Week 34: Strike!

STRIKE!!

There was a massive strike in one of the towns in my area and a bunch of people put on ski masks and started burning things, chucking rocks, and eventually completely blocking the interstate highway for a couple of days so that was pretty cool. We had planned to go to that town that first day but we figured it best to go somewhere else. We got to see the gridlock traffic reach the town we live in and go beyond it many more miles which was also cool and also made it a lot easier to cross the highway (we cross it about 10 times a day probably).

So yeah a pretty normal week here in Honduras. 

Arlette could not get baptized this last Saturday because we couldn't get permission from her mom because she vanished off the face of the earth. Nah jokes, she started working like 18 hours a day so not even Arlette sees her but we devised a plan to go find her at 7am before her work so wish us luck.

Our friend Jasmin came to church this week! She said she loved it and wants to come again! Afterwards, the ward secretary who is a recently returned missionary and an absolute dawg was asking us when we are going to go visit her next so he can come with us to "help her have more friends in church"... Can't wait to see what covenants we end up discussing that lesson🤷‍♂️

We had interviews with President McClellan this week and, as always, it was fantastic. He told me 2 more missionaries will come to this area to help us cover all the ground and that I can pick which part of the area I want next transfer so that is pretty cool but I have no clue what to do so we'll see.

Shoutout to my kid Elder Abarca for getting his first baptism!! We found José in that massive chicken farm in one of my last weeks in Copán and it is just so special to see souls we found in the most random of places find Christ in the most perfect of circumstances.

This week I started rereading the Book of Mormon and marking every reference to Jesus Christ or God. That book testifies of Christ. Never have I seen how much that book talks of, teaches of, and testifies of Christ. We are so blessed in these latter days to have such a perfect book to help us progress along the covenant path. We are so blessed to have had such faithful predecesores who sacrificed everything so we can have the knowledge we have today. I love my mission. Read the Book of Mormon if you want to be happier and find true purpose in your life. 

The Plan of Salvation is also super dope. Study it.

Love you all so much!

Élder Snyder

Interviews

I'm a proud Dad

Strike Results

Week 33: It Was Not a Sign

Popeyes: One of the happiest moments of my mission. 

Super good week full of success and let downs but I am honestly so hopeful for this area in the coming future.

I honestly don't remember a ton because I was terrible about writing in my journal this week because I was absolutely exhausted every night from walking countless miles and talking to everyone we saw.

I went to Popeyes today. God is real. That is the only explanation for the Popeyes strawberry cheesecake pie.

I went on divisions with my absolute dawg Elder Rodriguez (he is American) in the beach town of Omoa and it was so lit. He plays guitar too so you already know I brought mine and we jammed out at night. We were also teaching this one guy about baptism and saw the biggest and brightest shooting star any of you will ever see in your life and we thought it was a sign from heaven so we invited him to be baptized and he said no 🤠😅 I kid you not this shooting star was enormous.

The teenage girl we are teaching named Arlette is still progressing towards baptism for this Saturday, but her evangelical mom doesn't quite think she's ready. She hasn't given permission yet, so please please please pray she will trust in the desire and testimony of her daughter and that Arlette will be able to show her mom the desire she has to follow Christ! We had such a special lesson yesterday where we cleared up a lot of the mom's doubts and helped her realize we all want what is best for her daughter and we saw a ton of progress in her but prayers are still so so needed.

We are also teaching a single mother named Jasmin who is soooo prepared. She loves reading the Book of Mormon and asks so many sincere and curious questions (a nice break from the many Bible bashes I found myself in in the week before). Please pray that she will be able to tune out the talk of her family and keep pressing forward with faith.

Something that was on my mind all week is something I have talked about before but it is faith. It is just so important in missionary work and in normal life! We are more positive, kind, and happy as we progress through this life with faith that God will bless us. Faith that people will listen and make changes in their lives. Faith in ourselves. Faith that each disappointment is for our benefit. There two scriptures that have changed my life, 2 Nephi 26:24 and Ether 12:12. 

24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.

Let God change your life because of your faith in Him, and trust that every challenge is for your benefit. All of us are given the privilege to partake of salvation. Choose to do so. Choose to learn, act, make mistakes, and grow as you follow the will of our Loving and Eternal Father in Heaven.

With so much love,

Élder Snyder

Honduras is beautiful

We are tired out here

Week 32: Jank Bus

 

Entonces,

I hope everyone is doing well! This week was really good and I was able to get a lot of stress off my mind as we figured out how to work the two areas of Campana. 

This week had a lot of ups and downs but today I just want to talk about the good stuff because miracles are just the best.

We put two people on date for baptism and I have so much faith that they will happen! One of them is our friend Arlette. She wants to be baptized but just thinks she doesn't quite know enough but last night a recent convert and friend of hers bore her testimony in the lesson and it was one of the most heartfelt and genuine testimonies I have ever heard. The Spirit is so real. Our other friend is named Javier. He asked us when he could be baptized before we even got the chance to mention the word “baptism” in our lesson. He definitely needs to learn a little bit more before he is ready but he knows God can bless him and he knows baptism is the catalyst for that.

We were able to find so many people this week in both areas and hand out so many Books of Mormon and pamphlets to people who actually seem interested!

Went on exchanges with our zone leader and learned a ton. The gospel library app has a lot more to offer than I thought and I've never been more excited to study and just expand my gospel knowledge so much.

We were out teaching in a town pretty far from our house and the lesson went way longer than we wanted to and by the time we finished, the buses had already stopped for the night. We expected a nice hour-long walk in the dark to the house, but as we approached the highway the most jank bus possible pulled up. There were no lights, no music, worst engine I have ever heard, some drunk people, but, it was a bus. We asked no questions and hopped in and we were able to teach a few more lessons that night instead of walk the rest of the night. Twas a miracle.

I saw a difference in the joy I feel as a missionary based on how I teach a lesson. When we try to talk with people and help them understand the gospel with a perspective of love and a focus on the love of God, we are happier.

We had a multizone conference where we focused a lot on our attitudes, our thoughts, and our Sabbath Day observance and it was really really powerful. I love thinking positively and it was cool to learn about spiritual blessings that come from doing so because of the correlation our thoughts have with our faith.

I have been really trying to have more faith. More faith in the people we are teaching, more faith in the members, more faith in myself and my companion. It's sometimes really hard to have that faith! However, it is so much easier if you choose to love them as Christ does. 

I love the gospel. The Plan of Redemption is perfect. Talk to Him, repent daily, forgive yourself, and get to work. Patience gets easier the more we look for His tender mercies. 

I love you all!

Élder Snyder

Week 31: Campanaaaaa!

Transfers

Yooooooooo

Super lit week.

Started off with some last goodbyes in Copán and some tears were shed on both sides. I love that place and those people but I was also so ready for a change of scene. 

Somehow, Elder Evanson and I were able to travel to La Entrada with all of our things to spend the night with the ZLs before transfers and to our surprize, Elder Peterson was there! Soooo dope to see that absolute dawg again. Had a super awesome day in La Entrada just being with some incredible people and getting to witness someone begin their journey on the covenant path through baptism.

Thursday was transfers and my new area is Campana!! My new companion is Elder Best and he is from Utah and just finished up his first 2 transfers in the mission and has such a desire to be obedient and get to work. This area is on the complete opposite side of the mission from Copán. The beach is like 20 minutes away, there are about 40 million palm trees, it is WAY hotter, and I absolutely love it here. 

So there used to be 4 elders here with 2 separate areas, but this transfer it is just me and my companion to cover the two (massive) areas as we wait for more missionaries to come in March. It is a little stressful learning two areas at once from a companion who only knows one and is still getting the ropes on Spanish but I know we can keep the work going here because the Lord has put his trust in us to do so. 

The ward– yes, ward– is incredible here with so many returned missionaries and so many people who want to help us out in the work so that is a huge help. The owners of our apartment also let us use their washing machine for free. In conclusion, prayers are answered folks.

We have some friends with tons of potential that we are teaching that can really use your prayers. Arlette Lara, Ever Ayala, and Erick Arita.

I am pretty stressed as I take on this large responsibility of these two areas and doing 95% of the talking and understanding, but the Lord is already showing forth His hand and His love in this work. Go listen to “The Imperfect Harvest”. Absolutely fire talk. The gospel is the answer. If we are trying to do our best and praying always, the Lord will consecrate our efforts and make them perfect. 

Love you all so much and I love being a missionary so much!

Élder Snyder

Campana

Goodbye Mama Coco

My Future American

Elder Best

Goodbye Familia Hernandez

More Goodbyes

The Ocean