7-30-2013

Whoa... suave... voy a cumplir un año ya...

Whhhoaaaa. This week I complete  one year in the mission. One year, two areas, four companions. Rinna has like 7 companions already but two areas as well haha Woohoo!

I would say that yes, time has gone quickly. The really long days seem far away while the really good days seem to be more frequent. Its been really interesting. A return missionary is going to cook us some bbq and brownies to celebrate Thursday haha Its so strange to think. The reality is that we will be home the last week of July because of the change in the transfers schedule, soooo by this time next year I´ll be at Texas Roadhouse with my family (make a note, family, because that´s where we are going)

Even so, this area has had a major change. I have been here now since March, so I´m going to complete 5 months here. We baptized two kids in March, remember? One of them hasnt been confirmed until... yesterday. Yes. Finally, the child was baptized. 4 months later, he received the second part of his baptism. Wow.  In addition, we have a surge in our ward of desires to help in the missionary work. One brother specifically is taking upon himself a few investigators like ´future elder project´ to get them trained to be good members. Its a project, but he is excited to do it and it is helping quite a bit. We leave a ton with members. The neighborhoods are all small and we walk everywhere, its normal, but we have had quite a few members leave with us. This week we had 27 lessons with members. That´s a ton. Normally 15 is a good week. We also brought 3 families to church, so we have 4 families progressing (going to church) in total now. There have been so many blessings recently. So many blessings. 

Ive learned that to trust in God is to say what you feel... well, in this way. In lessons, we are taught to promise blessings. What have I learned about that? To promise the big blessings that we feel. For example, my comp promised that one of the families would sell their house before getting baptized, a person called to buy the house the next day... They have been together for about 24 years and arent married, they said that they will go to the court and get married, so they should be getting married as we speak even though he said ´Ive never thought about getting married in my life. Never.´

Wooooooow.

Also, this zone Im in was once known as ´the zone of punishment´ such as all the bad missionaries come here. I could have believed it when I came, but after the few months I have here, we are now the most successful zone in the mission. Its to say we are teaching the most families, and we bring the most people to church. Thats right!!! Woohooo!!! 

Yeah. Many, many blessings. I feel so blessed and I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and all of His children. 

Les quiero mucho, cuidense y tengan una buena semana!

PS Mom and dad, I got the package with the songs, muffins, skinny ties, and tobasco chipote sauce (please send more sauce, I am tempted to use all of it in a week... its so delicious...)

Love,

Elder Hombre

-- 

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

 Taking the district numbers report every night... Woohoo!!

My comp. His face is normally like that.

7/22/2013

Wehehehehelllllll

This week was awesome. We have made so much progress in this area its ridiculous. Really ridiculous. Being super obedient, loving the people we teach and working efficiently must be a great formula to have success because its working haha My comp made a whole lesson plan chart thing on a whiteboard we have in the house. Its like the area book, but in check and circle visual style. Love it. Made a plan for days A and days B to visit the groups of people we are teaching so that we dont leave them out or forget anyone. Its really different being with a gringo. Starting to like it, even though he still talks a ton... even in the lessons... ive just started to interrupt him (shouldnt, but I dont think its necessary to explain that we are children of God for 15 minutes... maybe its just me) haha

In reality, I feel really strong in what we are doing. Not only do we have good numbers for what we have done, but we have also had a great improvement in confidence with our investigadores. 

I detest the fact that I feel now incapable of explaining clearly of what I am experiencing. I am not sure if it is because I hardly speak English now or if it is just because I have forgotten the words to explain the feelings. I know how the Spirit confirms truth to me now, I feel it strongly when I make a promise to someone and I feel it when I exercise the priesthood. I know that every bit of what I teach is true. Even the pastors of evangilist churches cant defend themselves against this truth and try to change the subject because the just blatantly do not know. I have felt such a strong confirmation of this church that it is true. That the doctrine is true. That prophets exist. That its difficult to live the way of the Lord because we are not meant to succeed 100 percent. Thats the point, to humble ourselves and to accept him as the one and only Savior. 

All the while, I enjoy what I am doing. I enjoy the most personal study in the  morning because I can just read the scriptures. I understand better the word ´feast´ when it comes to the words of Christ. I still dont know everything and I still have to think and remember and search and ponder, but I know that God blesses me with more and more understanding. A feeling that is different now than the beginning of the mission is that I feel I am less likely to teacha lesson and more likely to teach a person. Again, Im not perfect, but I know I am learning better in the sector. 

With that, I know that Christ lives. I know it with certeza. Como mi primo JJ prefiero dar mi testimonio en español ahora, pero selo diré después de la misión en mejor inglés. Solo sepan que sé que vive.

-- 

 My companion claims he can dance... I now call him ´Yank n Krank´

 Just chillin in the house

and the birthday present to my new comp, Elder Rogers hahaha

Busted egg.

7-15-13

Well, I didnt have transfers, but my companion did leave. My new companion is from Utah. Yeah, he´s white. It´s weird. He speaks to me in english. It´s weird. He tries to tell me he knows how to dance when he danced country swing and freestyle (shivers down my spine)... and he... well... he´s a good missionary haha He´s told me that he has had a few interviews with the new president and is more or less on his ´watch list´ ha so thats great. He didnt do anything bad bad, but something he shouldnt have done... so I suppose that when I met the president and he told me I have obedience written on my face... i suppose he has the purpose that I am supposed to whip him into shape haha 

But really its been great to be with him. He has a much different spirit than my previous comp. Many people have said, and I do say many, that ´when he came, I felt an illumination´ and similar things. Its true. Hes working hard to have the spirit with him and it is working. We have found two new families to teach that are going to come to church this next week and we are working hard to baptize soon. 

Today is his birthday too. So I had a present for him in the morning. I sent him out on the patio telling him there was something for him, stood at length from a table (i had my camera hidden in the plants) ´yeah, there it is, right there. Yeah, that thing´ ´where? ohhhhh, the oatmeal cream pie!!!!´ he ran for it, I hit record on my camera, took an egg out of my pocket and BOOOOM right on the back of the head. Victory. Sour egg smelling victory. hahahaha Im not sure if that tradition exists there in the states, but its something we do here for birthdays haha So, a good way to start the companionship.

Algo maaaas......... We played basketball the other morning. I actually did really well down low. Just because Im tall, and have long arms, but it was sweet. I felt good owning down on the shorties (poor poor latinos...) haha

Shout out to the family! Happy birthday to all the birthdays that have passed (you know who you are) and I whis you all well in this next week.

Sad to think too that I havent danced with a woman in a year this month... Yeah, thats something Ive thought a lot about recently... miss you Rinna haha

--

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

 

 some pictures forwarded from Elder Olive

 

7-08-13

Alrighty!

This was a great week. I´ll start off with the best part. I flew! Well, sort of. We went to give service to redo a tin roof. I went up top with my companion with a hammer. All was going well, working hard under the sun. Got half the roof off. The second half was a bit harder, the nails were a bit more difficult to reach in the middle. So, I, obviously being the smartest missionary and young man that  any of you have every met in your life, decided to just reach out a little bit farther. Couldn't reach it still, so I decided it was safe to put a little bit of my weight on the termite infested old tin roof. About two seconds later, I had my first flying experience of the mission. Hahaha Yeah, Whole thing collapsed. But its alright. It is only a ceiling about 8 feet high, not bad. I surfed the zinc all the way down and just had some scrapes on my forearms. It was pretty fun. We threw some alcohol on my arms and my leg and just kept working. Now the roof is a lot better haha and my arms have pretty much healed.

Something I didn't have time to write about last week was a huge storm that happened in the night. At about 10:50 I was woken up by thunder. But it wasn't thunder like in AZ. It was thunder directly over the house. Like the glass and roof vibrated as well as the deafening roar in our ears. It was the loudest thunder I have ever heard in my life. My comp got scared and turned on all the lights haha I fell asleep about 20 minutes later, but it was seriously super strong and real loud.

Speaking of my comp, he´s sick. Real sick. Has a fever from 38.5-40.2 Celsius for three days now. We didn't leave the house yesterday, we only went to church, ate lunch and went back to the house. So what did I do? Obviously took advantage of the time. Grabbed the portable DVD player we have to watch the Preach My Gospel training videos, popped in Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration and the Mountain of the Lord, opened up the pack of Twizzlers that mom and dad sent me, hopped in my bed and that's how it was. Took the temperature, refilled the water bottle and called a sister to bring us dinner for my comp, but it was a pretty weird day. I felt super useless just being in the house. Did not like it at all. But I think its going to happen again after we write because he is still sick. 

Aaaand we have a new president that is awesome. He´s such a funny guy. We had a mini meeting to get to know him, ask him questions, etc. His wife doesn't speak Spanish still, so he translated everything she said. We also went and talked to him one on one for a few minutes. He asked if I was obedient. I said Yes. He said, ´yeah, you can see it in your eyes and your face. You´re just obedient´ But he told me in Spanish, and his wife said, ´I don't know what he told you. Something about your eyes...´ Ha Just a funny comment because everyone comments about the blue eyes here.

Mom and Dad, I have another request... Its something a bit more specific, so I hope you can find it. I am curious if the Hymns exist but in jazz style. With upright bass, trumpet and the whole big band style.I don't know if it exists, but if you could search for that, I would be extremely grateful. Extremely grateful. We have that neighbor still that plays oldies and Elvis every other day and I get transported to another world when that happens haha

Aaaand that's the show folks, hope all is well. Keep working hard and giving time to the Great Creator. 

Adios.

PS Tenemos cambios este miércoles, tal vez me voy.

We have transfers this Wednesday. Maybe I am going to leave this area because my comp and I have the same time 3 transfers, and it would make sense if one of us left... we shall see.

--

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

Acting like Thor while making a roof

 Take note of where I was while we were taking down the old roof

Take note of where I ended up after taking down the roof very very quickly...

 My sick comp

 And a street that we walk on almost every day.

  The group in our zone with the same time. 11 months. we are the biggest group that came together in all the mission.

 Us walking in the street today after playing volleyball

 My comp and I... well I try to teach him the lifts I did with Rinna and this is what happens...

7-01-13

Wow!!

Well this week was full of activities! haha

Firstly, we had our farewell of President Monestel. It was quite sad and exciting. A bitter sweet. Tomorrow we have a conference with the new president to meet him. But the farewell was really powerful. As the choir we sang God Be With you till we meet again, but in spanish, for the first 3 verses in parts and all that goodness. The last one, all the missionaries stood up and sang together. It was so unbelievably powerful. Words cannot describe it. We sang it, we sat down and the president offered the last prayer. After the prayer, everyone just sat in silence, waiting for something more. Wishing the last moments would linger just a bit longer. Really spiritual. I hope the new president comes in hard with a strong spirit as well. Its a journey.

In addition to that, we baptized 3 sisters saturday. All three we got them married to their husbands too. That was a great and busy day. To coordinate the three marriages, the lawyer, the members, the mission leader, the investigatores, the members that were going to be baptized, the bishopric... in short, my companion was shaking from nerves at the end of the day, literally shaking. The whole ´organized and spiritual´ isnt as high as a priority. For example, 15 minutes before we start the service, Brother so and so you have your white clothes to baptize her? ´I have everything but the pants, but dont worry, i move fast.´ (he lives 10 minutes away in moto taxi) ... so yeah. A learning experience. The baptisms were really great. I know that these three sisters are going to be so strong in the church. One is going to go to the temple in a year. She already knows about baptisms for the dead and all of that jazz. (oh jazz music, how I miss thee...) and mom, dad, rinna, we have plenty of people to visit and plenty of families that will feed us when we come to visit haha

There is always more, but I will dedicate this time to send fotos.!!!

adios!!!

--

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

 Elder Bateman from Texas and I enjoying the Pace Salsa

Picture didn't come through completely

 Cutting the cake in the weddings

Here's two of the three. Wedding before baptism

Last pic with president

at the end, all started chanting ´beso! beso! beso!´

 I saw my son again. He's still super funny.

Hermana Flavia

Hermana Eli (the darker one)

6/24/12013

Well, 

Today was definitely interesting.A quick summary-

Left to go to managua, the main city. We went to choir to practice our farewell songs for the president (i love singing in choirs. Definitely going to do institute choir or something after the mission) After that, we went to mcdonalds (Elder bateman, texas, and I). We met the president of the north mission that was there. Then we left to go take out some birth certificates because we need them to marry 3 couples this weekend. After, we went to the big bus stop (not like a normal bus stop in the states... its like a 3rd world market where theres just a ton of buses and all are shouting where they are going and try to get you to change your mind and go to that place instead) buuuut there was a huge political protest going on. The youths against the elderly that dont want to give them something like social security or something, im not entirely sure. Just waves of people in the streets, not letting the buses pass, so we walked a few kilometers more until we finally found a bus. In route, we met a guy who spoke english and had a girlfriend in california that visited two times a year. Not sure how that works... Many other little tid bits of fun, but in short, all is well.

We have 4 baptisms for this weekend. One couple, and two other women. We have to have 3 weddings for each of them before they can all be baptized, so we are going to have one huge part saturday!!! Woohoo!!! hahaha We are so excited. We havent had a baptism since we came to the area and definitely has been a fight to get these people to baptism, but it is worth it. They are all prepared and we are just really excited.

Also, mom and dad, you dont have to send razors anymore...I can buy them here for like 2 pesos... thanks for the year supply. I think my companion is stealing from it without telling me because I havent seen him buy a razor in 3 months but he always just happens to have one that ´looks like the type I have´ haha 

También, I saw that fireside with Hna Clement´s president. The thing she mentioned in her letter. I got really excited and started searching for her, but alas she was not there. My district asked if that was her mission and if she was there after it had ended.

Aaaaaand yes. Hope all is well. Shout outs to the Heymans, Hills, Lees, Aionos, Clements, and Manns! haha

--

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

 The first... writing in the journal at night haha

 The second, this is our weekly planning session. Yeah, those are Jeremiah´s toys.

 my zone in ciudad sandino (without the zone leaders... they were talking...)

6/17/2013

Well, some interesting things have happened this week. Let´s just start off with a the good one. I was robbed for the first time in my life. Not by gun point, nor by knife point, nor by a group of gangsters. Two skinny druggies with a machete and a big rock. Yeah that was a great experience. We were literally on the end of the block of where we live going to visit a contact we made a few days ago. It was about 8:30pm. There's the one stretch of the ´street´ that's pitch black for about 40 yards. I was off thinking in another world when two guys came out of the bushes. The one in front of me had a machete and was holding it like a shotgun by his hip. The other had a big rock, as my comp told me because I was focused on the machete. He said ´cellular. Give me the cellular´ over and over again, so I just took it out of my pocket, no problemo. Next he said ´reales, or money money.´ I took out my wallet, took out one bill worth 10 cordobas (about 40 cents) and handed it to him. I took out the rest of the bills, about 140 cordobas and two dollar bills (Rinna sent me those). They didn't see them and started touching my pockets. I offered my wallet straight to him. He didnt see it or take it. They felt my front pocket where I had my agenda in a zipper cloth case I had made in Masaya, my first area. They took that. Sorry Hna Clement, I was going to send you that, buuuuuut they robbed it. Then they just disappeared behind us and we kept walking.

What did they take from my companion? 2 cordobas. Two measley coins  haha and the keys to the house. Nothing more. They didn't take our backpacks. Didn't even take my wallet haha

we went to the bishops house after to call the zone leaders. All was well. Yeah, that was right next to our house, so we pass by there often, but recently we have taken the long way after the sun goes down.

Other interesting thing... we had a mini earthquake. I was doing a baptismal interview when I felt the movement of the earth. Lasted about 30 seconds. Didn't see any damage nor any of the like. After it stopped, we all just said ´temblor´ and continued with what we were doing haha

 This week was good in that way, we also had stake conference. Two families we are teaching came to church and also the mom of a missionary that just left. We also received a reference of a dad who has a son in the mission. We met with him and he wants to be baptized too. Also, Flavia, una señora, that we have been teaching for quite some time will finally be baptized the 29th. She has been ready for 2 weeks, interviewed and completed with all the requirements. Her ´husband´ just didn't want to get married and her mom was in town that was against every fiber of our being... so she left Sunday and we met with the couple. We challenged them to get married and they accepted! Woohoo!! She´s one of the golden investigators that are talked about. She asks a ton of questions, goes to church on her own, reads the triple that she has now, and loves the battle hymn of the republic hahaha So we are really excited to get her baptized this month. 

The 29th will also be the day after we receive our new president. 

So yeah, many amazing things have happened and things I shall never forget. I would also like to add we played soccer as a district today. The north americans against the latinos. We won. Yeah, that happened. They got all sore about it and complained, but we won haha I scored a goal and had a few take a ways. Learning to play some court soccer too in the mission haha

And in the end, hope all is well. Remember to enjoy every moment that you aren't sweating against your will and not having to shake your head like a horse to bat away the bugs that are attacking you because that's been happening this whole time Ive been here typing... haha

Adios!!

Este evangelio es verdadero y haré todo de mis esfuerzos para traerselo a todos que están preparados por el Señor!

--

Elder Mann

Nicaragua Managua Sur

La Mejor Misión del Mundo

 

 just a quick view. We were on our way to service

 last one because i just got my memory back so i dont have any new pics

 the chapel was locked and the bishopric werent home, so we had our district meeting in the house of one of the elders. Yeah, those are the matresses and a hammock. Haha

 where i study The fish is a compliment of Hna Clement