My first week with the bananas

Hello everyone,
It was a really good week here in Los Platanos. I'm getting used to my new sector, new comp, and things are going great. I've met a good number of the members and they seem really great from what I've seen so far, so that is always good. And they're willing to help with the work, which is even better.

  So. In terms of investigators here in the sector, it's going alright. It seemed like we had a ton of people to teach and stuff when I first got here, but upon further investigation, a majority of the people are going to be dropped. They don't really progress at all in the gospel. They just like our company and like to listen to us. But among those people we do have a couple really good investigators. We are teaching a girl named Jennifer, who is 9. Her family is recently reactivated in the gospel and she wants to get baptized. But the thing is, is that she was gonna be baptized a little bit ago, she passed her interview and everything, had the baptismal service, and when she was stepping into the water to actually get baptized, she freaked out. She had a panic attack and couldnt do it....shes scared of water. The good news though, is that the family is going to the beach this saturday and they're gonna practice with her so that she can get baptized as soon as possible. So we're hoping that goes well with them there. The other good investigators we're teaching and Victor and Gema. They're a young couple and the neighbors of a strong family in the church. They have a ton of desires to learn more about the church and they love our visits and learning more about the gospel. This week we are gonna try to put a baptismal date with them, and we're pretty sure they'll accept. But there's one problem............they aren't married. Oof. So somehow we're gonna have to overcome that obstacle so they can get baptized, but anythings possible right? I feel like they'll do it though. We shall just have to wait and see.
  So when I got here to the sector, after the first day my legs were dead haha. My legs weren't used to walking anymore! I had to get re adjusted to walking everyday, not riding a bike, so that was pretty fun. I'm excited to be here though in this new sector.
  My comp, Elder Russell is great. He's got all the energy and optimism of a new missionary, and that's exactly what I needed. So it's a lot of fun with him. We get along great and we're both super excited to just get to work here in this sector. His spanish needs some help though, but that is perfectly understandable cuz he's very new in the mission. But he doesnt even care if what he says comes out wrong or right, he just speaks and even through grammatically incorrect spanish, you can feel the Spirit as he talks. It's cool. Testimony builder of the Holy Ghosts role in this work and how he helps us so much as missionaries.
  Thanksgiving was also this week and it was really good actually! We ate a late lunch and it was essentially a thanksgiving dinner like home. It was at a super cool family's house, the family Saldaña. The Hermana loves helping the missionaries, and she also likes giving us things, aka a thanksgiving dinner haha. With the help of her daughter, who recently returned from a foreign exchanged student program in Canada, they made a typical thanksgiving dinner, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and even gravy. And we spent the majority of the time speaking in English, cuz the Hermana knows it as does the daughter. So I lucked out again this thanksgiving and had a nice little meal.
  Church on Sunday was good. We had only one investigator in church, Gema, because at the last minute Victor was called to work. But it was good. I had to speak for like 5 minutes and introduce myself to the ward. This ward works really well. It's a big difference than in Pirque, because theres a lot more people and it just functions better.
  Speaking of Pirque, I was talking to Elder Deaver and heard some of the coolest news. So Mauricio, Mariela, and that family, and us the missionaries, on the fast Sunday before I left, all fasted with the purpose being that of Mauricio the dad being able to stop working on Sundays. He still hasn't been baptized basically for that reason, becuase he always has to work Sunday. And that was the thing they wanted most, for him to be able to accept the gospel. So we fasted. Fast forward to yesterday, and I'm talking to Elder Deaver. He tells me that in Gospel Principles class, that Mariela bore her testimony about fasting because next Sunday is the last Sunday that Mauricio (dad) is gonna have to work. How cool is that? The church is true, fasting works. That brought a great joy into my heart knowing that now Mauricio will be able to be baptized soon.
  And that's basically how the week went. We got lots of work ahead of us here in the sector, lots of finding to do, and people to teach. Like I said, we're excited. I love the mish and am so glad to be here. Hope youre all doing great over there. Take care and talk to you next week!

Elder Aaron Mayberry