This is Michael's last e-mail from Honduras. He returns home Monday, August 9.
Today is p-day, but I'm going to work after lunch with the ZL's who don't have p-day to enjoy my last few days of preaching the gospel. I land in Phoenix at 6:20 pm (on Monday). I'm excited to see you all and a tad nervous to not be a missionary anymore. It's been an incredible 2 years, and I'm still learning how to better my teaching skills up to the last minute.
I know that the work I have done has and will be accepted by the Lord. I also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that through him the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was restored to the Earth once more. I also now have knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true.
I love you guys, and I'll be home for Christmas, and for the 9th of August.
Elder Michael Alan Arntsen
Sunday, August 8, 2010
August 2, 2010 E-mail
Well, I am now in the office and I have had a crazy week. I don't have an oficial "call" but I've been rolling with the assistants. We had a sweet adventure. We had to drive to La Ceiba to get Elder Mortensen´s suit that he forgot (he's home already), so we drove to La Ceiba in two hours, a usual 5 hour bus ride. And yesterday we got back from Copan. We went to the ruins with President and Sister Veirs. So we pretty much covered the extremes of the mission. Technically I could have written you on Saturday 'cause that was p-day, but we didn't have time, so we are writing today. I don't have an area or a comp, so I am doing work for president and also working in different areas with other elders. It's the coolest assignment ever.
So I am working as hard as I can and enjoying my last few days as a misionary as best as I can. Thanks so much for your love and support shown and sent.
So I am working as hard as I can and enjoying my last few days as a misionary as best as I can. Thanks so much for your love and support shown and sent.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
July 26, 2010 E-mail
Hey mom!
Well I have a change. I’m being put in a different area with a different comp for 10 days.... not too happy about it, but the Lord says right?
We didn’t baptize anybody, but I still hope and pray that in my next area we can baptize someone on my last weekend here. I’m just gonna work my feet to the bone (instead of 'hands' because of all the walking...). Our stats weren’t too great this week, but I still feel good about the work we did. For instance, we saved a man's life. I think the Lord will justify the lack of lessons for literally saving a man’s life.
Elder brown, Osman (our investigator), and I were walking to the park where we usually teach Osman, when we saw what appeared to be a drunk man. When we saw him all three of us walked towards him instead of just passing by, and we noticed that he had dried blood all over him. He had received several deep gashes to his neck and face and was losing blood. He lives on the street, and some punks decided to cut him one morning at about 5 am with large shards of glass. The contusions were severely deep. We were amazed he was still alive. They had missed the jugular by about a centimeter (and it was visibly hanging out of his neck) and had also missed the throat by the same distance (also visible). So we did what we could and called the cops, who weren’t the most helpful really) and, after much debate, Elder Brown and I persuaded the police to take the poor man to the hospital. We didn’t find out what happened with him, but I’m sure he is fine. It was a real eye-opening experience that I don’t hope to repeat.
Everything else is going well here, but there isn’t much else I can do for the area. We have been invited to eat by all of the leadership of the entire stake pretty much, like, this afternoon with the Stake President and his councilors, tonight with Alfredo (the non-member multi-millionaire husband of a really cool sister in the ward), tomorrow afternoon with the bishop and his family, later that evening with the second counselor of the bishopric, and tomorrow night with the family from Spain that got baptized a few weeks ago. It’s pretty cool to see the effect that I caused in the ward and stake. It is a special feeling to be loved and cared for by people you hardly know. I can’t really describe it. I’m quite sad to have to finish the mission early(to get home in time for school), because I could have stayed in the area until September. But it’s time to keep on truckin’!
Love you guys! Enjoy the last few weeks without me!
Elder Arntsen
Well I have a change. I’m being put in a different area with a different comp for 10 days.... not too happy about it, but the Lord says right?
We didn’t baptize anybody, but I still hope and pray that in my next area we can baptize someone on my last weekend here. I’m just gonna work my feet to the bone (instead of 'hands' because of all the walking...). Our stats weren’t too great this week, but I still feel good about the work we did. For instance, we saved a man's life. I think the Lord will justify the lack of lessons for literally saving a man’s life.
Elder brown, Osman (our investigator), and I were walking to the park where we usually teach Osman, when we saw what appeared to be a drunk man. When we saw him all three of us walked towards him instead of just passing by, and we noticed that he had dried blood all over him. He had received several deep gashes to his neck and face and was losing blood. He lives on the street, and some punks decided to cut him one morning at about 5 am with large shards of glass. The contusions were severely deep. We were amazed he was still alive. They had missed the jugular by about a centimeter (and it was visibly hanging out of his neck) and had also missed the throat by the same distance (also visible). So we did what we could and called the cops, who weren’t the most helpful really) and, after much debate, Elder Brown and I persuaded the police to take the poor man to the hospital. We didn’t find out what happened with him, but I’m sure he is fine. It was a real eye-opening experience that I don’t hope to repeat.
Everything else is going well here, but there isn’t much else I can do for the area. We have been invited to eat by all of the leadership of the entire stake pretty much, like, this afternoon with the Stake President and his councilors, tonight with Alfredo (the non-member multi-millionaire husband of a really cool sister in the ward), tomorrow afternoon with the bishop and his family, later that evening with the second counselor of the bishopric, and tomorrow night with the family from Spain that got baptized a few weeks ago. It’s pretty cool to see the effect that I caused in the ward and stake. It is a special feeling to be loved and cared for by people you hardly know. I can’t really describe it. I’m quite sad to have to finish the mission early(to get home in time for school), because I could have stayed in the area until September. But it’s time to keep on truckin’!
Love you guys! Enjoy the last few weeks without me!
Elder Arntsen
July 19, 2010 E-mail
Hey mom!
So this last weekend we baptized two of the teenagers of the Spanish family, the mom can’t be baptized, because she needs to get divorced and remarried and hadn’t told us, and the other kid is a little rebellious. But we still have people to work with. Just that not so many went to church this week. From 9 to 2 this week we have leadership training from Tuesday to Thursday, so we'll be a little tied up, It’s sad that for my last week in my area I won’t get to work in it too much, but that’s what the area president wants.
The zone is getting better and actually worked fairly hard this last week, so at least it’s one less of a hassle to worry about. All of the missions in the world are getting new material right now so it’s a really weird transition that I have to go through to finish it all up, but I guess it’s another opportunity to learn and be a better teacher. That, at least, will most likely come in handy later on in life.
Love you guys!
Elder Arntsen
So this last weekend we baptized two of the teenagers of the Spanish family, the mom can’t be baptized, because she needs to get divorced and remarried and hadn’t told us, and the other kid is a little rebellious. But we still have people to work with. Just that not so many went to church this week. From 9 to 2 this week we have leadership training from Tuesday to Thursday, so we'll be a little tied up, It’s sad that for my last week in my area I won’t get to work in it too much, but that’s what the area president wants.
The zone is getting better and actually worked fairly hard this last week, so at least it’s one less of a hassle to worry about. All of the missions in the world are getting new material right now so it’s a really weird transition that I have to go through to finish it all up, but I guess it’s another opportunity to learn and be a better teacher. That, at least, will most likely come in handy later on in life.
Love you guys!
Elder Arntsen
Sunday, July 18, 2010
July 11, 2010
Hello all! I’m writing from my usual computer in a blistering hot Honduras. It’s been fairly cool this week for here, but today we are back to the normal humidity and heat.
Congrats to Caitlin. I didn’t study all that hard for my AP tests and got 3's on both, but it’s much better to get a 5 because the college credit is for a higher class. The general populace here wanted Holland to win as did I. It’s only because Holland had gone twice already and lost both times, whereas Spain hadn’t ever gone, and I didn’t want them to win on their first try. But no biggie.
Dad tells me that the girls have a super girly car. The ford focus... not my style, but the informer explained that it was a steal. I suppose it’s appropriate; girly car for girls. Makes sense when you really think about it.
We had a long week of hard work and it paid off, we had 9 investigators in church and we hope to baptize several before I leave the area at the end of the month. Last week I bought you all jerseys, but I’m afraid that they may be a tad big on most of you (with the exception of dad... I’ll bet it fits perfect), but they are way cool. I still want to get some other cool Honduran things for you guys. I was thinking bags for the girls, but I don’t know what for dad (mom being included in girls') I’ll probably get three different style bags and you will all have to fight over them, and for dad...? A sweet chumpa? I’ll send a picture of one so you can see. Just let me know!
We continue to work, and I’m doing my best to work even harder as the time comes to an end because I know that the last few moments of the game are what are most remembered. No regrets. Leave it all on the field. Any other sports phrase applicable. One of our progressing investigators lives on the streets and sells little cards that have psalms on them and things of that nature. He’s been on the streets for seven years; ever since he got deported from the states for murder (he is innocent he assures us); he was a drug dealer. But he is so humble now and loves the Book of Mormon. We hope for the best!
Hope all is well in the hot, hot, heat just as it is down here. Tell the girls to write me for once.
Love you all!
Congrats to Caitlin. I didn’t study all that hard for my AP tests and got 3's on both, but it’s much better to get a 5 because the college credit is for a higher class. The general populace here wanted Holland to win as did I. It’s only because Holland had gone twice already and lost both times, whereas Spain hadn’t ever gone, and I didn’t want them to win on their first try. But no biggie.
Dad tells me that the girls have a super girly car. The ford focus... not my style, but the informer explained that it was a steal. I suppose it’s appropriate; girly car for girls. Makes sense when you really think about it.
We had a long week of hard work and it paid off, we had 9 investigators in church and we hope to baptize several before I leave the area at the end of the month. Last week I bought you all jerseys, but I’m afraid that they may be a tad big on most of you (with the exception of dad... I’ll bet it fits perfect), but they are way cool. I still want to get some other cool Honduran things for you guys. I was thinking bags for the girls, but I don’t know what for dad (mom being included in girls') I’ll probably get three different style bags and you will all have to fight over them, and for dad...? A sweet chumpa? I’ll send a picture of one so you can see. Just let me know!
We continue to work, and I’m doing my best to work even harder as the time comes to an end because I know that the last few moments of the game are what are most remembered. No regrets. Leave it all on the field. Any other sports phrase applicable. One of our progressing investigators lives on the streets and sells little cards that have psalms on them and things of that nature. He’s been on the streets for seven years; ever since he got deported from the states for murder (he is innocent he assures us); he was a drug dealer. But he is so humble now and loves the Book of Mormon. We hope for the best!
Hope all is well in the hot, hot, heat just as it is down here. Tell the girls to write me for once.
Love you all!
July 4, 2010
Hey mom!
The emergency was that the zone didn’t have money and the reimbursements didn’t come, so I reimbursed everybody with my money so they could live until the end of the month. As a zone leader I get sent a certain amount of money every week to pay for the small things the church covers like transportation, but the church hadn't sent me the money for some reason, so I had to take matters into my own hands. No worries.
So the Spanish family didn’t go to church this week, and they hid from us yesterday when we went by... it’s really saddening the way that all of a sudden they did a huge 180 on us.
Moving on to the new president: president Veirs is about five foot six, way loving. He is hilarious. He gives huge hugs--almost comparable to dad's, just that president Veirs is fairly short....,
He is from Rancho Cucamonga , California and is a chiropractor. Oh, and he got me permission to come home for classes, but we don’t know when ill be coming home still.
Sorry for the short email. I love you guys.
Thanks so much for all the love and support. Tell the girls I say hello!
Love you, mommy!!
Michael
The emergency was that the zone didn’t have money and the reimbursements didn’t come, so I reimbursed everybody with my money so they could live until the end of the month. As a zone leader I get sent a certain amount of money every week to pay for the small things the church covers like transportation, but the church hadn't sent me the money for some reason, so I had to take matters into my own hands. No worries.
So the Spanish family didn’t go to church this week, and they hid from us yesterday when we went by... it’s really saddening the way that all of a sudden they did a huge 180 on us.
Moving on to the new president: president Veirs is about five foot six, way loving. He is hilarious. He gives huge hugs--almost comparable to dad's, just that president Veirs is fairly short....,
He is from Rancho Cucamonga , California and is a chiropractor. Oh, and he got me permission to come home for classes, but we don’t know when ill be coming home still.
Sorry for the short email. I love you guys.
Thanks so much for all the love and support. Tell the girls I say hello!
Love you, mommy!!
Michael
June 28, 2010
Letter for Grandma Della:
Dear Grandma Della,
I wanted to take this opportunity to cordially and lovingly thank you for helping me to serve the Lord with a full time mission. My time is coming to a close now and I have been working as hard as I possibly can to be able to bring souls unto Christ, and I feel successful. I hope all is well with your recovery. My prayers are with you. I know that the gospel is true and that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as ransom for us all. I now have a testimony of The Book of Mormon; it is the word of God. It, more than anything, is what has allowed me to understand the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. I love you very much.
Elder Arntsen
Elder Brown and I are working super hard and have found a way sweet family of 4 from Spain that have come to church for two weeks in a row now. They are way sweet and intelligent. So we are going to baptize them in a few weeks. Apart from that it’s been a challenge lately to find people to teach, but we are working super, super hard to find 'em, and we are. What’s going on in the world these days? Hope all is well!
Elder Arntsen
Dear Grandma Della,
I wanted to take this opportunity to cordially and lovingly thank you for helping me to serve the Lord with a full time mission. My time is coming to a close now and I have been working as hard as I possibly can to be able to bring souls unto Christ, and I feel successful. I hope all is well with your recovery. My prayers are with you. I know that the gospel is true and that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as ransom for us all. I now have a testimony of The Book of Mormon; it is the word of God. It, more than anything, is what has allowed me to understand the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. I love you very much.
Elder Arntsen
Elder Brown and I are working super hard and have found a way sweet family of 4 from Spain that have come to church for two weeks in a row now. They are way sweet and intelligent. So we are going to baptize them in a few weeks. Apart from that it’s been a challenge lately to find people to teach, but we are working super, super hard to find 'em, and we are. What’s going on in the world these days? Hope all is well!
Elder Arntsen
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