The companion of Elder Diaz

October 20, 2014

Hey All,

So I would like to begin with a pretty cool story. About 3 weeks ago, there was a baptism on a Saturday. We walked all day inviting investigators and members, but no one would be able to come. It was pretty frustrating, to be totally honest, but we pressed on like the valiant missionaries we are. We visited the house of some awesome recent converts, and invited them. They told us the couldn't make it, but that we should invite the kid sitting on the porch. So we did. I was pretty doubtful when he told us that he would go. Here, people just say yes so you'll leave them alone. Needless to say, I was very surprised when he wandered in about 5 minutes before the ordinance. Afterwards, he pulled me and Elder Diaz aside and asked, "What do I need to do to be baptized?" What? That doesn't happen.

But it did. We started teaching him, and learned his mom had taken all the lessons, but decided she didn't like the guy she was living with enough to get married. She didn't get baptized, but Denis had heard all the lessons and he liked what the missionaries had taught. Then his mom tried to send him to the states. He made it to the border, but was sent back. He started working for the wife of a recent convert, and that's where he met us. He studied between lessons, prayed with power, and always had questions for us. This guy pretty much baptized himself. What's even cooler, is that he has been teaching his family the lessons using the pamphlets we have given him. His cousin and sister also want to be baptized.

Yesterday, we baptized Denis. We had to baptize him on Sunday morning so his mom could come. My companion and I woke up at five, ran to the church to start the font, went home, showered, changed, and went back to the church. The font was full and ready to go, except the water was an awful black color. Nasty. The good news is that the water doesn't have to be clean for it to work. My companion got to baptize him, and it was so cool.

As for my funny story of the week, it came immediately after. He asked Elder Diaz to confirm him (if you hadn't already guessed, Diaz is the favorite). The Branch President announced, "Elder Diaz will now do the confirmation with the help of (some dude I don't remember) and... and..." There was a long pause as he tried to remember my name. Finally he said, "The companion of Elder Diaz." It was pretty funny. Especially because about seven seconds later, he remembered my name, jumped up and yelled, "ALDRICH!" into the microphone. That got a good solid laugh.

In other news, one day this week I forgot my tag when we left the house. We started walking, and we had even made it to the road when my companion turned to me, saw that I had forgot my tag, and said, "Brother Aldrich, have you seen my companion?" I thought it was pretty clever.

I scored two more goals in soccer, in case anyone is curious.

Directions here are nuts. We had someone give us directions to their house like this:

Walk to blocks that way, turn right, walk for a little until you can see the pulperia, turn left. My house is the green one after the tree with three coconuts, but before the one with two. We found it. Go us.

There is a little boy here who is four years old. Both his parents were born into the church, fell away, got married, and then welcomed him to Honduras. The missionaries contacted their house, and during their first conversation with the missionaries, they learned that the other was LDS. First of all, how does that happen? Second, they took that for a sign, and came back to church. He now serves in the Elders Quorum Presidency, and they're awesome. Tomorrow they will be sealed in the Tegucigalpa Temple, and this four year old is beyond excited. We call him "Torito" because he looks just like his dad, who we call Toro. I include this story because I think it's interesting and because Torito is our best friend haha.

I love you all, and I love to read your emails. Have and awesome week.

-Elder Aldrich

This is Torito. Torito means "little bull," but I don't think that's a completely correct usage.