So in all, the sick drama is over. I feel amazing health wise, however its been back to the trenches faster than I can catch my breath, with a whole new set of prepared challenges and trials for me to learn from. But hey, that's life on the mission.
So, fun factoids. The virus I hosted is called "ganga." Well in Spanish, and it sounds super exotic and cool, so I officially have "I had ganga once" on my resume of cocktail party stories so there is the bright side for that one.
However my trial right now? NO HAY NADA! There is nothing! This morning walking to the bus I just lost the positive missionary attitude and started to vent a mountain to Elder Morales. This morning we didn't have: water (and probably won't till Thursday), clean clothes (because there is no water to wash our clothes), Money (however that's solved now, thanks mom), Investigators, Members going to church (this week was our lowest attendance since I have been here), Food (a cat broke into our house and ate it all), Energy, and everything more! After my vent I realized that I had kinda depressed Elder Morales, so I repented and started to play the count your blessings game. It took us like 20 minutes to get 5, and they weren't very good ones, so the count your blessing game just turned out to be more depressing. However, like always, we just had to talk and joke about the fact we had nothing and have a little fun and our spirits were right back up. Cause it is easy with Elder Morales.
Elder Morales is from Guatemala, and he is just a super hick. His dad owns tons of cows, 200 fighting cocks. He is my newest dearest friend here in Honduras. When I was dying in my bed he was nothing short of amazing helping me through, and is just an awesome, supportive good missionary. He kinda looks like a Bull, and he is just the best missionary ever in my eyes. Even though we are such opposites, we get along perfect.
So right now were just a little dis animated that it just seems the harder we work, less happens. Its kinda of a hard thing to deal with, but this week we have re covenanted ourselves to step it up into hard work and do things that neither of us have done before. Like running door to door, asking people if they want to get baptized during door contacts, finding only families, crazy stuff like that. So we will see if we can finally catch some luck here in Campamiento.
Con Amor,
Elder Morris
ps. This Friday I am going to complete 6 months in the mission! How crazy! Time is flying I cant even believe it!!! I feel like I have so much to do and no time before I go home! Guess I´ll just have to step it up even more!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Come se dice "He Lives" 2-17-10
So I basically caused a medical emergency and a zone wide relief effort, "Save Elder Morris Day" It's a huge story so I might as well tell it.
So for two weeks I have been super sick, with a very wide variety of symptoms that I have only just identified and now things make a lot more sense. So here is my medical history:
1. I had a cough, and when I came to my new area here in Campamiento, it started to get worse. Since I had cold symptoms for a long time (like three weeks) I called the mission doctors and expressed my concern. They told me to drink lots of water and take some ibuprofen.
2. The day after I called I was blessed with the worlds most violent diarrhea, and my cough was still getting worse. The diarrhea continued all that week, but I was still able to leave and work for the next two days. The mission doctor said the best course of action would be water and ibuprofen
3. So two days after the diarrhea I actually felt fine, just annoyed at having to randomly run into homes and stores and demand a bathroom (many a close call) however. I woke up the next day unable to lift my intensely hot and tired body from the bed. I had a fever of a 103. I called the mission doctor. she asked if I had been drinking lots of water and taking my ibuprofen. She then re prescribed the same. (turns out some where in the mission doctor manual it says "all missionaries are liars, so when they have symptoms of dying just prescribe water and ibuprofen till they stop lying and get back to work.) However she later called back and decided to get me on some antibiotics for the next week. 21 pills of amoxacillin that I had to take three times a day, with water and ibuprofen of course.
4.My temperature remained roughly above a hundred for the rest of the week, and I could only be given the power by the grace of God to leave. For example in the morning of Thursday I couldn't stand, but God blessed me with power to leave and do a baptism for the sisters. The second I got back to the house I almost passed out. Bless the miracles.
5. Recap: 103 temperature, violent diarrhea, swollen tonsils, and no energy. Keeping up?
6. I was spiritually inspired to stop eating the food that the people who provide dinner were feeding us. Within 24 hours the diarrhea was gone. They are really poor, so I don't even want to know why the food was toxic.
7. Fever continues to trouble doctor. And despite there best efforts with ibuprofen and water, it's not working. They prescribe me the "bomb", and a stronger antibiotic. the "bomb" is the medicine they give for parasites, or tape worms. I have never heard words spoken with less confidence than when she said "well... I believe there are no side effects...".So I was ready for the worst. Also the new antibiotic looked like something a horse would have to take. It was huge!
8. Fever breaks, but now a new problem. I still have no energy, and am forced to stay in the house cause when ever I walk to far I get light headed and start to pass out. So I am forced to bed rest, and the more time I am spending in the house the worse I am getting. Also I had received a yeast infection on top of my swollen throat. She admitted that she had miss diagnosed me. That I didn't have any bacteria that was bad in me, so since she gave me a mountain of antibiotics to eat, I there was no bacteria left good or bad nothing to fight the yeast. So its kinda like strep throat, but so pain full I couldn't eat or drink with out crying in pain. The doctors conclusion... Drink more water and ibuprofen
9. When I woke up Monday unable to sleep, in pain, I called her and let her know I am coming in and she is going to the hospital cause I can't breath well, eat or drink. So she was going to have to deal with me alive now, or dead soon.
10. We get to Teguciapala, and for some reason I already felt better It's like the further I got from my house the better I felt. The doctor listened to my lungs and the first thing he said was "you have an allergy"
Are you ready, the break down:
Our next door neighbors cook with fire, and ash just rains down into our house because of it. I wasn't getting better with my cough cause I was developing an allergy to sleeping in raining ash. Hence coughing more
The neighbors food then started to give me diarrhea.
Then I contracted a virus. One of those exotic ones that kill white people, thus the 103 temperature and no energy ever.
So the virus made me to tired to stand, which meant laying in my bed breathing in ash and smoke, making the allergy and the cough worse. The virus eventually died, but I was getting worse because I was in constant toxic exposure.
Once the virus was gone, my allergy had made me to tired to leave, thus making me spend more time dying in what was causing me to die, thus making me worse.
Because of these symptoms I was given the antibiotics, which gave me a yeast infection in my mouth making it pain full to eat.
Once we connected all the dots, President lovingly struck into action. Within 12 hours of the diagnosis I was in a new house, in a whole different part of town, smoke free and beautiful. That's the miracle of missionary work!
Moral of the story: When your sick, ibuprofen and water. That ought to do ya.
So now that you have my entire medical history here is the good part.
I am saved, recovering and happy. I have left to work today for the first time in two weeks,and it feels so good to be doing the work again. I can now drink water, but can only eat yogurt and ice cream.
However please know that I am fine. I can breath again and I am taking tons of allergy medicine to keep my air ways open, and pain killers for the infection.
To get sick on a mission is a really hard experience. You realize that time is so short on a mission and it is being wasted, and all the good you could be doing, and all the people you could be helping. It was a hard faith crippling thing to go through. One part of you is "I'm so sick, I just need to recover" and the other is "where is my faith? I should be able to get over this with missionary power and faith alone and go to work." But I learned a lot, the primary things being this.
1. God is in control. Whenever we find ourselves in the refiners fire we just need to remember who the refiner is.
2. I know nothing. When I was in the house giving up the ghost, the zone leaders had come over to interchange, so my comp could go see how are investigators were doing. I expressed to Zone Leader Elder Payne that I was upset. "God sent me to Campamiento to work here, so why isn't he letting me" I said. He prophetically responded "how do you know that?" In reality I don't know what Gods plan for me is, but I know I am a part of it, and I will do what ever he asks. Even if that includes me getting sick. I will always remember the feeling last night, after the move was finished, I asked God in prayer why this had all happened. All this fuss and time lost, and pain. I was upset and sad. He sent me the most overwhelming feeling of comfort, and the words in my heart that let me know that through it all, it was what he wanted and that I just needed to keep doing my best. He was proud of me, and just needs me to get back up and make it happen.
3. Gods hand is in everything. Even though I was really sick, God was still God, and took care of everything. So many miracles have happened outside while me and my comp where just dying in my house. Him of boredom and me of my carnival of illnesses playing "Host vs. Sick". So many things worked out, and I didn't have to be there to solve the problems. I have been so busy on my mission working my tail off to fix everything for everyone else, that it was so touching to just lay back and watch my whole zone come pack me up and move me out in a matter of hours,and the President who loves me enough to make it happen. I really am grateful for this opportunity to learn more, and become a better servant of the Lord. It was a day that even though I had been the one giving service, "I got served!" (ooooohhhhohohoh!)
So in all, I´m learning more all the time even when that means laying in a bed breathing smoke and feeling my throat swell up. I am out of the toxic environment, and from the grace of God improving rapidly. Thanks for your prayers, and I have gotten so many letters this week I can really feel of every ones love. So Thanks to everyone.
Servant of our Refiner,
Elder Scott Wayne Morris
pss this email is huge!!! and probably super boring... sorry.
So for two weeks I have been super sick, with a very wide variety of symptoms that I have only just identified and now things make a lot more sense. So here is my medical history:
1. I had a cough, and when I came to my new area here in Campamiento, it started to get worse. Since I had cold symptoms for a long time (like three weeks) I called the mission doctors and expressed my concern. They told me to drink lots of water and take some ibuprofen.
2. The day after I called I was blessed with the worlds most violent diarrhea, and my cough was still getting worse. The diarrhea continued all that week, but I was still able to leave and work for the next two days. The mission doctor said the best course of action would be water and ibuprofen
3. So two days after the diarrhea I actually felt fine, just annoyed at having to randomly run into homes and stores and demand a bathroom (many a close call) however. I woke up the next day unable to lift my intensely hot and tired body from the bed. I had a fever of a 103. I called the mission doctor. she asked if I had been drinking lots of water and taking my ibuprofen. She then re prescribed the same. (turns out some where in the mission doctor manual it says "all missionaries are liars, so when they have symptoms of dying just prescribe water and ibuprofen till they stop lying and get back to work.) However she later called back and decided to get me on some antibiotics for the next week. 21 pills of amoxacillin that I had to take three times a day, with water and ibuprofen of course.
4.My temperature remained roughly above a hundred for the rest of the week, and I could only be given the power by the grace of God to leave. For example in the morning of Thursday I couldn't stand, but God blessed me with power to leave and do a baptism for the sisters. The second I got back to the house I almost passed out. Bless the miracles.
5. Recap: 103 temperature, violent diarrhea, swollen tonsils, and no energy. Keeping up?
6. I was spiritually inspired to stop eating the food that the people who provide dinner were feeding us. Within 24 hours the diarrhea was gone. They are really poor, so I don't even want to know why the food was toxic.
7. Fever continues to trouble doctor. And despite there best efforts with ibuprofen and water, it's not working. They prescribe me the "bomb", and a stronger antibiotic. the "bomb" is the medicine they give for parasites, or tape worms. I have never heard words spoken with less confidence than when she said "well... I believe there are no side effects...".So I was ready for the worst. Also the new antibiotic looked like something a horse would have to take. It was huge!
8. Fever breaks, but now a new problem. I still have no energy, and am forced to stay in the house cause when ever I walk to far I get light headed and start to pass out. So I am forced to bed rest, and the more time I am spending in the house the worse I am getting. Also I had received a yeast infection on top of my swollen throat. She admitted that she had miss diagnosed me. That I didn't have any bacteria that was bad in me, so since she gave me a mountain of antibiotics to eat, I there was no bacteria left good or bad nothing to fight the yeast. So its kinda like strep throat, but so pain full I couldn't eat or drink with out crying in pain. The doctors conclusion... Drink more water and ibuprofen
9. When I woke up Monday unable to sleep, in pain, I called her and let her know I am coming in and she is going to the hospital cause I can't breath well, eat or drink. So she was going to have to deal with me alive now, or dead soon.
10. We get to Teguciapala, and for some reason I already felt better It's like the further I got from my house the better I felt. The doctor listened to my lungs and the first thing he said was "you have an allergy"
Are you ready, the break down:
Our next door neighbors cook with fire, and ash just rains down into our house because of it. I wasn't getting better with my cough cause I was developing an allergy to sleeping in raining ash. Hence coughing more
The neighbors food then started to give me diarrhea.
Then I contracted a virus. One of those exotic ones that kill white people, thus the 103 temperature and no energy ever.
So the virus made me to tired to stand, which meant laying in my bed breathing in ash and smoke, making the allergy and the cough worse. The virus eventually died, but I was getting worse because I was in constant toxic exposure.
Once the virus was gone, my allergy had made me to tired to leave, thus making me spend more time dying in what was causing me to die, thus making me worse.
Because of these symptoms I was given the antibiotics, which gave me a yeast infection in my mouth making it pain full to eat.
Once we connected all the dots, President lovingly struck into action. Within 12 hours of the diagnosis I was in a new house, in a whole different part of town, smoke free and beautiful. That's the miracle of missionary work!
Moral of the story: When your sick, ibuprofen and water. That ought to do ya.
So now that you have my entire medical history here is the good part.
I am saved, recovering and happy. I have left to work today for the first time in two weeks,and it feels so good to be doing the work again. I can now drink water, but can only eat yogurt and ice cream.
However please know that I am fine. I can breath again and I am taking tons of allergy medicine to keep my air ways open, and pain killers for the infection.
To get sick on a mission is a really hard experience. You realize that time is so short on a mission and it is being wasted, and all the good you could be doing, and all the people you could be helping. It was a hard faith crippling thing to go through. One part of you is "I'm so sick, I just need to recover" and the other is "where is my faith? I should be able to get over this with missionary power and faith alone and go to work." But I learned a lot, the primary things being this.
1. God is in control. Whenever we find ourselves in the refiners fire we just need to remember who the refiner is.
2. I know nothing. When I was in the house giving up the ghost, the zone leaders had come over to interchange, so my comp could go see how are investigators were doing. I expressed to Zone Leader Elder Payne that I was upset. "God sent me to Campamiento to work here, so why isn't he letting me" I said. He prophetically responded "how do you know that?" In reality I don't know what Gods plan for me is, but I know I am a part of it, and I will do what ever he asks. Even if that includes me getting sick. I will always remember the feeling last night, after the move was finished, I asked God in prayer why this had all happened. All this fuss and time lost, and pain. I was upset and sad. He sent me the most overwhelming feeling of comfort, and the words in my heart that let me know that through it all, it was what he wanted and that I just needed to keep doing my best. He was proud of me, and just needs me to get back up and make it happen.
3. Gods hand is in everything. Even though I was really sick, God was still God, and took care of everything. So many miracles have happened outside while me and my comp where just dying in my house. Him of boredom and me of my carnival of illnesses playing "Host vs. Sick". So many things worked out, and I didn't have to be there to solve the problems. I have been so busy on my mission working my tail off to fix everything for everyone else, that it was so touching to just lay back and watch my whole zone come pack me up and move me out in a matter of hours,and the President who loves me enough to make it happen. I really am grateful for this opportunity to learn more, and become a better servant of the Lord. It was a day that even though I had been the one giving service, "I got served!" (ooooohhhhohohoh!)
So in all, I´m learning more all the time even when that means laying in a bed breathing smoke and feeling my throat swell up. I am out of the toxic environment, and from the grace of God improving rapidly. Thanks for your prayers, and I have gotten so many letters this week I can really feel of every ones love. So Thanks to everyone.
Servant of our Refiner,
Elder Scott Wayne Morris
pss this email is huge!!! and probably super boring... sorry.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Como se dice "What is Family" 2-8-2010
Reflections on the family, by Elder Morris
This morning during study I had the strangest emotion of anger, frustration, and overwhelming sadness. I was studying and preparing for my lesson for next Sunday for my young men's class. As young men's president it's what I do, and I like to over prepare and be really ready for this class, so I was reading in the lesson manual. After finishing I nearly threw the stupid book away. All manuals are technically the word of God, written by Apostles and Prophets to help us teach. However, when some papo is sitting in some cushy office writing a lesson about "your family can be together forever" "everyone one should be sealed in the temple" questions like "what role do your mom and dad play working together in your family" and things as such.
I sat there reading this perfect Utah dribble. A lesson intended for educated young men, each with their own pair of scriptures, dressed in a white shirt and tie anxiously awaiting. In this perfect Utah world we would talk about everyone in their family. A mom and dad who love each other with brothers and sisters all born in the covenant together. As I tried to prepare for my kids this lesson I just had to throw the book on the ground and go silently cry and pray in the bathroom.
THESE KIDS DON'T HAVE MOMS AND DADS!!! They don't have enough money to eat, how are they supposed to take a bus 2 days away to Guatemala to get sealed together forever. These kids don't have scriptures, they cant afforded them. Some have the free book of Mormon the missionaries gave their family when they taught them years ago. You know, the thin blue cover book of Mormon? That's all they have, and even if they have it that doesn't mean they have the education to read it. If I asked them if there mom and dad loved each other half would say "who is my dad" because they haven't seen them since they were five or six years old.
I stand in front of these strong young men, and try to relate to them. Its so hard. The other day I asked for bad examples of using your agency. The things they were able to say with such easiness made me realize just what they live in. The temptations that are at their very fingertips all the time are enormous.
I wish I could express to everyone what these kids live in. They come to this beautiful chapel of God and just marvel at how big it is. How my class room (about half the size of one in Utah) is almost the size of their house. How can I tell these kids that "families can be together forever" when this stupid book from Salt Lake City has it all messed up.
A family is not a mom, and a dad brothers and sisters living happily together and Gardening like in the Ensign or cooking together in the church magazines. A Family is a group of people who are trying. They work to keep the covenants of baptism, hope for the best, and persevere through the trials of sadness and poverty knowing there Heavenly Father loves them. I want to let these kids know that their dead beat dads don't matter, cause they have an awesome Heavenly Father, that he loves them more than they can understand, and that I love them and respect them so much for doing what they do. Sure they are few, but they are doing the things they should be. It doesn't matter if they have bothers or sisters, cause their Older Brother Jesus Christ knows exactly what they are going through, and he can help them every step of the way.
Its just so sad. I remember the day that I showed a picture of my beautiful family to Hermana Molina, a sister missionary here. She asked if we had been to the temple, and if I was sealed to them. When I told her yes that sad look on her face almost brought me to tears. She proceeded to tell me about how more then anything she wishes her family was worthy and willing to go to the temple together and make the covenants so they can be together forever. What strength!! She teaches people ever day about the blessings she doesn't even have with her family, but she knows its true, and she knows its possible. So she proceeds to fight every day.
I would like to extend a challenge to anyone one with in the sound of this text. If you have a family just like the Salt Lake City book says, with a mommy and a daddy and brothers and sisters sealed together for time and all eternity I exhort you that this very night you get on your knees and thank God for a blessing that hardly no one in this world has. A house of love. It doesn't matter what that house looks like, or how big it is, just that there is love inside.
If you are not blessed to have that blessing and are reading this, my challenge to you is what can you do to make that happen? to make life eternal in the presence of our Heavenly Father possible with your family?
I know this church is true. I know God gave us families as the greatest blessing of all, and I know they can live together forever through the convents we make in the temple of our God.
With all my love and thanks with all my heart for my wonderfully complete Salt Lake City Manual perfect family,
and en el nombre de Jesucristo, amen
Elder Morris
This morning during study I had the strangest emotion of anger, frustration, and overwhelming sadness. I was studying and preparing for my lesson for next Sunday for my young men's class. As young men's president it's what I do, and I like to over prepare and be really ready for this class, so I was reading in the lesson manual. After finishing I nearly threw the stupid book away. All manuals are technically the word of God, written by Apostles and Prophets to help us teach. However, when some papo is sitting in some cushy office writing a lesson about "your family can be together forever" "everyone one should be sealed in the temple" questions like "what role do your mom and dad play working together in your family" and things as such.
I sat there reading this perfect Utah dribble. A lesson intended for educated young men, each with their own pair of scriptures, dressed in a white shirt and tie anxiously awaiting. In this perfect Utah world we would talk about everyone in their family. A mom and dad who love each other with brothers and sisters all born in the covenant together. As I tried to prepare for my kids this lesson I just had to throw the book on the ground and go silently cry and pray in the bathroom.
THESE KIDS DON'T HAVE MOMS AND DADS!!! They don't have enough money to eat, how are they supposed to take a bus 2 days away to Guatemala to get sealed together forever. These kids don't have scriptures, they cant afforded them. Some have the free book of Mormon the missionaries gave their family when they taught them years ago. You know, the thin blue cover book of Mormon? That's all they have, and even if they have it that doesn't mean they have the education to read it. If I asked them if there mom and dad loved each other half would say "who is my dad" because they haven't seen them since they were five or six years old.
I stand in front of these strong young men, and try to relate to them. Its so hard. The other day I asked for bad examples of using your agency. The things they were able to say with such easiness made me realize just what they live in. The temptations that are at their very fingertips all the time are enormous.
I wish I could express to everyone what these kids live in. They come to this beautiful chapel of God and just marvel at how big it is. How my class room (about half the size of one in Utah) is almost the size of their house. How can I tell these kids that "families can be together forever" when this stupid book from Salt Lake City has it all messed up.
A family is not a mom, and a dad brothers and sisters living happily together and Gardening like in the Ensign or cooking together in the church magazines. A Family is a group of people who are trying. They work to keep the covenants of baptism, hope for the best, and persevere through the trials of sadness and poverty knowing there Heavenly Father loves them. I want to let these kids know that their dead beat dads don't matter, cause they have an awesome Heavenly Father, that he loves them more than they can understand, and that I love them and respect them so much for doing what they do. Sure they are few, but they are doing the things they should be. It doesn't matter if they have bothers or sisters, cause their Older Brother Jesus Christ knows exactly what they are going through, and he can help them every step of the way.
Its just so sad. I remember the day that I showed a picture of my beautiful family to Hermana Molina, a sister missionary here. She asked if we had been to the temple, and if I was sealed to them. When I told her yes that sad look on her face almost brought me to tears. She proceeded to tell me about how more then anything she wishes her family was worthy and willing to go to the temple together and make the covenants so they can be together forever. What strength!! She teaches people ever day about the blessings she doesn't even have with her family, but she knows its true, and she knows its possible. So she proceeds to fight every day.
I would like to extend a challenge to anyone one with in the sound of this text. If you have a family just like the Salt Lake City book says, with a mommy and a daddy and brothers and sisters sealed together for time and all eternity I exhort you that this very night you get on your knees and thank God for a blessing that hardly no one in this world has. A house of love. It doesn't matter what that house looks like, or how big it is, just that there is love inside.
If you are not blessed to have that blessing and are reading this, my challenge to you is what can you do to make that happen? to make life eternal in the presence of our Heavenly Father possible with your family?
I know this church is true. I know God gave us families as the greatest blessing of all, and I know they can live together forever through the convents we make in the temple of our God.
With all my love and thanks with all my heart for my wonderfully complete Salt Lake City Manual perfect family,
and en el nombre de Jesucristo, amen
Elder Morris
Monday, February 1, 2010
Living the vida loca! 2-1-2010
I don't think I could have been happier as the first person got up to speak on Sunday. Everything was finally in order. My investigators were here in the chapel, feeling of the spirit. I had been up all night because the dance club down the street had a raging party till 4 in the morning. I had called dozens of members firming plans, and arrived to church an hour early to open it and set up the chapel. As 2nd counselor in the ward, I had to make sure everything was ready, then leave to go invite my investigators, and make it back just in time for sacrament to start. I then blessed the sacrament, lead the hymns, passed over my notes and appointments for the afternoon and had to compare them to the bus schedule and plan out how we could get to our outer appointments (2 hours walking), and after that I was counting the number of people in the chapel for attendance when Lucito came up to me and motioned to the piece of cloth he was holding, which I eventually realized was his tie. As I sat there on the back row of the five rows in the sacrament hall fixing this 7 year old's shirt, and tying his tie I had the most powerful feeling.
Even though I don't get any free time, even though I walk miles every day, have feet covered in blisters, a tarantula hiding in my house (more on that later), no investigators and a ward that we are currently preforming CPR on, I was just given a moment to be filled with a spirit of Joy. That even though between me and my companion we were literally carrying this ward on are back, that God was happy with us. From blessing the sacrament, to doing tithing, to being fathers to the fatherless children, this small branch of God is built on the sweat and blood of missionaries carrying it day by day. So it doesn't matter if I have 7 callings in one branch, or that we start sacrament with 8 or 10 people present. Its the church of God, and I will do what ever it takes to keep this part of the Lord's vineyard alive.
Official statement on my callings:
2nd counselor
Librarian
Secretary
Young Mens President (I would like to apologize to dad for having given him so much crap in this same position, cause now I´m dealing with a group of Honduran 12 to 14 year old brats, and I finally am seeing how hard that was dad. Sorry...)
Home Teacher
Activities Coordinator
Missionary
So as you maybe can tell, things are a little different where I am at now. I am in the breathtakingly beautiful Campamiento, Orlancho, Honduras. Actually right now I am two hours out of Campamiento to use Internet, but I live in Campamiento. It is the most beautiful place I have been in my life. It's a valley covered in green, with mountains as far as you can see covered in a combination of pine, banana, and coffee trees. Just in my back yard are 3 banana trees, 1 avocado tree, and a mango tree. Also realize my back yard is smaller than our patio.
Remember when I opened that letter that said I would serve in Honduras and we imagined that little village tucked in the hills covered by trees and jungle? Well I'm totally there.
Elder Stone said it best when as we left the Tegucialpa bus station "you realize your going from hell to heaven right?"
The comp and the area are nothing short of celestial. I don't think I have ever been happier!!!
However its not all perfect in heaven.
So to say it nicely, the missionaries here for the last 6 months have let things slip. When I got here we literally did not have an investigator. My comp was just super down, and frustrated, and the elders before him were straight up lazy. So now I have to come and help him preform a miracle here. By the way, the miracle is happening. The whole district is busting their butts to get some success. Already in one week, we went from no investigators to 20, and one with a baptismal date. The ward attendance is up 25 percent (which literally translates to 12 more people showed up then last week cause we went and visited them). It's literally gone from hopeless here, to a column of light just shinning the way. The miracles are constant, and everything is working for are good. Gracias a Dios.
I never knew a human could be this busy. Every moment is filled with something to do. Like on the bus here I planned my lesson for Aaronic priesthood, and on the way back I am going to write my talk for Sunday. It's really hard, but with the hard comes the blessings. However the true trial of my soul right now was one night I had to pee so bad!!!! Forever ago I made a list called "American pride!!! the list of things Elder Morris will never do in Honduras" numero uno is never pee in the street. So I almost peed my pants getting home. I booked it into the bath room, lifted the toilet seat, and there it was!!! Like Aragog from Harry Potter it was just chilling in the toilet. The biggest spider I had ever seen!!! Now I'm not really scared of spiders any more, but I am scared of anything just as big as my hand. I flipped!!! But not Scott Morris run for the hills, I Elder Morris flipped and got my camera. I leaned over and got a few pictures of it and ran back to put a way my camera and ran back to the toilet to kill it with my two shoes. However in the 30 seconds I left, it left. IT WAS GONE!!!!! Right after that I went to dinner next door where a member fed us a huge piece of the 6 foot snake he had killed that day. Snakes, Spiders, and Fleas Oh MY!
Know everything is great. Stressed but great. I have to go, but I hope this letter gave some insight.
Adios, From the Pueblos,
Elder Steve Morris Erwin
Even though I don't get any free time, even though I walk miles every day, have feet covered in blisters, a tarantula hiding in my house (more on that later), no investigators and a ward that we are currently preforming CPR on, I was just given a moment to be filled with a spirit of Joy. That even though between me and my companion we were literally carrying this ward on are back, that God was happy with us. From blessing the sacrament, to doing tithing, to being fathers to the fatherless children, this small branch of God is built on the sweat and blood of missionaries carrying it day by day. So it doesn't matter if I have 7 callings in one branch, or that we start sacrament with 8 or 10 people present. Its the church of God, and I will do what ever it takes to keep this part of the Lord's vineyard alive.
Official statement on my callings:
2nd counselor
Librarian
Secretary
Young Mens President (I would like to apologize to dad for having given him so much crap in this same position, cause now I´m dealing with a group of Honduran 12 to 14 year old brats, and I finally am seeing how hard that was dad. Sorry...)
Home Teacher
Activities Coordinator
Missionary
So as you maybe can tell, things are a little different where I am at now. I am in the breathtakingly beautiful Campamiento, Orlancho, Honduras. Actually right now I am two hours out of Campamiento to use Internet, but I live in Campamiento. It is the most beautiful place I have been in my life. It's a valley covered in green, with mountains as far as you can see covered in a combination of pine, banana, and coffee trees. Just in my back yard are 3 banana trees, 1 avocado tree, and a mango tree. Also realize my back yard is smaller than our patio.
Remember when I opened that letter that said I would serve in Honduras and we imagined that little village tucked in the hills covered by trees and jungle? Well I'm totally there.
Elder Stone said it best when as we left the Tegucialpa bus station "you realize your going from hell to heaven right?"
The comp and the area are nothing short of celestial. I don't think I have ever been happier!!!
However its not all perfect in heaven.
So to say it nicely, the missionaries here for the last 6 months have let things slip. When I got here we literally did not have an investigator. My comp was just super down, and frustrated, and the elders before him were straight up lazy. So now I have to come and help him preform a miracle here. By the way, the miracle is happening. The whole district is busting their butts to get some success. Already in one week, we went from no investigators to 20, and one with a baptismal date. The ward attendance is up 25 percent (which literally translates to 12 more people showed up then last week cause we went and visited them). It's literally gone from hopeless here, to a column of light just shinning the way. The miracles are constant, and everything is working for are good. Gracias a Dios.
I never knew a human could be this busy. Every moment is filled with something to do. Like on the bus here I planned my lesson for Aaronic priesthood, and on the way back I am going to write my talk for Sunday. It's really hard, but with the hard comes the blessings. However the true trial of my soul right now was one night I had to pee so bad!!!! Forever ago I made a list called "American pride!!! the list of things Elder Morris will never do in Honduras" numero uno is never pee in the street. So I almost peed my pants getting home. I booked it into the bath room, lifted the toilet seat, and there it was!!! Like Aragog from Harry Potter it was just chilling in the toilet. The biggest spider I had ever seen!!! Now I'm not really scared of spiders any more, but I am scared of anything just as big as my hand. I flipped!!! But not Scott Morris run for the hills, I Elder Morris flipped and got my camera. I leaned over and got a few pictures of it and ran back to put a way my camera and ran back to the toilet to kill it with my two shoes. However in the 30 seconds I left, it left. IT WAS GONE!!!!! Right after that I went to dinner next door where a member fed us a huge piece of the 6 foot snake he had killed that day. Snakes, Spiders, and Fleas Oh MY!
Know everything is great. Stressed but great. I have to go, but I hope this letter gave some insight.
Adios, From the Pueblos,
Elder Steve Morris Erwin
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