9-1-14 Tip #6

Hey guys! Soooo this week was super good and super stressful but man we just got to do the best we can and trust in the Lord.

The Zone playing soccer. We only get to play once a month so got to make it count!

Let's just start with the fact that we baptized two kids, super excited to work with them. They are 16 even though they look 10, and they are giving the example to there reluctant parents. That´s what this picture of the baptism thing is. Yes I did use a saftey pin. That's my tip for today. 

Pista por hoy

6) Always carry a saftey pin or white zip-tie (not the neck tie the plastic tie up thingy) your choice.

 

Just fyi, this month the mission did a huge push and baptized 255 and 40 families... That's like a whole new ward here in Honduras. Crazy. Just thought that would be interesting.

 

Something else that happened, that was super good this week is we went to a village called the "new neighborhood". It´s like 5 miles and we had to walk. After we arrived at the house of a very faithful member, to our surprise, we found him and all of his family extended family and their dogs waiting for us to teach. In total we found 38 people there. We gave a lesson of the importance of the family in the plan of God using sticks. We took on stick and I called a little kid over. "Break it" I said, and he did. Then we compared the stick with one person and read Mosiah 4:15 and put more sticks together saying "this represants the family unit" then I told the kid "now break that". He tried and he couldn´t.  The devil is less powerful the more unified the family is. Then we talked about things we have to do to strengthen the family. Then..... we finished with wonderful nanci juice and tortillas. Then we played charades. It was good.

 

A group of kids from my pueblito

Sunday rolled around and we went to get our baptisms and arrived 5 minutes early. To our surprise we found President Fortuna there. He asked me to come with him, we went to the bishop´s office and the conversation went something like this:

"Hello Elder Johnson How are you? How many baptisms did your district have this month?"

"I'm pretty good thanks, and well we didn´t have the 13 we were hoping for but we got close and we´ll be confirming 2 more today to finish with 9."-Elder johnson

"That´s good. Looks like you´re doing good work. Look Elder Johnson, you are going to be the Branch President of this Branch."

".........em.. what? How? When?"

We left from the office and I went to go sit with my investigators. President Fortuna Released the anterior president and sustained me as president of Jesus de Otoro Branch.... I walked to the front, and sat down. My only thought was, "I´m 19. How am I going to do this." That same day I led my band of leaders to take a bus and travel to the center of the church around here, La Esperanza, where we had a leadership training. It´s a lot to take on, I think the biggest challeng is to send the three missionaries we have on the mission, and the Tithing and fast offerings, not to mention patriarchal blessing, activities, The youth camp for SOY (spanish version efy.) and ordinations. I have to start giving calllings this next Sunday, figure out how the satilite works for the training from Salt Lake, work with a new MLS program... etc. etc. etc. 

3am in the morning, a beautiful sight

 

I couldn´t sleep last night. so I recorded my companion snoring. I couldn´t stop thinking that there are now 476 people under my care and that will trust in me. We no longer have any presidency, and our active priesthood is limited to 4 Elders, 2 leave to study in one week and 2 can´t read or do math. One current deacon and one deacon ready to be ordained. We had an attendence of 82 and we have to hit 100 before the end of the year.... I learned all this like, yesterday.

I´m not ready and I can´t do this alone. We will be relying on the Lord, more than ever. We can do miracles here. We´re already seeing them. 

That the biggest news. Prayers would be appreciated.

Well.... have a good week, paz y amor.