God is doing an amazing work here...

HEY SO THIS WEEK WAS GOOD!!!! Ya so we had cookies last monday which were amazing! Having sisters in your district is so cool haha and I just played basketball the whole time. So that was cool. Basketball is really cool here because they are so good but they play so different so it is cool learning how they play.

Just wow I am getting roasted here haha it is so hot...I will be so tan when I get back...at least from the neck up and the arms down. So things are going great here. I really love Belize and I am learning and growing and working a ton here.

We had conference yesterday so at 4:00 we woke up to travel to Belize city and we have this really positive investigator...and they woke up to go with us along with 2 more. They are such troopers. Also Abner went to the meeting that we taught at 7:00 last night about how people can become missionaries and we didn't even invite him...haha but he came with a suit and everything. Him and his brother are basically in the water. Just please pray that their parents hearts will be softened so they can be baptized on the 3rd! We are so excited! That is really all we are thinking about and it is so cool. I have never had anyone as prepared as him to be baptized and he is only 14.

Also people have been having some crazy dreams about us and how we are the truth...how we are lifting people up...and how God tells them to listen to us...and tbh it is hard not to be prideful sometimes haha but God is doing an amazing work here and working through us.

I love this change so much and please pray that things can keep going well here. Thank you so much for all that you guys do and sorry it is so short I just have to go now! But take care you guys and have a great week!!!

YAY!  The lost package!! jajaja

It took 5 months to get to Brandon - ahhhh!

Thankfully the other packages have arrived within a month.

What a sweet experience...

This week was an amazing week!!! Things just seem to be going good here spiritually. Physically it is really hard and super hot...but we at least have a crazy nice house!

So I just wanted to take the time to explain the language here a little bit. I speak two languages here and I have to bring my scriptures in English and in Spanish everywhere because every house is different. But usually if people speak perfect Spanish they can speak a bit of English. And if they can speak pretty good English then they speak a perfect Creole...which is a really bad English haha but it is a sweet language! It's basically like how the Jamaicans talk just a little bit different words, but it is cool.

But church is in English with headsets and a translator for people who only understand Spanish. People sing in English and Spanish and the church itself has the name on the side of it in English and Spanish. Also our branch president gave the holy ghost (https://www.lds.org/topics/holy-ghost?lang=eng) to someone in English, then right after to the next person in Spanish. It is pretty unique. No one here speaks perfect "American" English but they all generally speak or understand it pretty well. So that is cool.

Ummmmm .. people here just randomly yell out my name and I have no idea how they know it...and always they are little kids...and then we go and teach them and their family so I have no idea how that happens but that is really cool. Since I am the DL (District Leader)  I had to give an interview to this sweet 16 year old girl who is a bit special, and her mom who is not a member wanted to be there for the interview too. The mom only knows Spanish and the girl only English, so it was really cool. I just started asking the mom the questions and the spirit was so strong in that moment and everybody started crying and the mom finally agreed to go to church and let her daughter be baptized. It was really sweet. Also the work here is so nice. I don't know how but the people here are either super ready, or not at all, unlike El Salvador where I felt it was all almost ready.

But anyways.... I PLAYED A REAL GAME OF BASKETBALL AND THE PEOPLE HERE ARE GOOD!!!! They are crazy good!! hahaha so it was so fun playing a real game of basketball again and I held my own haha somehow. but that was really fun.

Also Saturday we had a baptism and the sisters of whom I gave the interview had a baptism at the same time so that was a really cool experience. I had the wonderful opportunity of baptizing the sweet girl and the baptism in our area was baptized by his friend who was baptized 2 months ago. What a sweet experience that was really cool to see.

Also the Chinese food is amazing!! Just people here are always drunk and drunk people always join us at our table to talk about God so that is interesting but sometimes annoying but it is really cool haha.

Ummmm...so Saturday night the branch president called me and asked me to give a talk... That was my first talk I have given in my whole mission. I can't believe I made it 13 months without a talk haha but it went really well. And I'm back to playing the piano in Sacrament meeting haha. Also because no one gives us food here we cooked macaroni and cheese in the church at 8:30 last night after a meeting. Belize is so awesome hahaha. But I hope everything is going well with you guys!! Take care!!!

3 of the sisters (girl missionaries) celebrating their birthdays this month... girls...

our zone leaders looking like the FBI haha
(one of them is in my group Elder Harris...he is awesome)

 Companion practicing the baptism before the baptism with Del mar (guy who got baptized) and Edwuardo (recent convert who did the baptism)

The girl there is Ericka who is in the sisters area that I was able to baptize.
The guy with the hat is the one from our area who was baptized.

I know I'm an eagle scout but I wasn't prepared with plates or spoons haha

Wow

Wow I have a lot to write and such a short amount of time so this will be choppy. First...Wow these weeks have been crazy. They put me in a trio in one of the most dangerous areas in the mission for a week which was actually really nice. Then I got to enter the temple and do a session, I love the temples!!!

Just packing was really stressful and my carry on for the airport was a laundry bag full of random stuff hahaha :P speaking of the airport...if you ever want to be baggy (trunky) as a missionary, go to the airport holy cow...hahahaha :P

But when I got to Belize it was actually really sad. You can see all the trees just messed up from the Hurricane that hit here...even though it wasn't big, it was still a hurricane. Anyways that was crazy. 

So I realized that I have been living in the poorest part of the mission for a year, which I will miss, but now my life has changed. I have air conditioning, washing machine, kitchen, it is crazy here. I feel like I am living in a condo. Just it is HOT SOON!!!! It is so hot you guys have no idea...the sun destroys here. But it is good haha :) I will get used to it.

Also I am the district leader of 4 sisters...and wow...haha girls are way different than guys. The language here is really weird, I will explain more next week but it is so cool!!

Everything is going great! I have a real piano, people who play basketball, Mac and cheese, peanut butter, and so much more, and we are working harder than I ever have in my mission. Anyways I don't have lots of time so I will explain more next week but I love you guys! And take care!

Also PS Someone told me that my first baptism that I had will probably get sealed in the temple soon. What a wonderful feeling that I don't even have words to describe.

my Lebrons shoes... my shirts...

My son in the mission and Andrea

Brother Daneri and his family!

fifth backpack in the mission and my new house

I feel like I'm on vacation just working super hard!

Monserrat area.  I was in a trio for a week there.

My English Nametag

This is Belize City but I am in Orange Walk, but it is still pretty like this.

my house and the owner's dog

Mom

Mommmmmyyyyy!!!! I am going to Belize!!! I will write you next week!! I will be safe mom I love you so much!!! Have an amazing day I have photos for next week!!! :)
 -Elder Austin

Last 2 days in Armenia:(

It's been a lonnnggg tiiiimmmmeeee...without you my group...but I'll tell you all about here when I see you in Belize! hahaha I am going to BELIZE!!! I actually was really happy to go but I don't know...I'm kind of scared. My mission is about to change completely...like completely...food, language, people, weather, other missionaries, so many things wow...haha. But I guess I am happy to go but I will miss here a lot.

Here is how my last week went. So, someone gave me a bird...and I know you aren't supposed to have pets in the house but it couldn't fly and I didn't want to kill it so I brought it home. It wouldn't eat or drink water or my muffins or crackers...and it died...very sad, so that was my week. :(

Also we played Basketball two times this week against the team of Armenia because they knew that I was leaving...and the last game they gave me a basketball Jersey from their team...and it was something really special to me.

I have been eating like crazy here because people know I am leaving and it is interesting to see who wants me gone and who wants me to stay haha.

So also I can't send pictures this week, it will have to be next week so we will see. Ummm...had some interesting things happen, and some really amazing spiritual moments. It will be sad to leave some of the people. 

They are going to put me in a trio until next Tuesday and then fly me out to Belize. That will make me miss home being in the airport...hahaha :P But it will be cool!

But so ya...also the other missionaries in my area had the first baptism in that area this whole year and it was nice to see that area baptize right before I leave. That was cool and it makes me feel lucky for the areas that I have had.

But anyways...the mission is amazing just way too fast but take care you all!! Hope all is well!!!