January 25

Good day to all of you family and friends out there in the world, how are you all doing? I hope well.

Alright, lets see if I can figure out where to start. The first 2 days of the week we spent running around teaching brief lessons, and saying goodbye to everyone for Elder Lopez and all that stuff, so all normal there. Wednesday morning, I left real early and traveled all by myself about 4 hours to pick up my greenie, very boring was that trip let me tell you. I finally arrived at the house of President Flores to pick up my new companion, and I got a surprise. To answer your question mom, he´s not gringo or Latino. Well, I guess technically he is Latino, but yeah let me explain. He is from Nicaragua, a city called Bluefields. In that city they only speak Creole English. He is really dark skinned and all of you who have no idea what Creole English sounds like, just imagine that I have a Jamaican companion. They speak kinda like that, but with a really thick accent and a whole lot of words are different. So he is learning Spanish just like me, it's kind of interesting that President Flores placed me, by far the youngest trainer of the group, with the only Latin who doesn't speak Spanish haha. Since the other trainers that are gringos are a released AP that is about to finish his mission, and the other that has about 18 months in the mission. Yeah, talk about how unqualified I feel as I have never even been Senior Companion.

Anyways, this week has been filled with big challenges. I'm gonna be pretty blunt and honest haha, I don´t like my companion very much. Lets just say he does not like to talk, and doesn't like it when people talk to him, and doesn't have a lot of interest to get to know people. It's kind of a lonely feeling when you don't have anyone to talk to all day haha. But let me explain a little bit more, because maybe this is all for a purpose.

So, this week I'm almost positive that I have learned more than all the other weeks in my mission. Why? Because I have really had to focus myself on the work. I am now doing all of the contacting, talking, directing, and all that, and those first few days of the week, my stress level was reaching danger points. I am doing all that I can possibly think of to help my companion out so that together we can have success in the desert of Juticalpa (by the way, forgot to mention, its HOT here. Just started heating up, and let me tell you, its HOTTTTTT). As of today, the relationship between us is getting a little bit better. Right now I went from not liking my companion at all, to being indifferent. I'm hoping that next week I can jump from indifferent to liking and then loving my companion, cause that's what it's all about. I'm trying to use every tactic that I have ever used here in the mission with my other companions, because as of this point I have loved all of my companions. I hope to continue saying that eventually. Anyways, now I'm sure you all think I'm a mean person haha.

Amidst all of this, we are seeing results here in Juticalpa. We have lined up three Young Women aged girls that have the desire to be baptized that we are beginning to teach, so we should be seeing baptisms soon. Just to finish up, I have been searching a lot for solace in the scriptures and the Liahona this week, and I found something in the Saturday Afternoon session that I really love. President Uchtdorf spoke about The Love of God, and I just want to share a quote that really struck me this week. God the Eternal Father did not give that first commandment because he needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and power expand through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration. No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are and who we will become. I know this Church is true, for that reason I know that all of these challenges are for my good, and I continue on. Through challenge after challenge, I continue onward.

Vaya Pues!
Elder Tinkham