Hello once again to all of my family and friends out there. First off...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN! I cannot believe you have already turned 13, I remember when I was holding you in my arms as a little baby!
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY MOMMY! I had said that last week, but the first email I had written deleted itself, and I forgot to put it in the second time!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERYONE!
I would also like to give a special thanks to my mom for correcting all of my English grammatical errors that I commit every week, as I have literally forgotten how to speak English. Thanks mommy!
On Saturday I received the pictures that you had sent me mom, and wow! Everyone looks so much different to me. It was really great to receive the pictures because I almost haven't received any in the mission, and its amazing to see how much everyone has grown. I may not recognize you all when I get back!
This week the rain calmed down a little bit, so we received a little bit more of the usual sun pounding. I got a little chance to rest the raincoat and to dry out my shoes haha. Also, I have arrived at another end of transfer this week..and I'm a bit nervous that I might be taken out of Ciudad España, as usual haha. Once again i'll say it....the Lord knows where I need to be!
Our branch president has been suggesting to us for the past week that we need to do an activity around here in order to encourage the members. Well, for the last week Elder Vasquez and I have pulled a complete blank on what we should do, but this blank space in my brain was eventually filled! I remembered from my time in Juticalpa that every Thursday we had something that was called Noche de hermanamiento (night of friendship), and I remembered all of the success that came from that. So, we suggested to the branch president that he call someone in the branch to be the branch activities president, or something like that, whatever its called. On Sunday he was able to call her and she accepted; we immediately met with her in order to plan 2 weeks worth of activities so that they can be well-organized. We're excited to get started because we have a lot of good ideas for activities and hungry for members to get reactivated!
This week was a bad week for our recent convert Marino. The other night we got an emergency phone call at about 1:30 in the morning, and as a missionary, when someone calls like that in the middle of the night, you know its something you have to worry about. Well come to find out that his brother had been hit by a car in Tegucigalpa (we have never met his brother because he lives away from home) and was placed in the hospital. We told him that we would pray for him and do all that we could to help. Later on in the week, we found out that his brother had died. We feel really bad for him and want to do everything we can to help out their family. Yesterday, we went to their house in order to counsel the whole family; only his dad was home, the others still hadn't returned from the funeral in Tegucigalpa. When we entered his home, I know that this was the moment we had in order to start teaching Marino's father. We taught the plan of salvation, and I felt the spirit very strongly in the lesson. We gave him his own Book of Mormon and invited him to read it, and he accepted. I pray that he well let the true gospel of Jesus Christ enter into his heart this next week.
On Saturday, Elder Vasquez and I, together with our district leader and his companion, had a small activity in Ciudad España. We put a table out at the only bus stop of Ciudad España and loaded the table with church material that we had collected and started to give it out for free. We ran up to everyone that walked by and persuaded them in with the line, "Hey! Don't walk by because you need to take something for free before you leave!" Or something of that effect. Well, it lured the majority of them in, and that's when we attacked them with the gospel (in a gentle sense). We were lucky enough to come up with about 14 referrals, and we're going to work hard with those this week. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the activity.
Update on Yasmin and Cesar, they came to church again this week! We were really excited to hear that they wanted to come again, because honestly we thought they got bored the first time. But when we were having the activity, Yasmin walked by and the other missionaries were talking to her. They asked her if she was going to come to church this week and this is what she said, "I had the pleasure to go to church last week, and yes I'm going to go again because I liked it a lot!" Elder Vasquez and I wanted to cry of pure joy at this moment. The only problem is that Cesar is progressing like an ancient turtle. We're going to commit them to baptism and marriage this week, so it's do or die for them! Cross your fingers!
Hno. Titi, the inactive returned missionary that we brought to church last week, came to church again! I have been working really hard with him ever since I have arrived, and so help me by the time I leave he will be active again. I had made a goal that every time I find myself in an area were there is a returned missionary who has lost his testimony, I'm going to shove it back in them! It breaks my heart to see someone like that who had such amazing blessings as a missionary, and has forgotten everything as they were lost once again in the real world. We went over to his house this week and helped him with a service project. We built a cement wall and carried a bunch of cement bricks. Ouch my hands hurt, but it was worth it. Also, Saturday night when we finished teaching a lesson with a DVD, I strategically dropped by their house to leave the DVD there because the church was "locked," so that he could watch the movie before coming to church on Sunday, and it worked!
Well, that's about all I have for you guys this week, I hope everything is going well with you guys back and home, enjoy the heat! Now you will know how I feel all the time haha!
Vaya Pues!
Elder Tinkham
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