I literally can not believe how fast the time is going. How can we already be in the next transfer??!

Okay, I am  SO upset that I never got the email about Grandma dying... It has been almost 10 days since she died and I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT. When was her funeral?? I am not super sad that she died because she really was ready to go and I know she's probably running around in heaven baking those super yummy cookies. She isn't just sitting around not being able to do much anymore. I am sad that I didn't know about it for this long and couldn't think about her whenever her funeral was! How was it? Were you guys with her when she died? What was it like? Who was there? I want details! She was an amazing woman and I love her so much! I wonder what that moment was like when she got to see Grandpa again. She is probably having a wonderful time preaching the gospel just like I am! Maybe she's even teaching people who have family living in Mezapa, Honduras!

This week we had a Multi Zone Conference! It was really awesome and seriously so many memories from THSM came running back. I miss that mission. It will ALWAYS have a place in my heart. I wear my Texas ring every day here in Honduras and think about the THSM glory days every day. President read the email that Hermana Rosales wrote to him about Maria Juaquinas dream in Zone Confrence! It was so awesome. Everyone was super suprised. We were happy. He also read about 7 other president emails about dreams that investigators have had. These people really do have cool dreams and receive a ton of revelation from these dreams.

Another miracle that happened in our mission is that there was a 9 year old girl who came from a family of 12. She hadn't been baptized but her entire family was inactive. She went looking for the missionaries and told them she wanted to be baptized. She then reactivated her whole family of 12 all in a matter of 2 weeks. Just goes to show you that it doesn't matter how young you are or how insignificant you feel. You can be POWERFUL with the Lord on your side.

I don't know the entire story but an elder in our mission got bit by a monkey. I don't know the whole story but I am pretty sure it's awesome.

This week has been one of SICKNESS in our companionship. Honduras does weird things to your tummy...and also I have heat rash all over my neck and it's super hideous and totally itchy. Cute huh? Hahahh No, but hey we are alive and working hard and loving every minute.


Have you guys gotten a chance to look at Hermana Kleins blog?? Super cute! I think there are pics from Zone Confrence up. (themissionpresidentswife.blogspot.com I think is her blog.)

Oh, this is exciting. I think we have bedbugs because I have millions of bites all over my body. Oh Honduras. I love you.

Sometimes i just want to yell at people. Here we are offering them a BEAUTIFUL ETERNITY and they won't accept it because they want to make tortillas Sunday morning instead of going to church. Seriously I just want to be like "What are you thinking??? When you get to heaven and God says, 'What did you do with your time on earth that was more important than saving your own soul?'  I hope you remembered to make a few tortillas for God so you can just hand Him one in that moment and He can just take a bite and say 'Enter into my Kingdom, your tortillas have saved your soul.'"
 YEAHHH NOOOO.... but seriously their tortillas are amazing. They really could get you through the Pearly Gates of Heaven. Hahah no just kidding. But they are good.

Yesterday we were a little late for church so I was just trying to find a seat really quickly. I scooted past 2 girls, a crying baby, a dog, 3 bags and sat down. Then during the last talk I realized that I probably should have thought it was weird that there was a dog in sacrament meeting, but it took me about 25 minutes to even think twice about it. I think it's safe to say I have adjusted to life in Honduras.

Coolest moment of my week? Maria Juanquina didn't get baptized this week ): We changed the date to the 31st but it's actually a good thing because we found out that Luis isn't a member! The church can't find his records so he gets to be baptized with Maria Juaquina and they are really good friends. Tania, the daughter of Maria Juaquina is 14 and she is going to be baptized as well with them. We are going to have a great baptism this week if all goes as planned! I really have come to love them, with all of my heart!!!  Anyway, the cool thing is that Maria was really doubting if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if she needed to be baptized this upcoming Saturday. We were surprised because she has been so solid ever since we found her, but we decided to have a kneeling prayer with her. We knelt on her dirt floor in her cute little hut and as the rain poured down on her tin roof she humbly asked God if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if she needed to get baptized in His church. After the prayer we all just stayed there kneeling for about 5 minutes in silence. She had these big ol' tears rolling down her cheeks. I'm not kidding...I will never be the same.

This church is real. It holds all the truth and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. All it takes is one prayer with real intent and anyone can know that this church is true.

Basically everyone calls me Hermana Ashcraft because she was the last Gringa in Mezapa for about 7 months .The whole little city of Mezapa knew her. The other day two 5 year old twin girls came running after me yelling Hermana Ashcraft! It turns out their family was taught forever ago but the sisters had dropped them. We went and taught a lesson to their family and we are going back this week. We will see how it goes. Maybe they have changed! Their little girls are seriously SO CUTE. Everyone knows these twins because they have green eyes but they are Honduran. Super pretty.

Maria Juaquina reminds me so much of Grandma Rose. I am so serious. They are about the same height and they are both that super, super sweet spirit that would never say anything bad about anyone. Super loving. Super graceful. I'm not kidding. I love Maria just because she is like my grandma. I put my arm around her the other day and I felt like I was hugging Grandma Rose. I LOVE YOU GRANDMA ROSE!

Maria's mom is dying ): She lives across the street. We brought the Elders over to give her mom a blessing and it was awesome. I put my arm around Maria while we were standing around (because they don't have furniture to sit on) during the blessing. She was sobbing and she just leaned into me and held my hand. I love her!

The Bautista family is awesome. They taught me how to make tortillas this week. Super cool. That's what the pictures are of on dropbox.

Okay, LOVE YOU GUYS. The church is true.
Hermana Saylin

I have literally almost been out as long as I had been out before I had to go home. Where does the time go?? Why can't I be fluent in Spanish already??

I am eating a banana that I just bought for 2 limps up the street. YUM

Today we were at the beach with President and Hermana Klein and our whole zone because we won Zona Celestial this transfer! WOOOHHOOO. Anway, this huge storm blew in and we were DRENCHED. I pulled out some limpieras from my purse and they were soaked. Hermana Odekirk said, "Wow, that's one limp limp!"  It was so funny.

We were on this bus (with the stereotypical 156 people on a bus that's made for 50 people) on our way to this zone meeting with a ton of other missionaries. My companion suddenly just gots off the bus but I really didn't know why she was getting off the bus. When the bus started to drive away  I yelled up to the driver and I said, "No, stop!" So then my companion ran next to the bus and the bus driver slowed down so she just jumped back on. All the missionaries were crying laughing. It was too good.

We had THE COOLEST baptism this week. It was one of the Elder's investigators, but at the baptism there were only missionaries and then the branch pres. and his family. It was pouring rain. We were standing on the edge of the river behind president's house and it was kind of misty...like that rainforest mist...all over the river. It is in this canyon with millions of green trees.  Literally was a DREAM. This country is beautiful and that moment when Elder Vargas was standing there with her in this beautiful Honduran river was a moment that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl. How can this be real? I'm literally living a dream.

Okay, we got in the worst water fight two nights ago. So we have our pila, then a ten foot wall, and then the other Hermana's pila. Every once and a while we just chuck a bucket of water over the wall to drench each other. It's always so hot that it's kind of awesome when they get you. This particular night was SO BAD. I was out there with an umbrella on top of the pila and then I dropped the umbrella to fill my bucket. Hermana Olivas dumped an entire bucket all over me. We were all dying laughing for the entire time.

The Spanish is coming along really fast but I still dream of the day when I will be able to say everything I want.
I love this gift of tounges! It's so cool. My offical vote is that Scott is going to the Phillipines. So whenever he submits his papers make sure my vote gets written down.

I miss you guys!

Maria Juanquina is getting baptized Saturday. We are teaching her daughter Tania, too, who will hopefully be baptized soon after. Yesterday at church Tania was there and I was so surprised I had the words to ask Mabel (the branch pres. daughter) to bring Tania to young womens and everything. She was awesome for Tania. Then Tania tried to leave before Sunday School started and I saw her walk out. I chased after and again was surprised that I had the words to ask her to stay and that Mabel had a seat for her. She ended up staying and I literally have the biggest testimony of the gift of tongues.

I see miracles every day. I wish I could write them all. 

Luis is  my favorite person ever. He is probably the only person here in Honduras who hasn't given up on being able to say my name. Every time we teach him he says, "Syyyyylinggg." We practice all  of the time. He rocks. He is 32 but I swear he's 22. He got beat up one time when he was younger and they hit his head a ton. He's lucky to be alive but sometimes he is forgetful. He says he was baptized when he was 10 but we can't find his records so he gets to be baptized again! We love him. He is Maria Juanqinas' neighbor.
 
Oh, pray for Johanna. She has a date to be baptized but she doesn't want to marry the man she is living with which is understandable because she is 22 and he is 50 something. She doesn't want to leave him though because she loves him....oh, I just don't understand. Praying for miracles!!!

I met a 30 year old lady who was kidnapped when she was 12 in Tegucigalpa and sold on the black market. She lives here in Mezapa still with the man who bought her. I don't think her family knows where she is or what happened to her. She is living with this man and doesn't want to leave. It makes me sick. I am not in America that's for sure. I see kids with cleft lips often and I just want to write them a check for everything I have to help them. There just is no medical care here. Kids have the worst rashes and when you ask what it is they say it's from the heat. I have sat in enough medical classes to know that "ain't no heat rash!!"

I love this work. I love these people. I love everything about missionary work. 

Hermana Saylin

Wow, this week went so fast!  Doesn't it feel like I just sent an email yesterday?

 I fasted for a couple things yesterday but I especially fasted for a miracle that I might be able to understand the Honduran people, and seriously the miracle that I begged for HAPPENED. I am still not perfect but I am understanding so much more. Before, I couldn't understand anything a Honduran person said.

We had the coolest storm this week and the lights went out of course. It was SO HOT for 24 hours straight because we didn't have power for our little fans. We couldn't buy cold water or Topogigos either. It was a super cool storm because it made me think of 3 Nephi 11 when there was 3 days of darkness and the storms. I am actually living where the Book of Mormon was written and I just could imagine what that was like! The lighting was so cool. We had to plan with candles so there are cool pictures from planning in the dark on dropbox.

Sometimes our water turns off while we are taking our bucket showers. This week it turned off when I had soap in my hair....that was a bummer. Ah, Honduras. Why do I love you so much?

When this storm came in, it came in fast. We only ever teach outside because it's too hot and too small to teach inside. Anyway, we were in the poorest part of our area when this storm came in and their tin roof was flapping around. I was like, "Wow, this roof is going to fly off and decapitate me." Then this big gust of wind came and the roof flew off and BARELY missed me. Prayers answered. 

After planning in the dark we just sat and listened to the rain. (There is a video of the sound of the rain.) So here we are... no power, no phone, no lighs...nada. We were laying in bed and we had our window open because it was so dang hot. Hna O moved the curtain and slid the screen over so we wouldn't get eaten alive while we slept. Then I SAW TWO PEOPLE RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR WINDOW staring in and not moving. It was so creepy and I told Hermana O to look, but she just screamed and dropped the curtain so she didn't see. Finally, I got her to open the window and look but they were gone. However, her umbrella had been moved to halfway inside the window instead of outside. I stayed calm and shut the window while the Hnas cuddled together creeped out. Then someone banged on our window in the other room. I got up, locked all the windows, and bolted shut the doors with all the locks, but we couldn't see anything at all. We couldn't call anyone because we didn't have power for our phone either. Then someone banged on the window again. I just said Hola? Nobody answered. Seriously, so creepy. We gathered in our room and offered a prayer. I didn't like that since we had a candle  and they could see into us, but it was so dark outside we couldn't see them. It was this super eerie feeling here in the murder capital of the world. Then someone knocked on the door. I was the only one brave enough to walk over and say Hola? The other hermanas from our district answered back. We opened the door and told them to come in quickly and then they busted up laughing. It was them the whole time. They were just bored because when the power is out we have to come home extra early! hahahha. We had a good laugh about it and sat outside on our porch and watched the rain and talked until it was time to go to bed. TOO FUNNY.

We are teaching the best lady ever. When we were going to teach the Bautista family they ended up not being home. However, the lady that lives right next door to them was outside and we asked if we could share a message. She said yes. She is Catholic. Mas o menos. Anyway, we taught this super awesome restoration lesson and when we taught about the Book Of Mormon she ran into her house and got this super old crumpled copy of the BOM. We were so suprised. The missionaries taught her once a while ago. We think she just wasn't prepared then, but now she SO IS. We can just feel it. The best part is that she's not living with a man. That never happens. That makes this so much easier. She has a teenage daughter. Anyway...she's so prepared. That was Saturday so we invited her to church and she came with the Bautista family and sat by us! We were so happy. Pray for her. Se llama Maria Joquina. She's literally so sweet. She is a lot like Grandma Rose. I love her! 

Someone in the Elders area got a washing machine (no dryer) and all the members were walking over to their house just to look at it! HAHAHA. 

There is this family with 4 kids. The oldest is 16 and the youngest is like 8? Anyway, they got baptized a little bit ago but now they are inactive. We go visit them a lot. They don't have parents. Their dad left forever ago and their mom is living in the states somewhere. They just take care of eachother. Can you even imagine?? They're never home all together. What a life. 

So everyone here has clothes that are used and sent over from the states. They have shirts that say Houston Basketball game 2008 or what not. Super funny. The worst is that they don't know what their shirts say because nobody speaks English so everyone is always asking me to translate it. This girl brought me a deep conditioner bottle and asked me to translate it. haha. So the branch president's wife is the best . She looks exactly like Lucrecia. I love her. Anyway, she was wearing this shirt that was pink with a bow. It said something SUPER inappropriate in English but nobody knows because nobody can understand English. Well, nobody can really even read Spanish let alone English. Hna O and I got a good laugh out of it. It happens a lot around here. We even saw this boy on the bus this week on our way to El Progresso for a meeting that had a mormon boys shirt. So funny.

Okay, at church we have this little branch of about 50 people including the 7 missionaries. The first two hours were awesome. I even got to teach the second hour about prayer. I was so nervous because I can't speak that much Spanish but it kind of rocked and I loved it. During the third hour it was POURING rain so the branch president said we all needed to meet together. Normally YW, RS, and Priesthood meet outside but since it was raining, we all got to meet together inside. 

Alex y Catia are about 18 years old and they are about to have a baby in June. They're adorable but SO YOUNG. We are trying to get them married and baptized before the baby comes, but they won't come to church! Catia says it's too hot for her to sit in church without AC and it's too far to walk because she is SO pregnant. Alex is always working on Sundays. He is afraid to ask for Sundays off because he can't lose his job before the baby comes. I really like them. Alex told us last night that he prayed about the BOM and the church and he knows they're both real and true. We just need to get them to commit to getting married. Catia is more hesitant but she's adorable. Their cousin Miley is a less active and they're always with eachother. It makes it hard because she isn't a very good example to them. I really love them. Their young cousins are about Sophie's age and they always sit in our lessons and go buy us cold coke and stuff. They won't come to church because Miley and Catia and Alex won't...UGGHHH. We fasted for them last Sunday though so hopefully things will start looking up. 

We taught the Familia Bautista last night. They have a little more money than most people in Mezapa but still not much money. They're backyard is HUGE though and full of huge palm trees, horses, chickens, turkeys, etc. Anyway, last night we all sat outside and the weather was perfect. For once we were not sweating our guts out. We taught about heaven and the plan of salvation. They had a lot of questions even though they are already members. Anyway, when it got dark enough the fireflies came out and they were swarming all around us while we were teaching in their perfect backyard. They have hammocks and literally it's beautiful. Green everywhere. The fireflies here are about the size of a nickel. HUGE. So while we taught about heaven, we had a little bit of heaven on earth. I couldn't be more thankful to be here in this beautiful country among some of Gods most humble people. I never want to go home! I feel like my life is the music video for George Strait's song "I Saw God Today."

I forgot to tell you how we ran out of food!! We don't have a super market or an ATM in Mezapa, though. We couldn't get real food even if there was a store because we didn't even have money to buy something--not even at the little pulperia that we call Walmart, but it's just the size of a closet. We lived off my bland corn flakes with water poured in it for like 3 days!!!! hahah. It was quite the adventure. Then we ran out of clean water so then we just had cornflakes with nothing. We just had to laugh about it. Finally, we got to go to El Progresso for a secratary meeting because we are the secretaries for the zone and our whole district gave us their cards to get money at the ATM there. We were all practically starving to death haha. Gotta love this mission!

 

Constantly the hand of God is in His work of salvation. I know that this is the only church with the full priesthood of God. I know that only through baptism and other ordinances performed with the authority of God can we return to the highest kingdom of glory in Heaven. There are scriptures that say we will sit down with those that are the fruit of our labors in Heaven. I just hope one day I can be as humble and as close to God as these people of Honduras are so that I can be worthy enough to sit with them in the kindom of God. The work of salvation is easily the hardest thing I've ever loved to do. I absolutely love every moment here and I couldn't be more thankful for this oppertunity to serve among some of God's best people. CATRACHO LYFE PARA SIEMPRE!

Love you guys to Honduras and Back! 

San Pedro Sula! I am here!

Wow I feel like I have so much to say and no time to say it!

My comps are awesome. I actually can understand them really well, even Hermana Rosales who is from Nicaragua. She is so funny. Last night we were finally climbing in bed and there was this gecko on the ceiling. Hna Rosales sleeps on the top bunk and so it was right in front of her face. She HATES geckos so she was screaming for me to get it but those little suckers are FAST. So then we were moving the beds to try to at least get him out of the room we were sleeping in...all the while Hna Orgill was in the bathroom. Well, then the gecko ran over to Hna O's side of the room under her bed. When she came in and we were in bed with the lights off Hna Rosales said in a sing song voice, "Hermana Orgill, Feliz Noches con su gecko!!" Hna O was so confused. It was SOOOOO FUNNY. I died laughing.

Oh man-- the mornings here when we are in our casa are so hot. Nobody stays inside here because the homes are like ovens. It's fun though because everyone stays outside and it's very social here, but when we study it is just like sitting in an oven. You are just drenched in sweat. At night when we are asleep I always wake up so so so so ho, especially when we don't have power and can't use our little fans...it's so hot. Could you look up how hot it has been lately? I can't figure it out because with the humidity it is hard to know.

Our power goes out whenever it rains and this morning we didn't have water. That was a bummer because I spent the whole morning outside washing my clothes by hand for about 1.5 hours so i was itchy from the bugs and grass and so, so sweaty from the heat. All I wanted was a shower! I prayed that the water would come back on...and it did! I have never loved a bucket shower so much!

It really is so fun and so different here. Every time I think I can't take cold bucket showers and not have AC for 16 months then I just think wait, NO. I totally can do this! I have always said there is nothing I can't do for the Lord! Then i just love it here. I just love my cold bucket showers and my using hands as a washing machine. It is so great.

Our bucket we use to shower is kind of like what you buy cookie dough in but it's cracked on both sides so you have to pour fast! It takes your breath away it's so cold.

There is this family that I LOVE. We see them almost every day because they just barely joined the church. They have 3 little kids. Erick is 9, Jamie is 7 and about to be baptized, and Mari is 3. Oh, Mari. We are the bestest friends. She sat by me in church on Sunday and used all my hand sanitizer. The people here always ask me what I am putting on my hands. I guess this isn't a thing here?? Anyway, the first night we went to have FHE with the Bautista family and Mari ran right to me squealing and giggling. At the end of the lesson she looked at me and said, " Te quiero muchucho!" Everyone laughed. My heart melted. She is actually the cutest little girl I know. Jamie always wants to braid my hair. Yesterday night we sat with them and taught them the importance of family prayer and I was able to share my experiences with all of our years of family prayer. I literally couldn't be more thankful for those memories! So when you guys are on your knees as a family just know it is going to bless families in different parts of the world wherever we all serve!

We play this game called La Bomba with them. It's he kids favorite. It's like "Don't eat Pete" but you play with random items around the house and you have 2 teams. It was hard to understand at first because it was my first night and I didn't understand anything they were saying, but they are my favorite people here.

We only have one paved road here! Crazy.

I taught the first vision to this girl one night. It was late and the sun was almost gone. Here is this moment that I have dreamed of all my life. Sitting in my mission teaching someone the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and then.... well okay. In Texas whenever we would teach about the first vision the phone would ring, the dog would bark, the baby would cry...etc. So I was prepared for something to happen right before I taught it. When I started to say, " Vi una columna de luz... "the biggest beetle thing flew smack into my left eye. I am not kidding it was in there good, but the spirit was so strong and I just couldn't stop teaching, so I taught the first vision with a beetle in my eye-- one eye open, one eye closed and watering. It was really...spiritual. Oh well. Nothing ever goes the way we plan. I am literally walking truth of that!

We are teaching this man named Wilmer. He has a little girl who is about 4. He lives with this lady that he calls his wife, but they aren't married. He wants to get baptized but his wife says she will never marry a man like him. He doesn't want to leave because he believes it will be bad for his daughter. It is so hard to know what to say in a situation like this. We just keep saying God knows your heart, and He knows your trials, and He knows what you need but it is a hard situation.
Everyone we invite to be baptized says yes. Everyone we ask if we can come in and share says yes. This culture. I love it. My heart...i just love it.

 BALEADAS and Topogigos! I am in love. It is all so good. Topoigos, or however you spell it, is just milk, corn flakes and sugar in a bag and is frozen. They only cost about 2 Limperas and they are the best when we are dying of thirst. Everyone sells them from their houses. We also don't have a supermarket anywhere close by so when we went to El Progresso by bus, we just bought food from there. Never again will I complain about grocery shopping in America. Here you can't bring your purse in the store because they are afraid you will steal. So you leave your purse with this army guy with a huge gun and go shop and then you pay. Then you walk a mile to the bus stop with all 50 pounds of your groceries. Then you get on a bus with about 400 people per seat with all of your groceries. Then you ride in the bus for 45 minutes with people trying to sell you stuff on the bus. Then you get off the bus and walk a half a mile to your house with all your groceries. Then you carry them inside and put them away. All the while it is 100 degrees and humid! Quite the adventure. I love it. I am learning so much.

We go on splits a ton because the YW always want to go out with us. It ends up just being Hermana Rosales and me. We have so much fun. I love all of her stories. She wants to get married in the SLC Temple. It feels so much more real and I feel like more of a missionary when it's just the two of us. But I do LOVE Hna O as well.

The members don't feed us here so that's kind of a bummer.

I will never forget Rosalita Cruz because she is the first Honduran person I could actually understand and talk to! I really like her but sometimes she says she can't understand me! ahahah. She is 18 and a member here.

Hna R's favorite food is green mangos with LOTS of salt and pepper. She eats them all the time since everyone grows mangos in their yards. Anyway...I think it's nasty. I almost died when I tried it.

Everyone says,  "Da me sus ojos!" here and everyone stares. It's especially bad when Hermana O isn't with us when we are on splits. The men are kinda nasty. They say "ay mami" and whistle and cat call. But I never feel unsafe. This is one of the safest places in the mission! We are really lucky. Anyway, people say they are jealous of my boyfriend all the time. It's like they have never seen a white girl before.

I can kind of snap like a Latino! All the missionaries do that here.

Church was awesome. I love our branch and the little house we meet in. There are 2 Elders and 5 Sisters in just one little branch! It's fun because Elder Bray and I were good friends in the CCM and now we are in the same district. He has been really sick lately and he is so skinny... uh oh.

I am teaching Hna R some English but she always says to Hna O, "You have food in your face." It's super funny. Hna O always has food on her face.

I cried when I saw Hna Odekirk at zone meeting Tuesday. I can't believe I finally made it. It is literally driving me NUTTY that I haven't been out six months like I should have. Like literally anxiety. I am praying that the Lord will help me not feel so anxious about it.

I wish people would just get married here. People live together for 50 years and never get married. It's because it's expensive and you have to have a birth certificate to do it. Birth certificates cost money and you have to go to the city you were born in to get one. So if you were born in Tegucigalpa you have to leave your job, risk getting fired and also don't get paid for the days you're gone, find money to get on a bus and go to Tegucigalpa, pay for your birth certificate and then come home and get married. It's just too much for these poor people.

My throat and cold sores and better! My knee...its doing okay!

We taught this family that had a bunch of kids. They live in a concrete shack that is half the size of our family room. They had 2 twin beds for everyone. They were pushed up against one wall together. They didn't have chairs for us so we sat on the beds and I realized they were only cardboard with holy sheets over them. Their roof fell off a little while we were teaching. I can't believe how people live but they are actually THE HAPPIEST people I know. It just goes to show you it's not what you have, it's who you have. And they have family, and Jesus and that's enough for them.

Nobody here pronounces their S's. So its SO HARD to understand them. I can understand my comps easy. No problem. I am actually suprised at how much I understand especially from Hna R. They say An Pedro Ula instead of San Pedro Sula. And Entonce instead of Entonces. So it wasn't until Saturday that I could even kinda understand a word they were saying. I am praying and working so hard for the gift of tounges. Sometimes it is so frustrating not being able to express myself... but speaking Spanish is kind of addicting and I love it.

I am happy, sweaty, and loving it here. I miss America a little but I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and there is nothing that He can't ask me to do. I keep telling myself that when the moments get hard. Mostly the only thing that I have a hard time with is that I should be going home in March and I'm not. I'm going home in August. It shouldn't bother me. I should be not even focused on that part. But really, it's hard.

We have interviews with Pres. this week in El Progresso!

Will you send me pics of our whole family?? I don't know what happened to mine. If you could send them through the mail that would be awesome.

No piano here in Mezapa ):

Well, my fingers are tired from all this typing so fast! I am trying to think what else to say.
Look at my dropbox. This is my vaca friend. He's a cow. He was eating garbage just like all the other crazy animals here.

I have so many bug bites. ugghh

And my tan lines!! Wowwowowowww.

I love you guys so so so much!
Loves and loves from Central America!!
Hermana Saylin

These are the four sisters in my MTC dristrict in Mexico City.

This is the MTC doctor and his wife.....I didn't know at this point that my torn ACL would allow me to get so close to them!

I have arrived and been here 1/2 a day!

If you knew what I just went through to be able to write you this email! We just went to 3 different internet cafes to finally find one that works!! I am using all my strength to push down this space bar. hahahh. Oh my HECK. I love this country. There are chickens eating garbage and cows that just come walk right next to you. I just want to catch the chickens but I think I will get a disease. I am in this city called Mezapa. There are kids everywhere--little Sammys running around in diapers and no shoes. I have the cutest little house you've ever seen. It has10 foot walls around it with a lock so we are super safe. It looks like Jurassic Park everywhere you look. All anyone talks about is how it's the dry season but it is literally raining right now. Anyway, it's actually beautifully ugly and I LOVE IT, but I don't understand anyone. Actually that isn't true. I understand my companions because one of them speaks English and one of them speaks slowly for me. Yes! I have 2 moms (trainers)! I want to send you pictures but these computers won't let us. Next week we will beat the elders to the nice computers so I can send you these AWESOME pictures. I am not in Kansas anymore.

So after i turned the corner after saying bye to yall i just was like.. Wait! I did it!!! I just did it. I just passed that test. The last part of my mountain was almost the hardest to climb but i got to the top. I did it!!
So i didnt even realize this... until i was writing it down in my journal. Saying goodbye to scott pot i was kinda stern. Haha no but seriously. I hugged him and told him i loved him etc. And then i put my hands on his shoulders and looked him so deep in the eye. I told him ¨I dont want to see you until you are an RM. I told him he was ready and that he needed to go. Have christmas at home and then go. I dont want to only serve with you one month!
I honestly did not plan to say anything to him.  I didnt even realize what had come out of my mouth until i sat down and wrote in my journal waiting for the plane. But i am a full time missionary. That means i have the power to speak Gods actual words. I am not saying i can recieve revelation for scott but I can speak the words that HF and the spirit give to me. And i just wonder if that wasnt just the answer to Dads blessing he gave me last night but also if it was an answer for Scott Pott.

So I got on the plane to Atlanta and they changed up all the seats. Luckily I still got an isle but I ended up sitting next to these 2 boys (sitting on either side of me) that were high as a kite, and drunk. The kid almost knocked me out with his bag trying to put it over head. Everyone on the plane was shaking their heads. It was actually pretty hilarious. I didn't really sleep that much. I had the longest layover EVER in Atlanta. But I was so excited to step onto that plane to San Pedro Sula. I didn't cry when I landed because I was surrounded by a bunch of buinessmen traveling together and I just felt like I had to keep it together. There has never been a sweeter sign then the "Bienvenidos A Honduras" sign.

 Customs was nerve racking cause I didn't have a return ticket or a visa (which I didn't need but was still nervous about) but the guy asked no questions and shoved me right through! Prayers answered. The Kliens were there to pick me up. They took me to a Honduran restaurant called Power Chicken. I ate a chicken spine-- like it was a rib cage. That was... cool!  Then they bought me a cold soda and we drove an hour and a half to my area. I met my two mommas. I wish I could send pictures today! That drive was gorgeous. The Kleins say this is their favorite area. There are 2 Elders and 5 sisters that live on the same dirt road. We all share one branch. The church is a rented house! It's actually the safest area of the mission and my house is so cute. You should see where they baptize. I have pictures.

I was surprised how much I could understand. They all say I am from the factory which is what the local Mormons call Utah but in Spanish. Anyway, there's a really pretty rainbow over the mountain right now. Everything is wet and I am so STICKY!

I saw Elder Bray. He's in this district.  He passed out when he saw me. We were good buddies in the CCM and he said if he were me he wouldn't have come back.  Are you kidding?  This is heaven.
I wish I could send pictures this week!! Maybe Google map it??

I shower in a shower, but it doesn't work. So we just use a bucket. We do our laundry outside with this tub. It's super cool. Yeah...this is not Utah. I feel like I am dreaming! Is this really real?
I saw this little boy Chloe's age on a horse out by himself. The horse probably weighed as much as Sam.

I think Coke  owns this country. 

Write me letters at
Mision Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
12 Calle, Ave Circunvalacion
3er, Nivel, Oficina #4
San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras C.A.

Miss you! Love you!
Hermana Saylin