I Should Have Died Right There!

Dear mom and everyone else,

Ok so from the subject title, this is not an adventure story. Let me explain. So I thought that me and my companion were doing better. We actually had a couple of conversations and even laughed a little bit. Things were looking up:) But yesterday thinks took a turn for the worse. We left to work and he walked out of the house with a hat on. Just to clarify, we cannnot wear hats during missionary work. Well I told him that we can't wear hats and he just gave me the "crazy" sign. Well we left, and I asked him why he even wanted to wear a hat, and along came another arguement. Thing is, I don't think people ever taught him how to make a smart arguement. All he did was say that he had more time than me. Therfore his two basic arguement were that I don't know anything because I only have 8 months, and that I can't even speak Spanish. He was only right on one thing and that was that he had more time than me. Well we went on and I said that I only do my best because I want to see miracles. He told me that he has seen his miracles and that I get to wait for mine. Well by the end of the time he realized I was right because he went back to pretending he couldn't understand me.

After all this, we met up with some converts and started a long hike under the brutal sun. Just a quick sidenote, this is the hottest time of the year here and boy is it hot! Well I was walking along, more irritated by his indifference than anything when I thought of a M*A*S*H episode that made me laugh inside.

In this episdoe a doctor comes to camp to visit and teach a new technique. BJ and Hawkeye don't really like him because he his cocky and thinks he can do everything. BJ Honycut has a lifethreatening problem that only this new doctor knew how to cure. After saving BJ's life, Hawkeye thanks him and the doctor just keeps on in his arrogant ways. After all this, BJ and Hawkeye are talking and saying about how cocky that doctor was. They were getting madder and madder and then BJ starts laughing and says to Hawkeye, "You know what I should have done that would have shown that doctor up? I should have died right there at the table while he was operating!"

And so while walking along the dusty hot road I thought "I should have just died right there in the middle of the road and let the converts see how he reacts!" Now don't worry these were not serious thoughts of dying. I just started chuckling at how such a absurd idea would have entered my mind and help me cheer up with a little humor:) Kind of like Thomas Heziltien's story about reading about when Nephi had to kill Laban. And then Thomas looked up and saw the Machette sitting there against the table.

Oh and dad you'll get a kick out of this other story. We went to an investigators house the other day and he told us to just hop the gate because it didn't open anymore. Well it was a little crappy wooden gate and my companion went first struggling to find a board strong enough to support his weight long enough. He finally did it and made it look really hard. Then it was my turn. I went up, swung up one leg and realized how tall I really was. I didn't have to climb the gate, I just had to lift my leg up high and walk over the gate:) Haha oh I love being tall here:)

Well that´s about it for this week. I love you all and hope you all enjoy conference and that we can all learn something new!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Signs of the Times

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Things are still going great here, a lot of people sitting around blaming the Japanese people for not beleiving in God and bringing this great destruction upon themselves, and then they reject the message that we have about God and his restored truth. Oh well. Just gotta keep pushing:)

I had one of the most awkward experiences of the mission the other day. We went to the house of a recent convert that I hadn't met yet because he hasn't been back to church. He came out and the guy honestly looks like he is Davy's age OR YOUNGER! I started talking with him and noticed that he had a deep voice for such a youngster. I asked him what grade he was in in school, and I used the spanish word for elementary school. He looked at me weird and my comp leaned over and said in broken english. "He is TWENTY FIVE Years old." I felt horrible lol! I wonder how many times this guy has been insulted on purpose and then along comes this gringo who pretends to know Spanish, comes to my house and insults me again. Oh man I feel awkward. I hope he took my apology:)

I got to go on divisions with an elder from El Salvadador named Elder Perez. That elder is awesome. He was in the area right next to mine during my first transfer. He is also the elder who was first to trade helping me learn Spanish for my helping him learn Spanish. :) (I have heard him play the piano since and I think I got the better end of that deal:)) We talked to whole day and I learned a lot of new words from him:) He is awesome and he only has 6 more weeks than I do so we get a lot of time to be in the same mission.

We had a meeting with a few zones last Wednesday and President did something weird, for lack of a better word. One of the APs was talking and then President Veirs got up, stopped Elder Cardon, and read us a scripture about how we are seeing the signs of the last days with the events of Japan and all over the world, and then he told us that we all had to be prepared. I still can't decide if he was just saying that to make sure we knew it was important or because he felt something was coming. I think it's time to be prepared:) In his talk that he gave to us later, after Elder Cardon finished talking, President talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ. He detailed how the sweating of blood is actually possible, but only when the human body was under extreme pressure! And then he explained the flogging and the crown of thorns and how he must have suffered there. Then he explained in great detail, the physical effects of the crusifixition and how it really would be the most painful way to die because of how the nails effected the muscles. It was really amazing to learn about how much Jesus Christ went through for us. I can't do his talk justice in an email, but know that it was amazing and that a few elders were crying. It helped refocus me on why I am here after hearing so much about Japan and what happened there I admit I kindof got distracted a little bit. But I agree with the quote that Elder Simper used in his last email from Shawshank Redemption. At first I didn't like these walls, but now I do depend on them.

I love you all and thank you for all your support:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Prayers Are Inspired

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Well things are great here! Thanks mom for Trevor´s email address. That´s cool that you got to go to his restaraunt and that he could wait on you guys. I remember how fun it was seeing people I know at Jordan Commons. even though I didn´t really get to talk much when I saw them there. It was always fun anyway:)

So I tried using a little bit of that, as mom called it, "Travis charm" the other day to get my companion to talk. Problem is, the way the Spanish language is built, it is very difficult to ask for something without making it sound demanding. I tried to ask nicely to let me teach more in the lesson so that I could become more confident and fluent and the works, and I failed miserably. He took it the wrong way (or maybe it really did come out the wrong way) and he started telling me things about my teaching that didn´t really tickle my fancy. He kept saying that he interupted me because I didn´t know what to say. Problem from his side, he had no idea during the lesson that I was about to say the exact same thing that he said when he interrupted me. I asked him how he knew that I wasn´t going to say those things and he said "because". A few more words flew, but then we saw one of our investigators walking toward so we stopped talking. So good new, I finally had a conversation with my companion:) The bad news, it was an arguement. Guess there is no why to go but up:)

Now as for the earthquake in Japan. I am glad that all the missionaries are safe there. I had a weird experience with prayer right before that earthquake hit Japan. I have always heard that sometimes the Lord inspires prayers so that we might pray for things we might not think we need or what others might need. That night before, I was tired, and I admit I had pretty much put in the tape of Prayer A and was just going through the motions. All of the sudden one of the scriptures that talks abut vain repetitions came into my mind while I was praying. So just to mix things up a little bit I slowed down and took a pause in the prayer. Suddenly I felt a small prompting to ask for Ryan´s safety. I had no idea why, but I did it anyway because President Monson says never ignore promptings from the spirit. As I heard about what was happening in Japan the next day, my thoughts truned to my life long friend Ryan Horne. I know that millions of prayers are said everynight for all the missionaries all over the world, and I don´t feel like one prayer in a couple million really had a whole lot of effect on the situation. But I tell you that I felt a whole lot better knowing that I had already petitioned to my Father my brother´s safety. I read the story of Helaman´s Army the other day. And while hearing about the events in Japan I was filled with a peace. I didn´t have to worry because I know Ryan, and the trust in the Lord that he has, and I knew that he wasn´t worried. I know now that the Lord does inspire prayers. He knows what we need even when we don´t. I encourage you to do as President Monson has said and practice and act on the promptings of the Holy Spirit immediately.

I´ve had a lot of time to study ensigns and read about what President Monson has said in these past couple of weeks. And I am gratefull for it.

I hope everything is going well back there at home! I love getting updates from back there:) I love you all and I pray for you all everynight!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

New Area

Dear Mom and everyone else,

So the downside to the mission is changes. You have to say goodbye to comps that you worked hard with and came to love through hard work, you have to say goodbye to the ward members that help so much, and of course we have to say goodbye to all the people that we have taught, loved, helped, prayed for, cried for, and rejoiced with. If there is one part of the mission that I would say wasn't there is the goodbyes. My dear sister Kristi, now I know why you hate saying goodbye. It really stinks especially knowing that there is a very high chance of not seeing these people again in the life.

Ok enough of the sad stories and on to the new area. It's actually not very far from my last area. But it is a whole lot hotter! It's right smack dab in the valley which means that the mountains don't give us any shade at any time of the day. But the work seems to be good here. I have a picture that I will try to send next week that almost tops the last baptismal one I sent. This area had 8 baptisms and as a zone over 20 on saturday! I only wish I could say I was a part of it. I literally showed up to the area Wednesday and my comp told me that we have 8 baptisms for Saturday:) Can't complain though:) OH and as for my comp...I finally got a latino comp!!! Which means that whenever we talk, we talk in Spanish!:) Only problem is that he doesn't talk very much. But we'll change that:) Cause frankly I really do need the help of a native speaker. No crazy stories from down here, but I keep hearing from other missionaries that Jerry Sloan resigned and Deron Williams got traded! What's up with that?!

Oh and yes mom you can add Sister Holt to the email list:)

Well that's about it for this week, I'll talk to you next week and we'll see if any fun stories come up:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

No Alcohol?

Dear Mom and everyone else,
Ok ok, I am done drinking random things for a while. There is a drink
in that they sell in the little stores that people open up in the
houses all over place. I didn't recognize it and neither did my comp,
but we both knew that it didn't have caffiene and it wasn't alcoholic
so we could drink it. As I went to buy my bottle to try it out, this
one guy came up and started telling us that it was the same as beer,
but just without alcohol. I figured now I get to know what I am
missing out on. After taking the first drink of that stuff I was
done! That part of the word of wisdom just got that much easier to
keep. That stuff is nasty!
Not much happened here again this week. Just a lot of the same
running to appointments. But it was really cool yesterday. Benigno, a
guy that we were teaching a while ago that just wasn't progressing so
we stopped teaching him, came back to church with his family! It was
pretty cool to see. Unfortuneatly I don't get to see what happens in
that scenario. I found out this morning that I am getting tranferred
again. It's sad because there are so many wonderful people here that
we are teaching and a lot of them just need to get married so they can
get baptized in a few weeks. Oh well. I guess we will just have to
wait and see what happens in the next area. I am a little mad that I
have to leave, but I always get mad at the people that aren't willing
to put their faith in Christ and see where it takes them so I guess
it's time for me to practice a little bit more of what I preach:) But
at least I get to know another part of Honduras.
Oh and I finally got all the Christmas cards from the family and yes
Jami, I still do have some Spanish to learn. And to Logan, me encanta
la comida aqui tambien, pero miro adelante quando yo puedo comer la
comida de my mami otra vez:)
Well things are going great here. I hope to be able to send more
pictures next week when I get to my new area. I love you all and hope
everything is going well.!
love,
Elder Neiswender

Dear Mom and everyone else,
Well this week has been pretty uneventful. Most of the people we are
teaching right now have to get married before they can get baptized.
The thing is, the women are always ready and love the idea of getting
married, but the guys always get real nervous. Oh well we just gotta
keep loving them and telling them how great marraiges in the church
are:)
That's been another thing that reminds me that the church is true.
people get completely dumbstruck when I tell them that my parents have
been married for 35 years (or is it 36 now?). They never hear about
marraiges that last that long down here. Most people don't even get
married, they just move in together and call it good. It is a lot more
common than in the states. Nobody gets married here. But when they
realize what they need to do and how the church and the Holy Ghost
will help, they open their eyes more. But the number of marraiges in
the church that stay together is amazingly high. This church has to be
the true church, if it can require that two people live together, and
then by some miracle keeps almost all the couples together. It is an
amazing feat that can only be done somewhere where there is the
authority of God and in a house where there is his Holy Spirit of
peace.
That's about all there is to report this week. Like I said, not
much happened. Everything stayed the same:)
Yes mom, I am taking plenty of pictures, and with the three
memorycards I have, I still have plenty of space:)
Oh and congradulations to Joey and Jen! They told me to expect a
little Joey or Jen running around when I get back:)
Well thanks again for all the support:) I love you all and I know
we are in the right path. I'll talk to you all again next week!
Love,
Elder Neiswender

Christmas Presents!!

Dear mom and everyone else,
Well, as for the weekly update, Things are looking way way up. Thanks
goodness that that week is gone and I just hope we don't have anymore
like it. This week has been much better. We found more great people
and put some good sounding dates with people:) The family that still
needs to get married has seemed to turned it around and hopefully they
keep going in the right direction. We also got some references from
some members and we found this one black lady and her husband that
like the church a lot. The great thing about them is that the lady
speaks ENGLISH. The first lesson we taught was just with her and she
wanted us to teach it in english. I never thought it would be that
hard to teach a lesson in english. Boy was I wrong. Luckily we got
through it and she loves it and keeps telling us that it just makes
sense. She actually lived in the states and graduated from high school
there so her engligh was really good.
Also this week we had interviews with President. That man is so
awesome! I love president Viers with all my heart. He knows how to
treat any problem with the right amount of love. Also, because we went
to the mission office for interviews, I got to go to the mail room and
guess what were waiting for me there...CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!!!!!! All
the elders there looked at me weird when they saw me carrying all
those packages, because it's not christmas time anymore. They were all
shocked when they found out those were my christmas packages. They
were late, but they are here. So Kristi, sister, I can finally start
that twelve days of christmas thing:) Thanks so much for all the
gifts! They were all so wonderful to get.
Well, not much else has happened this week. It was a great week:) I
love you all and I know that this work is the right work.
Love,
Elder Travis Neiswender