"I expect full participation!" Do it if you know it.

"I expect full participation!" Do it if you know it.

So, a couple of weeks ago the door to family history library at the church broke so we had to start emailing at the internet cafe, which isn't as good because this one room in the church has air conditioning and we use the computers for free, but an internet cafe no. I was all excited because the elders told us the door was fixed, but we got here and we can't get the air conditioning to work so we're super sweaty. Oh well.

The RS president texted us this morning and told us that Hermano Rosales, one of the members of the branch died. We went to the family's house this morning to help however we could. I realized I've never seen that part of the preparation for a funeral. We walked in and Elder Lopez and Hermano Mynor we putting cotton balls in Hermano Rosales's mouth. Elder Nichol's looked at me and said, "Have you ever cleaned a dead body before? I checked that off my list this morning." Hermano Rosales looked really cute lying there in his white temple clothes. It's happy to think that he is probably enjoying being back with his wife. 

We were in a lesson with one of our progressing investigators. I've been working with this guy for about two months. He told us that he has some sins he needs to repent of before he can get baptized. He also tried to tell me that he doesn't think he can repent of this. He asked me if I have ever done what he has done. It was a real testimony building moment for me. Even though I've never had his experiences I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't know exactly how he feels, but I have seen the affects of Christ's Atonement in my own life and I know that it covers all sins and all people.

I've been taught my entire life that faith is like a little seed, and while I'll gladly say that that's true, let's all get one thing straight: Alma never said that. In Alma 32 he compares THE WORD to  a seed. If you give place to the word it will grow. You need to nurish the word. Alma never says that faith in like a seed, he is talking about the word. 

We went out with the Webbs again on wedenesday. I have to translate sometimes and I really enjoy it, it's fun, but sometimes I get really confused. The thing is that sometimes I don't actually translate the spanish into english, I just say it more clearly and slowly so the webbs can understand. So, we were visiting the familia Sosa and Elder Webb said something in english and I started saying it to Hermana Sosa in english again just more more slowly and clearly like I do with the webbs sometimes, but the problem is that Hermana Sosa doesn't speak englsih. She gave me a really weird look and then I realized my malfunction and said it in spanish. She just laughed and put her arm around me, and said, "you're getting a little confused with all this translating" It was super funny.

We had interviews with Presidente Klein on saturday. Can you believe it's already been another three months? Holy moly! This 3 months was WAY faster than the last 3. It was absolutely wonderful, like always. 

Every interview I have I see Klein with his cheat sheets that have info about all the missionaries on them, so I finally asked him what's on there. He has two different ones. 

He showed me the first one that just has basic stuff like my companion, area, time in the mission, birthday, I play the piano. ha ha It also says that I like the snow and twizzlers. At one point he said, "I have something for you, what could it be?" I just smiled as he place that bag of christmas tree twizzlers (because when christmas comes and they haven't sold all the tree ones yet they ship them to Honduras) in my hand, and said "That's why you're the president." 

I asked him what the second cheat sheet has on it. He said that this one is more private, so he would only show me the line about me. It talked about how my parents are active members, I have my patriarchal blessing, I was baptized at 8 (you would be surprised how many missionaries in my mission got baptized when they 16 or 17 or 20 or 21 and then came on the mission. Awesome, huh?) I asked, "what's this box where I don't have anything?" He smiled and said, "That's where I keep track of how many times you've been robbed." I looked up from the paper up at him and then we both busted up laughing. He said, "How many mission presidents have to keep track of that??" Apparently there is one missionary who has been robbed five times. 

The Church also must really be true because Klein said somethings to me that I swear he only would have said if he had been prompted by the spirit. He also said some things that are super similar to my patriarchal blessing. I was thinking about it later, and the Church must REALLY be true because when I got my blessing I had never even met Patriarch Flint before but he said things about me are totally true. Entonces, I hope you all know the Chruch is true. and Presidente Klein rocks.

Also, later in the day Klein gave me a reference of a guy who lives in my area. I asked where he got this reference from and he just said to me, "I'm a missionary!! I'm always contacting people where ever I meet them." The referral is of a guy named Marco who lives in front of the Maxi and I was in shock because I've received a referral of this guy before!! I kept saying that marco is the uncle of someone I just can't remember who! I went home and checked my old planner and there it was: he is uncle of Carlos. I felt like an awful missionary for not going to look that guy up sooner. So we went on Sunday but he wasn't home so we are going to try again tomorrow. I really want to find this guy because he seems really prepared. The church is true.

Yesterday we 86 people in church!! I'm super excited that our sacrament meeting attendence hasn't dropped that much. Presidente Valledarez says if can hit 100 next week he is going to ask Klein if he can take us to Progreso to go get Pizza Hut. and if we don't hit 100 we are still going to Pizza Hut except we have to pay instead of him. Woo hoooo!! We are totally going to get free Pizza Hut. 100 people in sacrament meeting, vamos a hacerlo. It's been so amazing to see the growth of the branch here in Tela during my time here.

Baleadas: 218  

Love,

Hermana Odekirk