Running in the Dark

P-day hiking and repping my school with a sweet bullhorn trumpet. #Only in Honduras

Dear Family and Friends, 

This was a great week here in my new home in Santa Rita! We have some great families that we are teaching that are interested and progressing really well. I love teaching entire families!

One of our adventures for the week: Friday night were walking home from the outskirts of our area at about 8:30 pm when two men started following us.  The highway road is dark and deserted for about a 30 minute stretch so we sped up our walk hoping to avoid an ugly encounter.  Looking back, we didn't see the men anymore, so we relaxed a bit and continued discussing plans for our investigators. About five minutes later, I looked back and saw the two men rapidly approaching us. My companion, Elder Lopez, suggested that we run but I said, No, not wanting them to think we had something of value (since I just had my books and 10 lempiras). “1,2,3, corramos!” said my companion, and again I declined, feeling calm and decisive. Then he said again, “Corramos, 1, 2, 3!” and I felt a strong feeling of fear, like if someone had dumped cold water on me. “Vamos!” I said. So we took off running on this dark highway, and the men started running after us. We ran and ran, and they ran after us as car after car passed us. I felt no fear, but said a quick mental prayer while running and honestly felt such a strong trust in the Lord—that we were servants of His and He would protest us. S we kept running for like 10 agonizing minutes and, just when they were gaining on us and I was ready to quit running, a small white car pulled up and shouted, “Elderes, get in!” Needing no further encouragement, we quite literally dived in the car, and were whisked away to the safety of our house by a visiting bishop from Palermo Ward who saw the situation. I know that wasn't a coincidence, and the more time I spend in the mission, the more time I understand what it means to trust in the Lord, to really trust in Him that everything will be okay if I am doing the best I can and honoring my covenants. 


As it says in the scriptures, “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” D&C 84:88

I know that we were guided by the Holy Ghost to run when we started to run. I know the Lord sent that bishop to see us and save us.  And I think that the Lord also wanted to remind us to do our running exercises in the morning. :)

Javier Mauricio quit his great Sunday job to be able to go to church.
THAT IS FAITH, PEOPLE!

Hurrah for Israel!
Elder Moffitt

Posing with my new companion, Elder Lopez

Semana Santa and Happy Easter from my new home in Santa Rita!

OH MAN, I have way too much to write about and no time to write it. So I am SUPER PUMPED about this new area that I am in. I made it out of San Pedro Sula alive after 6 months and several close calls and now am in a small town called Santa Rita in the countryside of northern Honduras in the state of Yoro. The city is strewn about by sugercane fields, in which many of the residents work, whether planting, cutting, or manning the machinery of the sugercane. So pretty much I live in Candyland. Pretty much.

My new companion is a Guatemalan named Elder Lopez and he is super cool. Our house is super big and we live together with Elder Maldonado and Elder Brimley. Elder Brimley is also from Arizona and we were in the MTC (Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah) together -- so it's a good time. I am super excited about this area because there is a ton of potential for teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyone is so open and so friendly and the lifestlyle is a lot more calm and relaxed here. In the city everyone is always running around and busy and distracted, but péople here really have much more relax time, even though they work hard. I am pumped to find new people to teach and to build the Lord's kingdom here.

So Easter in Honduras is pretty much non-existent. The week is called Semana Santa, or holy week, and most everyone has the week or at least the weekend free of work. But the sad part is that no one understands why. Everyone thinks that Semana Santa is just to go and swim in the rivers or go to the beach and relax. Hardly anyone understands that we are celebrating the suffering, death, and victorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Much of this week we spent teaching about the atonement of Christ and the magnitude and eternal importance of that weekend that changed the world forever.

So I'm not really tuned in to the whole video world over there in the States but there is an INCREDIBLE new video and page about the meaning of Easter over here at http://easter.mormon.org/

Everyone needs to WATCH IT because it is awesome and really powerful. Here it is:

Because of Him

I want you all to know that the reason I am here on the mission is because I know that my Savior lives and loves me and that he is literally at the head of this church. That is the motive for every drop of sweat I have dropped over here.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Moffitt

Moving into our "big house" with Elder Brimley

Pictures from San Pedro Sula

  

Remember Christian? One week as a member and he is already THE BEST MISSIONARY EVER! 

New friend Selvin!

 Honduran bridge. Someone didn't go to USC School of Architecture...
That or Voldemort went wild on this bridge.

Want to hear a prophet of God speak?!

Well, this week was our church's General Conference, or in other words, the awesome twice a year weekend where we get to listen to the words of the living prophets and apostles of Jesus Christ that direct his church. For 10 HOURS!!!!! 

We spent most of our week preparing our investigators for the conference, including teaching everyone about the importance of prophets, and how God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and so it makes sense that he has called prophets and apostles to lead his church and his saints in these the last days. 

There were so many great talks it was incredible, but my favorite was by Lawrence Corbridge, who talked about the importance and incredible fruits of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The simple fact is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and one learns so so so much when he/she just investigates all there is to learn. I loved the directness the speakers used in their talks. It's time to repent world. Ain't nobody got time for sinnin'. 

Can't remember any really great stories from this week (that happens when it's really, really hot in a small Honduran internet cafe), but I learned a ton from the conference. If anyone has any questions about Honduras or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, send me an email and I'll send you the best answer I have! 

Click here for all General Conference Talks

And here is a one-minute short version of my favorite talks of conference -- "ask God and He will answer!": 

Bad news: It is super hot now. The hottest time of the year is April. 103. Humidity. We don't have air conditioning. Sweet.

Good news: The mangos are ripe now here so I'm loading up on that fresh fruit. 

Love,

Elder Moffitt 

While waiting for a meeting, Elder Hansgen and I took a few minutes for a missionary swagger photoshoot!