Hola, Nicaragua!

Finally was able to speak with Sariah this evening.  She had told us last week that she would be headed from Guatemala to Nicaragua on Tuesday (May 28) and to expect a call from the airport between 4-6 a.m.  Each of us slept with one of the cordless phones by our beds to make sure we didn't miss the call.  No call.  We hoped we had gotten the day wrong and that she would call on Wednesday and still no call.  Tonight she surprised us by calling out of the blue at 8 p.m.  Luckily we all happened to be home.  Apparently a concerned mom had called the mission home to say that she hadn't heard from her missionary on Mother's Day or from the airport and she was worried.  The mission secretary called each of the missionaries to tell them the happy news - they could call home tonight!!

Here are the updates:

• She is in Buena Vista - just north of Costa Rica (don't try to look it up, we did and you just see a blob)
• She is 2.5 hours from any big city
• Its VERY hot.
• She fears she will never be dry again.  She saw rain in Guatemala like she had never seen before and now she has seen even worse in her short time in Nicaragua.  She will be buying a new umbrella.
• She has a shower but is still not dry.Or clean
• Her apartment is one of the nicest in the mission - hence the shower.  it is the size of our family room and has a tin room and no insulation in the walls so they hear everything that goes on next door. (Let's hope they aren't party animals next door!).
• There are wild dogs everywhere.  (Uncle Chris - would these be Skater Dogs?)
• There are cows everywhere.
• People ride horses or use horse and buggies.
• Women are the breadwinners 
• People dress nicely for a poor country and have smartphones
• This is how she pictured Africa - so poor, so undeveloped, but happy
• Her companion is a native and she is friendly and happy and patient with Sariah's Spanish struggles (she got on the phone for a second and told us - in Spanish - that we have a friendly, adorable, and wonderful ''hija"). Sariah LOVES her.
• They will eat lunch daily with a member family.  
• Today Sariah felt the full weight of not understanding a word anyone was saying and the frustration of being unable to communicate in the way she would like.  (In other words, she's a perfectly NORMAL missionary!).  The funny thing is, she couldn't remember the word "appointment" and kept trying to get us to understand "cita".  

It was great to talk to her.  She sounded tired but happy.  She loves emails and any words of encouragement.  

Last Week in the CCM!

Hola Familia!!!! Como Esta?! Este semana es mi ultima semana aqui en el
CCM!!!!! Estoy MUY nervioso!! Pero estoy animada!!! Lo sietno, but this
computer won't let me make paragraphs, so enjoy!! :) Don't send anymore
letters or dear elders here because I won't get them for a while!! Send it
all to Nicaragua! This week has been CRAZY and a lot has gone on!! A huge
group of people left last Tuesday making us the oldest people here!! It
was really sad to see them go and kind of helped make me feel ready to
move on and go on my own mission! They made a lot of changes for us like
changed our schedules and moved our rooms. They are doing lots of
construction here to accomadate the changes in the amount of people coming
in. The first few days of the change were pretty awful but we have gotten
used to it!! We are all pretty nervous to leave and sad to leave our
district but know that it has to happen! I have set some goals for myself
before I go out to Nicarauga 1. no complaining! I know there be a lot of
hard things like the weather, food, and sanitation, but dwelling on it
will make it no better. 2. is to have a good attitude. Try to smile and
laugh through the hard times. Zack, Hailey, Mom did you have any
companions who spoke no english? How did that go? Part of me hopes I get a
Latino companion who doesn't know English to force me to learn, but the
other part is scared to death because I know it will be hard. So I pray
that my trainer is prepared to have me as a companion and that we can
learn to work together whatever our situation is!!!  So now for a funny
story: I made my first mistake speaking spanish. We do a thing called CRE
where you teach a less active member which usually turns out to be a
member because they got them from the temple. Ours started off by telling
us that she was a member, her whole family was, and she had been so for 30
years. She just goes off talking, teaching us more than us her. She was
talking so fast I could only understand a few words. I was just smiling,
and nodding. She paused for a second and I said "que bien!" Hna Nuttle
asked her to repeat, turns to me and says "She just told us her daughter
died a long time ago!" I felt so embarassed but it didn't seem to fase the
woman at all. She was very sweet, thought and we felt the spirit very
strongly! I know that that is my first of many many mistakes!  Oh mom! you
asked about fasting. Here in the CCM and all MTCs it isn't about the
decision to fast, you have to fast.
They just don't serve any food so you have to. But it is good because I am
always such a bad faster!! And thet set up here is like a dorm.
All the girls on our floor share a bathroom with a few showers. So we have
the rule of 5 minute showers and no getting dressed in them because the
lines get so long and we only have so much time to get ready. We had a
fast from spanish this past week. It was really hard but very helpful. my
brain hurt a lot afterwards and I was glad to speak spanish, but we are
trying to speak as much spanish as possible as a district so that it is
easier once we get out to the field. And we will probably have another
fast this week. We had a lesson on Sunday in relief society about family
history. Apparently the church really focuses on it here (so I guess I do
need my pedigree chart and some family history stories, please!! You could
send them in a manilla folder or just in an envelope.). The first sunday
after baptism they start them on family history and work to get them to
the temple as soon as possible. It is really cool! But sad that it will be
hard for the Nicaraguan's to go the temple. We really love the Latinos
here.
They do a program with the missionaries here where they learn english, and
we learn spanish. Because it benefits all of us!!! We will both get better
jobs for knowing the other language.  
Okay, Thank you so much for the package!!!! And thank you for sending
> the second!!!! My spanish is coming along!! I will tell you more about
> it in the letter. They don't tell us anything about departure until
> Next
monday.
> But we found out we can call!!! We heard that we really aren't
> allowed, but asked Hermans Nicolayson (the president's wife) And she
> told us that she would be disappointed if her children didn't call
> her, but that we didn't hear anything and we never asked. hint, hint.
> So...We are supposed to be out of the CCM by 3:30 am. I would be
> prepared for a call anytime between 4 and 6. Sorry, I know it is super
> early, but I figure you want a call anyways no matter how early :)
Well, that is all for this week and
for the next two weeks!!! Hope you all are doing well!!
know how much I love you and how much I know this Church is true!!!
Keep doing what is right!!! Love, your Nicaraguan Missionary. And read
2 nephi 4 for a pick me up if you need one!! :):)

2 Weeks Left in the CCM!

We have 2 more weeks left here!!! We are all freaking out a little bit as we see the people pack up to leave tomorrow. They are nervous but feel ready to face what they need to after getting priesthood blessings from their district!

Still eating lots and lots of food!! I can feel it!! I think I will try to eat better this week just because I feel gross :) (And my stomouch doesn't always like me for it). If you want authentic latino food, add some beans and chips and salsa to your breakfast. Just make scrambled eggs and put salsa on it. We eat that all the time!!

I am loving it here and learning so much!!! 

I am so happy that you are working hard and reading your scriptures!! I have seen the power it adds to my day and have loved reading it!!

I had a cool experience at the temple last week. As I entered the celestial room I started tearing up. It was a combination of stress, feeling God's love for me, and a little homesickness. I was trying to hide it because there were a lot of people in the room. But after a few minutes, Hma Anderson came and put her arm around me. I was telling her after that I was grateful for that. She told me she had been getting the prompting to come over to me and resisted it at first but decided it couldn't hurt. I realized then that that was Heavenly Father's sign to me that he was watching out for me and thinking of me. 

I told myself I wouldn't forget to tell you Happy Mother's day, and I ended up forgetting!!! I am so sorry!! I wrote a letter to you, but I don't know if you got it yet. Our teacher's mom went to Utah and she took the letters for us, so I had hoped that you would get it in time!! But if not, I hope you know how much I love you!!! you are such a great example to me!!! 

How did clair do on her talk? 

Can'tbelieve Andrea is getting married and about Kjirsti!!

And that story about Aubrey, that is pretty cool! She will be a greatmissionary!!! 

I also wanted to thank you for getting those scriptures for me!! They are wonderful!! Especially because we have been told we will walk miles between houses it will be nice to have small ones!! I love reading from them. I got a bag here that I think may work better than the timbuk2. It clips around my waist and goes over my shoulder. Things are so much cheaper here!! I got a mini preach my gospel and it was 1dollar, and garments are SO cheap!! I am going to get some of the cotton mix ones. They want us to changetwice and day and shower twice a day to prevent rashes and such!!

I love you tons!!! I hope you know it!!! Did you feel like you were appreciated on mother's day!!? I thought about you a lot and wished I could call you!!!

Oh, before I forget, because I am going to walmart manana, will you just make sure there is enought money in my account? I think it will be okay, but just in case?

Got to go! Sorry not much today!!! 

Love you all!! Have a wonderful day and know I love you!!

Your Nicaraguan missionary, Hma. Morey

It's a Long One!

Bienvanidos from the CCM!!!!

I honestly CANNOT believe that I have been here for 3 weeks!! It feels like I have been here forever, yet that I just got here. I have decided here time is weird. The days go slowly but the weeks go fast. But good things have happened! It has been both a hard and great week. I learned a lot and experienced a lot!

We went to the Market on Tuesday which was INCREDIBLE (did you get my letter because I explained it all in there and I don't have time to explain it all here). It was nice because here in the CCM it still feels like we are in the U.S. But the colors are so incredible and every inch of the place is ocvered in items to buy. Things are less expensive here wich is nice :). I hope that someday you guys get to go to a market like this one because it is definatley somthing to see! And then we went to a relief map of Guatemala and our MTC president explained to us the theory of the Book of Mormon taking place here which was pretty cool!!

One other exciting thing that happened this week was I woke up one morning really early (I have a hard time staying asleep here) and was rubbing my eyes and my eyebrow felt sore (that sore feeling when you are about to get a big zit on your face) and I thought I would check it when I got up for the day. When I got up an hour or two later I was opening my eyes and it felt like something was in my eye because my vision was blurry and I couldn't see very well. I went to look in the mirror and low and behole my eye was swollen shut!!! I yelled 'Hermana Nuttle look at my face!!' We rushed to the bathroom where my roommate who is a CNA was getting ready and she checked it out. We decided that I got bit by a mosquito right on my eyelid during the night. The swelling went down and was fine in a few hours and I found more mosquito bites on my face later. It was just really freaky to see my face like that and kind of funny. So now I put insect repellent on my face before I go to bed to protect my oh so precious face (just teasing). But really, the mosquitos here are intense, and May is the month of bugs here I guess!! It has also started to rain a lot here as we enter the rainy season!

Just another fun thing that I did was my disctrict wanted to see what my hair looks like when I brush it out. You have seen it brushed out? Well with the humidity it was even more intense. Everyobdy couldn't stop staring and touching. The latinos were the most amazed. It was fun to do it, but really really hot!! Just wanted to let you know that I am letting myself go sometimes :)

A few things I haven't told you about the CCM. Sundays are SO stressful because every week we have to prepare a 5 minute talk on a different subject in espanol. You never know if you will get called up! So you spend most of sacrament worrying :) Then 2 companionships get called up during sunday school to teach a 10 minute lesson in english (that one isn't as bad except the guy who looks over our class really gets after people for their lessons).

Also, the CCM is placed right by a very big street so constantly we here cars going by and lots of noises. Sometimes at night cars will race down the road which is exciting :) Also next to us is an All girls Catholic school. Sometimes they have parties and during Deportes (sports) we hear their music. They played Ke$ha one day and we were all worried the song would be stuck in our head the rest of the day but we were fine!!

Mi Companera has been really sick these past few days and I am amazed that I haven't gotten sick at all!! I don't know what kind of immune system I have but it is awesome!!! I do think I will get some vitamin C though, just to make sure :) But we have been working on getting to know how to work with each other better! This week we had a little disconnet and had to learn how important it is to have companionship inventory (when you discuss things that you need to work on as a companionship to get along better and be united better. Things like, please don't do this, etc.). Communication is key and just being able to do what the other person wants sometimes. It is getting better, though!! And I know that it is something really important for me to learn.

Brother Amado from the 70 (you have seen him speak in General Conference) came and talked to us last night and it was so good! It told us of his experience learning english. And one thing that really helped me as I work on not being homesick is he said we do so much more good for our families and bless them more if we put our heart and soul into the work. What good does it do if I worry and think all day about how much I miss home? It just hinders my work and makes me have a hard day. So I am working on that!! It is so nice to have people come and talk and build us up. Tell us what we need to do and let us know we can do it!

I also really love going to the temple. We get to go every week which is a blessing. I really love being there and it gives me strenght to do what I need to for another week! It makes me really sad, though that I won't be able to go for a long long time. But it will be okay!!

One thing that makes me nervous sometimes is when they talk about what our missions will be like in our countries. Sometimes I don't know what to believe, but we had a sanitation discussion the other day. I don't think I ever thought about what the bathrooms will be like here, but now I know!! I know that I will be able to do it, but it still makes me nervous. Especially because I won't know what to expect! So they just told us some things we need to carry around with us and look out for. And I know the Lord help me through it all!!!

I finished the B.O.M for the second time this week!! I am so grateful to be able to read from it and learn so much from it!! I was so terrible before the mission that I am glad to have an opportunity to really delve into it!!

That is all for today!!! I love you all!!! Keep being wonderful!!!

 

Love, your Nicaraguan missionary with the big hari :)

Hermana Morey

Another Week, Another Letter

Hola from Guatemala!!! Semana (week) 2!!!!

This week has been SO much better. After talking to my district we have all decided that at one time or another in the first week we thought we had made a mistake and needed to get back on a plain to go home. But after that first week we feel so much better. The spanish is progressing (slowly) and we are adjusting to the work load. There is a sense of peace here and everyone works hard. Everyone is willing to build you up and give you a hug if you are having a hard day. Two of my roommates are leaving tomorrow which is really sad. I wish i could have gotten to know them better!! They were very nice girls! One is going to Nicaragua Sul, and the other is staying in Guatemala. I then have another roommate (Hermana Potter) who I look up to a lot. She is one of those people you never thinks of herself and her problems but is always looking for ways to serve everyone else. She is very happy and doesn't focus on the negative. I am working on trying to be more like her (in my own way). To think of others. I know that by doing that I will feel happier and better myself.

Family!! Did you sell Hanz yet? you have to tell me when you do because i will feel a little sad for him. I will miss him. I think we got along well because he worked so well with me!!

And thank you so much for the letters you gave me!! I had to read them a few days after I got here because I knew it would be too hard at first. You really know how to help me feel good about myself and know that I can do all hard things.

One of my favorite things to do here is sing the hymns in spanish. It is a great way to learn because you have to say the words fast and I have realized that you can feel the spirit singing hymns even if you don't understand all of the words. There are 100 less hymns in spanish, but the songs are all good. We sing probably 5 hymns a day which is a fun time!

I have loved reading the scriptures. I could read all day if I could!! My roommate read the entire book of mormon while she was here and I want to see how far I can get!! I am finishing my second time reading it (woot!) And just finished 3 Nephi. I think it would be SO cool to meet the 3 nephites and hear all that they have to tell. They have seen so much and done so much!!

 

If you need a good thing to read look up The Felloswhip of the Unashamed by Elder Eyring!!!

I love you all TONS!!!! You are the best!!!

Send any good pinterest quotes or talks my way!!! Dear elders are great for that!!!

Love, Your Nicaraguan Missionary, Hermana Morey