Lessons Learned This Week: Diligence and Cut your Toenails Good

Hey Fam!

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!! It feels kind of lame not being able to do anything for you, Mom, but just know that I love you a whole bunch and that you’re still the best mom in the whole world! It’s kind of weird to think that you’ve had two birthdays since I’ve been in the mission. Also, Happy Halloween to everyone! Haha!  Halloween in Nicaragua is pretty funny. It doesn’t really exist but they’ve heard about it so a few select people dress up in costumes but that’s about it. A few people have asked me what we do in the States and they sound weirded out when I tell them that we go door to door in costumes asking for candy...  It is kinda weird honestly.

This week has been a pretty rough one but at the same time a good one. I think that the Lord sometimes just lets us have hard weeks on the mission so that we can learn and grow. This morning I had an especially great experience. I think I told you guys that I had a pretty gnarly ingrown toenail that was all inflamed and pus was coming out and stuff... Anyways, I decided that I should probably go get it taken care of. We went to a foot clinic in the morning and the asesino (assassin) of a doctor comes and asks if we had an appointment.  I told him no, and he just plopped me down in a seat and demanded that I take my shoe off. I didn’t even have time to think or pray or do anything. He put a little but of anesthetic on my toe for like two seconds which didn’t help at all and then cut a little sliver in my nail. He than got a metal tool and just started digging my toenail out and WOW did it hurt. The worst is when he went really deep into my toe to excavate the 6th toenail I had in there. It was nuts how far it had gone into my toe. Anyways...cut your toenails good everyone.

I’ve learned a lot about diligence this week. The Lord wants us to be faithful at all times and to keep working in His vineyard even when we’re not seeing fruits. This week we contacted A BUNCH to try and find new people to teach but the majority of the people we talked to just didn’t want anything but we’ll find ‘em. J Unfortunately, we weren’t able to baptize Edwin and Mercedes... They are really struggling with giving up smoking and coffee but I know that the Lord will help them struggle through it and that we’ll baptize them this month.

This week we spent a lot of time up in trees. We did service for Silvia and for one of the investigators of the other Elders this week. It was actually pretty fun climbing up there and just hacking at the branches with machetes. Silvia continues to amaze me with her faith. We found her crying one night this week because her ex husband told her that he didn’t ever want to see her again and that he wouldn’t give her money for food and stuff. The Lord has heard her prayers though and she’s starting to see a lot of the blessings of her baptism.

Anyways...sorry I don’t have much to write about this week. This week is going to be super crazy because the elections are going on but don’t worry, we’ve got God on our side. I love you guys a bunch and keep being good!

Love,

Elder Ward

PS. Mom, I honestly haven’t thought a lot about what I’d want for Christmas.... mainly socks and ties...just like some snacks and stuff, anti-itch cream, batteries, and anything else you can think of. Thanks! Oh, and maybe another memory card for my camera but I don’t know because it hasn’t been working lately. It turns on fine and stuff but it says that the memory is like protected and I can’t take pictures or anything. I’m going to try and fix it today. Thanks!

This week was.....MIRACULOUS!!

Dear Ward Family,

Man, I just get so happy when I read your guys letters! It’s good to know that I have a barbaric (they use that to say awesome or cool here) family that I love so much. I guess I’ll start out by telling Ava good job in the primary program! That is one of the most important truths that we have, if not the most important and it is something I say almost every day. I just say "Nuestro Padre Celestial y su Hijo, Jesucristo, se le aparacieron a Jose Smith.¨ Collin, I imagine that you’re super good at volleyball now and keep dominating. Connor, congrats that you’re going to the temple man! I miss the temple so bad, so live it up! Just one piece of advice, don’t stress too much and just listen to the Spirit. Mom, I love the BOM so much too. I started something about 2 weeks ago and I think I’ll do it for the rest of my mission. I’ve started walking around with a BOM in my hand all day every day and its amazing how it has strengthened my testimony and the testimony of others already. Congrats for finishing and keep reading! If you wanna try something different, read together and mark 4 different things in 4 different colors: 1. Every time that there is a reference to Jesus Christ 2. The words of Jesus Christ 3. The attributes of Jesus Christ 4. Important principles and doctrines from the Book of Mormon. It’s awesome!  Dad, thanks for reminding me of some of my duties that I have as a missionary and for always making me want to do better.

Alright...this week was...miraculous. Remember Silvia? Well, on Monday night we had a family night with her and her sister Araceli who is a recent convert. We had finished everything and Elder Leiva and I both felt really strongly that we should challenge her to be baptized THIS weekend. It was a huge jump of faith for her, having to leave her husband and start her new life so soon but she said yes! She was so happy this weekend and her baptism was amazing. I love her so much and she has taught me a bunch. First of all, because she is in a wheelchair but she plays wheelchair basketball and can do cool tricks and stuff with her chair. Also, because she has fought to raise her son basically by herself and had enough faith to leave her husband that she had been with for 12 years, not knowing how everything would go financially and stuff. She bore a sweet testimony in her baptism and shared that it doesn’t matter how big the sacrifice is if its for the Lord because He will always bless us with more. She is going to be an awesome member.

We’ve been teaching a family named Edwin and Mercedes in these past couple of weeks. We’ve hardly even taught them anything but we went to go visit them with the members on Wednesday and had an awesome family night with them. On Thursday night we went over and taught the lesson of the restoration. The Spirit was super strong and they listened really attentively. It was a long shot but we put a baptismal date for this Saturday the 29th and they said yes! It’s amazing how the Spirit touches peoples hearts and how beautiful and simple our message is. Please pray for this family cuz we’re going to baptize them. :)

What else...today we played soccer and baseball and it was super legit. We just had to have a little discussion with the kids that were feeding their horses their to tell them to move. Also...I hit a ball on to a guy’s tin roof off a foul ball. He was NOT happy when I went to go ask for it. This week are the elections for who’s going to be the president. Let me just tell you that I’m glad that I live in the US because the elections are INSANE here. What other random things...Also this is the last week of transfers and I can’t believe how fast it went.

I have so much more to write about but I’ve gotta wrap it up. To answer your question mom, I don’t even want to talk about that. Let’s just say that I’m wearing dirty underwear right now. The girl that washes our clothes is....let’s just say that she’s not going to be washing our clothes next week. Somehow I don’t have hardly any socks anymore, I don’t have as many underwear any more, I lost my baptismal pants and tie a while back, and I think I’m good with shirts. Haha I’m sorta getting good with using the washboard things they have here. Umm...but yeah give me some time to think about the Christmas thing cuz right now I don’t know. But I will definitely be needing underwear and socks and stuff.

Les amo un montón y sean felizes! Tambien, no sean caballos. jaja no entienden, solo papá. Son bromas sobre el caballo.

Love,

Elder Ward 

I Love This Work!

Dearest family,

Freeeaaakk, I don’t know why but your letters really made me miss you guys this week. I don’t know if it was because half of it talked about volleyball, or if I just miss being with my fam. But don’t worry, I still got my head in the mission. I don’t want to think too much about the end of my mission but I think that would be really sweet if you guys came to pick me up. Our president does allow that and I know that the parents that do come really enjoy it. You’re gonna cry though so just prepare yourself. Anyways...I think that would be awesome. I would recommend going to stay in San Juan del Sur before coming to get me haha. Anyways...we’ll talk more about that in a year.

Listen, I may have a GPS (gallo pinto stomach) and I may not be able to jump to save my life, but just so you know the real champ is gonna be there for the volleyball tournament next year so get ready right now. I’m glad that you guys got to go do that even though I’m jealous.

What’s new in Sandino? Welllllll a bunch of stuff happened this week. I’ll just give you guys the highlights. We baptized 3 people this weekend (one is a lady named Maria who is super awesome, and two kids named Tonio and Kevin (9 and 11). Maria is super humble and loves the gospel so much. Tonio and Kevin are dead set on being missionaries and come from a family of like 20 people. It was an awesome day and we were stoked.

It’s amazing how some people are just ready to hear the gospel. When we went to go visit Kevin and Tonio like 2 weeks ago this guy named Edwin and his wife Mercedes just took out seats and sat down to listen to us without us even saying anything. This week we had a super awesome experience with them. Edwin told us that he’s been smoking for 27 yrs and has tried everything to stop and can’t. His wife is also super addicted to coffee. There was a strong spirit as we talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that through it they could repent of their sins. They went to church this week and loved it. We’re hoping to baptize them at the end of this month.

This week we were out in the boondocks of our area and we passed by a humble tin house. Four little girls waved to us and I felt like we should stop and talk to them. They came running up to us super excited and the littlest one came and hugged my leg. I asked where their parents were, considering that the oldest was like 11. They all said, “in heaven”. They went on to explain that they lived alone in their little house and that their aunt just came to visit and gives them money every now and then for food. They told us that they were members and went before their parents died in an accident. It really touched my heart to see them at church on Sunday with big smiles on their faces, also the fact that they knew where there parents were....and honestly I just felt so much love for them.

Wow this is a lot but anyways...remember when I wrote about Silivia (the woman in a wheelchair that’s super awesome but that just can’t get baptized because she’s not married). Well last night we just stopped by to say hi when she told us that she got an answer to her prayers. Her drunk husband came home on Saturday with lipstick all over his mouth and that she decided it was about time to leave him. She’s gonna get baptized on the 29th!!!!!!!

Anyways...this week has been crazy. There have been a lot of problems with elders in our zone this week and I think I’m learning what its like to be a parent with 14 kids, but I can’t help but love them as I try to help them to be better missionaries. I love this work and I know that this church is true. I miss you guys and pray for you often. BE HAPPY!

Love,

Elder Ward

Families are blessed and healed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Dearest Ward Family,

HEY!!!!!!!!!! What’s up guys? It sounds like this week has been another crazy one for everyone. Man...I’m so jealous that you guys are gonna go play in a volleyball tournament. I think I’ve touched a volleyball once in my mission. But it’s worth it. Mom, just wanted to say that you have awesome sons because you’re awesome parents. (and were really not that awesome).

Anyways...this week has been another busy one. We’ve been trying super hard to animate and unify our zone and baptize all the people that the Lord has prepared.  One thing that was pretty awesome is that we had a multi zone conference just about the BOM. We had to choose a part from the BOM to make a play about. We chose the 2000 stripling warriors and it was super fun. We all came armed with broom sticks and cardboard swords, bed sheets, ties on our foreheads, machettes, and flip flops (basically whatever a missionary can find in his house in Nicaragua). For some reason I got to be Helaman and had to yell a lot. (lost my voice). But it was fun and we feel like the zone is a lot more unified now.

As for our investigators...ahhh...I don’t know why this happens always, but the Lord has His reasons. One day we went to go visit Mario and he was MAD when we showed up. He had a bloody gash on his leg and explained where it was from. Turns out that he argued with his wife, hit her, and she stabbed him in the leg. Soo...the family that we love so much and had been working with split up. She took her things and left. It was interesting because just the day before that I felt prompted to read Ether 12:34-35 to him and explained that if he doesn’t have charity he’s going to lose all that he loves. Once again my testimony that families are blessed and healed by the gospel of Jesus Christ was strengthened.

We’re working with a couple of other people right now that are close to baptism so we’re excited. Things have been kinda crazy here because they’re giving 3 areas of our zone to the North Mission this next week, so we’re trying to get all that figured out.

I think that’s pretty much all I got for this week...just a random side note, you guys gotta come ride the buses in Managua sometime. THEYRE NUTS! It’s kind of a bad nickname but they’re known as "fornibuses" by the missionaries cuz they just pack like a 100 people in there and drive 80 mph on little roads. Anyways...just a random question, are you guys really thinking about coming to pick me up after….just out of curiosity.

Love you guys a whole bunch and keep being good! Also, do awesome in volleyball this weekend and just enjoy it!

Love,

Elder Ward

Hulk, Pinatas, Getting Drenched in the Rain-"I Love Being a Missionary!"

¿¿¿¿¿¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡NEW ZEALAND?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?????????????!?!?!?!?!?!

Dude! That’s so freaking awesome! Man, I’m so stoked for you Connor! That will be such a sweet mission and I’m so stoked that you’re going to be going on your mission really soon. Like Brent said, it really doesn’t matter where you go, the mission will change your life and you will love the people wherever you go. It’s just too bad that you’re not going to the best mission in the world though :-). Just a little bit of council… Satan is going to do everything he can to ¨unprepare¨ you for your mission. Don’t let him do it. Dive into the study of the BOM and PMG, learn to love people more, and be a missionary now. If it’s possible, do divisions with the missionaries. I love you a ton bro and congrats! Sorry that I couldn’t be there.

Well...this week I find myself in better condition. Wow, last Monday sucked, for lack of a better explanation, but I received a priesthood blessing and was only sick for that day and the next morning. Honestly, it’s been a busy two weeks here with lots of changes, but I love it. To answer your questions the house is alright, we have a regular shower and toilet and stuff which is always good (just no hot water). We eat with a really awesome member family with the other two missionaries. Ciudad Sandino is SUPER hot, but I’m already getting used to it luckily. All in all I love the area.

Well...here come a few random stories. The other day we were walking on a little dirt road by a bunch of tin houses when we pass by a little kid. In the instant that he saw us he jumped up and screamed ¡hermanos, hermanos, o que bueno que vinieron¡ (brothers, brothers, its good that you came!) We were a little taken aback, like maybe someone in the house was dying and needed a blessing or something. He then went on to explain that he had been waiting in front of his house for days so that the elders would pass by (turns out he’s a member). I wondered just what it could be that he needed so bad. He went on to explain that his toy Hulk was stuck on the roof of his tin house and that he’d been trying for weeks to get it. It was a modern day sandlot story. I stood on a plastic chair then boosted him up and we got the Hulk doll. After that he shouted with joy, ¨MI HULK, MI HULK, MI HULK!!!!!´ and gave it a big hug. It made me think that there are some people, whether they know it are not, that have a missing hulk doll in their lives, and are just waiting for the missionaries (that means members too) to come and pull them down.

Turns out that I’m not so good at making piñatas. We are teaching a way cool family named Mario and Junieth that the other elders left us, and they tried to teach me how to make piñatas and its hard! Anyways...I love them to death but they are like another Anabel and Milton because they have lots of problems in their relationship and don’t want to get married. It’s amazing how small and simple things can change our family relationships.  We are also teaching a lady named Silvia that is SUPER legit. She has a wheelchair and has a stronger testimony than lots of members. She has gone to church like 30 times and knows the BOM, you name it. She just doesn’t know if she wants to get married or get separated from her husband but we’re working towards baptism with her.

Conference was SUPER awesome. I honestly don’t know what I liked the most but I think that it was Elder Holland’s talk in the priesthood session. I too am so grateful that we have living prophets today that lead us and guide us. It makes me feel like my job is even that much more important. In between the morning and afternoon session on Sunday we got absolutely DRENCHED in the rain. Usually I would be kinda bummed but I just couldn’t help but smile and think I love being a missionary.

And it’s true, I love it. I continue to learn more and more everyday and I feel the pressure of being the leader of 20 missionaries, but I know that the Lord is helping me as I go. I miss you guys a ton, and Connor, get ready for the time of your life! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Ward