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