Chad Fell Down

Baleadas and Divisiones--fun times with Hna Ugarte! 

Judith and Jonathon Fernandez Alvarado--cutest family ever

On top of the world! 

Got caught in another rainstorm--called to serve, aún en las tormentas!

Hello all! I hope you are having a wonderful week! It was another fun one down here in Sta Barbara!

This week started out with a district meeting on the importance of short lessons, so we've been doing that a lot. Gospel sharing tip: ever felt self concious or awkward in a long conversation about the gospel? In our experience on the mission, spiritual potency lasts about 15-30 minutes max, and that is helped greatly if the conversation is shared, rather than dominated by one person. Hence, we try to teach brief but powerful lessons, taking short turns between the compañeras and asking lots of inspiried questions. Try that sometime, it works great! So this week, teaching short lessons, we got LOTS done! And the best part is that the members in this branch are really excited about participating in the work, so we were backed up by a lot of powerful testimonies. I love that. Always go teaching with the missionary. It's a blessings-blessings-blessings situation (think win-win-win, but in a gospel circumstance).

We have been teaching a woman lately named Walquidia, and her oldest son, Axel. She's pretty funny. She has been absolutely inactive for a long time, but since the day we found them she is down to business, 100%, family history active. It's awesome. The problem now is that her records have been lost, so she might have to be baptized again. She's game for that. So she and her son have baptismal dates on the 6th, if necessary. I like her. We've also been visiting a kid named Byron, who has a lot of friends in the church, and he came on Sunday (we were totally not expecting that). He had a legitimately good reason not to come, and he came anyway! That never happens! so we're pretty pleased with him. I'll keep you posted.

We've been working a lot with fam. Fernandez this week (last week I called them fam. Hernandez. That's my bad, we definitely heard them incorrectly). On Wednesday we had divisions with the Sister Leader Trainers, so Hermana Davila and Hermana Ugarte went to the first half of our lesson/baleada night with them and Hermana Porter and I (Porter/Pickett reunite AGAIN!) finished it up. The husband is having his mighty change of heart, little by little. On Friday we went to see how Judith was doing, because she had been feeling a little sick on Wednesday. When we got there, she was sick with a fever and head ache, and couldn't eat or drink anything without throwning up. To top it off, the poor thing had a two year old climbing all over her. (Shoutout to motherhood--moms are my heroes). We asked her and Marvin if they would like us to call someone so that she could receive a blessing, and they said yes. So our DL and his comp came, explained a little more about the priesthood and blessings, and blessed her to heal. When we visited the next morning, she was out of bed and energetic, telling us how she had already felt much better the night before. Her husband had said, very similar to the words of the closing prayer he had offered (for the first time!) that of course she would heal, because she had been anointed and blessed by brethren with authority from God. MIRACLE! When we invited them to be baptized on Sunday, he didn't bring up his previous worry about being rebaptized, and I am quite sure that that is because he has had first hand experience with where authority from God really lies. He's a little doubtful about the two of them being able to get married in the near future...but that's okay, we'll get there.

Speaking of miracles received through priesthood blessings, we visited a family of relatively new investigators this week, and they couldn't sit down for a lesson because their two year old daughter was very sick with a high fever. We were with a young man who is preparing for his mission, Johnny. We asked if he felt comfortable giving a blessing, and he said that he hadn't ever done that before but if he could read the words out of the mission handbook, it would be fine. When we went back, Oneda, the child's mother, told us her baby had fallen asleep and slept peacefully all through the night after we left, and now has no trace of her fever. The whole family, including Oneda's husband (who has never heard us talk about the gospel) recognized that it was the blessing that made the difference. I am so grateful for the portion of His power and authority that God has granted unto us, and that if we have the faith and obedience necessary, we can expect miracles in our lives.

Hermana Davila and I went on an adventure to a new pueblo called San Vincente this week, and we loved that quaint little town! (Yes, I am applying quaint to a town here. It's appropriate) We're hoping to have a lot of interested people there. We had sopa de mondongo again (always an adventure) and had more frustrations with the lights going out before we are ready to come in for the night. We are helping the presidencies of the Yong Men and Young Women's organizations to plan a "Mini CCM", and we think that's going to be really cool. It's not happening until September, but it's going to be really cool. We played ultimate frisbee today and I, like Chad, fell down (hence the subject line). I think I jammed my ankle...and that hurts a lot. But I'm sure I'll be able to walk without wanting to cry soon, so that's fine! What really gets me is that I'll probably have to take a break from running for two weeks or so. I really like running. So more doing silly things on P-day, like falling down.

I am so glad to be a missionary! I love it. It is the best work I can do. There is a fair share of hard moments, and weird moments, like the fact that I haven't had an appetite for anything but chocolate milk this week (Shoutout to Hermana Hickman) (Parents, I consummed more than chocolate milk. Worry not.) But I love it. I love knowing that I am doing what God wants me to be doing. There's no better feeling than that. I hope we can all share in that this week.

I love you all!
Hermana Pickett

21: Old Enough to Drink (not interested) and Go On a Mission (already there!)

Even with the poncho, we were soaked on Thursday night! My skirt was so full of water, it was falling off!

That apartment up on the second floor is where we live! 

We visit this big field every morning to run laps. Hurray for fitness! (And for losing two inches off of my hips, because that happened.)

Birthday stash! SO DELICIOUS! (And that blue striped dress is the cutest ever!)

¡Buenas tardes! It is another lovely afternoon here in in Santa Barbara, about 88 degrees and sunny (there is a new weather feature on my Missionary homepage, so I am now very well informed about the climate here). And today is my first Pday as a 21 year old! We borrowed the oven in the church to make a cake (Parents sent the cake mix and we actually found real Duncan Hines frosting in a random pulperia). President Dester wished me a happy birthday first thing on Tuesday, I was sung to by two large groups of elders (because the only other sister for two zones is my companion) and I had a new, pretty dress to wear. Add in the bag of peanutbutter M&Ms and it was the perfect cumpleaños.

We didn't do very many exciting things with our Pday after the pizza explosion last week, but last Tuesday was our multi-zone conference. We went to a place called Merendon, which is the zone just outside of San Pedro (and one of the most dangerous zones in the mission--they can't send sisters there! FUN!) and were enlightened and inspiried by the wise words of President and Sister Dester, the APs (of which we have four, two assistants in the office and two "training assistants", who are constantly traveling to assist in training) and the Zone leaders of zona Cofradía (my zone) and zona Merendon. Here's a Its a Small World moment: my two previous district leaders, Elder Pace and Elder Rodriguez, are now companions, serving as the zone leaders in Merendon. As I greeted the two, there was a look between them like "You know her!?" It was kind of funny. Sister Dester reminded us of the Church standard of emergency preparedness, and we have all been assigned to prepare an emergency backpack. That brought back so many fond childhood memories of Jansport backpacks in the storage room, amid piles of canned dried apples and powdered milk. I guess only Mormon kids have childhood memories of food storage, right?

On Wednesday, we were blessed to have as our companion hermana Cindy Lopez, who is our branch president's wife. She never had the chance to serve a mission but she is a spectacular missionary! We were amazed, moment after moment, by the power of her testimony and teaching, and were inspired by her example of fulfilling our duty to preach the gospel. We were also incredibly blessed to meet a beautiful new family, though on Wednesday we only met two of the members. More to follow below.

We spent more time in on of the outlying neighborhoods of our area, a place called La Ceibita, also accompanied by members. The members actually are willing to go out teaching with us here! It's a miracle! Hermana Davila and I had the opportunity to learn how to form a semita, which is a delicious and pretty roll commonly enjoyed here in Honduras. We also had a great visit with a woman named Suyapa, who seems very prepared to progress and is only missing the opportunity and drive to come to church. That night, we had the first of what will be many in the branch practice of Fellowshipping Nights, which (for right now) are gatherings of about 15 people in the home of an investigator or less active member, wherein the lesson is taught by members and the purpose is to increase faith. We visited a woman who has not come to church after having a bad experience with other members, but she gave us a reference to visit her family member after the lesson (she's never given us a reference before) and her son, who is only slighly more active than she is, did come to church. Baby steps. There fell a torential downpour that night, so we huddled under the emergency poncho (another 100 points to Mom) and spent the evening in the dark. It's going to be such a shocker for me when I live in a place where the lights going out isn't a daily occurance.

Now then, I mentioned an awesome new family. They are composed of Marvin and Judith Hernandez (which is officially my favorite last name) and their small son, Johnathon. They had been being taught previously by the elders, but Marvin did not share his wife's interest in the gospel and requested that the missionaries stop coming. Upon arriving, we, the elders, and Judith alike were pretty worried that Marvin wouldn't be interested in having Mormon missionaries in his home again. But his sweet wife has been praying that he would listen to us, and he is listening. Last night was our second lesson with the pair and Judith offered a beautiful prayer, asking to know if the gospel was true so that their family could recieve the blessings of eternity. I am sure I will have miracles to share about this family very soon.

This really is a wonderful area. We are working our way up to achieving our wildest dreams slowly, and I have yet to see one of our investigators come to church, but we met a woman last week named Walquidia, who has been inactive for 14 years, but who came to church with her children and stayed for all three meetings, like it was the most natural thing in the world. We are finding more people every day who are happy and interested to hear the gospel, and who look at us like "Do you have what I have been waiting for?" And then we testify that yes, we do have what they are searching for. I know that this is the true and living church of Jesus Christ, and that it stirrs the souls of our investigators because it is the only way to receive the blessings that every child of God yearns for. I love Him, I love the gospel, and I love my opportunity to share it.

I love being a missionary! This Saturday I completed my thirteenth month in the mission, but it still feels like I started yesterday. We taught yesterday with a young woman who recently returned from her mission in Guatemala, and I love seeing her light up as she participates in the work. I know that being a missionary is something that I will never really finish, even if I have to take my plaque off eventually. I may not always be able to wear my Savior's name on a badge, but I will certainly be able to have it written upon my heart forever. I hope that everyone has a wonderful week and that we can all take the opportunity to share this wonderful gospel with someone!

Love,
Hermana Pickett

Catracho Italiano

Hello! Here's a shocker--I'm sitting directly under the fan and I've been sitting here for a long time, so I am FREEZING! If you were wondering, yes, it is very possible to be very cold in Honduras.

I am loving Santa Barbara. This is such an awesome area to work in! There is plenty to do, there are plenty of members willing to work with us, our branch president is beyond legit, and the power stopped going out every night. Who could ask for anything more?

Something that we've been doing a lot lately is making pizza. Turns out people here really, really like pizza. Like, a lot. And there isn't a chain pizza restaurant here, so there are a lot of people who figure they might as well just make people at home. Problem: said people don't know how to make pizza. What does the big question become? "Hey, White girl! Can you make pizza?" Fortunately, yes I can. And I have been doing so. Last Monday, at the end of P-day, we went next door to our neighbors (the really nice ones who made us sopa de mondongo) and we made pizza. The really exciting part was the sauce, because I've never had to make pizza sauce from scratch before. The husband of this couple was very funny, continually offering to help or taste test or do whatever was necessary and his wife said "Amor, don't you think she can handle it?" and he said, "But, I'm a professional--soy italiano!" The pizza turned out quite well (especially the sauce, surprisingly), although the crust was a little thin. We solved that problem today, when at the suggestion of one of the elders in our district we made pizza with a less active sister in the ward. There was enough dough for four very thick crusts, but we were too hot and tired to finish. We've got another pie's worth in the freezer.

The other big to do of this week was our monthly branch activity, the branch talent show. If you think Mormon talent shows are a big deal in the states, you should see them in Central America. For the most part, it was a really cool and really enjoyable experience. We as the missionaries had planned to perform as a district, and we ended up singing Hark All Ye Nations, but we accompanied it with the cup game, kind of like in Pitch Perfect. Fun fact--any song written in 4/4 time will work with the cup game. So after much practicing, that turned out pretty legit. Hermana Davila and I couldn't really decide on something to do as a companionship, but we had made a lot of jokes about singing Let It Go in a mix of English and Spanish, so that ended up happening. It was so cute--all of the little girls in primary were singing along! I think I definitely have a solid option for the family Christmas talent show this year (my submission will be via Skype...about 12 hours late...whoops). The Elders put on a skit about "whipping the district into shape". It was very funny, but all of the jokes were missionary inside jokes, so other than the Justin Beiber parody, nobody got very excited about it except Hna Davila and I. Poor elders. There was also a lot of really cool cultural dancing--let me say, I hope that when I'm a slightly age advanced woman in Relief Society like some of the ladies here, I can still shake it like they can. There were also some slightly uncomfortable parts of the show, like the couple that lipsynced a song about I Will Wait for You in the Mission (apparently it made our elders miss their girlfriends really badly) and the girl that belly danced entirely too well and the young women dancing slightly provocatively to a Shakira song...oh, well! Fun anyway! That event took up pretty much our entire day on Friday, and we talked and planned for it all week, so I don't really know what to do now that it's over. I feel like Inigo Montoya after he finally got his revenge. I guess there's always the piracy option...

I really am glad that I am serving here. We keep finding random inactive members, like we're on an eternal salvation Easter egg hunt. We have a couple of semi-promising investigators, but I know that there is no end to the miracles that I will see in this area. I feel so blessed for the opportunity to work in this area. I love it already. The elders in El Centro had a baptism on Saturday, and they asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost. It was a really great opportunity to remember why we get baptized, and furthermore, why there are so many missionaries teaching about baptism. We were reading the scriptures about the conversions among the Lamanites by Ammon and his brethren yesterday and we realized that we can be that kind of missionary--that kind of incredible influence in someone's life. I hope that some day, someone could write about the people that I taught that they "never did fall away". I love the Lord and I love this chance I have to serve Him. I know that this church is true. I have felt the happiness that it has brought to me and I am always seeing the blessings it brings to others. Know it, live it, love it!

Have a wonderful week! And go ahead and fondly remember the day that you completed 21 years of life because I'm doing that TOMORROW! I'm finally old enough to be a sister missionary!

Love,
Hermana Pickett

PS Happy birthdays to Annie, Addy, Becca, and Sam! I LOVE you guys!

SantaBarbaraTown

last night with fam. Hernandez

...and finishing that mondongo, wanting more! Crazy!

(Not my favorite Psych reference, but I'll take what I can get)

Hello! So I had cambios this week, which means here's Hermana Pickett, broadcasting for the first time from Santa Barbara (el Llano), zona Cofradías. Cool, right? It got so much cooler when I remembered what town Shawn Spencer lives in. C'mon, son.

There isn't a whole lot of time, when you live in Copan, to say goodbye to people, so I didn't do a lot of that last week. We had a lesson with fam. Hernandez (yeah, maybe I cried a little) and one last lesson with Sulma, and then it was already time to go home. Luckily, it turns out that I pack at the speed of light, so Hermana Miller and I ran a few loads of laundry in the machines (laundry machines are celestial. Go and hug your laundry machine for me) and then we took off nice and early Tuesday morning (although we did go running...for about 10 minutes). We had a nice miracle that morning, because we had prayed that we would be able to get me and the suitcases on the bus without any problems. I then said, Let's make sure to leave 15 minutes early, and then when we got out to the road, Hermana Miller asked if we should wait there for a taxi or start walking. We started walking, and then found a taxi after about five minutes. He got us down to the bus, we loaded my stuff on, we got in and sat down, and after about 30 seconds, the bus left. It was pretty great. I'm glad that our blessing came in a peaceful and orderly fashion, unlike the elders, who had surely said the same prayer and had to chase the bus in a moto taxi in order to catch it. Usually we do divisions with the sisters in La Entrada when we have a next day meeting in San Pedro, but they left us home because I was still sick with my pre-changes cold/fever combination. Good Miller/Pickett bonding time, that's for sure.

Changes meeting was very nice. President Dester is really an excellent mission President, and I am so glad to be here during his time as president. Hermana Miller, upon abandoning the idea that I was going to be a Sister Leader Trainer (I didn't ever think that was happening, but she didn't let it go until another sister was announced in that position) suggested that I might be going to Santa Barbara, because other sisters have made the Copán/ Sta Barbara jump before. I told Hermana Miller that if I was going there, Hermana Bahr (who was currently being transfered out of Sta Barbara) was coming to take my place. And exactly thus did it come to pass. So I am no in Sta Barbara with a cute little Catracha (o sea, a lovely young lady of Honduras) named Hermana Dávila.

Perks: this area is beautiful. Like it is seriously gorgeous here, and in a very Pennsylvania meets Utah kind of way, so that's really cool. I am still in a branch but it is huge and practically a ward, we just need our priesthood holders to pay tithing. Our area has practically no hills and there is a very large soccer field right outside of our house, perfect for running in the morning at whatever pace our hearts desire, no matter how individual it may be. That aside, I kind of miss Copán. Crazy, right?! I never thought I'd say that. I really, really miss Hermana Miller. I miss being so united with my companion. That's not Hermana Dávila's fault, it just takes a little while to get used to a new person no matter what and we're not used to each other yet. I miss having my footing. It's really lame to be a senior comp in an unfamiliar area. The good part is that we had a meeting with our branch president (who is the most pilas person I have ever met. I love having RM branch presidents) and he is all about la obra misional, so it's all going to turn out just great.

I don't have very many exciting stories this week. I'll work on that. It rains here every afternoon, and when it rains the power goes out, and the missionaries generally are not allowed out at night if there isn't power. Oh! Here's something. Upon coming home early one night, we made dinner with our neighbor, because she's got a gas stove and can cook without power. So we made crepes to share, and then she shared lunch with us in return. She made sopa de mondongo. Mondongo is the spanish word for cow stomach. Now, cows, fun fact, do not have intestines. So the stomach lining acts as the intestine. When Hermana Miller had sopa de mondongo, it wasn't quite clean, and I'm sure you can imagine what dirty cow stomach/intestine would be full of. So I was dreading that soup a lot. But it was actually really delicious! The stomach parts just tasted like very soft beef and our neighbor put in corn and platanos and yuka--yum!

I still love being a missionary. I know that the Church is true, so to me it is worth any sacrifice to be able to share the good news of the gospel with everyone I talk to. I know that God is our Heavenly Father, I love Him and I love His work. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Stay tuned for more adventures (and Psych references) soon!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Pickett

Five and a Half Months

This is where we live!

So, 5 and a half (ish) months ago, when I had five and a half (ish) months in Campana, I got sick. Why? Because I was going to leave, and a fever with a runny nose and sore throat was my body's way to complain. Turns out that my time in Copán has come to a close, and for the first time in 5.5 months, I'm good and sick. I don't like this tradition.

Anyway, also for the first time in five and a half months, I have a family steadily (and happily!) progressing toward baptism. We finished teaching lesson 4 (commandments) with familia Hernandez this week and they received all with attention and gladness. We talked with them about tithing and they said "Yes, hermanas, we've been wanting to hear about that. We want to start paying it." We talked with them about missionary work and they have already given us 3 referrals (that's considerably more than we have received from any of the members here). In Alma 19:33, it talks about the experience of the household of Lamoni: "that their hearts had been changed, that they had no more desire to do evil." In a later chapter, we read that the converts of Ammon and his brethren "never did fall away" (Alma 23:6). That is the sort of conversion that we are seeing in familia Hernandez. As Hna Miller has often said, I may be leaving Copán this week without baptisms, but I am not leaving without converts. And that's enough.

Also, for the first time in five and a half months, Luis came to church. Luis was baptized quite some time ago, and spent at least some amount of time as a faithful member. He even baptized one of the boys in my primary class. But due to an addiction to calcohol, he hasn't come to church in a very long time. in all my time in Copán, I had never seen him come. Usually when we go to see him, he is either out drinking or already drunk. His father has told us "Just stop coming sisters, there's no hope." This is always hope! And that hope was fulfilled when Luis walked into church yesterday, wearing a smile and a white dress shirt, and was greeted by his friends in the elders' quorum.

A fin de cuentas, five a half months later, I think I finally like this area. It finally feels like home. I don't want to leave, and that's how I knew I was going to. I was expressing that last night to fam. Herandez and they said "It's just like Nanny McPhee!" (Nanny McPhee, evidently, is universal). But it really is just like that. The Lord is merciful enough to give us what we need, even if it isn't what we want. He loves us enough to take us out of our comfort zone in order to help us grow. He knows, like Parley P. Pratt knew, that we "have all of eternity before [us], in which to enjoy [ourselves]." Even though staying here for another six weeks (to see the Hernandez wedding/baptism, to use the WASHING MACHINE AND DRYER that were just installed in our apartment, etc.) would be really, really awesome, I know that there will be something about my new area that I need, and something about it that needs me.

I love the Lord, and I love to be in His service. I love Hermana Miller and I love the people that we have been able to serve here in Copán Ruinas. I even love this little town, which I really never thought was possible. I will never cease to be grateful that God has entrusted a little part of His vineyard to me. I love this gospel and I know that this church is true!

¡Sean firmes en la fe!

Love,
Hermana Pickett

My last primary class--we learned that we can all be missionaries!

I just LOVE Hermana Miller!

I reunited with my buddies at the bird park

And I tried to make a new bird friend, but he bit me. And then he laughed in my face about it. Rude. 

We practiced the Honduran woman skill of carrying everything on one's head, even the Gospel! 

Hermana Pickett Turned 1!

Hermana Porter and I climbed a mountain to contact a reference, and there was a pretty sweet view of the entire city of Copán Ruinas

1 year with a candle and carrot cake! Hurray! 

We'll bring the world His truth! 

Here's your daily dose of insanity--I've been on my mission for a whole year! Isn't that crazy?! Fittingly, our week was full and fantastic. Numbers wise, this week marks the collective most I have ever done in Copán. Turns out five months of hard work really do take effect. 

Following with the usual, we've been working a lot with inactive members. Hermana Pickett life lessons: 1. If you have a questions about doctrine, ask someone! They can help! 2. If you are the one being asked about doctrine, tread carefully and please rely more heavily upon scripture than upon your opinino. Luckily, the Spirit can teach truth in all things, and we are blessed to be accompanies by Him in our lessons. So it turned out fine. And oh, I forgot lesson #3: If you ever find yourself saying to two sister missionaries: "No, I don't like forgiving. I'd rather just go to Hell than forgive my husband" you should probably take a minute to sort out your priorities. 

On Tuesday of this week, we had divisions with the Sister Leader Trainers, one of whom is now Sister Porter, my companion from the CCM (a year ago!). Pickett/Porter reunite! As it turns out, we still love working together. The only differences are that we now know how to be missionaries and we're fluent in Spanish. That helps. Sister Porter and I had a first lesson with a woman named Sulma, who is incredibly ready for the gospel. She, in fact, is on our big three list this week. Hence (in no particular order):

1. Sulma. Used to be Catholic, couldn't find lasting happiness in that church or the Evangelical churches she has attended, devours reading assignments, and is anxiously awaiting a spiritual green light to be baptized. 

2. Lesly. Still really pilas, but was invited by two other muchachas to a different church and went with them...but still promising. Alwasy feels an incredible spirit in our lessons (as do we) and is also waiting on baptismal green light. 

3. Familia Hernandez. Talk about saving the beset for last! We have seen so many Hernandez miracles this week. For example, Julio is still alcolhol free. That's two weeks sober. That's awesome! Even more awesome was the story we heard on Saturday: Julio and Sonia were evidently passing through a moment of strife, and in an act of impetuous anger, Juliostormed over to the cantina, determined to drink a beer. His lovely, wonderful wife goes to their room, falls to her knees, and begs the Lord to help her husband. At that exact moment, Julio was raising the first bottle to his lips when a friend (the same friend who has been trying tirelessly to make Julio drink) says, "Man, haven't you been going to church? Aren't you with God now? People are praying for you. Don't make their prayers in vain." In an instant, Julio remembered how much he didn't want the beer in his hand. Without so much as a drop, he went home. 

Second miracle: yesterday morning, we beat fam. Hernandex to church. That hasn't happened in about three weeks, and as it got closer and closer to 9am, we were quite distressed that they hadn't arrived. We were ready to go to their house and get them, buyt there wasn't enough time. Finally, just before the meeting started, we knelt in the primary room and pleaded that they would come. And come they did. We worried all the way to the last verse of the opening hymn, but they came. I never cease to be amazed by the blessings that are being poured out upon that family, nor by the labor and faither they are putting in to deserve those blessings. 

As Hermana Porter and I celebrated together our One Year mark (a very happy coincedence), she said something a little foreboding: "I don't know, but I've hear that at a year, your body just shuts down. It can't keep going." Well, body, if that's true, that's too bad. I've got less that six months to serve the Lord as a full-time, authorized representative of Jesus Christ, and I'm going to use up every bit of those six months in His work. I love my Heavenly Father, I love my Savior, and I love to be a missionary of this true and living church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love, Hermana Pickett

Pickett and Porter, together again!

She didn't put a title, so call it Happy 4th of July

We found this INSANE hill to climb and had to take pictures. Solo para que sepa, the ones looking up the hill are only from 1/4 of the way down. It's pretty much a mountain. 

Also, going down that hill. Very, very dangerous. Hermana Miller fell down one day and describes that experience as "I slowly fell into the mouth of a shark"

Hey, did everyone have a great 4th of July? Hermana Miller and I were watching The Restoration with an investigator and there is a scene wherein the inhabitants of Palmayra are celebrating Independance Day, so that was pretty much our moment of recognition of America's birthday. That and me summing up Bill Pullman's character in the film Independance Day. But moving on from there...

We had a wonderful week! The work is pressing onward, ever onward out here in Copán Ruinas. We visited almost all of the inactive members that 1. we're aware of and 2. we can get to (there are some good hiding spots up in the mountains). One family, la familia Lucero, is working on getting ready to go to the temple. It might take a while longer because of financial problems, but they're definitely excited to go! The mom of the family asked us the other night, "Hermanas, we know it's important to go to the temple and we want to go, but what do we have to do, other than get to Tegucigalpa?" Good question, Myrna! We're going to look into a temple prep class for couples like this one, because I think there are still a few.

 We also found a new investigator named Lesly. There is a promise in Alma that the Lord prepares the hearts of His children, even sending angels to prepare them. I think if I've ever met someone prepared by angels to receive the gospel, it's Lesly. She read the pamphlet that we left with her family and then waited and waited until we came back so she could meet us (fortunately, I have a wonderfully inspired companion who said various times "I want to go see familia Verganza again"). When we arrived, she opened up that pamplet--she had taken notes! She had compared passages with the Bible and wrote them in the margins! The didn't just have questions, she wrote them down so that she wouldn't forget! That doesn't happen here! (I had an English teacher once who said a writer is only allotted 4 exclaimation points in their lives, so I guess I just used mine...but Gifford S. Nelson used exclaimation points all over the place, so I feel justified). We love her already, she is so excited to receive more knowledge about the gospel (like when we talked about the Book of Mormon and she said "Oh, so it's just like a third companion to the bible? Great!" NOBODY says that), and vosotros (y'all) can expect lots of good news about her very soon.

It was also a highlight week because President Dester came to visit us! It was once again time for interviews, and he said he's been wanting to come out to Copán for some time now (the last time he came I was still with Hermana Cumatz). We took turns having wonderfully uplifting talks with President Dester--this just struck me as odd, but I think other missionaries get nervous about their interviews with the President. We love them--and then got to eat really fancy dinner with President and the APs, Elder Ro and Elder Juarez. And then something really REALLY cool happened, which will be mentioned below.

Easily the best part of this week, which is really saying something because my interview with President was awesome, were our lessons with familia Hernandez. Neither of the parents came to church on Sunday, and they seemed to be losing a little bit of focus/enthusiasm as of late. But on Tuesday, we went to follow up with them on a prior conversation we had had about priesthood blessings. Our branch president and his brother came to the lesson with us, which was awesome because both of them had problems with smoking and drinking that were really tough for them to kick before they got baptized. We could tell that it meant a lot to Julio to talk to people who get him. But even better, after the lesson Julio and Sonia took turns sitting under the hands of men ordained with the Melchizdek priesthood and receive blessings by the power and authority of God. Among other wonderful things said, Julio was blessed that his addiction would disappear from his body and Sonia was blessed that one day, not far from now, her family would be sealed in the temple. And with that, we put a baptismal date for the 19th and left them alone for two days. We got back on Thursday, a little bit wary about the last time we had left sure that Julio was done drinking, and that house was stone cold sober. He could tell story after story about his friends trying to get him to come drinking and he had no interest in going. My favorite was when he had to wait for a stone to be delivered for him to cut, and the guy was going to drop it off in front of a bar. He knew that was going to be tough, so he bought an orange juice and a bag of chips and handled it. One of his friends tried to beckon him inside, yelling "Hey, man! You can't get drunk off that!" Julio raised his orange juice, as if in a toast, and yelled back "That's okay! This tastes better!" WOW! And on top of that, the entire family could says "Yeah, hermanas, we read the chapter you left! It's about faith, right? How you have to plant the seed and use your faith to let it grow!" Awesome. Just, awesome.

And then the awesomeness was compounded on Saturday night, when President Dester, el Presidente mismo, came to teach familia Hernandez with us. He told us that one of the reasons he wanted to come to Copán so badly was just to meet Julio Cesar. He expressed so beautifully the love that God has for all of us, the meaning of Christ's atonement, and how we can find happiness in our lives. And then the next day, when the entire family came to church and stayed for all three hours, President sat next to Julio in Sunday School and Priesthood meeting. My mission president is friends with one of my investigators. Julio knows him as Jamie. No big deal.

The Lord has not been short on miracles this week. It still hasn't all been easy, because it's not supposed to all be easy, but it's right. Hermana Miller and I have started singing All is Well while we climb the really big hills, and our favorite line is the one that says "¿Por qué decís que es duro la porción?" which in English, I think, is why should we whine nor think our lot is hard? The Lord has asked us to do hard things sometimes, but we don't need to think that that is unfair. He has never asked us to do hard things alone. He has never asked us to do hard things without a purpose. Above all, He has never asked us to do something too hard. I love Him and I love this work. President Dester pointed out a scripture I hadn't noticed before in D&C 97:8-9, which says:

 8 Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.

 9 For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitfultree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit.

And that was pretty much just what I needed to hear. The Lord does indeed ask us to make sacrifices, but He accepts what we can give, even though it isn't perfect, and it is counted as a righteousness for us. I love Him and I am so grateful that He trusts me with His children here in this corner of the vineyard.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! Think of me on Wednesday when I complete ONE YEAR in the mission!

The Church is true!

Love,

1. Hermana Pickett