Dearest Family and Friends,
Well we had an awesome week and I could tell you all about the new awesome investigators and ton of success were having but I have something better to tell you.
Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. And the most memorable. And one of the days I learned most about our Heavenly Father.
Yesterday we decided to climb mount pacura, the highest mountain in olanchito. All went well as we went up, having a great time enjoying the scenery and taking pictures. We got to the top quickly and without any problems and after the pics we started to descend down the steeper and more dangerous crest of the mountain.
Like all young idiots, we were going too fast and Elder Soto, and 18 year old new missionary with only a month in the missionary, was following behind my idiot companion who sometimes doesnt think things through, like most latinos. Elder Soto lost his footing and tried to grab a small tree, only to pull it out by its roots. He started to slip and slide towards the edge of a cliff. I was right behind him and watched in terror while i couldnt do anything and watched him disappear off the edge.
"1... 2.... 3.THUMP" we heard and all three immediately broke out in prayer begging heavenly father that he would be alive. We all three headed down the incredibly steep hill where he had landed. So steep that the only way to make it down was sliding, but sliding so fast that only on coming tree were our brakes. So fast I came down that where I once had a few warts, theyre no longer there! Saved me a nice medical bill ;) hahaha
Guzman made it to soto first and we found him conscious but screaming in pain. By Gods merciful hand he didnt die from the 60+ drop. And Im under exagerating. If you were to see the cliff youd be amazed that he survived the fall. He got stuck in some bushed half way down the hill. He was in terrible condition. A hug black eye, foreheard split open to the skull, and worst of all, a broke back, but it hadnt severed his spinal column because he could still move his feet. So we immediately gave him a blessing and started the calls and made him a makeshift bed out of grass so he could lie down flat. We prayed for a miraculous helicopter and soon heard on, but it was just a hope, because Honduras has no helicopter rescue team. haha. So with the 3 liters of water we had, we gave it all to him. This is 930 am. Soto soon entered into hysterics, constantly trying to sit up and change position, asking all sorts of hilarious questions. There we waited, praying for a miracle. I learned yesterday that at times, God wants to try us, to show us what were possible of, to show us that we can do all things, because were his offspring, and He can do all things. We prayed for cloud cover, but we received the opposite as we were beaten by the honduran sun at mid day.
There we waited until about 1 pm when two honduran firefighters showed up, with only 1 liter of water, and an emergency cot. Not a nice back suspension board, a metal and cloth cot with two straps to hold Soto in. There I didnt drink water either. We then started the LONG descent down pacura, but we were on the rough steep side still. Carrying a person down the steep trailess side of a mountain is the hardest thing ive ever done. After an hour of fighting, we made it back to the mountain crest, and God threw us another trial. Rain and Wind. Wind stronger than Ive ever felt in my life. But we kept on pushing. By this time the stake president and one of his counselours had found us, so now we were 3 elders, 1 young adult from the ward, 2 firefighters, and 2 middle aged men haha
I also learned yesterday that God really does send angels, maybe not with wings, but sometimes in the form of humans. I also learned that he doesnt send them until the moment we cant carry on.
It was 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I hadnt drinken water in 5 or 6 hours and had exhorted all the force I had in my body. All this time fighting with the elements and with a hysterical young man who wouldnt sit still in his cot. I was burnt. My body was expent. I literally couldnt carry on. I would carry one 4th of the cot for 20 steps and have to step down again. Thats when God sent angels. One of them is named Ruben. Ruben is an investigator we taught one time. While all the other members who went on the trek with us went home and didnt return to help, Ruben came back up the steep side of the mountain with 6 liters of water and food. Along with Ruben came 4 soldiers and another fireman, along with a local mountain man. They came to our rescue. Those men were incredible. They grabbed that cot and ran with it, making easy work of that mountain. They couldnt have come at a better time. If they hadnt have come, Soto would be dead. And I along with him! I was so dehydrated that I couldnt even close my mouth. We quickly made it down to trail and to town and got Soto to the hospital. We got off the mountain at 6 that night. Soto, miraculously, has only suffered a broken spine, but his nerves all remained in contact. He was transferred to San Pedro this morning.
Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. I thought I saw a friend die before my eyes. But yesterday I learned many things. I learned that God was never gonna let Soto die. If God wanted him to die, he wouldve died on impact, like 99.99% of people will die falling from that height. I also learned that God at times will try us, and its not to anger us, but to show us what we're capable of. As offspring of a God, we can do all things with faith. Did my faith waver at times? yes. I wont lie. But there were others there to lift me up and keep me going as well. I know that God wasnt going to push us more than what we were capable of. And I learned that when we reach our limits, is when God says, Thats enough, and He sends angels. Those firefighters and soldiers that rescued us have my total respect and admiration.
Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. I thought I saw a friend die before my eyes. But yesterday I learned many things. I learned that God was never gonna let Soto die. If God wanted him to die, he wouldve died on impact, like 99.99% of people will die falling from that height. I also learned that God at times will try us, and its not to anger us, but to show us what we're capable of. As offspring of a God, we can do all things with faith. Did my faith waver at times? yes. I wont lie. But there were others there to lift me up and keep me going as well. I know that God wasnt going to push us more than what we were capable of. And I learned that when we reach our limits, is when God says, Thats enough, and He sends angels. Those firefighters and soldiers that rescued us have my total respect and admiration.
I know our Father is there, and hes always watching over us. He loves us, and wants us to grow. I know His Son suffered things far worse than we did yesterday. Miracles exist.
Elder Hodson
Fun before the fall:
The aftermath:
My Birthday dinner:
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