4th of July

Well here I am in Nicaragua on the 4th of July and am very upset that I missed the Kaysville parade. I don´t know why I love going to them maybe its just because its something to do and we are together as a family, or maybe its because we get a lot of free things like ties, and water bottles and things like that. But Im just letting you know right now that WE WILL ALL be going next year to it so you have a year to prepare. I am also a little sad I am missing fireworks, and chasing after Toby because he hates them. I am sorry you guys get to deal with that while I am gone. I don't know why I picked the sissy dog of the group but there is a reason in almost everything and well the reason and lesson to learn with Toby is patience right?

Today I tried planning something super fun for everyone from the states to do like make hamburgers and eat watermelon and do relay races but I have learned a lot on the mission that elders sometimes aren't very fun and don't always like taking pictures and documenting things but whatever, I will change that because they need pictures of their mission right? Anyways ya they all bailed and did other things so what did we do? We went shopping! Ok not really we went to the mall to print pictures because its only 3 cords to print a picture which is I don't know because 20 cords is 1 dollar so you do the math of how much it is. We did that and then ate hamburgers to celebrate the 4th of July, and of course I dressed up and sang I"m proud to be an American.

This week I know I say this a lot and I am pretty sure I repeat myself a lot but really this week flew by and I can't believe we only have 2 more weeks until changes. I am pretty sure I will be keeping my record of a new companion every change because my companion she is sick of the area and asked for changes because her and the bishop don't get along very well so will see what happens maybe we will be together another change.

We had an activity this week and got to watch the Joseph Smith movie which I just love! I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that he restored this gospel and how lucky we are to have it. The priesthood is amazing and I am blown away each time I get to watch and see it in action. I cant help but just smile whenever someone gets a blessing.

The Elders that live in our area had a baptism this week and I adopted their recent converts to be my own because they like me a lot, and always want to sit by me. The lady looks like the lady off I don't know maybe the maple syrup. But she just is a black lady with a cute little husband I will take a picture with them and send it next week but they were baptized on Saturday and she got up on Sunday and bore her testimony and I just thought wow this is why we are here to help people come unto Christ and find real happiness. I read a talk today The Way of the Disciple by President Uchtdorf from May 2009 and it goes along great with this he says ¨´ after the excitement wears off, the hollowness remains as we look for the next new idea to unlock the secrets of happiness.´I thought how many people look for the next new diet to drop weight fast, the next new clothing, the new big thing and yet when its all said and done we are not happy. Its true that this gospel brings us happiness, knowing that this brings us happiness, service brings us happiness and closer to Christ.

As I said we eat dinner and lunch with elders who are in our zone but live in our area they are so funny and great elders and missionaries. As we were writing last week one of them received a letter from his brother saying his dad had died almost a week ago. He was devastated as you could imagine. But I knew that he was going to be ok because he knew and had a testimony that he could see and be with his dad again. He has been a huge strength and building of testimony to be seeing him go on working and being happy knowing this. This work is great and The plan of our Father in Heaven is even greater.

I really like the talk by Elder Richard G. Scott in November, The Transforming Power of Faith and Character. It says they recognize that when the challenges intended to be growth opportunities come, they will find ways, as prompted by the Holy Ghost, to overcome them in ways that are productive and character building. He goes on to say we become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day... I really thought about that for a long time because I am here representing you guys and also Jesus Christ. I am to become from this saying become what I am constantly doing.. Am I constantly being a good example? Am I pushing myself and others around me to be there best? Am I being what I want to become? I have thought a lot of the mission why is life and changing and being good always so hard? Why can't sometimes doing the right them and just being more like Christ more easy because I want to change daily but yet I fall short daily.. I have come to learn that if things were easy then we wouldn't really appreciate the things that we get in return.

I read this week in a talk I think that we get what we pay for. I know mom and dad and Jonathan and Shane know how it feels when you have worked so hard with a family or a person and finally they are baptized the joy that you have for them and for their happiness is amazing! You cant explain it. Just like when we complete a big goal or a project we have been working on forever we get the reward and are so proud of ourselves. This week work on being what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become. See the things in your lives that you could change they might just be little things like being more obedient. Honestly always, reading your scriptures, praying, being a better example in what you say, saying no to something that you know is wrong. just a little change little thing everyday you will begin to see a difference I can promise and testify that its true.

He goes on to say that with even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow. He says you are making better progress then you think.

Life is hard but with the knowledge that we have of this gospel we can be so happy in our lives if we just listen and try our best to be better.

Anyways so this week funny story we have this investigator Francisco, he is great comes to church and activities and is just a good guy his wife wants nothing to do with us but we are working on her. Anyways he went and watched the Joseph Smith movie and we were talking with him after, my comp started asking him if we would follow the example of Jesus Christ and he started freaking out and was like no no only he could do that for us, no I am not going to be like Joseph Smith and just kept saying all this stuff I thought I understood him correctly but wasn't sure if my comp had asked him something different because when we ask people to get baptized we ask will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who has the proper authority blah blah and he thought we were asking him to be a sacrifice.. To die like Jesus or Joseph Smith.. We quickly cleared that up and had a great laugh about it later on.

We spend a lot of our days just contacting because we don't have families right now that we are teaching we find them in the beginning of the week and then they want nothing to do with us after we teach them and so its frustrating but I get to practice a lot of my Spanish and also we get to practice and show a lot of faith in Heavenly Father that he will lead us where we need to be and by working and showing that we are willing to work and find them we will be blessed with them.

This picture of a sandwich is what my comp gave me to eat one morning its like ham on one half and them beans on the other half how yummy right? Really it was pretty good, I cant believe the things I am going to eat after the mission because of the things that I eat here. I wouldn't ever thinks to put things together but here I am always putting different things together and trying different things and its usually really good. So don't be afraid to try new foods. Mom I don't know yet if I like bbq but I do eat it sometimes so will see when I get home.

The time is passing by so quickly I don't know if I told you or not my comp and I have the same time we started our missions together and the elders as well so on Friday all of us completed 7 months and yesterday my comp told me wow how fast things are going, we almost have 8 months I had a good laugh about that because we just completed 7 2 days before she is a little trunky.

Anyways things are going great the weather is super warm and I love it but now we are in winter which is rainy season so it rains a lot here and yes I get to use my boots sometimes because it rains so much. But I love the rain, its a blast. I love Nicaragua and everything about it. Everyone says that when they get their call they feel like they know this place that its their home like they have been there before and really I know how it is. I feel like I have been here before and its my home. Its sad to say that I am the best again with the directions but its how I know how to receive directions its like go to this color of house then at the stop sign turn right for 2 streets then after this car and this and that I can do that give me go south then east and this and that ya no dad can testify to that that he would just tell me go towards the lake or towards the mountains.

The buses are still my favorite when I get to sit down because they get going not even kidding like 50 in a street that is like our street then slam on their brakes because of a speed bump then do it again for the same amount of road then slam on the brakes its so funny and I just love watching people so its great. My comp and I stated a new thing well I started it. the 5, 10, and 25 cents or pesos here are not worth anything so people always throw them in the road so my comp and I to pass time in the street besides playing soccer with rocks and kicking through each others feet for goals we pick up the money in the street its so funny my comp is like a little kid I point them up and she goes running after them for me. She bends over in the middle of the road to pick them up when cars are coming, I don't know how I am going to tell the president when my comp is in the hospital what happened... Um sorry prez we were picking up money in the road and my comp got hit by a car? that will be a good one.

I feel bad I don't have many families to tell you about that I am teaching but I promise I will keep looking and find them for you and tell you about them. I love you all and enjoy this time together because I miss you all and cant wait till we get to do things together again. Enjoy the fireworks and all go as a family. I know its a lot of hassle but its a great memory trust me you will love it when you are older.
Have a great week family and read the scritptures
Love Hna. Evans