April 2nd, 2012

What’s up family and friends -  how are you?

Things are just fine and dandy here in Villanueva – well, everything minus the heat because man it is hot.  Every time I leave the house I feel like I am being cooked.  We are pretty lucky in the house here where we have a nice AC unit in our room so at night when we get home that is the first thing that we do is turn that bad boy on.  Well, this week was a fast one.  We had to go to San Pedro 3 times this week.  First off, on Monday for mine and Elder Johnson’s shopping spree;  - we are going to look good in our new suits haha.  Then on Tuesday we had interviews.  They’re a little bit different with being zone leaders.  We go first and have an interview together to talk about the zone and stuff then we have our personal interviews.  President Veirs is awesome.  I just wish I could have an hour of personal time with him just to talk and learn from him.  Then on Wednesday we went back to get a Partida (a paper that is needed to get people married here in Honduras).  Then on Thursday we did divisions.  Elder Contreras (we came together to the mission), came with me and Elder Johnson went to his area with his comp.  We have been working with him to try to help him out.  He is a great missionary but just needs to take more initiative with his district.  Then it was general conference and it was awesome.  We lucked out as "Gringos" and we were able to watch it in English.  It's just not the same in Spanish.  I can understand it and everything but the spirit definitely speaks better in your own language,  so I was pretty happy to watch it in English.  I really enjoyed conference and I learned a lot.  There are always a lot of different topics but they all seem to help in some way or another.  From how to raise children, covenants and priesthood responsibilities, holding grudges and forgiveness, - there was just a wide range of things and they were all great.  I need to read back over my notes and put these things in practice.  We did have some good numbers at church too.  We had 8 investigators come.  The best one was definitely the Pineda Ramirez family.  This is the family that didn't go last week because Elder Johnson and I like to open our mouths and joke too much.  But we passed by in the morning to remind them and they said that they were going to go so we were there waiting at the door until about 10:10 and they never showed up so we were pretty bummed.  But then after we walked out to say goodbye to everyone and his mom (a member) came running up to us saying "Vinieron, Vinieron" or they came, they came.  So we were pretty excited and you can tell that they enjoyed it.  We had a great experience yesterday with an inactive family.  A family where the husband went on a mission and they were sealed in the temple but have been inactive for about 4 years now.  So we stopped by yesterday because he had told us that he was going to go.  I gave him 100 limps because he had to go to San Pedro and he promised he was going to go.  So we went and they just started giving the excuses that such person said this and all the normal stuff but we could really see the desire that they had to come back to the fold.  So after Elder Johnson had heard enough of their bad talk, he told them to stop and with tears told them to write 3 things good about all the people they had talked bad about.  We could see they started to feel bad and cry a little .  Then I gave a testimony and told them how we need them in the church here.  It was a very good experience and the spirit was really strong.  I know this family will come back.  We just need to help them along the way.

Well, thanks for all that you do for me and all of the love and support.

I Miss and Love You All!!!!

                                                                        Elder Kapple

March 26th, 2012

What’s up family?  How is it going?
Man - do the weeks just keep on getting faster and faster.  It really just felt like yesterday that I was writing to all of you.  With these extra responsibilities, it really makes the time fly but I am really enjoying it.  This week was a good one and we finished it with 2 baptisms.  They were good baptisms but we really need to keep teaching them so they stay active and we need to keep focusing on families.  The baptisms were 2 girls, which is great too, but the wards here do need more priesthood.  That has been one of our focuses here in Villanueva for Elder Johnson and me.  If we see a family in the street we always talk to them.  Sometimes Elder Johnson makes us chase them down - haha.  Now we just need to get some of them baptized.  We did have 2 in church on Sunday and in total we had 11 investigators.  We could of had even more and Elder Johnson and I learned a great lesson from our experience.  We went to go pass by a family’s house Sunday morning to remind them about church and being the jokesters that Elder Johnson and I are we were just jokeing around with them and we said something that apparently offended them, mostly me. The dad’s mom is a member so she told us that they got a little offended and that is why they didn't come.  So right after lunch we went to their house and apologized for what had happened so now everything is good but man I felt bad - I was about crying over it.  It looks like as a zone we’re going to be finishing with about 23 baptisms with 4 families; it's not bad but we can do a lot better and plus they just opened up another area so we have 10 companionships.  The missionaries seem to not be working at their full potential, and I know I can always get better too but I know that these missionaries can do better.  So now we’re going to be doing divisions 2 times a week with them.  We started this last week so Elder Johnson and I aren't going to be together in our area very much but it will help the other missionaries.  Divisions are always fun and you can always learn a lot from the other missionaries.  We have had some great experiences with one family that was going to go to church.  She is already a member but inactive.  Every time we go there, the kids get so happy and they have the cutest little family.  We have only taught them a few things but the Spirit has definitely always been there.  I know that the rest of the family will all get baptized.

Well, I hope all is well with you.  Keep these investigators in your prayers so that they progress.  Thanks for all that you do for me.  I Miss and Love You All!!!
Con Amor
Elder Kapple

March 19, 2012

What’s up everybody?
How is it going? First off; Mom, I want to wish you a happy birthday and let you know that you’re the best.  I don't know what I would do without you.  You really are so amazing.  Sorry I missed your surprise party.  Maybe next year -  haha, and also happy anniversary to Mom and Dad. 29 years is a long time but if you both made it this long, you can definitely make it a lifetime! You guys are the best.  And happy birthday to Todd too.  Well this week was a good one.  Tuesday we had some district meetings and worked in our area normally.  Then Wednesday we had a great meeting with Elder Martino.  It was a super good meeting.  Elder Martino talked a lot about how we need to be better at doing things like reading our scriptures every day, getting up at 6:30 am  - just those little things and if we don't, we’re hypocrites.  It’s true because we always tell our investigators that they need to do these things like read the scriptures every day and be obedient.  Then at the end of these meetings they always leave time to talk about more doctrine.  Elder Martino talked about the atonement and how it is infinite.  It was really good and it is amazing at how well they know the doctrine and can teach us.  Then on Wednesday we had another meeting but it was a little more personal.  It was just with all of the ZL's.  I think there are 22 of us so the meeting size was much smaller.  At first he taught us how to do a zone leader counsel and what we need to do and then we went over some new mission standards that Elder Martino had talked about. Things that we need to put into practice to help us more.  Things like involve the members more and other ways to get references.  Then after that, Elder Martino talked a lot about how we need to be the examples, and he asked us all how many baptisms we had for the month and how many we have to finish the month and he was really impressed because we all have some great possibilities.  And every companionship had a family for a possibility.  So he told us that if we all baptize a family he'll get us all a steak dinner  - but our family didn't go to church yesterday so that was a big time bummer.  Then Elder Martino talked about the Holy Ghost and then answered questions.  It's so awesome when they answer questions.  I just fill like he knows everything.  President Veirs is the same way.  We also had a great stake conference this week.  It was via satellite for all of Central America.  Elder Clark, Elder Packer and another general authority who is in the presidency of the Seventy spoke.  Elder Clark talked about how if we keep the commandments we will prosper in the land. That is something big that this country needs.  When times get hard for people, instead of being more obedient they sometimes get more disobedient and fall away from the church.  The sad part about church yesterday was that we only had 3 investigators come.  But they loved church.  It was a familia that we found last week.  The mom is a member and sent her 4 kids to church but she didn't go with them but she told us that she knows that the church is true.  Last night we went there and their kids said that they loved church.  In fact, the oldest of them walked out of the church crying yesterday because of the spirit that she felt.  We taught a little bit about lesson1 and the dad understood very well and had some great input.  They are an awesome family and I know they'll get baptized.  Well, the mission is awesome.  I just wish that I had more time in the day because we can never get done what we want to get done.  This next week should be really good.  President Veirs is going to be with us along with the AP's for our district meeting this week so that should be really fun.
Thanks for all that you do.  I Miss and Love You All!!!!
Elder Kapple

March 12, 2012

Well, hello my beloved family and friends - haha.
How are you all doing? Things are great here in...................San Pedro Sula, haha -  yep that's right I got changed to the San Pedro area again  - well, not in Centro, we’re more like an hour or so away in Zona Villanueva.  My comp is awesome.  His name is Elder Johnson.  He is from California and we are the same height, so we pretty much own this place - haha.  We have about the same time out in the mission; he just has one more change than me, and we are the Zone Leaders here.  We get along really well.  There are 3 districts with 18 missionaries in total.  Being a ZL is fun but super tiring.  I don’t think we have gone to bed before 11:30 in my time here.  There is always something to do, but it is fun and I am really enjoying it.  This week was good though.  On Monday and Tuesday I said goodbye to everyone in Florida.  It was really a hard area but I feel like we did a lot of good work there.  I will miss it but Elder Johnson and I both served there so we have some good stories about it.  I really did learn a lot there and really strengthened my testimony.  I’ll miss it but I guess it was my time to leave.  Changes were good and I was really excited when I heard that Elder Johnson was going to be my comp.  We work really well together.  I feel like we’re going to have a lot of fun and try to do some great things here in Villanueva.  This week we really worked hard -  well, for 4 days anyway here in the area and we were able to find 3 families.  We’re really trying to focus on families here.  We have some great possibilities coming too.  We should have one this weekend and at least one the next.  The members are really great here also and I already feel at home - minus the part that I’m still lost - haha.  That’s the hardest part about entering a new area is learning it.  And this one is really going to be hard.  Our area is pretty much a mountain, so I have a feeling that I’m going to lose a lot more weight.  This week will be a busy one but will be really fun and spiritually uplifting also.  We’re going to have a chance to visit with Elder Martino, a counselor of the Central American Area Presidency and a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy.  We have a multi zone this Wednesday and on Thursday we have a ZL meeting with him so I’m really excited for it.  Well, sorry this is kind of short.  We have a lot of things to do on the computer today so we have to do it right now.
I Miss and Love You All
Elder Kapple

Copan Stake Conference, March 3, 2012

March 6, 2012

Hola! Como Están? I hope that everyone is doing well and that grandma is doing better.  Sorry you had to fly out to California, Mom but I bet you’re helping grandpa out a lot.  Well, this week was a good one for us (I think I say this same thing ever week - haha). We really focused on getting all of the members to also invite their friends and family to the district conference and we really worked on getting all of our investigators to go.  I really wasn´t in the area all that much this week though.  Tuesday I did divisions with La Entrada elders and then on Wednesday I stayed with the ZL’s because we had a leadership conference in San Pedro.  It was good and I learned a lot.  The mission hasn´t been doing as well lately so they’re changing a bunch of things but it will really help the mission.  So I wasn´t in my area until Friday.  Doing all of the traveling makes the week go by so fast.  It´s crazy.  Then Friday and Saturday we really focused on passing by everybody’s house to remind them about the conference.  Then Sunday we woke up early and did a pass by for everyone again and it was awesome because we ended up having 90 people go to the conference with 25 investigators.  This sets a record for me.  The most that I had ever had before was 23.  Out of the 25, 11 of them were our investigators and the rest were friends of the members but now we have a bunch of new people to teach.  The conference was really good.  Elder Amado talked about a lot of different things and a lot about the family and how we need to teach our families.  Then today for p-day we went to a bird park and took a bunch of pictures with all of the birds.  I did find out that I will be leaving Florida this week.  I wasn´t sure if I was going to have a change but I found out today that I will.  I was kind of 50-50 with it because there is still a lot of work to do here but this area also made me really tired but I feel like I’m leaving it better than how I found it.  So that was my week.I hope everything is going well for you guys.  I Miss and Love You All!!!Elder Kapple

February 27th, 2012

What’s up everybody? How is it going?
It sounded like you all had a good week with stake conference and being with a member of the Seventy.  It sounded like all of the talks were amazing and everything went well.  It seems like mom is getting nervous for next week for her big talk in church.  Don’t worry mom, you’re going to do just great and you’re going to be a pro soon because of all the talks you get to give.  This week was a good one for us but was also a long one.  We went out to where the second counselor lives in the branch and man -  does he live far away.  We made it there in an hour and 15 minutes but that was walking super fast and it is just ups and downs the entire way.  It was pretty much a hike in church clothes and we stayed there for a few hours.  We helped him make juice out of suger cane and then bottled it too.  We also drank some of the juice and it is the sweetest and most sugary thing I have ever had – haha, and it just looks like slime.  Our second counselor’s name is Hermano Candido.  He is the most humble guy that I have ever met and has a testimony that is super strong.  He was a faithful member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church but he received a testimony of the Book of Mormon and got baptized.  He makes that trip everyweek and is usually the first to show up to the church building.  It was a fun experience but did make us super, super tired the entire week.  We had the baptism of the Hermana Lopez this week and her granddaughter.  This family really is amazing.  Every time we’re there, someone else tells us that they want to be baptized.  The baptism went alright.  We arrived at the church at about 5 pm and we went to fill up the font but there wasn´t any water so we went outside to check the tank and there was a bunch of water but the power was too low in order for the pump to suck the water so we hurried and thought of a back-up plan.  I called the missionaries in La Entrada and had them fill up their font.  We called a member that has a car and she loaned us her car and a member drove us all there with all of us in the back of the truck (against the rules but I think President Veirs will let that one slide for a great baptism).  So the good news is that they got baptized and confirmed.  And we were fasting that day but I became super sick that night and was throwing up so I had to break my fast but I was better the next day.  Then church was alright but I was hoping for 70 at church and we ended up having 62 with 8 being investigators.  This branch still has some things that need to change so I hope Elder Amado who will be visiting our district next week has something specially prepared for this branch.  They have been progressing but there is still more that needs to change.  This week we’re going to be working hard to get all the people possible to this conference.  Our goal is to have10 investigators and 80 members at the conference.  I know we´ll be able to do it.
Well, thanks for all of the love and support that you give.
I Miss and Love You All!!!
Elder Kapple