Week 8 One Minute Email

Haysi and Her Family

I have legit 3 minutes to write this email and so don't cry about typos or whatever. A completely new experience here this week. My first week may have been he worst week of my life. I didn't feel like my self or that i was doing anything here. All i thought about was how much time i had left and when i was going to see my family next. You will die in the mission if you have this attitude. I'm not kidding your body will shut down and you will probably be a little dehydrated from crying so much. Attitude is truly everything here. You have to be constantly fighting the urge to think about after the mission and how much time you have. I found a book or rather my comp gave me book, called Words of Wisdom for Missionaries. Its just full of quotes and junk. Its really helpful for me. 

My comp is doing a lot better this week by the way and we found 18 new people to teach and will be having my first baptism on Saturday this week of a girl named Abigail. Sorry that was a lot of info in one sentence that probably made no sense. 

Haysi is a girl who is 18 years old and is living with her 3 brothers. (19,14,12) their parents live in Colorado and have been there for 5 years. This means that she was 13 when they left and her youngest brother was 7. They left her to take care of the family. They send money back to them every month and the brother dropped out of school to make money. This is how the families here work. Its so sad. Its impossible to find a man here that doesn't just care about himself. 

A quote from Jack H. Goasland given in the Ensign Nov 1983 our responsibility to take the gospel to the ends of the earth starts with brethren. Sorry no time to type it

No more time but a lot more to tell which is really hard. Email you guys next week. Oh also tell grandma I freaking love her and I'm so sorry I wasn't able to write her. Her email was the sweetest thing ever. 

Week 7 Germania

DONT BE A LAZY COMP

Honduras is not of this world. One of the first things that I did here was ride on a bus. If you don’t push someone then you didn’t ride the bus correctly. Really though, everyone is pushing, shoving, and falling all over each other. Then you just hand the guy 4 limps and are like ya sorry and you get off. You could ride across Honduras for like 50 limps. That’s like 2 dollars. I’m not kidding. Oh the wheel on my suitcase fell off so ya that sucks. I found a suitcase in the dirt though and I think I’m going to bust it off and screw it onto mine or something. My house sucks. It is under construction and so every night when we get back, there is water all over. It’s annoying. Oh I get hot water though. We have this shower head that plugs into the wall that heats the water. It’s my best friend. 

I have no time to write because the computers suck here. I have had to switch computers 3 times since I sat down. But it’s really hard here for me. I thought my Spanish was really good. Well no, but I thought I was understanding most of what people were saying even if I couldn’t say much back. That is out the window. I have to focus on ever word just to get a gist of what is being said. My comp is this white kid from Idaho that is lazy. His motto is legit, and he said this my first day, "at least we tried". soo annoying. He loves to just go sit in peoples houses talk about the states and whatever. Eat food and then just leave and I’m like uhhh bro why did we go in there? His Spanish is really good though. That’s the only plus. I’m really trying to be a help to him and push him to teach but my Spanish isn’t that good at all so I cant do much. It’s hard. The mission isn’t what I thought at all. No one has a dad here. No one understands the point in getting married. 

Love you guys Elder Thorn

Week 6 mi última semana

Your boi is going to the field

Been a wild last week here. My Spanish has improved immensely and so has my desire to be here. If you can find a way to get a hold of the talks that are given at the MTC in Provo do all you can to watch them. The words from the apostles to missionaries are a different level than anything I have ever listened to. You can feel the importance of missionary work that is streaming straight from our Savior. There is truly a great work in the making. We listened to a talk given by Elder Holland and he says "every good thing that has EVER happened in my life comes as a direct result from my mission" he then goes on to talk about all the amazing things that have happened since his mission. What a powerful statement to say that EVERY good thing came from his mission. He speaks a lot about men that served full time missions and now are inactive. He literally drops the freaking hammer on these guys saying " how could you of possibly looked someone in the eyes and said I know that my Savior is real. I know that Jesus Christ died for me. HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU KNOW THE SON OF GOD DIED FOR YOU AND THEN COME HOME AND NOT LIVE IT" I put that in caps cause he is legit yelling at the pulpit to a group of 18 year old missionaries. Its an amazing talk and I hope you guys can find those talks because they have had an unmatchable impact on me and my testimony of what it means to by a missionary.

Another amazing thing happened tonight. We all gave blessing to each other before we all go our separate ways tonight. I had the extraordinary opportunity of giving two blessings. First one to my comp that left for Chili today. Amazing kid that truly has made an effort to be here in the mission field. The second was a girl in my district that I hardly know. When she stood and said " Elder Thorn can you please do mine?" a since of bewilderment shot through me. I was so side swiped by her words I said yes. 

As I placed my hands on her head with the seven other priesthood holders I felt as though I had nothing to say. As I began I felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost come over me in a wave of wonder. I felt the power the Priesthood of God work through me. I could feel that same power in the young men around me. As I finished the blessing I felt as though I knew her. I know the Lord gave me the words, which she needed to hear. 

Last thing I wanted to talk about this week happened on Sunday during sacrament. It was our last Sunday so we are aloud to speak on whatever we please. I choose to speak on the opportunity I had to baptize my younger brother. This is mainly going to be for him so Mom please make him read this. Cannon had been asking me or rather telling me that I was going to baptism him for at least a year prior to his baptism. I often would try to convince him that our dad was a much better choice. That Dad had baptized all the other kids and that he had a lot of practice. He would hardly listen to a word I said. I was clearly not worthy to baptize him when he was asking me this. As the months went on I thought more about it and cannon asked ever more about me baptizing him. It is because of my little brother’s persistence that I am getting a plane tomorrow for Honduras. Cannon you were strong when I was not. You knew I could do it when I knew not. You trusted in me when I did not trust in myself. 

Love Elder Thorn

Welcoming Elder Kimball Davis to the CCM

this is my teacher and im sad i forgot to write about him in the big email he is one of my favorite people i have ever met

Week 5 Reunited and it Feels So Good

The real OGs

The myth the legend is true, I did get to see McKay yesterday. I had been sitting in class for a solid 3 hours about to die when this little head pops in the door and says my name. I see McKay and felt like he was just walking into my house back at home. Honestly probably the most meaningful hug I have ever had with someone.

I only got to see him for about ten minutes though which was legit trash but whatever. Its amazing to see how much the Lord cares about little things. And how much he cares about our relationships.

There is no doubt in my mind that it was by the way of the Lord that I got to see McKay. I also felt like I should be crying the whole time I saw him but I felt absolutely amazing that we both were on missions. Standing in Mexico City both serving the Lord. An amazing experience and one I will never forget

Conference was amazing. We watched all the session in the movie room or whatever, and its soo hot in there and we had to wear suits so ya that aspect sucked. But I learned a lot about the type of missionary I want and need to become. Just a few things from conference that I really enjoyed (and these are off the top of my head because I don’t have my note book on me): Setting goals is one of life´s essentials, at least if you want to make it anywhere, both in regular life and in spirit. Don’t make goals and then do things that work against them. When you make a goal write down things that will stop you from that goal. Then don’t freaking do those things, simplest and a great life lesson. Second thing is in Holland’s and I have spent a lot of time reading about this is week. That the Savior didn’t have a place to lay his head. The Son of God, the being that created this world didn’t have a place to stay on it. Goes back to the whole character of Christ topic that I really enjoy and am trying to learn more about. 

Okay two things here that are whack. First thing, we wrote our names in pencil on a white brick in our house and we got so screwed over for it. We had to do two hours of service today cleaning walls in this random house. Like with a scrub bush and ladders. They don’t mess around down here. Really made me mad at first because it came off in two seconds. But was a good reminder that I am a missionary and there isn’t room for crap like that. Nonetheless it was annoying. Second thing my comp has a weird secret that I’m still not sure about and he avoids it hard. So first day he already had all his books and stuff and said his mom bought them. I thought it was weird but whatever. But then the other night he fell asleep early so we were going to stack all his books on him and we found this green packet (they give you one when you get here it as a lot of stuff in it) I’m like you piece of crap you lied about getting a packet. Then I look at the date and it says the 15th of Jan and I’m like huh. Pretty sure he came out in Jan and had to go home for something and just doesn’t want anyone to know. Ima get him to tell me though. I’m Sherlock Holmes boiiii

I will probably email Monday night. I leave for Honduras at like 2:30 in the am on Tuesday. But my flight doesn’t leave till like 6:20. I don’t know it sucks but whatever. 

Soujia Boi