8/25/2014 La Ceiba, Honduras - Man, Is it hot!

Well I am in Honduras!! and dang is it hot! I was not able to write last week since transfers were on my p-day.

So it looks like I have two weeks to cover. For starters I have to mention is that the dinner before the group of missionaries that leave the CCM depart, the cooks brought out a couple chocolate fondue fountains and strawberries, marshmallows, doughnuts, and other fruit. That was pretty good.

My district minus Elder Adams who had to leave early. 
You can see him in the picture when I left that morning 
next to Elder Gibbons. But from left to right is 
Elder Aldrich, Elder Shepherd, Elder Lessard, me, 
Elder Gibbons, and Elder Saunders. 

Pictures of the morning of  
my departure and the 
flight over El Salvador

I had to take two flights, one to El Salvador and another to Honduras. I had to get up at 2 in the morning then we all departed.


President Klein, his wife, and a couple of other missionaries met us all at the gate. Then we left for a local church building in La Lima for orientation and going over safety and procedures. Luckily the church building had air conditioning because when I first stepped out in Honduras, I was in an instant sweat and it is harder to breathe from the humidity.

On arrival to Honduras with President and Sis. Klein

Afterwards we got together with a local zone and went contacting, walking around the streets talking to people. That was pretty fun except for the part of me not understanding 90% of what they were saying. I stayed a night in Lima in local housing for missionaries. Our room had 14 beds with triple decker bunk beds.

The room I stayed in the first night in Honduras, 
yep those are triple decker bunk beds

Following that I found out who my trainer was, it is Elder Itza. Elder Itza is from Mexico and speaks very little English. But he is awesome! He definitely knows what he is doing and I just love being his companion. Elder Itza has 2 months left in his mission so he has a ton of experience. With his experience and my enthusiasm we are going to do be very successful.

My companion Elder Itza. I caught him sleeping on the job

After that we left in buses to our areas. My area is....La Ceiba! That was a 4 hour bus ride from Lima.

Our apartment is a three room apartment. 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1 living room, and another bedroom for our ropas. and yes we have a legit shower and toilet, a small refrigerator and microwave.




The people here are amazing and very loving. At first we went around all day contacting (going to houses or people on the street). Everyone treats you very nice, I have not met one person yet who has been mean or rude in anyway.

This one time my companion and I were sitting on a bench waiting for a bus and this guy came up to us on a bike with a 5ft long snake in his basket. He said that he found it when he was working and was taking it home. He was showing us the snake and motioning as if he was going to throw it on us, he thought he was hilarious. But my companion was freaking out just a little, and not me of course :).

So my district is brand new and that means no area book (history of the area) or a list of the members. we were and still are starting from scratch. Anyway we already have a baptismal date with someone out here so that is fantastic. The 20th of next month is the planned date. I am very excited.

Hows my Spanish? Well at first I couldn't understand the people at all here and barely my companion. now I still can't understand the people except for some words here and there and I can mostly understand my companion with the help of a dictionary. So it is coming along slowly but surely.

Random picture in Honduras. Notice all of the wires.

A lot of the kids down here that are going to school are learning English in there classes. I can somewhat talk to them in English and my companion always offers my services to help them in learning their English. I did meet this one guy that grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and is bilingual. So I was able to explain to him the restoration, that was cool and a treat to speak in English for so long and have someone understand me. Usually when we are contacting I give my testimony on prayer or whatever principle of the gospel we are talking about.

Sunday in church was different but very much enjoyable. The local church building here has air conditioning so that is a blessing and three of our investigators made it to church. We invited around ten and 1 came with us and two others arrived a little later. It is fun trying to talk to the members in Spanish as they are smiling at me as I try to form my sentences in Spanish. Most of the time I look at my companion and he either answers for me or attempts to explain further their question.

Here in Honduras is very awesome especially here in La Ceiba because it a slightly cooler than everywhere else in Honduras due to the ocean breeze. Yes I can see the ocean, its about a mile from my apartment. So that is really nice.
Food here is great, a lot of beans tortillas and eggs. And if we are lucky, bread. We have a member across the street from us that makes us almuerzo and washes our clothes for us and occasionally makes us cena.

 The hermana in my ward that cooks us dinner 
and is now washing our clothes!! She is the best!!

The grandson of the sister earlier, he is my bud! even though I cannot really communicate with him!

It is very green here because of all the rain, there isn't much yet but we are entering the rainy season. So recap Honduras: Hot, Constant sweat for two years, full of love, and did I mention hot?

-Elder Keller

A shower buddy that I found the next morning.
It is a crab that crawled up from the drain.