The Best Days of my Life - Part 3 of 8 (Villa Olimpica)

Well guys....

This week has been awesome.  I get along great with Elder Hirschi and we're working our BUTTS OFF.  Except Elder Hirschi got sick a little.  But he's almost over it!  I think I'll tell you more specific things as we go, but generally, we've just had to earn the trust of the ward members.  BUT.... We're on the way.  There's very little to report on about that... As we go I'll tell more.  Onto my adventures in the city.

La Villa Olimpica - La Esperanza

My story in the city began as I made my way up to my new area.  I had seen in the change meeting that I would be staying in the city and that my companion was a Hawaiian.... And that was about it.  I met up with him, the infamous Elder Naupoto, and we got on a taxi and made our way into central Tegucigalpa.  We made our way up a SUPER huge hill to the smallest apartment in the mission, the same apartment that would come to be my home for 6 months of my life. 

General things I want you all to know about La Villa:

1.  Christina.  My old lady convert who came to be my Honduran mom.  

STORY:  We had talked to her grandson about the church in the street (WITH ELDER HIRSCHI BY THE WAY), and he made it very clear that he didn't want anything to do with us.  BUT, we left a card of Jesus with our number on the back.  We didn't think anything of it.  Then, three or four days later, we get a call.  

'Hey, Hello??? Am I talking to the Elders??  I saw a little card of Jesus with this phone number on the back.  I want you to come and teach me about Jesus.  I need more of him in my life!'

About a month later she was baptized.  I don't know HOW she does it, but she still manages to get my phone number and call me once in a while.  Possibly one of the best stories of my mission.

2.  Heydi.  My convert from Comayagua.  

STORY:  We found her by contacting.  When she opened the door, she din't even let us talk.  She just slammed the door and said NO.  We were weirded out, so we knocked again and she was like, 'HOW DID YOU FIND ME?'  We then came to realize that she had already had all of the lessons from other missionaries in the Comayaguela mission.  Se then had to move before being baptized... but the missionaries told her to not worry.... Because God would find her again.  So.... without any reference, and with straight revelation from God, we found her.  She was baptized a few weeks later in Comayagua.  We attended her baptism with SPECIAL transportation from President Bowler and Hermana Bowler.  President also confirmed her after her baptism.  

3.  Isis.  One of the most interesting converts I'll ever have.

STORY:  You'll have to ask me this one in person, if you really wanna know.  Many of the returned missionaries already know the story.  It's great, I promise.

4.  Walter.  My little buddy (not to be compared with Jakob ;)).

STORY:  His family was one of the families tat MOST loved the missionaries.  They treated us like kings, even while living in very poor circumstances.  They made their living by making cotton candy and selling it in the streets.  Walter had already come to church several times - so we just taught the lessons and boom.  In the water.  Also... they lived at the top of a HUGE staircase.  That sucked.  But it was totally worth it.

5.  Iris, Didier, Daniel and Dominic.  And also Maria. 

STORY:  I'm not entirely sure how we found them.... but they are a family of part members, and they were almost completely inactive.  By hard work, we got two of the kids in the water.  They never got totally reactivated, but that's not totally due to lack of testimony.  They were one of the families that suffered most that I knew during my mission - but they never complained.  The grandmother told us the stories, and would always finish with some kind of positive outlook.  'Well.... but you know.  God knows what He's doing.'

6.  Belkis.  Reference of Gold that then DISAPPEARED FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

STORY:  Well... that's exactly what happened.  She was awesome.  We taught her and her father-in-law baptized her.  She was super active and super pilas and one of my best friends in the Villa, and then... BOOM.  Never heard from her again.  No one is sure what went down there.  The family of her husband are now on a mission in Guatemala, serving in the temple.

7.  Fernando and Joselin and Yerlin and Maria's family.

STORY:  All got baptized within 3 weeks of my departure.

8.  ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS.

STORY:  Well... I'm more just gonna make a list, although I doubt I'll be able to mention them all.  Odeth and the Family Cerrato,  Family Amador, Family Peralta, Family Duran, Family Rios and Barraza, Family Galindo, Family Acevedo, Family Zepeda, Family Reyes, Family Zuniga, Family Mejia.... Freak there are so many.  I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS.

My story in the Villa was all of the friends that I made.  I later gave birth to my first son, Elder Putnam.  We worked our butts off as well.... But with little fruits.  Or...  That's what it seemed like.  I remember that at the end of my fourth change I was VERY ready to get out, despite loving it as much as I did.  And, long story short, after having made myself known in the city..... I went to changes.  And.... 

Thus began my 8 month adventure in the south. 

Talk to you guys next week. 

Elder Kristian Huff