Hi! I am in the heart of the murder capital of the world so I have to write quickly and get out of here before it even starts getting dark!
The power went out in practically all of Honduras this week for almost 24 hours. That night was the worst night sleep of my life. I spent the whole night awake, drenched in crazy amounts of sweat, and praying to Heavenly Father to turn the power on so my fan would work. I even exercised my faith by plugging in my fan and turning it to the on position to see if it would work, but no luck. :) We spent the next day (Sunday) in church with no fans, no light, and no microphone. It was a blast. When there aren't lights, however, no one wants to do anything. It's an excuse not to go to church or even pray.
This sweet lady from the ward got up and gave a 45 minute talk. Ezekiel Cruz, who is about 55 years old, just marched up to the front and stuck his watch in her face to let her know she was talking too long. These things don't happen in Utah wards. haha
Can you send me a family picture please?? Everyone wants to see my family pictures. I can't believe it's almost been 5 years since we jumped on that plane to the best 3 years of our lives in Houston! That's coming up this week. 5 years!!!
The power went out 4 times this week. Since all it ever does is rain, the water we have is a beautiful brown color. Bucket showering with dirty water sounds refreshing, huh?
I just want everyone to know that I made tortillas with Jehovah's Witnesses this week.
The Bautista kids were sick this week and the Elders came over to give them blessings. Before they blessed this kids they explained that blessings only work when we have faith. They turned to Hermana Bautista and said, "Do you have faith that this blessing can heal your children?" She took a minute to think and she just looked up at him and said, "I have faith." It was so incredibly powerful. It made me think of the story in the Bible when Jesus is about to heal the man's child. Christ says, "Do you have faith?" The father says, "Oh, I believe. Help thou my unbelief." The Savior then heals the boy. God can work miracles through our little amounts of faith.
Hermana Bautista gave her first talk in church this week! Hermano Bautista passed the sacrament for the first time! These are the moments where all the hard work pays off. It is wonderful to see people come unto Christ.
We were heading out to our Noche De Hogar that we were having at the Bautista home with our new investigators-- the familia Atunez. Then people in the streets started yelling, "Se Fue La Luz!" Or basically "the power is out." We were so disappointed. We aren't allowed to be out in the dark if there isn't power. We decided we go to the Atunez house to tell them that we had to cancel and then go to the Bautistas to say we had to cancel. When we got to the familia Atunez house the lights just turned back on and they weren't even there. We then went to the Bautista home and the Atunez family was there without us even going to their house to walk with them. You have to understand that when the lights go out nobody leaves their house because it's dangerous. The Atunez family just went without us even picking them up and without lights! We couldn't believe it! They are feeling the joy of the gospel. They are a pilas family. We are so excited.
Also, i'ts too expensive for people to get married here! We have been praying for a miracle because there are so many families that can't get baptized because they don't have money to get married. They just live together. Well, Honduras just announced that they are giving FREE MARRIAGES for the entire month of August. Miracles.
Hermana Dispain is a sister that is serving here and her little brother just got his call to El Salvador!! I think that's so cool and can't wait for the day when i hear that Scott is going to Honduras San Pedro Sula West hahaha. No but seriously. I'm so excited.
In some ways i feel like it was just two weeks ago that i was choking on my tears singing called to serve in Spanish for the first time in the MTC. I've come so far since then. I have climbed a lot of hard mountains, and I am still climbing a steep one with this knee, but honestly I am thanking God for each and every day and for the lessons of the woman I'm becoming. I am grateful for the patience I am painfully earning. I love these people. The more I am learning to appreciate a man down on His knees in agony about 2014 years ago, the more I have come to appreciate so deeply that for a moment He suffered there for me. He is my amigo fiel. Now, when I walk these streets and feel frustrated, I know only a portion of how He felt. He gave 24 hours a day of his entire life and then He atoned for the very person who nailed his hands into a piece of wood. Now that's love. That is patience. I owe Him all I have because He has saved me. No matter how much I give it will never add up because He just keeps on blessing me. He keeps on changing me into someone a little better fit for His Kingdom.
Well I love you guys so much and I am praying for you!
Hermana Saylin
Monday, June 23, 2014
This man just came up to me and he said, " The Oooh, Essay, Ah is playing right now." I thought, "What is the Oooh, Essay, Ah?" Then I realized that's how you say USA in Spanish. Normally people just say Los Estados so I was a little confused for a second. EL MUNDIAL HAS STARTED. President just emailed us and told us that we could watch the games. When my companion read it to me and i was was so excited! PUEDO CREER LO. We are so excited. The world of Honduras can't focus on anything else so the work is slow right now. What a fun place to be with the World Cup going on, though. Honduras lost on Sunday but we weren't allowed to leave the apartment while they were playing. I guess they get pretty into it and it can be dangerous. The fireworks are constant here lately because every goal anyone scores the people light off fireworks. Super fun. It is also terrifying because sometimes it sounds like gunshots. The fireworks are different here.
We found the best family ever. All we have done this week is pray for someone who can progress and we decided to just walk and walk and walk to this part of our area that we have never been to. We were about to turn around because there was nothing out there when we spotted this little hut on a ton of gorgeous land. We walked up to it and this family of 6 was sitting outside enjoying each other's company. We asked if we could visit and they let us in. We taught a little and they said they want to go to church! They just showed up to church yesterday! We didn't even have to invite twice. They went to our Noche de Hermanamiento, too. They are SUPER PILAS. We are so excited. The two oldest kids and the dad can't read, but the 10 year old and the mom can read so they have been reading the Book of Mormon out loud to the family. They are coming to a family home evening with us tonight. We are thrilled to have such a cute family and praying they stay as committed as they have been!
It hasn't stopped raining all week which sounds fun, but actually it is hard to be wet all the time. It rains so hard that our umbrellas leak. The streets don't have gutters so the streets are actually rushing rivers. It's about knee high. That sounds like it would be really pretty, authentic, and awesome but it's the nastiest trash water with animal gunk in it. When it rains we don't have power or water so we just feel dirty all the time. Good thing I learned from my momma to laugh it off. We have actually come to love these adventures. I am grateful that God has given me these crazy adventures. I love adventures SO MUCH!
We had a Ron Ron in our apartment when the lights where out and it was the nastiest and scariest thing ever. Hermana O didn't help me kill it. I just had to be brave enough and it was nasty. It was the size of my face.
We also had a very large terranchula in our house this week. I am not scared of spiders but...ewww90.
Hermana Orgill's unfortunate moment of the week: She bought a suitcase for 650 Limps and we were walking back to the bus through all the city and the wheels fell off. She dragged her suitcase without wheels all the way to Mezapa and the Elders and I were laughing so hard. She did not think it was funny. Pobresita. Worst luck ever.
We found the best family ever. All we have done this week is pray for someone who can progress and we decided to just walk and walk and walk to this part of our area that we have never been to. We were about to turn around because there was nothing out there when we spotted this little hut on a ton of gorgeous land. We walked up to it and this family of 6 was sitting outside enjoying each other's company. We asked if we could visit and they let us in. We taught a little and they said they want to go to church! They attended church yesterday! We didn't even have to invite twice. They went to our Noche de Hermanamiento, too. They are SUPER PILAS. We are so excited. The two oldest kids and the dad can't read, but the 10 year old and the mom can read so they have been reading the Book of Mormon out loud to the family. They are coming to a family home evening with us tonight. We are thrilled to have such a cute family and praying they feel the Spirit testifying the gospel is true.
Family Atunez--please keep them in your prayers. They need to get married before they can be baptized and they have basically no money to do that so that will be a challenge. Sometimes I just want to pay for it! It's literally only like 50 American dollars to get married.It breaks my heart.
I love all of you and you are all in my prayers! Loves and kisses!
Hermana Saylin
We found the best family ever. All we have done this week is pray for someone who can progress and we decided to just walk and walk and walk to this part of our area that we have never been to. We were about to turn around because there was nothing out there when we spotted this little hut on a ton of gorgeous land. We walked up to it and this family of 6 was sitting outside enjoying each other's company. We asked if we could visit and they let us in. We taught a little and they said they want to go to church! They just showed up to church yesterday! We didn't even have to invite twice. They went to our Noche de Hermanamiento, too. They are SUPER PILAS. We are so excited. The two oldest kids and the dad can't read, but the 10 year old and the mom can read so they have been reading the Book of Mormon out loud to the family. They are coming to a family home evening with us tonight. We are thrilled to have such a cute family and praying they stay as committed as they have been!
It hasn't stopped raining all week which sounds fun, but actually it is hard to be wet all the time. It rains so hard that our umbrellas leak. The streets don't have gutters so the streets are actually rushing rivers. It's about knee high. That sounds like it would be really pretty, authentic, and awesome but it's the nastiest trash water with animal gunk in it. When it rains we don't have power or water so we just feel dirty all the time. Good thing I learned from my momma to laugh it off. We have actually come to love these adventures. I am grateful that God has given me these crazy adventures. I love adventures SO MUCH!
We had a Ron Ron in our apartment when the lights where out and it was the nastiest and scariest thing ever. Hermana O didn't help me kill it. I just had to be brave enough and it was nasty. It was the size of my face.
We also had a very large terranchula in our house this week. I am not scared of spiders but...ewww90.
Hermana Orgill's unfortunate moment of the week: She bought a suitcase for 650 Limps and we were walking back to the bus through all the city and the wheels fell off. She dragged her suitcase without wheels all the way to Mezapa and the Elders and I were laughing so hard. She did not think it was funny. Pobresita. Worst luck ever.
We found the best family ever. All we have done this week is pray for someone who can progress and we decided to just walk and walk and walk to this part of our area that we have never been to. We were about to turn around because there was nothing out there when we spotted this little hut on a ton of gorgeous land. We walked up to it and this family of 6 was sitting outside enjoying each other's company. We asked if we could visit and they let us in. We taught a little and they said they want to go to church! They attended church yesterday! We didn't even have to invite twice. They went to our Noche de Hermanamiento, too. They are SUPER PILAS. We are so excited. The two oldest kids and the dad can't read, but the 10 year old and the mom can read so they have been reading the Book of Mormon out loud to the family. They are coming to a family home evening with us tonight. We are thrilled to have such a cute family and praying they feel the Spirit testifying the gospel is true.
Family Atunez--please keep them in your prayers. They need to get married before they can be baptized and they have basically no money to do that so that will be a challenge. Sometimes I just want to pay for it! It's literally only like 50 American dollars to get married.It breaks my heart.
I love all of you and you are all in my prayers! Loves and kisses!
Hermana Saylin
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