Week 14: Checking Off the Bucket List

Buenos días everybody

This week absolutely flew by and it's crazy that it's already p day, but hey I'm not complaining…

So this week I spent about half of my available missionary funds (we give a majority of the funds to our pensionista (our cook lady)) on cereal and for those who know me well, you know how happy this makes me. For most missionaries, the alarm in the morning is the most dreaded part of the day but now I joyfully get up because I know there is a bowl of cereal waiting for me.

Ok I know none of you care about that at all but for real that's one of my biggest highs for the week.

I led the area for the first time on divisions and it was kinda hard because the sky decided to torrential downpour on us so a lot of doors were closed. However, we kept working despite having to walk through absolute rivers in the street and testing the limits of the word "drenched" and it ended up being a really good day. Keep working. I wanted to wait out the storm but we didn't and kept working and God noticed our efforts. It's in situations like that where God is most proud and grateful for you and your efforts.

We fasted this week and it went much better than last time! (I almost died from my parasite last time.) I learned a lot about sacrifice and how God will always bless us, just maybe not how we are hoping. None of our most progressing amigos came to church, but we saw absolute miracles in our finding hours and other lessons that day. Now our teaching pool has expanded and there is really strong potential with a lot of these people. When things get tough, remember Christ and then keep going. He knows exactly what you're going through because he felt it already.

So Clementino is the name of the old man who serenaded us the other week. We visited him again because his sister is a member and he has studied the Book of Mormon and knows it really well and believes everything we say. However, to sum it up, he basically thinks he's a prophet or perhaps even God so sometimes lessons get interesting. This week he let me play his guitar and as I played a Lumineers song he said he knew the song and started singing another evangelical hymn. We were just dying and started dancing along. This guy is crazy but like he could literally get baptized right now if he came to church. But for now we will enjoy the incredible entertainment of visiting him.

Crossed something off my bucket list and saw a car accident right in front of me. This car comes absolutely zooming down the highway we're walking along with the other elders (we just had a dinner appointment with some members) and he goes completely on the wrong side of the road while taking this pretty sharp turn and collides with a bus coming the other way. It was nuts but I think everyone was ok. But God is in the details. We always talk with the other elders on that corner before we part ways for the night after coming home from that part of our area. If we had left that member's house 45 seconds earlier, we would have been standing right there and possibly could've been struck by that car. God protected us and hopefully all of the people in that accident.

Quick highlights so this email isn't ridiculously long, giving you enough time to go read a general conference talk:

Forgot to mention last email, I got bit by a dog in the street but it was super chill because he didn't go 100% but man I was so confused when I felt its mouth give a good little chomp on my ankle before he realized who he was messing with and started crazily barking at me. Bro was asleep as we walked by but don't worry my head is on a swivel for all future sneak attacks.
Got faded up and it's just awesome. Costed $2. I haven't had short hair until the mission but dang I'm liking it.
Hit 3 months as a missionary but counting is dumb.
Heard a bunch of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles in a restaurant which was quite pleasant.
I eat a lot of peanut butter and nutella sandwiches but it's chill because I lost a lot of weight and I need to gain it back.
An evangelical lady gave us 100 Honduranian dollars (a lot of money for the people here) as a "thank you" for sharing the word of God and we were absolutely shook.

I finished the Book of Mormon this week and wow. If you want to improve your relationship with God or grow your testimony, read this book. I know it is true and it will change your life. You can learn exactly what you need to do to improve your life.

I love my mission and if you are on the fence about serving, please just go. I have learned so much and my life has honestly changed forever.

Love you all so much!! Email me!

Élder Snyder