We Too Can Be Great Examples

the family that we baptized last week. They are so cute. They are great, the 14 is such an example to everyone. She is reading her scriptures out loud becuase her mom doesnt know how to read so she is reading so her mom can learn. Also she invtited her 17 old boyfriend who is of another faith to church with her this week. It was a little bit of a battle because her dad didn´t know she had a boyfriend. I told her it´s best if he knew and we helped her tell him. He said well lets go to church and see how things are, and sunday he was there in church. I didn´t get the chance to talk to him becuase I was running off to class but it was a great example to me of how we can be missionaries and when we know that something is true, that something that can bring happiness into our lives and can help other people when we are sharing it it can truely bless our lives and the lives of others.

We had to talk in church yesterday and I spoke on Testimonies and read out of true ot the faith. What is a testimony, how can we develope one, how do we know when we have one. I shared stories about little kids bearing their testimonies solo of what they hear. I love heavenly father and the profeta and my family en the name of Jesus Christ amen. I also told them that when we are sharing our testimonies with others we are strengthing our own. That even when people ask us some little thing when we answer we get a little bit more oil in our tank and we grow. I shared how before the mission I would pray for missionary experience, I got to thinking about it and really I didn´t have very many with people who I found on the street, or people I didn´t know. It was more with family and friends. I remember I had alot of chances to testify about the love of our savior, also about the book of mormon, about the atonement. There were so many text messages, conversations and moments that I got to testify and those were my missionary experience. Sometimes we think we need a huge long testimony about something but really it can be something small and simple but very powerful. I want you all to pray to have these experience and listen to the spirit to guide you so you can testify in the moment that you need to. I promise the Lord will help you and you will know what to say in the moment that you need it.

This week has been a little bit better for us, we are just working hard and trying to find new people to teach and also help our recent converts. Satan knows our plan and doesn´t want us to succeed at this. We want to have 100% retention this month and satan doesn´t want us to have that. Ugh our recent converts I have no idea what is going on. The strong ones that were always int he church are the ones who know don´t want to go. I know again and again I get to see that when we are obedient and when we are doing the little things in our lives we are blessed and our testimonies are strengthened. For example one hasn´t taken the sacrament for over 2 months and now she doesn´t want to go to church and is hiding from us in the mornings when we come around to get her. Another doesn´t read is scrptiures and we found him drunk off his chair saturday and sunday. Alot of others satan just goes to work when we think we can let things slide for just a little bit. Always keep your guard up. Satan does all he can to take us away from our blessings of the gospel.

This change has been very trying for me and I am growing alot. I am learning even more and I am being tested and tried in ways I never would of thought of. But I know I am becoming little by little the person that our Heavenly Father wants me to be. I know that he is there for me and that he is blessing me and helpoing me in every way possible. I am extremely grateful and happy for him and for the Love that he has for me.

This week also in church David I don´t know if I have told you guys about him. He is a less active who wants to know everything. He wants to know everything about everything and just is super confused about things so he quit going to church. We have met with him and his wife a few times teaching them and just trying to help him feel the spirit. We haven´t gone to his house for like a week because we have just been busy but when we were on our way to church today His daughter passed us and told us she has an announcement that her dad was going to come to church! I was like WHAT? I didn´t get the chance to talk to him because he left really fast but we are going to go by and talk with him I was so happy that he came. I gave him homework last time to start reading the book of mormon I think he has been doing that and has been feeling the spirit in his life again, I think that might of helped with him coming back. Or maybe the question he little boy had in our lesson if he was feeling the spirit and if the spirit was talking to him when we were talking. I love the little kids and I love the spirit and the Lord and how he works. He works in many marvouls ways.

I love this work and I love being a missionary. This church is true and the book of mormon will change your life when you read it I PROMISE you. If you don´t believe read it, read it this week and if you don´t feel anything different or if you don´t feel that your week went better or you recieved more blessings email me and tell me so that I can start telling everyone here in Nicaragua that I´m a liar.

I love you all. Have a great week and keep up the faith and the spirit with you.

Things Do Come Around

After a bad week of just feeling really low things have started to bring them self around again. This week started out pretty well with our super hermanas pday and listening to marriage advice. I didn´t dare have the guts to tell president that I didn´t want to get married after his talk. He gave us for Christmas a book with all the pictures of missionaries so that when we get home we can look them up.. How funny is that our mission president is giving a dating catalogue.

Tuesday we woke up at the crack of dawn to take a bus 2 hours away for interviews with president. I honestly was ok with it becuase i love president and well the bus is fine we can sleep and relax and it´s fine. I was dyin this bus ride tho I was done being on the bus after the day before and then again tuesday. Anyways wel went in for our interviews and I was the first one of like 50 missionaries to go. I loved it tho I love my mission president and talking to him and getting his advice and his help. I told him how i felt, how I feel like I´m not having success and I just feel frustrated and he gave me great advice and comfort and helped me feel alot better about myself we takled a little more about life and about everything. I shared the experience about matt and I at the temple when we were younger and he enjoyed that. We then had other classes and just learned about using little children to our advantage while we are teaching and we are angels and how we need to be more like missionaries in the scriptures serving and helping and defending and with faith. It was a good lesson. We got home at 8 at night it was a super long day.

We are teaching a lesson active and his wife trying to help her come to church. He has alot of problems becuase he was another religion before and so is very confused with things and wants to know everything and we know that we can´t. We know we need to have faith and learn little by little we cant eat the whole cow at once. So we are trying to help him understand little by little. We were reading a chapter in the book of mormon and David thats his name is just kinda ok ya feeling the spirit because he hasn´t been reading the book of mormon for a while. SO I know he is feeling something. His little boy is just bugging him for money so he can buy a pop and buggin and buggin. Finally he asks me what the Holy Ghost is. the little boy. I was like umm.... How am I going to explain this to him. Then we were like 3 feet away I started to whisper he couldn´t hear me so I moved closer he still couldnt hear me so he moved closer till I whispered in his ear. I told him this is how the holy ghost speaks to us softly and to our minds and our hearts. He asked a few more questions then asked me if it was speaking to me right now. I told himto ask his sister who is a member and goes to church all the time. He didn´t he asked his dad. Dad is the spirit speaking to you right now? I just sat there with a huge smile on my face like ok answer him. I think the spirit taught all of us more then what we were teaching this day. How the spirit talks to us and how we can reconigize it. He didn´t answer his son he just said I will explain more to you later. the little boy is like 6 years olD. Anyways I asked him if he would say our prayer he told mehe didn´t know how to pray. I told him go ask your sister to help you pary. Again he didn´t he went to his dad and his dad helped him. I was like what a great expierence we got to have with this little boy. Hermana arredondo was right to have us get help from little kids and from heaven.

We had our baptism this week of Luis, Luisa and Ana! Honestly they are amazing we went to their house and I straightened her hair and did her make up for her wedding. We had 2 wedding and 6 baptisms becuase the other hermanas wanted to do it with us. It was packed but a great sight to see. My computer wont let me send you pictures so next week I will. Luis and Luisa have lived together for 22 years have drank coffee and liquir their whole lives her coffee him beer and never have been married. It was great to see them both so nervous to get married but so cute and happy. They invited a few friends who aren´t members to come and see and it was just great. They wanted he other family to get baptized first but then they did. Luis had a metting for work the next day and he was going to be late for sacratment metting I was like ok we can just confirm you a little later. I thought oh no we might have trouble with this but where is my faith? He came earlier then we thought and was so happy. He got the holy ghost and then went to class.

They saved us part of their cake because we were fasting so we went over last night so we can eat it with them and I asked what they were learning about. He pulled out a piece of paperhe had been taking notes on and was telling us everything. He told us he is going to buy a new white shirt so he can go to church with his shirt and tie and also glasses so he can read becuase the ones he has give his a headache and he wants to read so he can answer in class. He has been sober for over 3 weeks now and honestly its just a amazing story the lord knows who is prepared and who isn´t and when we listen our lives can be blessed as well. I love this family and am so happy for them they are going to go far in the church and thats what I wanted. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father to let me have this blessing after a hard time. I know that he hears our prayers and that he helps us out after we have done all we can.

I love this gospel and I love being able to a part in the lives of those whos lives are changing and to be able to see it. i love this work even thou it´s frustrating and hard it´s so worth it and I wouldn´t trade it for anything. I love you all ad hope you have a great week.

Elder Nelson

This week as you all know we were able to listen to Elder Nelson of the quorum of the 12. It was really a very neat and great experience that I was able to have. So far in my mission I have been able to personally meet Elder Ballard and elder Nelson. We got to have a lot of time in the morning to get ready which was a great part. My daughter as you can see in pictures before had a different sense of style and well I am my mothers daughter and we had a great day having a spa day in our house. Straighten hair, plucking eyebrows, doing makeup I LOVED IT. I was in my zone doing the hair and make up and everything.We got there and waited around forever because i´m sorry to say but the mission south is not very organized so we just were crazy then we got in sat down and waited. When Elder Nelson entered the room you could feel the spirit and everything just change about everyone. We got to shake his hand and his wifes hand and then we sat down. The first hymn we always sing in conferences like this is called to serve. At this time it was about 130 in the afternoon maybe a little later. I opened my mouth and started to sing called to serve in Spanish but didn´t make it very far into the song before my eyes started to tear up and the thought came into my head that Mat and I are both now singing this song together. I fought my way through called to serve telling myself i was not going to cry here! We finished and the conference was under way.

We got to listen to area president and his wife, first our mission president who I love so much, he spoke about the gospel and how it blesses lives and just bore a really strong testimony about it. Then the area president Felabella and his wife they as well just bore brief testimonies then we got to listen to sister Nelson and also the best part is that they don´t speak spanish so we got to listen to them in english which I love spanish but i love things in english as well. Anyways she asked us what we did in heaven so that we can be serving here in Nicaragua that she would love to see the video of what we were doing so that we can serve here but also so that we can remember who we are and what we agreeded to up there. I thought about it because it´s not only for me, what I did to be able to serve here but what we all did to be able to be born in the USA to be able to be born to this family, to be able to live free and with food with work we are so blessed because of the decisions that we make daily. So spoke to us about using the people from the other side of the veil in our teachings to talk about them and to ask about them so that their spirit can be present with us. They are a huge blessing and help to us in this work. It was a really good talk she is super sweet and nice very well spoken as well.

Elder Nelson is funny. He had us stand up for different things and there was a super short missionary standing up that he couldn´t see but the other missionaries were pointing out. He asked straight up are you standing up? Why are you so short? just things that I was like WHAT? but honestly it is just like a little kid honest and bold and straight forward I was dying laughing. But he spoke to us not like we were in a conference I felt like he was just talking to us like we are his friends. He spoke to us about the work and if we had just one sentence what would that sentence be to share with someone and he talked to us about just teaching and getting to know people and to really care about them. Then he was teaching us about how we can study more about Christ and he taught us about the life style of Christ and the scriptures from the Book of Mormon it was really a very uplifting and great conference I really enjoyed it.

Pepi is doing good, he didn´t come to church this week but we found him a friend because he is super lonely and they are going to go and visit him so that he can feel more love and happy. We have 6 families that we are teaching, I am just working and trying to follow the spirit and help these people really make changes in their lives. I love this work but it´s very frustrating. Anyways we have a family her name is Linda and his is Omar and they are super sweet her dad is a member she has a desire to learn and is readying the Book or Mormon and just loves when we read with her. another family is Luis and Luisa they as well are super kind they came to church with us yesterday and just have so many questions but just understand everything and are like ya that makes sense and just are very chill. Maricele is to complete a family and she has listened to missionaries before but her husband is less active we are trying to help activate him and baptize her their daughter is a member and is great but they just are struggling the others are starting to cook we just met them but things are going good. I love teaching when we have appointments the time goes by so fast but when we are just contacting it doesn´t. This week we have been running from every end of our area because the appointments we had but it´s great.

The other Hermanas had another baptism and I love them!! I love seeing the people come out of the water and while they are standing int he water nervous but super happy. This gospel really changes lives and bring happiness to our lives. I love it so much. I am so blessed and happy to be serving a mission and to be sharing this message with everyone here. Pray for these families please and pray that we will be able to find more so that we can be lead to who is ready.

Family please be careful with satans traps he is fighting to take away our salvation and our happiness. The things that only give us happiness for a day or a hour or a week don´t last. The things of the world aren´t things that we can take with us into the next life. Remember to be strong and to do the things you know your whole life. To read, to pray, to listen we are only trying to help you not make things harder their is always a way out remember who you are a daughter and a son of a king you are prince and princesses don´t settle for anything less then royalty.

I'm A Trainer

I am now training and new missionary. Her name is Hermana Queme and she is from Guatemala. Honestly I feel I don't know, very stressed out, very not ready for this and a lot that I need to change. I'm happy for this chance I have because I need there are things I need to change to make me a better person and this is going to be one for those things.

She is very very quiet. She is a white personality and well I don't know if I mesh well with them but its going to be good. There will be almost like another Hermana. Evans running around here in Nicaragua. We will be together here for 2 changes so its going to be great.

The work is going good, this week really we focused a lot on our recent converts we went around teaching and visiting them kinda like I had planned on doing before but just didn't get around to. But so we visited them and then Sunday came around. Always on Saturday a lot of people are like ya we are going to come to church with you, ya this, ya that ya come by for us and then they bail. We were able to take a less active to church today who is a mom of our recent convert. She is really sick and hasn't been able to go to church for a few months now, but we got her to come with us and she enjoyed it.

We were sitting in the church and in walks Pepi who I just love. He loves going to church and leaning. But he came in then another investigator came in, and then one after another after another of our recent converts came walking in. I was like wow what a blessing that we have. We had 10 out of our 17 recent converts in church yesterday.

... So we had to give a talk and prepare a class for the same day. I spoke on Obedience and

the blessings that we recieve from being obedient and just scriptures about obedience. Like the ones in D&C the lord is bond when we do what He says. and I love one in 105:6 where the Lord tells us that His people need to learn obedience and he does help us to learn it when we are given tests and trials. also I really like the scripture in 1 Nephi 2:3 where it explains what is obedience. I read out of the true to the faith and just talked how Jesus was perfectly Obedient with the Atonement and how we need to be obedient so that we can receive blessings and we can be happy. We are given these rules to make us free and to help us so that we can become better people and show our love for Heavenly Father.

I love this quote from Presdient Arredondo- "When we are obedient we receive blessings, but when we are obedient with exactness we receive miracles." It's so true when we are doing everything in our power we receive miracles but when we think, oh it doesn't matter oh no I don't need to obey this tiny little thing it doesn't work and we don't get the blessings and miracles we could of had.

I am learning a lot about the Book of Mormon. I swear each time we read it there are new chapters of verses that are just put in there for us. I am now in Mosiah and am reading and study about baptism, before about our next life. I love it, I had the idea while I was studying that I was going to teach the primary the plan of salvation. I drew circles and everything and labeled. It was going well until the little boys in the class decided they didn't want to listen anymore and
well I had had enough and kicked them out of class. They went to the priesthood with the adults. I asked them after class how it was, and they said they hated it. I asked how are you going to be next week? They said good. Will see how it goes, maybe another week in the other class and then they might behave. Its so hard because they don't have any respect for anyone and they don't listen but they are going to learn. With me and another sister we are going to teach and train these people to be a lot better

Yay New Converts

This week oh my was different. So we started off the week with killer retention with our recent converts and just working our butts off so we can have families that we are teaching and families we can take to church. But I just want to tell you a few experiences that I had this week.

1 I go into my room to change my clothes in the morning, close the door am in there for not even 5 min go to leave and I cant open the door! I thought the Hermanas I live with were playing a joke on me until they tried opening it and couldnt get it opened. I was like oh my how funny is this going to be with our numbers in the night time sorry elder we couldnt leave to work today becuase Hna. Evans couldnt come out of the room. For the next 15 minutes we had everyone trying to get me out, they were trying different keys, different ways of turning the handle just everything and no luck, I was sitting on my bed crying becuase I was laughing so hard, finally they just got a hammer and broke the handle off and I came out. So thats how my day started we came back in the afternoon to get something and they were like look we saved your life today, I was like ya thanks I know I couldnt leave the room. They were like no look by your door. By our front door was this big scorpin! I was like what the heck is going on? I told him thanks again for saving my life and we went to work but not contacting or teaching. Hna. Arredondo called me at 4 in the afternoon and said I neede dto find the presidents of the primary, relief society and the young women so that we could have a meeting at 6. We spend an hour looking around the whole area to find this lady so she could be there. Finally at 6 oclock we found her in the street and she said she was going to be there. It was a great meeting, she taught us how to work in these areas and things we need to do and how things need to run it really gave me a drive to work in one of those areas but it quickly wore off sunday when I was back in the primary. Anyways so we finish the meeting and we go back to our house and there is a huge tranchula right above my suit case. I was like what is going on here in this house today never have we had this kind of problems. we killed it and went to bed.

The next day the other hermanas had a baptism that they had us go set the church up and get everything ready so we are at the church at 4 and got everything ready and people are showing up and we are just waiting for them so they can get married and baptized. We get a call at 430 saying the lawyer is an hour away and we arent going to have this till like 6. We were like crap what are we going to do because there are people here and we cant just leave the church so we had an investigator there and we decided hey we are jut going to teach him so we went into a room with just 7 of us, a guy in our ward got a great idea that he was going to invite everyone to join who is there so he invites everyone we have like 12 people and it was fine we just taught lesson one about the restoration while we wer teaching more and more and more people started coming in. When we finished the lesson there was probably 25 people in our lesson it was pretty good because they were all reminded what this lesson was and everyone learned something new. Finally we got the wedding and baptism over with and we were taking our numbers at night. I looked down on my skirt and there was another huge brown tranchula on my skirt. I flicked it off and we were trying to kill it but it got away we dont know where but it got away. We cleaned our house today for pday to try to get rid of those nastey things. Anyways it was quiet an adventure we had this week.

Pepi is doing ok, he was a little ticked at the elders for telling him he had to get baptized this week and was not going to keep coming to church but we went and smoothed things over and everything is ok with him and he came to church this week. it was so cute there was like a old peoples club in the corner of church I wish I would of had my camera.

We have other families we are teaching and well please pray that they will have a desire to progress and to go to church. I feel there is alot of stress and pressure on me to baptize and to just be amazing because Im training but I know its in the lords time and when these people are ready. We met a really neat lady last week named Lilian.

We have been teaching her and put a goal with her to get baptized the first lesson. She never gave us a direct answer when we wanted her to get baptized and if she got an answer. We were teaching her the other day and I had the idea to have her pray. She prayed to know if this church was true and if she could know. It was the sweetest and most sincer prayer just simply asking to know. We taught about the 5 principles of the gospel and about baptism and I asked her after if she would get baptized or what she thought about baptism. She was quiet for a min and didnt answer then she said she didnt know I asked what she thought and she told me she knows this church is true, she knows its real and that she needs to get baptized she is just scared there are going to be alot of tests and trials that come from that. we taught her its part of life and that everything is going to be ok. She didnt come to church with us this week I think satan is working on her but we are going to be working harder.

We were leaving that lesson and I turned back around and we contacted her son and his wife that live int he same house. Linda is the wife and her dad is a memeber they are super sweet and just love learning they need a little extra help but things are going to be good for them. Im excited she loves the book of mormon and we gave her one the other day and she is reading I know she is going to know these things are true.

Another great experience we had we have been teaching jessica and her mother in law and sister in law but her husband never comes and joins us. We were teaching them on Wedensady and he came out and was present in the lesson. It was a tender mercy to me that Heavenly Father is hearing our paryers and preparing his people.Again another family you guys could please pray for.

I love this work and the miracles that take please in it. The answer to prayers and the strength we recieve from it. Its hard and I learn daily, my faith is tested but like the scripture after the trial of our faith we recieve the testimonies.

Ive been reading in Mosiah this week and learning so much, its amazing how when we are reading we find new things that we feel like they were never there before. I wish everyone could just read the book of mormon and have the desire to read. I love the first part of the book of mormon the introduction its amazing. We were teaching an investigator with it and I asked him to read where it says its the only true book and we will become closer to God by reading it. I asked him what he learned and he said its the only true book I asked why we should read it and he said to get closer to God. I asked if he was going to read it and he said yes I need to to know and to learn. I love how it simply says we can read it and pray to know its true and that we invite all the read it. it doesnt matter if you are a member or not all of us can read and know if these things are true. This gospel blows me away daily and Im so grateful and happy to have it in my life.

Trials and Tests.

My whole mission I have been teaching people that trials and tests are part of life, to show our commitment and our love for the Lord. We chose to come here to this life to be tested and tried so that we can live with our Heavenly Father again. I know this stuff and know that it is true. I also know the mission is not easy. It´s not for wimps.
I´ve started having back pain in Augusto and I just thought it was my little tumors and things would be fine. I only had a little more time left and ya. As you know I was sent home and treated with for a buldging disc in my back and little by little was nursed back to heal. I had the wonder miracle take place and I was able to come back to my same mission and same area where I was before. I struggled with a little bit of pain but thought it would just go away.
2 months back into the mission and I´m in the same place I started. I am at a pain level I can´t explain. Everyone kept telling me when I passed kidney stones that was like back labor. I can´t tell you the kind of back labor/pain I am feeling right now. I think I will easily be able to handly back labor.
I talked to my mom and then to my mission president about what was going on and how I felt. I told him I would like a blessing and he gave me one. I thought feeew ok my part in done I will be healed and ready to give it my all the last 4 months of my mission. I got on a bus and headed one. By the time I made it one I was in tears curled up in a ball trying to get rid of the pain that I felt. I thought this should be gone, everyone is praying for me, I´m praying and fasting and I just got this blessing Hello...
I continue to be taught it´s not my timing but it´s the Lords timing and I need to have faith in him. I´ve had to keep reminding myself everyday when I think I can´t leave the house becuase of the pain I am in, that faith without works is dead. I guess I was a little inspired when I put the scripture after the trial of your faith you will have a testimony either 12:6. I have had many trials of my faith but I am thankful for each one of them.
I was in the hopsital the other day recieving teatment, or just getting shot up with pain meds to help with my pain. The doctor told me that I can´t walk so much, I was like ummmm. I don´t think you understand I am a missionary thats what we do all the time. But I can´t walk so much, I can´t get on buses, I can´t carry heavy things the usual then she told me that I needed to lose weight. I was just like oh thank you. But it´s true maybe it will help. Anyways I got put on bed rest again for 2 days and we are waiting to see what the doctor says when we get my test results sent here and then to the hospital.
I know the Lord has me in his hands and that everything is going to be ok. I will be fine and this test will have it´s end at some put. I was talking with a missionary today and boy does satan want me to fail or what. The missionary told me that Heavenly Father knows my pain, and knows whats best. That I can go home now and get released when honors. I laughed and told him I didn´t come this far to give it up and throw in the towel now. I only have 4 more months left I´m going to finish. After we finished talking satan was right there to tear me down. That I wasn´t doing anything here, why was I here in the mission, that I was just sitting around and that my presdient and his wife were goign to think the same thing and blah blah blah. I really hate satan. But I got over it quickly after reading and thinking a little more. I am suppose to serve for 18 months and I´m here for a reason. Heavenly Father knew what was going to happen before I even came back and he sent me back here so there is a purpose for me. I just need to be patient and figure it out. I´m also learning patience and well everything I struggle with now.
I love this work and I love the trials and tests we get to pass to make us better people and to strengthen our testimonies that we have. I wouldn´t have it any other way.

Santa came a little late

Things are going great in the mission, I was back with Hna. Galdmez who I just love to death. We were back in the area that I left and just everything was great. We knew that changes were coming up but we didnt know if we were going to have them or not. Honestly I was praying and praying that we wouldnt have changes so that we could be together more time. She is my first companion that I have been with for more then 1 change so it was pretty sweet. Usually I get sick of my comp after 5 weeks so having a new comp every change has been good. But having her was great, we are like gas and fire honestly we just feed off of each other and just go.
Anyways so changes are coming up and were trying to figure out who is going to be training, who is going where, what is going on. We think that we are pretty smart like we can figure out who and what and everything its a great game we play. Anyways so we figured out that Galdamez is going to be training because shes great and well is leaving in 2 changes so perfect to be with her daughter for those two changes. We were on a page for the mission last monday and we saw our names and T next to the both of them. We thought of SHOOT!!! we kinda got a little heads up. I tried getting it out of my friends from the office if we were going to train but they werent giving me anything.
So tuesday night we get the call that she has changes. I start stressing out big time because I am like um what am I going to do? I dont know this area super well, Im not a super great missionary, I cant do this.....
Wednesday at changes sure enough.. Santa came a little late this year and brought me my daughter. I am offically a mom. Great way to start off the new year right? I am stressed out of my mind with this responsibility. Her name is Hna. Queme from Guatemala. She is pretty cool, I think Im going to have a pretty good effect on her seeing how she is super quiet and well Im not so quiet its going to be great.
Im still in my same area still teaching and working and loving it. Pepi this old guy that I just love to death is doing well. He has came to church 2 times now with us and loves going. She loves learning and having us explain things to him. Will see what happens I hope he gets baptized soon. Also we had an amazing miracle take place this week in church. We have been working really hard to help our recent converts because President Arredondo said when we are taking care of them the Lord will bless us with more because obviously they are who we just baptized and if we arent helping and taking care of them they are going to fall away and well why would he bless us with more if the ones we have arent working. So we have been trying to do that and it paid off. We were sitting in church and in walked a recent convert after a recent convert. We had 10 out of our 17 recent converts in church today and 12 out of 17 for the month. I know it might not really matter to who ever is reading this but Im stoked!!! I cant believe it and what a great blessing and answer to prayers this was.
Time is passing by so fast and I cant seem to keep up with it. there is so much that I want and need to do but just dont have time. I get home in the nights and just crash at times I dont even want to brush my teeth or wash my face. I really hate that we have to do that sometimes tho. Anyways its crazy but I love the mission. Its hard work but its worth every hard time, every heart break, every baptism, every recent convert, and every contact. I love talking with these people and honestly dont know what Im going to do when I have to leave.
We are still living 4 hermanas in the house and its a party all the time. I love them and love the relationship we all have.
This gospel does bring happiness into our lives. I am so happy and at times I think its because I have a good comp, or because the people I live with, or because this or that but honestly yes those things have a part in it but no its because this gospel is bringing me this happiness. Its because I get to talk and share and study this daily so that I can learn and I can help others to learn. I love this gospel, I love the stories and the people who have been great examples for us. I love the scriptures and I swear every time we read them we learn more and more its like there are chapters that are new that are put in every time we read them. We can learn and grow just by being obedient and reading them. I know that pray is the communication with God that we have here on the earth and when we are speaking he is listening. I know he answers prayers and in His time. I am grateful for the chances the tests and trails so that I can grow and change and become the daughter of our Heavenly Father that he wants me to be.
remember to be happy this is what Heavenly Fathers us to be.

First Week Back

Oh my heavens it feels so good to be back in the mission! Everything feels like it´s been this huge dream. I´ll first start with the wonderful redeye. I was so thankful that they got me back to the mission so quickly and how everything worked out so great, but I just have to tell you waiting in the airport and sitting on the plane and flying all night long was super rough. The planes were backed the first flight to Atlanta and then to Nicaragua was ok but I couldn´t sleep the first flight I tried sleeping a little in the airport in Atlanta but didnt´get much done and then on the way to Nicaragua kinda spred out on the seats again and slept a little bit but the attendent kept coming by and waking me up asking me things I didn´t care about so I didnt sleep much there. I got off in Nicaragua and just felt happier then ever, I was waiting for my bags and saw president waiting outside because you cant come inside you just wait for people behind the glass so I saw him and couldn´t take the smile off my face. I was like coming home to dad. We talked and everyone was super excited and president just said it was good to have me back and that everything is great. I don´t remember exactly what he said but the office took me to subway and told me there I was going back to my same area and going to be companions with Hna. Galdamez! I was comps with her before and I love her to pieces so I was stoked! So I´m here in Nagarote and loving it. we live with 4 other hnas.
Things well the first day was rough because I was super super tired and just didn´t believe it, I seriously feel like I was gone just a few days and now I´m back it´s amazing. I have a new part of the area that I don´t know so thats good. I am so happy to be back in the sun, I just sit in it every min I can and they all think I´m crazy but knew before home much I love the sun so it´s not that crazy to them. I couldn´t wait to give the Hermanas their clothes so I told them it´s christmas early and they loved their clothes! They were so happy and were like oh thank you so much, I am saving the soaps and candy for Christmas tho. It´s crazy living with 5 other girls the shower situation they do not know how to take brazilian showers here I am the fastest one and we just wait and wait all morning so we can shower but it´s all good.
Things that I have learned from being home and just being able to be back in the mission. I have no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers and he is aware of us at every min of every hour. I think to myself sometimes that why does he answer so many of my prayers? Why am I so blessed? I am no perfect and I make mistakes all the time why is this and this happens to me? I know no one is perfect and that we all make mistakes, I know that the Atonement is real and that because of it we can be forgiven. I know we all pass through trials and tests for one reason or another and I am very grateful for them. The things we learn through them and the stonger we become. I have no idea why I got to come home and why I got to come back to my same mission and to my same area when people usually don´t go back to that but I know the Lord has his hand in it. I know that I am going to work my hardest so that I can know why I am recieving so much.
We taught a lesson the first night to a guy named Byron, he just blew me away, he was agreeing with us on everything and was telling us that he blieves the same thing, he was a golden investigator. We gave him the book of mormon and he said he was going to study and read it so he can learn more. He understood everything and why we do things, he was so interested and starved for the truth that we just taught him everything, the book of mormon, tithing, prophets, just whatever he brought up. It truely was a guided lesson but not because of us. Then we went and taught Martha her husband wasn´t home so we just kinda visited with her for a min then she asked about temples and we got to teach her about temples and how families can be together forever. Those 2 lessons that first night I just wanted to cry because I had been missing this for so long, I missed going and speaking with people, being in Nicaragua, having the spirit testifying. It was amazing!
I´ve been studying and trying to firuger out some goals and things to do and that I want to accomplish while I am here and it´s amazing how the Lord speaks to you and gives you answers while you ask and how you can recieve them in such a different way. My focus is different and I am ready to go and to work. We got to go to Leon and watch the devotional last night which was amazing! I was sad because I was going to be missing it but they told us Friday we were going, I watched it in English because I don´t like seeing the Prophet or Uchtdorf my favorite speaking in spanish it just throws me off, so I watched it in English and how cool is that new video and the talks. I have to say it doesn´t feel like christmas to me maybe because it´s 80 or more degrees I don´t know maybe when it´s closer I guess. The Holidays for me just don´t really exsist here in the MIssion sometimes.
For pday we went to Leon and we got to play ontop of the cathloic church it´s a national monument or something like that, it was pretty cool. We also played games as a zone and just hung out. It´s kinda like I am a movie star tho with my return everyone is super shocked and happy and so am I. I haven´t had much personal study time because planning and then sunday and everything but I have been studying about christlike attributes and why it´s so hard for me to get them, oh but no so while I was studying I had the thought, Satan is always trying to get it everyday all day long and I thought about it for a min and was like it´s so true, From the minute the alarm goes off in the morning we get to exercise our agency weither we want to obey or not or get up or not. Then he tries to get us while were getting ready you look so ugly, why do it like that no one will like that, you are do dumb why did you forget your make up.. Then when we are studying or at school or work, you are so dumb you don´t know anything, they all hate you why bother, why do it that way when so and so does it the other way. He is always trying to attack us and make us feel bad and think bad about ourselves, but when studying and praying and working and doing what we know is right and what we need to do we have happiness, we win the battle with satan and we are happy and free from his traps. I love knowing that and knowing this battle or game stan is trying to play with me I´m going to win and totally kick his trash. I want that all of you can try to beat satan this week to try to think how he is going to try to get you and have a plan on how you are going to beat him. It truely works this I promise. thank you all for your love and your support and for everything if it wasn´t for you guys things would be alot harder for me.

Love Hna. evans

She's Baaaaaaaacccckk!!!!!

That's right, Hermana Evans is back in the Managua Nicaragua mission.

The day before Thanksgiving, she was able to get clearance from all of her doctors/ physical therapist. It was only a matter of a couple of days before she heard from church headquarters. Monday she received a call asking when she could go back out on her mission. She replied "tomorrow, today?" The church doesn't mess around. At 6:30pm she was set apart as a missionary again, and at 12:55am she boarded her flight on her way back.

It is truly a blessing that she was able to go back to Nicaragua. Often when missionaries are sent home with circumstances like Sabrina's, they will be sent state side to finish their mission. She loves the people of Nicaragua, her mission president, and everything that was going on down there. Thank you for all of your prayers offered in her behalf.

Day 3

So today is day 3 after my shot and I'm suppose to be feeling like a million bucks. As I went to bed last night with ALOT of pain in my back, not only in my lower back but now into my tailbone and up my back higher. I was for sure that this shot was going to be the ticket and the magic trick to get me back out there quickly and well... It's not. Out of the 8 days i've been home I've been at the doctors 6 of those days trying to get things better and figure out what can help me. Monday I went for the shot, Tuesday to some lady to get my engery flowing the right way or something like that. Then today I went in for acupuncture or however you spell it. They are all telling me I should be feeling these results and feeling a litle better and this and that.
I haven't given up faith and I'm sure not done fighting but it's getting a little frustrating that nothing is working. I am ok with it though, I know that I am here for something and that I'm suppose to be learning and maybe helping other people while I am here. Tomorrow I will be going in for physical therapy to get things working and stretching and strengthing my back.
I love the tender mercies that the Lord gives us. Yesterday as I was reading I was to tired to keep reading and so I stopped thinking that the next chapter was super long and that I wouldn't be able to stay awake to read it. Today after the doctors and after talking with my mom, and feeling a little not uneasy but my mom is worried that I won't be able to return back to Nicaragua and that I will have to serve somewhere else. I had been thinking about it and talking with a friend asking how I would ever be able to accept that and how can I accept the fact if I can't go back out to Nicaragua and also just the whole change. I was taught that it doesn't matter where I serve or what I do as long as I am doing the Lords work, as long and I am being a missionary and teaching and having and helping people change their lives. I walked in the house and started reading my scriptures for comfort and strength. I opened up to where I was and started to read and laughed out loud to my self. I opened to Alma 29 where Alma is saying " O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!" The whole chapter was for me and also what I had came to love and want to do while I was on my mission.
I know that I will be healed and that I will be helped through this hard time and this trial when the Lord wants me to be, that he will heal me the day He wants me to and I will be where He wants me to be. The Lord has a plan for each one of us and it's not what we want sometimes but it's things we learn to love and be grateful for.
I am very grateful for my family, also for the video game "Just Dance" I am thankful for whoever made it up because it has provided me with alot of laughter in my life. I am grateful for my neighbor/mom who has always been there for all my medical needs and questions always looking out for me. I am grateful for my fat dog who still loves me and was very happy to see me when I got home and won't leave my side whenever he does see me. I am thankful for JK who has made my stay here great and the things I've learned from him. I am very thankful for rice packs and blankets and thick socks they have kept feeling in my body how much I miss Nicaragua.
Life is great! and oh heavens... Here comes the snow.

Changes

I'm getting alittle more use to being home which is scary and I don't want to be but don't worry I will be going back out. We have made phone call after phone call to find out what hoops we need to jump through and what we need to do to get me out and running. I have felt like almost everyday i have had an appointment with the doctors and it's pretty much been that way but whatever if thats what I need to do to get me back out there I'll go see them all the time. I am very thankful for them and for their understanding and their love and concern. We have been so blessed to get into returned missionary doctors or they have been able to work us in quickly so that my recovery time and my time home is the fastest it can be.
What we have found out so far is that I need to start a little bit of physical therapy so that we can show them look I am going to be fine out there i know these exercises to do and I will do them to help strengthen my back so that i won't have a problem with it while I am down there. Also we have had to call a few people to just give them heads up's whats going on and how they can help in this. I'm frustrated because it's not the timing that i want. I told my mission president when I first left that I would be back this week. I would have been back to working by now, but like I've said before my timing is not the Lord's timing and well I guess my mind just doesn't capture everything thats going on and understand that it take a little time to get things fixed. We're not just putting a piece of tape over a ripped piece of paper. So far we are hoping for the week of Thanksgiving, keep praying and having faith that this will be the time.
I'm very grateful for the memories I am able to make here while i am here before my brother leaves for his missoin and for the insight that I am able to teach him. Believe me I am no professional and I don't know everything but i am able to read with Map and stephen in the mornings and teach them a little bit and help them understand a little bit more. I'm grateful for my zone back in Leon Nicaragua who gave me a surprise phone call yesterday and made my day a little better and reminded me that i am loved and missed.
I'm grateful for warm blankets because I am freezing here and socks and sweats. It's a little bit of a different temp here then in Nicaragua I don't think I have been able to feel my feet since I have gotten here.
I'm grateful for goot parents who are going to work their very hardest to get me better and get me back out there, who will call the people for me and get everything worked out because I sure don't want to do that.
I'm grateful for the scriptures and for the comfort that they bring and the teachers we can recieve from them. In many cases bad things happen to good people. In the scriptures we read abou people wo are going to respect their convents they have made wih the Lord and not go to battle with others, or who are trying to be faithful and bad things happen to them. Many people while reading these stories would go, why is the lord doing this? Hello these people are trying to be good, they are doing what is right and they die? Everyhing is in the Lord's hands and happens for a reason. When we feel as though we are trying our best to be good, that we are doing everything we can we are still going to face hard times and have trials that we pass through. It is part of life and part of a learning experience in our lives. I am very grateful for the Lord and His love for me for giving me these are times and trials. I love the talk about the little current bush from last Aprils conference about the gardener loving the bush so much that he is will to cut him down so he can grown into what he wants him to be. If we can remember this while we are going through hard times that we really are loved and that when we finish this refining we are going to be better, but also it is our job to make ourselves better. To understand that He loves us so much to do this. That he hears our prayers and is going to answer not in our time but in his time. We need to keep being faithful and keep pushing forward there is a light at the end of the tunnel just keep going, one foot infront of the other and we will get there.
I'm so very blessed and thankful for this gospel in my life so that I can grow and that I can know these teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His father our Heavenly Father. I am grateful for the Atoneing sacrifice for me so that the mistakes that I have made and that I will make I can become clean, I can be forgien and I can be reminded that someone else has felt the way I have felt before. That I am not alone and that I can be freeed from this feeling if I but turn to the Lord and simple ask for help.We need to ask and to communicate with the Lord, He can read our minds but he has given us our agency and our free will .He is not going to step in and take over with out us asking for it. Just like in a car you can not be on cruise control if you do not put in on. Pray to him and ask him for whatever you need the blessings and comfort we will recieve is unbelievable. This I testify of in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

As for the back, here is day 2 after the shot and I feel a little better but I still have pain. I don't know if it's because the shot or just different things working I'm hoping it will continue to get better and to go away. Will see how it feels later on and tomorrow.

update

So yesterday I went in for my shot and things went well. They were able to find the right spot and get the steriods in there. I felt fine, I walked out of the office good to go. The nurse told me that I wasn't to do ANYTHING. Not to move, walk, bend, lift just do nothing for the day. I asked her if I could play just dance, the game my family has just interduced me to. She laughed and didn't know how to take me, if she should take me serious and also what and how to answer that. She laughed nervously and said no but you can be the judge and hold up the score.
my mom was so excited for me to be home and that we can go to Savers 99 cents Mondays and I told her no mom, I can't do anything. we went home and a few hours later my mom got a great idea. She told me Sabrina, there is a wheel chair up at the city we take that and go! We loaded it up and went shopping for the Hermanas that are in Nicaragua who wanted me to bring back a few things. I just laughed because of how serious she was about this plan so that I can go to Savers. I don't know if just the shot or sitting in a wheel chair for hours is what did it but I was in alot of pain. I do have to say i would never want it but I would make a good person in a wheel chair.
Today I am feeling a little bit better I still have some pain and maybe it's still because of the shot but I think it's helping. I should start feeling and knowing if the shot works more by tomorrow or by Thursday. I was very excited and hopefull because I had my shot in and had an appointment for the next Monday for my follow up and then I would be gone the 15 or 16th I was happy and thinking YES everything is working out how it's suppose to be.
My mom called this doctor who in charge of me while I am home, as she was explaining and telling him whats going on and what has happened. She hung up the phone and told me that I won't be leaving next week and we have to work and pray really hard because the doctor told her that I might need to except the fact that I won't be going back to Nicaragua and that I might not be going back out on my mission. This news for the both of us was very frustrating and sad, but I am still hopeful and not to worried about it because I know I will be going back out on my mission, I have a good stake president who will go to bat for me.
This is very frustrating, and hard for me to except that all of this is going on. It's very hard for me to be here and not in my mission, i feel horrible and I just have alot of shame being here. But i am thankful for the testimony and the strength that i have gained from the few months I have been out so that I can help strengthen my family and also others around me.
I'm very thankful for the missionaries in my mission and for the strength and support they are giving me and for the encouragement that they also give. i am very blessed and very thankful. Also I am thankful for my family, for the work they are doing and for how they are here to take care of me and help me. I am very thankful for the game Just Dance so that I can laugh me head off while my mom stays up all night playing it. I am thankful for the fact i can talk with my sister in canada and see my new little nephew. thank you technology, and also thank you for all our personalities. I am also very thankful for good friends who are always there for me. No matter what they are listening and they are great teachers for me. I'm very grateful for my life and for the trials we go through.

1 Year many more to go.

It has been a year from today that I went through the temple for the first time, as I said yesterday I was able to go to the temple with my mom and was able to sit and think about the convenants that I made and also the feelings and reminders how I want to live so that I can be with Heavenly Father again.
Today I was super nervous to get up and share my testimony with everyone because I just feel like I blab on and on and that my thoughts are always scattered brained, its so much easier for me to express myself in spanish and I am alot less nervous. After trying to talk myself out of it I got up and shared my testimony. I knew that many where thinking what? why is she here? has it really been a year and a half? I quickly but the thoughts and wondering down and told why I was there but also just started to bare my testimony. I prayed before hand to be a instrument in the hand of the Lord that I would be able to share my testimony and help someone here who is listening. I was trying my hardest not to cry or just lose it and I thought I was doing well till I brought up Nicaragua and I started to lose it but quickly regained everything. I started talking and testifying of the love the Lord has for us and that He is always there and knows each one of us and loves us. I saw a few wet eyes in the crowd and was trying my hardest not to look at them because I would lose it even more but I sat down and was juse like feeew I am done with that.
I was told by a few people that they really enjoyed my testimony and that they really needed to hear that. I felt good about that and thought well maybe thats why I was suppose to come home and to have them hear my testimony.
I was sitting in mission prep today which heavens I think i have everyone beat at mission prep I have taken it for years and years but as we were sitting in mission prep the teacher was explaining to us about how our parents feel because there were two missionaries leaving and me and then another return missionary sitting in the class. He was saying how happy it makes our parents and how we are keeping the commandment of God by honoring them. I thought about when my dad saw me coming down the stairs at the airport and smiled HUGE and ran over and gave me big hug he related that to our Heavenly Father how its going to be when we return back to him how He will be running to us to hug us and to thank us for our servious and for helping Him build his kingdom and helping His children come back to him. That hit really deep for me to just think of that and from having that experience with my dad at the airport to think thats how its going to be when I get to return to my father in Heaven its going to be amazing and I cant wait.
Tomorrow I go in for my shot and I'm praying everything goes well so I can be back in Nicaragua quickly. I'll keep you updated

Understanding

I really dislike when we have time to just think and have our minds racing. I've had a few days to myself to just think and dream. In the mission we always joke about having a super Pday if we could just go to our houses for like 3 days or something see our families, eat the food we miss, and change our clothes out because we are sick of them. Here I am living the dream, and it sucks! I love being home with my family and seeing them but I would give anything to just be back in Nicaragua and back to working. At times I have thought and complained about being with a girl 24/7 because sometimes they just really get on my nerves but right now I would love to have my companion right next to my side.
I'm very lucky to have this time and this chance to really think about how my mission is going so far and what things I need to and want to change so that i can be a better person and a better missionary. For all those ex missionaries I know you would agree that having time to look and see things from a different perspective would help alot. Right now is just my half time and I am making my game plan to get back out there and playing my game and I'm going to win. I dont know why and I think alot of times why am I so blessed? why does Heavenly Father give me all these things I do not deserve them. I have my dream mission, great people I have met there, and now living the dream of some missionaries. Maybe I just have alot to learn.. I'll be the first one to say that I have alot alot to learn, I just hope and pray that one day I will able to learn it all.
Yesterday as I wrote in the mid of frustration and a breakdown I wasnt thinking clearing or understanding exactly what was going on with my back. To me having those fatty tumors is a serious thing, as my mom and others have explained to me that this right now is a big thing, this bulging disc right now we have catch it before it has gotten worse and before I had to get something fixed with surgery. With this shot they will be giving me on Monday will help strengthen and prolong and maybe help with this for now. As time goes on we can live on these shots or if things get worse I will be looking for surgery. I feel dumb because I am here in my house to get a shot in my back, but still after much praying trying to understand why I am here and praying to try and help me to understand why I am here why is this happening and if He could help me wrap my head around this. I have learned that I may not really understand why I am here at this time and may not get my answer until further down the road, now is just a time to push on and put my faith in the Lord and try to be the best I can and continue to serve and help others while I am here. Some of the reasons medically why I'm here is because of the pain, I am here because in Nicaragua they dont have the technology to be doing this, I will be getting a shot in the area they give you the shot when you are going to be having a baby. they will inject a dye and then the shot and we will know within a few days if it is working. I am postive it will and then I will be shortly back to the mission.
I'm very grateful for really good friends who have been there for me to help me through this and help me wrap my head a little around this and to calm me down.
One thing I havent done in a while is go to the temple I got to go to the Bountiful temple today with my mom, as we drove through the snow to the temple the peaceful and wonderful feeling the temple brings was something I had been missing for so many months. I love the temple, I love the tender mercies of the Lord and seeing His hand in my life. He hears you, continue to pray always.

My ways are not your ways.

I can not deny that the Lord loves me and hears prayers and answers them and that he prepares a way for men to accompish the things that he commands them to do. The last doctors appointment was today after getting right in to every doctor very quickly the first day I was home to the quick MRI to the specialist appointment today to read my MRI. I was for sure that it was the little lypoma tumors that were the things that were bugging me in my back and causing me to much pain. As the doctors were talking to us and doing the routine checks I was just thinking why am I even here I know whats wrong with me, I know how to fix it I need these lumps taken out and I am good to go. As the doctor continued to talk and explain that I have a bulging disk in my back and that is what is pushing on the nerves and that is what is hurting my back not the tumors. (so they say) I am having a very hard time excepting that answer and that with just a very little shot it will be fixed or wont hurt me anymore.
Heavenly Father has planned all this out for me we were able to get all the doctors quickly, we were able to get the quickest appointment for this shot even though the doctor was booked out for a few weeks. He made a change and he got me in early Monday morning. I cant say that Heavenly Father has left me alone but just right now I just feel so dumb, and so frustrated with all the is going on because I am home from my mission for a shot in my back. I feel dumb seeing people like others are judging me but also I am wasting the Lords time being here at my house. Its very hard for me to handle this and understand why this had to happen to me right now and I know I should never ask that but it just doesnt make sense to me.
There are good things about being in my house all the missionaries always are saying they wish they could be home for a few days and just see their families and get a fresh new look on the mission and things I need to change and to fix. Right now its just a test of faith I guess. Just like the scritpure that says my ways are not your ways neither are my thoughts your thoughts. Maybe I will be able to understand this down the road or maybe this is part of my mission to be serving here in my house to help my brothers and my family out I dont know. I guess I will just have to see how things go from here.
Heavenly Father is very very kind as I am here writting broken hearted, frustrated and discouraged my sister Mindy had sent me something in the mail and I was able to get it today, it is a new Hilary Weeks cd called every step and it talks about and songs that really are hitting home. A beautiful Heartbreak and others have been some that I have been able to relate to. A blessing that has come from all of this is that I will be able to see Matthew before he leaves on his mission, and also we will be able to go to the temple as a family to for to take our his indownments which he had never spoke of until now.
I cant wait till I will be able to be back in Nicaragua and this will hopefully be the week of the 16th. I know we go through troubles and hard times to learn and to show our faith and this is a time that I cant not choose when and where I will be serving but I know if I have faith I will be able to make it through this hard time.

Always bumps in the road...

When things are going good, and when we feel like we have things under control is usually when we have times of humbling and when we hit the road bumps in For almost 2 months now I have been having pains in my back from tumors, which I had before the mission. I guess thats my punishment for starting to exercise in the mission, no but these pains just happened to not leave no matter what I would do, no matter what I would take I would always be in pain. My wonderful old companion Hna. Galdamez is a nurse and is always there taking care of me she told me that we needed to go to the doctors and get things figured out and maybe get these things taken out. I was done for having surgery in Nicaragua its a great story to tell right? We went to the doctors and they said yes this is your problem duh I knew that, but they sent me for blood work to get me ready for surgery. The blood work was fine and just like usual in the states but then they pricked my ear I still have no idea why they just made me ear bleed for no reason.
we have been waiting for the results and to know what my mission president will say about the surgery and also my parents. I was very smart and didnt say anything to them about my pain because I knew they would start to worry so I just let my mission president handle that for me. After a long while of waiting they put me on bed rest because I started to loose feeling in my back, I start to have tingling in my back, butt, and legs which they think is because of the tumors pressing on my nerves. They told me I couldnt go out to work that I just needed to rest and wait things out, I was DYING... I would read, then cook, then watch a movie, then write letters and just do alot of things and then I would look at the clock and its only 4 oclock. I was like a little dog or a kid waiting for my companion and the other Hermanas that I live with to come home. After about 4 days of that I was DONE I didnt want any more after the first day but President Arredondo called me and told me that on Monday I needed to be in his office with all my things. He told me what the doctors have said when he had talked to them and said that I cant have my surgery done in Nicaragua. I really was done to have it but they thought maybe they just dont know quiet enough to make things safe and make sure I live. Anyways I was at the office on Monday with all my bags and talked with my family, next thing I knew I had a plane ticket to Utah and was leaving the next day.
I just have to say I love my mission presidnet with all my heart he is such a great man, but he got things taken care of and after spending the night in a really fancy hotel so that i can be well rested I was on the plane for utah.
The plane ride from Managua to Atlanta was LONG and COLD I was freezing and bored there was no one on the flight and well nothing much to see out the window. After waiting hours in the airport in atlanta just sitting and waiting and sitting and waiting trying to deal with pain and with having no heat in my body, I finally bored the plane at 8 oclock. I started my journey at 1 in the after noon, I was on the plane at 8 and again frozen and waiting and bored out of my mind. Finally after a super long, painful, and boring plane ride I landed in Utah at 1230 with my parents and brother waiting for me.
It was really great to see them and to be with them, this is just a huge dream for me, I dont believe that I am in my house for this little bit of time, here with my family and just its a dream. I cant wait till I can get back out in the mission field I am hoping not to long. We went to the doctors today and have a MRI tomorrow morning then we go from there when the surgery is going to be. That really changes things and what I was planning and thinking and I never would of dreamed in a million years that this would happen to me but there is a purpose in everything and Gods will will be done. We all need to pass through tests and trials in our lives to help ourselves and others grow and I am so happy that we get this and that the Lord loves us enough to strengthen us and to purn us. This gives me time to reflect on my mission, to learn and to change things I wasnt doing quiet right or see how I need to change so I can be a better instrument in his hands how lucky I am to have this.
I love this church and being a missionary!

October

A quick update, I have finally gotten out of the city since being in there for over 4 months, I have to admit i have never loved the city well to visit yes but it stresses me out thats for sure. Also I just like being laid back and free to roam and not worry about a huge bus or car or motorcycle killing me if Im not always watching my back. Also I do not miss walking in the roads when they are flooded with water knowing that each step I take into the water is nastey sewer water I am walking into.
Not all was bad about the city I learned alot about myself and about how to be a missionary and a person that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. Im not saying that I am perfect and I have everything figured out thats for sure but I have learned alot in just a little bit of time. Also the people I was able to met and to talk to while I was there have had and will forever have a huge impact on my life. At times I felt like I was doing nothing! No one wanted to talk with the Missionaries and no one wanted to go to church everyone just wanted to lie to us and just say they go to another church. My hopes and faith in people were fading quickly and also I had my had times with my three comps that I had in that time period. For those who are counting yes I have had a companion every change a new one honestly its pretty nice becaused sometimes I get sick of girls. I ask myself alot of times I gave up getting married or doing other things to come and live with a girl 24/7 I just dont get along with them very well. I have thought many times to ask my mission president if I could just be companions with the elders but I am pretty sure he would say no to that so I havent asked.
I will never forget Hna. Carlos Lopez we contacted him and I told him it was his lucky day he thought we were coming to give him money or something but no we just came to invite him to go to church. He told me he had to go to the dentist sunday so he couldnt come to church I thought he was lying and was like whatever! He went back and thaught him and he never missed a church activity since. He told us he needed to get baptized and was going to get baptized on his birthday the 12th of nov.. For a missionary that is like crap! he was going to wait 2 months to get baptized I was crushed because I knew I wasnt going to be there for it. For my birthday he called to wish me a happy birthday and told me he was going to get baptized that saturday. He showed up a hour early to his baptism and was just great he told me to take a picture of him sitting in a chair in his baptism clothes he can speak a little english so in his broken english he told me take my picture and he just sat there smiling. He reminds a little of my grandpa J they way he sits and looks. When he came up out of the water after his baptism and also coming down off the stand after the comfermation he gave us the peace sign. I love that old guy.
The family Jammey and Hna. rebekah I wont forget either they were so sweet and willing to do anything. My little boyfriend bradley who also spoke a little english told us he was strong. Whenever we would walk in he would tell us to ´sit down please´ it was so cute. Hna. Estella who turned to me my first sunday in the city and told me " I think I need to be baptized " I didnt know what to say because I didnt really speak spanish and didnt know if I understood her correctly. I asked if she was a member she said no thats why I need to get baptized. I quickly found a elder and he talked with her and that Wendesday she was batpized. The family medina who where the family who cooked for us they turned into my family and I just loved being with them and talking with them. We would play uno every sunday night for PREP PDAY!
I love the mission with all my heart and there is no whree else I would rather be. At times I think what am I going to do when I go home? I dont want to leave this place, the city was ugly but the people and the culture and everything I just love. The family Medina and also the elders I was with, I kept telling everyone I was born the wrong race and they soon quickly started telling me that as well.
I am no opening an area that was the South mission that we just got its called Nagarote I love it. It reminds me alot of my first area but its just a small in the middle of no where place that you just pass by to things you dont ever stop there for anything its like fillmore when you are on your way to St. George. The people here are so humble and sweet and willing to listen, still we are working on the not being liars part but whatever. I am living with 3 other hnas. and I just love it. I am with Hna. Galdamez again and I love her to pieces I also love my comp Hna. Menendez shes great and super sweet a hard worker they both are from El. Salvador I love the people from there I will for sure visit but things are just going great. I almost have a year in the mission and I love every minute of it. The hard times, the sad times, the funny times, the rain and rain and more rain.
So recently in Managua well about 2 months ago my back started giving my problems. Last summer I had a surger to remove fatty tumors that I had in my back they were removed and everything was fine. I came out on the mission with out a problem until now... I started with this pain in my back that I couldnt get rid of then I started feeling the same way that I did before I had my surger that my back would buckle and pain and just not good things. So went to the doctor and she told me to take 800mg of IB profein and we will be looking into what we can do. With this 800mg it wasnt helping me. I kept asking Galdamez for something else because she is a nurse and she said I couldnt take anything else and still work. I thought its fine I will just put my big girl pants on and go to work. I tried doing that and am still doing that. They have but me on bed rest for right now, I cant leave to go out and work, I cant do anything. Its horrible I hope I never have to be like this again I am going crazy. I read, cook, clean, write letters just do a bunch of things and when I look at the clock its still only 5 in the after noon I wait by the door till the other Hnas. come home just like a little kids its horrible. I am sorry for any of you who are on bed rest I know how you feel!
At times I just think why is this happening now? I have so much to do here, I love this area I love my comp I need to work I am here for a reason why is this happening now. I have had many moments where I have got different answers and different tests and strength. I know that things are going to be ok and that this is suppose to pass at this time in my mission. I know that there are things to learn and from this I will be a better person and I will learn and also feel better. Sometimes God calms the storms and sometimes God strengthens his children so they can make it through the stroms. I know that I am not alone that I have many prayers in my behave and I am very grateful for them. I am very grateful for my testimony of this gospel and for the strength it gives me daily.
As I encouage everyone always to start reading the book of mormon your life will change and you will be blessed because of it. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. The blesses we recieve when we are obedient and the blessings we can recivev if we just sacrifice just a little bit. I love my Savior and My Heavenly Father with all my heart and am so grateful for the chance I have to be a missionary and a instrument in the hands of Him. This gospel is so true I know with all my heart. I love you all
Hna. Evans

You Are LOVED!!

Holy cow I know you guys are probably sick of hearing how fast the week goes by for me but really I just feel like at the end of the change the time flies by. Its close to changes this week tomorrow we will know if my companion or I have changes. I don't know I think we are together another change but we will see what the Big guy has in store for us. Anyways, there is only 1 new Hermana coming this change so I think she will be sleeping at our house and we will take care of her for her first day and a half like the hna. did for me my first day.

I have to just tell you guys this story because it impacted me a lot this week on how the spirit testifies of the truth and when following the spirit we are blessed and people really do change. So Saturday night we went to find a family that the others had talked to for us, We went to their house and the lady was like no we have our church her name is Cicila she came out and we started contacted her and talking her about how the elders talked to her husband and said we could come teach them and she was not having it one bit. She was like no we have our church, we go to our church no you cant come back no no no just negative but kinda in a nice way, anyways I just started asking her questions about God and how we can show our love for him and if she thought he answers prayers and hears our prayers and then just started teaching about little things that we believe just random things whatever came to my head i taught her and testified of things. After about 10 min from when we first met her she was softer and she told us to pass and to come into her house. We walked in and started teaching her about the plan of salvation by the end of the lesson she told her daughter they invited to go to church with them tomorrow and the daughter was like ya lets go come get us in the morning ya we are going with you guys. The lady Cicial was like I know I have my church but you guys explained things and this and that and she just liked what we taught her. I know its because the spirit testified to her and things were brought back to her remembrance and she felt it was true. I wish I could tell you that we went to their house they came to church and are getting baptized this week but that would be a lie. But we are going to keep teaching her and will see where it goes. Lesson here whenever you are prompted by the spirit just say something or do it and you or someone else will be blessed for it.

We also found a really cool lady named Hazel she has 5 kids which here is really odd because it's hard having a lot of kids and it's a lot of money and just birthing kids here is a little different. Anyways she is super positive and nice. Anyways we taught her lesson one about the restoration and she couldn't come to church with us this week because there the only really good schools are the Catholic schools, and if you go to those schools you have to go to church on Sunday and just do different things. I don't understand that stuff really anyways her sons had something for their school that they had to do so they couldn't come this week I hope next week they can come with us.

We live with a little old lady who is just super cute I need to take a picture of her one time, anyways its raining pretty much everyday here and she stresses about our umbrellas then she tells just everyday to wake out for the man holes because people fall in man holes and it's dangerous I get a good laugh out of it everyday. What I don't laugh about is that we are walking in poop every time it starts raining because the sewers flood and our comes the poop so our shoes smell really really bad, our house stinks really bad its just great. My companion and I are working on her English and she knows "I hate poop in my shoes", also "eww yep this is poop." I know what a great teacher I am right? No really I am teaching her little by little its just hard when people don't want to listen or practice. The mission is a great teacher and a great humbler!

I am really sad I missed out on Clinton days. I haven't missed that for how many years now? But really I have been thinking a lot lately on how we are prepared little by little in our lives for the next step in our lives. I think about when I was little at Clinton days they had a truck with a cage and mattresses in the back and they drove around the softball field and we just bounced everywhere and it was just madness, that prepared me to take the buses her in Nicaragua! I think about how my love from cafe rio and rice and weight watchers eating black beans and sour cream prepared me for the mission to eat rice and beans everyday! Ok seriously thou just the Lord really does prepare us to receive little things in our lives or big things so that we can handle them and we are ready to learn from them. I am so grateful that I have the chance to be here and to learn of these things and to be prepared for the next step.

It's hard work working with other peoples recent converts because they have a relationship with the other missionaries and we have to come in and try to win them over. Right now I don't know how great of job I am doing with them because well this old guy who got baptized who knows not that long ago hes smoking and drinking, so every time I pass by we have a great time smashing cigarettes on the ground I think like off Saturdays Warriors when the missionaries step on them. I don't know but we do that and hopefully one day he will learn the word of wisdom. But I can't really say much because I have my first baptism that is getting robbed in the street because hes drunk. I just love Nicaragua and I LOVE SATAN NOT! But we all have to go through our own difficult times and our own testing periods and have to come to the Savior. Really I have heard the expression you can lead a horse to water but you cant make then drink. Its so true in missionary work well in all our life we can teach people and help them but we cant do it for them.

But really it all comes down to have a testimony of the Book of Mormon if you know the book is true, you know Joseph Smith with a prophet if you know he was a prophet you know we have a prophet today if you know we have a prophet today you know that he speaks with God and receive revelation for us. It is the key the keystone to our religion that is why I tell everyone of you to read this book. It blesses our lives more then your mind can understand. You will not understand all the words you will not understand everything but when you start with obedience you are blessed then you start to have a desire then you start to understand. Please listen to me and try this for your selves, I testify that it's true and that you will be so blessed.
Yo se que esta libro es verdado, esta libro es la clavy por nuestras felizidad. El Señor quiere nos ayuda quando hacemos la cosas que el tiene por nostros y la cosas que el mandar por nostros. Yo se que Jesucritso es mi slavdor y redentor, por que el muedo para mi yo puedo ser limpio de mi pecados y vive con mi padre oltra vez estoy muy feliz por esta conocimento que yo tango sobre esta. Yo se familias puede ser eternal y quando viviemons bueno vidas y trabajo juntos por la mismo pruposity podemos tene exito. Requirdo siempre que Dios Nos ama es no impòrta que hacemos aqui el es siempre esta por nosotros.
I love you all and hope that all is going well that you all are working together on your relationship with each other and that you are working on finding good friends. Keep in mind that you are loved and that everything is great.
I love you all and see you in a few weeks freaks
Hna. evans

The Work Moves Forward

I feel like I go to bed on Monday nights and the next thing that I know its Saturday, then Sunday then Monday things just fly by. I am pretty sure time here in Nicaragua is faster then in the states. The sky moves faster and so do the clocks. I think that its because well the numbers here in Spanish things are just faster..

Ok to answer a few questions our churches here are just like the churches back home we just don't have a gym inside this church, it looks like a old fashion church it's two stories, we have about 120 people each week. We have to work our butts off to get people in church and here during the rainy season if its raining on Sunday they aren't coming to church. I think latinos are like the wicked witch of the south because they don't go outside if its raining they just wait in the nearest shelter to wait for the rain to pass. We do a lot of contacting people in the street and asking if we can go teach them at their house, but also we talk to them at their house. Things work a lot quicker and easier when the members give us referrals but not a lot of that goes on here. Anyways we have people who play the music and they are really good better then my last area, people don't know how to sing here and sometimes investigator call them out on it or ask us why people sound so bad.. Were sorry we just teach the good word not people how to sing. But thats pretty much how things work just working and walking up and down streets talking to people and teaching them. Its kinda hard because everyone is working during the day so we have a lot of appointments at nights which is hard because we can't teach everyone at night because we only have like 3 hours to work. We have to be in our house by 9 each night.

This week we are teaching a lady called Melanie she has been really flaky and hasn't prayed to know if what we taught her if true, and just always has excuses when we go by her house and when we teach her. This week we taught her a little more about prayer and told her and asked if we could pray with her right now to know if these things are true. She didn't want to pray at first I love when people say they cant pray and start saying this and that because I know that my Spanish isn't good and I get to teach them that my first day in the MTC I had to pray in Spanish and I use that example that I couldn't speak Spanish but I was able to give a little prayer I tell them it doesn't matter how long or short it is its talking to your Father in Heaven. So she started, it wasn't perfect at all she kept messing up but prayed to know if these things were true. I felt the spirit and I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that the restoration is true. I am so grateful for it and so grateful for the priesthood it is such a great blessing for us to have again on the earth. She hasn't came to church for like 3 weeks she always has an excuse so this Sunday I bet my comp with the money that we have in the street that she wouldn't come to church. We passed by her house and she was ready and came to church with us!! I know that its because she felt that things were true when she prayed and she knows the truth. We will see what happens with us but I know the Lord loves us.

I love being able to see the change in peoples lives here on the mission, to see the change in their face and in their attitudes. We were teaching a lady named Maria, we were there for her sister who is a less active and we were talking to her because she asked about our church. At first she was fighting with us about what we believe and what she believes and it was just the spirit of contention and I was like oh great this is horrible my comp started teaching the first lesson about the restoration of the gospel and the spirit came into the room and by the end of the lesson the lady was talking to me and telling me she has gone to all these different churches she even has a certificate to be a preacher, but she is just so confused and doesn't know what to do. I told her and gave her a Book of Mormon and told her to read it, also I told her to come to church with us and she will get her answer and know what is true and not be confused anymore. It was just a great lesson for me to know why we are here teaching this lesson and the power that this lesson has.

The mission is just amazing! I love being out here and an so happy that I have the chance to serve here in Nicaragua and to learn. I love studying in the mornings I read a great talk in the May 2009 from L. Tom Perry about all of being missionaries read the talk tonight for family night and talk about how we can all be missionaries. I love you all so much and keep up the great work. Keep reading the Book of Mormon because its so true and blessings all of our lives. The Lord loves us keep working hard and I will too see you all in a few weeks.
Love hna. evans

Rainy Season

It's been raining like crazy here. so I have gotten to use my boots again which I just love running around in my rain boots because I can splash in puddles and it doesn't even do anything. My comp is like ya sure keep rubbing it in because she just has her shoes and they get soaking wet so fast. I am now starting a new trend here with the Hnas running around in boots and loving every min of it.

The things that you learn on a mission are amazing! I always thought about things before the mission like visiting teaching and being a teaching and helping the missionaries are like blah! Because I was so sick of the missionaries always coming to our house asking mom about so and so or asking if we knew anyone else they could teach I was like just go out and find them yourself. But really being on a mission and seeing how helpful it is to have members to work with and also for members to work with families its great. This is my challenge for you guys is to have a family home evening with a family that is not a member of the church or friends. I have also been thinking a lot about all of us being missionaries and how we are afraid to talk to our neighbors or friends about the church because we think they don't want to hear about it. This week try to find someone that you can talk about the church with or just share your testimony about somethings with them. I promise you will feel the spirit and you will feel so happy about what you just did. But remember everything good in life Satan tries to trick us and make us feel dumb about what we had just done. Don't feel dumb or bothered by what you just did because what you did was right.

We are just contacting people which is just going from house to house and inviting people to church and also asking if we can come back and teach them more about our church. It still amazes me how much people are willing to listen even thou they go to a different church. They are like ya come talk to us, but also oh my heavens there are so many liars here in Nicaragua and they are good at it. We think we are getting their real names and addresses but when we go to find them nope it was a lie. I am getting a little sick of it so I call people out and tell them straight up we don't want to waste our time if you don't want to do this or that we cant teach you anymore. I had to do that with a family Carmen and Domingo this week. The other missionaries had been teaching them so a while and they kept saying they would do things and do things and I tried having faith in them but its been 3 weeks with me now and I told them on Sunday if you don't come to church we cant come by and teach you anymore, I'm sorry we are friends but we are here to invite people to come unto Christ and be baptized.. They didn't show up to church so we aren't showing up at their house.

Another great thing, we have a family of recent converts who live in this house with a cross dresser, my comp and I went over to invite them to an activity and the cross dresser was like can i come? My comp was like yes you can everyone is invited thinking that well she or he wouldn't come.. about a hour later it shows up at the church and we both look at each other like oh crap what in the world are we going to do? The name is Jackelyn and well it came to church this Sunday and is going to come to another activity this week. I don't know what to do we aren't teaching my comp just keeps inviting her. Honestly I hope that we see a change and that the gospel changes its life but I know its wrong and against our religion so I don't know what to do.

My Spanish well yesterday a guy in a lesson and my comp well my comp asked what was up with my Spanish I couldn't speak, and a guy in a lesson told me he couldn't understand me but understood my comp, under my breath I said I hope you can understand her she has been speaking it all of her life. I was really bothered because 4 times he told me that and Sundays are just really hard days because we wake up earlier and Satan goes to work all day long.

The bus we take not as much but they are crazy drivers but honestly I trust them and the taxi drivers more then I trust the APs that we have here so thats saying a lot right? It was so funny tires just fly off the cars here they don't have very good mechanics so when they are turning the corner sometimes they just go rolling down the street I saw it 2 times this week and its makes me laugh.

Today I got to play basketball with the elders and they call my the x factor because they think that girls cant play sports but well they found out that I could very quickly after I stuffed an elder then got a few steals and other things, yes playing with my brothers did pay off. Thank you all. Anyways it was fun then we got to watch toy story 3, thats my second time seeing it in Spanish and well tis funny but a lot funnier in English. I don't feel as bad not understand it because people who have a lot of time on the mission don't understand either. Its hard, anyways

We got to help elders with their baptism and wedding with week which is fun. This family her name is Elizabeth she is amazing I told the elder she was my rc because I love her she has been wanting to get baptized for a while just waiting for the divorce of her partner now husband to go through and now it did and they are married and baptized she was so excited and happy.

I love this work and I know its so true. I love you all keep reading the Book of Mormon and keep being a better you everyday

Love hna. evans