Mucho Trabajo y Poco Descanso!

Another great week down in the capital of Honduras! Sorry about last week we had a long p-day activity then when i finally got back to the area to write yeah the power was out and by the time it came back it was late and just decided not to do a entry.

Now a reacap for the last two weeks i guess we had some exciting things go down i guess. To start just for my personal record and landmark statement this last week i offically hit the big 19 months in the mission yep 19 months crazy to think. Now im going for the 20s. The time is just flying by its crazy. 

But these last two weeks have been good me and elder judd have been working real hard. The last week we had two baptisims it was really cool because they are twins! Now they look nothing alike but i have it on record and everything that they are twins. There names are Genkarlos y Nazerth there awesome. Half of there family is inactive then the other half arnt members. There really active though and a great example for there family. And even now from there baptism because alot of there family came were teaching more of them so its awesome. 

So that was one of the other highlights of the week before. I to start taking better small notes throughout the week to remind me of other small things that were cool that happen otherwise when i just write i spend alot of time thinking what to say even know there was like 100 things that went down. 

Then for this week well the main thing is the last monday are big p.-day activity was that we went hiking through the mountains in our area all the way to this one place called valle de angeles its a area also the name of are zone. But it was a long hike i want to say like 15 miles through the mountains and everything. We only went 4 elders and 2 members it was probably the funnest p-day my entire mission. We found a hidden waterfall a rainstorm hit us and so many cool things. 

Anyways we were pretty dead that next day on Tuesday. But we had another baptism that day on tuesday. So we were still go go go. Now with this one i give all the credit to the lord because it just fell right into out hands unlike the other 2 we found.The thing is anyone that is 9 years or older even if there parents are members they have to go through us to be baptized. So we have to teach then interview them then do the baptism. So thats what happened on this one just didnt get baptized with the ward because yeah he had completed 9 years old. But we still worked really hard getting ready this one was just a preparred one but it was still great getting everything ready for him and his family another great day it was. 

Its been a very tiring months this last month with getting all 4 of these baptisms ready and then just taking care of other zone things and stuff like that. But theres nothing else id rather do. Just keep on pushing along. Now me and my companion are just continuing to search and find more to bring unto crist through baptism and keeping the commandments! Hopefully september ends up as great as august is being. 

Thats about it ill stop writing now and let you all relax. I love and miss you all i hope you have a great week and I will talk to you all next Monday!

ELDER FO$TER

Un Nuevo Compañero

The start of a new change is always something different and interesting. You always have the excitment of whos going to be your new companion what type of person they are and how they work and everything. If your going to a new area its even a bigger excitment especially if your changing regions and things like that.

So for me this week we recieved changes. And im getting a new companion. It was kindof obvious because my companion was finishing the mission. Anyways my new companion is named Elder Judd. He is from California and he has about 1 year in the mission. This is his first change being zone leader so i guess you would put it that im training him in some small things in the assignment. So i got a new gringo companion you would say hes a real good guy. Real calm and hard worker and everything but weve been getting along well i feel like it will be a good change.

Other then that for this week ive been just introducing my companion to all the members and our investagators. Its interesting how just after 6 weeks you can know a area and the members and then be in charge of showing a new companion it all. Its kindof fun as well i mean the whole mission is fun just talking and meeting with people all the time.

We bought him a cake but there was only girl cakes. Cake is cake!

The only other exciting and cool thing that happened this week is that we did have a baptism on saturday. Hermano Gustavo we met him about a month or so ago. He just was recently married and his wife is a member and all her family. She started bring him to church and then we set up a family home evening to get to know him better and everything it went well we then started meeting in there home and teaching him the lessons. Then slowly little by little the spirt testified to him all he needed to know. And now i know that him his wife and there little 2 year old son will be recieving many blessing for being a fiel family in the church. And then in one year hopefully they will be able to be sealed together.

Hermano Gustavo and his wife and son!

Other then that for the week nothing else i can really think of just the beging of the week with my other comp saying bye to members then the end of the week with my new comping saying hello to everyone. We do have 2 more baptisimed planed for this saturday there twins ill explain more about them the following week. Just keep us in your prayer and wish us luck that all goes well with them.

Well other then that all is well the area is great here the members are awesome and my new companion seems to be cool as well. So i hope all is going well back home. I miss and love you guys have a great week and ill talk to you all next Monday.

Love ELDER FO$TER

La Ultima semana del Cambio

The last week of the change! I dont know i feel like after 18 months now its hard for me to keep you guys interested about all that im doing here in honduras. Trust me here every day is a journey and you always see or do something new. The thing is that here in the city i feel like i dont have as many cool storys and stuff like I had in the South. Also our area here is really small but its good i like it its not to hot the members are great and just in general not as rough as the south.

Well for this week the thing is it was the last week for my companion so we just went around working with our investagators and then visiting the members little by little saying goodbye but his final good bye because hes going back to the USA. Yeah hes finishing the mission im pretty sure ive said that before but hey everyone has there time. Anyways ill be happy to be getting a new comp who hopefully isnt finishing the mission because its a little bit difficult.

So other then that we our just preparing our investagator Gustavo to be baptized for this saturday. Its been really cool seeing the progress of him in the gospel and just going to church and everything with his wife who is member and they have a little 2 year old son its going to be great for them to recieve the blessings of the gospel! Other then that we do have 3 others that are preparing to be baptized this month, So its going to be a exciting month possible with getting a new companion and then having some people possible getting baptized im excited!

Then lately the members have been inviting us alot over to eat this week because my companion is leaving. So this week we ate something that was very interesting and youll see in the photo. It was a first for me so i can mark it off my bucket list, But lets just say i hope i dont have to eat that every again i didnt feel to well after that.

Its exactly what it looks like Cow Tongue! mmmm

Other then that the time is just going by and the work is going well this month should be a good one. O yeah and happy August can you believe it that the month of July yep gone. So yeah sorry for the boring week again but thats about all i got. For p-day today was awesome what we did is me and my companion two other missionaries in the zone and then two members we got up at like 5 30 then we and hiked up this cool mountain and then just hiked around went up the mountain range and saw some cool abanded houses and stuff.

Sorry bad luck i didnt take my camera and the other elders forgot theres as well. So dont worry we are planing another trip for this coming change and it should be good were going to go even farther and then ill take my camera and show all the pictures and everything. We also had like a little cook out up there too which was fun and cool then just came down dead and tired.

Anyways that was about the whole week. Nothing too interesting but next week will be better with a new companion a baptisim hopefully and whatever else follows! Well thanks for tuning in i guess you could say i hope you all have a great start of the month of august. Love you all miss you take care and well talk next week!

ELDER FO$TER

Tan Sólo Una Semana Normal!

Another great week gone here in honduras. P-day was pretty good we went up to whats called valle de Angeles well i know thats the name of the zone but thats the actual part that we went up to and its like a little water fall it was pretty cool and not too bad of a hike on the way up there.

Valle de Angeles Waterfall
(Its better in Person)

Then to start the week on Tuesday we had zone confrence so all of the city got together and we just recieved some instrucions and clases and things like that we got to hear some of the final testimonys of the missonarys that are going like my companion so it was a good confrence i also got some banana bread because my birhtday was in the month of July!

Then for the rest of the week i cant really say that there were things super interesting we just working. We have on investagator named Gustavo he is super good. His wife is member and they just moved into are ward and got married this month also so theyve been coming to church and everything and were teaching them and its going great he has a date to get baptized the first week of August! Then we have a few others that have been progressing well.

Lately the stake has this plan about doing 3 family home evenings in the ward a week and that through that we can find more investagators. Its a good plan and it seems to be working pretty well slowly but surely!

Other then that me and my companion have been doing well together double gringo as they say always is fun. It does kindof suck though when you have a companion who is going home or is in his last change and then you just know that yeah your still staying here. No its not that bad but hopefully my next companion has less time then me so i feel a little better.

Heres the Birthday Pictures that i ment to load up last week but i didnt have my camera. It was a good birthday with the zone and some members from my area.

Sorry I know kindof a boring week for me everyday is exciting and something new so no worries im having fun here if my blog doesnt sound too much like it. Everything is going great in the work though and thats all that really matters in the end. Well i hope you all have a great last week of July and ill be talking to you next Monday. Love you and miss you all thanks for the support and have a great week!

ELDER FO$TER

El Templo y Mi cumpleaños

Another great week down in the deep streets of Honduras! No this was a good week im not sure if the time goes by fast or slow anymore now that ive pretty much have 18 months Im taking the skirt off as they say because sister only serve 18 then everything after is shirt and tie for the elders! Thats just what they say. But the main thing is that this week went by well.

To start on Tuesday we went to the temple. We have the great privlege of going to the temple every 6 months and finaly the time had come again. It was wierd because this was my third time to go to the temple now in the mission and it felt like it had been so long since i had been. I dont mean that in the way that the last 6 months went by slow they went by pretty fast for me. I mean it in the way that i just felt such a replenishing of the spirt when i was at the temple that i firmly got the feeling that once every 6 months is way to much time in between.

Over all it was a great experience and i love it a very relaxed and rejuvanting day! It kindof sad though because the next temple trip isnt going to be until i belive next january but thats also the time ill be going home so i dont know if ill make it in time to get to go. But on the upside every 6 weeks when a group goes home they get to go together to the temple and go to a session so i still have at least one more time to go to the temple here and if im lucky maybe 2 back to back.

The other thing is that some of you may have found out that yes it was my birthday this last week! It was on Friday so this was also the week of district meeting so it turned out well because the zone pretty much the hermanas bought a cake and made a poster then we ate popusas. Its like a pancake but filled with cheese i dont know its el salvador thing but they were good. Also some really good member made me a good chocolate fruit cake so that was nice. I guess im starting to get old now but i still feel a little young. Well my body at times feels old but i think thats just the mission doing that too me. No it was a great birthday and a birthday that only passes once in a life time and no better place for me to have spent it but here in good ole Honduras!

Other then that all is going well with me and my companion hes making me a little baggy because hes going home in 2 weeks so that sucks sometimes but he someone has to be his last companion. The work is going great a ward mission leader is real piless they say means like he works hard. Weve been putting some plans together for activitys and everything and weve been finding some new people we should have some baptisims coming up hopefully in the begining of next month.

Other then that Im Super Sorry but i forgot my camera at the house so no pictures this week!:( But i promise next week youll get double! Other then that thank you all for the birthday wishes! Happy 18 thats 18 months im talking about here in the mission! Then i guess its until next monday! Love you guys miss you all take care be safe and well talk next monday!!

^^^^ELDER FO$TER^^^^

Un muy Largo Semana

Another week down in the Santa Maria here in zona valle de angeles. This week was good kindof long truthfully and a little stressfull but in the end everything worked out and it was good.

The week started off good its was pretty much normall we were just working. This area is pretty cool because its got so many different lay outs and everything. For example there is area that is just straight mountain and theres members that live up top so its kindof cool because once a week we go mountain climbing to go visit the members up there.

Then recently we just got a new ward mission leader hes a pretty cool guy named Jimmy. Hes been helping us out lately with the work doing visits and other stuff like that. There is a plan in our stake for the missionary work and what it focus in is having ward missionary and setting up family home evenings and they bring investagators and stuff to teach and they want that we have 3 family home evenings a week thats the plan at least. Its been going well and i like the idea. We get a lot of help from the mission president and the stake president in this so its real good.

Half way up the mountain looking down on the area!

On Friday we had district meet like always but President Bowler and his wife showed up thats the bad thing about being in a zone in the city because they come to everything haha just kiding it was cool and everything went well. Then the big news of the week is that Saturday we had a Baptisim! Her name is Fernanda when i got here the missionarys had just found her and we continued teaching her for the last few weeks! And she had been progressing so well and fast and she was ready to be baptized one really cool thing is that President Bowler and his wife also came to the baptism it was a wierd week because we saw president alot this week.

President Bowler at our Baptisim!

Then on Sunday everything just kindof setteled down and started going back to normall. It was a really long week but in the end everything turned out good. Today for p-day nothing too special we just all went to a members house and watched a movie. It was one missionarys birthday so we suprised her with a cake and everything it was good. Then just went and ate and then went and bought a few things and yeah thats the week.

This missions going great i cant believe im coming on 18 months it just blows my mind. The hardest thing right now is that im killing my companion or in normal people words is that this change my companion is going home so ill be his last comp. Everyone is just like yeah your leaving 3 weeks what you going to do and all that stuff it sucks haha but o well someone has to do it. Well thanks for everything guys i love and miss you all i hope you have a great week and ill talk to you all again next monday take care!

ELDER FO$TER

Feliz 4 de Julio!!!

To start off how about a big Happy 4th of July!!! I may be here in honduras but trust me i dont forget this day. I love and miss my country USA all the way! Well Another week gone and so fast as always. So this week i guess there was a few interesting things that we did. To start on Tuesday we our consejo de lideres. This is something i think i may have explained a little before its something that happenes every month its just to recieve information from the president or those assistents and stuff like that only the zone leaders go and the sister liders sometimes they  invite the district leaders also.
It was pretty good nothing too new but a cool confrence!

They wensday well a packed day but not of missionary work. We moved houses. Lets just say after a good amount of time of elders living in a house sometimes its not in the best shape so you can look for a new house get it approved and move if you like. Also to add to it we were in a streak of 3 weeks with out water we were having to go to members to shower and everything. Well  for me i got lucky and arrived and the problem was fixed a little but we decided in the end it would be better to move. So we found a little house that was nice and before we were in a apartment so thats good. So we were getting all that squared away one other thing thats cool on the little street we live on theres like 8 houses and with just luck 5 of them are members from the ward! Its pretty cool we call it morman lane.

They the rest of the week we just tried to get back into the grove and everything and its been going well weve been actully having a little progress and everything last week we put a few baptism dates and if all goes well we may have a baptism this saturday so well see what heavenly father has in store for us this week. Other then that my comp only has one change here and he said his last comp didnt show him much of the area so weve just been exploring and everything. Its been going little by little weve been finding some people. They thing in the city is that its much tougher then in the south 4 out of 5 houses you can get into and share a message in the south here in the city i would say about 1 out of every 8 houses maybe you can get into. Im being a little generous about that number as well. Lets just say its a lot of rude people and slammed doors here.

I dont mind too much i only want to talk to the people actully learn and hear about the message we bring. For some the rejections can be tough and then your desire goes down a lot to knock doors and that seems to be the thing right now in the zone but were working on new ways and everything. For me i enjoy a nice door slam or yelling person every once in a while but i probably wont be saying that in a month or two. But the work is going well and i love it no worries.

The Whole Zone Valle de Angeles

Not a great picture above but it was the only one i had of the whole sun the sun was in our eyes! Other then that just the good ole missionary work and its going good. Its made a big difference now that i have about two weeks in the new area i feel a lot more comfortable and the members are great and everything. Well this p day we had to make it a good one you know because its the big 4th of july. The only thing is that only me and my companion are gringos or from the states. Everyone else is latinos but it was akay we set up a good p day and went up to whats called pichaco which is like a big park in the mountains and we went up there brought shish kabobs i think thats how you spell it and had a little cook out it was good and fun!

USA all the way!

Me and my companion!

Its the best we could do!

Anyways its was a pretty good week. I dont have much time anymore to write but i love and miss you all. I hope you have a great 4th of july enjoy being in the best country in the world. Everything is going well here dont worry i love honduras but not as much as the good ole USA. Have a great week everyone and talk to you next monday!

ELDER FO$TER