Extra treat for this MOM!!!

Lani said since she didn't have cambios she was able to email twice in one week, so she sent me pictures!!! 

P-day fishing!

She didn't put a description with this, have no idea what those are.

The 4 missionaries in our rama!

Hermana Reyes! She was my companion for a day in the CCM and has been such a great example to me! She is the only member in her family and her family doesnt really support or write her on her mission. She is so strong and has a solid testimony. She is going home this cambio because they found a tumor in her stomach. While she was waiting at the hospital she was contacting everyone in the waiting room with her big smile and they didnt think she was really sick so they ended up waiting for 5 hours for a doctor to see her. She is AMAZING!

Our district! Our district leader Elder Pugh and Hermana Reyes have cambios and are leaving us :(

 

These two are our neighbors. Hazi is 7 and her sister is 2. Hazi takes care of her sister and basically is raising her. Hazi always comes to our door yelling "HERMANA CHERRRMAN!!" and always asks if we can sing for her. We sing I am a child of God every time and she has most of it memorized now. She is a special daughter of Heavenly Father

a couple of baby pigs were hanging out in front of our house

Cambios

  Hola Hola!

Every week rushes by faster and faster. This past week we had divisiones or splits with the sister zone leaders and it was awesome! I got to get to know Hermana Abricka and work along side her for a day. I love divisiones because you get to see the different types of teaching from different missionaries. I learned so much and it definitely pumped me up. 

We had a baptismal date with our investigator Vanessa for last saturday and were getting her pumped. We got permission from her Mom a couple weeks ago and the only condition her Mom had, was she needs to get permission from her Dad, who lives pretty far away and is hard to come in contact with. Shes been trying to come in contact with him for the past two weeks to ask permission for her baptism but hasnt had any luck. On Friday we had an appointment with Vanessa and she said she would have an answer from her Dad that day so we were pretty anxious. As we were walking to her house we felt like we needed to pray. So we stopped and said a quick prayer saying that we trust Heavenly Fathers will and His work. In our appointment she said once again that she didnt have any luck reaching her dad. Hermana Tamani and I had a peaceful warmth come over us and we knew that everything was going to be ok, but that we needed to trust in the Lord. We have cambios or transfers this week so we might not be able to see the fruits of our labors and physically be there for her baptism, but we are only the Lords tools in this work and it feels good to know that we have made a difference in someones life, even if its planting a tiny seed. 

We find out today if we have cambios or not, and wednesday are the actual cambios! I will go and do the things the Lord commands. I trust in the Lord and the power of revelation in which President Klein is worthy of. The church is true! All is well in Honduras and thank you for your support!

Love,

Hermana Sherman

A baby sleeping in a hammock

[and she's still smiling :)]

"They put everything in bags with straws here. Juice, Soda, ice cream"

2 investigators

Our cook

Rain, rain, rain

"Preparation day hike with my District"

 

 

Another week in paradise

Hola!This week has seriously FLOWN by and its hit me at how fast time flies on the mission. Hermana Tamani and I went up to Ceiba for a meeting with the new missionaries and their trainers. Its crazy to think I was the newbie 6 weeks ago. They had the new missionaries and their trainers separate into different rooms and everyone was telling me I was in the wrong room. Haha. But what a week with so many service opportunities! The 3 families that are members in our area all had their own trials. All 3 families had someone in the hospital. Two mothers had complications with their pregnancies and the other family had a daughter sick in the hospital. We have been able to visit the families and offer our help in anyway we can. We've also had a lot of opportunities to meet new people and see the hand of the Lord in our work. We have met so many people that I know we were suppose to meet at the right place with the right timing. 

I gave a talk last Sunday on "Noche de Hogar" or family home evening! I was able to reflect on my family and how grateful I am for being brought up in the Gospel with loving parents. I have really taken  for granted being born in the church and now see the difference it has on families and their relationships. There is so much wicked in the world right now and  its essential that parents and their children have a strong foundation because the first thing the adversary is going to attack is families. I love my family! I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for each and everyone of you. 

Next week we have cambios! (transfers) I cant even believe it. This past cambio has helped me grow so much and Ive learned not to worry about the attitude of others, but that I need to focus on my attitude and my reactions. Its helped me so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve! Life is good, I found nutella. The church is true!

Love,

Hermana Sherman

The beautiful Honduras

I brush and braid the sweetest lady's hair a couple times a week cause she broke her arm and cant do it herself.

 

Breakfast! it was like funnel cakes with butter and jam!

How great shall be your joy...

What a week! Not going to lie, it was a little more challenging with our investigators following through with appointments, but we're just focusing on doing our part. A few weeks back, I talked about a cute old man named Fausto and how he was an answer to our prayers. Well, this week he committed to baptism! He is already almost done reading the Book of Mormon! Oh the joys of being a missionary. This is pure happiness. 

    D&C 18

   15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

  16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

We had an exterminator come to the house last week and spray down EVERYTHING. He was very liberal with his repellant. He also sprayed down the cracks to a dungeon of our next door neighbor, and immediately hundreds of cockroaches started crawling out! Some were 3 inches long! My companion and our neighbor started stomping on all of them... Ok ok ok my whole life Ive HATED the crunching sound when bugs are squashed. So I basically was in fetal position in the corner, while plugging my ears. I have never seen anything like it. It was the plague all over again. And yet I survived to see another day. 

We have goals every week of how many lessons we want, how many referrals, and how many new investigators throughout the week. Ive always been a little competitive and it was easy for me to get side tracked by our numbers. I finally realized that I need to focus on the people and their needs. After I truly focused on who needed our attention, other than if they were an investigator or an inactive, the numbers automatically came. Its amazing how the Lord fills in everything after we do our part. 

We had interviews with President Klein this week and it was perfect timing for me. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of me because whenever Im having a hard time he always sends someone to help pick me up, especially this week with conference or random phone calls from the sister zone leaders or an interview with President Klein. President Klein remembered when I told him Auntie Chip lives here in Honduras. He asked if I would like to see her. I started bawling. He said he will do everything in his power that I will have the opportunity to see her and if she lives outside of the mission, then we could maybe set up a time where we can meet somewhere and have lunch. What a tender mercy! Im praying that it will all work out because that would make my whole mission! 

Mom sent me a devotional by Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ. It really hit home for me and I am more aware about how many times I turn inward and have self pity, when in reality I need to always be looking outward and help others with their needs. We have the Savior, a perfect example of constantly reaching out towards others even if He was in agony or the one that needed the most attention. Without fail, not once did He have self pity and turn inwards. Im grateful for my Savior and Redeemer. I know He lives and through Him we may be made whole no matter how severe our spiritual or emotion wounds may be. He gave His life for us and lets not let it be in vain. The Church is true!

Ether 12:11-12
      11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given.  But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
     12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.

Love,

Hermana Sherman

What I eat everyday

What a fantastic week!

What a FANTASTIC WEEK! Every morning I wake up with thanks and gratitude to my Father in Heaven for everything I have been blessed with. I cannot thank Him enough! Exactly a year ago during conference I had absolutely no intentions on serving a mission, and now I'm in Honduras! I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to better myself and bring others to Christ. There is no better feeling. I am so happy! Yes, this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but I also don't think I've ever been so happy. Its weird how that works. This whole week I was so excited for conference and it didn't let me down. Conference was so fulfilling. My spiritual battery is full and I am so grateful to be a missionary at these exciting times! It feels great to be front and center of this marvelous work! I love how a lot of the talks were on acting. We don't gain a stronger testimony by just watching conference, but by applying what we learned to our lives and learning through our experiences. This is one of the reasons I love being a missionary. I have the opportunity to live and be everything I want to be. I have already learned so much about myself and how I can better help others. Elder Holland said in a devotional that every single blessing he's received has been through the portal of his mission and he will continue to receive blessings for the rest of the eternities. 

I have been teaching hair styling classes for the Relief Society here every week! I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my talents and the women here are so amazing and love to learn. They all work so hard for their families and the few members that are here are strong. Every week the "Rama" which is smaller than a ward, is getting stronger and stronger. We had a movie night and almost everyone came! It was so exciting and boosted our energy for the rest of the week. I've learned that every activity has to be a  well advertised activity. When we show our excitement, the members start getting excited.

Life is good in Honduras. It's nice and toasty! I get plenty of sun that's for sure! I always have my phases of obsessions. At first it was bananas, then I discovered platanos! They are like huge bananas, but fried. I have been eating platanos pretty much everyday and sometimes it's hard to tell what is a platanos or what is just a big banana, but they are the bomb! I'm kinda over my baleada obsession because we eat them everyday, but i found a pulperia that sells AIRHEADS! I have found the pot of gold. The past two weeks we have had our Pday with the zone. Last week, we went on a hike and this week we chilled at the beach. Today our district ate an American FEAST at a members house! I couldn't walk after, but I'm finally able to breathe now. 

We were bringing our investigator Vanessa to English class we have every week. We had about an hour to kill and I was praying for a miracle that we would be able to use our time wisely. I asked Vanessa, who her best friend was. She pointed at a house we were passing at that exact moment. We knocked on the door to invite Vanessa's friend to English class. There are 3 different families that live in the house and we ended up receiving 16 new investigators! We've been teaching them all at the same time the past two weeks and it has been awesome. I have learned the importance of relying on my Savior. I need to do all that I can and He will fill in what I lack. Through Him and His atonement, I am able to turn my weaknesses into strengths. The Church is True! I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Sherman