Chinandega March 30th

Alright I've got some crazy stories for you. First of all its not the rainy season yet. This week we have Semana Santa, that means Easter or Holy Week. Check out the information on how Nicaragua celebrates Easter. http://www.nicaragua.com/blog/semana-santa

We had a huge conference this month. It was cool, both missions and the mission presidents were there. Nicaragua, Managua North, and Nicaragua, Managua South met in Managua for a great conference. Bishop Dean M. Davies from the Church Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Ochoa from the Quorum of Seventy attended. It's going to be the hottest week in Nicaragua, and I'm in the hottest place in the country, but its all good. By the end of training I'll have a wicked tan. After Semana Santa it rains hard so I'll keep you posted. I am not allowed to take my camera proselyting because we need to be focused, but this next P-day I'll be sure to get pics of yummy weird food, or I may take pictures of our lunch and dinner sitas.  You guys definitely have to visit Nicaragua sometime.

We have the nicest people and everything is dirt cheap, I get meals for 2 dollars. Less than 100 cordobas got me the hot dog and soda.  Monday we had a little party in Corinto for Elder Cua, a missionary who is going home. We ate Ceviche on the beach with a family, it was awesome a little sketchy but I did not get sick, so it's all good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceviche

Question: Show us photos of the food you eat, have you eaten anything weird yet? This question was from Hayden.

Answer: Dude I try to eat normal food, but sometimes I have to ride the risky edge. I have not gotten  super sick yet, but I have gotten diarrhea a few times, not bad though.

I am 3 hours from Managua, so we travel there all the time for meetings on buses and stuff. It's fun, but the buses are super cramped and super hot, its cool though. My area is super poor, lots of metal, cardboard huts, its the life man!!!!  Later in the week we met up with some missionaries to go shopping and we all piled into one car. We managed to fit (?) missionaries into one of these small taxis. We stuffed elders in the and they had to hold the door down or they would fall out.

Later on we met up with an investigator and her Canadian friend. He tried to speak a lil spanish but ended up just speaking english with us. He was cool. He told us about all the service he did for the needy. He also said he ran a surf club on the beach for his church. We asked if his shop was in Chinandega and he said, "no the beachhhhh with water and sand, ya know" we just smiled and said, "is it in Chinandega the providence?" and he said "oh yeah". It was just funny because Elder Smith and I are busting our butts for two years and he's surfing. Anyway, I don't have an assignment in church, and I have not spoken yet. I am in the the singing group for church. (this is most surprising)

Question: What happened on the plane from Salt Lake City to Atlanta 3 weeks ago?  
The following is an email I received 3 weeks ago, and it let me know part of what happened on the plane. I had no idea until I got this from another missionary mom with a daughter in Nicaragua.
 I love this group! All your words of advice and hope are so comforting! Nanette, that's so exciting that our kids were traveling together today! Kara said that there was a guy on their flight from SL that got really sick and they almost had to do an emergency landing. But he said that he knew there were missionaries on the flight so he asked for the elders to give him a blessing! They made it to Atlanta without any unforeseen stops. Isn't that a neat story! What a blessing and example of disciples of Christ these kids are!!

Stephanie Dickey

MM to Hermana Dickey NIC-MANN 1/15-7/16

Answer: Oh!! Elder Martell and I gave a blessing to a man who had kidney stones and was super sick!! It was pretty awesome, we were definitely not expecting it. We gave the blessing in the back of the plane on a small bench!!

Elder Martell, Elder Rendon, Elder Scaggs

Alright my awesome family not much has happened this week but at the same time a lot has happened. I got my first hair cut in Nicaragua. We went to the local barber named Josea (pronounced Hosway) Anyway, he was a super cool guy. He is not a member but once again super cool. He works in a run down barber shop with a tin roof surrounded by palm tress. He trimmed up our hair and even shaped up our sideburns and neck hair with a straight razor. He did some killer work for 30 cordobas, which is equivalent to a dollar back in the states.

 He made my hair Nica style with pointed sideburns and spiky hair. Hayden and Alex, you definitely want to get pointed side burns, they are the bomb. Other than that not much has happened. This week has been much better for home sickness. In reality I just need to push it aside. These two years are going to fly by, and if I don't use my time as best as I can I will have to face the Lord with it. It's hard work though guys and it takes time. My goal for this week is to talk as much as I can, which basically means stumble through Spanish But Smile While Doing It. The people here are very patient and very loving. They help me with my Spanish and most of them listen to what we say.  Thank you for being patient with me and getting me out here. It's tough work, but it is so worth it. Right now I am already a completely different person than when I left. I still have 22 months to grow and be a new person.

 Hayden and Alex, I want you guys to serve missions. Your mission to what ever place in the world will be your mission. You will meet the coolest people. You will form the strongest connections. You will do some of the craziest things. Please pray now about your mission. Pray about YOUR mission. Not a mission. Not the mission. Pray about your mission. I will tell you right now God knew this would be tough for me. Its hot. The language is tough. I stumble and roll through lessons and conversations.

I have also met the coolest people. My buddies from the MTC are some of my best friends. My buddies in the zone are some of my best friends. I have this awesome connection with the people in the ward and in the city I work in. I can guarantee this mission will be hard. I can guarantee  you will start counting your days as soon as you get to your mission. But I can also guarantee that with time you will become something new, something fresh, something strong, something experienced, someone who knows what they want. someone who is tight with their family, someone who knows their purpose.  I've already written my name in my Preach My Gospel, followed by 2 more Elder Scaggs with a blank space ready for your missions. Pray tonight about YOUR mission.

 I want to know how it goes next P-day I love you guys so much. The Lord is going to bless you guys and me during these two years, soak it up!!!.  When I get back we are going to be the tightest, strongest, dopest, most freaking awesome family on the block. Just you wait guys. I'm bringing back all the traditions of Nicaragua with me.  

Much Luv From your boy in Nicaragua

Thank you so much for sharing news from home that is much much needed.  I am in the Chinandega Zone, in the Divino Nino Area.  This week has been pretty great. 

 



The church strengthens us and allows us to renew our covenants with Heavenly Father.  The Sacrament cleanses us, really it is like we get cleansed from our sins every week.  If we don't partake of the Sacrament we can't fully utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I want to be with you guys forever, and the only way that can happen is we stick to God's will and obey the commandments.  I'm going to be very furious if I can't be with you guys forever, don't let me down.  We met a ton of people, got some baptismal dates, and worked with some people to go to the temple.  It's all going pretty well.  This one family have been members of the church for less than a year, and their dad is already the President of the Priest Group. 

Mi Casa

The ward is super nice, and they help me with my Spanish, which is great.  I love it here, but it's definitely a very very different world.  I got bit by one of the many stray dogs in the area.  It wasn't bad, just a nibble, it didn't go through the pants.  We use our Book of Mormon to hit them away.  ( I told him to carry a big stick and use that to hit the dogs away.)

 

We have little shops every 10 feet in this area called pulperias.  They sell soda and juice.  I get juice all the time, and it's super cheap, less than a dollar every time, everybody drinks Coke, Pepsi, or Fanta down here, it's everywhere!!!!  They have plastic bottles or thick glass ones for Fanta and Coke.

 

They pour the soda into bags and keep the bottles, so yep... we drink from bags, it's kinda cool.  They sell juice and popsicles in bags as well.  My favorite is peanut popsicles and coconut popsicles.  Oh man they also sell frozen bananas dipped in chocolate.  We eat rice, beans, eggs, chicken, and lots of fruit juice, that's amazing!!!!!

I have seen some freakin crazy bugs out here.  I killed a fat roach last night with my Spanish book,and I killed a fat cricket this morning with my shoe.  These things are so big that when I step on them they pop like an explosive, and they are about the size of Alex's fist.  I don't need a camping shower, our bucket shower is dope no worries. 


Bucket Shower

The cold water is a blessing in this hot part of the world.  (When I asked him how it worked this is what he said.)  You just pour water on your body, suds up for a few minutes, then pour on a couple more buckets, it's the life my friends.

Near Mi Casa

I love you so much, and I am so looking forward to being with you again.  This work is tough.  I don't know the language and I struggle to make sentences, but I'm getting it.  The Lord is working with me, and I am so thankful for your support.  This week was much better.  I'm learning faster, feeling better, and I'm more at home.  The ward is pretty big.  They have a much bigger church than we do, they don't fill the pews, but they are great and very friendly and very loving!!!!  Keep emailing and updating me, I love it.
Love you guys

Hey mom, I only have like 45 minutes total to message you guys so I really gotta pound some words.  Nicaragua is very very very different. It's the hottest place ever.  We have a bucket shower with cold, kind of warm water.  Anything cold in Nicaragua is amazing.  Straight up, we are living bare bones here.  Our apartment is small but one of the nicer homes here.  The majority of houses are made of sheet metal and have dirt floors.  It is super crazy!!!!!!  There are geckos everywhere.

The people are humble and sooooo nice.  Elder Smith and I tract on dusty roads, it's fun.  Hayden, Nicaragua is cool.  All the ward members are incredibly kind and loving.  Even the people on the streets are super nice.  They either love the message, kinda like it, or simply and humbly decline.  It's awesome.  My companion has been here his whole mission, 7 months.  We eat different types of bread and eat lunch and dinner with a member.  The same member.  She also cleans our clothes, it's super super nice.  She cooks amazing, clean, filling food every time.  She even cooks French toast, it's pretty nice.  I'm missing the family but it's getting better. Dad I want to thank you for serving a mission.  I'm realizing now how awesome you guys really are, thank you so much for putting up with me.  I work super hard so I don't miss you guys.   I'm serving the Lord in Nicaragua with the greatest missionaries and people in the world.  I want a message from each and every one of you.  Luv U

Hey guys, we made it to Nicaragua!!!!!!  My companion is Elder Smith, and he is awesome.  I'll be able to write home Monday.  So I'll see you then.  Love you guys.

March 2nd 1st Evening in Nicaragua