Day 47 | Week #7 - Where Am I?

This week has been crazy! I got to the airport at two in the morning and had to wait forever to get our bags checked. We arrived at the San Salvador Airport and I was freaking out of my mind, I couldn’t wait to get on the plane.

Once I got on the plane I talked to this old Dutchman about who I was and where I was going. He told me he is going to San Pedro Sula too and he told me all about Honduras, it was awesome! He does charity work here and travels around the world.

Once I got into San Pedro Sula the humidity attacked me and it was not good...but then I saw President Dester and his wife and other missionaries it was great! We all put our bags on a bus and went to the mission office. Once we got there we had pizza and had a meeting about Honduras and what we can and can’t do. We had dinner at the mission president’s house and it was great!!! We slept overnight in San Pedro Sula "SPS" at the APs house. The next day we went on a bus and got breakfast, baleadas, its super popular here and that is an understatement. We got to the mission office for transfers or "cambios" and we got assigned to an area and a companion.

Baleadas by Eliza Stein

I got assigned to Villanueva with Elder Ruiz, a Latino from Nicaragua, he's pretty legit and is helping me learn the language or Idioma. My first time walking through my area I was like, "Where the heck am I?". It was pretty bad culture shock and I had to talk to people in the streets and in their homes. We mainly just talked to the members the 1st day and got to know the area a bit. The second day we taught this guy named Guillermo, he is a trip he never wears a shirt ever and he is super loco.

Far Left, Elder Ruiz - Far Right, The Garcia Family

We have had many lessons and the food here is super good. The Garcia family are members that take care of us, help us a lot and cook for us. Sometimes they let us use their washing machine, their kids are super funny too. We are teaching this guy named Arnaldo, he is super cool. He's 22 and is getting baptized this Saturday. We are getting him ready for it and are helping him out the best we can.

View Outside My Casa

A lot of people call me “Choaee”, because they can't say "sh". Anyway, its funny everyone I run into can’t say my name. Living conditions are sketchy and the water is only on in the morning. We have to use the pila at night to shower. No ticks or lice… only mosquitoes and Montezuma’s Revenge. The bed is pretty comfortable. There is a lot of poverty too, but the people are so happy and giving and nice. There are no greater people on this earth that I have ever met.

Pila "Trough"  [Washing Machine/Shower]

Love, Elder Shoaee aka Elder "Choaee"

Day 41 | Week #6 - Honduras Bound!

Mexico MTC District 17D

My last week at the MTC was awesome! I can't believe that I am going to Honduras for real now, it is crazy.  I am preparing to convert the drug cartel ;) ... it might be a possibility? I am leaving the C.C.M. around 2:30 am tomorrow with Elder Andrews from Montana, Elder Harris from Ogden, and Elder Ambler from Pueblo,CO. Harris and Ambler are going to be in my mission, but Andrews' is going to the Honduras Comayaguela Mission. Once I get there I will be in a world of total immersion in a language I sort of know, but all is well. I can’t wait to be on the plane and be going there!

Panoramic view of the city of San Pedro Sula

This last week has been a major countdown to tomorrow. I am not sure if I will be able to email tomorrow, but if I can I will.  I don’t have too much to say right now, but for sure I’ll  have a lot once I get to my first area!!!

I am looking forward to getting out into the field! ~ Elder Shoaee

Ya Llegó su Misionero!  Your Missionary Has Arrived!

Update: 9/02/2014

Dear Missionary Families,

We just wanted you to know that your missionaries arrived safe and sound this morning to Honduras, and they are with us tonight in our home for a welcome dinner.   We already love them all and can't wait to get to know them better.   They will be going to a transfer meeting tomorrow morning where they will meet their new companions and then leave for their assigned areas.   Thank you for all your prayers and love.   We are so grateful that you sent them to us.

With love,
President and Sister Dester

Day 34 | Week #5

This last week has been great! My companion’s nose has gotten better and he is able to take off his bandages. We all call him, "Brad Pitt" or "MJ", because he got a nose job. Anyways… things are awesome here! Today I got to go to the Mexico City Temple, it was amazing! We went to the Visitors' Center only, but the Spirit was still strong and it felt great.

Mexico City Temple Visitors' Center

I get my flight itinerary for Honduras Wednesday or Thursday. I’m not sure, but I heard we can email on Saturday in the afternoon. My district is finishing up all of their language books and were all ready to get into the field. Tomorrow we are going to teach a real investigator, my teacher’s sister in-law has been having some problems in her life so we are going to see if we can help her out :) !!  I am exited to teach a real investigator, it is going to be amazing.

This last week during gym time we play futbalito or fuse-ball. It is really fun and we are getting pretty good at the game. We have been watching a lot of church history videos on Sundays and I began to be super interested about the Doctrine and Covenants. I have read thirty sections in the past couple of days. I also have been reading the Book of Mormon and I'm almost done with Alma.

Things are great here. I love doing the service activities on Monday. It´s nice to do some manual labor after being in class a lot. This may or may not be my last letter until I get into the field and send a letter from the mission home in Honduras. BTW we have an Hondureño in our casa and he told us about Honduras and the parts of our mission.  He is super cool. I love the natives in our casa!

Love, Elder Shoaee

Day 27 | Week #4

I am almost done with the MTC. I can´t believe I already have completed FOUR weeks… only two left!  This week I had to move into a casa (house), because one of the elders in our district had to go home so now I am in a trio. The casas are super nice and there is way more space than at the dormitorio where I lived for the past three weeks. I am having such a great time with all the elders of 17C and 17D. We have so much fun!

Another thing that happened this week was we went to the doctor’s office for my comp’s nose and there was a lady in the waiting room who asked who we were and we explained. It was sort of missionary work :)

Not that much has been happening that is out of the ordinary at the CCM. It does rain a lot here and I love it. It’s so nice to see everything so green and pretty. I am excited to go to Honduras, but I will also miss it here.

Day 19 | Crazy Week #3

This week has been crazy. My companion broke his nose and we had to go to the hospital in Mexico City. When we got to the hospital it was a little different than in America, it was really nice! The room that we stayed in was amazing, I kept calling the room the "Ritz Carlton", because it was so nice and it had wood floors and an amazing view. My companion had to get surgery so all the Elders in my district had to make rotations to sleep at the hospital. My companion is getting better and we are going to the hospital today to get a checkup and to see if he can take the bandages off. 

There haven’t been a lot of new things happening. The language is coming along great and it feels like I'm just flying through the MTC. BTW: My departure date is set for September 2nd.

Day 13 | Awesome Week #2

This week was awesome! I am having such a great time with my roommates and the people in my district. The Elders in my room call me,” Mr. Clean” or "Señor Limpio", because I clean a lot and make everything nice (ha-ha).

The language is coming along and I also got two new "investigators", Erika and Daniel Alvarez, my language teachers. When Elder Harris and I teach them, we both can communicate really well and teach the lesson. We are not perfect, but we try our best!

I am the District Leader for District 17 D, it is a challenge sometimes. Whenever I feel down, I just remember what the Savior did for me and I try to show them my love for them. The most spiritual moment was on Friday; we have a companionship that never seems to get along so I pulled them both aside privately to see if I could help and the spirit hit me so strong, I couldn't express fully what I wanted to say. I know they felt the Savior's love for them, but I still pray for them every day that their relationship will get better.

Our Latinos left this week to go on their mission. It was super awesome to see them leave, but I miss them, they are funny guys. My mission so far has been great. Every day I work on doing better at things poco a poco, "little by little". 

I have found peace, happiness and love while serving the Elders y Hermanas of 17 D, it is helping me a lot and I enjoy every minute of it!

Day 6 | Almost 1 Week!

This week has been super busy and I have been making many friends here at the CCM. When I first got off the plane into Mexico, I felt so out of place and I didn’t know where to go. Then we got to the buses at the airport and started driving to the CCM. It was so insane, there are no rules for driving here and people can do whatever they want… its super cool! 

After arriving at the CCM, we went to get all our supplies and then we had dinner. All of us ´´Greengoes¨´ were all in somewhat of a culture shock, it was awesome. Then finally I got to my room (with my companion, Elder Harris) and we met Elder Boydston and Elder Davis. They are super funny and we were joking around. Then two Latinos showed up at our apartment and said, "Welcome to the CCM" and we asked, "How long have you been here?" and they said they had only been there one day. They are so funny. Their names are Elder Villagran and Elder Cueppi. They are helping us with Spanish and we are helping them with English.

The next few days we just had classes and started learning the language. Then on Friday we started teaching our 1st "investigator" en Español. It was very hard and I didn’t understand anything. The next day we did the same thing, get up at 6:30 am and then go to sleep at 10:30 pm. Then we got to Sunday, it was so amazing to feel the spirit so strong. It made me happier to be out here and know why I should be here. We have gym time every day almost, it is so much fun. My companion was on a varsity soccer team so we usually play soccer and chill with the "natives".

It is so great, I love it here. The people are so nice and humble. Just a few random things that happened, Elder Harris and I were teaching our investigator for the 3rd time and when we started teaching Ana, our investigator, we could understand what she was saying and we were able to communicate very well. When I didn’t know what to say, Elder Harris would back me up, when Elder Harris was at a loss of words; I jumped in and was able to communicate effectively. I truly believe that was the Gift of Tongues. The food is so authentic here and they have a la tienda or store. Today is my P day. I will send pictures next week of what it looks like here and of Elder Viagran "papi" and Elder Cuessi and all the other elders. The temperature is so great here. It’s not hot or cold, it’s perfect temperature. Mexico City is not like I expected, but in a good way. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. 

I can’t wait to be in San Pedro Sula, but I know it will take time before I become effective.