19 August 2013 - Hello from Nicaragua

buenas tardes!

I hope everything is well at home! And that you all are enjoying your boating excursion! Karen starts school so soon! Pretty crazy! Where did the time go? When I left, she was still in school...weird.

Well, this week was great...very short. Not really sure what happened...but Nicaragua is starting to feel like home! It's pretty crazy. It has been soooo hot here though. And of course, our appointments for midday always fall through, which means we're usually tracting in the lovely sunshine at the hottest part of the day. I try to tell myself that Heavenly Father just wants to give me more opportunities to work on my tan so I'll blend in more. Haha. But life is good! I'm in Nicaragua...talking to people in Spanish and helping them learn about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. There's no room to complain!

This week, we dropped a lot of investigators. It was really sad, but they are not progressing at all and the majority of them were avoiding us...potentially hiding from us. So we've been searching for the people who have been prepared to receive our message. We met a Jew this week...Hna R had no idea what he believed in. One of her first questions was, 'but you believe in Jesus Christ, of course, right?' I had to try not to laugh. It's just funny because here in Central America, there are the Catholics, the Evangelicals, and the Mormons (of low populations, but we're working on it!) So to meet someone of a different religion is very rare.

A and R are still progressing! R is super solid, so hopefully nothing will get in the way of his baptism on the 24th! He is so much happier than he was when we first met him. We've been teaching him about the commandments and hasn't asked one negative question or been hesitant about accepting our invitations to live the commandments. When we taught about tithing, he immediately asked where he can get a tithing slip, even though he just quit his job. So dedicated!

A is doing well, but we've heard some disconcerting new from a member who has been helping us. Let's just say that Satan knows exactly how to ruin people's lives, especially when it comes to alcohol. But otherwise, A has done really well! When we taught about the tithing, we asked what he knew about it, and he seriously taught is the entire lesson that we had prepared, quoting Malachi 3 and all. Super pilas!  We also invited an hermana, E, to be baptized on Sep. 14 and she accepted, but I don't think she is understanding what we're saying...she's always really distracted. But we're going to work with her! We're also working with a man named R, whose mom, uncle, and grandpa are all less active members. He is so cool! But his problem is that he wants to know everything all at once. Step by step...haha. He does animation and also makes movie trailers for local tv and radio stations. He's really talented.

This week, I had my 6 week evaluation with President and the other new missionaries. It was so fun to see hermana b from my CCM district! The best part was lunch...McDonalds!! I love having a gringo president...haha. But it was good, lots of instruction on how to improve. there was also a training for all the future trainers...there are 6 new hnas coming tomorrow...and 10 the next transfer! I'm kind of scared I'll have to train after I finish my 12 wk program, since there aren't that many sisters here...but we'll see! Whatever the Lord has planned, I'll go with it...haha.

The Spanish is coming along...everyone says I'm progressing way faster than most nortes. It helps that I seriously speak almost no english...ever. Just with the mission President's wife, who is still learning Spanish. We taught a 17 yr old who is studying English and speaks it really well. He wanted me to say the closing prayer in English...I did it...but it was way slower than usual because I couldn't think of the words in English. I kept using spanish words. So weird! When I come home, I apologize in advance if I burst into random spurts of spanish.

Karen asked me what were the most common responses when we contact people in their homes...usually, they come to their gate and say, Mucho gusto, pero soy catolico. We try to talk to them still and say how we only visit people to increase their faith in Christ. But yeah, usually they try to use their religion as an excuse to avoid us. Or...they send their kids out and they say, 'My mom says that she's not home.' Haha. We just grin and bear it, no matter what the response, then once they're out of earshot, we start laughing.

Well. that's about it...I'm doing well here in Nica, sweating buckets and eating lots of gallo pinto (which is so good...), but most importantly, teaching people about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, because it can help every single person on this earth, if they just open their hearts and minds to it. This week I've learned the importance of baptism. I'm not here to just baptize people. I'm here to help them make changes in their lives and accept Christ, which brings them to want to be baptized. I invite them, but beyond that, it's all up to them.

I love you all, have an awesome week!

Love,

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

12 August 2013 - One month in Nica!

Buenas Dias! 

I hope all is well at home! This week was super short, but as always, full of awesome experiences! 

I'm writing early because we had a zone study session this morning instead of the usual personal and companionship study we do in the house. 

 

I think I forgot to answer your questions about the zone. We have 2 districts, but the only hermanas are the 4 in my district. Pretty weird to be in a room crowded with elders. there are about 5 nortes and the rest are latino. We have zone conference every 3 weeks, which is the only time I get letters/packages. I can't remember if ZC is this week or next week. ZC was good last time... I learned more ways to teach, so that was good! 

The work is about the same as last week. Our only investigators who are progressing are R and A. R is awesome! He is fulfilling the commitments we extend and has an earnest desire to find the truth. He is continuing to prepare for is baptismal date! And A is doing surprisingly well also!  He (and R, actually) is reading the Gospel Principles Manual in his free time, looking up the cross references and such! Super awesome! A showed up to church looking very cleancut and ready to learn! He has a friend who referred him to us, so that has been a huge help. As far as the other people we're working with, they are really hard to track down. M is never home when we look for her. However, we are still working with the less actives a ton! And our efforts are starting to pay off! We've been having family home evening with a family every week, and we've been able to see the progression in their 19 yr old son. First, he was really shut off, but now, he's preparing to serve a mission! Awesome! The progression with our members in our ward has been a miracle. My ward has the lowest statistics in our stake, so it's awesome to see improvement! The retention or members in our ward is 13%...so sad, but we're working on it! And as we've been working with members, we've been able to have more success with nonmembers!  

Oh! When we were tracting the other day, I had my first negative experience when we contacted a house (well, negative for her). We were talking to the housekeeper outside and suddenly, a woman came out and was shouting "Maria! what are you doing! Those are Mormons!" And then she ushered Maria into the house and avoided eye contact with us. She looked at us as though we were Satan....because in her eyes, we were. How unfortunate for her that she doesn't understand our purpose. Oh well. 

We had divisions with a different zone on Wednesday. On Tues. night, we had planned everything that Hna R would do with the Hna from another zone...because we assumed that I wouldn't be the one to stay in our area, since I still don't know the area very well. I can recognize streets, but can't tell you how to get from place to place. So when the district leader called and said I would be the one who'd stay in our area...I thought it was a joke. The next day, both zones met up in the stake center. It was awesome to see Hna V! She is doing really well. Full of enthusiasm! Her trainer, Hna V, ended up being my comp for divisions. It was an awesome experience to see how each person has their own ways of achieving the same goals. We contacted a ton that day...because we got lost a lot and had to ask for help, and by doing so, we'd add, "oh, by the way, we're missionaries..." haha. But it was awesome! 

I think I've already started to lose weight here. Hna V said that my face looks thinner, and some of my skirts are already loose. If anyone needs a weight-loss plan, I've got one for ya: walk 7(ish) hours a day in the sweltering heat and eat lots of beans and rice. The results are impressive...haha. But I definitely feel healthier here. Missionary work: the ultimate exercise...at least when you're in Nicaragua and don't have a car...haha.  As far as plantains go...they eat them here like Americans eat potatos. Sometimes they're fried and are almost like chips, other times they're like fries, others they're like a banana without flavor, but when they're cooked with cinnamon and sugar, they're way good. I think my favorite are tostones. Have fun experimenting!  

As far as shopping for food goes, it's pretty similar. Corn Flakes, oatmeal (usually just the oats and milk with a banana cut up...Hna R got me hooked on it), and on special occasions, I make toast on our frying pan (with our little electric hot plate). there are a lot of American brands here. I have yet to see any mints. Only gum, but that doesn't really help me. Chocolate is super expensive here...so feel free to send that...haha. Hna R said that her trainer was from CA and her fam always sent chocolate and that melting isn't a problem. 

thanks for the pictures of the house! Looks awesome...hard to believe it'll look totally different when I get back! Sounds like the Shakespeare fest went well! did you go with the grandparents, or just the fam (minus the majority of the kids...haha). I hope Dad feels like a shakespeare scholar now! What's new in the world? Have I missed out on any crazy news...is the world going to end yet again? Haha 

Well, even though I have minimal contact with all of you, I know that you are praying for me! I can feel it! So thanks for that. I'm so glad we have the knowledge that families can be eternal. Such a blessing! We've been encouraging our members to set goals to go to the Honduras temple. I am so excited for them to reap the blessings of eternity! I know that this gospel is true and I love helping others see that. 

I love you all! Hasta luego! 

Love, 

Hna MacKay

(Posted by her Mom)

5 August 2013 - Great busy week

Hola, Familia! 

Well, this week was great! I can't exactly tell you why though. My news gets smaller every week, now that the novelty of being in Nicaragua is dying down. I'm emailing from a cyber café (without the café part) because the computers in the stake family history center are all fried from a virus. Bummer. But anyway...let's see, what happened this week? 

I had an interview with Pres. Russel, but it didn't last very long. Once I hit my halfway point in the training program, I'll have a longer one with him. He was encouraging though. Apparently I'm exceling in Spanish way more than I realize, so that's nice. I'll take his word for it. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, but Little by Little, I'll start to see the results. And Sis. Russel gave us hershey kisses, so that made interviews very profitable...haha. They have American Candy down here, but it's so expensive.  

I had my first meal outside of the E's home with a member this week. Hna B is latina, but she and her husband lived in California for 30 yrs. So I was expecting more American-like food. Probably one of the most Nicaraguan meals possible. Here in Nica, they (well, I guess we) eat plantains like potatoes. If you google how to cook plantains (platanos), you'd probably get hundreds of different récipes. I think one of my favorite foods here is atol. It's like rice pudding. So good!  

We had another blitz in a different district. We only had 30 minutes, but Hermana R and I got results! We found 2 super positive houses. Especially the last one, which was a family! In the misión, our goal is to find families, but we struggle to do so in our district. I think we always have more success in other districts. Oh well, it's all the same work! We've been working a lot on contacting (tracting), but haven't had a ton of success. On Aug 1st, it was Santo Domingo...a Catholic holiday in Nica...there were a lot of rosary beads pushed in our faces...haha. We're still working with the members, because it's true, referrals always end up being more positive. Now I understand why our VA missionaries always asked us for referrals.  

I had my first divisions a few days ago. I felt like a Little kid leaving my mom for the first time. I went to our neighboring district, Linda Vista, with Hna G, who is one of the sister missionaries....capacitadora...idk what they're called in English. It was good, and i understood more Spanish than usual. But I thought I was quiet...oh man. Hna G definitely is more than I am! But it was good, because it pushed me to get to know the members and investigators better, because she wasn't always talking. but she's a really good missionary. I'm getting more chatty with Hna R...slowly but surely! She definitely pushes me to work my hardest! I'm way ahead in the training Schedule (12 wk program).  

Our investigators are...progressing. R has a baptismal date for the 24th. He is so dependable! And he's earnestly preparing for baptism! It's such a great feeling to know that you're helping someone change their life and help them understand the Restored Gospel. The church is true! A...struggling. He is progressing in knowledge, but has a serious drinking problem.  I hope he can kick the habit! His life would be so much happier!  

Well, that's all I can think of for this week. Sorry this email is so short. Oh! I got sick for the first time in Nicaragua...this morning. I probably should still be in bed, but I really didn't want to miss out on emailing! I think I had a fever this morning. We didn't have a thermometer. Hna R was terrified that I had symptoms of Dengue...not sure if it's a sickness in english, but it's a disease spread by mosquitos. But I think it's just a fever. Don't worry, I'm being taken care of!  

I hope that you enjoy the Shakespeare festival! and house renovations! I told the bishop's family about how you are remodeling the house...I really need to stop talking about home life...everyone here thinks I'm insanely rich. It gets pretty awkward. Haha. How's the Ward doing? How many missionaries are on the back of the program now? How's Rachel's work going? Anything else new to report? Oh, Happy (belated) birthday to Grandmother! I was thinking of her on her bday! 

Well, the Church of Jesús Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church with the fullness of the Gospel of Jesús Christ! People don't appreciate it when we tell them that (in a nicer way), but it's the truth! And I'm here in Nicaragua to help others learn about the Gospel and understand how it can change their lives. Because this Gospel seriously changes lives. I love what I'm doing here! 

Love you all, can't wait to hear from you again!

Love, Hna MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

 

29 July 2013 Email

Hola! Como esta? Esta semana fue super pilas! Haha and that's where I'll leave off the spanish. Haha the latino missionaries seriously say pilas and salvaje all the time...and freak sometimes, too...haha. 

So the weather here has been hot, but not overwhelming. It rains every few days, and the rain is always welcome because it brings cooler weather. At night, it actually cools off like it does in UT! Not enough to need a jacket, but it's refreshing! I think it rains more in other areas, but if this is the rainy season, I'm not too worried. Though I am regretting bringing rain boots...apparently the mission president's wife decided they aren't professional so we can't wear them. But honestly, my Crocs work really well. All my shoes have worked out really well. I wear my Keens almost every day because they're so durable. And as far as clothes go, my drifit danskin shirts from Walmart have been my favorite. Apparently Danskin is a 'rich' brand here...weird. 

As far as Managua goes, I'm on the southern side, since part of Managua is in the North mission (including where the airport is, if that helps.) I'm in Miraflores, which is also the name of the ward, Managua Stake. The stake center is Las Palmas, my chapel is on de llantaza road...no idea if that would be on a map. We walk a lot here. I'm sure I'll beg to differ when I'm in a more rural area, but we walk back and forth so much every day. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to most places, but the investigators are all spaced out. The more dedicated members all live closer to eachother though. We're about 5 min from the Bishop's house. 

Hermana R walks so fast! I thought that because she's so much shorter, I'd have to slow down for her...not the case. A lot of the time, I'll be a good 10 steps behind her when she notices I'm not next to her. But that's because I have to dodge all sorts of things she doesnt have to worry about...such as tree branches. Haha. But it's all good! 

So I've seen Alpine about 8 times this week...we like to show the movie only a stonecutter to our members about enduring to the end...and Only a Stonecutter is about John Rowe Moyle of Alpine! Haha awesome! I think I gain more credibility when I tell people that I lived where the movie took place. Haha 

Oh! I got the package! Thanks so much! I was definitely the source of a lot of laughter at zone conference...haha...but it was perfect! I also got a letter from Scott and a dearelder from Francesca! they hand out mail and packages every 3 weeks (zone conference) but I'm pretty sure it only took 3 weeks for the package to get here. 

Well, this week was probably my best week here in Nica, which isn't saying much, since I've been here for 3 almost 4 weeks, but still. On Tuesday, we met with M and it went really well! I invited her to be baptized and she said yes! But she was always busy when we tried to meet with her during the week and she didn't go to church on Sunday because she was visiting her mom, so hopefully she continues to progress! But that same day, we taught R. The plan was for me to invite him to be baptized and set a baptismal date...but he seriously never stopped talking. Every once and a while, Hermana R would interject to show understanding. But every time I thought the timing was right and the Spirit was there, I would open my mouth, but R would start a whole new conversation. Eventually, Hna R finally just interrupted him and said, 'Hermano R, will you be baptized by someone with the power and authority of God on August 10' and he stopped and thought for a second, then said yes! And then he started talking again...haha. But he's already almost ready. Though he didn't go to church either on Sunday, so we're going to have to push back the date. Bummer. But I have faith in him! He's awesome! We're also teaching another really positive investigator, A. He was a reference and has a strong desire to change his life. He was an alcoholic and who knows what else, but we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he received it really well and looks happier every time we see him! 

I've been seeing little miracles every day. At first, it was tough to see them, but the harder I looked, the more I realized that there is always evidence of God's hand in my life that day. Whether it be that I was able to be more positive than usual, or had a conversation with someone and they understood me even though I continued to stutter. It's awesome. Heavenly Father is mindful of all of His children and is always there to help us when we struggle! At times this week, I've been discouraged, but when I pray for help, I often feel like I'm receiving a big hug. I love this gospel! 

I hope everything is going well with construction and jobs and wedding planning and such. Mark...what happened to the circus theme? and the sumo wrestling part of the reception? you really didn't want me to feel like I was missing out, did you? haha jk. 

Well, I'm going to try to send some pictures, so I'm going to cut this short. I might write more later. Love you!

Love,

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her mom)

22 July 2013 - Second week in Nica - Area: Miraflores

Buenas Tardes from Nicaragua! 

This week went by so fast...it feels like I just emailed yesterday. If this is how it goes for the next 16 months, I'll be home in 2.5 months...at least for me...haha. But this week was good. Some ups and downs, but that's to be expected. But things are improving! I am understanding more Spanish! Yay! Nicaraguans seriously talk so fast! Even when they think they're slowing down for my sake! But the Bishop's family (las E) are still easily the hardest to understand. But their 19 yr old daughter, P, is pretty good at realizing when I'm lost and will give me a breakdown of what's happening. One part of Nica culture I have yet to adjust to is that all the women kiss each others cheeks when they greet each other. What can I say, I'm not a very kissy person. And I have to bend down a lot to do so...haha oh well. I'll probably come home and be really confused s to why people shake my hand instead of kissing my cheeks. Haha 

 I didn't eat anything too crazy this week. Lots of beans and rice. Gallo Pinto is seriously their favorite food...and it's just beans and rice. But I like it too...just not more than pizza or chocolate. I'm so gringo...haha. But I did have soup one day...a HUGE bowl that I was obligated to eat. The interesting part was that the entire carcass was still in the soup. and huge slices of veggies. That was fun/awkward to eat. But yesterday we had torta de leche...so good! and hot chocolate, but it was even more bitter than the Mexican hot chocolate we had at home. They call it cafe de los Mormones...haha. But they have lots of amazing fruits...calala is my favorite. And it's so cheap! Gotta love Nicaragua! 

After I emailed yesterday, I learned how to be a little more Nica...by hand washing my clothes...fun stuff. It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. There's a large outdoor sink on our patio, so that helps. So Mom, you know how you never really trusted me with knives because you just knew I'd cut a finger off one day? Well Nicaragua has more trust in me. I learned how to cut a mango with a huge knife that looked more like a butcher's knife. Hna E handed me a mango and a knife and told me to start cutting...it was more like peeling a potato. They all were laughing at the gringa. But then the next day, Nicaragua trusted me even more! We went to a service activity on Saturday in the cemetery.. where we did lots of yardwork. All the graves here are above ground, so the work is much more difficult than just mowing the lawn. We raked a ton, but also had to cut the grass. But lawn mowers don't exist. Instead...machetes!!! I learned how to cut grass with a machete...I'm going to be so useful when I get home! But it was awesome to do something slightly familiar...aka yardwork...and wear pants. That's always a perk. Later that day, we went to a cultural celebration in honor of the stake's 15 yr anniversary of existence! The Managua Stake was the first stake in Nicaragua. Pretty crazy. It was awesome though! Way cooler than Utah culture...not gonna lie. 

This week, we did a LOT of contacting. One day, we spent a few hours in another area "ataque el area" i think in english they call it blitzing. I think we had more success in that area that we do in our own. Bummer! But it's all the same if the person ends up joining the church! I'm starting to get the hang of contacting. Calling 'Buenas'! through the door is normal now...the talking in spanish after the initial "Hola, somos misioneras de la iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias, yo soy hna MacKay y ella es mi companera, Hna R" part is more difficult. When the people actually want to talk to us, they pull out plastic lawn chairs and we talk about the Restored Gospel! One investigator pulled out these TINY chairs that were meant for toddlers. That was a fun hour of my life. But pretty funny! We've contacted a lot and have had a pretty good amount of appointments, but they usually fall through. We show up at their house and they either ignore us or aren't there. So that's discouraging, but we've had a few positive people! We had one potential investigator go to part of church with us, so that was exciting! His name is R and wants to do everything possible to set a good example for his daughter...which easily would be to learn the gospel, so we'll see where that goes! We also found a woman named M, who was almost baptized 12 yrs ago, but then she moved and the missionaries never found her until now! I'm excited to meet with her again!  

Hermana R is awesome! I feel bad because I'm still not super chatty, especially in espanol, so she keeps asking why I'm so quiet. One day, we will have a constant flowing conversation with jokes and my actual personality. I haven't had a real conversation in English for 2 weeks. Pretty strange! But Hermana R is a great missionary, especially since she's pulling the weight for two of us half the time. I really just want to pull out my notebook and take notes during lessons. Haha. Sometimes I get a little trunky (I know, that shouldn't even be possible since I'm so new) because she only has almost 3 months left. But that's alright! She's a hardworker! She always asks me if I want to do something (like contact someone, start a conversation, etc) and I hate saying no, so I end up doing it. I think she's figured out that I never say no to her...she says it's super pilas (cool) though because I'm ready to learn! I'll take her word for it.  

It takes 15 min to walk to my stake center, about the same to walk to my ward building, and I have no idea how big my area/district/zone is. I'll let you know when I understand where I'm walking every day. Here, they don't have house addresses. It's just, 1 cuardo aajo, 2 oeste, the red house with that one dog that just left the porch. Haha pretty difficult to get around. It was so hard to cross streets a few days ago! There was a crazy political rally a few blocks away from our house...the sandinista party! People came to Managua from all over Nica. Literally at least 50 buses completely crowded. People were sitting on the rooftops of the buses! The Sandinistas are know to be slightly crazy and some are anti north american. We had to be really careful about where we went because I kind of draw a lot of attention. I got whistled at soooo many times by busloads of people. It would be flattering if not...well actually I'm not sure if it'd ever be that flattering. Haha.  

Well, I am still a complete gringa here, but I'm loving it! When I get discouraged, I think of how lucky I am to be a representative of Jesus Christ in Nicaragua! I get to help people learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it can change their lives. I know that Joseph Smith really did see Christ and Heavenly Father, and because of that, we have the fullness of the Gospel. It's such a blessing in my life and I love having the opportunity to bless others lives! 

I love you all and I hope everything is going well!

Love,

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

29 May 2013 - First day at Guatemala CCM

15 July 2013 - First email from Nica!

I'M IN NICARAGUA!!! 

This is kind of insane. I still have random realizations that 1. I'm in Nica and 2. I'm a missionary...in Nicaragua. Haha but it's awesome. The last Sunday before I left, the elders in my district gave us blessings. It was so awesome! That helped my nerves a lot. My last day in the CCM was really boring. All we did was sit through 8 hours of workshops. But for dinner, there was a chocolate fountain...you better believe that was my first stop...haha Anyway, to the more interesting part...We left the CCM at about 3 30 am and flew out of the airport at 7...and arrived in Nica 1.5 hrs later! Woo! We made it through customs and baggage, and then my Mission President was there to greet us! The Russells are great. Sis. Russell reminds me a lot of you, Mom. So once we arrived at the mission home, we started workshops. Yay...but we went to a Nicaraguan restaurant for lunch! We slept over that night, then the next morning...Cambios! Exchanges!  

All the newbies had to bear their testimonies...that was nervewracking. But I made it through. My trainer is Hermana R from El Salvador. She doesn't know any English, so I am in full immersion here. She's great though...very patient. She only has 4 months left until she goes home, so I'll probably be in my area for a while. I'm in here in Managua! Miraflores District! Our area is bigger than I expected for a city. But it's actually a lot like Provo...Nicaraguanized...haha. Our house...for lack of a better work...is one room with a kitchenette, desks, and beds. The bathroom is kind of like an outhouse...fun stuff. I'm always terrified there will be a huge spider to greet me in the morning. No such luck yet...I'm sure it'll happen one of these days.  

So I thought I knew Spanish pretty well...FALSE. I can understand my companion without straining myself too much, but for everyone else, I have to concentrate really hard. Guatemalan spanish was way easier to understand than Nica spanish. My first day, we visited a lot of investigators...had no idea what they were saying, but I was there! One couple really liked me...I think it was because I was just smiling the whole time even though I had no idea what was going on. Oh what fun. One of the first things I wrote in my journal my first night was 'HORMIGAS (ants) ARE NOT MY FRIENDS. In the US, most of the time they're just annoying. Here, they all attack you. My legs are a testimony to that. Mosquitos also happen to love my chelita skin. The intense bug spray we got is failing me. Yaaaaay. Here, everyone calls me Chelita...it means little white girl. It's somewhat endearing, until men call it out in the street. Then you walk away as fast as possible.  

I am a GIANT here. I knew I'd be tall, and usually I don't even feel that tall here, but in a picture that we took on Thursday, I am waaaaay taller than everyone. I also am the only one who ever has to duck when walking on the sidewalk. Sometimes, I forget...stupid trees get in the way. I also scare small children with my blue eyes and abnormal height. Haha. But Welcome to Nicaragua!  

So another Welcome to Nicaragua moment...I had my first baptism on Friday!!! I don't really think I can claim it as mine, since I didn't even meet Jose until the day of, but still. First, J and his (now) wife got married, then afterwards, he was baptized! It was awesome, even if I didn't understand much. I got roped into singing a musical number at the baptism...fun stuff...haha. I sang a primary song about baptism in spanish. 

I didn't even start tracting until Saturday because we were so busy visiting investigators and less actives. Tracting/contacting is so nerve wracking! I know I'll get used to it, but oh man. So scary. Here, there arent normal doors/doorbells. There are wire gates surrounding the house. So you call through the gate, "buenas" and usually someone comes to talk to you.  

I had a cool experience a few days ago. We were visiting a less active family, who was actually attending a Catholic church...they didn't really want to listen to us, but let us in anyway. We started teaching about prayer/their concerns and when I was bearing my testimony (one of the few things I can actually do in lessons) the Hna. started to cry. I was a little concerned that I'd said something wrong, but then she said I reminded her of Hna C, who was the one who found them. Tall, blue eyes, brown hair. Just by being there, I helped her remember her baptismal covenants/why she initially joined the church. So was so sweet! She also invited me to her 8 yr old's birthday party...I think I have a new friend! haha 

So for food, we pay a family to feed us lunch. I think we're going to start having the make dinner for us too. The bishop's family (familia E) does it. They have 2 girls my age, so that's fun. It's sooo hard to understand Bishop E though. My goal is to understand him soon. The daughters are my "aunts" and now I have another set of abuelos...and Hna R is my mama. The food is great! Not at all like the food we tried to make when I got my call. I think my favorite part is the drinks. So good! I had the drink we attempted to make...we didn't make it right. It was amazing. I love Nica food! I might change my mind after a year of it, but we'll see how it goes. 

Church was interesting. We have a pretty big membership...too bad there were only 28 people there! Yeah, I counted. So crazy! Retention is definitely an issue here. It's because so many people can't afford to not work on Sundays. So sad. But I am the only piano player in the ward...too bad I hadn't played for amost 2 months. Karen...think about how "well" my accompaniment went in YW in VA...yup, it was that bad. Oh well, I don't think it made much of a difference to the congregation!   

Sometimes I feel like I'm in an old Western movie, but with colorful homes built with scrap metal. Occasionally there's even a horse pulling a cart...not even kidding! But then someone pulls out an iPhone and ruins that vision. It is SOOO hot here though...I haven't even tried to wear my hair down because it's so hot and muggy. We affectionately call our house the horno...which means oven. It gets so hot during the day. But I love it here. I feel safe. I'm happy. I'm serving the Lord to the best of my ability. It's great. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints really is the restored gospel. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon trhough revelation/inspiration from God. And it changes lives. Prayer makes such a difference in daily life. I feel so close to Heavenly Father.  

Well, I hope all is well at home...and CONGRATULATIONS MARK AND JILL!!! Can't wait to come home to a new sister! Yaaaay! So awesome. Oh and I did see Trent Colton at the CCM, he's doing well!  

Love, 

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by Lisa's Mom)