Hello!

This week was pretty smooth. Ha Not too many super awesome or terrible things happened. Yes, Im still healthy and havent had any issues there. I eat everything drink water from the gutter. Joking about the gutter, but I do eat everything ha, except this milk directly from a cow that was practically straight curd with sour cheese. Ha

Last week, Monday, we walked about 3.5 kilometers down a steel hill to go to a laguna, or a lake that has a hotel there. I dont remember what it is called, but I wouldnt suggest it as a resort ha Although I did see a MONKEY!! hahaha It looked like a mini lemur thing from Madagascar movies. I didnt have my camera out, and it scampered away in the trees pretty quick. It was such a nice walk down the steep, steep, and long road. We stayed about the bottom for about 30 minutes only because we were late. We thought the bus would take us down and back up, but that wasnt the case. So we walked back up after taking a few pictures. Ill tell you what, the exercise I do in the morning helps haha

In addition to that! We had a baptism this past Saturday for Wilber. He has been friends with a member, who is now in the stake presidency, for 17 years (since elementary school mas o menos). In two weeks, we taught him and he baptized himself. Well, the reflexive form of spanish doesnt really work in english... He was baptized ha. And he shared his testimony to another investigator we brought to church, Lloyd from Jamaica, and dang. It was super powerful. Only about four sentences, but when he said ¨Sé que esta iglesia es verdadera.¨ or Ï know this church is true¨ It was straight from his heart.

We also have three more baptisms this saturday. One eight year old and two nine year olds. Yeah, the chillun gonna be baptized. So its been pretty fun to teach little kids the lessons of the gospel simply haha

This 19 is going to be the end of my in field training. This transfer is 1 week shorter to allow the missionaries who are soon to go home to spend this christmas with their families. If it was a normal transfer, they would spend 3 christmases away from their families, so its all good with me to have this transfer be a week shorter haha

To all who read this blog, I have a challenge for thee. The next time you see the missionaries in white shirts and ties and black plaques or sisters in skirts with black plaques, tell them you know a missionary who is serving and he (I, Elder Mann) told me (you, the reader) to say that to you (the missionaries). It makes a missionary´s day lol.

Speaking of making a missionary´s day. Thinking of a package idea? A small box with a jar of Goobers (peanut butter and jelly) is a perfect gift. Want to give more? An ugly polyester tie from the D.I. or goodwill is even better! Haha

 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Elder Mann

Shorty's Baptism

Book of Mormon Cover

Looking for an investigator on the lake

At the lake

My District

The walk down a steep road to the lake

The cab ride back home 8 missionaries in a Kia Rio size car

 

November 26, 2012

Hola!

This week was amazing. Mainly because of yesterday, Sunday. We have been teaching a number of investigators that have been prepared to hear the gospel, seriously. Elder García and I still retain doubts or uncertainty because of how many people profess to know the truth and whatnot. Pero, One couple, two other sisters and one brother all went to church for their first time yesterday. It was the most investigators from a separate family that we have had. I defintely understand when I heard missionaries say that when you have investigators at church you just focus and them and what they are thinking, how they are accepting the lesson, ¨oh shoot, we havent taught that yet¨ and all the things like that. I was like that for the second hour. Before and After that, I just relaxed and felt the spirit, knowing that Heavenly Father has a promise that He will undoubtadley fulfill. Side note- english is no longer my native language, hence the poor spelling and grammar and two, the keyboard is different, so the symbols and misc things are there and I choose to not spend the time to fix it lol. Anyway, it was a great experience yesterday at church. Felt the spirit, we met with one of the investigators after and he told us that he received some answers to his questions which was phenomenal! Woohoo!!

Thanksgiving-wise, they do ¨celebrate¨it here. Mainly just a prayer of thanks. But we were invited by a member family that is like a second family to eat with them. The husband knows a lot of random stuff about America and always tells me something different every time I go, its the family that makes the catchers masks and baseball gloves. Anyway, we sat down as a family, the parents and daughter- one daughter is serving amission- and the boyfriend of the daughter. They had some fried chicken, beans and crackers, and plantanos with some soda to drink. It wasnt grand or glorious or an excess of food, but it was so sweet. The dad said a few comments about how he doesnt know much about the reason why we in america celebrate it and how he knows the chicken isnt turkey, but we can pretend it is a small turkey hahaha, but that it is a day to give thanks for our blessings. It was really sweet and really fun. All but one part:

Aunt Lorrie and Kristen and Mom, dont read this part lol
I wasnt feeling so well that day. That morning I woke up with a pain in my stomach and needed to use the bathroom every 20 minutes. Just a dull pain in my stomach that was annoying. We still went out to work, but late around 3pm. Normally 12. I was okay, just a little off during hte day. We had the dinner around 8 and we walked home as usual. I wasnt feeling good at all at that point ha. Elder Garcia took my bag because I felt like I was going to vomit as we were walking and almost did a number of times. Got home where the sister that we live with was finishing her birthday party. Three of the guests were doctors, and two stopped by and talked to me. I had a blessing from Elder Garcia and the brother we live with. One of the docs lived down the street and so we went over there because I needed to do something. I threw up a little bit and still needing to use the bathroom and cosas como eso. He did a simple exam and through the course of an hour I drank two pictchers of a drink with electrolytes, two whole pitchers lol. and he gave me 6 pills to take for 3 days. Ha. Went back to the house. And I rid myself of the 2 pitchers of the drink and continued to use the bathroom for another hour or so. Fell asleep sitting upright on the sofa in the front room haha Woke up, used the bathroom a few times, but around 3pm the next day, completely fine. Havent had a problem since. Haha. The doc and the people here said it was a stomach infection or something. Normally cheles, or white people, have something like it, but less severe, in the first week. They dont know exactly what caused it because I didnt eat or drink anything out of the ordinary. Yeah, so that was my sickness haha

But yes! This week was great! I loved it haha! And thanks mom for sending me the story of your experience here. You should post it if you havent already.

Shouthout to Hermana Clement in DC!!!! Wooo!!!! The family I live with is looking forward to when we come back to Nicaragua after our missions hahaha

Some questions and answers;
We eat with a sister from the ward, she lives about a 5 minute walk from our house. Yesterday she made *Super Hot Dogs¨ two for each of us. Two footlongs haha I only ate 1.5. Delicious, but really different haha

The familiy we live with cooks for us too. They give us something to etat when we return home or when we are studying, as they make stuff they share it.

And I cant remember the other questions... email me with random questions if you want to know about the culture here! Its really neat actually.

Love,

Elder mann

 Chilling and getting fanned, lol

 New investigator from Jamaica

Teaching the Plan of Salvation