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!