Hola Familia!

This week was pretty normal, things here in Nicaragua are good! The rainy season is ending so everyday it is getting hotter and hotter. I know I wanted to be somewhere warm but woooweee haha, I definitely got what I was asking for.

Tuesday was pretty good we had a District Meeting and afterwards we played Mafia. People always underestimate me when it comes to Mafia which is why I enjoyed playing it so much haha. Then we started teaching Emanuel. He is the son of Ingrid but for some reason she didn’t want him to be baptized the same day they were. But we started teaching him and he will be baptized this Saturday. He has a hard time focusing on the lessons because he is only 9 so I bring him candy and when he is good he gets the candy haha.

Wednesday I got a sweet package filled with American candy. It was super nice!! Packages are seriously envied here so when you get one it is the talk of the mission haha. Anyway we met with Jerry again. He is the teenager that was going to get baptized a couple weeks ago but it fell through due to family problems. Anyway the problems are resolved now and he should be baptized this Saturday as well. I am very excited. During the middle of the day there was a huge rainstorm! In 15 minutes the roads were flooded and the water was up to the middle of our calves. CRAZY!! So we sought shelter in one of our recent converts houses. Thank heavens. Haha.

Thursday was pretty good we worked super hard this week because we could only go to General Conference if we had investigators. So we would leave early and come home late. It was some hard work I tell you what. But we finally met Jimmey. He is the husband of Hazel. Hazel is Ingrids friend that told us she wants to get baptized but she needs to get married first. So we met Jimmey and talked to him about the church. He is kinda hard but I have faith that things are going to turn out right.

Friday we were teaching Hazel and Jimmey outside when all of a sudden this drunk man stumbles up and sits down with us. We were all a little startled because drunks are usually dangerous, especially for me. So we were all a little on edge but he told us to continue teaching. So we did. About 30 minutes after he sat down he stood up and said, “Hay una chalita aqui!” It took him 30 minutes to realize I was white haha. So he started walking over to me with his hand extended and he told me that he could speak English. So I said, “oh can you” and he told me his name was Joseph. So I shook his hand, and said, “Goodbye Joseph”. He saluted me and went on his marry way, telling the dogs in the street that he talked to the white girl with eyes of the ocean.. Haha. I am convinced that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor.

Saturday all of our investigators fell through so we didn’t get to go to conference L So we just worked hard all day. We had an appointment with our neighbor Mirna. She is the one we had a lesson with and her bird flew on top of my head in the middle of the lesson. So as you can imagine I was a little nervous to teach her again. So as we walked up to her door, Juan the bird, appeared and flew onto my arm because I was prepared this time and held out my hand for him to land on. He climbed his way up onto my shoulder and sat there for the whole lesson. Haha we have become good friends. He is a parrot and will repeat random stuff throughout the lessons haha. Super hilarious.

Sunday we got to go to both conferences and they were super great. Hazel and Jimmey came and I know that they felt the spirit because it was awesome. The church had a bus for the members because it was in the stake center which is pretty far from here. So we had a big bus that we got to go in. Exciting! But to be completely honest I didn’t get as much out of conference as I was hoping to. 1. Because it was all in Spanish and apostles like to use big words

2. I wasn’t very focused because I was in charge of keeping the kids quiet. So when conference comes out on the internet I will be listening to it while I write.

Today we went to the market to try and find some Christmas presents. The hard thing is that I am white so people think I have money so they try to charge me double what it really is. So we took the wife of the Bishop with us. Haha I found some stuff to send J And now here I am in the Cyber Faby writing all of you! I hope you all know that I am loving it here, I have realized that this is going to be the best 18 months for my life and every day I am grateful to be here. Regardless of the difficulties of living in another country I am so grateful and so lucky to be here. Every day I realize more and more why I am here. I am so grateful for conference and for the chance we have to hear from a living Prophet. I love you all and I can feel your prayers. Thank you for your love and support.

Hermana Willardson