May 30, 2011

Hola como estan
     Things are good here in Caribbean Sea. This week has definitely been the hottest weather that I have felt here in the mission. We would just walk for like 2 minutes and just be dripping in sweat, fun I know haha.  A good thing about being here on the island is that there is usually a breeze in the afternoon.
      Well, this week we did a little bit of some searching on the island and we ended up going to both ends of the bay. On one of the sides of the island there are a lot of Americans and other people that live there that have huge houses. So we went and contacted down there because one day one of the american ladies gave us a ride in her golf cart so we got to know her and told her we would go and visit her.  So we did.  She gave us a tour of her house and we just got to know her and then as soon as we brought up religion or God she just shot it right down and that’s how a lot of those people were down on that side of the island. It just shows how these people are not humble at all with all this money and stuff.  It was awesome to get a tour of the house and that part was amazing, but these people don't have a purpose here and just live this life and do nothing - haha.
     Well I conducted for the first time in a sacrament meeting this week. I was pretty nervous but everything turned out good, and I had to talk and teach the class.  It's pretty frustrating just because there are a lot of members that are capable of doing these things but when we ask them they don't want to or they just won’t show up prepared. So we really have to try to change that stuff around here.
     We have been doing something as a companship lately that has really been helping I think.  In our very first appointment that we do, we challenge the people to get baptized. Of course there are always a few that we don't do it with or we just beat around the bush a little bit with it just because they’re not ready for it yet.  But it really has been helping us to know if that person is ready or not to change their lives for the better. And we know whether we might be wasting time with them or not; that sounds a little mean but it's true.
    One guy that we have been working with is a fisherman named Cleveland. He's a member but kind of inactive. His family are members, some inactive, but his wife and daughter are 2 of the best members we have.  He has a lot of different things going on in his life that really have been stressing him out.  So he got back into the habit of smoking, but really wants to quit. He's an awesome guy but just needs to make the decision to stop so say an extra prayer for him, he might be the future branch presidency out here.
     Well thanks for all of the emails and support, it means a lot.
Mom Your questions:
So will you stay on the island for a while? 3 to 4 changes I think.  Do you and Elder Harris still get up and go jogging in the mornings? This week we haven't, we were way too tired because when we go run we wake up at 5:45 but we have been so tired this week - haha.  On the island of Utila do you have a cook and someone who does your laundry? Cook yes and washer lady  - no. we go to a members house and use her washer.  How are the bugs? They’re pretty bad here.  I think I have killed 20 cockroaches already in our house.  This mission has a guy that sprays the houses for bugs but he doesn't come out here.   Do you teach and have church in Spanish? Sometimes we have to teach in English because some people speak better English than Spanish and church is in Spanish.  Did you have anyone new at church this week and how is the teaching going? We had 3 investgators this week.  We’re just waiting for some of there familia to get back so they'll get married.  They’re a really cool famlilia. The dad is already a member but the wife and kids aren't. They are really smart.

Mom I'm glad you’re already worrying about my birthday package -haha.  But maybe just send 2 white shirts  - 17 and a half neck size, athletic fit, tall.  That’s all for now.

Well - have a good week.
I love and miss you all!!!
Cuidense
Con Amor
Elder Kapple

May 23, 2011

Elder Hafen and Elder Kapple

View from our apartment

Elder Kapple and Elder Harris

WOW! From the dusty streets of La Lima, to the busy streets of San Perdo, to the sandy beaches of Utila. - yup that's right!  I got changed to the island of Utila in the zone La Cieba, and wow is it a difference from the other places.  I don't even know where to begin.  The island has about 3,000 people with about 80 members.  At church yesterday there were 25 people there.  My Comp (Elder Harris) is the branch president which makes me first councilor I guess.  We’re the only priestood on the island, well I guess there are some people that have the priesthood here but they don't come to church.  So we do everything.  Bless, prepare, pass, give the talks, and teach the lessons.  It is crazy.  The island is really different. There are a lot of tourists all of the time and most of the people speak English but they have a wierd accent. So it really isn't going to help with my Spanish haha.  My comp is awesome.  His name is Elder Harris.  He's a 6'6" white guy from California. This is his last change so I'm going to be sending him home in 6 weeks, but he's still a super hard worker and a great missionary.  We’re kind of just stranded out here.  We only go to the mainland for multi-zone conferences and interviews and if one of us has a change.  We do a lot of work with the members and trying to get them back to church especially the men.  As Elder Harris likes to put it "We’re teaching the men how to be men!"  We still have some investigators but most of the work is still with the inactives. We have to teach a lot about the Sabbath day because almost everyone here believes that the Sabbath day is Saturday - haha.  It's really wierd, we do everything with tithing and fast offerings.  After church on Sunday we have to fill out all of the reports and everything, so I'm learning how to do all of that. We also have to take care of all of the welfare program stuff.  Like today we had to go take food for this lady and her familia because they don't have anything.  It's just crazy, all of this stuff.  We’re just 2 young guys and we are incharge of everything out here - haha.
Thanks for all of the e-mails everyone!  It's always good to hear from all of you every week.
I Love you all!!!
Cuidense
Con Amor
Elder Kapple

May 16, 2011

How are you guys doing?  Things are good here.  It was good to hear from you guys. This week has been super crazy/busy. We did divisions almost every day this week (really just 3 times). We had to go do some interviews and everything just was super duper busy. This area isn't progressing very well either.  We always go and contact and make citas (appointments) but when we go back many don't want to listen to us so that has been pretty hard. But we found this guy this week that is ready to be baptized. He was an investigator of some older elders that were here before. So we called him and went and visited him last night. We set a fecha (date) with him for the 4 of july. I´m sure that´s not a holiday here.  He only has a few problems with the word of wisdom, but he´ll be able to overcome them. Then our baptism that we had scheduled this week fell through. It was pretty frustrating but he´ll be baptized still but it might take some time because he hasn´t gone to church in 4 weeks. Sorry, this is going to be short because the internet is super slow today so it's taken forever. Dad, I forgot to tell you where we live. It´s the street in front of the

church that runs horizontal to the one above and it´s the house right next to a dirt lot. If that makes since - haha. But guess what?  I only have 2 more nights there, believe it or not. I have a change! haha. I really didn´t expect it but I have one. I´m excited but a little sad. I really did like my
area even though it´s really hard and I really did like my comp and my zone was awesome. But I´m sure I will like my next comp. and area just as much.

Happy Birthday Grandma Erickson and Happy Birthday Lucas (Lizzy's brother)
Tell Grandma and Grandpa Hi; both sets of them.
I Love You All!!!
Cuidense
Con Amor
Elder Kapple

May 9, 2011

Hola como estan,

FIRST OFF... I LOVE YOU MOM!  YOU’RE THE BEST!  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

It was good to talk to all of you yesterday but it´s really weird too.  It´s just like we talk and then we say goodbye for 7 months, kind of weird, huh?   I answered a lot of questions yesterday so this e-mail will be a little bit shorter than usual.  But this week was pretty good, but we still don´t have too many inverstigators and nobody likes to go to church.  We had one go but it´s the same guy that goes every week.  He´ll get baptized but it will be in his own time.  When we go to teach him he always just talks and talks and talks.  He´s a really nice guy but just a little bit different. We did find some good possibilities this week and have to go and visit them this week.  This area gets pretty frustrating but we just have to work through it.  We have all of these people that we’re teaching and they say they´ll go to church and they´ll read but then when Sunday comes around nobody makes it to church.  I really don´t even remember very well what all happened this week.  But we did have some funny lessons the other day.  We had a Mother’s day activity this week and an investigator went and her husband (boyfriend) came too.  So we went back the other day and taught about the law of chastity and challenged them to get married.  The boyfriend then went off about all of these problems that they have and we just pretty much became marriage counselors.  Then we went to another guy that we contacted who is a serious Catholic and has served a few missions for them.  He ended up being a big drinker and his wife has problems with the kids so we became marriage counselors to them too.  It was kind of funny because I´m 19, my comp is 20, and these older couples are asking us for all of this marriage advice, - so we just talked about the gospel and stuff.

So sorry this is short but ya, oh well.
Just to finish. Mom, you’re the best and I love you.  I´m so blessed to have you as my mom.  You mean the world to me.
Some scriptures about mom/women haha. There’s not too many but see Proverbs 31 (the chapter) and of course Alma 56:47.
I Love you all!!!

Con Amor, Cuidense
Elder Kapple

May 2, 2011

Hola Familia,
Como estan?
This week was pretty good. But it feels like we didn´t do all that much but we really did - if that makes any sense. On Wednesday, we had our activity at the church and it went a lot better than what we thought it would. The only problem was that we started 2 hours late. That's how many things are here; a lot of people come late.  All of the groups did an activity and they were all really good.  I was a policeman in the elder's quorum act but I had no idea what I was doing because I went on divisions the day before so I didn't go to practice but it still all worked out. Pres. Veirs and another couple of missionaries showed up so that was really cool too. Then Thursday we had interviews. Pres. Veirs is awesome! Then I got my in grown toenail cut out. I've had this in grown toenail for awhile.  So the nurse told me to file it.  So I did and it made it so much worse.  So she had to cut it out.  That day we didn´t work too much. Yesterday was fast Sunday so we were fasting but we usually fast lunch to lunch because it´s a lot easier and so we can work after church better but we ate dinner Saturday so we had to fast cena to cena.  We had a cita but it is super far away so we really didn´t want to go because we were dying of sed and hambre.  But we ended up going and the cita fell through so we were really sad about that but we found a Hermana that was interested in the gospel. She had questions about prophets because it talks about them in the bible.  She is 26 and really interested in our message. The problem is that her husband didn´t give us permission to come in, so we just talked outside for a little bit.  We have a cita to go back this week and she said we can just teach her outside and she said she for sure is coming to church. Then we have a baptism this week with that guy named Josué and maybe one more with a Hermana this week too but we´ll see with her.
It sounds like you guys are really enjoying Virginia. That's too bad you don´t have much time to spend out there.  I'll have to go see all those sights when I get home.  Mom, I received the package so thanks so much for that.  Dad, there is only one area in the mission that have bikes.  Elder Berrett is there right now.  He was in the MTC with me.  So for mothers day... I can't call you guys -  just kidding.  I think I'll just call you guys Saturday nightish just to tell you what time and my number and everything.
Espero que todo esté bien
Les amo!!!
Elder Kapple

April 25, 2011

ZONA CELESTIAL!!! (WE GET TO EAT WITH PRES. AND HERMANA VEIRS...YUMMY)

This week was pretty good minus the Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebration part because nobody was home or even in the streets.  Everbody goes to the beach during this week.  But we really worked hard anyway (some of that might be because the zone leaders said they would buy lunch at Applebee’s for the ones that reach their goals because the work is hard during Semana Santa).  We found some good people; the problem was that nobody likes to go to church at this time.  We’re really trying to focus on families.  We found a really good one too.  The wife is a member and so is the hija (daughter) but the dad isn´t.  The problem is that the husband and wife aren´t married and they didn´t go to church this Sunday.  But they said they will for sure go this second week.  We also have another really good possibility this week named Jose.  We have an appointment with him tonight although I think his mom might be a little against it.  His cousins and other relatives are members so they are helping us.  He is 19 years so I´m pretty sure we can still baptize him because he can choose for himself now.  So that’s who we have to teach right now and one more guy that has been going to church for 3 weeks.  However, whenever we call to go teach him he says we can´t come because he is busy.  But he really likes church but I think he has a few problems to work out because he is always in talking with the bishop.  We’re doing some things in the ward to get the members more involved because the members haven’t been too involved yet.  So we have an activity this week on Wednesday.  All the different groups are going to do a talent act and some little messages just to get them involved and to bring some friends.  Also, we are doing this thing every week where a family in the ward gets to give a Book of Mormon to another family and then on Sunday they share their experience in Sacrament meeting.  Then they get to choose a family to do the same thing.  So we hope that we will have some success with this.

I saw 2 weird things this week - one was part of Semana Santa.  A group of people were walking down the street singing then when they got closer we saw they were caring a casket with a mannequin type thing that was supposed to represent Christ.  It was a little weird.  Then yesterday we saw a guy chase some other guy with a machete but the guy got away so he didn´t get him - haha.

I hope you guys all had a good Easter and had the chance to remember what Christ did for us.  I spoke a little bit in church about the atonement and resurrection for about 15 to 20 minutes.  That´s a lot in Spanish -  haha.
Dad I liked what you wrote about the house in Idaho getting built soon and that you are ready to start that and have to get some jet skis but you forgot one thing... the boat! - haha.  Mom, I haven’t received the last package yet but we have interviews this week so I´m sure I’ll get it.  The mission only has 1 car so I haven´t received anything for a while so I´m pretty sure it´s in the office.  I am officially half of the way through the Book of Mormon in Spanish now.
Thanks for all that you guys do and Happy Easter.
I Love You All!!!
Have fun in Virginia, Mom and Dad
Cuidense, (take care)
Con Amor (with love)
Elder Kapple

April 18, 2011

 Pictures of the new apartment....

Hola como estan
espero que todo este bien

This week was good but the work is definitely a lot different here in Los Castanos (which I found out means chestnuts or a chestnut tree).  We spend a lot of time traveling to different areas in our area.  But we went to some different ones this week and found some people but the problem is that they’re pretty far away so it’s hard for the people to go to church.  But we did find some new people in these further out areas so hopefully we can still get them to come to church.  We taught this guy yesterday that was really cool.  He was into to the lesson and said that he really wants to learn more.  He lives close to our house.  I talk more about it in the recordings.  So this week was really crazy and I tell the entire story in the recordings, but yes -  it was just a crazy experience.  And because of the experience, I went on divisions with my zone leader and I learned a good lesson.  We went to teach a lesson #2.  But they just ended up asking a bunch of questions and we taught a really good lesson about what they need to do to receive a testimony and we ended up setting a date with them to get married and then baptized.  It was really cool and I learned a lot  - to just listen and follow the Spirit and teach to people’s needs.  So, we have some new rules with the internet so this might be short.  We can only be one hour on the internet.  We can only write family.  I think there are some different problems going on in the mission so that President Veirs is cracking down a little bit.  There are some missionaries with cell phones and other things so I think that’s why he is making some changes.

I hope everything is good back in good old Ogden and Virginia.
I love and miss you all!!!

Con amor,
Elder Kapple