Cell Phone

So this week was an interesting one.

As many of you already know, an Elder in our mission was killed this week in a car accident.  I did not personally know him, but the blow was felt all the same.  A feeling of shock seems to be felt by all the missionaries.  In my case, it has put a lot of things in perspective.  Things are so short sometimes, and the only thing to do is to use them.  I know that the Elder has returned to his God, and is now doing the work that God needs him to do over there.

Part of that change of perspective was used to define my life goals.  It was interesting to see some of the changes then what they may have been before (if, to be perfectly honest, I had written the down before).

1. Finish my mission well

2. Get married in the temple

3. Finish my degree

4. Have a family

5. Be successful enough in my work to be able to help others as well as provide for my family

6. Send my kids on full time missions

7. Serve a mission with my wife

8. Endure to the end

I spent a little more time filling those goals out, but those are the basics.

I know that God has a plan for each of us.  He knows what we should do to have the greatest measure of happiness in this life and the world to come.  Part of humility is changing our plan to meet his.

This week has been good.  We saw successes, and failures.  We had surprises, good and bad.  It was essentially a normal week in the Mission Work.

Best news this week, I went on divisions with our ZL`s.  I did an interview for them, and spent the night in their area.  Elder Ward showed me their Nerf guns, and (as you should be able to see in one of the pictures), he got me in the glasses.  We had one of those days where everything was planned perfectly, and not a lot of stuff went perfectly.  Elder Ward was a huge example to me, always thinking of something else to do so we stayed busy.

The other days of the week were spent doing normal stuff.  The only other weird story is that on Sunday, an investigator offered to make us lunch.  I don`t know if I ate to much, or the food was heavy, but neither I or my companion could keep our eyes open afterward.  It was super good, but I was little embarrassed when I woke up (we ate it in the house thank goodness).

The only other weird thing that happened this week is that we received CELL PHONES! It was pretty cool and super useful.  The only bad thing is that they have a very basic game, and it became a race to see who could beat it first.  I did about 8 levels, and my companion did the other 42.  He finished today, and I took the picture (to try to take credit).  It was good to relax sometimes.

Elder Henrie

Feeling Good

Hello!  I am actually pretty good today.  I don´t know exactly why, but I just have a good feeling today.

It has been an interesting week.  The first thing is that for part of it my comp was sick.  He thinks he ate something weird, but we don´t know exactly what.  He is luckily feeling much better now.

We spent the week doing a good amount of work.  We found some things to improve and some things we are doing well.  Our miracle for the week was that a baptism from a month ago got confirmed, so we finally completed that ordinance.  It was good.

In general this week was classified by new experiences.  I picked up a cat, and it happened to be covered with something (see my tie) on the side that I couldn´t see.  I believe that God was reminding me that sometimes small cute things have a downside, and you should always look at something from ALL sides before you pick it up and cuddle it like a baby.  (I feel like there is an object lesson in there somewhere, but I will let you guys figure it out).

On Sunday we went to find investigadores, and we found out a lot were sick.  So, we went to pick up another. As we bajared (went down) to church, this drunk guy that likes to talk to us found us and announced he was going to church.  I honestly thought that he would do the same that he always does and fall by the wayside as we walked, but today he was persistent.  He attended part of the Sacrament Meeting.  I felt a little as if I was caring for a child, it totally confirmed my goal to never drink alcohol.  He left after the Santa Cena, and announced he would come again, I hope he remembers something and that maybe we can reach the point that we can teach him.  He was very friendly.

On Sunday, we were going to a cita (a visit) and we had two paths we could take.  I thought we should take the path that went for arriba (up) because the night before we had a NDH in the same area and we took that path.  Also, in the morning when we went to pick up people we took the same path.  My companion wanted to go for a different path abajo (down).  In the end, we came to a rouph agreement that we would go up.  

While we were walking, we passed a group of drunk guys.  One of them, came up to my comp, and asked for his watch.  He had a machete under his arm, but I honestly didn´t view him as that dangerous (he could barley stand).  My companion gave him his watch.  He felt bad because he had already been sick, and the week just kept on getting better and better (Sarcastic).  He was also mad, because the drunk guy ignored the gringo (me) and robbed him.  He was mad at me (and maybe still is), and we are safe.

Also, this morning, the zone played soccer.  One of the Elders had to go and do his residency, and I volunteered to go with him (seeing as soccer isn´t that important to me).  I spent a fun morning with Elder Vanegas (de Nicaragua).  While we were on a bus back, I think a guy tried to pickpocket me, but he did it in a very bad and obvious way, and would have only taken my agenda (seeing as I lost my wallet many months ago).  But he didn´t take anything, it also made me laugh.

That was the fun parts of this week.  It was good and it was fun.

Mother's Day Skype Call

 Graigry with Suyapa and her son Carlos.  He had lunch with them on Sunday.

Things were good this week.  First, I got to talk to my family, which was AWESOME.  The only sad part was I was hoping to also talk to Jessica and Taylor, but, I missed them both.  Está bien.

En otras noticias...

This week I have still been doing a lot of adjusting to the new area.

The area is great.  I still just have this wierd feeling that I don´t belong, I still feel like I should be in Guaymuras.  It is big and we do a lot of walking, but the people are friendly and seem to like to talk to us.

I also felt wierd this week because we had a missionary that died (as in finished his mission) here come back and visited.  He only left in January and it was wierd to talk to him.  It made me a little baggy, but it also encouraged me.  It was good to talk to someone who had success in this area, and a lot.  He promised us it was a good area, we just had to work in it.

I talked with my family on Sunday, which also made me a little baggy, but not as much as I thought.  I left knowing that I am really where I am supposed to be.

Today I was reading a scripture del Libro de Mormon, Mosiah 2:41, that had new meaning for me.  It talked about the happiness of the people that obey, but for me, it said specifically, if you want to be happy, you need to obey. That was a little message from God for me.  Adjusting to a new area, a new companion, new people, has been difficult.  But I know that real happiness, happiness that doesn´t end, comes from God, and the only way that he gives it to us is by obedience.

I love you guys.  Thank you for your prayers and your support.

Elder Henrie

Big surprise this week

So, the big surprise this week.......I changed areas, Again!

An Elder in our Zone had problems with his knee, and it was decided to switch him out of his area (which is big and full of huge hills).  So they looked around and found my old area (really small and super flat) and 2 and 2 made 7!

I got a call on Tuesday, asking if I could go to the Stake Center to meet with the ZLs, and they broke the news.  I was kind of in shock, we had heard that someone was going to move, but somehow you just never think it will be you...

The fun part is I officially have 9 months in the mission, and I have never changed areas in normal change day (I have changed companions, just not areas).  It also means I will probably be in this zone another 3 months (but who knows, I am officially a special case).

I left my son Elder Rodriquez with his new companion and I went with Elder Capacho.  He is kind of fun because he is from El Salvador.  He is from the other side of the country than Jessica, but it is still kind of fun to feel connected with her.  Especially getting ready for her birthday on the 13!

My new area is the biggest in the zone, but is still small compared with Tatumbla.  I am enjoying losing any sign of a panza (fat belly) that I might have gained in Guaymuras.  I like the ward and it is also fun because one of my best friends in the mission (Elder Head, from SLC), started his mission here.  I feel like I am surrounded by friends (which I can´t see, but I feel).  

It was also an interesting week because I had to go to my first consejo de la Mision.  It is essentially when the President, his wife, the APs, and some other chosen elders talk about how to work better and support the missionaries you are over (yes, I am still DL).  This time they talked a lot about working hard and working smart, which from what I hear, is what they always talk about.  But, it being my first time, I was interested.  The president showed the video Gracias a El (the cool movie the church did about the life of Christ, but in Spanish).  He told us to focus our message on Jesus Christ.

I will be basically working a lot this week learning a new area, all the random paths, the people, and the members.  

I know that sometimes God throws us curve balls.  Not because he hates us or because he wants us to suffer, but because he loves us and wants us to grow.  I have a testimony that as we rise to meet these challenges, that we are strengthened.  I know that we are prepared to face them, but sometimes we need to look for heavens help.

I love you guys.  Thanks for your prayers.

Elder Henrie

Another random happy moment of this week was when we went to Dennys with the ZLs.  It was wonderfully north American and delicious.