Running Late

HEY GUYS.

So, I am truly running late today because of the buses of San Marcos, so this week is gonna be fast.  In a nutshell, we're working crazy hard and we're seeing the miracles piling up.  Even when we wanna die, we just try to keep going and push through the dead moments and then, BOOM.  Huge things happening.  I can't say a lot at the moment because I'm not entirely sure whewre everything is going to go.... But hopefully in the next couple of weeks you will all know! 

Mostly, if there's anything I can tell you all, it's this:

There's a reason for everything we're 'supposed' to do.  Every little rule or habit the church teaches you to follow and develop means something bigger, and many times it's extremely symbolic and preparatory.  we won't understand everything, but if we DO it, even without understanding, we'll come to understand little by little.  I invite you all to look up some of your favorite stories of the scriptures, and notice how many times the prophets of old were commanded to do something they didn't understand which later led to a huge blessing and change in their lives.  Being here in Honduras, I am still, every day, coming to understand and see the difference between those who keep the commandments of God and the blessings and those who don't.  I have strong testimony of keeping the Sabbath Day holy, of tithings, of fasting and fast offerings, of the Word of Wisdom, of chastity in all it's little warnings and of every other commandment and advise that God has given us, be it through the scriptures or the prophets of today.  I am seeing the fruits of said commandments.  Just do it - and watch what happens. 

I love all of you.  I am coming to love the people of this world more and more every day.  When we come to understand who God is and what kind of a God He is - we understand better who we ourselves are - and thus, we comprehend the purpose of this life more fully.  The little things can change it all. 

Have a wonderful week.  I'll keep you updated on life and stuff. 

Elder Kristian Huff

Song of the Week:  When You Believe, Prince of Egypt.

Coming Back Around

HEY EVERYBODY.

TO BEGIN.... Anybody who can tell me where the title of my letter comes from - You are currently in the process of winning at life.  Congrats.  ;D

But really....  As you all know, the past few weeks have been SO hard.  And... Finally it seems that I'm feeling the wave.  It's still hard.... but it's so rewarding.  I've just began to learn how to truly love again and I'M SO HAPPY.  So... therefore, it seems only fair that such a week and such a beginning to a change be labeled Coming Back Around.

So... To be able to describe the past week... I'll go day by day. 

MONDAY

After writing, we went straight to work.  We had a member who has been inactive for a long time to came to see the new church, and we ended up having an incredible lesson where she revealed a lot of doubts she had and she promised to start doing little things to get back on track - as of now, she's keeping almost all of her commitments.  We also are having many other inactives (like... 4 in total... We're in San Marcos, remember.... ;P) begin to activate.... We'll have to wait and see if it keeps up!

TUESDAY

A WHOLE lot of lessons.  And great news - neither of the two of us had changes!  One more change with Elder Espinoza in San Marcos! So...  We visited a lot of amazing people and many of them are reading regularly and are praying consistently to know what they should do with our message.... We're gonna have to wait and see what happens.  PRAY ALWAYS.  MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN.  Just need faith.  And blood and sweat and tears.  And then a little more faith.  ;D

WEDNESDAY

Lots of more awesome lessons, although we had a lot of stuff fall.  We currently are working with a woman of another faith who is particularly hard... But, she is finally listening and takes notes and we believeshe is on her way to something amazing.  Once again.... We have to wait and see.  It's all just a process.... just a process with like 15 awesome investigators who don't know what they think at the moment.  You know how it is.

THURSDAY 

Way too much time on a bus for district meeting and such.  Also, my zone is AWESOME because the changes brought two of my best friends in the mission to the zone.  I LOVE YOU LUJO AND YES WE'RE GONNA SHARE A DORM OR SOMETHING AT BYU.

FRIDAY

Well... Bus.  Bus to Teguc for a very important meeting and a very important number that I'd be singing with Elder Hircshi, Elder Tuft and Elder Westberg.  Then I got to work in one of my old areas with another one of my closest friends in the mission.  I didn't get super baggy or anything. 

SATURDAY

BIG DEAL.  Here it goes.  The reason I went up to Teguc.... Is because our mission had an amazing opportunity to hear from one the the Lord's 12 apostles, Elder Russell M. Nelson.  And... I GOT TO SING FOR HIM.  AND SHAKE HIS HAND.  There's very little else I can say.... But what I CAN say, is that mission work and family history work are the most important.  ;D  Afterwards....  We got on a bus again.  -.-  Still, AMAZING DAY.

SUNDAY

Not a lot to tell.  Just a good day.  And... 18 PEOPLE IN CHURCH.  THE BEST WE'VE HAD.  ;D  We have good things coming!

And... that was my week.  Next week I'll probably tell you all a little more about specific investigators... but, until then.... I love you all.  Have a great day and great week and know that I'm praying for all of you.

Elder Kristian Huff


Song of the Week:  Coming Back Around, How to Train Your Dragon.  Dedicated to San Marcos.

BLEGH

Um... GUYS, This has been the FASTEST change of my life!!!!  I've been in San Marcos for a month and a half!  How??  When???  I'VE BEEN HERE IN HONDURAS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR  I AM SO CONFUSED.

Okay... Had the freak out.  It doesn't even feel REAL guys!  How has the time gone so fast?... Thi is gonna kill me and I still have like, a year left.  So...  Well, onto the week.

This week was a pretty rough week, but not for anything that investigators are doing or anything... We actually have a huge amount of investigators that are progressing.  They just all need to get married.  .....  I swear, by the time I leave San Marcos I'll be a certified minister, if we actually marry all these people.  But hey... Families is the goal, right?  But what made the week hard is that I got sick.  That's IT.  Nothing else!  But it made it SO hard to work!!!  BUT... Finally I'm on the uphill slope.  Almost recovered.  Almost.

At some point I'll have to give little stories about investigators, but for right now, I think I'll stick with the most amazing one from this change.

First off - Guys, San Marcos is one of the 'hard' areas in the mission.  It may have to do with the fact we aren't even a branch and that we are more than an hour and a half away from everything, but this is an intense area.  I only say this, because I NEVER thought I'd come here.  It is a huge opportunity and I've learned a LOT.  But, with that said... the story.

When I was saying goodbye to the people of the Villa Olimpica, one of the last familes I visited was a recently married couple.  SUPER awesome.  Honestly, they were some of my closest friends in the Villa.  Bah... who am I kidding, everyone was one of my closest friends...  BUT anyway, as I was saying goodbye, they asked me if I knew where I was going.  I told them I didn't, that we don't know until we're practically on the way.  And we talked a little bit about some of the areas that they were familar with and such, when all of a sudden, the wife's eyes get really big, and she goes, 

'Elder Huff!  You could go to San Marcos!'

And I was like.... Uh, no.  Probably not.  They send REALLY good missionaries there.  I don't think I'm a bad missionary necessarily, but I'm not going to San Marcos.  And that's the truth....  But she wasn't convinced.  She then told me,

'No, Elder Huff, you could go to San Marcos, because that's where ALL my family lives, and NONE of them are members.  Elder Huff, there's a lot of areas, and you're probably not going there... But IF you do, CALL ME and I'll help you find them.  Promise me that if you go there, you'll find them.'

And, although I didn't think much of it, I told her that I would.

And.... Then I came to San Marcos. I called her, told her, and she gave me the information, saying I needed to find someone that everybody called 'Churri'... But apprently he lives really far away, and he's hard to find, and....  Although I tried to find him... I had no luck.  So... I gave up the search.  And.... The family slowly slipped out of my mind.  San Marcos is busy....  I lost track of them.  

Then I learned just how hard the area is.... I was heartbroken.  I was tired all the time and NO one keeps commitments, even though EVERYONE has a testimony now of what we're teaching.  So.. Me and my comp decided to fast together.  Generally for help in the area, for inspiration and such.  And... The fast was freaking hard too!  Me and my comp were like, what do we do??  We're trying so hard, but nothing seems to be working!  All of our lessons planned that day fell, and everyone told us they couldn't come to church and it was just failure after failure.

So... We decided just to do some contacting.  During contacting, we gave a few short lessons, got some new investigators that didn't seem to positive, and then I saw a woman carrying firewood.  So... Me and my comp decided to help her.  After doing so, we began to teach a little lesson.  She wasn't even really paying attention, so we were pretty much ready to leave.  People were passing by, and she would just talk to them and not to us, and we were ready to quit and thank her for her time.  

Then, as I was reaching in my bag to leave her a note with our number, I hear her say,

 

'Hey, adios Churri!'

.... And my ears perk up and I WHIP around and say without a beat of hesitation, 'CHURRI DO YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT LIVES IN THE VILLA OLIMPICA?'

And I see him for the first time, kind eyes, just like his daughter's, big smile, a little bit older, and he responds a little surprised,

'Well, yes, I do actually!  Why do you ask?'

....  And.... Now we're teaching their family.  

There's little more I can say to describe all the feelings I have from this moment.... But mostly, it just.... It just teaches me that this isn't my work.  I'm not out here preaching what I want to preach, or even teaching those I want to teach.  This is God's work.  If he wants something done.... It's going to happen.  And... I'm just really grateful.  I find myself learning more every day.  But.... Just thought you guys would like to know.  Love you all.  Be safe, and know that God really is in charge.  All you have to do is ask.

Elder Kristian Huff

Song of the Week:  Here Comes the Sun,  The Beatles.

 

This is a Year

Elder Huff and Elder Espinoza

Church building and apartment (he lives upstairs)

Elder Espinoza and Elder Huff

Hey everybody!

So... I'm here, and... Not good for words.  There's a lot I want to say, but.... Bah. I guess I'll just go step by step, and besides, some crazy stuff has happened in the past week. It's been a hard but successful week, but.... I suppose the week isn't the most important part.  So... Here we go.

Big Deal Number 1:

Monday night I got a call saying I was gonna have to go to Teguc for a few days.  And... My comp was gonna stay in Choluteca.  So.... We lost about 3 days of work in our area this week.  -.-  BUT, the conference was still pretty good!  Learned a lot and I just want to be a better missionary!  And then when I finally got back to my area.. I got sick.  -.- Which is interesting.... But considering the days it fell on, it connects pretty much completely to the next dealio.

Big Deal Number 2:

I have officially completed a year in the mission.  It's a weird feeling, and there's very little I can say about it... Only that I hope I can work better and harder my second year than I did my first year, trusting a little more in God and working a little more how God wants me to.  But.... The most crazy thing about this week is the fatc that not only did I complete a year.... But so did both of my parents.  which leads me to big deal 3...

Big Deal Number 3:

Both of my beloved parents have had their birthday in the past week.  Wednesday for my Mom, and Friday for my Dad.  So... What's hard about this is that I can't really do much for them from here.... BUT, I can do a little something over my letter. 

Guys, what I can say about my parents is that they are the most selfless and loving people I know.  It's hard to put it into words, espcially in a short letter... But what I can say is that these two people have dropped everything, from careers, to education, to personal needs to every other kind of pursuit... For me.  And they have done so many times.  They love me.  I know they do, and the love they have is a pure and selfless love.  A love that has changed my life and a love that has changed the lives of countless others - and I'm sure many of you reading this are nodding your heads with me right now.  They don't care about money, or popularity, or even what other people think - they're the kind of poeple who do what they feel is best for everyone included in the situation, and do all possible not to hurt other people in the process. For them, family comes first, but that doesn't exclusively mean the few of us.  They love everyone freely.  They bring in everybody that needs them and makes them part of our little family.  They aren't perfect, obviously, no one is. But they try hard to at least be accepting in all situations and firm when it comes to God. If I've done something in the past that was contrary to what God wanted, it wasn't because they supported me in it - they fought me, as hard as they could, to try to keep me from the bad and from making bad choices.  And although I've made my fair share of mistakes, which many times was exactly contrary to their advice, they still stood by me and loved me.. and then did all they could to get me out of it.  Guys, these two people are some of the best people in this world. I am blessed to have them in my life, and even more blessed to call them my parents.  Neither of them started their lifes with me in an easy way - but they both stayed.  And then did a whole lot more.  I love them, and if you need someone who will truly help you - come to my parents.  Well... Come unto Christ first. Then my parents will help you feel better about the journey.


Mom, Dad? 

I love you.  Thank you for everything. Happy Birthday. :*  One year left.  Let's make it count.


Elder Kristian Huff



Song of the Week:  What Are You Looking For? by Sick Puppies. (I've been waiting for this one for a while - I dedicate it to my parents, my little brother and really.. Myself.  You'll know why.)

 

Ask, and Ye Shall Receive

Hey guys!!!

I'm happy to be here.  I feel like I have so much to tell you, but I don't even know where to start.

Since I've come to San Marcos, I've been incredibly busy and I've felt very powerless and like I'm doing a lot of things wrong.  I'm working hard, but I've just felt off, for some reason or another.  I try, and I pray, but I just feel like something has been wrong.

So... I prayed a lot, and decided to fast.  

Frankly, even the day during the fast it was awful.  Lessons were falling, people were rejecting us very directly, and I was left feeling very .... tired.  tired of trying, tired of failing, and tired of just doing it all wrong, even if I'm going through the checklist mission prep boxes.  

Then, close to the end of the day... God answered.  

Honestly guys.... There has just been miracle after miracle since then.  I know my emails have kind of sucked lately... They've been short and really choppy.  And.... Today's will be like that too.  But, from here and out, they'll be better again.  I just had to take today to focus more on my family.  

So.. With that said, next week will hold much more.  Just know.... God answers.  He always does.  He has, and I have never known it more clearly.  Love you guys.

Love, 

Kristian

 

Song of the Week:  You'll Be In My Heart - from Tarzan.  Love you, Mama.  You're the best.