Fw: Ty's first letter from Honduras!

HOLY COW IT'S HOT! haha this place is hot, really hot, but I'm here!

 

My companion is Elder Juarez and he is from Guatemala City and hes around 5 ft! We live in a tiny house and there are four of us! The other two are Elder Permann who is about 6' 3 and big in tubbines and his companion Elder Chanchavac is about 4 ft 10inch! It's ALL pretty shocking actually! I never understood the standards of living my dad talked about on his mission but now I know!! The houses are tiny and basically, they are ovens! It's so hot inside... but its all good because I walk around with a hanky! Its cool because all the missionaries have them. We are dripping wet from sweat at the end of the day and our washer is a wash board! Just like the movie Far and Away (Tom Cruise & Nicole K) I get to "plunge and scrub" ha ha!!!   

 

It's crazy how poor this place is!

 

AND THE DOGS! Watch out for the dogs, a saying here is (about dogs) "Tiene hambre por el Hombre!" (Hungry for Man!) I am telling you people I almost died from this vicious dog!!! LOL...ha ha  It's actually gonna be a great mission story someday but I had about a 64.3 second, death defying bout with this crazy dog! So me and my companion had found this magazine of temples and were showing them to recent converts and there familys and told them about the covenants and blessings available and such and as we would walk from house to house I rolled it up and used it as a baton because USUALLY with the dogs if they come close all you do is reach down like your grabbing a rock or in my case lift up whatever is in your hand as if you were about to strike at them and they just scurry away. But ... today I met the Alpha Male in San Pedro Sula (SPS) and he spotted the gringo, (me, new little white boy) about 60ft before I got to him and he was all crouched down and slowly inchin toward me but I thought nothing of it. And so the routine goes on I lift up my magazine like I'm gonna hit him and he just GOES FOR IT!  He Shot straight at me, jaws opened wide and I was able to tap him on the nose and move out of the way. And so the legendary bout began! Time after time I dodge and in time he lost interest but we couldn't really move away because there are literally probably 6 or seven dogs for every road and so once one goes beserk they all do! Me and Juarez were back to back with the words of the prophets raised in our defense (A Book of Mormon and the temple Ensign magazine). We must have looked too scary because they slowly all backed away and man my blood was FLOWIN... biggest adrenaline rush of my life!!! I thought I was gonna get bitten to pieces! ha ha

 

But our lessons have been good! I was able to share my thoughts and my testimony effectively! For a gringo people say my Spanish is good, which is great for my first week here! :)  I hope I'm slowly progressing but in the mornings I have no idea whats going on cause I'm just waking up and pretty tired ...and  I never imagined Spanish could be spoken this fast and be the normal pace, haha they just blahblahblah all day! It's funny because in the morning I have NO idea what's going on but by night I can talk to anyone under 40. Past forty its too quick and mumbly jumbly! haha What's worse is old women! They speak twice as much haha!! but I'm getting by and I hope people like me here because I'm trying my hardest to just love them all!  

 

 

I'm actually doing great now! This is really where the mission begins. The ccm was a piece of cake compared to this... we walk probably at least 8 miles a day and sweat about 4 gallonsa day as well. Everyone here wears usa shirts like 'I love NY' shirts and they love Pepsi and Coca Cola and what not haha. but sadly I cant send pics because there was so much writing and reading going on :) but next week I'll send it I got to "plunge and scrub" and walk a ton... ughhhh, I feel like dad!!! The houses are TINY! and the people aren't as small as I thought but still pretty darn cute and small... haha this place is the PROMISED LAND! We watched the movie "The Testaments" last night and everyone was saying that it takes place in Guatemala and in Honduras! A fun fact is in the famous picture of King Noah and his court with Abinidi in it, right above Noahs throne there's a sign of Guatemala Elder Juarez loves that stuff!!! :)

 

How beautiful was conference! My favorite speaker was Edward Dube! I could feel every word coming out of his mouth in my soul.  I was crying the whole time! This conference was so centered on doing the LITTLE THINGS! Memorizing the thirteen articles of faith, loving the women in our lives and honor the priesthood, read the scriptures daily and so on! It was also pretty cool to have the old BYU quarterback and the Australian Seventy ...haha that was a great way to mix it up! The best thought for me was from our prophet, Pres Monson's thoughts and feelings over recently losing his wife. He is such an inspiration to us all! Every word that comes out of his mouth is scripture! HOW BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! When we talk to people about the purpose of the prophet today in our lives they all light up and quickly agree! These people know truth when they hear it, the question is can they follow their heart with being lost in the mist of darkness of poor choices! And boy is that mist thick! HOLD FAST TO THE ROD, THE WORD OF GOD EVERYONE!

 

Please pray for me and my companion! We need the support!

 

I love you all and I hope you know how lucky and incredibly blessed you all are to be in the US and live where you do!  

Have an amazing week :)

 

Get off your booty, on your knees, then on your feet and DO!

Love,

Elder Toolson the 4th

Happy to be In Honduras!

Dear Parents of Missionaries,
 

This is just a quick note to let you know that your missionary arrived safely today in Honduras!  

 

We are delighted to have 22 new missionaries in the mission today.  We were able to talk with them, eat dinner with them, and enjoy some very special moments with them this evening.  President Dester interviewed all of the new missionaries and is excited to have the energy that each of them brings to the mission.  Tomorrow the new missionaries will be assigned to their new areas and start working.  We are sending you a photo of your missionary in the airport.  Thank you so much for entrusting your missionary to us and for all of your support.

With kindest regards,

Sister Dester and President Dester

BIG DAY BOYS!

Family and Friends Alike!!!

 

Wow this week has been surreal full of good lessons and preparation for the field. We had in field orientation and that's an all day shenanigan and it was so spiritually uplifting! Every teacher was involved in all the workshops (opportunities to practice the real life of a missionary) and we got to trade around companions and what not so that's awesome ha ha it really helped me learn to adapt to every spirit I also learned a very important lesson. In the ccm just about every person during lessons says "nuestro iglesia" and I finally realized how awkward that would be if in a lesson the missionaries said over 20 times "our church" it just makes it seem like its another church of man. I would like to speak to everyone reading this email that this is not my church nor the Mormon church. This is the Church of Jesus Christ the one and the only. it is amazing to be converted every day here and I hope I can feel the spirit much more in the field. I'm super excited to Finally leave! Not that I am ready my Spanish is poor but I am willing to serve the lord.

 

During in field orientation there was a story told. It was about the Martin Handcart Company. It retold the time of when the rescue party finally reached the martin handcart company but had insufficient needs to supply the martin company to wait for more help they had to keep pressing on. Eventually they came across a river. in the bitter cold and in mid winter the river was ravenously cold and there once strong men collapsed because they had simply lost hope and had all sense of will stripped from them. In the midst of their tears and cries there were three young men who had the strength courage, and I believe with all my heart the most faith they had ever possessed and those three boys carried every individual person across the river. it is said that the crossing of the Sweetwater river was the cause of the three boys deaths in later years due to the effects of that trial. I live in a wonderful time where I have been able to watch three young men, my brothers, carry others from hopelessness through the waters and come out on the other side with a reborn and rejuvenated in god. I thank my Heavenly Father every night for the opportunity to have such examples.

 

I am sooo excited for Bryce's call! San Pedro Sula East we got the city on lock! Its awesome how many pals I have out with me right now being my brothers in the gospel I cannot wait for the experience that Alma and the sons of Mosiah had when they met after their missions and they rejoiced because they were all bothers in the gospel!!! I love you all i am so thankful to finally start serving the people I have been called too. Two people I will miss a lot from the ccm are my teachers. One Hermano Ramirez was a spiritual rock his testimony and ability to teach and love with the spirit was astonishing! His capacity to love had no limit because he simply had Charity. He is my example of charity one who constantly was giving. He owns a churro truck ha ha and he gave us all 5 churros each! ha ha but DON'T WORRY he is actually studying in college for finances and he only has one more year till he graduates! His testimony was so strong and he told us that if we ever come to Mexico again we have a friend in the D.F. (Ciudad de Mexico) we were all bawling but family, friends its time to go I'm excited to get on my way and to truly start learning with my trainer! I fasted for him this past Sunday and I know that the lord has me with him for a reason!! I love you all and i hope you all have an amazing week!

 

Love

Elder Ty Toolosn

 

Feliz Cumpleanos Mackenna!  Besos!!

Talk and DO! <3 the package

Ok I'm gonna write everyone on this so please pay attention to your names if your family, and to the 'World' if you are like family, haha!

 

Momma,

I'm glad that people liked that story of Laura last week because it was absolutely fantastic!:) We got to go to the temple today and I did great at the Spanish and I even was told my accent was great!!!:) Its great to hear in the heart of Mexico City, but then I realized that Hondurans speaks about twice as fast as Mexicans hahah... It's ok though, I'm prepared to be humbled! SO I TOOK A VIDEO LAST NIGHT WITH MY NEW CAMERA! It was of our night of fun BUT the ccm computers don't let you send videos so that's not exciting but I'll send it next week! I did get the package!!!! I was so happy because Elder Best gets at least two HAND WRITTEN LETTERS FROM HIS FAMILY every other day so it was nice to get a package because he hasn't gotten one of those yet! :D   Actually it was great... I'm already using the oils and what not that has seemed to taken over all the healthy minded sisters in our stake!! :) I have used Peppermint so far and Lavender for many things and whenever I'm tired and need a boost, I smell the lemon, haha! And I did read all that you gave me... out loud too...even to my district because they didn't believe me that this stuff had any biblical aka Factual background :) I LOVE YOU MOM! Thanks for all of it! Protein bars and Skittles, doesn't get much better than that!

 

 

DAD

Don't be brief, I can read faster or at least I'll try!!! But I hope that the birthday party for Mom and Mackenna was great!! I'm sure that you all are down about the U of U vs BYU game... we are too :( its a dang shame that BYU is so on and off from week to week but thats ok!!!!!!!! The atonement is real and they better humble themselves and win next week im sick of these sloppy past couple years! Anyways dad I love you lots and I keep on having amazing experiences with investigators! We had our last lesson with Feliciano and me and Best bore our tesimonies about the Lord and how we have seen a change in his life because of the Savior. Then the prayer was awesome, Feliciano was so thankful and so were we!!

 

TIARA

Hey you better win in your game Thursday! BYU let us down this week, I'm planning on you pickin' the Mormon nation up... haha!!! I'm just kidding kiddo,  but play with your heart, pound to the ground and scream till your red in the face... I'm kidding again but honestly, please, do your best and WIN! haha!   I love you T, and all the fam. I miss you guys so much! I know you are all workin hard just like the boys are out here. TJ wrote me in Spanish!  OH WOW!  And that was rough reading, haha, but that's just cause at the temple everything is just spat at you in Spanish so I'm Spanished out for today but I'm really just a little tired, where's those oils haha!  So talk to me girlie...How's life T, how's school... boyyyyyyyyyyssssssss?????  I need names and addresses and preferably pictures so I can really feel like I'm talking to him/them face to face when I'm writing heartfelt letters about my wittle sista!  Ya, I'll be nice, sorta, kinda, maybe, promise.

 

WORLD

HOWS LIFE? Elder Mastergeorge left and it was so nice to be with him! Wow, he has grown so much! It's incredible what the ccm does to little boys :) I hope it has happened to me as well! I think my Spanish is getting better, haha but again its Mexico not Honduras... language is pretty rough there I here. In devotional on Sunday we had Elder Scott talk to us about prayer, it was crazy how much I needed that!! I had been praying for looonnnggg periods of time and just wasn't connecting or getting the answer.  Elder Scott said that prayers are meant to help us grow and if God wants us to grow by doing more than just talking. If he wants us to talk and  DO, then that's what we all have to do as well. In that moment I burst into tears because I got an answer and the rest of the talk was music to my ears! If ANYONE has troubles with praying to our Father who wants nothing but the best for us please read Doctrine & Covenants 6, 8 and 9 (talk to my mom and dad if you need to borrow this book of scripture.) They all spoke to me and I know that this mission is much longer than two years. Yes,  I have been set apart to go to a distant place but at home we are always missionaries, don't forget your influence or example to others! Its time to go but I so love you all! Have an amazing week!

(Elder Scott as an answer to prayer made the letters ending mean even more:)

Get off your booty, get on your knees, get to your feet and DO!

 

Love,

Elder Toolson

Independance Day in Mexico City! VIVA!!!

 

The Program that we got to see in the MTC was AMAZING!
The dancers were PRO and we all went WILD along with the whole of Mexico!!! Best night yet :)

 

 

 

 

5- VIVA Mexico!

Goodness I never thought dad would have to go through such hardship! Haha... dad is surrounded by GIRLS! He has never been outnumbered (unless mom went against our plan and wouldnt give up!) I'm sorry and I feel bad for him but I'm sure he needs this growth now for grandchildren!! haha:)

 

Me and Elder Best absolutely nailed a lesson out of the park!!! Our investigator Laura said she didn't want the lessons anymore!! Me and Best were stunned. We sat there for a few seconds and asked why? She said that everything was coming too fast and there was too much responsibility! We then said how the church is all about responsibility because thats what life is about as well, we then pulled out a scripture we had read earlier about the Lord will never test us past what we cannot accomplish then we pulled out a scripture on little by little, precept by precept we learn these things. After those scriputres the spirit was strong, she then said that she believes the church is true but religion just isnt that important. Me and best asked ¨What is most important in your life?" She said my family. BOOM! We started nailing her with the spirit pouring out our souls about the importance of family on this earth and the life to come! She tried so hard to reject the truth and then i said how i know my FAMILY is FOREVER. We all started sobbing (shock). After about twenty seconds I gave her the baptismal challenge and.... SHE ACCEPTED!!!! Greatest lesson we have given yet our scripture references are really helping and that's mostly because of the quote books & missionary reference guide, THANKS MOM & Sister Workinger!! My supplies are great! :)

 

Yes, I miss the family so much but that's what motivates my discussions with others and my lesson with Laura was a huge upside to our week, we just gave her the spirit and she couldn't handle it, haha. A family wanting to be eternal... truth, testimony and tears... it was a beautiful sight!

 

We were able to be here for the independence Day of Mexico!!! It was CRAAAZZZZZZZYYYYYYY gun shots all night, fireworks, music, laughing and yelling loud and all. On Saturday night we got to have a private showing for all the missionaries. They came in and gave us a WONDERFUL Performance, the Mexicans were losing it!! Screaming and shouting singing and shouting VIVA every five seconds it was so easy to join in on the craziness... it was a great time had by all!

 

Don't think that I'm not having girl troubles of my own either dad :D our hermanas are a handful on occasion, its a bummer because it's hard to study as a district with them upset but we are fighting through! Suggestion to all future Missionaries: be prepared for personalities to clash and be WILLING to work it through or get over it!  

 

Your prayers and fasting in our behalf is working...guess what? I am having a better time with so called "MTC Spanish¨  I'm really speaking fluently, feeling ready and excited, just waiting for the field to put me in my place. I know Honduras will make me rethink the language I'm starting to feel pretty comfortable with. haha  Can't Wait! 

 

We listened to Elder Holland again this Sunday and this time he talked more about Peter. How and when he became an AMAZING Apostle!:) me and Elder Silver were bawling and the spirit was so strong even during the closing hymn.  I cant wait to get pictures from you guys. I'm gonna send you some today hopefully from Best's camera and they're all blurry but its all we got! There's a photo of the guys in the district and I cant wait for them to meet you all...someday!

 

Anyways... mom, I love you so, so much! Guess what I dreamed about last night!? Just sitting in the family room watching football and you were doing dishes it was the best dream ever because it actually was something that always used to happen. I miss your presence and your smile and your laugh... but I love how you express it through your letters as well, I feel like you are right here sometimes.
 

Hey lady T, how's life? Remember who you are and remember that you are the only child now and you are going to have a lot more responsibilities and maybe some arguments! Try not to think like a little girl but think like a daughter of God and know that dad is going to see both sides of you now... not just the sugar, spice and everything nice side! haha :) I love you munchkin!
 

I always think about the Wisconsin/Carthage-Nauvoo trip and I cant help but realize how much I love my dad. I wish we had done these trips every summer and I wasn't so urgent to be with my friends when I should be with FAMILY. Dad you are my hero, I always tell your mission stories at night to our district and they always crack up. Except the girls... they don't like the "shiwi koopolish" as much as the boys do, but whatever! haha

 

I love you and I miss you all with every fiber of my soul!
Get off your booty, get on your knees, get to your feet and DO!
 

Elder Ty Toolson