We were terrible about taking pictures this week but it was a fun and very productive week.
Sunday May 10th was my 50th birthday and Mother's Day. I was afraid that I would be really sad to be spending such a momentous day in Honduras without friends and family, but Kirt made it very special for me. He contacted all current missionaries and a lot of the missionaries that had returned home and asked them to share their conversion story, why they decided to serve a mission, their testimony, or a miracle they had seen on their mission. So many of them shared their stories and testimonies with me. I loved reading them! It made my day. Kirt also did the grocery shopping for me on Saturday. I know that sounds silly, but I really don't like it and it was super sweet of him to do it for me. We went to dinner on Saturday at a taco place. He also bought me some flowers. He was so thoughtful. My mom also had a bunch of my family and friends send her pictures which she loaded on my digital picture frame. It was fun to look at them and see the faces family and friends. The frame even allows short videos so some of them even sent short birthday wishes. Lori and Broc also got me some Padel Rackets, balls, and a bag plus some delicious carrot cake! I also made myself some funfetti cake which I took to the office to share with the AP's and office elders. It was a great birthday!
Monday we had Zona El Carmen to the house for p-day.
Tuesday we went to the temple with zona Progreso, Palermo, and Santa Rita
Zona Santa Rita
After the temple we went right to the office to work on getting ready for Elder Giuffra to come to visit the mission next week.
Wednesday we went back to the office and did a MASSIVE deep clean. We moved all of the stuff from the classroom in the church that we had been using as a storage room (the ward asked for the room back so they could use it for their ward). We moved a bunch of stuff from the office house and a bunch of stuff from a house that we had in Oro Verde. We moved the stuff from those 3 places to a big house that we had in La Lima. We organized it so we could find it all. While the missionaries we doing that, I organized the storage closest in the office. Tesla came and she deep cleaned the kitchen.
Thursday we finished cleaning the office. We cleaned out all of the drawers and cupboards and countertops. We threw a ton of stuff away. We shredded a ton of documents. We dusted (it was so dusty). The office looks so much better. Thursday we also released a missionary that was serving in Porte Algre North in Brazil that came home to the Roatan branch. His name was Elder Reyes.
Elder Reyes
Friday we picked up Elder and Sister Twiggs from the airport and took them to breakfast. They are the area mission doctors. They flew in from Guatemala. They are accompanying home Elder Chuquiano who is returning home to Ecuador because of some health issues. We are so sad that he is leaving our mission.
Elder De los Santos, Pres, Elder Chuquiano
Pres, Elder Twiggs, Elder Chuquiano, Me, Sister Twiggs
Friday we went to dinner with Broc and Lori. It is Broc and Kirt's birthday on Sunday May 17th. Kirt will be 53 and Broc will be 62. We went to a fun restaurant called Garage Grill. It was literally in a garage, but the steaks were super good.
Saturday we did more preparations for Elder Giuffra's visit. I am so stressed. I practiced my talk so many times. Plus it took me forever to write it.
Sunday was Kirt's birthday. He is a much better birthday person than me. I'm sorry to admit that I did not do a very good job celebrating his birthday. We went to church in Central (the hood and a place with a lot of gangs that we don't send North America missionaries to, but Kirt assured me it would be fine.) There was no A/C. Being stressed and having no A/C is not a good combination for me. I was a bit grouchy lets just say.
After church we went and got some medicine for Elder Crane who has been very sick.
Pres, Elder Jaco (his ZL not his comp, Elder Crane, Me)
We went home from dropping the medicine off and worked some more on our talks for zone conference. I made Kirt dinner and some S'mores bars for his birthday. Then we went to the mission call opening of Camilla, the daughter of Kirt's mission counselor Carlos Medina. It was a whole big meeting with prayers, opening and closing songs, testimonies from both parents, a special musical number. Kind of a lot. Camilla is going to Nicaragua South Spanish speaking. She starts July 26th.
