Hello once again to all of my family and friends out there! This has been an interesting week. I thought I might not be writing you today, but luckily we were given the chance to use the Internet today so here I am! The Leadership training has begun, so this is going to be quite the interesting week for me.
This week I held my first interchanges has a District Leader, and I decided to head over to the other area to help them out over there. I went over to the area of Roble Oeste with Elder Johnson, from Pleasant Grove, Utah. Elder Johnson is a great missionary, and we had a good time together learning and getting to know each other. I didn't get a chance to see how the temple is going because that day we went over by bus to a small pueblo that they go and teach every other day called the Villeda Morales. The small pueblo reminded me of Juticalpa but even more ghetto, it was pitch black at night and I had forgotten to bring my flashlight haha! We had a good experience together and I tried to help him in all that I could with the difficulties that their area is having.
On Wednesday after the interchanges we got together again as a District in Pedregal to give another shot at giving away Liahona's. This time it was a little less...well...effective. We didn't have a lot of success, but something very cool did happen. Do you remember last time we did that activity? Well... the last time we did it, we made a contact of someone really positive named Ivonne Ruiz. We had always wanted to visit her and ever since, I have been searching and searching for Ivonne Ruiz. I know where she lives and everything but we have never been able to find her. Well it turns out that she showed up again when we were giving away free Liahona's! One of my other companions contacted her while I was talking to somebody else so I didn't get to see it happen, but when I took a second glance at the paper and saw Ivonne Ruiz, I thought to myself...are you kidding me! This time they wrote down her telephone number, so I am determined to find and teach her this time.
This week I had a good testimony builder that was a good experience for me. We had found a couple of new investigators this week, but a lot of them just wanted to Bible Bash. I used to never be one to want to go at it Bible style, but now that I have had the opportunity to read and read and read, let's just say I'm a little bit better armed with heavy artillery now a days. So....we taught this Evangelist family and they let us teach the lesson, and immediately afterwards they explained to us every doctrine point that we were totally wrong at. Every time they told me something, I knew exactly how to answer it using the scriptures, but this time I retained myself. They ended their Sermon by explaining false things they had read on the Internet about Joseph Smith and that started to make me mad. So, before losing it on them, I calmly testified to them, let my companion testify as well, and we left. Many times we leave from this lesson thinking about how we could have smacked them with the Bible more, but this time Elder Menendez and I left happy. We know the church is true, and that's good enough for us! I love the gospel, don't you?
I have titled this email the week of foreigners because this week, we had a few awesome opportunities to teach some unique people. One of them is named Mainor Gonzales, and he is from the department called La Mosquitia, the only area of Honduras were there aren't any missionaries yet. They speak a dialect called Misquito, and it was really awesome to be able to teach him. He is actually really positive and I think we have potential with him, he even told us that next week he is going to come to church! I'm looking forward to try and learn a little bit of Miskito. Mom if you can find a dictionary in Miskito, send it to me please! I also had the opportunity to teach part of a lesson in English this week, for the first time in my mission! That was probably the most nervous I have been in awhile, as the whole English thing is pretty hard for me now. I taught a man named Alfredo, and halfway through the lesson his wife came in to listen, but doesn't understand much Spanish. She is from Wisconsin and so it was an interesting experience for me. They were...well a little bit positive, but they did accept another visit, so I will be teaching another lesson in English some time this week! Yikes!
All is well with the current investigators that we have right now. The slow recuperation of Ingrid and Leonardo continues, and they are still coming to church. Martin Lopez is very positive, and we even tried to put a baptismal date for the 18th, but he feels like it's really soon. Vanessa continues with her Sunday work schedule, but we're looking for options, but the good thing is that she is listening a lot more attentively in the lessons now.
I love you all, and I know this church is true. It becomes more and more clear to me every day now. I find peace in the words of Alma when he urges his son Helaman to pray in Alma 37:37. In the mission is where you really learn to place your entire life and thoughts in the mission. I love it, and hope to never lose the habit after the mission.
Vaya Pues!
Elder Tinkham
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