Springtime for Hermana Pickett and Honduras

Here's what keeps me so busy: we had 20 kids in primary this week, locked in a small room for two hours! It's insane!

Sharon snapped a pic of me in primary this week. If you can't tell, I'm sweating! Primary is hard work!

Waiting for a taxi at 7:55, in order to get home at 8. Livin' that missionary life

It is such a shame that missionaries can't keep pets, because we are so in love!

This is our home (check out my hammock) Isn't it lovely?

My pink dress got too baggy in the bodice, so I turned it into a skirt. Handsewing. On the bus. No big deal. 

Fun fact about this country I'm serving in: the winter, the spring, and the summer all happen at the same time. O sea, right now. I think it's like this: the impressive heat during the day is summer, the rainstorm that happens at least once a day is the spring, and the cold front that hits once the sun goes down is winter. Cool, right? 

Well, Hermana Miller and I had another FANTASTIC week here in Copán. We decided that we would try to contact a family that Hermana Cumatz and I used to teach, but stopped teaching because they weren't very interested. We also wanted to contact the family that lives next door, because they seemed interested at one point but we could never find all of them at home. Well, first family wasn't around. But second family is golden! The parents, Julio Cesar and Soñia, are some of the sweetest parents I have ever seen to their five little children, and we just love them already. From the get go they have listened so intently and shown real faith, and on Sunday (Mother's day, which all of our investigators used as a get out of church free card), we called Julio Cesar to ask if they were coming and he said "My wife has to go and see her mom, but I'm bringing the girls, don't worry!" Three of his little girls were in primary with me and they all participated. It was great! Also, Santos (who has been slipping off of our radar lately) came with all of her kids, so that was wonderful! And SO MANY of our members showed up! We had 55 people in church yesterday! That is 20 more than we have had in my 14 weeks here! 

Other exciting missionary moments: We met a woman named Concepción (because they have a beautiful flower arch infront of their house and we had to take pictures) who we think is going to be reluctantly awesome. She would really like to be obedient and follow God, but she honestly feels no desire to get married, and she knows she can't be baptized in any church until she marries her husband. We like her. We're seeing good things to come. 

One more: we met this really sweet girl named Carmen who is friends with a family in the ward. I'll keep you posted on her. She's great. The family that she is friends with includes Livis (the YW president who is finally getting excited about her calling), her brother Yerlin (who is totally going to be an awesome missionary), their brother Erikson (who used to be really lazy about coming to church but just was ordained a teacher and finally passed the sacrament this week!), their brother Gelvin (who hasn't come to church in a really long time but FINALLY came this week!) and their cousin Soraia (who has not come to church in years and told us profusely that she did not want to come but SHE CAME!) I love this family. They are great. 

Despite the fact that the area is still a bit tough, and there are still a lot of people (some of whom have already been baptized in this church) who have no desire to listen to us, I would say that Hermana Miller and I are certainly living after the manner of happiness. We have made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon in Spanish in our time as companions, but often have problems finding sufficient time to read...whoops...so this week we read for an hour and 15 minutes on the bus to district meeting. Cool. We go running every morning, which I love, despite the slight amount of pain in my knees and arches (Dad, Mary, anybody--ideas?) At least twice a day, we find ocassion to say "You're my best friend." And as the rainstorms and power outtages increase, we are having more and more funny moments, like when we walked home down a street illuminated only by the frequent flashes of lightning, and Hermana Miller almost had a panic attack when we didn't realize there was a man passing us until he was a foot away (Conversation: M: He looked creepy! P: He's just walking, Hermana. M: Why does he have his hood up like that? P: It's raining, Hermana) Hot chocolate on the stove, huddling under the emergency poncho (thanks, Mom), lighting candles only to have the lights come back on 30 seconds later--It's the life! 

And here's a funny Hermana Pickett moment for the week: This morning, as I was doing my laundry, I dropped my soap in the pila. We have a big pila, and it is way too deep for me to just stick my hand in there and find it, not to mention that the rain makes the pila water dirty, so I couldn't even see where my soap was. But I just bought this soap. So, handling it, I took off my shoes and jumped into the pila. My feet had just touched the cement bottom when I had a revelation--I am in Honduras! I never EVER take off my shoes! So I hopped back out of the pila, put my shoes back on, hopped back in the pila, felt around for the drain, and let the water out until I could find my soap. Long story short, I did eventually finish my laundry, and I would appriciate any and all prayers that I don't get a parasite. Especially not the kind that make my feet swell up like elephant ankles. 

I love this work! I love the Lord, I love my mission, I love my family (I got to see them this week!) and I love my life! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Love, Hermana Pickett  

We got caught in a "springtime" rainstorm. Fun!

So upon returning home from the rain, we made dinner. Appriciate this: this is pasta in a sauce of real veggies, including large tomato chuncks, and green beans. And we run every morning. We are the picture of health.

flower arch, new investigator, that's what's up.