Ok so I'm not going to get the mother of the year award!

Hello!
This is Elder Ahlborn's mom and I'm the slacker who hasn't put his letters on the blog.  I could give a huge list of excuses but they would bore everyone.  Needless to say Nathan has been doing great in Honduras and loves his mission.  He has been the Office mission Secretary since April and has been working hard.  He thinks that he will soon be released from that position to work in another area within the next couple of weeks.  As soon as I can figure out this new blog format, I will send pictures and put his letters up again. 
thanks for everyone's patience,
Julie Ahlborn (Nate's mom)

I Feel Ready to Work

I am doing much better, Tuesday the Doctor took my bandages off, and after I got to watch the dvd of my operation. It was pretty cool, I got to see my vasdefrens and a bunch of other cool looking stuff. I got to see how well he put that mess in too, he did a pretty good job, in 45 minutes haha. It made me want to be a doctor. I still have stitches in me, they are the dis solvable ones. I think they will be gone soon, but I'm not sure. I'm just glad that they don't bother me. He also told me that I had to wait two more weeks before working. That was one week ago, so I should be able to start working with my true companion and not with the assistants. Did I tell you that I was working with the assistants? I don't think so, I am with them because they are the only missionaries in the mission that have a car, the Hilux. because I cant walk very much I have to be with them for a bit I will send you all some pics of the truck next week.

With the assistants, I have been working in the area that has the temple, Roble oeste or in English oak west. Its a super rich residential, every there is richer than us. We teach just professional people like doctors and lawyers. Its like teaching in the states i think, I wouldn't actually know. Its funny because they all live in residential areas with guards. We cant knock on doors because we will get kicked out. We can only enter if we are invited. That's kinda hard but its better that way. I have learned alot about how a good missionary should work with the members.

Can you tell everyone that I cant email anyone but my family, its a rule.

I am mostly just working with renewing peoples passports with means I spend a ton of time in the immigration and foreigner center. Its like a DMV from hell. Here its the law that kids, seniors and pregnant ladies get to go first. I have to go in with a bunch of single 20 year olds, so sometimes we have to wait hours after all of the nuns, kids and old American people go. The good part about the office is that I can shop and go freely between the two missions in the city. I have quite a few responsibilities and am expected to work and baptize as much as any other missionary. No pressure right.

Things are good, it has been kinda hard not being able to walk much, exercise, work with and area and a companion of my own. I just feel like the third wheel of the office haha. I feel much better, and I only have to do this for one more week. Its better to wait a week than to have to get surgery again, or go home.
Don't worry about me, if I have learned anything from my mission it's that the Lord loves me and is taking care of me.

Elder Ahlborn

Feliz Semana Santa!!! Happy holy week

Hey mom!!! Things are going great. I am still with the Rays. I am feeling much better, but it still is a bit hard to walk, or to walk fast anyway, the Rays walk faster than me. I have enjoyed their company more than anything. They love talking politics, which I don't really know much about, but its interesting what they have to say.

So as secretary I am in charge mostly of doing passport and visa things which means that I get to leave the office alot only to wait in line for hours and the Immigration center. Its not to bad, I have a good area to work in as a normal missionary at night, I get to shop where ever I want in Tegucigalpa or in Comyaguela, and there is a possibility that If I can get my residence card, I can Drive the Toyota Helix that the mission has (ask dad what a Helix is). I will be here a while though, until the first of July and then probably after so President Fortuna can get to know the mission so he can call a replacement.
Here in Honduras they celebrate Easter different. They celebrate it for the whole week. Banks, business and government offices were all closed for a week. Usually everyone goes to the beach and drinks alot. The Catholics do some really pretty stuff too. They make huge murals in the streets from colored sawdust of tree bark or pretty much anything. They are usually of Christ or of bible stories, they are super colorful. Then Good Friday They have a bunch of people ,with crosses like Jesus had, Drag them through the pretty murals that took weeks to make. That's pretty much it, The rays took some pictures of one of the festivities in Comayagua Ill send those to you. The Catholics really just focus on The death of Christ, especially the gruesome parts of it, They put Christ on the cross, but they just leave him there, They don't have him ever leave the tomb.
I love you so much mom, I'm glad you understood why I wanted to stay here in Honduras. I need to be here right now, there is too much going on to go back home even if it is for a surgery. I am doing amazing, much better than I thought, so dont worry about me!!
I know that Christ died for my sins, I know that I can repent of my sins because of this. I know he loves me and has and is truly watching over me. He has put amazing people in my life, and in my mission to help me learn and grow. You are one of these people mom, You have always been special to me, don't get me wrong, I love dad too.

Happy Easter!!!
Your wounded Stripling Warrior,
Elder Nathan Lynn Ahlborn

I'm still Alive!!!

I am doing very very well, better than I thought. Thursday I went in for surgery, the doctor was running like two hours late, so I had to wait by myself in the recovery room until he came. I think the operation itself was really quick, like an hour or less. I'm not sure what type of material he put in me but I know that my surgery was laproscopic. I just have three little holes below my belly button. I'm still kinda sore, I feel like someone punched me in the stomach last week haha, but I feel really good today. I still can't go out and work with the missionaries, so I will be with the Rays at night. Today we are all pretty excited, we are going to have family home evening with a family from their apartment complex. I think that they have been dying to share the Gospel with their neighbors, they just haven't been able to speak Spanish with them. I'm here for at least 3 or 4 more days so at night we will be trying to invite people over for dinner and family home evenings. I am actually really excited, The Rays are more excited haha. I am hoping that they get the chance to baptize someone here!

The Rays have just been the best. I have decided to adopt them as my third set of grandparents. Sister Ray has been cooking good ol American food these last few days. I almost cried this morning when we had bacon, hash browns and eggs with orange juice. They have made me feel right at home. They really do do alot for our mission and the Tegucigalpa misson. I will ever be indebted to the Rays.

President Flores came by to visit me Thursday night. He told me that I would be the general secretary in the office for a while, at least until the new president comes. He also told me that I would be the district leader, and even though we only work three hours at night, he still expects us to baptize as much if not more than other missionaries. I am excited to take on another challenge in the mission.

So I left Bulevar after five months. I think my companion Elder Banegas and his new companion Elder Jones are going to baptize two families this month. I'm kinda bummed that I wont be there to see it. O well I feel like I did my best in that area.I started teaching, someone else gets to baptize haha.

I am very grateful for the prayers from you and the family. I know that you all love me very much and I can feel your support everyday out here. I very much enjoyed conference and I hope you did too. Please don't worry about me too much, I should be back to working soon enough. I love you all so very much!!!!! Happy Easter!!

Con todo mi amor,

Elder Ahlborn

The Final countdown!!

So the time has finally come to cut me open and sew me up. I'm actually kinda excited, not many people can say that they got surgery in another country haha. Today I have to go in and get some blood tests or something. I will talk to President Flores today to see if I can call after my operation. If not Elder Ray should do. I am kinda sad to leave my area. I have been there for 5 months. I am going to be working in the office for at least 6 weeks during my recuperation. I think I actually might be the general secretary, but I sure hope not. I hate paper work....

So we had an amazing turn out Sunday, we had 12 investigators in sacrament meeting, two of which were families. One was the Ferrera Family!!! I think that they really enjoyed it, and realized what they had been missing out on. I'm thinking that they could possibly get baptized in April. Also the wife and younger daughter of the H family came. I am almost sure that they will get married this month. I'm kinda bummed that I wont be there for it haha.

So I'm sending some photos, the family is the H family, Govany the dad, Ada the mom, Cecila 20, and Gabriela 12. The other photo is of a guy don't worry haha. He is a little emo, but is way cool. I think he will be getting baptized soon, that is after he cuts his hair.

I had an interesting experience Tuesday night. We talked to a less active mom, well inactive, she hasn't attended church in like 15 years. Her two kids have been coming to church without her, and we had no idea why. Finally Tuesday she told us what was up. Her and her husband have been separated for like 3 years, and her kids don't know it. She caught him with another in bed and since then they have been living a lie. She told her kids that their dad has to work the whole week and only comes home Friday night and leaves Sunday morning. During this time she leaves to visit her mom or sister. We are going to try to get the family back together. If we cant.... well they would have to get divorced. The situation is complicated but its nothing that the gospel cant fix.

Well I love you so much, please no worries, I will be fine. I'm super excited for conference, and Mother's day is coming up..... my life is good, REAL good!!!





Love,

Elder Ahlborn

buenos dias!!! hey mom!!

Hey mom, no worries, everything is still fine here. I should be
going in for surgery in 10 days the 29th, you can tell the family
everything if you want. I don't have anything to hide.

My new mission president, President Fortuna will be coming in the
first of July. He is a young guy(43) from the Dominican republic. He
is black haha so he should be cool. I think his biography is on the
church website.
I had an interesting experience this last week with the H
family. The father, Govany is really an amazing guy, he didn't graduate
high school but he is super intelligent. He has accepted everything we
have taught and wants to get baptized, but there was always something
bugging him. A few weeks ago he told us that he wanted to talk with us
before i left. Friday night we finally talked. He has been smoking
marijuana for over 20 years, a real strong addicion. He told us that
he is ready to change, and that its going to be hard but he wants to
be baptized and be a better father. It was a privilege for me to see
him start the process of repentance. He should be getting married and
baptized in April. I'm sad I wont be there, but I'm thinking I can get
permission from Pres. Flores to attend the baptism.
I love you all so very much, I'm glad you got the letters. Please
be so careful with my memory cards, they have all my photos.
o last thing, today in Honduras is fathers day, so tell dad, HAPPY
FATHERS DAY, tell him to write me too haha.
I love you so much mom, please don't worry, I'm not going to die
and the Rays will take good care of me.
Elder Nathan Ahlborn

All is Well!!

So Thursday night I had an appointment with the Surgeon. He is qualified, and he is very smart. He speaks English which says alot about him haha. He told me that it was a really simple surgery and that there are not many complications. I'm not worried. The hospital is super nice, it really is one of the best in Honduras. Even the elevator was nice haha. I will be having my surgery March 29th at 1 30 in the afternoon. I have to stay over night, so I am sure that I will be able to call you from the hospital. O the name of my doctor is Roberto Esquivel if you want you can look him up on facebook, he is a good guy. An LDS doctor gave us the reference so I trust him, and you should too, so stop worrying =)

I thought I told you that President Flores changed the rules of emailing, we can only write our family, bishops ( tell Bishop Judd to email me) and stake presidents. Thanks for sending me the package, and putting my name in the temple, it means a lot =)



So I these last two weeks I have met some interesting people in my area. The first is named Hazam Khury Alyateem, He was born in Bethlehem and at age 5 moved to Detroit where he lived and worked. He was the owner of 3 liquor stores until he decided to stop drinking and got a job with the Government working as a translator. After he started working for Immigracion haha. His mother is from Honduras so he family and friends here, and his first wife is from here too. She and the daughter joined the Church in Detroit after Hazam and her got divorced, so he knows alot about the church. He got remarried in Israel and has a wife and baby boy there. He can speak four languages, English, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic. He showed me how to write ELDER in Hebrew and Arabic haha. We have a lesson planned with him today. He will be leaving for the Israel in a week. Crazy right, I met a Jew speaking Spanish in Honduras.

The other guy is named Lucky. He is from some little town here in Honduras that nobody knows and he is like 55 years old. He studied at the University of Utah and has a masters degree in Forestry and National Resources from there. He works for the government here in Honduras. He knows salt lake, the temple, the lights, the Cristus, and pretty much everything about the church because he lived in Utah for like 5 or 6 years. o ya he can speak English too obviously. We have a lesson planned with him tomorrow, I'm pretty sure all the sisters at temple square probably already bombarded him with the lessons but we are going to see if it is his time.



I wanted to tell you that I bought a pair of like dress shoes that have a boot tread so no worries there, Also two more pairs of pants because my others are all dying haha. Can you call Mr. Mac to see if we still have money on credit there, I really think we do. Maybe you could send some shirts in a few months.



I know that April will be hard, but I am not worried. The Lord wants me to learn something from this. I know that this is the True church of God, restored by Joesph Smith. I can honestly say these things for myself.