Sunday, October 5, 2014

Baptism of Emanuel as well as Carlos and Marjury Ponce. 9/29/14


09/29/14 September 29th Elder Gurr

Hello Family,

This week has been great! We baptized three people.  It was super awesome because they all had strong testimonies. It's really cool because they have worked super hard to get to where they are.  Each bore their testimony and had their hearts changed.

Let's start with Emanuel, we find out that he was a big leader in a different church.  He was as high as a bishop would be. He told us though that one day he got into a horrible accident and he took forever to recover. It was hard for him because he recently divorced his wife and no one from his church was helping him.  Then he moved to where we were and he was the first person we found in the new change.  He used to drink and do stuff like that but in one month he changed his life for forever.  

Then there is Family Ponce. The first time we found them he told his wife to tell us that he doesn't know us and then we were able to teach them the first time and they were baptized.  It was super funny because he tried telling us that he had another commitment in another church but it wasn't true.  The first time they came to church I just knew they would make great members.  It is super awesome to see them.  Since then they said people would tease them about being Mormon which is super funny because with other religions they don't do that. They are both really happy for everything that happened and they had a awesome wedding. I love you all and I need to get off right now love you all.

Elder Gurr

09/22/14 September 22nd Elder Gurr

Hello family,

How are things going?  It has been really fun here this week.  We have been having a lot of success.  Well it was sad because one of our investigators went out with his friends and tripped up on the word of wisdom.   It was a really sad day also because we were not able to work much because my companion was really sick yesterday.  He threw up like 10 to 20 times the last 3 days, but I think he is doing better.  Everything is good with our investigating family.  I saw the husband just this morning and he has his wedding papers ready today.  We will be able to baptize them soon.  The other investigators we have are very positive as well and if we baptize both we can complete 2 families because the mom has a spouse that is a member and her son has a girlfriend that is a member. It has been a really fun week. The week has gone by so fast.  We are going to have tons of things to do this week its incredible.  Love you all see you next week.

Elder Gurr
Elder Gurr in Tiloarque, Honduras.  This is a city just outside Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  9/15/14

Bus trip in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  9/15/14


09/15/14 September 15th Elder Gurr

Hello Family,
This week has been a good week. We have three people who are progressing really well.  I have never seen so much progress going on since now.  My companion has so much energy to work it is crazy.  My companion is super crazy you have no idea.  He is not totally annoying, just in the morning.  He is singing and who knows what else.  

Well I don't have much to say but we have an investigator progressing a lot and we still think he will be baptized by the end of the week.  We have plans to baptize everyone really fast.  Hopefully it can happen really fast.  Then we have family that is ready as well.  It is super awesome.  They are getting their papers fast and everything should fall into place.  I am really excited to be here with my new companion and I know we can create miracles.  I love my companion and I don't know what else to say but I love this area.  It has so many positive people in it.  I will try to post more videos that you can watch and I want you to know that even though the days are going down the time I have here is something special.  The power I have to understand these people is incredible.  I am super happy with my mission and know with the language it helps a lot more. Love you all!
Elder Gurr

P.S. Its independence day here in Honduras.

09/08/14 September 8th Elder Gurr

Hello family,

Wow what a successful week we had.  Really it was crazy.  So we had transfers and Elder Dial went to another area and I received my new companion and his name is Elder Welch.  He is from Arizona and he is super funny because he loves to talk in lessons and is not afraid to make errors.  It is good. I wish I was like that at my time because I was shy until I really got the language.  He has the same time as Elder Dial. He is the biggest craziest worker ever.  He is super crazy about the work.  

We found 13 people this week and its super crazy.  We put a baptism date with the first person we contacted.  I haven´t worked this hard in a while like super crazy because that's not me but it's good to get back in the game.  It gets harder as you get to the end because of the reality of the fact it's around the corner.  Elder Welch is super funny.  One time someone said to us that they were a different religion and my companion was like yah and so are we.  He speaks his mind but in a friendly way.  It's awesome.  

Well I have a billion stories but just know that we already plan to have a bunch of success this change.  My companion and I are ready to take them. Let no fear come from thy mouth but teach by the spirit and I will be with you. We had the first contact come to church and he said he liked it a lot. It was a great time this week. It looks like we will have another family baptized at the end of the month. I got to go but see you next week. Love you all!
 
Elder Gurr
Elder Gurr in a Honduran Air Force Helicopter.  9/1/14

Elder Gurr in Tiloarque, Honduras. 9/1/14

Elder Gurr next to his first area, 21 De Febrero.  It is right next to his current area, Tiloarque, Honduras. 9/1/14


09/01/14 September 1st Elder Gurr

Hello family,

It has been a fast week, you have no idea. I remember thinking not this last Sunday but the Sunday before thinking about the mission and what we were going to do for this last week and it was crazy. This week has been good for our family investigating the church because they came to church again and they are progressing a bunch here. There only problem is they have no money at all for a wedding. They have a 6 or 7 month old child and he doesn´t have a good solid job right now. The wife wants to work but the husband doesn´t want her because he wants his baby safe.  She wants to help.  They will be baptized because the desire in both of them is super strong. I don't have much to say but I have a lot of photos.

It has been hard to find people to listen but we have been praying to find people who are ready to receive the gospel and if it's just two people I am satisfied with that. We don't have anyone else but I know that we can find more people. I appreciate the members helping us with our family. It has made it so much easier for our investigators to be comfortable.

Elder Gurr

8/25/14 August 25th Elder Gurr

Hello family,

This week was the best week ever. We found the next family we could put a baptism date with.  We found them on Saturday and then we asked them if they wanted to go to church with us that week and they were like no because someone else invited them to go to their church but we then convinced them.  We had his friend with him and this member recent convert has so much energy and testimony.  We could have never found this family without them because they live in a closed apartment complex.  

This week was also great because I was taking a cold shower when all of the sudden the heated water started to work.  It was miracle after miracle this week. Sometimes the mission is hard but worth it in the end. I love the progress that we are making and our investigators are making.  Love you all.

Elder Gurr
Baptism of Family Saravila. 8/18/14


8/18/14 August 18th Elder Gurr

Hello Family,

Wow I have a lot to write to you guys today. Monday we were teaching a family investigating the church about the law of chastity.  It was funny because one of the kids was saying like you parents are not living the law of chastity because they are not married. It was super funny. Then later we found a woman that literally kept saying no.  Hard but after we thought about it super funny.  Wednesday I got to pet a raccoon, it was super cool.  The Family Saravia had their baptism interviews.  They were sick and almost didn’t make it to the interviews and their baptism but they were able to come and complete them.  It was a happy day for us. We had a good week.

Elder Gurr
Eder Gurr, Elder Dial, and Family Saravia at the wedding of family Saravia. 8/11/14


8/11/14 August 11th Elder Gurr

Hello family, 

My companion got the papers ready for family Saravia and I went with the district leaders companion because he knew what to tell the lawyer so he did it. Then we went on divisions to find people and we contacted someone we saw on the street.  We started to talk to him and we could tell that he didn't want us to talk to him because he was on his phone.  We asked him some questions and he said he lived like right in front of the church and we asked him if he would like to come to church one week.  He said, "I go to that church there."  We have are church right next to the Catholic church.  It's tough because they are all Catholic here in the city.  Most of the doors we contacted where the Bishop lives was very hard but we found one who knows the church and wants to study the Doctrine and Covenants.  

Friday was the best!  We attended the marriage of Family Saravia.  They were super happy for that to happen.  They were awesome. It was so much fun.  Lots of planning and stuff.  It wasn't easy because when we tried to get it all together things fell.  So when they were reading the wedding thing all of the sudden they had the wrong papers but in the end they got married.  Then we went back to the church in Tiloarque for the reception after the civil wedding in the city office.   They had a baby Shower going on so we pushed them to finish and set up really quick a wedding reception.  It was tons of fun.  We had cake and of course chicken, the one thing they eat the most.  
 
Then Saturday was insane as well because we got a call an hour before to help move a family out of their house.  We gave 3 or more hours of service. We moved everything a regular house has.  We asked why and she said it's closer to the church and it's in a gated community.  The community is much safer.  

Love you all. For me the time is going by so fast. I felt like I wrote yesterday.

Elder Gurr
Elder Gurr in Tiloarque, Honduras. 8/4/14

Elder Gurr and Elder Dial in Tiloarque, Honduras. 8/4/14

Tiloarque, Honduras. 8/4/14


7/28/14 July 28th Elder Gurr

Hello family,

I had some crazy experiences happen to me this week.  On Wednesday we went on divisions with the members for almost the whole day. The two people we met that were the most interesting is when we contacted a kid at the front door and he let us in the front porch and he spoke English.  He was super nice and willing to listen to us. Then we saw his grandmother and she just walked in the house and then after teaching the kid for about 2 minutes the woman comes back out and said, "I don't want to hear your Mormonism", and she was saying other things like that, making sure that we wouldn't talk to her about our church.  Then after about 5 minutes later when we finish talking to the kid we went to contact again and we found her in the street and she said promise me that you will never come back and visit me. We said we wouldn't but I could not promise her it would never happen again.  Then she was like you are walking the wrong path of Christ and I thought to myself who is the one going out using all my time to preach the gospel to the people of Honduras and I was thinking, not you. It's hard to keep you anger in but the member was cool and said OK sister.  Have a good day.  The member had a criminal past but has completely been changed by the gospel of Christ.

Also we were getting tired of contacting the whole day so we saw someone outside and we contacted her. She said she talked to missionaries a short time ago outside of the mission and she was going to get baptized but she couldn't because they left and came to our area.  She is very positive and she is married so we will see what we can do for them.  

On Saturday that was crazy so we were in personal study when all the sudden we get a call that we are going to have interchanges with the assistants.  We were like,  what? We thought it was a joke.  We thought ended up my companion worked with one assistant and I got to exterminate houses of cockroaches and all that it was super fun helping and spreading the chemicals.  

On Sunday I was preparing a class for the second hour because the night before they asked me to do it so I started to prepare the class in church that next morning about 8:30 am so that my companion could practice the Hymns.  I was minding my business studding hard for the second hour class I was going to teach when all of the sudden the bishopric called me up and told me to come over.  I was shocked but I went over then I sat down next to them.  They asked me how I was and I said good and they said they wanted me to prepare a 8 minute talk about what ever thing for Sacrament Meeting that same morning.  I told them I couldn't because I was preparing the next class but they still asked me to do it and I accepted. So then I was now focused on what I would teach at the last second.  Then they started the meeting and I was still thinking when the first went up to speak then I felt like she finished in less than 30 seconds. Then they said it was my turn and I had no idea what to say.  I got up, hesitated a little, then I just started to speak. I spoke about work and not just missionary work but supporting a family.  That is what I was prompted to speak on so I did. I threw scriptures that I had read in the past and to be honest don't remember much but I know the Holy Ghost taught the lesson because I would of not known what to say. The Lord has blessed me with the words to say in this talk because I would have never known what to say. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost that guides us and just one more thing LET THE HOLY GHOST GUIDE. This is my advice this week love you all.

Elder Gurr    
Elder Gurr, Elder Dial, and Family Saravia at the LDS Temple in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 7/21/14

Elder Gurr, Elder Dial, and Family Saravia at the LDS Temple in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 7/21/14

Elder Gurr and the Elders and Sisters in Tiloarque, Honduras. 7/21/14


7/21/14 July 21st Elder Gurr

Hello family,

So I am down to about 5 months left on my mission.  Super crazy!  It's been hard but a lot of fun coming to Tiloarque. We might have changes in two days but my companion Elder Dial keeps saying, "No, you will stay here one more change!". It's been really close with our family baptism.  He is going to again get his wedding papers and he should be baptized in the coming weeks.  Maybe we can marry them close to mom and dad's anniversary. Crazy Stuff!

Well here is a little that happened this week. We did a family home evening and it was super fun.  The family loved it. They are working hard and could get their papers in really soon.  A funny thing happened because the word jail and in-grown toenail is about the same. I told someone that I had my nails in jail and not ingrown toenails. They laughed so hard.  A funny thing also we had a meeting during our planning for the week then one of the Elders took the keys to a Bishop so he locked us in and he said he would come back in time. So we waited also having Chili dogs to eat and he didn't come for a long time.  We ended up playing phase 10 till 3:30 in the afternoon. It was fun but one elder was like were never getting out.  I told him just to be a man and someone will come. There is always kids playing soccer here.  

On Friday we took a family that is investigating the church to the temple. They were great and they loved to go to the temple with us. We walked in the front and we showed them the proclamation to the world and with the peace in the temple it was a good atmosphere because here it's not hard to hear some type of music playing in the background but the temple is very peaceful.  

Then Saturday was our busiest day we found a ton of new contacts and contacted like crazy. We received references that we contacted and it was a day I was really proud of. Then on Sunday a family we were working with came to church.  We could baptize about 4 people from their family but we are just waiting when it could be.  I love learning patience.  It helps me learn to be humble and I love talking to the members and those investigating the church.

Well, that all I got. I love you all and letters should come in the mail just waiting for the change date to hand them to the elders in the office. Love you all and write to you next week-

Elder David Gurr

7/14/14 July 14th Elder Gurr

Hello yet again. So this will be really short because something crazy happened to me this week. On Monday we went to go play soccer on a real soccer field and the way I kicked the ball ruined my nail even worse.  I knew it was a problem that I planned to get done towards the end of my mission but I couldn't make it.  I had two nails cut on my foot. It was really painful but rewarding in the end.  So the next day I went to a super sketchy hospital to be examined to see how it was and she gave me some prescriptions and everything.  Sometimes I don't get everything when they talk medical in Spanish but one member paid for everything and I had all of it brought to me at the apartment.  Super Crazy!  

I stayed home for about 4 days so we didn't go out to work. The weirdest thing also is that we were told to have interchanges with the zone leaders which all we did that day was sit at home and study.  Also the zone leader made me dinner in bed.  Super cool with the fact he was a zone leader.

Elder Gurr