A Week of Surprises!

Hola mis amigos!!!! 

Estoy MUY agradecido por la oportunidad a enviar mis pensamientos sobre esta semana y tambien los momentos que ha cambiado mi vida!  Porque en realidad.... Cada dia en el campo misional cambia mi vida.  PERO... Okay! Asi es!

Hi everybody.  Translation, HELLO MY FRIENDS! I am grateful for the opportunity to send my thoughts about this week and  also some of the moments that have changed my life. Because honestly... Every day in the field changes my life. BUT.... So it is!

Entonces.... (so....)

This week really was a week of gratitude.  I have some of the most incredible friends in the world, both in Utah and Honduras. I wish to thank everyone for the emails, both about my birthday and also just about your lives... I love them, and it humbles me that you would take time to send me a little bit of your life in words.  Thank you, Emma-Lee (I don't mind the 'rant', dear. Thank you for talking to me), Steph (If I could only desribe how much I miss you. And... THAT IS WAY TOO AWESOME. AND BY THAT I MEAN ALL OF IT.), Lizzie (I am so proud of you, girl...), Emily (YOUR HAIR THOUGH), Jessi (AHHHHHHHH FANGIRLING FOR YOU), Blythe (Break a leg!!!!! It'll be awesome, I'm SURE!!! And send my love to all the cast!), Natalie (just look for your personal email this time), Lara and the fam, Austin (Love the poem. Blew my mind, bro.), Jeri (I was laughing so hard about the smashing.), Kailey (AHHH I AM SO EXCITED. And thank you...), Sabrina (thank you.... I study that song, I swear.), And of course, my mexi (Bro, I found a weird spelling of your name in the Bible. 1st Samuel, I think. I keep forgetting to mention it. And I love you. And I miss your body. And soul and stuff.). 

Baptisms with Nazareth and Dayani
(from last week)

NOW.... The stories of this week.... Although I have to say that a lot of what I will write makes me a bit emotional and that much more grateful for the gospel in my life. So... Here goes.

Number 1.... Many of you have asked what happened to the man who was bit by a dog. As a quick recap... We went up to the poorest looking house ever to find him in a cold sweat in severe pain, almost dead, honestly, with several deep wounds in one hand and other smaller bites on his legs.  We then gave him a blessing and left. I have been worried sick about him ever since, but.... Never had time to visit again. Well.... The story continues this week. And.. actually comes to an end, for that matter.

This week, while at church, about 30 minutes in... Walks in this family. I recognized them vaguely, but couldn't remember.... Until he walked in. In a shirt and tie, a huge smile on his face, takes my hand, that is now completely, miraculously healed, and thanks me for inviting them to church that day when we gave the blessing.  He is stronger than ever, and has since returned to work.  He is doing wonderful.

Yeah.... Priesthood is real. I don't comprehend it.... But apparently many people in Honduras do, cuz we have given 4 blessings this week alone. For those men who may be reading this... I am sure many of you understand this divine power better than I do. But I wish to remind you, with my solemn witness of its power, that this power is sacred, and it works according to our faith. But... Faith without works is dead.  So, if you may be lagging a bit in an area that needs fixing... Do it now. Cuz as I have learned... You will NEVER know just how much can come to pass through that power and authority. Earn the right to hold it... As I am now trying to do. 

But yeah. Pretty incredible, right? 

Next... I want to take a moment to talk about my 19th birthday.

My birthday was a day of.. peace. Just calm. I woke up at the usual time.  I got up, studied, and prepared for the day. The day before was divisions, so I was actually with Elder Webb, a fellow gringo, and probably my closest friend here in Honduras currently, save my comp. The divisions the day before were WEIRD and way badly planned.... So I was a bit anxious for the day. So, I asked him what time he wanted to start proselyting that day, and what time I would switch back to my comp.  He was like.... 'Eh. I don't know.... Roldan will call

His Zone - Closest to him is Elder Webb

around lunch. Bro, I am tired. And we get our money today. So... LEt's head into central and get our cash, then we'll think about proselyting.'  

I'm like... BREGGH Okay fine. We do need the money. But he was being SO LAZY.  But honestly.... It didn't bother me much. As long as we weren't lazy once work started... It's all good. I felt like that day was a new start. And it really was, too! We headed into central, got our money, and came back to our house.  We come in, and I firmly state that we should head out and start working.  He had taken off his tie and lounged in a chair. He goes, 'nahhh.... Dude, just take off your tie, get something to eat.. just take it easy. It's your day, right?' followed by a way kind smile. I'm like... okay. Only for a bit though. AND I'M NOT TAKING OFF MY TIE. Only for food. I go to the fridge.... Open it... To find a crapload of food. We usually have like... Milk. And here was meat, and corn, and tortillas, and vegetables... And I'm like.... Wait, What?

I happen to hear some laughing outside. 

Awwww... I head out, and see ALL of my zone (the men) standing there with a cake. 

Mom, getting emotional? 

I'm like... Awww thanks guys, you're all aweso-...' Wait, why all the cameras?

........ 

DFHWNTV$NWTMIF(WE(NT(NTY()NV(YM)(EWR(TVW(NRT(NWVN((RTN

I feel this SMASH against my head. Followed by like 7 more.  Yes... One thing I failed to mention about birthdays.... They smash eggs on your head. And it got on my tie. 'just take off your tie.....'  Oh thanks Webb.

So... This peaceful, reflective day quickly turned into a freaking fiesta of food and laughing and singing and all kinds of stuff. IT WAS AWESOME. 

In a nutshell, we did go out working, and we had some awesome experiences that day too. And thankfully... No more eggs. But seriously??? ALL of my investigators remembered my birthday. I was blown away.  It was a wonderful day.

But, as I did say honestly... It was a day of new starts. Because really.... This is the only full year of my life that I can offer to the Lord. So... I wrote a bunch of little things I want to work on for this year, and.... Well... I feel that it is all in progress now.  

I want to express my love for all of you. You are all such blessings in my life, and I look forward to seeing you all when the time comes. Until then... Be safe and pray always.

Elder Kristian Huff

Song of the week: Rain by Breaking Benjamin - dedicated to his Mom