HOLA

Dear Family,

How's it going everybody? Things are going awesome here in Tela. We only have about nine days left before changes. I don't know if I will leave this area or stay in it and get a new companion. I really like this companion. Even though he doesn't speak any English...he's great. I would rather have a companion that speaks only Spanish. I learn a lot faster, cuz whenever I go on a division with a Gringo, we just talk English. My Companion right now too is a really hard worker and funny. Anyways, we have found a lot of families to teach lately. One really great and fun experience I had about a week and a half ago was when a Gringo came to my area on an exchange, named Elder Searle. He was in my District in the MTC. He doesn't know very good Spanish, and since we were in my area, I was the one in charge and had to do all the talking. I prayed really hard before we went out that we would be able to understand the Spanish and find families to teach. Well, when the end of the day came, we had found three new families, and had taught them all the first lesson. With teaching all of our other investigators, we were able to teach all of the lessons. It was awesome...the best I had ever taught in Spanish in my life. I pretty much understood everything all day. That was a real confidence booster. Well, just a little confidence booster...I still need to improve a whole lot. This Saturday, we are baptizing a man named Oscar Matamores. He is really awesome. From the first day we met him, he had a glow to him. You could tell just by looking at him, he was ready to hear the Gospel. He owns two businesses. He sells chicken. We are now also teaching his friend. Oscar was a reference from a member. We are working with the members a lot. They stress that here in every meeting...to work with the members. I have realized that members are so important in missionary work, because the members know a lot more people then us missionaries do. Well, we have a little Branch of about 50 that attend every Sunday. We have a lot of less-actives. The motto of our mission is Baptize and Retain. A lot of times missionaries baptize, but after that, they don't retain them by staying in touch with them...continuing to teach them more. Right now, it is really really hot. March and April are the hottest months of the year. We had a Zone P-day on the beach here in Tela. I got another good sunburn. We played soccer and a little bit of American football. It was really fun...we took a bunch of pictures. I will send you some pictures from today. Afterwards, we all ate pizza at one of the pizza places. After that, everybody took the bus back to Progresso. So Dad, you're going fishing at Pampa this week, huh? That sounds like fun. I remember going fishing with you and Mr Liera. That was fun catching, and then cooking the fish right there. Mom, can you email me Jonathan Smith's address, so I can write him. I can only email family over the internet. Becca, I hear everything is pretty busy for ya right now. Jr. Miss, school, and just finished basketball, and now starting track. Wow. So, you're really going to say something about the butterfly dance? Sorry I can't do the butterfly for ya in your talent. Wouldn't that just be the best talent ever. So, how is your small pinkie doing? Getting better? Get used to having injuries. It's part of the Lee Gene. Torn shoulder muscles and knee ligaments, broken legs and pinkie fingers, and all sorts of others. Hopefully, it will be ready to go for Junior Miss, so you can play your piano piece. If you haven't asked Dad for a blessing, you should. That was one thing I know really helped and protected me when I was playing football with torn ligaments in my knee...Dad's blessing before each game. I think that was part of the Lord's Plan...to have me tear ligaments, so I would be humbled enough to see the Lord's Hand in my life. I think the Lord protected my knee during those games, because He knew, at that time, football was really important to me, and He knew how hard I had worked to prepare for that season. I think He just wanted to humble me a little. I know, it was only with the protection of the Lord, and Dad's Priesthood Blessing that I received before each game, that my knee was protected from further injury. After each one of those games, every night in my room, I would say really humble prayers and thank the Lord for His protection and His help. The Lord knows all. He knows how many hours you have put into practicing your talent for Jr. Miss. He knows how much you want to succeed. We just need to humbly ask for His help. Be specific in what you need help with. Pray for strength in your hand that you may be able to play your piece just as good, or even better than you have ever played, when that night of Jr. Miss comes. Just like you told me, if the Lord healed the blind, blessed the sick, raised the dead, I am sure he can heal a pinkie finger. Experiences like that really help us grow and notice the Lord in our lives. I am so glad I did sports in my life. They have taught me so many lessons, and even things I need for the mission. They have taught me to never give up, goal setting, dedication, perseverance, and the list goes on. I truly think sports are here on earth for a reason :) Well, I have to run. Thank you all for your letters. I will write a hand-written letter today and say some more. My time here on the computer is really limited. We have to pay for the internet, and as missionaries, we are not the richest people in the world, and we don't have jobs to pay for stuff like this. Well, actually we do have jobs. The most important work in the world...MISSIONARY WORK!!!...Probably the most challenging, trying, and satisfying job too!!  I am so glad and grateful that I have two years to do it. Two years of the best work, in the best mission in the world, with the best people. Well, I gotta run. Hope everything is going great. Thank you all for your letters. I will send some pics. Adios!! Love you all. Elder Lee