Feliz Año Nuevo!‏

Hoiiiii!

Wow quite the week!! It was so good talking to you guys and seeing your beautful faces and my companion enjoyed seeing Janaes battle wounds... Bahahaha 

I definitely will never forget this Christmas. I prayed a lot for strength as I talked to the family and felt a little extra strength from the Lord. I have never eaten so much food before in my life. On Christmas eve we had 5 dinner appointments. At our last dinner appointment, which was the most food, I almost started crying after the second bite, then said a prayer and all was good! The members were so warm in opening their homes for us and showed us the meaning of service. We tried going to all of our visits on Christmas, but kinda had to recoop from all the tamales from the day before. FIREWORKS. I guess they are pretty big for Christmas and on Christmas Eve people party ALL night long until Christmas morning with fireworks, There were a couple mini bombs that went off at 3 in the morning and our entire house shook. Cant wait to see what new years eve is going to be like!

If all goes well, we will have 2 baptisms this week with Hermano Santos (which I dont think there is a more perfect investigator) and Hermana Caroline! Hermana Caroline has a special place in my heart. She is 9 months pregnant and has a 4 year old boy with more energy than 5 kids put together. She is such a hard worker and so strong. We passed her house one day as she was bent over cutting her weeds with a machete 9 months pregnant. I had the opportunity to learn how to use a machete and I felt pretty cool. She goes to church by with her son every week and feeds Hermana Alcequiez and I every thursday. When we asked if she wanted to be baptized she asked if she could be baptized the next day. She has had some problems with her husband, but is the perfect example of a strong, caring mother.

The Lord is keeping me on my toes with a call to give a 10 minute talk 5 minutes before we left for church, but Im learning how to be flexible on the mission.

New years!!

Crazy to think I´ll be here in Honduras for this next year, but Im excited! Ive learned on my mission that when we set goals we are showing our faith. We need to make goals to be aware of where we're at in life and where we are going. Only through the Savior. do we have the opportunity to become better, but we need to be humble. Also to realize that no one is perfect, but because of the Lord and his eternal sacrifice, we can have hope.

Ether 12:27
 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I love you guys!

Hermana Sherman

A family of frogs at the house. Everyone here is super scared of them for some reason.

This is my friend Johnny Lingo. He gave me my first coconut here! People are always selling the juice inside called aqua coco and I finally got to taste it! It didnt really taste like anything, but I felt cool drinking from a coconut

Porvenir

All of the Young men were selling tamales in order to go to EFY

Hermano Santos!

Hermano Santos has a huge Santa in his front yard

We had a Preparation day with our Zone and we made Gingerbread houses!

 

The famous Church in San Pedro Sula

During our zone pday we also had a white elephant gift exchange. It got pretty intense and was the funniest thing of my life!

We combined with another zone for a lunch on Christmas Eve

Tamales!!!

One of our dinner appointments for Christmas with investigators

Skyping with the family

This picture is better of the transportation in the mini van. Sometimes they have another layer of humans hanging out of the vans.

A moto Taxi! They are everywhere here

 

Feliz Navidad!‏

I cant even believe its Christmas this week! Its a lot different having a hot Christmas. This past week was so gooooood!! Our perfect investigator Santos easily accepted his baptismal date and is preparing for the 4th of January! He has definitely been prepared and its so easy teaching him. He comes to everything we invite him to and always keeps his commitments. What better investigator could a missionary ask for! Its a testimony to me that the field is white ready to be harvested. We just have to be ready and willing to listen to the Spirit when it sends a prompting our way.

I was moving our 100 plants of aloe vera, when I noticed something big and black crawling out of the pot. It was dark and all I knew was that I did not like the way it crawled. I responsibly let out a yell of excitement and called out to my companion. Yes, it was a tarantula. Yes,it was big and fuzzy and yes, we lost it and now it is crawling around our house somewhere.

We had a Christmas party as a ward last week and one of the other sisters' investigator sang and was amazing! Ward functions definitely are different here. Everyone likes to talk a lot during everything. But,we had success with 4 of our investigators showing up and they said they had a blast! Today we also had a preparation day with our Zone, then I had to go to San Pedro Sula for some immigration stuff and saw the famous church building thats all over google when you search San Pedro Sula.

This year I feel a lot closer to the Lord. I can truly focus on my relationship with Him. I know that my Redeemer and Savior lives. He is my light and through His perfect example and teachings in the scriptures, I have hope to be a little more like Him every day. He knows us personally and through Him we can have all of our pains and afflictions taken away. I know this to be true. I love you all and hope that everyone can feel the Spirit of Christmas.

Love,

Hermana Sherman

new mode of transportation...amazing how many can fit in a mini, mini van!

Missionary work is a front row seat to witness conversions...

Hiiiiiiii!!!!

So much has happened in my new area! I guess Porvenir is a little in the boonies but we can travel 30 minutes to La Lima on Pdays (preparation days) to buy food and use internet and what not. Here they travel by van or bus. The vans here are like mini-mini vans. They each have a route and stuff as many human bodies in as possible. Yesterday, we were stuffed in one with 30 other people, it was crazy! There is no such thing as space bubbles here. Ive also said goodbye to crabs in Tela and have said hello to tarantulas.I guess they are pretty common here and saw my first one as I was cutting a members grass with a machete. It was a baby one and dont know how i feel about that.

My new companion Hermana Alcequiez! Hermana Alcequiez is from the Dominican Republic and has been out on her mission for 3 months. She is so motivated and strives to have the spirit with her at every moment. I am so grateful for her and feel that we can push each other to become the best missionaries we can be.

The ward here is awesome!! Wow im definitely not in Tela anymore. Our ward mission leaders name is Kevin. He is an 18 year old getting ready to serve his mission in January. He is such a good ward mission leader and is so pumped in sharing the gospel. There are 6 missionaries in our ward. We live next door to 2 other sisters and the Elders live down the street. We have already received so many references from the members and they are so willing to go out with us!

The first day I got here we were contacting a reference and walked up to a house to ask if they knew our reference. There was a man there and immediately invited us in. His name is Santos. We started talking to him and his religious back ground. We ended up teaching the restoration and he was really receptive. We returned, taught, and gave him a Book of Mormon. He said that Elders use to visit him, but he lost contact with them and had no idea such a book existed. He showed up to church and all the members were so welcoming. We visited him yesterday and he said he loved church. He said that his family wasnt too happy about him going, but that he felt good when we taught him and felt good about it. He then said that this is the path he is suppose to take. I feel so blessed that the Lord trusts us enough to have lead us to Santos. The best thing about missionary work is that its front row seats to witness conversions and a change of heart. Life is gooooood

I cant believe we are already half way into December! Yesterday, we had a Stake musical reunion and we got to sing in 2 musical numbers. We also sang in the morning for ward conference. I am constantly reminded of the true meaning of Christmas as we get to share messages of the Savior. I know that the Savior lives. He is our Redeemer and knows each and everyone personally. He knows our pain and afflictions and he can replace our worries and doubts with hope and faith. I have learned that giving is better than receiving, and we can feel true happiness by helping others find it. I love you all!

Love,

Lani

Adiós Tela...Hola Porvenir!‏

Hiiiiii!!!

Today was cambios and I have been transferred to Porvenir, La Lima! My new companion is Hermana Alcequiez! She is from Dominican Republic and this is her 3rd month on her mission.

It was a lot harder than I thought to leave Tela. Im so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve there for my first area and I will never forget the warm welcome from all the members. Im excited to hit the pavement running and see how we can help strengthen Porvenir! 

Sorry this is short, theres not much time. Love you all!

Love,

Hermana Sherman

Hermana Tamani

Last trip to the beach in Tela

Hermana Doris

Hermano Carlos a security guard at night that we said hi to at least 100 times.

Hermana Almendadez

Packed up ready for cambios

Progreso North Zone!

All of the Gringos in my last zone

My new companion Hermana Alcequiez

When we traveled to Porvenir we all stuffed in the back of a van with our suitcases

Hermana Baird! We have a couple mutual friends

My new house!

Me Voy...

Hola! 

This week has been a complete blur. Every companionship in the mission had an opportunity to make a 2 minute long movie for Christmas and we are going to have a Christmas meeting with our zones and show all of them. We also made a video with our zone that is pretty funny and hopefully you guys will be able to see them!

Yesterday, President and Hermana Klein ate lunch with our district! We had the best food I've had yet in the mission and a cake! I love my district right now and it will be sad saying good bye for transfers. President Klein told me I have transfers, but I have to wait until Wednesday to know where and with whom. 

It's harder to say goodbye than I thought. I absolutely adore all the members here and our investigators. They were all so patient with me when I arrived here fresh off the plane and hardly could understand anything they were saying. They will forever be in my heart and I am eternally grateful for their warm welcome and examples of loving others.

This week I read in D&C 138:56

"Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men".

When we are teaching new investigators, it's not the first time they've heard the gospel. There are many times when investigators feel that the gospel is familiar to them. That`s because they've already been taught in the pre-existence and our job as missionaries are just to help them remember some things that they've forgotten. I've also been thinking about how we have been prepared specifically for this time on earth. We were able to watch 17 miracles last week, and those strong and righteous pioneers were saved to come to earth in that specific time period. I've often thought about my specific time on earth and my purpose, why I was sent down now. Being on my mission, I now know I am meant to be here in Honduras at this specific time in my life. I am meant to have the family I have now, and I am meant to labor in the Lords vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men. 

Entonces me voy!! We shall see where I'm off too! I am willing to go where the Lord wants me to go. I love chuuuuu guyyyyysssssss!!!!!

Love,

Hermana Sherman

Picture of Hermana Tamani and I in our kitchen. Hermana Tamani has a camera that takes the picture when you smile..

District lunch with President & Hermana Klein

 

Hermano Rosales and his awesome doors!

 

Hermana Hill and I during the Christmas Devotional, we got to watch it in English!