Each day brings new challenges and opportunities.  Where you serve matters so very little!  What really matters is that you serve - that you sacrifice - and that you love!  In the end there really isn't anything else you have to offer. Our calling right now is to serve in the mission office.  We are trying to do our very best.

WILLING HEARTS, WEARY BODIES AND MINDS

We thought you might enjoy a day-by-day replay of our week. Typically, we only briefly touch the highlights of our week. So that you might more fully know what we do as senior missionaries and participate with us, we will attempt to detail our week. It was a good week, a sweet week, an exhausting week.

SUNDAY... We left home at 8:15 a.m. One of the things we look most forward to is the greeting of the members as they arrive.  One by one they trickle in, most arriving within a few minutes of 9:00 a.m.  A smile here, a hug there.  Appreciative faces meet us at every turn.  The members of the El Carmen branch see us as a "miracle" that has come into their lives. They've never seen a senior missionary couple before and they feel they are blessed to have the only such couple in the San Pedro Sula, Honduras mission.  They are excited to take us to their family and friends so that we might be able to share with them the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Appointments for the week very soon fill up.  We can only do so much.  This week President Veirs assigned his APs to come to El Carmen to help us.  The work load is more than we can accomplish. This branch has caught the vision of what the gospel really is.

Juan Carlos Salgado.  Branch mission leader

Last week I noticed a woman standing outside in the street in front of the chapel.  I walked out to greet her, chatted with her and invited her into the meetings.  She refused, stating that her dress wasn't appropriate, but she promised to come back this week.  And she did.  Sacrament meeting was well underway when she stepped into the doorway at the back of the chapel.  Our ward mission leader noticed her, left the stand to greet her, sat next to her for two or three minutes to welcome her.  When he left her to return to the stand the Relief Society president immediately took his spot next to her and stayed by her side until the meeting ended.  Then the nursery leader came to her and asked if she could watch over her little 18 month old son while she attended Sunday School.  Member after member showered her with love.  It was a tender thing to watch.

 After our meetings we spent six hours going from home to home visiting, lifting up, encouraging, and doing what we could do to strengthen those who were weak.  While visiting two sisters who hadn't made it to church we found this group of little children all playing together.  What divine little ones.  They crowded around us to get a chance to see the digital image of this photo on our camera.  Pure joy and goodness.  It is no wonder the Savior loved the little ones.  We got home at 6:30 p.m.  TEN HOURS.

Sister Flake and Sister Lopez

MONDAY... We spent our usual hours in the office.  Today as usual we left home at 7:30 a.m. but this time LaRae had a "Sister's P-day" that she needed to attend.  She and Sister Veirs had baked sugar cookies and took them to this gathering of young sister missionaries so that they could have a treat.  While the girls played and did little crafts, LaRae accompanied Sister Veirs and helped out where she could.  I, as usual, was in the office pouring over financial reports.  At about 1:00 p.m. LaRae was anxious to get back to the office.  Monday is one of her most difficult days and she had 10 hours of work to do in four hours.  We stayed in the office until 5:30 p.m. when we had to leave for El Carmen.  Until then she gathered, sorted and boxed up mail and supplies for the missionaries.  Because Monday is "preparation day" for most missionaries we often have elders and sisters drop by the office in hopes of getting a piece of mail, purchasing a book or two, or just in hopes of finding a friendly face.  Today Sister Flake came in search of healing.  She has been sick for such a long time.  I was able to give her a priesthood blessing along with Elder Cannon.

Alexander, Fanny, Marbella, Fanny and Osiris Alemndares

   Once we were able to close down the office we drove through rush hour traffic to El Carmen.  We picked up Brother Duarte who accompanied us to meet a couple of families who are having some struggles.  First we visited the Almendares family.  They talked of the struggle they have to get to church.  Brother Duarte and I gave a blessing to the mother here to give her a bit more strength to do what she knows she should be doing.  Just as we were about to lay our hands on her head, her husband came through the doors.  He was so drunk.   He was pleasant, but quite a distraction.  Alcohol is such a terrible taskmaster.  This poor family lives with the challenge of it every single day.  We pray for them.  We visited others tonight as well.  One worth mentioning is a fellow who was among the very first people baptized in all of Honduras.  He and his best friend were baptized the same day.  He fell inactive and now presides over a family of whom not a single one is a member of the church.  His friend is now the temple president in Tegulcigalpa.  Robert Frost once said, " Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference."   So very, very true.  We stumbled, exhausted into our home at 9:00 p.m.  13 1/2 HOURS.

TUESDAY... Today was 14 HOURS.  We left home at 7:30 a.m. and didn't get home until 9:30 p.m.  Our day started with us driving around the entire city of San Pedro Sula and its surrounding communities to deliver what we call the "ruta." (the mail and boxes of supplies) and hopefully to pick up their reports and baptismal records.  Elders look forward to us arriving, not only so they can receive their mail, but also so they can inform us of their challenges.  They hope that we will be able to solve each issue: phones or refrigerators that don't work, letters that weren't received, money that doesn't seem to stretch far enough.  By the time we got back to the office at 1:00 p.m. we had enough work to keep us busy for a week.  Today a new missionary, Elder Sweat, flew in.  He came alone having stayed in the MTC a little longer than the rest of his group.  We held a "welcome to Honduras" dinner for him in the home of the Veirs at 4:30 p.m. and then left immediately for El Carmen.

Missionary correlation meeting before the rest of the group arrived.  Elder Sweat, Elder Chen and Elder Partridge

Here we held our weekly missionary correlation meeting.  This group has a "fire" within their souls.  They are so ready to share the gospel.  After this meeting we visited with a couple of investigators in the home of the mission leader.  We gave them the first discussion.  It went extremely well.  Elder Sweat got his first chance to teach.  We turned the time over to him to share the Joseph Smith story.  He was terrified, but he did a good job.  The language skills will come.

WEDNESDAY... 12 1/2 HOURS.   We left home at 7:30 a.m. and got home at 8:00 p.m.  By this time in the week we are starting to get tired. The office tasks are becoming a grind and the visits and lessons in El Carmen are wonderful but demanding.  Our first visit tonight fell through so we stopped by a member's home hoping they would accompany us to the home of the lady we spoke about in "Sunday's" report.  Their grown-up son was there visiting.  As we chatted with him he told us that he wasn't interested in our religion because he was a part of a group that met weekly to talk about religious things.  I said, "Wonderful!"  Then I gave him a pamphlet on the restoration of the gospel and asked him to read it out loud to the group and to talk about it.  He was reticent, but received it.  Then the Spirit moved us to something else.  We gave him another pamphlet about the plan of salvation. I bore my testimony that families can be together forever.  I told him how much I loved LaRae and that it would be hell to be separated from her.  I pointed out that his marriage was only until "death separated them."  I told him that my marriage was for "all time and all eternity."   Then we told him that he could have the same, encouraged him to share this message with his group, and then prepared to leave.  This full-grown man wiped tears from his eyes.  The Holy Ghost had touched his heart.

THURSDAY... 14 HOURS.  Seriously!  We left the house at 7:30 a.m. and returned home at 9:20 p.m.

We first gathered ourselves with this young army of Israel.  It was the first time I have worn a suit since arriving in Honduras.  We were excited to hear the words of Elder Maynes of the First Quorum of the Seventy and his traveling companion, Elder Dunkin of the the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy.  What a privilege!

Us, Elder and Sister Dunkin, Elder and Sister Maynes and President and Sister Veirs

They treated us so kindly.  Our personal greeting with them was extremely brief, but so cordial.  They even spoke of us later in meetings they had with President and Sister Veirs.  Their message to the missionaries was that we aren't using the Book of Mormon well enough.  People who study the Book of Mormon daily gain an added perspective and strength in their lives that can be gained in no other way.

Elder Chen, AP

   We left quickly after the meeting ended to pick up pizza for a Zone Leader conference that was held right after this meeting ended.  Each of us was called upon to make a presentation for this meeting.  I had to talk about money that is being wasted and how we are going to ask them to "tighten their belts."  LaRae did largely the same thing.  She said, "You are wasting the Lord's money when you don't have your reports ready for us when we drive to your zone meetings on Tuesday, and then take taxis into the mission office later that week to deliver reports you should have had ready."  I think that they are a little bit scared of us.
  At El Carmen we taught the first discussion to a 13 year son of a member.  None of her six children have been baptized and each now attends a different church throughout the city.  She doesn't attend church at all.  Little Christopher came to the home of our Branch President to be taught.  Truly, this was a special experience.  We taught the lesson simply, slowly and personally.  We asked the family members to bear witness of the truths we taught.  Little Andrea Valladares, eight years old, was the first to bear her testimony.  She hesitated, I thought she was afraid, but that wasn't the case.  She was simply gathering her emotions.  She then told, haltingly, the story of when she turned eight years old and prayed to ask Heavenly Father if she should be baptized.  Tears streamed down her face as well as her mother's and LaRae's.  Later her mother told us that she had never heard that story before.  This is one sweet little girl.  She was directly responsible last year for the baptisms of her neighbors.  They came into the church because of this little girl's insistence that they listen to the missionaries.

(Sister Valladares, Andrea and Christopher our little investigator)

FRIDAY... This ends our work week.  16 HOURS TODAY.  We left the house at 7:30 a.m. and didn't get home until 11:30 p.m.  That is kind of cheating because we spent the last four hours with President and Sister Veirs playing games, eating dinner, talking and laughing.  Maybe this shouldn't be counted as missionary work.  These great people have opened their hearts and home to us and made us a part of their family.  Being with them is so joyous!  They will be our friends for the rest of our lives.
   The day was much like the others. Financial reports, bank visits, calls to SLC and Guatamala, writing checks, deducting and accrediting money into missionary's accounts, writing house contracts and more.  LaRae entered baptismal records and charges for purchases until her fingers ached.

(LaRae sits at the back of a sea of priesthood.  We stand out like a sore thumb)

There you have it!  Our week.  Six days - 80 hours!  Today SATURDAY we will "rest."  LaRae will spend the day doing laundry and cleaning the house that we basically only sleep in.  We'll write a few letters and open our email in great hopes and anticipation that, perhaps, someone might have written us.  We'll go to the store and pick up some groceries, maybe run an errand or two for the office, undoubtedly answer a number of phone calls (because the other missionaries are working today) and hopefully ... get a nap.  We are tired, but we are happy.  This Church is true and it is an unbelievable privilege to wear out our lives in the service of the Lord.

OUR LIFE BEHIND A DESK

Our mission took a huge turn a month ago when we were transferred to San Pedro Sula.  We were assigned to work in the mission office as secretaries.  It meant quite a change to our life style.  We arise at 6:30 a.m. if not earlier, get ready, quickly eat a bite of breakfast (Wayne usually prepares breakfast while I make lunch) and then out the door we go.  By 8:00 a.m. we are in the office.  There we frantically put out "fires" for the next eight or nine hours, typically not even stopping for lunch.  Then we drive through terrible traffic to spend an hour or two with the branch members of El Carmen.  We usually arrive home about 7:30 p.m.  The next day we do it all over again.  Twelve-hour days, six days each week, are a little hard on us, but we have willing spirits.  Some days are simply hectic.  We're sure that after time we will know how to do everything, but for right now every problem is a brand new problem for us.

I sit at the front desk.  Here I am sitting with Elder Hunter Cannon from California.  He was transferred to the office in a final effort to get him healthy.  There is a stomach illness that has hit four or five missionaries this past year.  The others have all been sent home, but we are trying to nurse Elder Cannon back to health.  The mission nurse, Sister Tolliver, and I have him on a strict diet of rice, bananas, toast, yogurt and such.  He is improving and we are feeling positive!  My duties are to record the baptismal records, order supplies, answer phones, collect mail (which is no small task) and deliver the mail throughout the mission which Wayne and I do every Tuesday.  After 39 years of staying home as a homemaker and mom, I now am getting tutored in words such as "Excel" and "Imos."

Elder Ryan Mackay from Baton Rouge, Lousiana was the financial secretary that trained Wayne on how to do spreadsheets, journal vouchers, payments, rental contracts, distributing out and collecting money.  Elder Mackay is a wonderful, kind missionary who has abundant patience - and he has needed it to train Wayne.    Each time Wayne does anything correct you can hear Elder Mackay loudly proclaim, "Nice!"  Occasionally there is also a shout of "What did you do?"  I imagine that Wayne will eventually get the swing of things, but right now he comes home mentally exhausted.

This past week we have been having interviews with the mission president.  Each day one or two zones will travel to San Pedro Sula and gather in the mission office.  Here several things will happen. First they are interviewed by the APs.  In this picture you can see Elder Chen interviewing Elder Guaran and Elder Morales. They look to see how the zones are progressing and chat with them over zone needs.  Next, every missionary is individually interviewed by President Veirs.  This takes quite a bit of time, so while they are waiting they will either go pester Wayne about money or they will come to me and want to go to the supply rooms and choose books or videos that they can buy. These are busy, busy days.  Gratefully, they only do interviews once every three months.

Our office staff now consists of five missionaries.  Each has their assignment, and each has their talents.  Elder Garcia is from Guatamala.  He was originally assigned to the Tegulcigalpa, Honduras Mission but was transferred to San Pedro Sula about six months ago. And, believe me, we are glad to have him!  He literally makes the office run. Without him we would be paralyzed.  He goes with Wayne to the bank because the tellers are so difficult to understand.  He fixes our problems.   He knows computers and basically every job that goes on around here.  He also helps Sister Veirs with her odd jobs.

Elder Rangel (R-angel) is also from Guatamala.  He has the most challenging assignment in the office.  He is in charge of the immigration problems.  He also arranges for the travel in and out of the country, getting residency cards for the missionaries and paying the nearly countless fines that are accrued in the process of keeping the missionaries here for two years.  He sits for hours facing the computer screen, saying little, but he is a willing and happy missionary.  All of us are completely new at our jobs, except Elder Garcia, and so there is often a look of bewilderment on our faces.    

(One of two supply rooms where we store books, pamphlets, garments, videos and more)

It's not at all like what we did while serving in Roatan, but we are trying to constantly keep looking at the purpose for which we came here to Honduras.  We were called here to serve the Lord.  There are all kinds of tasks involved in accomplishing His work.  Every job is important.  No job can be ignored.  We loved being on the front lines of the battle - talking to the people, sharing our testimonies and watching lives change.  But, now we will quietly serve behind the scenes - largely unnoticed.  But, we are happy and well and, as always, grateful to be missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.