November 1, 2010

Family,

First off I have to tell you all I'm sorry, sorry for the short letters that I sometimes send, (like 3 times in the whole mission). I try I really try but I have only 1 hour!!!! to write all of you and my mission Presidente and I have been told I have to write him first. I dont do it for a lack of love for you all, you all know how much I love you, there should be no question about that, but I'm trying to really make the best out of the time I have here and part of that requires that I am obedient to the rules of the mission. Now I don't want you all after reading this part of my letter to think " WOW what's happened to Spencer!?!?!?!, he's gone all crazy missionary on us!", that's not the case, I'm just trying to get you guys to see it from my perspective. And now I don't want you to think that you have to write me shorter emails, I have one hour a week to know whats going on in your lives and whats happening back home and trust me I really need to hear these things, I need this 1 hour to be the most informational hour of the week. Alright I'm done with this part now I just hope you can understand.

So sounds like it was a really good week for the sports back home, nice job Max keep it up! And Dad I was really worrying how the game would turn out against UVU but I guess there was no need to. but who is ranked 23rd in the nation SLCC or UVU? Well I have to say I'm a little ashamed to hear how Halloween went, not even a pumpkin carved in my home!? I tried to get some pumpkin carving going on here but we couldn't find any pumpkins, I thought about using a watermelon but it just wouldnt be the same. Today in Honduras is Dia de los muertos (day of the dead) but all they do is go to the graves of their dead family members and clean their tombs, that's all realy.

Well we had another successful week we and another baptism this weekend, just one but the guy gave a talk in church this Sunday as a member and it seemed like he had been in the church for years, he wants to serve a mission so I was stoked to hear that. Also we are teaching this awesome family that is really just eating up the gospel they really are just a family of gold!!!! This week we put a baptismal date for the 13th of November 3 days after transfers I really don't want to leave this area! We also have another family that this Sunday at church they asked what they had to do to get baptized, were working on getting them married right now. The Lord really is blessing us I don't know what we have been doing but it's working, I think that it's just that we're putting more trust in him.

So some updates on what's going on in Honduras.... well not much has changed it's about the same.... but the weather has gottin a little bit hotter and dryer but everyone still thinks its cold. This month the mission had 120 baptisms, but we're still a lot behind to complete our goal for the year of 1600. So we're just going to have to step it up!!! So like I said last week we had the baptisms, 4 in total it really was awesome they truly had big changes in their lives, men that had been drinking and smoking since they were 6 years old, and lots and lots of other things and now this next sunday they will be receiving the melquezidek priesthood! It's amazing the changes the gospel can make in someones life.

Hey mom give grandma and grandpa a hug for me and a kiss, I'll write them a note and the end here. I thought of something for the Christmas package a musibi maker, I think you could find them at the Hawaiian store in West Valley I think that is were it's at, or you could just ask the guys at Lanikai. and if you could send more songs of Israel Kamakulai, the guy that sings Over the Rainbow. You could just put them on a USB flash dirve.

Well thats all I have for now, I hope I wrote enough for you guys, thanks for every thing you all, I love you all, Te amo mucho.

Elder Paulson

Grandma and Grandpa

How are you guys, thanks so much for the money, you guys don't have to give so much! I really miss you guys, I told mom to give you a kiss and a hug for me. We really are having alot of success here. I love being a missionary it makes me sad sometimes that I have so little time left. But I'll be glad to see you guys. I love you!!

Love Elder Paulson

October 18, 2010

Alright family!!!

So first off, it's awesome to see Andrew, thanks for the pictures mom! I can't wait to hear from him. I was thinking about sending him a letter but it might be easier now just to email. If you see him again give him a bro hug for me!!!! I haven't heard from the Mondragons for a little while, I sent them a letter like.... 2 weeks ago, but it does take awhile to get there. Sorry about the short letter last week, but we have to write president and sometimes I have to tell him a lot of things. But I'll work hard on not sending short ones anymore. Dad, the team is looking really good!!! Tell the guys what's up for me. Do you go to practice every day with them? I can't wait to get back and get going with them again! But I'm kinda really out of shape we don't really get much time to work out or do anything like that, some times we play soccer on p-day but other than that not really anything else......

Alright so for what's happening here in Honduras, well first things first, I thought you guys would like to know that we haven't had electricity for a week.....why you ask? We didn't pay our power bill on time hahaha but it's not like the states where you just send it in the mail or over the internet, you have to find a bank that you can pay at and where we live there's not really any banks.... but we paid it we just have to find someone now to come reconnect the wires ( they just cut the wires here to shut your power off) but really for me it's not that bad, we're never in the house for much time, we just need a way of refridgeration and some way to cook and we would be good and we wouldn't need to have any electricity at all !!!! but my comp wants light so I guess we will get it fixed but don't worry the members feed us here, they are all really awesome...... So I have figured something out, Hondurans don't do well with rapid weather changes, the weather has turned coolish here and they just can't handle it. Everyone is getting sick, and as for me well I am just fine hahaha! They all have like big winter coats on and I'm here in my short sleeves, and they all ask me "aren't you cooled" i just say "no" and laugh. My comp has been a little bit under the weather thanks to this, but he's getting better.

Alright so for the missionary work this weekend we will have 5 baptisms!!!!!!! 1 family, Family Lopez Nuñez and we're completing 2 other families. We really have been blessed. I feel we are working hard, but then I remember that i only have 10 months left and I feel like I'm not working hard enough and I should be doing so much better. But this week we are really working hard with these people that have baptismal dates for this weekend. This week when we were visiting the Fam. Lopez Nuñez we were teaching the word of wisdom and the law of chastity, well when we were teaching the law of chastity the sister said something that made me and my comp laugh super hard. She said "Dios quire que obedicemos la ley de castidad, pero..... es bien rico!!!!" (god wants us to obey the law of chastity, but is soooo good!!!!) hahahaha she was joking around but it still was funny. This family is really awesome!!! I have truly enjoyed teaching them and when the time comes it will be that much better to see them baptized!!!! So for the first week of November the stake were in will be spliting, and will be creating a new stake, and word on the street is that Elder Ballad is coming!!! That would be so sick!!!!! We don't have any callings in the ward it's really a pretty big ward, just a question what's the attendance for our ward on sundays, if you could get that for me mom I would really appreciate it.

Alright one last thing, as you guys think about Christmas I just need to say that I'm falling out of my pants..... I have pretty much worn holes in the crouch of my pants. I can get that lady that made my suit to make me some pants and there not really that expensive. But it's just something I thought you guys could consider.

Well my family, I love you all and I thank you for your sacrifices and your love. Even when some of you find it difficult to write me. I still love you. TE AMO MUCHO)¨!!!!!! and thanks mom for the money, I truly appreciate it.

Love, Elder Paulson

New Suit!!!

Elder Paulson's house in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Cristin's Baptism!
Walking, walking, walking! Do you think I need new socks?

CONFERENCE, AMAZING!

October 4, 2010

Alrighty family...

Well I have to say that this has been an excellent week for us! The best being CONFERENCE!!!!! I have been waiting for conference since April! We got to watch all sessions, and I got to watch them in English. It was sweet, all of the Gringo missionaries together in our own room watching conference, loved it! and yes mother I took notes again!!! =) I don't know how I couldn't, every talk was amazing and they all touched on awesome points!!! We also had investigators at a few of the sessions, it was like throwing a spiritual hand grenade into their lives, they had no idea what to do!!!!!! =D one of them, Elmer, has a baptismal date for this weekend. He went to the priesthood session and all of the Sunday sessions, he's been progressing so fast! and he's really gaining a testimony of the church. That family we are teaching didn't come, I don't know why, I hope they are not flaking out on us....... there name is family Nuñez but we are going to go visit them tomorrow so we will see what's up.

Alright a weekly experience that I think you guys might enjoy. So we have been visiting this inactive family, they are really nice and always inviting us over to eat and recently one of the sisters moved back to Honduras from Quebec, Canada (yes, I told them that is where my dad served his mission). Anyway, they have been living there for about 8 or 9 years, and she has three kids 2 girls and a boy the oldest 18, then 12 then 8 or 9 i think? But i guess in Canada they give you a kiss on the cheek to say hello, as they do here in Honduras, so we're visiting this family and in rolls one of her daughters ,the 12 year old, but she looks like she 16 or 17, anyways she came in behind me and I stuck my hand out to shake hers, well she took my hand but then she also leaned in and gave me a big kiss on the cheek. Well we as missionaries can't do that, but it has never happened to me before and I just sat there stunned and BRIGHT BRIGHT RED!!!!! Then she went over to my comp to do the same but he stuck his hands out shouting "NO PUEDO NO PUEDO" I can't, I can't. I was still just sitting there not knowing what to do, but she ran off embarrassed. So after we left the house me and my comp just walked home laughing! So I thought that you guys would enjoy that.

Dad the rugby game sounded sweet I'm stoked we won! The guys look like they need a lot of practice though, just from those pics I could tell what they need! But they'll get it! The weather here really has gotten a lot better, we're getting in to that cooler season, it feels like the beach in California, really I love it. Mom I'm sorry about the money thing I wasn't going to use that money at all but our mission cards weren't working so I had to use the money from home to feed me and my comp for like 3 days.

Well I love you guys. That's all I got for now. I hope all is well, I hope to hear from a FEW more people next week...... thanks for every thing. TE AMO MUCHO.

Elder Paulson

Appreciation!!!

Sept. 27, 2010

Hola mi Familia,

I have to say that I loved all the letters I got this week, I also got three letters in the mail from Shae and Tina, Becca Brown, and Austin, tell them all thanks for me and I'll get a letter off to them as soon as I get a free minute. Mom....... jealous about the mountains and thanks for the pics, I will say Honduras is all just one BIG mountain but it's pretty ugly, not like our pretty Utah Rocky Mountains, when people ask me if I miss home I say yes, I miss home and I tell them I miss the mountains. Tell Max congrats on the football game and tell him to keep it up. Dad I'm stoked to hear about how the rugby team is doing those jerseys sound SICK!!!!! I'll need lots of pics and info about the game!!!! Miller & Kel dudeskies, don't go to the Cayman Islands, come here to Honduras!!!!! Roatan or Utila, I'm serious they are ten times better!!!!!! I have read all about them, they are amazing!!!

Well this has really been a good week for us in the work, we got transfers this week and.......... I'm staying where I'm at andddddd my comp is staying too, we were happy we really work well together and get along. We were able to put 3 baptismal dates in this last week, and this week we're putting another one with this family that we are teaching, we're super stoked, we invited them to come to church this week, and we were sitting there in the chapel waitng for them and they didn't come until the last minute, I was so HAPPY!!!!!!

I just wanted to share something I learned this week, my eyes really were opend up, we were at a members house, and she was telling us about some financial problems that they are having, I thought about all the people that have told me about their problems, with not having money or work and that they might lose their houses, and I felt the appreciation for what I have. I see how and where people live here, I have been in their homes and I have eaten at their tables(that's if they had a table), they have shared their struggles with me and what their families are going through at the moment. And i think about my home back in Utah where I have a washer and dryer, cable T.V., air conditioning, heat, hot water at the touch of my fingers, and many, many more things. The mission really has opened my eyes to this kinda stuff, every morning when I'm standing outside in the open air on our back patio in THE NUDE!!!!! about to pour freezing cold water all over my body to "take a shower" I think of all the times I would sit in the bathroom just letting the hot water run...... and all the times I wouldn't appreciate things like that. I think that I will never make that same mistake.

Well, that's all I have for this week. I love you all, thanks for being the awesome family you are. TE AMO MUCHO!!!

Love, Elder Paulson

Sept. 20, 2010

Familia

Alright so this has been a really crazy week for me, it all started out when I started not feeling good one night, then by Tuesday night it was obvious that I was sick, so when we got home that night I took my temperature and it was at about 101. I had muscle pains, joint pains, headache, and a cough. So I called the mission doctor and she told me to start drinking a lot of fluids and take Tylenol and that I had to stay inside and I couldn't leave to work.........I couldn't believe that I couldn't leave to work. I had left to work everyday for a whole year!!!! But I was obedient, the following day I was about the same and had to stay inside but at about 8 started feeling better, so in the morning I felt a lot better, and by the afternoon I was back to normal and was able to go out to work and I was happy. So by the time I was better it was Saturday and time for the baptism of Cristin so we went and got all that ready and got him there. His mom was able to come to the baptism. It was awesome to have her there too. She's been taking the lessons too. It turned out being an awesome experience!!!!

So that was about what my week was, really hectic!!! I got to confirm him on Sunday, it was my first time ever, kinda nervous but I got it done, President Flores has really got us focused in working with families and not with kids. I think it's realy good cause there are missionaries that baptize just to get baptisms. Hey, tell Max to get to work and start being a Spartan and being a leader for his team and tell them to step it up!!! I really miss pie there's no pie here, I would really like some pie.

I was thinking you could just find the songs on the internet then load them on to a thumb drive and send it if you want an idea of what kinda songs, just watch the other side of heaven and listen to the songs on that.

Well I love you all, your the best! Thanks mom for everything! Te amo mucho!

Love, Elder Paulson

Louis and Carmen get baptized!

Sept. 13, 2010

HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!!!

Alright first thing first..... BAPTISM!!!!!!!!! YAHOOOO.. hahahaha but really its awesome, Louis and his wife Carmen were baptized this Saturday the 11th of September. It was an amazing experience to see a new family enter the road to their salvation. They were really ready and they have such a strong testimony, this is the same guy I told you about that shot himself in the leg! Also we still have 2 other people with baptismal dates for this coming week! The work is going very well here for us in Honduras!

I'm sorry I grew up so fast...... hahaha sometimee I think how sweet it would be to go back to playing legos all day! hahaha but this is just part of it all I guess but there's plenty of new experiences and memories to be made so we just take what we get and make the best of it! Alright so maybe Tegus is not the ugliest city but it's up there for sure. If you really want me to I can tell you about all the things we live with like the huge tarantula I found outside my house one day and the scorpions that are all over the place and those camel spiders are here too.... ya there's a lot of that here. hahaha!

Alright about the clothes, yes I did find my sizes. It's pretty easy to when I have dropped down a couple of sizes. I bought 3 shirts 2 belts..... and a new suit.... but its not just any suit, there's a member here that owns a company that makes the suits for the Marriot here so she came to one of our meetings and she took my measurements and I got to pick out the fabric and everything and if I wanted it to fit a certan way and all that, its going to be sick I'll send you pics when I get it, which should be this Saturday. My other one is really big on me now, I feel like I'm swimming in it, and its kinda falling apart.

Well I said what I would like for chirstmas, but you guys do what you would like and I'll be happy one way or the other. YA so a little bummed about the whole you guys going to sushi......I haven't even seen a roll of sushi for a whole year, but it's all good no worries. I hope you all had fun. Alright so I'm sending pics this time but I need some pics too. Send some of those last family pics we took, I really want those.

Well that's all I have for now. I love you all, thanks for everything mom, you are the best. I got the best family in the world. Te amo mucho.

Your son, Elder Paulson