Bueno.
This first week has been really amazing here in Nicaragua. This place is hideously beautiful, charmingly scary, richly poor and just plain odd. Haha I dont even know where my area is in relation to Managua. It takes two hours to travel there, thats all I know. No idea which direction or whatnot. I havent asked my companion that yet. Anyway, getting here was an adventure in itself. Cancelled flight Monday. Two super delayed fligths Tuesday (we ended up sleeping in the airport because the shuttles to the hotels stopped at 10 when it was 1230 when we finally got to the curb). We made it. Only one bag out of all of us was left in Miami, but he has it now.
The culture is super different, almost surreal. I felt like I was walking in a James Bond movie in a third world country because I guess I was. We only take taxis and buses and they are always filled to capacity. In fact, its hard to not touch the people surrounding you if you want to sit. The buses are sometimes 10 passenger vans with about 18 people in them (standing room only lol) with a guy hanging out the window yelling where we are going to try and pick up more people.
When we finally got to our area and then our home, I saw where Id be working for the next session of my life. We live with a member family and have our own room that has a bunk and a dresser with a mini fridge (I just bought boxed milk and cereal and finally found honey today). Then we use the front room with a few couches and two tables to study. Its actually pretty nice considering. The bathroom is the most interesting part I think. We dont have running water during the day, only in the morning, which it is only a drip then. So we turn on the shower in the morning to fill a janitor sized trash can that is in the shower to use as our water for the day. Theres two bucket in it. One to fill and wash our hands in and the other to dump water over our heads for showers and dump in the toilet after a... it has been used. Since thats the only water pressure, we also put the toilet paper in a trash can right next to the toilet, dont flush it haha. Its different, but interesting.
The area in which I live is super different from any other place I have ever been to. The majority of the homes have earth for floor and maybe one of what you could consider a room. All of them have tin roofs or tarps over them and tin walls or shantily tied together branches or sticks. Its super interesting the standard of living here. I used a hole in the ground with tent as tall as my shoulders as a bathroom the other day at the Bishops house... That was neat.
But yes, the people here are much more approachable. We have the areas where we only walk fast and avoid any eye contact, especially at night, but most of the time we talk to most people. The mission here is focused on finding families, so thats what we do. We look for parents and child and just walk up and talk to them. Oh yeah, since the houses are how they are, we dont knock necessarily. We just walk up and say 'bueno!' at the gate or beginning of their property. We have a HUGE area. Its really sweet actually. We have the variety from walking in literal junge with a truck path to walking in dirt roads surrounded by houses with floors (thats how I have learned to judge the quality of a home). All the members here are really nice and help us out plenty. One family in particular just loves working with us missionary (La familia Lira). Ive eaten pretty much everything that has been put in front of me since the day I got here because of my experience the first day. Apparently my companion pretty much only ate lunch before I came here. No breakfast, no dinner. So we didnt have any apointments to eat or food to eat in our mini fridge when I arrived. My dinner the first night was four ritz crackers haha But sicne then I have been well fed. And he is starting to eat dinner too. My bowel system has been working pretty well too, no major mishaps or irregularities.
We do have to find a new lady to wash our laundry though. We went tehre this morning to drop off another load and pick up the previous and she didnt really tell us why, but just that she wont do our laundry anymore. So this will be interesting the next few days to find someone haha
Spanishwise, my companion and almost every one I talk with is surprised at how well I speak for only having been here less than a week. The hard work in the MTC paid off! Understanding is a little more tricky because they drop the ends of the words and slur it all together like we do in English, but Im picking up more and more every day. My companion speaks a decent amount of English, but I havent talked to him in English yet and dont really plan to unless we are trying to translate something. Im grateful that he does so he can help me find the words I want to say. Hes from Managua and lived in Costa Rica for a while, working with some Americans to sell houses (thats where he was able to build his English pretty well in addition to school). He actually reminds me of my cousin JJ with how he looks and even just his personality. Very calm, quiet but loves to smile and share.
We have a baptism this weekend too! A young family is being baptized. The parents are, the daughter is only six. My Companion, Elder Garcias, told me I was going to do it haha That would be awesome to be able to have that experience, but its possible I will baptize one this week and he will baptize the husband next week. In addition to baptisms, Ive given two blessings in Spanish for health. People are talking as we are in a house or in the church and Im just looking trying to understand and I see my comp grab a chair and someone sit down and they both look at me. Bueno. Ha, its actually been really amazing. Every time we have given blessings (Ive given two so far and E. Garcia has given 3 I think) I feel really peaceful and am reminded that we are here as representatives of Jesus Christ and are here to bless the people.
I asked my mission president how long mail or packages take to get here and he told me an interesting time length. Guess. Alright, heres the answer: 3 months maybe. Thats what he said... so if you want to send me a christmas present... send it now! Ha and a birthday present (March 18), send that tomorrow lol. The packages and mail are sent to the mission home where they give it to the zone leaders and they give it to us every zone conference which is roughly every 2 weeks. Entonces, itll be a little difficult to reply quickly to your letters... and I only have an hour on the computer every week, so sorry if I dont reply. I will do my best!
We also receive 2300 cordobas, the money here, every 15 days. Its roughly 100 dollars. We have a chart for what its for regarding meals, laundry, etc and I could see how it would be easy to spend it all. Theres a pulperia (mini mini mini store ran out of someones home) almost every three or four houses with snacks and whatnot. Havent bought any of the chips or anything yet, but I will.
Well, thats all I have for you this week. Hopefully that gives you a picture of how my first week was.
Mom and Dad, I brought the wrong cord for the camera to send pictures... but it looks like I can put my card in this comp (I dont have really any pictures from here yet though)... and I guess you could send the water filterpitcher if you want. We use the bottle with a filter we got from the MTC pretty much, not really and cups and whatnot at home. That might change with each area though...
Love you all and hope all is well! Remember that Jesus Christ is your Savior and that this is His Church. He can help us in every single way and aspect of life if we ask Him and live righteously.
Love Elder Mann
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