Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!! O: Feliz navidad!!!!!!!

SO we were able to have a baptism this past weekend!!!! But a lot went wrong up to the member who baptized her said her name wrong....so we may have to do it again!!! Woot!!!! But you know, things you learn and things that happen in the mission :) An experience to remember.

But one good thing did come from the baptism was that an investigator was there. She lives about 8 hours from here and we caught her when she was passing time here in Juigalpa to get some medical treatment. She herself has said she doesn't know why she has spent so much time here (more than usual). At the baptism she told me to tell her that I won't go back to the states until she is baptized :) I told her I won't leave Juigalpa until she is!!!! She is incredible. We will se if we can get permission. Becuase she wants to, but really has no way to go to church!!!

A girl that we have been teaching, she has been really really inteligent and loves the church. This week her mom got upset with her, and we are pretty sure won't give permision for to get baptized. Wants her daughter to be perfect, and it just isn't tht way. So sad to see when people want the church, but can't choose to be baptized!

If you get a call saying that the mission can't find me, don't worry, I have found my soulmate and decided to stay here forever :) Just kidding. Just so you know it is a lot easier to find a boyfriend when you have clear eyes (not the dark eyes that the latinas have) and you are gringa. Lots of moosos here. I will tell you about my fun experience with my convert on wednesday :) 

I hope you all have a GREAT Christmas!!! Just don't forget who we are celebrating! This time is a time of Christ and his mission, and love for us! I know he loves us all so much!!! His whole life and purpose was to teach us the right way and how we can make it back to live with Heavenly Father!!!! 

And just so you know, we will be having lots of fireworks here!! All night!! woot!!!  But really, MEERY CHRISTMAS!!!!! Love you all!!!!! Tons!!!!

Reactivation Struggles

How you know you are a Nica: you start using a lot of hand signs for words, you start pointing at objects and direcions with your lips, and drink more soda and coke than water. 

How you know you are a sister missionary: you eat 2 or 3 dinners at least once a week. Now that one is a hard one :) I think a lot of people think we don't eat as missionaries. But the weird thing is that we walk an incredible amount but yet still manage to gain wait. I don't know how it is done!!! 

But this week was pretty normal: some good lessons, some bad, some bad contacts, some great. You know how the mission is, and life! But We had changes this past week. This change was different because it was only 1 month, and then this one is 8 weeks. Our District leader went home and our new one is from SLC. Hermana Anderson is training!!! woot!!! 

We had District Conference (because we are not a stake) which was really good!!! We had a good amount of people in church and heard some great messages from our District President and President and Hermana Russell. Then our investigator Luvy got interviewed and passed for her baptism this week!!! You should have seen the smile on her face when she came out of the room, radiating and so happy. She is super ready for her baptism. She has had about 4 interviews and failed them all for doubts and problems with smoking, etc. But this time, she is ready and has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard. Wanted to cry when she bore it to us this week. And her son is planning his baptism in 6 months for when he turns 8. We are SUPER excited. 

And you know how we had that super cool experience with our investigator last Sunday? Well during the week we passed by her and asked her how it went and how she felt. She said `to be sincere...I have felt so much peace. And I know that is my answer`!!!! Wow. Not very often does that happen. She has her answer that the church is true....she just lives 8 hours from Juigalpa. So we don't really know what we will do there. But it was cool to see her get her answer!!! 

We have really been focusing this week on how we can help strengthen the branch here. It is very cold, and not much love. Most leave right after Sacrament and don't talk to anybody, and lots of people with big callings are inactive. I don't know if you remember that we don't have a branch president and our first counselor is less active. SO many people have doubts and problems with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. They tell us that we should talk less about those 2 things and more with the Bible, and people won't be so scared away from us. So we pass by and tell them to read, but they don't read, and they don't go to chruch. I don't know how they hope to get their answers!!! But it seems the more we try to help, the more problems we seem to find. I just hope that we can leave the branch a little stronger than it was. I do realize now how grateful I am for the great ward that I have at home and the members who are always looking out for each other!!

We did have a cool experience yesterday. One of the counselors in the Relief Society Presidency said she wanted to visit with us and the presidency (they are all inactive). We could only get the counselors. But we went and visited a less active (one of the counselors in the Primary). It was soo good to work with them. Hear them bear their testimonies and talk about how it is hard, but we just have to keep going. Asking her to come back, telling her it is never too late. 

Any ideas on how to strengthen at least the Relief Society? I now realize how important this organization is in the church! how to help people with their doubts about Joseph Smtih and Book of Mormon? 

I hope you are all having great weeks!!! Hope you are all excited about Christmas and loving thesnow!! Throw a snowball for me! I hopw you know how much I love you all!!!! Just stay happy and and choose the right!!!! 

Until next week!!! Woot!!!  

Love, Your nica sista Morey! And if you want to say it how I say it, say it Modey :) 

P.S.  Just some news, sisters now put their badges on the right side....don't know why...and I still am not used to it. But there you go!!!! 

Purisima

Hello from Nicaragua!!!!! While weather is strange there in the U.S. it is also being strange here. It shouldn't be raining.....but it still is!!! But it does cool things down a little bit. 

here in Nicaragua we are celebrating what is called the Purisima. Or the virgin Mary. I had no idea she was so popular and that people worshiped her. We had lots of questions like: did mary have other children, that Mary is the way and comes before Christ (wow). It is interesting to see how much the docrine of Christ really changed throughout the Great Apostasy. So grateful that we have the restored Gospel and know the truth!!!!

This week was a little rough, we felt a little disanimated and like our efforts weren't seeing any fruits, but the week ended incredibly. Usually the weeks go that we have greatlessons and great people, but Sunday people don't come to church, and we are tired. this week however was oposite. Sunday we passed by people (a lot weren't there). But at one house our investigator's mom was there. So we decided to talk to her and teach her. She had some really good questions and we were able to answer them. We invited her to church and she said she would come!!! We went to church a little disheartened because we only had 1 investigator there. But then a few minutes later, this woman and her sick neice showed up!!! and after every meeting she said she had no where to go and would stay! She stayed until 8 at night. What a miracle!!! Then we dropped off a recent convert at her house. She said people were coming by from her old church to tell her bad things about our church. When we went by one of our old investigators was there, and started talking badly. We stayed for a little bit to offer some support. Then she even started defending the church!!!!! What a GREAT way to end the week. Miracles really do happen. maybe not how we want them, but they come!!!! 

We are working hard and trying our best to love the people here. And trying to feel the Christmas spirit in the heat :) But we want to plan some Christmas messages to teach!!!! 

And to share something spiritual: this morning I was reading something incredible in the Book of Mormon. In 2 nephi 9 it talks and explains so well the Atonement and why we need it and what we in turn need to do. I especially loved verse.....I don't remember which but it talks about how those who do what is right will have eternal joy (how incredible that promise!!!!). Then in 27 is explains what happens to those who knew and did not do. So make sure to do what you know is right!!!!! Christ did his part, but can't do EVERYTHING!!!! 

I love you all tons and tons!!! Have a great week. Thank you for all your emails and love. Hoep that you are having a great Christmas!!! I love the Christmas Devotional. Especially the talk by Elder Nelson about finding joy in this world. There really is happiness!!!! 

Love, your Nica Hermana!! 

Learning to Look With Love

Merry Christmas!!!!!!! I hope the houses are all decorated and ready for the Christmas Hollidays!!! It really doesn't feel like Christmas here in the heat but lots of houses are decorated with their trees and lights. Santa doesn't exist here. he can't come because there is no snow. But mostly they are too poor they don't really give gifts here. But it is fun to see the lights. Also everyone is out of school and this is the time for camps and EFY (really weird that it is in December!).

This week we did celebrate Thanksgiving as a zone. So we had the Elders from Bluefills come. A sister in our branch cooked turkey and chicken and we had mashed potatoes and rolls. Then brownies and ice cream. We spent 3,000 cordobas. But it was really good!!! Fun to see all the Elders and talk to them. 

We had some pretty rough mometns this week. Wednesday we went out to work and NOBODY wanted to listen to us. Every single person we talked to wanted nothing to do with us. But I guess every missionary has to experience a day like that :) Even Jesus had to deal with a lot of naysayers so why not me. My companion kept asking if I had had days like that before and to be honest that was the first!! But we just laughed at all the silliness and hard heartedness of the people. Then On Thursday we went to meet with a man named John Baker. He was prepared with his Bible and scriptures written to combat anything we said. I had to insist we start with a pray (he didn't want to, bad sign). But he went on to tell us our church was a curse and invented by men. That there was no truth in it. And he went on from there. I kept praying for inspiration as to what to say but nothing came to my mind. He finally let us leave and I guess the Lord had nothing to say to this poor man. He felt like he had woni the battle and stumped us, but he is so very wrong. Hope that later on he will see the light!! But when we left he told us that our 18 monhts was nothing to the life that some preachers give to the work.....um.....don't think I ever felt my spirit so upset and ofended before. But we did feel like the apostles of Jesus when he told them they would leave some houses shaking the dirt of their feet....what a day.

But it wasn't all bad!!! We had Zone Conference which I love. We heard the testimonies of the missionaries who go home on Dec 11. Then got to learn from our leaders and other missionaries. Then some of our investigators are REALLY progressing. A young girl who is 11 has almost finished the Book of Nefi and her mom has seen her change in behavior as a sing that the church is true :) We have found some great people here. We have also been able to talk to our leaders to figure out how we can help the less active here. I lose my patience sometimes with them and tell myself we will never visit them again, but then have to think about how Jesus feels about them and decide to go  visit them the following week. 

I also learned an important lesson of not judging ANYBODY. We went to the house of an investigator and she had some men sitting outside. Some ruggid looking men. I really don't like to contact them (i have a little fear of them :) But when they said she wasn't there, we had to invite them at least to church.  A few seconds later we found out one was a member and got the chance to hear his conversion story. A shining bright light in a really hard day. So don't judge people by how they look!!! Never know their story!!

I have read a lot in my personal study this week about the love that Jesus has for us; he had to choose to die and did it only out of love for us. And he really truly cares about us. But I found an incredible scripture in D&C:  41 He ^acomprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

 42 And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a ^alaw unto all things, by which they move in their ^btimes and their seasons;

 43 And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.

 44 And they give ^alight to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years—all these are ^bone year with God, but not with man.

 45 The earth ^arolls upon her wings, and the ^bsun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the ^cpower of God.

 46 Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?

 47 Behold, all these are ^akingdoms, and any man who hath ^bseenany or the least of these hath ^cseen God ^dmoving in his majesty and power.

Wow, it was pretty powerful!!! Everything we see, we are seeing God. Just remember that!!!! 

I hope you know how much I love you all!! Thank you for all of your prayers and interest in how I am doing over here!! I hope you all have great weeks!!! Don't give up!!! It is worht the fight!!! It will all be worht it in the end. And remember we are never given ANY trial that we can't handle. And we can use the Grace of Jesus to overcome anything. 

I have a testimony that this Church is true. I know that God loves each and every one of us (I have learned an important lesson of not judging anybody by their appearance) and cares about how we feel and progress. Keep up the great work!!!! 

Until next week!!!! Love, Hna. Morey!!  AKA The Brown one

And I can't believ about Clair!!! In Bolivia!!!!! She will be down South with Nick!!!! The Moreys and Siebachs are going to convert the world!!!!! Woot!!!!! Now where will Beth serve....!?

More pictures!!!

Sariah looks so tall!! It's a miracle!

The pink meat is hot dog meat

Sariah's about to have a much better day!!

Progressing!

Feliz dia de Gracias!!!!! They don't celebrate thanksgiving here but as a zone we are going to do something. Each companionship will receive money so that we can do a lunch or dinner. So the Elders from Blufills (an island very far away) are even going to come. So it should be good!!! 

This week has been a week full of work. Tuesday we worked with our District Leader. Man that elder works hard. And he likes to be very direct (telling people straight up that they are fornicating, etc.). But it was a good day and we learned a lot from him. And we had some success!!!!

Then the rest of the week we worked pretty hard. We have been able to find some new people that are positive. I will tell you what happened with one woman. Tuesday we had contacted a woman named Violeta. Then Wednesday we went to go find her and teach her and her husband. Looking for her we found a house where the lady said she was violeta. But after a few minutes she asked us how we knew her name, she wasn't the woiman we had contacted! But this Violeta was VERY positive and her sister is a member and a good example. There are NO coinsidences. But that Wednesday was very powerful. I felt the spirit guiding us in every contact and every lesson. Don't know if I have ever felt the spirit so strongly throughout the whole day. It was incredible. I felt so full of the spirit and joy I couldn't believe it!!! I really hope to have more experiences like that. I realize more and more that that is what the mission is about. Loving the people and serving them, not baptizing them. Don't like it when I start to focus too much on the baptisms and numbers rather than demonstrating my love for them. 

Sorry, I don't have too much time to write everything that happened. But we did get a lesson where all the man could ask was if Mary had more sons ( and couldn't believe that someone as pure as her could). This morning I redid the Christlike Attributes and realized that maybe I have progressed a little :) Feel like my patience and hope have increased. And my love for people. Still need to work on others, but little by little. 

And training is going very well. I love my companion. She is very nice and a very good missionary. I got VERY lucky with her. We are working hard and being obedient!! Hope to see miracles here in Juigalpa!!!! But most of all, we want to share our love!!!! 

I hope you all have a GREAT Thanksgiving!!! I love you all and am extremely grateful to have you as my family and friends. Know that I think and pray for you often!!!!! 

Until next week!!!!! 

P.S. And put me down for Nicargua Managua, Norte or Japan for Clarissa's Call!!! CAN?t beleive it!!! Both of us out at the same time!!!!!! 

Love you!!!

Some Things Never Change

Hello Hello!!!! So I know you all want to know how training has been going!! My new companion is Hermana Aquian from El Salvador!!! She is REALLY great. She is 29 (it is a little weird being in charge of someone so much older than me) and she is VERY eager to work and learn. I think we will do great things together. I at least know that I will learn a lot from her. I started off my training by losing our phone in a taxi and then the next day we got on the bus at the wrong time and ended up taking it for about an hour....yeah, some things just never change. Still the same old me. But it has turned out all right, and she has been patient with me! It is different being in charge when I have been so used to following for a long time. But I am confident the Lord will give me the strengh and wisdom that I need to rise up and be the leader that I need to be.

After a few rough days we did have a good day yesterday. A lot of the people we passed by didn't come to church, but we were able to have some investigators come to church which was good. There is a girl who is 11 who came to church and loves it and wants us to teach her whole family. A testiment that there is always something good at the end of all the hard and bad :) We ended the night with a FHE with our recent convert and a family that is really incredible here. We read Mosiah 5 about Christ and the spirit was so strong there. I live for moments like that. Then tongight we have a few FHEs with less actives to see if we can help them get excited about the church again. It is so hard to know what to do to help them, but little by little.

We are really working on finding soime new investigators. We don't have too many and really hope to work on finding some more this week (if you want to help us, that is something you can include in your prayers, please!!!). It is hard to have the joy of contacting so many people so we want to go to members and converts and ask for references. REally ask everyone. Maybe we will find the chosen that way :)

One thing that I have been working on this week is changing my way of thingking. Changing it from finding people to baptize so that I can put that down at the end of the week, but more about saving the sould of the people here. I have an opportunity to change peoples life and bring a joy and happiness into their lives that they won't be able to get any other way. My setting apart said I would see light come into the eyes of people who had such sadness in their lives. So I want to look for those people who need this light. Hopefully with this change in mindset we will be able to find the people who are ready and waiting here in Juigalpa.

And don't worry, still washing my laundrey by hand. If ever we lose power, I will know what to do :) Don't worry, I will teach you all how to do it when I get back :)

Even though there have been some rough and hard times, I still love being here. I learn a lot. While everything seems to happen in the mission, it is an incredible mission. And I feel the time slipping by. Having just completed 7 months, I can't believe I have less than a year left. I know the Lord will help me if I am obedient, humble, and aks for it.  I know he loves me and all of you!!!!!

Have a WONDERFUL week!!!!! Choose the right and hold to the rod!!!!! Don't fall into the midst of darkness :) Love you all tons and tons!!!!!

Love, Your Nicaraguan Missionary a.k.a Hna. Calocha

Transfers and...Training!!

Well this transfer is coming to an end!!! My companion finishes her mission on Wednesday and......I am going to train!!!! Woot!! Got the call this morning and it felt like a dream, still doesn't feel real!!! But I will serve the Lord with all my heart might mind and strength and do the best I can. I will let you know next week how it all goes!!!! 

This week we were able to finish off the cambio (transfer) with a baptism!! He was really special: wanted to change everything in order to follow the Lord. Even so much as to feel so worried about paying his tithing yesterday. I think he will be a great member!!! And he will work to convert everyone he comes into contact with! So I think he will be alright!!! 

Hermana Lopez has been getting ready to leave: packing her suitcases and saying goodbye to people. REally sad to see her go but excited for what this next transfer brings. It will all be on me as to what we do and how we work but I am up for the challenge (I think :) I did teach District Meeting on Friday. I was a little nervous but it went well!! I talked about Miracles and how we have the power and authority to do miracles in the mission but we need the faith and hope to be able to do so. It has been something I have been thinking a lot about lately. Even if they didn't learn a lot, I did!!! It is incredible what faith can do!

We had divisions with the training sisters this week. It went alright. She left us with a lot to think about :) Hermana Lopez is happy doesn't have to do them again :) 

Things have been going well here!! Lots of contacting and looking for more people to teach. Saturday was a bugger because every single one of our appointments and backup plans fell through. The first time in my mission when we had no idea where to go or what to do. But we eventually found a less active and were able to teach her and she came to church yesterday (a testimant that there is always something good after all the bad). I don't know my area nearly well enough for my companion to leave, but my new companion and I will learn it together!!! Oh boy. Lots to do and lots to think about!!! I just hope I can be a good trainer!! At least I know what not to do!!! :) 

I think that that is it!!! Nothing too exciting or interestin (sorry). I am sure there will be more interesting news next week!!!

I know that the Church is true and that God loves us!!! There are so many moments when I think I can't do more but the Lord helps me and gives me the strenght. And the Spirit testifies to me that the things I am teaching are true and that I am in the right place. It will never be easy, but he will help us through. And he really is there for us when we need him. HE is willing to bless us if we ask for it and do our part. We signed up for this and wanted to come on this journey. We knew it wouldn't be easy but we chose it anyways!!! Now we just have to prove that we are willing to do what it takes! Prove Satan wrong!! 

I love you all fiercely!!!! Keep up the great work!! Stay strong! Have fatih! And laugh through all the hard times. We can do all hard things with the help of Christ. 

Hecho Fuego esta semana!!!

Love, Your Nicaraguan Missionary

El Dia de los Muertos

Hello!!! I hear it is snowing over there!!!! I hope you have all strated listening to Christmas music because as you know, it is the time after Holloween meaning time for Christmas!!!!! Woot! We too have entered the winter season here....but that just means no rain :) We will see how cold it actually gets here!! Hope you all rememberd the hour change and made it to church on time yesterday!!! :)

This week has been crazy!! We had interviews with Presidente!! They were REALLY good. I always feel the spirit very strongly from him. He was late because an Elder's dad died and he left for home right away (how devestating!). But we just talked about ll my sins. Nah, just about how to help the Less actives here and how I can improve. I can't even imagine how hard he and his wife work to make sure that we are all okay. I surely appreciate all that they do!!  

I finished reading the book of mormon again this week!! I really love tht book! Never appreciated it like I should have before. But I always learn new things and feel such a spirit after my personal study each morning! Always wish there was more time!!! But I know the book is true and taht we can learn SO much from reading and receive so much strenght!! Keep reading daily!! At least 5 minutes!!!! 

Saturday as you all know was day of the dead here. So we planned an ctivity as a district to set up a booth with posters saying ¨'where do we go after death' and 'why does god permit suffering' then we had pamphlets, books of mormon, and we contacted, contacted, contacted. And there are a LOT of people. It is a huge holiday here. EVERYONE goes. We defenitely contacted a lot of people, and it was an experience never to forget!! A catholic church was inside preaching and started announcing that there was a church outside protesting giving out pamphlets that had citations from the Bible that were false....um..... Then a jewish man went by telling us to leave and drink our coffee...woot!!! Lots of people were really turned off when we started talking about the Book of Mormon. But like I said, an experience I may not ever have again!! 

So we did that for about 4 hours in the morning (had burns to prove the work!!). Then aferresting for a bit we went tohelp a member move a semitruck full of house furniture from Costa Rica into his house. We spent 4 hours with all of the missionaries and a few members moving. It was a LOT of work but a lot of fun. The pciture below is us afterwards. The Elders shirts were white! AFter the service I felt the spirit testify to me that the church is true!!! Not all groups of people would be willing to help people like people in the church are. What a great organization we are part of!!! We work hard to make sure that everyone feels loved and gets the help that they need. I love the church!!! So great to be part of it!!!! But we left so extrememly tired!!! And our arms are still sore. But I loved it!! 

This week is my lsat week with Hna. Lopez!!! Can't believe how fast it has all gone. I am trying not to think of who my next companion will be because I don't want to be nervous!!! But know it will be good. We won't know until a few days before transfers who is training....so you will know next monday!!!! 

I love you all so much!!! Thank you for everything!!! Thank you for all of your sacrifices and for you love. I hope you all are doing well and loving life even though it is hard. Just look for those little moments of goodness that help us keep moving through the bad. I know the church is true, and know that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us!!! 

Have a GREAT week!!!!

Holy Hair!!!!

Hair Before

Hair After

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Hello Hello!!! From the land where the rivers are milk and the rocks are cuijada (cheese)!!! That really is what they say here.

It has been raining a lot a lot here!! Every morning it is hot and sunny, then about 12 it starts pouring rain. Rain like you have never seen before!! It is really weird when you can hear and see the rain coming before it hits. My companion and I look at each other and say: vamos a mojar!!! We're going to get wet!!! But they say it is only this month, then we enter the winter season here which is supposed to be cooler. Wohoo!!! 

This week has been going well!!! I haven't even felt it. This transfer really has been flying by! My companion only has 2 more weeks left. She has been a great companion, I really love her! She is feeling nervous but excited to go home.

We had zone conference on Friday and it was really good. We learned how to plan better, obtain new investigators, and give better commitments. I love those meetings when I can learn how to be better and learn from the example of missionaries who had success. There are always ways I can improve, and these reunions are good ways to learn how!! 

We are at the awkward point in the change of mission presidents when the rules start changing. A lot of missionaries feel offended and reluctant to listen or follow the rules. While I may not like all of the rules or understand why, I know that I need to be humble and accept that he is called of God and receives the revelation that our mission needs to be better and help more people. So I have been praying to help me feel that acceptance and humility. And I know I will be better for following the rules!! 

Also, yesterday the President surprised everyone by coming to both the morning and afternoon meetings. Because we are a district and not a stake I guess he visits quite often. You could feel the tension in the meetings from both the missionaries and the leaders of the church :) Oh the mission!!!

We are still working hard at finding new inestigators and helping the investigators we do have make the decisions and steps to be baptized. It is a struggle, but we work hard!!! I work hard to try to see their needs and feel the spirit to help them overcome their fears and doubts. Sometimes I wonder how I can be so happy when daily we receive so much rejection, we walk back and forth from tthe same area just to have the appointments fall, baptism dates fall through, teaching the same 3 lessons over and over again. Trying so hard to have the spirit all day, trying so hard to help other people and not focus on myself. That is a testiment to me that this is the truth, because how else could I be so happy in a work that is so hard? I am grateful, so very grateful for the knowledge that I have. The knowledge that there is life after this, that there is a purpose to all the suffering and hardships in this life. Grateful to know that God loves me no matter how many times I mess up, no matter my weaknesses. I grateful to know that families can be together forever. I don't understand half of the things in the gospel, but what I do know, I love, and am eternally grateful to know!!! I just hope I can make a few people feel the love the Lord has for them and feel that desire to change. If I can do that, I know I have done my job!!! 

Thank you all for your love and support!!! I really feel it on those hard days when I don't want to get up :) I feel it when I don't want to walk anymore, when I am soaking wet! I know you are all sacrificing a lot for me to be out her, and I can't thanl you enough for giving me this opportunity!!!

Have WONDERFUL weeks!!! Have a great halloween!! And a great day of the dead (Nov. 2)!!!!! I love you all very very much and miss you!!! Hecho fuego!!! Hasto lo juso!!!! 

Love, su Nicaraguan Hermana con colochas!!!!

Baptism!

Goodbye October!!!! how fast that has gone by!!! I hope you all have your halloween Costumes ready!!!!! Halloween isn't very big here, so we won't have to worry about children and teens being out trick or treating all night and competing with them :) 

It has been a good week!!! We were able to have a baptism this pastSaturday!! The Elders had a family married and baptized and then Kristhel (Crystal) was baptized. It was about 4 hours (with the lawyer talking and everything) but it was good. Her dad was able to baptize her and she was his first baptism. She was super prepared and practically a member. She is 14 and from Costa Rica, very mature, very smart (can read books like The Hobbit in English). It has been fun to get to know her and see her progress. 

Even though my companion is dying we work pretty hard which I am grateful for. She does not want to be a companion at the end who doesn't want to do anything. I am actually sad that we only have this transfer together...but oh well!!! I am shocked at how fast this 6 weeks has been going by!! We have 3 weeks left. Then who knows what will happen!!!! But I know it will all be for the best. 

Here we have been working with a lot of less actives. Which is SO extremely frustrating at times. I want to shake them and nock some sense into them...but I can't. They have their agency to choose. And sometimes we choose what is wrong for us no matter what everyone else says, and then we have to suffer the consequenses. But I hope that someday they will remember why they were baptized and this is the only place they will be happy. 

One thing that has been fascinating me lately is the power of Faith. I read Ether 12 in my personal study this week. All the miracles that the prophets experienced and did was due to the faith that they have. The Brother of Jared was able to see everythng because of the great faith he had. Sometimes (okay a lot of times) I wonder if I have the faith to do miracles here in Nicaragua. I think a lot of times that miracles happen to other people, but not to me. But really if I have the faith to do it, I can do it. And I probably won't see God, but I can have miracles like helping people find the truth, change their way of living because they know that this is true. I want to keep studying this topic and work on growing my personal faith. Because if I want to help people make the step of baptism, I need to have faith that everything is possible and that anyone can make the changes necessary. 

Keep working hard!!!! I love you all so very much!!!!! Thank you for all your support, and love, and help!!!! You are all great examples to me. Remember the love your Heavenly Father has for you, remember that the Church is True!!!! Hold to the Rod!!!!!

Love, Your Nicaraguan Hermana Morey!!

Water Storage

Hola!!!! I hope my weekly emails are a little interesting and don't bore you all to death :) But here is for another week here in Juigalpa!!!

So almost everyday this week we did not have water in our house (the water is unpredictable here and will go every once and a while, but never for days and days). Then on Saturday the whole city of Juigalpa had neither electricity or water....that was a little scary. We had to walk home early from an appointment because it was not safe. It was eery to look into the mountains and see the whole city dark. I think it really made the members take to heart the advice of the prophets to store water because we NEVER know when we will have a crisis. Thankfully it did come back during church on Sunday. Never loved water so much in my life. But now in the shower we have a huge bucket ready for if it ever leaves again :) 

I am still really happy to be here in Juigalpa!!! I LOVE my companion. Juigalpa doesn't have a lack of baptisms...just a lack of retention. There are a lot of horror stories from past missionaries who did not follow any rules making it hard for some members to trust the missionaries. And there are SO many recent converts who were just baptized because they were friends with the missionaries so they don't have a testimony in the Book of Mormon or other essential parts of the Gospel. So we are working hard to build the turst of the members and help these recent converts and less actives obtain testimonies. 

We don't have too many investigators and the ones we do have are a little crazy. One couple the husband tells us everytime he plans of leaving his partner and they spend the whole lesson fighting. Another investigator told us he has been visiting another church everyday....crash with that one. But we are working hard to find new people to teach. I did it with Hna. Perez so I know that it is possible here. It takes a lot of work, but I know Heavenly Father will give us the inspiration and strength to do it.

It is interesting because I always had an idea of what missionaries were (hard workers, these superhuman type people who always did what is right) so I think I hoped I would have that change when I was set apart (like you said mom). But that didn't happen. And I think I expect to look in the mirror one day and see that big change in me. But at the end of the day, I am still Sariah trying to be obedient, and fight satan daily to teach the people here what I know deep down in my heart is true and matters more than anything else in the world. I still have my weaknesses, my faults, and I just try to overcome them. I still make mistakes with words, still talk a lot, an everything else.I have changed a lot, but still have a lot to learn. 

This week we passed by a less active and she invited a friend over for us to teach the gospel to (she is so cute!) and the poor mother has nothing. She doesn't even have a house to live in. Her children are hungry and suffering. you could see in her eyes that she has no hope for a better world. I felt so terrible for ever thinking that I have a hard life or am lacking of things. I wish I could do more for her, but do know that the gospel can bring some peace and comfort. It just gives me a better perspective and a desire to work hard to show these people that God does love them and cares about them. 

I think that that is all!! Except that I am finding it hard this week to eat the rice....yikes!!! I am usually good at eating everything and whatever but find it hard to force the rice down. I am praying that changes soon because I have a year more of rice to eat!!!! But except for the light and water, nothing too exciting is going on!! I hope you are all doing well!!

I know that this church is true and that God is always there for us! I know he will help us through everything. I know that there is a purpose for us here on this earth. If we do our best he will make up for ther rest!!! I love this church, love this Gospel, I love my savior!!

Keep working hard and doing your best!!! I love you all to pieces!!!! 

 Love, your nicaraguan missionary with the curly hair that won't grow in this humidity, Hermana morey :)