Week #20 - Would you like some cancer with those fries? (Bellavista Branch)

Hola familia y amigos!

Well I was planning on sending pictures this week, but the power went out earlier. I still have to download the antivirus and right now we are at a café that is pretty terrible, so I will try for sure next week, I know everyone is dying for pics.

Well this week we still didn’t do much but it’s getting better. We had divisions on Tuesday through Wednesday and I went to Coyoles again with the greenie that´s out there.  That was really weird because I thought they weren´t supposed to send two Jr. comp’s to an area together, but whatever, it was fine. Something happened with an elder in Trujillo so they gave him a break from his area and they decided to give the whole zone divisions. So I was out in Coyoles while Elder Anderson, (who came with me from the US), was here in Bella Vista. They did work, but only until my comp got super sick and couldn’t work anymore. When I came back we still didn’t do anything, but I can say that things have improved. 

I think my comp started to realize what had been going on these past few weeks, but 3 things in particular really did it for him. First it was watching The Best Two Years. For those of you who don’t know, it’s about 2 missionaries in Holland, one is new (which we could say is me) the other just about to leave, no desires to work, nothing (which we can say is my comp). The new elder has no idea what’s going on and tries to work with his comp, who at first was difficult, but eventually things change and they start working super hard, resulting in their first baptism. My comp told me that this helped him. 

Second, on Friday night we were out later than we should have been (at the cook’s house) and a member saw us and got upset. Yesterday at church our branch president talked with us about it. I didn’t say anything because I honestly didn’t know what to say, but my comp took the blame for everything. The branch president “macheted” us, (mainly my comp) saying that he is affecting the work and how I could turn out in the future. 

Third, I think it was Saturday night that I saw the mission rulebook in the bathroom, meaning my comp had been reading out of it. For some background, the first or second day he was here he said "my mission is my mission, and your mission is your mission" but he read something in there from Pres. Kimball that says right now it’s our mission, because we are a companionship, and these factors made him realize that he´s been affecting my mission as well. I had been fasting and praying that I might be able to speak up or something would happen to fix what´s been going on, and I know they´ve been answered. 

My comp has also said that he´s been thinking of having an emergency exchange out of here, I’m not entirely sure why, but that he´s certain one of us is going to leave this change. A missionary can request an emergency transfer but I don’t know the stipulations behind them. I really don’t know if my leaders know anything about what’s going on, but there really aren’t any personality problems, we get along just fine. I don’t mind staying here for one more change, but I would like to see more of Honduras too.

Now for something about Honduras. Well first I ate fresh iguana on Thursday, still had the skin and everything, which I avoided, but it was really good, and Hondurans have a firm belief that french fries give people cancer. My cook even told me "look at all the gringos that have died!" Yes, maybe from cholesterol, haha, but I reassured them that if fries gave people cancer, there would be a whole bunch of problems in the states, and the world, haha!

Well my comp has reassured me that we are going to work this week, and try to get a baptism before changes, so that’s good. Right now I feel better, both with my health and with what´s been going on, so we shall see what happens after changes next week! I really appreciate all the help and support I’ve been receiving, it has really helped.

Qué le vaya muy bien!

Elder Neher