Surprises in Progreso

November 23, 2015

Hey Guys!

We had another great week here in Progreso. I was pretty excited for this week because it is change week, and no one ever really knows what will happen during changes. I was fairly certain that I was going to be packing my bags. I had three changes, two with my trainee, which basically means "adios." So it was a surprise when it was announced that Elder Martinez was being transferred, and that Elder Aldrich would be staying to receive a third companion here in Progreso. Sweet. So that's how it went. Elder Martinez is now in Barrio Los Angeles in San Pedro, the most dangerous area in Honduras. Haha.

I am now here in Progreso with Elder Sop from Guatemala. As well, Elder Ramirez (my 3rd companion) was transferred into our ward. I am so pumped for this next change now. We have three of my favorite missionaries in my district, my companion is great, and we should be baptizing this week.

This last week we painted a special ed school in our ward as a zone service project. We were taking pictures and video for our zone Christmas video, so I wore my Santa hat. It was super fun. We spent about 4 hours washing the walls, filling holes, painting walls (and each other), and cleaning up the mess. 20 missionaries between the ages 18 and 26 with a TON of paint is truly a recipe for disaster, but we managed to finish in a reasonable amount of time with minimal injuries and some great footage.

On Saturday we had stake conference, so we didn't get to do much work. The area Seventy, Elder Angel Duarte, came and entertained us all. He was full of jokes and some really great messages. As some of you may know Real Madrid played Barcelona this Saturday, and Barcelona kicked some butt. Elder Duarte mentioned during his talk that he was a Real fan and while slightly embarrassed by the lost, he still supports his team because "Christ won't be wearing red during the second coming." The shock value was high on that one, but the rest of his talk was great. Haha.

I love all the pictures of snow and general coldness. I am personally jealous that you all have seasons. Here is a crisp 100 degrees all day, everyday with 100% humidity. Haha. I can't even remember what cold feels like. I hope you all have a great week.

Elder Aldrich

Anticipation

Elder Diaz, my first companion in the mission, goes home this week, so we went out to eat.

November 16, 2015

Hey guys,

This week has felt so jam-packed and busy, but not very much has happened. My companion and I
cranked up the heat this week because it will likely be our last full week together. I love the guy, but it is really time to change the scenery. We had one day with 10 lessons! I love days like that. Everyone opens their doors, everyone is home, and the gospel is proclaimed to four or five people more than on a normal day.

I did divisions with one of the missionaries in my district. He is from Bolivia, and he is on his way out of the mission. He finishes February 2016. It was fun to work with someone with so much time and get to learn from him. I have spent the last 3 transfer periods training, and I almost forgot what it was like to NOT be the senior companion. I enjoyed just getting to sit back and let him be in charge for a few hours.

We worked a lot with some investigators that are preparing to be baptized the 28th of this month, one of which suffered a stroke in 2006. She struggles to speak, walk, and really just function on her own. We have been teaching her for a while now, and she is finally ready to take the next step into the waters of baptism. Over the course of the last few weeks we have been scrambling and scrambling to find people to take her to church in their cars. Here, having a car is a commodity that people just do not have. And if they do, they are very stingy about the gas usage and their miles. It is kind of frustrating,and at first, I just wanted to strangle these people until they would become Christlike and participate in some selfless service. In the end, I did not have to strangle anyone (I was close though haha) and one member decided to pitch in, and others have seen her, been filled with the spirit of Christ(mas), and now the members are in full swing. It has really been a miracle.

I hope you enjoy your week. I'm prayin for y'all.

Elder Aldrich

Our Zone made jerseys

A Visit from the AP

November 9, 2015

Hey Everyone,

I hope that you all had a great week. I certainly have. Just to get started, I would like to note that today marks 16 whole months since I left sunny Las Vegas to come to boiling Honduras. Two thirds down, one to go. It's kinda crazy.

This Tuesday, I got a surprise visit from the APs. They did divisions with the ZLs, and that means that they spend a day in a trio with the ZLs, and one other companionship in the zone. They picked me, and I do not know why. I happened to be in my own divisions with another companionship from the district, so we hung out in a trio, and I was the only one that was really supposed to be there. It was fun. Elder Hodson (AP) is from Las Vegas. He went to Bonanza High School. I've known him since the beginning of my mission, so it was fun to kinda catch up and talk for a bit. It was even more funny because we only had two lessons for the whole day. WE worked hard, got some references, contacted, everything, but we only had two lessons. I think I am the only missionary that can work with an AP and only have two lessons hahaha.

This week we placed another baptismal date for the 28th. That will make two for the same day. I am really excited. Both of the investigators attended church, which means they only have to go once more before they will have completed all of the requirements. The only down side is that transfers are going to be next week, and I most likely will be transferred and miss it. But that is nothing new. It happened in Olanchito, it happened in La Ceiba, and it is going to happen here. I guess it just means that I am doing what I am supposed to. You have to work hard, even when you won't see the results and the numbers don't count for you. You have to do it because you love the people, or it would be way harder.

I love being a missionary. I love helping people understand the importance of baptism and repentance. The Book of Mormon and the Bible have become real treasures that I can always go to when I need help. I love Mosiah 3:19 that says:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

Sometimes people think that in order to be baptized you have to be perfect. I love this scripture because King Benjamin reminds us that we won't be perfect because the natural man is an enemy to God, but then he reminds us of what we have to do in order to be made perfect. You have to be humble. You have to be willing to do what God asks of us, even if you don't like it. It is a scripture that I have used many times this week while preparing people for baptism. King Benjamin is the man. I love his speech in Mosiah. Read it.

Have a great week. Thanks so much for all the letters and support.

Elder Aldrich.

Tela: Round Two

November 2, 2015

Hey Guys,

Well, I have survived another great week here in Honduras. Yes. Yes. October has come to a close. I promise that I am not baggy (trunky), but that was my last Halloween here, and there is an exciting ring to it. Halloween here is known as the "the day of the witches," and there is a rumor that this is an important part of our doctrine. People all think we are witches and that we celebrate Halloween as part of some weird religious rite of passage or something. I spent the whole week answering a whole bunch of funny questions. Haha.

This week has been really fun. We did companionship exchanges with the Zone Leaders, and I got to go hang out with a missionary I have known for quite a while. One of our ZLs completed a year during the divisions. ZL in less than a year...wow. Haha. I have almost 16 months and I can barely handle the responsibilities of a DL. I learned a lot during the divisions, and I got even more animated to work hard.

We placed six baptismal dates this week, all for after transfers. It is kinda weird to think that all these people will be getting baptized after I take off. I had the opportunity to go back to my old area this week, and I was just so happy to see all the miracles that have taken place. FIVE people I was teaching have been baptized since I have left, one just last Saturday. Plus, the family that I helped baptize has brought another FOUR people I didn't know to the Gospel. It was an amazing experience to see the fruits of six months in La Ceiba. I hope that I can have a similar experience when I come back to Progreso. The good news is that I can help make our area a jackpot in these last two weeks before transfers. Whoever gets to come here will be seriously lucky. I love it.

Lastly, we went to Tela again. It was fun. It was one of those things where the ZLs didn't tell us until 10:30pm last night, but it turned out all right. There was an old, sketchy pier (that we found a Canadian on), a small octopus, and a mouth full of sand. It has been a fun day.

I hope that you all have a great week. Only 54 days till Christmas.

Elder Aldrich