Monday, February 26 to Sunday, March 4, 2018

Monday, February 26, 2018

After the Office meeting, we celebrated Elder Howell’s 20^th birthday.

For lunch we ate baliades, a Honduran dish. They were pretty good. We spent the afternoon at the hospital for a doctor's appointment and then in the emergency room with another missionary with stomach pain. Fortunately, it was nothing too serious. We got home at 1:30am

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

We slept in a little this morning, until 7 am. We worked from home in the morning, trying to get all our files (electronic and paper) in order. While Sister Bell stayed home to take care of the wash, I went to distribution to gather prices of items. In the past, when the missionaries needed something at distribution, they would contact me. I would buy it and then they would pay me when I gave it to them. However, now that we will be gone, they will need to work with Elder Russell and he doesn’t have the money to buy items up front. So we have developed a plan where the missionaries will need to order through Elder Russell, pay the money up front and then Elder Russell would buy it for them. However, to do this, we need to know how much things cost. The prices at distribution just went up at the first of the year and their price list has not yet come out. So I put together a spreadsheet with the items that have been ordered, and then went to the distribution today to gather the prices. Elder Russell will work with the missionaries to get their money, buy the item and get it to them.

I also took Elders Howell and Russell to pay our rent so I could introduce them to our landlady and make arrangements for paying final bills. We paid for ½ month, until March 15. This will give us time to have furniture moved out and clean the house.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

After working the morning on completing the updates on our files, we relaxed a good part of the afternoon. We then went with the Helbergs for a “gator” at the Asado al Patio. We really like a steak sauce here names “chimichurry”. It has parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and oregano. Afterwards, we went to the Helbergs home for chocolate malts.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

We made a trip up north. We took a frig to Ciudad Dario. We gave them one last week, but it only lasted 2 days. So we took them another, after having tested it at our house for 3 days. We also went to Matagalpa and brought back 3 old fridges (1 worked), 4 chairs, a table and a microwave, that are not being used. Carlos, our new guard is cleaning them.

Friday, March 2, 2018

We took a frig to Villa Venezuela, then we went to the office. Sister Bell spent several hours with Hermana Joyce, training her to diagnose health issues. Sister Bell had all of the office secretaries test Sister Joyce with sickness scenarios. I spent several hours with Elder Vaides, training him in my responsibilities. Late afternoon, we ran a missionary to the dentist next to the Hospital. He had broken a tooth the night before. Fortunately, one of the dentists was there and looked at him. He needs a filling, but they couldn’t do it today, so they made an appointment in a week. We took him back to the office (across town) and then home.

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Carlyes, the daughter of President Cruz in Trinidad had her baby yesterday, but they were still in the hospital today when we stopped at the house to give Maria Clara a piano lesson. So we didn’t get to meet Nicholas. Maria Clara had her last lesson, which went well. We ate lunch at Burger King in Esteli before going to Condega. We met Elders Ponce and Carico at their new house.  It is a much nicer house and has a bigger room for Sacrament Meeting. We delivered 2 tables, 2 chairs and a smoke alarm. We then visited with Freddy and Virginia. We gave them suggestions on how to find family names to take to the temple and answered several questions about the temple. 

We then went to Somoto. We passed by President and Sister Alaniz's home. We gave our poinsettia plant and Sister Bells purple suit to Sister Alaniz. We gave our matching blankets to Cristian and Juanito. We visited a few minutes and then went to the church. While Sister Bell did her weekly report to Elder Curtis, I attended the English Class. We then waited for the temple class, but no one came, so we went to Esteli and checked into the Hex.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

We made a quick trip to Ocotal to deliver 4 boxes of Book of Mormons. We then went to Pueblo Nuevo for Church. This is our last Sunday there. Sister Bell and I bore our testimonies. Her testimony expresses our feelings for these good people. We gave them a framed picture of the Temple in Honduras. 

Here is Sister Bell’s talk (in English)

Things you have taught me.

You don’t need a lot of things to be happy.  You are all of humble means, but you are not filled with pride or greed or plotting on how to get more.  You are thankful for the things you have and share freely with others whether it be food, time, or money.  You have consecrated what you have, no matter how meager that may be to build the kingdom of God.  I marvel at the distances that you travel to be here at church.  I hope I can remember your example when I return to the worldly life I left behind.

The basic gospel principles are the same no matter where you go.  Faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  These principles are being taught in this group.  You also have tried to follow the curriculum of the church.  We now have primary, young women, relief society, priesthood meeting, Sunday school and sacrament meeting just as you would have in any ward in the church.  You have come so far as a unit of the church since we came nearly two years ago.  The restored gospel is being taught abundantly in this group.

The church is a family.  We are brothers and sisters and what keeps people coming back to church is a feeling of being loved and welcome.  I have watched how you treat each other.  The joy of being together as friends and family is apparent.  The children show respect for their parents and grandparents.  I see the pure love that parents have for their children.  You like to visit, you like to play and laugh and sing together.  You like to eat together.  I watched twenty-nine of you crush yourselves into a sixteen-passenger bus without a complaint, but lots of laughter.  If that isn’t togetherness, I don’t what is.  You like to learn about the gospel and worship together.  When one of you has strayed and makes amends and returns to activity, there is no judgement, only joy at the prodigal son returning.  The scripture – As I have loved you, love one another.  Comes to my mind when I think of the members in Pueblo Nuevo. 

Continued progress in the gospel is important if we want to return to Heavenly Father.  There has been a great deal of progress in the last twenty-two months.  I have seen some of you go to the temple for your endowments, some have received their patriarchal blessings.  Many of the men have received the priesthood.  All have learned more about the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ and have tried to use them in their lives.  You are not perfect, but you are trying hard to become that way.

Your love and example will stay in my heart and mind for the rest of my life.  Wherever we go or do, this group of people will be a shining star in the vast experience of our lives.  I love you and share your love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that he is our beloved brother.  I pay tribute to Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the latter-days.  I love the Book of Mormon and cherish it as God’s word.  I know that Russell M Nelson is the prophet for this day.  I love my Heavenly Father.  I am his daughter and you are my brothers and sisters.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

We attended the baptism for Roger, Hermana Karen’s oldest soon from Trinidad. We met him several months ago when we gave Karen her last temple prep class. It was at her house. We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon on our way back home. She had fixed dinner for us and her family. All three of her boys eat and then Roger stayed for the lesson. The younger boys wondered off. He seemed very interested, asked several questions. We were impressed with his sincerity and love for his mother. The missionaries have been teaching him and he decided to be baptized today. Karen called us this morning, told us he was going to be baptized and asked if I would give a talk. I was glad to do so. I talked about the importance of baptism but spent most of my time talking about the Holy Ghost. I related three stories in which the Holy Ghost helped me. I related the experience when I was a teenager. Me and several of my LDS friends heard about a party, so we stopped by. As we were walking in, the Holy Ghost, very strongly told me we shouldn’t go in. We didn’t. I heard later that the party was full of beer and sex. I also related the experience in my mission when the Holy Ghost testified that the Book of Mormon was true and then how the HG softened our hearts to accept a Spanish Speaking mission. We took Elders Guerra and Gonzalez back to Trinidad on our way to Managua.