Un Noche de Hogar y Baseball

Another week in the books. It was pretty good as normall pasted by fast. Also as normal just filled with the things that missionarys do like visiting people knocking doors and going to meetings! But hey its a missionarys life for me!

Honduras is Mountains and people put there houses all trough them!

Well for this week were visiting this one family that just awesome and there recieving the lessons and everything good they really are coming to know that its true weve got them to church and everything. Its been cool just seeing there progress and everything when the mom came to church she told us the following visit that it was the first time that she had gone to church in 7 years and so it just felt like a real good acomplishment and everything for everyone then her childeren have been coming and well and her brother that lives with them we have a baptism date for them all in 2 weeks we hope that even if its one by one we can get them baptized!

Honduran Baseball Field

Then me and my companion were talking saying man it would be so cool if we got another pilas family and everything like them. Well a member invited to have a family home evening with this one family that he had me! Its in a little father part of our area about a 10 min car or bus ride we go with the member and we show up and there is 8 people there waiting for us and wanting to hear our message it was awesome all the people in that one house and us teaching them. Some of them came to church on sunday so were hoping that little by little. The distance thing from church is the biggest opstacle so well have to see how it all goes!

Olimpia (Honduran League team) With Elder De los santos

The only other thing really is that on Friday we had zone confrence for the whole city. So we grouped up the 5 zones and almost 100 misionarys and recieved some classed and instrucions and everything. Its always nice too because for lunch we get pizza and then at the end they give us all donuts and the time we recieve packages and letters and stuff for me nothing you know when you get old and with alot of time everyone forgets ya haha just kiding. No it was good something we do every 3 months or so!

Okay thats pretty much the gist of everything! A good calm week. This week should be good as well. Today for p-day we played baseball at the nacional stadium here in honduras it was fun and i got a little sunburned. Other then that confrence this weekend im stoked my last confrence in the mission it should be good! Well everyone i hope you all have a great week i love and miss you all and well talk again next monday!

ELDER FO$TER

Todo Esta Yendo Bien!

Well the first week of my third change here in the santa maria (Valle de Angeles). It was a pretty good week stayed with the same companion elder judd like i said last week. So this week not too much interesting or anything like that!

On wensday we did have to go to the changes meeting to pick up some materials and everything. Also because one of the areas in the zone got changed from hermana to elders. So had to go all the way up to there area to be able at least show them where they live and where there church is and then it was just like good luck ahah. No the hermanas that where there left alot of good information for them so it was good. There going to do good. One elder is new right out of the mtc the other has about a year but there going to do good together! It made me remeber when i opened a area like that not knowing nothing it was fun and a good learning experience!

Then thursday was just normal doing our weekly planning and then having the meeting in the night at the estaca. Friday we had the first district meeting of the change and it just made me notice that every single area in the zone is training a new missionary its a pretty cool experience to see it im not training but its cool to say well theyll atleast remember me as there first zone leader so that will be cool later down the road! We also made up a little points playing game with the whole zone for the whole change to get everyone motavated and finding new people to teach and everything its kindof a complex game but well just say its going to be fun!

Then on saturday we went to this big stake activity and it was awesome because about 6 months ago i was in this stake but in the ward 28 de marzo and i was in that ward for seven months so i got to see some old members and everything which was pretty cool. And we took some investagators and they really enjoyed it so that was awesome.

The last good thing that happen is on sunday we had 9 investagators in church!! It was awesome and many of them stayed for all 3 hours. Me and my companion last change we were blessed to have 5 baptisims so this change we where like man what do we do our investagator pool was small and we had a few people that were like more or less but now the first sunday the lord truely showed us where we need to work and with who and some of this people could be really great. The goal is to get 2 or 3 which is really good to get in one change especially in the city heck just one is good. So were going to go to work and then see how it goes and who the lord is preparring!

P-day We played soccer with another zone!

So this week was pretty good i cant complain and we had a good p´day today we went and played soccer with two other zones it was really fun and then just ate and all that normal stuff so yeah everything is going well. Last note tomorrow its offical i hit the 20s ill be completing 20 months in the mission and since the day i left my home family and everything thing else. I can say i dont regret it at all and i can also say im going to use this last four months the best i can before i am blessed to come back home and be with my family, Love you and miss you guys. I hope you have a great week and lookforward to talking to you all next monday!

ELDER FO$TER

Seis Semanas más en la Santa!

It was a good week that passed by as normal not much i can complain about. It was the last week in the change so kindof of a intiapating or nerve racking week. But ill go ahead and just break the news that i do not have changes or my companion. Its pretty interesting truthfully the first time in my almost 20 months in the mission that me or my comp dont have changes. We can now say that the curse has been broken if you take my time out of the office ive never had a companion more then one change or a been in a area more then two changes so now its broken. Its going to be a little wierd but im going to enjoy it this is a great area and me and elder Judd get along very well so its all good. Then next change ill probably be out and to my last area for my last two changes.

Anyways back to this week and all that happen kindof of a full week. So on Tuesday we had consejo with all the lideres it was pretty good. Just alot of learning and everything. Then wensday was the next good full day. We had interviews with president Bowler it was good getting to talk about the zone and my mission and everything i enjoyed it. So that day was filled with that interviews classes and all that good stuff.

Then on thursday we judt follwed with the plan that we have set for the stake and trying to get the family home evenings set up and everything in the ward and with the investagators. Its been going pretty well for us and everything. Me and my companion found this awesome family about 2 or 3 weeks ago contacting and theres 5 of them 4 that listen and we have now gotten 2 of them to come to church and everything. Anyways we did a family home evening with them on Saturday and we watched meet the mormans it was really good we had alot of people there and it anwsered alot of there questions and everything i believe. This family is real cool on sunday before church they even invite us over now to eat pancakes and eveything its really cool they will be great members if everything continues to go well.

(A picture of the area from the second story of our church building)

The we have this part of our area that is just a mountain kindof and it cool because theres alot of people that live there and all. So we decided to set a few hours to go up there and do some contacting to try to find some new people and everything. This part of the area is kind of isolated for being so high up the mountain. They have no water system so every 3 days they have to hall water up the mountain. We went over there and much have contacted for like 3 or 4 hours and just everyone rejected us. We talked to so many people but no one wanted anything. In the end we were glad to have given it a try but i dont belive there is anyone waiting for the gospel in that area at least for right now no.

Other then that everything is just gliding along. They changed one of our area in our zone into elder so were going to have some new elders in the zone and all of our zone is training which is pretty cool every area eaither starting training or ending there training this change its real cool. The yeah 6 more weeks here in the Santa Maria zone valle de angeles. Ill take it a real good place to stay for my 3rd to last change but whos counting right mom:)

Preaching the Gospel to all that are willing to listen!

Well guys i love you all miss you all I hope everyone passed a good day yesterday remebering 9/11 15 years crazy to think even know i was just a little one. Dont get me wrong i love honduras but theres nothing like the good ole United States of America! And i sure cant wait to back on American soil! USA all the way! Love you all miss you all have a great week and well talk next Monday!

ELDER FO$TER

LIVING AND LOVING HONDURA$

Alrighty another week down in honduras. Its been raining alot still were just in that season i dont mind it too much. This week was pretty normal and calm. This next week will be alot more exciting and everything with changes coming up.

Well for this week on the last p-day we made things of clay like on one of those spining wheels i think i talked about that a little last week. But this time around i brought my camera so ill be putting some pictures on. The cool thing about the wheel thing to spin the clay its not automatic or anything like that is just a wooden wheel you spin with your leg its pretty cool and was fun.

Throughout the week on tuesday we had a great lesson with this family that we are teaching three of them named jonathan stefeni and elvis pretty cool name. Theyve been real recepetive in listening to the message and everything and this time we brought a member and its was so good. On sunday one of them came. The we talked to another one that lives there with them there mom the kids are olders but they still all live there together. Its pretty common here in honduras. Anyways overall its a great family weve found and been teaching we could be getting a few baptisims for it as well which would be great.

Other then that the zone is doing good and everything on thursday we had district meeting because there was another meeting on friday. It was good and the last of the change because this week well be having interviews with president bowler. Thats always fun just this one then one more and then the final interview but whos counting. Also we have consejo again for this month so just another thing for the week.

Everything is going well here in the area and with my companion Elder Judd we get along well. I like the zone too its not too big and everyone inside is real nice and good so i cant complain there or anything.

The last thing thats pretty important as well is we had a baptisim on Saturday!! This was the little girl named kimberly that we taught and got ready and everything her parents arnt members so thats why we had to take care of all the baptisim stuff and everything. It was a good baptism we had a few investagators there and she chose me to baptize her i kind of knew that was coming but i was just glad that at young of an age she knew she wanted to be baptized it was something special i feel like.

Other then that everything is going well here in the streets of honduras just pushing along one day at a time loving every bit of it. Well i hope you all have a great week i miss and love you all and well all talk again next Monday!

ELDER FO$TER

La Calle de Oro

Hello everyone writing live from honduras where it is pouring rain and i hope the power doesnt go out because if so then there goes the internet and then there goes getting this email sent out. In this area though its been pretty good about the power going out compared to other areas where it goes out like 2 or 3 times a week.

Lately its been raining a lot this is the rain season they say and i belive it. The past few days its been just pouring but its wierd it like comes and goes its not very steady. This week has been pretty good nothing like too out of the ordanary. This week we found some what we think are really good new investagators on this road that weve been calling now la calle de oro. Which means the street of gold. Because weve been finding some really good investagators on just this one street this month we had two baptisims from that street then on this saturday we have planned to have one more.

It was weird we were just like lets contact some house then we said well why not just this same road where we have the other good investagator so we contacted and it turned out well for us. Even one of them came to church on sunday and i think they may really have the desire to get baptized so well have to see how that goes.

On this last monday for p-day we went to Picacho its called ive been before but we pretty much go once a change so once every 6 weeks because theres always new missionarys who want to go up and see it. It a Jesus Crist statue up on top of this mountain its pretty nice and theres a nice park up there and a little zoo that we went in this time. But its nothing like the zoos in the states trust me you wouldnt want to take your little one there. I was scared something was going to escape and eat us but we made it out alive. They remodeled one part too and it looks real nice.

Then on thursday we got a call from the bishop asking us to give a talk for sunday about missionary work. So me and my companion both gave talks on sunday it was pretty good i think. It was a little shavy maybe to get the members to start really working but i belive it was really spiritual as well it was something i kindof enjoyed. As go back before the mission and i was just terified to have to give a talk now its just like any other lesson to give to a member or investagors.

Other then that all is going well we have interviews with the president in a week then changes in two weeks so it should be interesting. Nothing else that i can think of i hope everything is going well back home and hope you all have a great week. Love you and miss you all well talk again next Monday!

 (Sorry no pics this week i dont have my camera next week though no worries)

ELDER FO$TER

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