It's the Lord's Work!

 Can you say Pipas??? Oosh!

 Guanabanas are cool

It was raining but we had to teach outside.... That's ok!

Goodbye, May!

This week was a good week.

I always thought that once I was putting baptismal dates for people I wouldn't ever be there to see their baptisms of, I'd not want to work anymore.

That's silly.

One thing I've really learned in these few months is that this time isn't mine. I gave it to God and it's His. I can't go and give Him a gift of 2 years of my dedication and then be trying to tell Him to give it back to me! I already gave Him the gift. And whether or not I have success, It's His work! It's not for my glory.

So if the work is His and the time is His and the converts (should be) His, why would I stop working because I won't see the fruits? Won't I be just as happy to hear that someone we found, or taught, in these weeks, got baptized in some future moment? Isn't that really the joy of missionary work? Being there in the service is nice and all, but the real joy comes from just knowing that they're doing better.

That's how I feel about Carlos. I don't care that I won't be here when he and his family get baptized. I'm just so happy that they went to church yesterday! He seemed to like it a lot and his daughter just loved it.

I just want them to be happy. So I'll keep working. That's my philosophy, anyways.

I've never, ever, all my life been good at finishing things out. I always did well and did well then kind of puttered out at the end. But it's different now that I have different motives. I know that if I were trying to take personal glory in the work, like I have done in some moments before, I wouldn't want to work anymore. But I just love this work and love my Heavenly Father. And when I remember that, I want to keep working.

I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

-Elder Henry

I just had to.....

Rock on, Sloth Man

Guanabana vs pineapple is like Godzilla vs mothra

 preparing the platano leaves for tamales!

 busy bees in the tamales factory

Everything is (still) awesome!

note: not actual sloth in story, photo for illustration purposes only

Ok. Big news. I SAW A SLOTH! :) Here's the story.

     Yesterday, it was like 8:45pm, and we were trying to talk to some new people. So we were walking and there was this guy just standing there in the gravel road with a broom in his hand. So, to start the conversation, I just said to him "Sweeping the road, eh?" (that's the best translation I can give, even though I don't really say eh...)

     So he said he was staring at something in the power lines. A bird? And so I'm sitting there staring and don't see any bird, just a plastic bag hanging there.

     But wait! It wasn't a bird! It was a sloth, no silly plastic bag!

     So it was cool because A. he said we can pass by and share with him and his wife and B. I got to stare at a sloth for like 10 minutes "running" down a power line. 

     Alright, onto the important stuff.

     A good team never stops improving. I love being with Elder Vazquez because we just get along fabulously. We're really good working together, and I feel like we're completing with everything just how we should be! But what I really love is that we're both willing and searching for what more we can do to be better. In little and big details, in personal habits and ideas for the work, we're just trying new things. And I feel like we're improving. And I feel like we just had a wonderful week this week because we really corrected what we may not have done so great on the last week!

     So yeah. Nothing really super huge or out of the ordinary happened, but the work is definitely going forward. We're meeting awesome people and having awesome experiences. On the 18th we'll have our first baptism together, and we're teaching a pair of (fraternal) twins who are great also. Yesterday we had a lesson where the sister, Edith, was able to testify about the blessings she's felt as she read the Book of Mormon. Woohoo!

     So yeah. As a Lego might say, everything is awesome!

     We're gonna make Mexican bread with the sisters here in Guacimo today! :) We always do a big FHE with investigators in a recent convert, Jesus' house, so we'll make it right now and eat it together in the FHE. It's gonna be great! Elder Vazquez's dad is a baker, and he worked in the bakery!

     So here in Guacimo there's a total of 2 internet places, with 2 computers each. so one week we go to the good, fast computers, and the other week the sisters do and we go to the dinosaurs. So I'll be uploading fotos every other week, because the dinosaur barely even handles email haha

-Elder Henry

Mom, if Doctor Who went to Utah he would leave saying "temples are cool." Oh mom, so you know how if you have 2 trainers then the 2nd one is your stepdad right? Don't tell anyone, but I'm convincing Elder Vazquez that I'm his real dad and that his first trainer was his stepdad :-) Woops! I'm a greedy parent! I'm so happy mom :) God's always blessed me with great missionaries under my leadership. Did you know I've never had even one really disobedient missionary to deal with? They've always been great!

 

Dad, You're gonna be proud of me. Yesterday we were in a FHE and telling jokes, and I remembered the legendary one. Told it to the Gringa sister here in Guacimo and she totally got stuck on it. Classic! haha.

     Thanks for always writing me :) It's so great to here that cousins (and aunt and uncle) are doing well. And thanks for the experience about prayer! Prayer just becomes so powerful when we're specific :) 

     I'm definitely going to have to visit Mexico one day. I love my companion so much and he lives right by another companion I had who I also got along with super well. I love the mission so much!

Have a great week, dad! :)

-Elder Henry