The Latest and Greatest

Hola Hola!!!! Another week has gone by!! I can't believe it!!

I have officially been here for one transfer!!!! And Rivas is the same. No one is different! Our district leader is a little sad, he wants more elders here but what can he do about it!! I really like it here right now, so I am okay with no one changing!! Hopefully we can rock this next transfer and really help people!!! But the other hermanas here in Rivas with us slept over Monday night to wait for who would change together. We sat outside our tiny apartment and looked at the stars and marveled at the love the Lord has for us and talked about the mission a little bit. It was so good to be there with them. I felt so extremely happy that night I couldn't ask the Lord for anything in my prayers, only say thank you for all that I have. Thank you for this opportunity (no matter how hard it is) to change, grow, and help others. I need to remember that moment when times get hard :)

This week has been some of the best lessons with my companera!!! We have really felt the spirit. For example with Rosa we went planning to teach teh Law of Chastity but we asked how she felt about Baptism and she said she was not ready- she felt like she needed to know more. I told her that we got baptized when we were 8 and did not know everything, nor do we know everything now!! It is all a process of learning and growing! But she did tell us that she has problems with the law of chastity....so we have to work with her on that!! But I think that with her testimony she will get baptized! Maybe not by us, but by others! It will not be an easy or fun process of repenting, but so worth it! I really hope we can help her!!

We had a lot of good lessons with people. It is so good to feel the spirit and feel it guide us on what to teach the people. BEcause it is when we teach by that spirit that we can truly help people. Like Hailey told me they won't remember what we teach necessarily but rather how they feel. So I pray everyday to be able to teach like that.

One thing I learned this week (yesterday) is I need to have more patience with myself. I really want to be perfect right now and get after myself for not knowing everything. I really want to skip this period of learning and just get to the part where I know what to do :) So I feel bad for not knowing spanish very well, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to teach, not nowing ANY scriptures to share, etc. Am I a good missionary and a good companion? Am I teaching with the spirit or not? Things like that. But i need to be patient and realize that everyone goes through this period. That no one starts out a perfect missionary. I need to just tell Satan to stop it!!! I just need to work really hard on teaching with that spirit and pray everytime I feel insecure. Because I really feel the Lord strengthen me when I plead with him throughout the day.And people do say that my spanish is progressing well, so I just need to trust them :)

The people here in Nicaragua are a little crazy but great! It has really been raining here a lot and the people who have dirt floors really suffer. It makes me wish that I could help them! They are such hard workers and a happy people. Happy with what they have. When we take a paponi (a bike taxi) some will tell us they only have one day off a month....imagine!! And they spend all day everyday biking people around Rivas!!!

There was a couple at church last week from the U.S. And apparently they come every 6 months or so. And she told us that every time she brings about 5 suticases full of things that she thinks the ward here needs!! She said one time they brought enought money to help 6 families go to the temple.....WOW!!!! They came to the ward about 6 or 7 years ago and saw how much teh ward needed and started helping out!!! Exactly what I want to continue doing when I am done with my mission!! Such good kind people. Examples of Christ!!

Here also, everyone believes in God. Tons and tons are catholic but there is also a different church on every corner (you know how is Utah there is a different LDS chapel every corner, well that is how many different churches there are here). There are also many many many inactives. There are about 1,000 members here in Rivas but 90 percent are innactive. Part of our job is to help those people remember what they have chosen to forget!!! And help others to realize the truth of this Gospel!!

This work is hard....but so worth it!!!

Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers!! I really feel it!!!

Keep saying your prayers, reading your scriptures (the two most important things!!) and having FHE!!!!!

I love you all to pieces!!! Keep doing great things!!!

Love your Nicaraguan Hermana!!!