We're keeping up with our usual families pretty faithfully. Alma and Junior, who are the parents of Jeimy (who was my first baptism that I had actually been present for the whole process) are really interested in being baptized...but they're not getting married until he gets back from his job...in eight months to a year. So that's unfortunate. Fam. Huezo is getting good and excited for baptism! The only problem is that Marco, Sr. left on Thursday for his job in Colon, so we just need to pray him back very quickly! We got serious with fam. Sabillon about getting their wedding together, so we'll see how that goes. Mostly, all is well and we are enjoying a whole heap of blessings from the Lord in His work.
However, the weather as of late is not complying very nicely with our happy, sunny vibe. On Tuesday, the rain was coming down in (what felt like) icy sheets and the wind was trying to pull our umbrellas out of our hands all day. If you've seen Frozen, it was pretty much like when Anna is wandering across the fjiord whispering "Cristoff? Cristoff?", only we were pitifully saying "Podemos compartir un mensaje con ustedes? Bien cortito? Por favor?" On our last bus ride home, Hra. Harmon pulled out the first 20 lempira and started to dig for the remaining six, and the conductor stops her and says, Don't worry, this is fine. So we might have looked a little rough. Every single one of our appointments started with "We didn't think you would come!" because, when it is raining, no one leaves the house. There is no good reason to go out. Be it a lesson with the missionaries, going to church, picking up the million lempira that are laying in the street, nothing. And a lot of people didn't want to open the door long enough to let us in, so that was kind of sad. But we sang There Is Sunshine in my Soul Today and The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow about 20 times each, so we are fabulous anyway! But we really thought we were ready to die, we were so cold, and it was somewhere around 71. Parents, you're probably going to need to bring a parka and several warm blankets when you pick me up from the airport someday when I'm finished, because actually cold is going to be unmanageable!
I also had to save Hra. Harmon from another drunk man on the rainy day, and he got a very abrupt explaination of the Word of Wisdom from me. Patience with drunkards is harder when you're cold and wet. I'll work on that.
Most of our life plans this week have been interrupted due to unfortunate circumstances. On Wednesday we were sent in to a very sketch looking Honduran public health clinic so that Hra Harmon could get a tetnus shot. But the vaccinations center there is at least in part funded by the Church (there was a sign with the same words as our nametags!), so that was cool. Thanks, Church, for paying for Hra. Harmon's shot. Hra. Harmon also got shot up on Wednesday with a new rabis vaccination--she's the first missionary ever to receive it! How cool is that?! The best part is that she needs three more (she's had two already) and its not exceedingly convenient for us to get to the mission nurse for her to receive her vaccinations, so our nurse is currently asking President Dester for permission to teach me how to administer the shot and putting me in charge. Awesome, right? It's just administered through the deltoid muscle, so it's not like I have to stick her in a vein or anything. Easy, peasy. Hra. Escalante joked multiple times that I was going to be the next mission nurse, and even though that's probably not true, I might come home knowing my way around a syringe.
We also had to go for my appointed time at the National immigration office, so in five months or so I will have a card declaring me a citizen of the country of Honduras. They don't do visas here, they just make you a citizen. That's pretty sweet. I'll be a real catracha!
I love being a missionary, even though it turns out it's a little difficult from time to time. Diana Buh told us out of nowhere the other night that she doesn't want to read the Book of Mormon and has no interest in being baptized in our church. We got out of that appointment and I cried on the way to the next one. I think I scared Hra Harmon a little bit, but it took me back to a scripture about Alma and the sons of Ammon: they loved the people they taught so much that they could not bear the thought that even one of them should be lost. Sometimes as a missionary, we get exposed to the love that God has for His children, and I am never prepared for that. It is such a big feeling, I just don't have room for it. The Lord really has put His trust in us, as missionaries and members alike, to care for His beloved children and bring them home again. And each person's agency, which has all of the power to bring us and them happiness, has all of the power to bring sadness as well. Such is life--the best things are the worst when used badly. I sincerely hope that Diana can have a mighty change of heart, and I hope that she won't miss out on feeling the love that God has for her. Because I've felt it, and it's a lot.
I am grateful for every day that I have here, even when it is "freezing". I am grateful for this gospel and for the love that I can feel from my Heavenly Father every day. I love this work, I love my Savior, and I am so glad I have another 11 months to labor in the Lord's vineyard.
Enjoy being properly cold! ¡Les quiero a todos!
Hra Pickett
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