And they sing, and sing, and sing!

Family,

Great week again as always. We have been working really hard this week to find some news, but with little success. We have however found some people that are amazing with the faith that they show. This week we had a great lesson with one of our investigators named Yarkha who is 19, we taught the lesson, felt the spirit, and even asked her to baptize. Sadly something was keeping her back from it, but we did not know why. Then, as we were leaving the mom came up to us and told us that we cant come back to visit her anymore because they are evangelic o. Sad stuff, but luckily our investigators sister is a member, and she still went to district conference! It is great to see that there are those people in the world that look for God on their own, and not from family tradition.

  Other news! I was going to be released from my mission on Aug 30 2016, but the MTC is having a change in the time missionaries are going to be there. So... we have been given two more weeks to work here in Nicaragua! So I will now be leaving around Sept 12. Its only two weeks more, and i left on the 17 of September, so its not to much more to do. 

  Conference was so great this week, We rented four buses to go all around Puerto to bring members, and we filled up the whole chapel! Lots of the recent converts received the Melchizedek priesthood this week, which was great. We don’t have to much priesthood power here. As you know, about 75% of the members are women, what a shame. Some people from Managua came and talked with us this week about what Puerto can do better. The Missionaries have a huge roll here, every branch has either two or four missionaries. And we run almost everything.  

 

Here are some photos of my house, we have a mentally challenged neighbor named Debra that comes and tries to visit our house all the time. She usually just stays at the window and talks to us in Spanish and mosquito. Its so funny. 

 

Also, the Baptist church is located right in front of our house, they sure love to party, and sing. All the time the pastor is singing Venga los Niños Vengan los niños que aman dios! And they sing, and sing, and sing! Their church is just so different then ours its crazy. We focus on doctrines,  commandments, ordinances, and feeling the spirit in a solemn manner. This church is all about loud music, dancing, yelling as pastors, and going to the front and bowing down on their knees at the alter. Its really different.

That’s all for this week, have a great Thanksgiving! Les amo!

Lluvia Sin Fin!

What a rainy week it has been. Every night and day some big showers are coming through, and our area is a mud hole. As you might now, all of the mesquites (people of Puerto) here build their houses upon tall stilts so there house does not get flooded. For good reason too. A members house, named Hermana Sandina, was flooded all around, like a pond in the front yard. We had to scale up the side of the porch, because the stairs were swamped. Luckily we both have umbrellas, so we don't ever get too soaked. I have heard that we are nearing the end of the dry season, but I think the man upstairs kept the best for last. 

We had a few miracles this week. We were visiting a members house on Tuesday, and found a 19 year old by the name of Edgar. I could not believe how ready this guy was to be baptized. He read all of the pamphlets that we gave him, and even accepted a date to do it. Sadly, he had to move back to Managua today, so that was sad. He said he wanted to be a missionary some day, hopefully the missionaries will teach him when he gets the reference.

Due to the rain, the church attendance at 9:30 on Sunday was about 12 people. But luckily it stopped and by ten there were 60 people! This is some serious Mormon standard time, considering Church starts at 9:00. Everyone always come late, all the time.

We have some new really cool investigators that Elder Shawcroft has been teaching for a while. We had a ton of investigators come to church which was awesome! Two are brothers named Moises and Victor. Moises came in the morning session, and victor came in the evening. These brothers are references from A recent convert of Shawcroft named Enoc. Enoc is 20 years old and is crazy about missionary work. He brings a friend to church all of the time, and is planning on serving a mission next year. Ill try to get a picture of him this week. 

Thats all for this week, thanks for all of the emails. I love you all so much. Don't forget how blessed all of you are, the people here really have nothing. Love you all!

Lots of weddings....

It sounds like there are a lot of people getting married up there in the
U.S, and there is no difference here! We sure had a bunch of miracles
this week, because some of our investigators were ready to do it
themselves! On November 7!

    We have been teaching two couples for the last few weeks, and this
week they were ready to be married and baptized!One of the families had
great opposition in their family to be baptized, because the parents are
Adventists, and they would not allow it. This couple had so much faith
though, that they did it even with this opposition. Afterward they had to
leave back home to Corn Island. It was sure a miracle that they were
baptized, because we contacted them one of the first days they arrived,
and baptized them on their last day here two weeks later. 
  After the other couple was confirmed on Sunday, they invited us over
to eat with them for lunch, it was great! They were our neighbors, so it
was really cool, right there on the beach.

More news, I no longer live on the beach.... we had changes this week,
the mission is combining the area with another, so i am staying in the
combined area, but had to change houses. I also have a new companion
named Elder Shawcroft from Colorado. He is a very nice guy, i am sure we
are going to do great. At least the new house has running water, but it
does not have the stereo or couches.
 Our neighbors kicked their drunk neighbor out of their house, so he is
sleeping on the deck of my old house now. it is so sad to see how
alcohol can destroy families like that. 

   We are have been battling the rats in our house this week, as well!
Late, on Friday night, we returned home, and there.... on my counter
top...... rummaging around my tooth brush.... was a big fat rat!!! I
quickly grabbed the broom as Elder Accordino grabbed the Baygon. The rat
took off, running up the window curtains, but with no escape. Accordino
tried to spray it off the wall, but it dodged his attempts. Then the rat
took the only way out, running on the floor. My comp and I both stomped
on it several times as it ran off, but it somehow survived, climbed up
the wall, and disappeared into the crack in the wall, luckily my new
house is rat free as far as we know. 

 Thanks for all the emails, I love you guys so much, have a great week!

Die de Muertos

Feliz Dia de los Muertos! The only sight of celebration here for Halloween/Day of the Dead is that the mayor house was closed so we could not retrieve the certificate from the marriage a few weeks ago, what a bummer. Well, at least everything else was good. 

This week we were passing for the family of a guy named Pablo from Corn Island. They live right on the beach so it is pretty sweet to visit them. They are all so great, the seven of them went to see the baptisms on Saturday and all went to church on Sunday. What a miracle. One night walking back from there house a few drunks from the street began to yell and chase us. Luckily drunk people can’t run to fast, so we made it out scratch free.

Last night though, My district leader Elder Chen was robbed by a bunch of guys in the street, they got all their money robbed along with their phone and some bags. Luckily the guys just threw some of it in the street, so they got it back today.

I went on divisions with Elder Chen this week, and it was great. He only has 19 weeks left in the mission so he knows a lot. I feel like I am always still learning how to be a better missionary. Sometimes when we don't have success it feels like I am doing something wrong, but all missionaries go through times without success.

Today was kind of frustrating because we took a taxi to go and buy food, and my cell phone dropped out of my pocket in the seat. We tried to call it a little later, but it was already turned off by someone. 

I want to thank you all so much for all you guys do for me. I love you guys so much.