Ist Baptism in Reynel Funez, Yeah!!

March 1, 2010

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡JAJAJAJA HOLA mi familia!!!! Alright I need to straighten something out. The area I live in is not actually called Tizatillo, Tizatillo is the name of the Ward I go to. The name of the place I live is called Reynel Funez. I don’t know what you guys have found on Google Earth but I don’t think that’s it……. But then again maybe it is, I don’t know. So for the money from the church we all have a credit card and at the beginning of every change they deposit money and the amount varies on how much we used before. So compared to where we live and where most of our investigators live our house is pretty nice. But it only has running water 2 hours a day. So any real store or bank is about an hour from where we live, same with the internet. Right now we’re in between changes and my comp has left and so I’m companions with our Zone Leader whose comp went home too. So for my new comp I will be getting this week, his name is Elder Lienez from Puerto Cortez, Honduras. He’s big like me, but that is all I know about him for now. So this last Saturday Elder Paulson received his first baptism, it was so awesome I was so stoked and happy, its amazing to see people progress in the gospel. We needed her mom’s signature because she isn’t 18 years of age and we didn’t thing we were going to get it because her mom’s a Jehovas Witness! But she did she sign the papers and after we left their house I was so excited I did one of those football shouts! Jajajaja and now we are working with her family too. We also have 2 more baptisms planned for the 13th of this month. So I got my pants fixed, we have an investigator who is a sewer he has been sewing for 35 years and he uses one of those foot peddle sewing machines and he fixed 3 pairs of pants for just 20 limps that’s less than a dollar! WHAT! Brad is getting married?! WOW!!!! All the other people I expected but him, wow! Tell him congrats for me. My health is good and all is well for me I just keep working and pressing forward……. Oh, mom one thing, can you get Kel or whoever to burn that video I made of that temple trip on to a DVD and send it to me. And also I’m not saying this because I don’t appreciate it but that Johnny lingo DVD you sent is the old version and I can’t change it into Spanish, so if you could send the new one or one of the other ones like the other side of heaven. If you can that is fine but don’t make it a big problem for you. Well that’s all I have for this week. I am glad all is well with you. I love you all, thanks for everything! Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson THE HULK

New Area!

February 22, 2010
HOY SI PAPA! ¿¿Como esta mi familia? Well let me tell you about Tizatillo ( i don’t know if it’s the same place that you found on Google mom) so it’s not really a pueblo it’s more like a really ghetto suburb of Tegucigalpa. It’s like this little community of people that decided to build their houses on the side of the mountain. Most of the houses here are built of wood, which here is a means they don’’t have a lot of money when I say that I mean poor. But I love it here its not pretty like Catacamas with its green plants, its on top of this wind swept mountain, but there’s a beauty about it that’s completely
different. To the average person it would be the most ugliest place in the world. But I love it, the best description of the place I can give is if you can remember those commercials with some British guy in the middle of some third world country holding or standing next to some child and talking about for just 15 cents you can feed this child, and they show you pictures where the kid lives and all that well that’s what it is kinda like here, but better. For us we live in this gated community at the entrance to the area, and from there we work our way down into the area and then climb back out at the end of the day. Right now we have a baptismal date for the 27th of this month and we are going to make another one tomorrow. People are a lot more accepting to the our message here, they are way more humble. My comp is another elder from Guatemala his name is Elder Chamay and he goes home this next Monday so I’m only with him for 2 weeks but he’s a way good missionary and likes to work hard. He is super short, in one of the pics I’m sending he’s the one on my right. We get along well, there are two areas here we work on one side of the valley and the others on the other side. We don’t live together, it’s just me and my comp in the house which is a big change from living with four missionaries before. I would love to tell you guys why we had to get moved but President doesn’t want us to, he wants to keep it on the down low, but yes it was just something that happened one day, that made President feel it wasn’t safe, it wasn’t an ongoing thing. I’m in the biggest zone in the mission right now but it’s getting split up this change. I’m really liking it here, pray that our baptism goes through! With me every thing has been fine, I don’’t know why but this last two days I kinda have been a little baggy I don’t know why I guess I just miss you guys hahaha! I sent a letter to Emi this week but I put our address on it cause I keep getting returned ones from the address she gave me so when you get it could you get it to her for me. =) that’’s awesome about Kel’s new job, tell him not to blow it for me hahaha! Tell him nice work and also tell him to write me! And the money thing sounds good I don’t think I will be taking out too much right now because we live where there are no banks, hahaha! So an update on the nasty things I have eaten this last week. We kinda have been down on the denero and we haven’t had money to buy milk for cereal, so my comp wiped up some hot sugar water and ate his cereal with it and me being desperate tried it but I didn’t finish it! And also we had dinner with one of the members and they gave us chicken’s feet with just cabbage salad and lemon juice for the dressing, Ya! The whole subject of losing weight, I don’t know I kinda feel like I have. Tell Chance congrats for me on district leader and serving in Wales. I’m kind of jealous but that’s alright, I’m in the best mission in the world! =) Hey tell Kesni congrats for me! And I wish I could have been there for it! =( but also tell him to remember who his master is! Hahaha! Well my familia that’s all I got for this week, I hope it was enough I love you all thanks for all your support. I always pray for you. I love you. Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson THE HULK

February 15, 2010
¡¡Hola mi familia feliz tardes! Alright so lets get started since my last letter a lot has happened! But first…….. happy birthday DAD, wow this is a crazy time is going by so fast your birthday is here and then mine will be then ill have a year here………… hahaha! Well I hope it’s a happy one, thanks for everything DAD. I talk about you a lot here to investigators and members about you serving a mission and I have used both yours and moms testimonies! I think about you guys everyday. But again happy birthday have fun! Alright so for the news, so this last Wednesday we had our interviews with President Flores and they went good and after we talked to us all individually he came out and talked to our district and talked about the potential of Catacamas and that it needs the missionaries there right now, but then after that he told us that me, Elder Gunnell, and Elder Christensen all had emergency changes and we were going to be going to our new areas on Monday (today), so all last week was packing and saying adios to the members and all that fun stuff and right now I’m sitting in my new area with my new comp. I’m now in and area called Tizatillo, it’s a pueblo about thirty minutes outside of Tegus. And my new comp is Elder Chamay from Gautemala. He’s very short like 5’’2 hahaha! I have only been here for about 2 hours now, President Flores felt that Catacamas was to dangerous for gringos so he changed us all out for Latinos, I was way bummed to leave and super bummed to leave my comp! He was awesome! But I am also excited to work in a new area with new people and new members, but I don’t know much about the place right now so I’ll tell you more next week. I’m attaching a picture of me at the top of this random stairs in Catacamas but it’s a good place to see the pueb. So I got the letter from Emi today so it didn’t take that long, tell her that I’ll be sending one as soon as I can. And same for Amanda and Caitlin…… but I didn’t get the letter from Fab?.... but I did get an email to day so all is good. Well all is good with me, I just take stuff head on as it comes and know that it’s the will of the lord and he knows me better then I know my self! I know the Church is true that’s why I’m here so I can share this wonderful blessing of the true gospel with as many people as I can! I love you all thanks for everything and all your support. I love you my familia! Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson

NO POWER!

February 9, 2010
Hola mi familia! I hope all is well with you all. So first yesterday the power was out all day so we couldn’t use the internet but we got permission to use it to day. So the work for this last week went all right we still don’t have any baptisms =( but we are working hard with couple of people who are positive, Pres. Flores has been cracking down on us a lot and our obedience, he’s had a lot of problems with missionaries breaking rules, he’s had to send home 4 missionaries or more. He’s setting up a lot of new rules to stop stuff like this, but me and my comp aren’t having any problems so no need to worry about that, we just got to keep remembering why we are here, and keep that love for the Lord and there’s no problems =). For me personally all is good, no problems with health or anything I am just working and the time goes by really fast, its crazy at the end of this change I’ll have 6 months!!! Already ¼ of my mission, it bums me out that it’s passing so fast! But all I can do is work cause that’s the best thing I can do to not make it a waste of time, the language is coming along good. I do speak always in Spanish with my comp which dose help a lot!
Grandmas birthday party sounds fun! I hope it was fun for her, give them a hug and a kiss for me! I got a letter from Amanda, Caitlin, Elder Park, Marc and Shae! I was stoked! Letters help so much its like a turbo boost. So this last p-day we went to those caves again the same ones but we talked a tour guide into taking us down a part of the caves that they had closed off, there was no light it was awesome. Also this last week I had the chance to eat the Honduran favorite Mondongo (cows stomach and ingestions) that was an enjoyable experience. I’m sending some pictures of the caves and a picture of yesterday. And another one of our last zone conference. Speaking of pictures can you send some to me of just random things like my rugby pictures and stuff like that, just pics of my life before. And pics of recent things, happenings about the house, the fam, the friends, what ever. But I cant think of anything more…….. sorry it was so short. I love you guys I pray for you always. Always remember the lord first and then our lives will be much better!
Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson ""THE HULK""

New companion!

January 26, 2010
Hola, Familia
Okay so ill answer your questions first. 1. Please tell me about your new companion. Alright my new comp is freak sweet, he is from Guatamala, he is from a little town there called Jutiapa, he is a freaken cowboy. He has these huge belt buckles he wears and his cowboy boots, he’s told me about some stories about his dad getting in gun fights. He is a way hard worker and he is an awesome teacher. He does not speak English as much as my last comp, he hardly speaks any, but ya he is awesome. I think that we’ll get some baptisms together. 2. Tell me about the branch and what you do there, and the people and if you really like them and that kind of stuff, do the missionaries run the branch or what? Okay so the church in Catacams is a district, there’s two branches here, both with their own branch presidents and there is also a district president kinda like a stake president. There is a lot of people I like here, a lot of families it will be hard to say goodbye to when I leave, but there is also some people I don’t like, like our ward mission leader………… he’s so hard to work with, but I’m trying to get along with him. The missionaries don’t run the place but they help a lot! 3. I noticed that your money in your account is pretty low so we will put some money in there for you to have to spend, I am happy to do that, I want you to have some extra. How does the money from the church work? Thanks mom, I would appreciate it, the money from the church works fine they just deposit it like the first week of every change. If its possible could you deposit it before Thursday I kinda have run out of money I don’t know when they are going to deposit the money for this next change and we have to go to Teguc on Thursday, I need money to travel, they will reimburse us but it’s only just in case they don’t deposit it.
Alright so I hope that answered your questions, so sorry for not writing you yesterday the internet wasn’t working here in Catacamas so we got to do it today. But ya, all is well. We did bless our house after that experience. I was the one that blessed it too. We don’t really have any baptisms lined up but we are working on it. We have contacted a lot of really positive families in this last week so are going to be working with them a lot, along with my new comp the other elder that lives in the house with us and he got a new comp, the new comps name is Elder Huayhua he is from Peru. He is so awkward but he’s awesome too and he makes me laugh so much. But ya not much really else has happened this week besides that, I hope all is well with you guys. How is Kel and Amelia doing, fine I’m sure. I think after this change I’m off to new area…….. will have to see. Give Trevor a hola for me (both Trevor’s). That’s all for this week, I have not gotten any letters yet but I haven’t had a chance to go pick them up from Tegus, but if I have some I’ll get them Thursday. I love you all very much, thanks for your support with every thing, its crazy to think at the end of this change I’ll have 6 months in the mission. WHAT THE FREAK! Hahaha! Well I love you guys and pray for you always, NOSVEMOS!
Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson ""THE HULK""

Oh My Gosh what is that!

Hola mi familia! January 18, 2010
Okay so this week, my comp (Elder Batres) left for home today, I don’t have my new comp yet he will be here on Wednesday. But for information on him his name is Elder Polanco he’s from Guatemala, he was my last comps comp and he said he is a way good missionary and an awesome guy so I’m excited to meet him. But that’s all I know about him for now, so our baptisms kinda fell through, we still have one planned for 30th of January but we will see how it goes. We haven’t been able to teach them for a while, it’s a different person than the last one I told you about, its really hard her in Catacamas but I’m hoping my new comp will be able to help me out with that.
So I have two story’s for you this week first one is kinda funny but gross also, the second is more real and not scary but…….. I don’t know you will just have to see for yourself, so for the first one. Wednesdays we go eat with a Sister Harmana Claudia, she’s makes really good food always. So this last Wednesday we went to her house to eat and she had the food out and the table ready for us. I looked it over, it have your typical rice and beans but the beans were refried which I love and also there was fired platano (plantains) which I love also and 2 pieces of meat, which I thought were carnitas ( little fried pieces of steak) which also I love. So I sat down and dove in, first with the rice and beans and while I was eating that I took a gander of the two pieces of meat sitting on my plate and they looked very different then carnitas, they were a lot darker almost black and almost a round shape. So I was curious…….. so I picked one up with my fork and took a bite……..it took everything I had not to throw up, I was thinking to myself what the freak is this!!! I put it back on my plate and continued eating, avoiding whatever that was, but the general rule is just eat it because they have spent all day cooking it and spent money on it, and she was also watching me and I’m pretty sure she could tell that I didn’t like them. So after I had dallied as long as I could I went for it and with the help of a couple big glasses of water and the platanos I got it down. After we left I looked at my comp and asked ‘what the heck was that meat.’ I had already had my doubts, but I still wanted to ask just in case. When I asked he said he didn’t know how to describe it in English all he could say was eggs………… but the second he said that I knew exactly what I had eaten………………we will just say rocky mountain oysters. I was not feeling good after that…….but ya that’s my first real bad food experience.
Okay for my second story, so it was a couple of nights ago and I had gone to bed and was sleeping and up to this point our house has never really felt that safe and protected, I could never really say why it just wasn’t. I was sleeping and in the middle of the night I was awoken by something I can only describe as something moving towards me, like when a camera zooms up really fast and shaky and then at least that’s how it sounded when this happened. I heard a voice in my head saying " the enemy of all righteousness is here" and when I heard that I couldn’t move at all and/or open my eyes or speak, and I felt a great weight on my legs like someone was holding them down, and I could fell a presence above me. I tried to call on the name of Christ, but I couldn’t speak but I kept repeating it in my head and in my heart I then felt another presence enter the room and when this one came whatever was restraining me left immediately. After I got up and sat on the edge of my bed for awhile and just thought about what I had just experienced
………….but ya your probably freaked out right now. But I’m fine, I know the Lord is with me and watching over me. Well I’m out of time I love you guys so much. And miss you and hope all is well!
Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson
P.S. Sorry for the short letter not really much has happened, I’ll get more for next week. Love you

Christmas package finally came!

January 11, 2010
Hola mi familia!!
Okay so thanks for the pics mom those were awesome to see Trevor, Kaelen and Rem! That’s freaken crazy Addison is already gone a year!!! There’s no way that is already here! Freak! Sorry about the pics but I just got to do what makes me look good! Hahaha! So I got the package it was awesome, but try opening a package filled with candy and having 5 other missionaries surrounding you, ya I had to fight for my life (just to make sure but you guys didn’t send my Ipod did you? Cause if you did I didn’t get it), but that camelback was freaken awesome thanks Miller!) The candy and the beef jerky are almost gone! That’s what happens when you live with 3 other missionaries, your candy and food just disappears. Did you put they videos on the card in the section with the password or just in the normal section? But, ya I was stoked about the package and I did set up the decorations and they are still up in my room, I sleep with the Christmas tree lights on.
So we dropped the family that we had the baptism date with, they weren’t progressing at all, they haven’t been to church. Once they said they studied the scriptures but when we ask them questions about them they don’t know anything!!!!! It’s so frustrating………… but we did pick up a new family this week, a big family of 7 people so we were stoked for that. We are going to be focusing on them much! And we also got a reference from a member for a family that has 15!!!! people in it. We haven’t contacted them yet but we’re going to tomorrow and the member said there were positive so we’re stoked for that! That’’s my mission dream to baptize a huge family like that 15,20 people! We still have the other person with the baptism date, and were working with him.
Today we went to Juticalpa it’s the other city in our zone and went and played fùùtbol there, I’m not going to lie…….. I’m a pretty good fùutbol player! Its not an uncommon thing for me to score a couple of goals, hahaha! but the 6 year old Honduran children still school me! My comp goes home next Monday, he’s freaken super baggy! But he’s also way bummed out! His name is Elder Batres and he’s from El Salvador! I did tell you this, he’s a way good teacher and he helps me out a lot, he’s kinda with his head in the clouds sometimes…….. will leave it at that. So I had my first missionary bathroom experience, I won’t go into details but it was bad, hahahahaha! Well that’s all I got for this week.
I love you guys mucho! Thanks for all your letters and give everyone my love!
Love,
Elder Spencer F. Paulson ""THE HULK""