"Es mejor casarse que quemarse" ("For it is better to marry than to burn")

Buenas noches, mis amados amigos!

I´m writing a little late tonight because we were in Managua again today for another choir practice...that I´m actually singing in this time, haha. And so we don´t have to work today so we can finish up our pday things that we couldn´t do from traveling. 

This week has been normal, more or less. Some exciting stories and unexpected adventures, but I´ll get to that in a moment ;)

We´ve been working super hard this week to find more chosen people that are ready to get baptized! We got an idea from our TLs (which I was hesitant to do again, because it never worked for me in the past) to invite EVERYONE to be baptized!

...Well, almost anyone.
When we contact, we mainly just invite them to attend church with us. Based on how they react, we teach principles and ask to come back and visit them and such.

Our TLs have been doing something where if someone says they´ll come to church (and really seem like they mean it), they invite them to be baptized! And we finished divisions with them and were determined to give it a shot, because they´ve been baptizing a lot...so they must be doing something right.

We started off the week with 3 fechas (or 3 people committed to being baptized on a certain day), and we now have 11! All for the month of January. Obviously, not all are going to be baptized, but if we work hard, at least 2 or 3 should make it to the waters of baptism, and I´m really seeing the fruits of just opening your mouth and not being afraid. Of course, this isn´t something that´ll work in other parts of the world, but it really generates a lot of success here in Nicaragua, because so many people are so humble and looking for the truth.

So that´s what we´ve been doing this week, is teaching a lot about the restoration and why it´s important for these lovely Nicas, and baptism. Why it´s necessary and why they need to be baptized in OUR church by the proper authority.

And I´ve never been happier, but I know that I can still do more. That´s the frustrating part. I´m doing my best every day I feel like. Even though my best is different every day ;)

Okay, so some funny stories. We´ve had some traveling difficulties lately. This Wednesday, we had a zone meeting and interview with President in Estelí in the afternoon. And they ended up taking longer than we thought, so we missed the last buses that would take us down to Sébaco from Esteli. We were going to stay the night with the Hermanas in Rosario, but President gave us money for a taxi. So on the way home, in the middle of nowhere, at 9 at night, the engine (or something) overheats. So we´re just stuck in the middle of nowhere with this random taxi driver and no way to get home. So that was exciting. Thankfully, we eventually got it figured out, and we made it home before 9:30.

Then today, we were on the bus coming back from Managua, and about halfway there, something pops a hole in the back right tire and it goes flat. And there´s people on it and everything. So...we just had to wait for them to fix the tire and we were rolling again. But it was pretty crazy. We all heard the POP and the air gushing out of the tire as we rolled down the freeway. It was pretty amusing. Lots of travel things this week, haha. [Comment from Mom: Of course when I read this, I have horrific visions of the bus careening down the freeway completely out of control.]

And yesterday, we were standing at a members gate talking to her, and then her pig named Peppa just strolls on by. She´s a BIG pig, and we were just admiring her when she decides to step outside, and she refused to go back in the member just ended up chasing it around while the neighbors were helping corral it back to the house. I wanted to go help, becasue it was partly our fault she got out, but I didn´t know what to do. And that pig was angry. And it was dark. It started chasing after us and we flipped out and both me and my comp ran in different directions, haha. That giant pig got close enough to bite my legs and I was NOT having any of that. Thankfully, like everything else, it was all taken care of and it was put back in its pen.

Also yesterday, we had a classic language barrier scripture mix up. We were teaching this super pilas (golden) couple about the law of chastity. We hadn´t brought it up before, but they´ve already agreed to be baptized, so they need to start making plans sooner rather than later. So my comp shared 1 Corinthians 7:9 with them, because our DL gave it to us to use. And she hadn´t read it before. I had, which was why I hadn´t brought it up. But the girl read it out loud, and she got the message loud and clear.

9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

Nuff said. The JST was a little less strong, but I left it at that. They got the message, and thankfully weren´t offended. I guess they needed that reminder, haha. They all know it´s bad to live together before they get married, but literally no one marries in Nicaragua. We´re always very very surprised to meet people who are married. It´s mind-numbing at times. But that´s the Nica life.

So, my spiritual thought. My comp just read this out of Our Search for Happiness, and I just wanted to share it with a final plea. 

"Through the years I have watched countless missionaries come and go, and I have seen extraordinary things happen in their lives and in the lives of their families as a result. The work they are called to do is hard and sometimes discouraging. But because they have the assurance that they are on God´s errand, they are able to valiantly serve Him. I often suggest to those who want to know if the church is true that they spend a few hours working with our missionaries. It doesn´t take long to learn that no one can do all of the things a missionary does every day without knowing beyond any question that what they are doing is right and true.

"The Lord does bless His missionaries just as surely as they bless the lives of those they teach and baptize. Difficult languages are learned with astonishing speed and skill. Financially strapped families back home find unforeseen means to support their missionaries. Weaknesses become strengths, challenges become opportunities, trials become triumphs, and adversity becomes an adventure in the service of the Lord--another fruit of gospel living"

- Elder M. Russell Ballard.

 My first plea is that you read this book. It´s so incredible. It´s an invitation to understand us members of the church, and whether you´re a long member, convert, or nonmember, please read this book. It will only strengthen your testimony of the truthfulness of this church and how there REALLY is no downside to living this gospel :) SO incredible.

My second plea is to go on a mission. It hasn´t been easy physically, emotionally, or spiritually. But I know that this was one of the best decisions of my life, and I know without a doubt that missionary work is for EVERYONE who can. So if you can go, and are considering going, aren´t really sure, or havent thought about it, please just go. You will not regret it, I promise. Please just reread this quote if you don´t believe me. You´ll see what I mean as soon as you get out here and get to work :)

So that´s my invitation for you all. I love y´all tons and tons, and I hope you have a great week!

Love, Hermana Oliphant