Suffer patiently and the Lord will give you success.

Dearest family,

Thanks so much for your letters. Its always so good to hear from you! I’m sorry to hear that there are tough times at home but I’m so glad that you recognize them as blessings. The Lord has promised to bless the families of His missionaries, and I think He is doing it right now with trials. :)

Mom, that scripture you shared with me is probably my favorite scripture thus far on the mission (Alma 26:27). Dad, thanks for the poem and for your words for the Familia Chavarria.  I think I’m going to print them out and read them in our Noche de Hogar with them tonight. There seems to be a recurring theme or things that I learn over and over again in the mission: that if we suffer patiently in our afflictions as it says in Alma 26:27 the Lord will give us success. For example, this week started out slow. We weren’t teaching a lot of people and a lot of our possibilities for baptism that we had before fell through. Elder Rodriguez has been sick and it was hard just to wake up. I prayed that the Lord would help me that day and I’m sure that your prayers helped too. We ended up finding a bunch of new families to teach and the Lord literally placed people in our path.

It’s basically a miracle, but after over 3 years of knowing the missionaries the Familia Chavarria is going to be married and baptized this weekend. :) We are sooooo stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we had changes this past week and I’m still in Las Flores, Masaya. But I’m glad because we still have work to do here. We have a new Zone Leader though and 6 hermanas in the zone (which is a lot). Anddd to answer your question mom, no I haven’t gotten any packages (yeah kind of a bummer but I still have hope) haha.  I’ve heard that it can take a long time.

What else...Elder Rodriguez has some weird sickness and this week I gave him a blessing. It gave me an even stronger testimony of the priesthood and that the miracles that the Lord performs in our lives.

Other little things: ITS SO HOT! Haha…but its ok.  I’m getting used to it and it makes the work have even more value. I drank a ¨fresco¨ (juice) made with avocado eyes (and almost threw up).

 Also, I’m going to try to send some pictures right now. Two are of Family Night and had to be secret so they kind of are of a stinky quality (it was fun trying to take them though), the baptism of Mayory and Francisco, at Papa Johns with the Zone, and others...

Anyways...love you guys a bunch. I know without a doubt that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we are so blessed to be members of His church. Even though your lives are busy with lots of other things to do REMEMBER that the most happiness comes when we are doing what the Lord wants.

KEEP IT REAL IN THE U S OF A.

Love much,

Elder Ward

All in all, a sweet sweet experience

Mayory's baptism

¡¡¡¡¡¡FAMMILIAAAA!!!!

Man! Welp, thanks for making me cry again. I didn’t really cry but, really thank you for your e mails especially about Brother Jones. I was filled with a sweet spirit as I read about his passing and his "call to the heavenly MTC". I know without a doubt that he is in the spirit world right now, most likely serving as a powerful witness of Jesus Christ and his Atonement. It’s a sweet thought to know that he is doing exactly what he would want to be doing now. We should all aspire to be like Kirk Jones, the kind of person that is known as one who lived and died as a true disciple of Christ and that changed the lives of many.

This week has been crazy...but crazy in a good way, of course. Last Saturday we married a family and baptized a woman named Mayory. It was definitely a huge test of faith though. At the end of this last week we scrambled to get all of their papers, find a lawyer, two witnesses for the wedding, figure out a time when those who needed to be there could be (since there was a huge activity in the stake center and the husband had to work at night), plan that baptism, etc...When we showed up to Hmna Elizabeth’s house (the member/lawyer that I always talk about) she told us that she couldn’t do it until later.

So...thus began the madness. We had to talk to everyone again and rearrange everything. We got everything rearranged Saturday morning and were just about to buy a cake for the wedding when Elizabeth called and told us she couldn’t do it that day. Our hearts just sank and I’m pretty sure we both wanted to quit right there. We had worked so hard with this family and Mayory had had so much faith to be able to change her life and even her husband’s. We forgot about the cake and went to go search for another lawyer. From then on little miracles occurred. We found another lawyer that was willing to marry them within 2 hours, we didn’t have keys to the church because nobody in the bishopric could help us that day but a lady from the ward pulled up as we walked up to the church and her husband randomly had keys to the building. My comp had to climb over the glass window to unlock the baptismal font doors. I used my cleaning skills from summers ago to clean the fairly dirty church in like 5 minutes. It was seriously CRAZY...but all in all it was a sweet sweet experience. It was great.  The husband, Francisco, was so excited that right after they got changed he went right in the water, without an opening prayer or message or anything like we had planned. Afterward, we ate cake and soda with the few people that were there and I felt so much joy in that moment.

I think I got this from you dad, but I thought of analogy. A lot of the time we have our eye on the cake, or eternal life, but lots of problems and trials arise. Often times we forget about the cake in those moments that are tough, but if we have faith that everything will work out and do absolutely everything that we can to get the cake...it will happen. In other words, if we suffer patiently through our trials we will one day be reunited in the next life and be happier than we’ve ever been.

The familia Chavarria stopped drinking coffee!!!! Woo hoo! We are praying and have faith that they will be baptized this week as we had planned. The mission has some new goals that are pretty crazy but I have faith that with the help of the Lord that it will happen. Not much else from here but love you guys a bunch and have an awesome week!!!!

Con muchoooo amor,

Elder Ward

PS Connor and Collin, what ever you do don’t fight over volleyball :) Don’t let yourself  get too sucked into all that.

Also, I’m sending pics!!! Just kidding. I tried and it didn’t work. Next week!

Francisco and Mayory's wedding & baptism

I will carry on in the work of the Lord

Querido familia,

Tears came to my eyes as I read both of your letters [Mom and Dad]...not tears of sadness, at least I don’t think so, but more tears of joy because I learned something very valuable this week.

This week there was one day that was super tough (I want to say that it was Thursday). I woke up with a pounding headache and just did not feel motivated at all. In the morning I prayed for the strength to be able to work hard and we left the house. We had a whole bunch of appointments up with lots of our progressing investigators and even had a member helping us. Absolutely nobody was home, didn’t have time to talk to us, or didn’t accept us. It was tough but we tried to stay positive and just kept working.

At night we had a lesson with the Familia Chavarria. They have progressed so much and we basically just went to share a quick message and to schedule an appointment for their baptismal interviews. Unfortunately, Hermano Jose still has problems with drinking coffee. We had a powerful lesson on the power of the atonement and how the Savior can help us to overcome temptation. Elder Rodriguez and I both bore powerful testimony and we knew that they had felt the spirit. At the end of the lesson we committed him to live the Word of Wisdom and he basically said he’d try...sort of. 

We both walked home hurting spiritually for this family. I was so tired and I felt something that I’ve never felt before. I can’t even explain it but I hurt so bad for this family but at the same time I felt hope that they would be baptized. That night I prayed for understanding of why we had to have days like the one that we had and the impression I had is this...

We don’t exactly understand everything about the Atonement but we do know that it is a real power that changes people’s lives forever. I think that sometimes we suffer so that we can feel a little of what the Savior went through for us. I don’t know why and can´t even explain it but I feel like I felt a lit bit of what the Savior suffered for the familia Chavarria that day. Oddly enough, I felt even more love for them...I feel like I felt a portion of the love that the Savior has for them.

I’m sorry to hear that this week was a tough one but I know that our trials are the moments that we can learn from the most. We should be grateful for the opportunities that we have to learn and Mom I’m glad that you focused on your blessings that day. 

Dad, I felt a sweet spirit as I read your letter about Brother Jones. He truly is one of my heroes and I take so much comfort in knowing that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we will be able to see him again one day. I will carry on in the work of the Lord and proclaim the gospel that Brother Jones lived and loved.

Man...I don’t even know if this letter makes sense. It’s so hard to put feelings and thoughts in words especially when every word has red squigglies underneath it because supposedly I’m spelling everything wrong (Spanish spell check). A couple other things from this week...

We’re going to baptize and marry Mayory and her husband, Francisco, this week so we’re super stoked about that! We had interviews with the president this week which was pretty awesome. The stake has a new mission plan that is super awesome. It has a lot to do with the story of Alma and Amulek and that they are basically our Amuleks.  The ward members have already begun to help us a lot and like I said last week, their help is SO crucial. I operated on myself this week by removing part of an ingrown toenail...and I think it’s the Lord´s blessing that my toe is completely fine now. 

Anyways this letter is super long. Just know that I love you all so much and keep fighting through the trials. Maybe the whole family is experiencing a bit of the pain that the Savior suffered for the people in Nicaragua. If that’s the case, I’m glad that our family can suffer a little to help the families here be happy forever.

I’m super happy and my testimony grows so much every day. I’ll keep Grandma Peart in my prayers this week. You guys are the best and love you like crazy. Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

Also...I love you guys a bunch. Oh yeah...and I pooped out another worm this week. Think I'm gonna go buy deparasite pills.

GROSS!!!!!

Love,

Elder Ward

The greatest blessings require the greatest sacrifices

Querido famila,

Man, I know I say this every week but it sure is good to hear from you. I realized that I don’t always respond to what you say in your letters so I’ll take some time to do that.

Man! Ava you need to eat! That’s kinda freaky that she was so sick [and lost so much weight]. Now, imagine that—not because she is sick—but because you don’t have any food to eat. I really am learning to be more grateful for what we have because we take SO much for granted. And Aubrey if you’re worried about having a cell phone, just know that lots of the kids here don’t even think about that because they’re more worried about if they will be able to have enough food to eat that day... J

I’m learning so much every week on the mission. I love the work so much but this month is going to be a tough one I think. It’s funny because Elder Rodriguez and I said a couple of times in January that we were going to suffer in February. This week has been tough but in a good way. We worked so hard to have all of our possibilities for baptism come to church this week but, unfortunately, only a few came. I’m learning that almost always the greatest blessings require the greatest sacrifices.

I feel like I’m starting to really get the hang of things which is good, thanks to my companion and the Lord. A lot of the times we get to a house and he doesn’t even talk at first...not because he doesn’t want to or doesn’t know what to say, but because he wants me to learn. I think that we could all learn from his example...that the Lord always blesses us more when we put other people first.

We started eating with the members of the ward this week which is pretty sweet because there isn’t a lot of time to visit the members and they are the key to missionary work. I’ll say that again... THE MEMBERS ARE THE KEY TO MISSIONARY WORK. Sometimes we have tried everything to get someone to overcome a problem and get to church and eventually be baptized but the members are the key. So...to everyone that reads this letter...DO MISSIONARY WORK. It isn’t just something that we should do if an opportunity presents itself. We should be looking to share the gospel with our friends and neighbors every day because there just aren’t enough missionaries to do the work.

It’s been a while since I’ve given a challenge of the week so make a list of your friends and neighbors and pray about those that the Lord will prepare them to hear the gospel. Invite them to church, FHE, to listen to the missionaries.

Anyways...we’re working hard together with our investigators and battling the ingrato Satan so that they can be baptized very soon. Thanks for all of your prayers because we’re seeing miracles in their lives and ours. For example, the familia Chavarria say family prayers at 5 in the morning by themselves now. J

Also...yes mom, I did hear that Joey is zone leader which is way sweet. We write each other every other week. Also, I haven’t gotten my package yet. Bummer I know! Haha. But it’ll be even sweeter when I do get it. I’ll let you know when it comes!

Anyways, sorry that this letter is kind of lame without any good stories or anything... Next week will have better stories for sure. J Just know that I miss you guys a ton and I’m so grateful to have a blessed eternal family. You all make me suuuuper happy!

Con amor,

Elder Ward