7 August 2013

Dear Family,

Greetings from Honduras! We've made a lot of comments about the problems inherent in using the reply-to-all functionality in email, but I just want to say that for my purposes right now, it's bien macizo to be able to just click reply-to-all because that's what I actually want to do. I'll try to not abuse the privilege. Just so you know, ''macizo'' is Honduran speak for ''really awesome.'' In the dictionary ''macizo'' just means solid. When I first got here, I had no idea what that word or a whole bunch of other words meant.

Monday night my zone leader told me, ''Hermana, tiene cambio'' (Literally: you have change. But in essence: you're being transferred.) Tuesday morning we had our last zone/district meeting of the change/transfer. Those of us who were leaving shared brief testimonies, we took a few pictures, and wrote in people's ''baggies.'' (Baggie-- noun. A journal or notebook in which you write notes and contact info for comps and friends in the mission, kind of like a yearbook.) In the afternoon, our zone met the new missionaries and we went contacting with them. There was a whole mob of us (20ish from our zone and 33 new missionaries). I trioed off with an American sister and a mini missionary from here in Honduras. In our contacting we experienced a bit of everything. One person who had just received a Book of Mormon from some of the Elders who were also contacting asked us to stop and give one to his friend. In another attempt we wound up talking to a Jehovah's Witness who just wanted to contend. Mostly I just watched and was super impressed as my two comps did awesome. The American had limited Spanish, but she made up for it in sincerity. The mini missionary already talked like a seasoned missionary. My main contributions were collecting contact info from one interested person and helping to wrap up the conversation with the person looking for an argument...as well as a bit of testifying. I felt like I learned as much from the activity as the people I was supposedly helping. (Mini missionary--noun. Someone who is serving a brief mission for a few weeks or a few months. They have a tag and everything. I think sometimes people do mini missions while they are waiting for a call or for paperwork. I don't know for sure.) In the evening I went around and said some goodbyes to members, recent converts, and investigators.

Also, as we were gathering at the end of the activity, one of our investigators who was wandering through the park approached me. We know he's struggled with a drinking problem, but this was the first time I'd seen him drunk (or ''bolo''). He was really drunk, and it was kind of scary, because he wasn't maintaining any kind of distance; he was getting right up in my face. I was really grateful for the Elders nearby who stepped into help! Sometimes you just need Priesthood!

This morning we had the change meeting. Guess what? I changed areas, but I'm in the same zone. Today I am writing in the same internet cafe and I'll do my shopping in the same places as I have for the past three months. The area I am in divided into two areas. Hna Petersen and Hna Tajiboy were both in La Paz. Now Hna Tajiboy and I are in La Paz 1 and Hna Petersen and Hna Baltizar are in La Paz 2. And we're neighbors! We are going to have great times serving in the same ward together; I just know it. Guess what else? There is running water in my apartment! I am just about on cloud nine. Water comes out of the faucet in the kitchen and in the bathroom! All the hours of the day! I also hear the shower works too. I'll verify that soon. :)

It's kind of strange to be so very close to my old area and yet somewhere new, but it's gonna be great. By Monday, I should have stories for you about my adventures in my new area.

Scripture of the week: I like the promise that as we strive to come unto Christ, we will have experiences that allow us to testify of the power of God.

Moroni 10:32
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

Love you all!

Hermana Davis