July 18th Condega

Questions for this week:

What scripture do you share most often, and why?

Tell us why going on a mission is a good thing.

What do you now know is true that you did not know 18 months ago?

Answers:

Well guys, I share Mosiah chapter 2:41 a lot. It talks a lot about obedience, it's easier to share and you can connect it to a lot of things. The mission is super awesome because it helps burn out all your character flaws and makes you realize what matters in life.  When I came out I had an idea about what life should be like, what was cool, what I wanted to do, but now a lot has changed.  I no longer have the same goals, and all the things that were really important before are not as important now. Now I know why, how, and what we get out of fasting.   I'll explain that in the big letter.  (The big letter is what follows)

Hey guys, another week in Nicaragua. Everything went super well, it was a lot of work like always. More than anything this week, we learned you gotta work hard, but you gotta work smart as well. When we started the change we had a lot of people that lived pretty far out of town and we were working ourselves to death trying to get out there everyday. In the end they just never came to church.

Looking back on it now they weren't really very ready, and to get to them we overlooked a ton of really positive people. This week we have been trying to get all our eggs close together and connect with members to get them to church. The best part is everyone came without us having to walk with them to church. The meeting went smooth and everyone loved it. The people we have lined up to get the Melchizedek priesthood are being super cool and helping us out with the other members. This week we also learned part of why, how, and what we get out of fasting. For this month, we have been fasting every week.  When we started we didn't really know what to expect, but as we studied and did it over and over again, we began to realize and learn from the scriptures that fasting makes miracles happen. More than anything it blesses us with revelation and ideas so we can make our dreams and goals become a reality. It also shows us what God really has in store for us, so we can correct our vision. Thanks to our fasts we have realized who we should keep working with. This has helped us tremendously, saving time, and conserving time for the people in Condega who want to hear our message. I personally, have received a lot of revelation during the fasts while reading and just thinking about the stuff we are having trouble with. I don't get miraculous ideas, they are just ideas that help out a ton!!!! This week was dope guys!!!!! 

Keep having fun

July 11th Condega

Hey guys,
We had a killer week, but it was also really tough.  At the beginning of the month we were loaded with possibilities, but at the beginning of this week they all kind of just dropped off. We were kind of expecting it because they really weren't doing anything to progress or learn more.

Freddy and Edgar

 This week we had the baptism of Edgar and Freddy!!! It was so awesome, all the family from El Valle de Jesus came and all their friends.  We took a truck to the river and everyone enjoyed it. Both Freddy and Edgar are thoroughly converted, and the truth is that we really didn't do much with them, we showed them the stuff they read it and that was about it.

Thackeray and I think that that's how it should be.  If someone wants the gospel they read and they get converted, but if they don't want it they don't read, they don't go to church, and they just don't want to be a part of the 13!!!! That's what we learned this week.  We gotta look for the people who want to learn and want to change, and not hold on to the people who say they want to get baptized, but sit at home doing nothing. This Sunday we had an attendance of 30. They were almost all members!!!!!!!!!  

Carrying the Chairs to Church

At the end of it all Elder Thackeray turned to me and said "well, time to get some new ones, everyone got baptized." So, right now we are going to find some references asking for big families, and teach the gospel!! Working on 13 baptisms this month!!! 
Love you guys

May 30th

VIEW OF CONDEGA
FROM THE TOP OF THE TOWER

In his letter this week, I asked him what he does as Branch President to prepare for church each week.

Well I don't have a ton of time today, sorry guys, but Sundays work a little like this.  We take the chairs to church.  We set it all up in this little house, and then we pass by our investigators.

TRANSPORTING CHAIRS TO CHURCH

We prepare the agenda a day before and sometimes Sunday morning if we forget.  During the week we ask people if they are willing to speak or do prayers, it's pretty cool. We actually got sick this week. We had the flu and my back kinda hurts, so that was a tough, but other than that we are doing good. We bought some food, and I had to go to Estelli.  This week has been a little stressful, but it's all good. I love you a ton!!!  

P-DAY WITH FRIENDS

We hung out here in Condega with our converts today.  We took pictures, went sight seeing, and ate carne asada at their house, it was really fun.  

(It's so nice to have access to the mission blogs in Nicaragua.  The nurse, Sister Bell, posted this in her blog after they went to Condega, and I sent it to Easton.)
The members meet every Saturday Evening for a group social, like a Family Home Evening. It was supposed to start at 5:30, but it didn’t start until after 6pm….. Nicaragua time. The Elders reviewed the Plan of Salvation, making it a game. It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed themselves. The Elders have a lot of energy, work well together, love the people and the people love them, especially the youth. 
This was his response when I asked him if he read that part of the letter.  Ya it made me feel happy.  We had a blast with the Bells when they came.  Hermana Bell is just like Grandma. It made me think about you guys a lot.

May 23rd

Hey guys,

DISTRICT HIKING TRIP

Everything is going good down here in Nicaragua. This week was awesome!!!!!! Even though we did not spend a ton of time in the area, we managed to make a difference with the help of the lord!!!! Something that I learned this week is that we gotta learn from the people we are with. I love my companion, but sometimes we fight because of differences of opinion.  

I'm a pretty prideful guy, and always think I'm right, so I have lost a lot of opportunities to learn from him. This week I have done my best to just let things go and be humble, to learn from my companion.  He has taught me to love the people and teach with true intent. This week, we learned together that to have the spirit in a lesson you gotta be listening to the needs of the people and you got go into it with joy. If we teach without happiness, without joy, without being excited, talking with the people and involving them with activities and examples, nobody will want to listen. We have found that as we better our way of teaching, the people commit and follow through more often and more easily. The Lord had blessed us immensely in these past weeks, and we will do our best to receive the blessings of the Lord here in Condega!!!!

Condega May 16th Family Baptism

Hey guys we had a killer week this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The family Benavidez got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was super cool but a ton of work. We had to find a lawyer and get the papers together and on top of all that make sure everyone was ready for the baptism. In the end everything worked out, almost the entire branch showed up to the baptism. We took a bunch of photos.

After words we ate chicken with rice, pretty dope. We are very grateful for this family.  From the beginning, they have had the desire to get married and baptized, and have come a very long way. Hermana Nubia has been reading the Book of Mormon for 3 or 4 weeks, thanks to that, her testimony and desire to change has been solid. She took out her papers, she animated the family,  and thanks to her, we were able to have this miracle.

I know that anyone who reads the Book of Mormon will feel the power of the spirit and will know the truth. You don't have to read a ton. You don't have to understand everything, you just gotta have the desire to know and you're golden!!!

April 25th Condega

Hey guys I don't have much time to write, sorry.  But there are 6 people in the district. The most awesome member is Rosa and the area is really humble and accepting!!!! I gtg guys sorry, but I love you a ton Hayden and Alex thank you for writing me.  ( I sent him Prom photos and band concert photos of his brothers)  Hayden so swag!!!! Alex so dope and so grown up man I'm so pumped for you!! Sorry guys, I didn't have much time to write this week but here are some awesome pics of the pupusas we made!!!!!

Love you

April 18th

Hey guys the week went well,

I feel kind of bad though, because I  ran out of stuff to talk about.  It either went well or it didn't go well.  BUT, Everything was cool this week. When you go to church and keep the commandments God recognizes that you want to succeed and he helps you out with your dreams and your goals.  You can and will accomplish so much in this life, you just gotta play it cool and do the things God needs you to do.  When you're tempted just look the other way, and chase your dreams and do what's right.  We are going to pass by more frequently to help the members out. "The street of Gold" came to church again.  The husband is super awesome and super receptive and wants to change but certain things and his friends are not helping at all. We have faith that he will change and we have plans to pass by every day to keep him progressing. This week, thanks to my companion Elder Alfaro, I learned that in the mish you gotta balance the animo of the members. If they aren't excited then everything falls. As missionaries we gotta be excited and happy. We just gotta keep fighting with a smile on our face.  God loves you and he is super pumped to help you out, but to get his help you gotta help him out.

Love You Guys!!!

This blog was written using pieces from his letter this week and a letter to our family.