Well family, Christmas time is here and both the hna Rodriguez and I had changes which was kind of a bummer because all of our recent converts have to start from scratch with new missionaries but I know that cambios are always inspired. Really, it was all a little sad because I had 2 cambios with hermana Rodriquez and now.... It is amazing how much you can come to love someone and be accustomed to always being with them. She only has 2 months left and when I think about that it makes me want to cry, but I am also really excited to have a new area adn new experiences. So.... I ended up in Managua otra vez. My new area is Cuidad Jardin, it is really big and it is where the new missionaries come to work when they first come to Nicaragua. We share our ward with the APs and other elderes in the office. The pressure is a little bit stronger but it is really good. My companions name is Sister Vasquez. She is from El Salvador and she is hard worker. She is really sweet and she is willing to pay the price that is necessary to work miracles. This change should be really interesting. 

So this Friday was la purisima which is the day when all the people here celebrate the virgin mary and it is kind of like Halloween, only religious. The people walk to houses where shrines for Maria are set up and then they sing a song for her and the owners of the house give them a bunch of free stuff. THere are fireworks everywhere and the streets are completely filled with people. It is pretty crazy. 

Today we had our actividad for Christmas as a mission. We rented out a center with a bunch of soccer courts and played for the whole morning. It was awesome because I got to see all of my old companions. Afterwords we ate christmas dinner and every missionary recieved a gift bag from president and his  wife. AS a zone we prepared  Silent Night and had to sing it for the mission. I sang the first verse solo and a descant the third and I know that I had extra help because I was able to do it without getting too nervous. Really I have never had a Christmas like this before and in part it is really sad, but in other I feel like it is so much more real. I got two packages from Aunt Jan so that was a nice surprise. 

Really, my heart is pretty full right now of all the things that have happened to me in these past 8 months and the experiences that I have had and the people that I have come to love. I am so grateful that I am here. I love this gospel and my Savior Jesus Christ. Merry CHristmas. I love you guys so much. THank you for helping me come here.

hna Manning

Well, one week more has past and here is what I have to report.

Thanksgiving was pretty eventful. We had a multizona conference and president talked to us about his vision for us and his words are always floating around in my head. Something he said really impacted me. The secret to life is this: Ask and ye shall recieve. I have been thinking a lot about prayer lately and i think there is a lot more to it than we think. President asked us if we were praying before adn after our scripture study and why. He talked about how we pray before to invite the spirit but it is after we have studied the scriptures that we are really prepared to  pray because we then have teh spirit adn now what we need to ask for. He is pretty smart. jejeje.

So other news. Hno Edwin was finally baptized! after weeks and weeks this weekend he decided that he was ready and wanted to do it. It is strange how things happen at the times when we least expect it. 

Well this week was full of other surprises and things I am never going to forget, after the mission I will have a lot of things to tell but they arent things for emails. 

De le, this is a short one, but I love you guys. Please pray for me and my comp. The next cambios are Dec. 5. We will see what happens. AS always you are in my prayers.

hna Manning

Familia!

Well it is officially December although I feel like it is July.  jejeje.... Here is an  update of the weekly happenings.

1. This week as a district we had an activity to contact more people and it was super  tuanis. We put up a stand  with a red backdrop  and  took free photos   of  families for Christmas. We are going to deliver  the fotos to there houses :) and   share the gospel jejejejeje. IT was a lot of work,  but it was really fun and we contacted over 400 people. I am  pretty much  fried,  I look like a tomato jejeje. All the people here   a re putting up  their trees, but Christmas  is different here. It  isnt as big of  a deal. But I  think this  CHristmas is  going to be  the best one ever.

2. We contacted a  member of our ward  who is in a wheel chair and this Cambio has been a cambio of widows. When   we have a little bit of time we visit them and  it   is amazing how incredible they are, and how strong, and  how lonely. When  we visited this  particular widow she began to cry and told us that we are her only sisters because we are the only people that have ever visited her. wow.It pretty much broke my heart. Dont  forget the lonely.

3. Well  in three days are cambios. We will see what happens.

I  love you guys. Please pray for us  to find more families to  teach. Happy diciembre!

hna Manning

Familia!

Well this week was quite the experience. We went to the areas of the elderes in our district to contact and it was a nice change. It was fun to get to see a little more of NIcaragua. However the highlight of my week was this Saturday. We had the baptism of hno  Luis planned but he was facing a lot of opposition in his home and was in the point of leaving Managua put we came to his house in time and talked to him and he told us that he doesnt want to be like that any more, that he is trying to be like CHrist. Wow. We passed by the morning before the baptism and he was reading the Book of Mormon. I think he knows more about its history than I do. jejeje. His desire to learn is incredible. Well the time for the baptism came adn it was incredible. It was simple but beautiful. After he had been baptized I was waiting outside the font to direct him to the bathroom and he stopped and looked into my eyes and he was crying. ¨I felt a burning in my bosom¨ he told me. ¨I went below the water and I felt a burning in my bosom. THank you...thank you..¨ ......wow....We have never talked to him about the different feelings we can recieve through the spirit but he is so sensitive and his words were scriptural. After we had the welcome to the ward I felt prompted to ask if he would bare his testimony which he did. It was such a powerful experience. His testimony was completely pure adn he was practically pleading with a his family and the members there to believe his words and accept the same goodness in their lives. I don´t know why we had the privilege of being part of his baptism but I am so grateful.

 I think this thanksgiving I am especially grateful for the oportunity to watch God working in the hearts of the children of men. I know that miracles exist and that He is the author. I am also so grateful for you guys. It is not every home that has the foundation of celestial laws and I can see here how important that really is. THank you all for helping me feel loved. For helping me feel remembered adn special. More than that, thank you for helping find the path of discipleship. You guys are everything to me and I love you all so much. Happy thanksgiving! Eat something delicious for me and remember ¨Gratitude unlocks the fulness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.¨ 

hna Manning

Well another week has passed and here are the updates.

1. I am still in Managua with hna Rodriguez. THis was kind of a surprise for us but it is really good becuase we can keep working with the people here that we have been preparing.

2. THe work continues to progress. I dont have any really crazy stories or amazing experiences to share this week. THings are just normal and we are pushing forward like always. We had a miracle in teh church this week as a family came that we had never met before. We have lesson with them this week and hopefully all will go well. We also discovered another family that has been assisting htat we didnt know existed. THe Lord is truly blessing us. Now we just have to teach with the spirit. Please pray for us.

 

I found a quote that I really like the other day:

¨THe formula of faith is hold on, work on, see it through, and let the distress of earlier hours--real or imagined--fall away in the abundance of the final reward.¨ Jeffery R Holland

 

I know that htis is Gods work and that at times he has different plans for us than we have for ourselves but when we press forward with faith the blessings will come. We are preparing a baptism for this weekend of a man named Eduin. Please keep him in your prayers. I love you guys.

 

hna Manning

Well fam,

this week was crazy and I am just going to share two of my favorite memories.

1. This week the whole zone went to the area of some elders to help them contact more families. This is an area exclusively for elderes adn now I know why. THe hermana Rodriguez and I were contacting and talking with a young boy when I heard a whirling noise and felt a small sting and saw a rock smash against the house we where teaching. THe rock hit the hna rodriguez first so she got hte worst of it. We turned around and there was a crazy man in the street glaring at us. La hermana me dijo "vamos" and we started to walk away. THats when I saw him slinging another rock out of hte corner of my eye. IT was about the size of a grapefruit and it nailed me in the ankle. not gonna lie, it wasnt the most pleasant feeling I have felt in the mission. At this point we took off running and he was following us but he couldnt really walk so there wasnt any problem. We were laughing pretty hard, partly because it was kind of funny and partly for hysteria. I officially feel like a real missionary!

 

2. WE had a baptism this weekend of a man named Manuel. He was the first person we contacted here in las americas and it is amazing to so how far we have all come. About 2 weeks into teaching him we decided to stop because we didnt feel like he was progressing and he wasnt coming to church. Well the 3 week he randomly showed up in the chapel and from this point on he hasnt missed and we never have to bring him to church which is a miracle. THis weekend he was baptized and afterwords I asked how he felt. He only said two words but he had tears in his eyes and a smile on his face. 1. Aliviated 2. Triumphant. What a special experience.

 

Well family I love you and would love to hear from you. Please keep me in your prayers. As always you are in mine.

 

Hermana Manning

Familia,

This week was crazy. We knew that General Conference was coming so we spent all week gearing up for it. We made invitations and hit the streets. In Thursday, Friday, and Saturday alone we contacted more than 100 people. The instructions we recieved were that if we didnt have a family in the conference we needed to search until we did. We worked like crazy and committed all of the families we are teaching to go to the conference. Every single one fell through. The first conference passed and we spent all of it in the streets contacting every family we could see, but in the end...nothing. The second conference rolled around and the same thing happened. Sunday morning....the same. By this point we had pretty much run out of ideas and the final session was fast approaching. Our positive families told us straight up that they didnt want anything to do with the church, that was probably the hardest part of all. We sat down in a park and searched our agendas for anything that might help us, references that we had contacted...etc. I felt that we should pass by for a family. They had never given us any indication that they wanted anything to do with the church but we were always walking by their house we figured we would pass by. We did and at first they gave us excuses just like everyone else, but in an instant something changed. Our food appointment had taken our lunches to the church for conference adn we told them that we had food ready for them :) they accepted adn the next thing we knew we were in the church for the final session. I dont think I have ever worked harder for anything in my life than that 1 family in the church, and really I dont know what was the difference between all the others adn them, but I know that the Lord was blessing us for our labors. It was probably the biggest miracle I have seen in my mission.

 

As for our other families. All of them pretty much fell through this week and three of them had problems with the police. Yeah this week was pretty eventful, but I feel like we grew so much and we did everything that we possibly could. My shoes are pretty much destroyed...jejeje. But it made listening that one session of conference so much more meaningful than ever before. My testimony of prophets and of the truthfulness of the church was really strengthened. Well family, thats all for this week, but I hope that all is well with you all. I love you all. As always you are in my prayers.

 

hna Manning

Familia,

This week was crazy. On Thursday president called a meeting for the whole mission and e veryone left their areas to come to Managua to here his counsel. It was amazing. He talked a lot about inspiration and the planning process which was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear, but the thing that impacted me the most was his counsel about fear. He talked how when we have fear as missionaries, this usually means that we have pride. Wow. That was a pretty big machete for me...jeje....but it is certain. The more I reflect on this the more I can see the dangers of fear. He talked about the fear of failure and how the reason that we fear failure is because we fear loosing our standard in the eyes of others. Fear is selfish and when we are fearing we are puting our confidence in ourselves and not trusting in the Lord. THerefore we cannot be missionaries of faith. I am trying really hard now to keep myself accountable to the Lord and focus more in what he thinks of me than anyone else. President Arredondo is amazing.

 

This week we had a complete family in teh church and it is amazing how much better that feels than having none in the church...jeje...conference time is our time of the most work so this week should be crazy but it also has teh possiblity to be amazing and I have hope that we can help a lot of families gain testimonies of prophets and the truthfulness of the church this week. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

Fun fact about Managua, the buses here are rediculiuos. today we used a bus and I have never been more smashed in my life. HErmana Rodriguez adn I where     practically hanging out hte back door there were so many people. Personal space does not exist which is something really dif ferent for missionaries as we are pretty much nuns here in the mission..jejeje.

 

This week I took comfort in a quote from Elder Buche:

When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them in gratitude and love toward God and you will be freed.

Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.

 

Well family. I love you guys. Thanks for the emails. I dont know if I will have to write you all htis week, but I will try and if not I will make up for it next week. As always you are in my prayers.

 

hna Manning

Well family, here I am in Managua. A lot has changed since I last wrote.

1. Tuesday was my last day in Chinandega Oeste. We had our baptism and we didnt think that either of us were going to have cambios but at 7 we got a call that I was going to be changed. I cant describe the emotions that I was feeling. First things first, I began to cry, dont ask me why, the mission is making me soft...jeje....and I love the Hermana Monrroy and am really going to miss her as a companion. At the same time, I was also pretty excited because you know how we Mannings like change and I knew that I was going to get a new area. We spend the next 2 and half hours visiting our recient converts and investigators and saying goodbye, which is not an easy thing to do when you know you will probably never see them again in this life. When I visited the Romero family there 8 year old Franklin started sobbing ... there arent really words to describe how that made me feel. Hermana Monrroy and I spent part of the night packing and then woke up at 3 to finish the rest. Where we headed to Managua for cambios.

 

2. Well cambios were a little different this time and we always recieve our new comp and area the very last. All of the other hermanas recieved theirs first. Finally my name flashed up on the screen next to the photo of Hermana Rodriguez. She is from Panama and we are opening an area. I am senior comp. Well, I cant tell you how I was feeling in that moment, but the word overwhelmed is pretty accurate, excited is also right up there.

 

3. Entonces, here I sit in Manangua, my area is called Las Americas and my companion is a champion. We spent the whole first few days completely lost and loved every minute of it. We found a woman named carla that has been going to church but never felt the need to baptized. We have her baptism programmed for this weekend so please keep her in your prayers.

 

Well family, I guess all I can say is the Lord works in mysterious ways, but his way is the best way, the only way. I can feel his hand directing my life at every turn and I know that he is in control and has a future planned for all of us if we will only accept it. I am feeling pretty humbled but hopeful right now so please keep me and my companion in your prayers. As always you are in mine.

 

Hermana Manning

Bueno,

This week was a week of miracles so hold on to your horses:

1. This week we worked with the Lezama family like locas....pero....they have yet to accept baptism. Satan is fighting against them so hard and at times it is so frustrating. I know that the gospel blesses families and that the only way to have a home filled with the spirit is to have a home based on Christlike attributes of love, humility, forgiveness, and mutual respect. THE GOSPEL IS THE ANSWER but as humans we can not always see it. 

2. This week the hermana Monrroy and I decided to fast and it was such a powerful experience. We were walking and she felt impressed to contact a house so we walked to the doorway and yelled ¨buenas¨ and a woman answered ¨pase adelante¨ before we could even say anything else. She pulled out two chairs and we begin to talk. No less than 1 minute into the conversation, she shared with us that her mom is super sick adn in a lot of pan. We asked to see her, and Luisa, the woman, took us to a back room where a her mom was sitting in a rocking chair. She cant see so she uses sunglasses adn she cant hear really well. SHe is diabetic adn has some other problem and is always in pain. When she breathes her chest and her stomach expand and every breath is an effort. We sang a hymn and it was such a powerful experience. I asked the Luisa why she let us into her home and she told me that she felt something inside of her guiding her to do it, something that she had never felt before. We asked her if we could come back with a priesthood holder to give Carlota a blessing and she said yes. THe next day we returned with the bishop adn he gave blessing of comfort. After he finished, Carlota asked us if we could sing for her another time. We sang I know that my redeemer lives and I dont think I have ever felt the power and importancia of this himno hasta that moment. The words, He lives and I shall conquer death have never meant more to me. I dont know if the family we progress and come to church but for a moment when we were singing, I felt for the first time like a true disciple of Christ. I believe with all my heart in the power of prayer adn fasting.

3. Remember how I said the other week that I have never been more wet in my life....well.....that was child´s play. THis week was a week of natural disasters in my neck of hte woods. THere was an earthquake in Costa RIca and we could feel a little of the effects here in Chinandega. The volcano near us errupted and ash was raining in some of the areas but not in ours. Well the rain also picked up and we were walking without our umbrella. WE got completely drenched and stopped in at the house of an investigator to pass the rain. SHe brought us clothes to change into. I had a shirt with 50 cent on the front....yeah....I was really following the dress and grooming standards. WE walked home and the streets were completely flooded up to our knees. I loved every minute of it.

4. Well the final miracle. THis week we worked like crazy to bring people to church with very little success and I was a little disheartened, because I honestly felt like we were doing our part and not seeing very much success. Well in the night we recieved a call from teh bishop. THere is a women who has visited the ward for years but never had a desire to be baptized that we didnt know. well this Sunday she talked to the bishop and we passed by her house to teach her this morning. SHe is going to be baptized Tomorrow! It is amazing how the Lord has and continues to bless us here as missionaries. WHat a special experience to teach a woman who came to us because she had a desire to be baptized and not the other way around.

Well, Wednesday is cambios so we will head to Managua. THe time is flying. I love you all. 

De le pues...

Hermana Manning

Family,

It feels like I was just writing yesterday. The time is flying here. Important items of business:

1. I won the luck for the month. It is really easy to be the first one to say rabbits when your comp doesnt speak English..jejeje

2. I am officially official. I have my cedula for Nicaragua - which is like a license- and it is terrible. I am smirking like a gangster. You know how I roll.

3. This week the rain was rediculous. I dont think I have ever been more soaked through in my life, and ....I cant believe I am writing this... but for a few minutes I actually felt cold. Yeah...weird... I know. The rain poured, and I mean poured. When the thunder cracks here it is for, at times 20 seconds or more and I can feel it in my chest. The power is always out which makes it hard to teach but I love the rain. THis week I leant my umbrella to my zone leader and he returned it to me a few days later. THat same day the rain was pouring and I went to open my umbrella and it was completely broken. One half was flappy adn the other stuck straight out. Needless to say I looked rediculous and Hermana Monrroy adn I were dying we were laughing so hard. We tried to use a street that we normal use and it was completely flooded and had a current. THis did not deture us. It should have. We got less than half way up and had to turn around because we were laughing so hard and almost fell 3 or 4 times. By the time we made it back to drier - less muddy- ground there was a gathering of children watching us.  

4. This weekend our investigator CHristian was baptized adn it was such a special experience. He has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy and praying adn it is like he is a completely different pearson. We passed him on the street today and he was reading the church handbook of instructions....he doesnt even have a calling....yet :) After his baptism he came up to me adn thanked me for all that  I have done to help him. He told me that he we always be grateful for me because he doesnt know if he would have ever come to Christ without me.....wow....I cant begin to tell you the feelings in my heart at hearing this. I dont feel like I did anything. He is so willing to act and in reality that is what is most important, but I have never felt more like I was fulfilling my missionary purpose than in that moment. What a privilege it was to see his conversion. Hopefully I will have some pictures for you in the email to follow.

 

Well family. I love you all. I know with all my heart that this church is true adn that God is always reaching out to us with unimaginable blessings if we will just accept them into our lives. THank you for your prayers. 

 

Hermana Manning

Familia!

Wow, this last week was incredible. Elder Martino of hte 70 came to our mission and because I was in the choir we spent the last week traveling and  attending conferences adn singing. What an amazing experience. We sang Yo Se Que Vive Mi Senor, and for the first verse we had a quartet and I sang the seprano part....yeah never thought that I would say that jejeje. We had to sacrifice every PDay this cambio for practices, but it was absolutely worth it. I will try to relate everything...so here it comes.

Elder Martino likes to use what we call here machetes. Pretty much we sat through two straight days of ¨constructive criticism¨and it was amazing.... and a little intense....and a little scary...and completely life altering.

The first conference was here in my area and all of us gathered in the sTake Center to recieve training. THe first part of hte morning president spoke as well as Elder Martino which was amazing, and in the afternoon he opened it up to a question and answer session. For part of it he called me and my companion up to give an example adn answer some questions....talk about pressure..jeje...pero it was super good, adn luckly we knew the answers. More importantly though, it was an opportunity to excersize faith and recieve direct counsel from a 70. To close the session I asked him how we can give our will to the Lord always and he closed the training by talking to us about hte power of the atonement...... it is amazing how much easier it is to see the need for the atonement after we can see all of our sins and weaknesses. It is amazing how beautiful and liberating the atonement when first we can see the captivity brought upon us by our bad use of agency. Overall the experience was incredible, but it didnt end there. 

All of us loaded up into a bus...well first hna Monrroy and I had to run home adn pack and then run....and I literally mean run...to catch the bus for the choir. We looked rediculous running through teh streets with our things and the sun was piping hot. We thought it was hilarious adn I am pretty sure that the people here think los mormones son locos...jeje. 

But anyway, we all loaded into a bus and headed for Managua where 13 of us sisters spent the night in one house. Talk about a sister missionary sleep over. We arrived and talked quietly for a while and then said our prayers adn went to bed... we are party animals. But seriously it was an amazing experience. THe Hermanas aqui are incredible, I am pretty sure the Lord sends his best to Nicaragua Managua Norte :) 

THe next morning was day 2 of the conferences and day 2 of machetes. WE talked about the  importance of baptism, and more than that the necesity to baptize and work with Priesthood holders because with out them, we  are creating areas in which the church lacks leadership and therefore the abiltiy to create stakes. It is amazing how much thought and organization goes into every aspect of the church adn how important the correct vision is. With out structure, leadership, and retention, missionary work creates more problems then it helps. It was a serious call to repentance for us, but it was exactly what we needed to hear. When I arrived, I was told this is the best mission in the world, and I truly believe that. IN the past, things where going really well here, but know I have a greater hope for the future. I know this is hte power of the atonemet. This is the hope that comes from knowing that no matter where we are, there is a better future and the past can be forgiven. 

THis cambio we spent more than 70 hours in buses traveling for practices and conferences, making the trip from Managua to Chinandega over and over again. We returned in the same buses on the same streets, but we are different now, and that is the power of the atonement. Our cirucmstances may not change but our hearts do. 

Well I have a lot more to say but I dont have time or space so I hope you can feel that testimony that I have in this email. The future is as bright as your faith.

hna Manning

Well family this week was full of adventures so buckle up.
Monday night we recieved a call that president was going to visit our area in the morning for interviews and training. I knew that this was an opportunity to ask questions that I have been thinking in the last 2 cambios and begin to pray that I would ready to recieve the answers. Well he came and the very first thing he did was give a talk on my question. WOW... what a powerful experience. I know that he is an inspired man of God and that the Holy Ghost is guiding his actions. We had a training afterword adn the AP asked me to demonstrate how to contact... yeah... no pressure. jeje. pero it was a good experience and I learned a ton. I know that action invites the Holy Ghost adn it is through the Holy Ghost that we learn. After this Presidente interviewed me adn it was an amazing experience. I was able to get clarification on the things that I was struggling with and was reminded by him that if Missionary Work is not fun we are not doing it right. I think this also applies to life. He talked about how usually it is not the circumstance that changes but the thoughts of the person in the circumstance. Pretty much it was a call to repentance for me - here we call it a machete- but it was exactly what I had been praying for and I know that our weaknesses are opportunities to feel the atoning power of Christ in our lives.

This Thursday was also super special. The Romero Garcia family was married and then baptized into the church. What an experience. WE spent all day preparing getting things in order for the wedding and the rest of our time with the family preparing them. I did the hair of all the women for the wedding.Yeah...me. Never thought I would ever say that. jeje. But it was a another powerful experience. I was really scared because I wanted them to look their best adn feel special so a prayed that my abilities would be magnified and I sincerely believe that I recieved help. The service was beautiful and one of our other investigators visited and was really touched. I was talking to him afterwords and he told me that he felt like it was especially special because it was a family and he felt a desire to have that for himself also. Gods plan is a plan for families. After the baptism there was a torrential downpoor I will send the pictures. It was super divertido.

Other news. THis Saturday I completed 4 months in the mission and we celebrated by getting caught in another downpoor. THe streets were completely flooded adn the wind had knocked over trees cutting the power. I loved it. I dont know why but I really am coming to love rain and things that make one day different from the rest.

Family Lezama....hopefully this week

Well family, I love you. I am so grateful for your letters and examples. As always you are in my prayers.
Hermana Manning

Well familia, another week has passed and here are the updates-
1. The familia Lezama has yet to enter the waters of baptism. We worked with them casi every day this week and they are progressing but the dad just wont commit. I am kind of sad about this because I want la hna Rojas to be at the baptism and I dont know if she is going to have cambios this week. Anyway, I have faith hopefully I will be able to write about their baptism soon.

2. This week we had a training for nuevos and entrenadoras in Managua con Presidente y su Esposa. I have got to say that they are incredible and it was good to eat Pizza Hut after 6 weeks of gallo pinto. I left the reunion with a desire to be better and hna Rojas left with a desire to push me to my limits. After the meeting she told me that I was going to take over the responsibilities for the weekend. She gave me the keys the phone and I made all the decisions for planning and took the lead in starting and ending all of our lessons. HOly Smokes.... it was pretty much an eye opening experience for me. My weakenesses are pretty much blatently before my eyes right now but it was amazing also. I feel like I learned a lot and I know that this is how God works. We try our best and are going to fall short always. For this reason I am especially grateful for grace. 

3. So this weekend we contacted two families that live together and the experience was amazing. IN the words of mi companera, she looked at us like we were angels. She has a son that died and we talked about the plan of Salvation and testified that she would see her son again and that through the gospel of jesus CHrist she could live with him forever. What a powerful experience. As we were talking we also found out that their marriage has problems and as she was talking to us she broke down and starting crying. Her desire to have a strong family is palpable and I wish that all people could want what she wants. THe family committed to baptism but dont have a date yet so I will have to keep you all updated.

I dont have a whole lot of time to write this week but I will try to get to all of you. If I dont please hang in there, I will get to you soon!

So another fun fact about Nicaragua. All of the buses and taxis have names like Dios es amor or El Sangre de Jesus. It is amazing how infused religion is in the culture here and yet how many people dont see the action part of faith. 

Well I love you all. Keep my families in your prayers.
hna Manning

FAMILIA
The mission is a time where everything is always the same and at the same time everything is completely different. This last week was a week of change so here comes the recap:

Tuesday night we find out that hna Rojas had cambios so we spent the night packing and got up bright and early around 4 to catch a bus to Managua. The reunion for cambios was a little different this time because I know more of the missionaries and have one cambio under my belt  but my emotions were crazy firstly because I love hna Rojas and am really going to miss her, secondly because I was super excited to see who was going to be my new companion. My name companion is Hermana Monrroy. She is from Guatemala and she is definitely and answer to my prayers. RIght after cambios we went to get lunch at McDonalds which was a little slice of heaven and while we ate I told her what I wanted to accomplish this cambio and she was like great, we are going to work super hard and she wasnt lying. I havent had a moment to rest since then, but I have never felt more content in the mission. The first few days were crazy because I had to teach her the area and all of the our investigators but we are starting to get going now and miracles are happening all around us. This Sunday we worked from 8:30 in the morning to 9 at night without stopping and our attendence in church was the highest it has been since Ive been here! Also we had a family accept a baptismal date! It is amazing how the Lord is touching the hearts of the people here. I have a testimony that he provides for his missionaries. We do not have a cita for dinner but we have yet to go without it because without us asking  people have provided it for us every day. I am so grateful for my new companion and her desire to work always. I dont know if she ever stops.

Now for other news. The familia L ezama has yet to enter the waters of baptism but we are working for this fin de semana so please keep them in your prayers.

As for more fun facts about Nicaragua, in Nicaragua the bathroom situation is a little ...different. We cant put toilet paper in the toilet because the plumbing is weak so every bathroom has a plastic sack where the tp goes. At first this was a little hard for me but with time you get accostomed to all things. I am going to return home from the mission immune to all strange smelling things.

Well familia, I know that the Lord works according to the faith of his children and the word faith can be substituted with action. The Lord has many blessings in store for those who show him they are willing to recieve them by  working for them. I love 2 Nephi 27:23. God is a God if miracles and he is willing and desires to work them in your lives. Show him that you want to recieve them and then open your eyes. I promise you that you will see his hand. I love you all. Please keep my familias and my comp in your prayers.

hna Manning

Well Familia, the time is flying and here is the updates of all the goings on aqui.
1. The familia Lezama did not got baptized this weekend, but we had a lesson with them and one of the Zone Leaders and the spirit was really present. They know baptism is the right thing but they are having a hard time with asking the Lord if the church is true. I cant say enough about how important prayer is. If there is one thing that has really been impressed on my mind this week it is the importance of prayer. I really like a scripture in 2 Ne 32:8-9. And something that I have been pondering and asking my investigators to ponder as well is why Satan doesnt want us to pray. Familia, please be strong. Say your prayers. Read your scriptures. I learned this week that there are about 200 inactive members in our ward. My heart is a little broken, but I have seen the power of transformation that comes with the gospel and I have hope. I know that if we will just do the things that we need to we will dont have to fall away from the church. Please be strong.

2. Well I hit my 3 month mark this week and hna Rojas and I ate a choco banano to celebrate. Time flies.

3. More about Nicaragua: here everything comes in little plastic sandwich baggies. If a person buys a fresco it comes in a plastic bag with a straw. If someone buys a taco it comes in a plastic bag and the vender squirts everything (sauce, creme) right in the bag and not in the taco. THese little bags litter the streets because here the streets are the garbage system. THings are super cheap here too. I can by a bag of grahm cracker cookies and a bottle of minute made for a little less than a dollar. 

4. I found out this week that my companions favortie movie is Brother Bear which is pretty ironic. We are allowed to watch Disney movies so in the morning while we are getting ready we listen to the song tell everybody I¨m on my way, and I´m lovin every step I take. 

5. THis week we hit a record adn taught 7 Menos Activos in one day which was really sad. It wasnt in our plans but we ended up in a little area called the champas (it is super pobre. Most of the houses have dirt floors and the seats are a combination of buckets and plastic chairs, and most families are cooking over open flames) with a member and she introduced us to a whole world of people that we didn´t even know excited let alone that practically all of them are members and none attend church. I am not really sure what to do but I have faith and the know that the Lord knows the hearts and intents of all people.

6. This week we woke up everyday with the mentality today is a day of miracles and it was. I dont have time or space to write them all but I know that the Lord´s hand is always present for those who have eyes to see it.
Love you and pray for you all.
hna Manning

The weeks seem to be flying. Here is an update of all that his been going down.
1. Well this week la hna Rojas y I were a little sick. She had the gripe and my alergies where going crazy but we tried to keep working anyway. I have got to say that we were a lot less effective and accomplished a lot less. It is increible how aqui when a we are sick it is a lot different then at home. I tried to rest for a little bet on my bed and the whole time my thoughts were running a million miles an hour...who do we need to visit....what leccion should we teach... who do we need to invite to church... needless to say I hope to avoid the experience in the future. Our ZL s came and gave us both blessings and after that all was well. 
2. Well this week one of the families have been working with told refused to answer the door...yeah that was pretty much a bummer.
3. On thursday I lost my fourth planner...I am on a roll.
4. This weekend is a holiday weekend here so we didnt have very many members in church... awesome.

But none of this really matters because one of our progressing families came to church with us  this Sunday! We have a tenative baptismal date set for this weekend but they have been hesitant so please keep them in your prayers. Also, Francisco and Maria, our recent converts are amazing. We stopped by for a visist and they told us that on Monday they had had Noche de Hogar which consisted of casi 4 prayers and hymns and rice for the treat afterwords. Francisco is only 13 or 14 but he is on fire with the gospel. I have never seen anyone with more enthusiasm for the church in my life. He stays at the church all Sunday and goes to all the wards. THis Sunday he wore a white shirt and tie and passed the sacrament. After the meeting he asked me for directions for the house of an less active member. Increible. If all members could just have his enthusiasm.

Okay a little more about Nicaragua. Here people dont like to get married so it is always a barrier for baptism. Usually we end up having a marriage ceremony right before the baptism in the church with a lawyer. It is amazing how different it is here than in the US. The missionaries (18-25 yr olds) arrange everything from the lawyer to the clothes to the cake. The whole service takes about 10 minutes and usually people dont even invite their families. In some ways this makes me really sad, but also when I think about how much money is being saved a think that in some ways the people here have it right. 

Wow...you can tell that this week I was a lot less active because i dont have very much to say. I will try to have jammed packed email for the next week. The hymn for this week is Venid Adoremos, or Oh Come All Ye Faithful. Be faithful, go to church, be active in  your callings, this is the difference between a progressing ward and a stagnant one. I love you all and am grateful for all the emails this week. Please keep the Familia Lezama en sus oraciones. 

Hermana Manning

photos from Marli

Well family, the first half of my cambio is over and I´ve got to say that it was super fast. Thanks for your letters and updates about life. They really are a blessing. Now....what to report on. This week was really interesting and little sad. Almost all of our progressing families dropped of the face of the earth which, I am not gonna lie, was kind of a  bummer. We spend so long trying to help them see the blessings that are just around the corner that it is hard when they reject them. Maybe I just need to be a better teacher. Anyway, patience is key and it is something that I am trying to  develop right now, especially with my spanish and my investigators. 

Now a little more about NIcaragua. Everyone here has bicycles and the public transportation is tricycles so every now and again hna Rojas y yo use them to get around. Sometimes whole families fit on one bicycle which is incredible. The streets are cobblestone and the floors of all the houses are either tile or dirt. 
Well the fourth of july passed and I didn´t even think about it until we got back to our house, and you all know how much a love the USA so I had to sing the Star Spangled Banner and God bless America and whatever other patriotic song popped into my head. Luckily my trainer is awesome and although she said she didn´t, I´m pretty sure she enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Other things about my trainer: Her name is hna Rojas and she is from Costa Rico which is interesting because Nicaragua and CR arent on the best terms. She pretty much knows how to do everything and takes special delight in teasing me, I try to fight back but my Spanish is pretty weak sauce so she usually wins. We have a lot of fun together. Today for P Day we cleaned our entire house which pretty much means that we flooded the house and then scrubbed the floors down with soap and brooms. Hna Rojas said it is probably the first time in more than 6 months that anyone has done anything. Yeah it was pretty gross before. What started as cleaning turned into hna Rojas dumping a bucket of water on me, which she thought was hilarious. I will attach the pictures. 

Now onto the important things. The woman and son that we baptized last week are called Maria and Francisco. They are incredible. If every member of the church could have their faith and humility we would have Zion on the earth. Well we went to check on them and see how things were going and as we always do we kicked things off with a hymn. They liked it so much that we ended up singing for an hour, one  hymn after another and we only stopped because it was getting late. I guess at times we take for granted the simple things like hymns but the spirit was so strong in their house and this is the power that we have available to us always. What a privilige it is to be here with these people. El himno de poder para esta semana es Santos Avanzad, or in English Press Forward Saints. The gospel is something to be celebrated and when hope and love are our motivation, all things become doable. 

Well family, I love and you and pray for you always. Please keep me in your prayers and keep the emails coming.
hna Manning

Well family, another week has passed and I am ready to give you an update. First of all, I had my first baptisms here this Saturday! We had 6 BAPTISMS - one family of three, a mom and her son, and a young man. Wow... it was incredible, honestly a miracle but Im not going to lie, it was a lot of work. The church here is getting stronger but it is still pretty young, so me and my comp. cleaned the church to prepare for the baptisms and washed and ironed the clothes and I even gave my first talk here in NIcaragua. I dont know if I have ever been more physicially exhausted than I am right now but it is absolutely worth it.

 

So now onto a little more about my life:

NIcaragua is piping hot every day. I am probably the tallest girl for miles and the comments that I get the most are: Sus ojos...que linda¨. y Chalita! which is like the equivalent of white girl. Everyone here thinks I have tons of money because I live it the US. I try to tell them that as a missionary I have enough for the necesities and not much more but I dont think they believe me.

The people here wake up every morning at 5 to go to work. Most families sell food out of there houses which is I think is pretty funny because everyones sells to everyone else but it isnt really food of substance and some families that sale dont have any to eat. Midday here is murder but las noches....you all would love the nights. The sun isnt melting your skin and the air is still warm. All the people have sterios and play music in the streets adn every house has a hamock or two. It really feels like fiesta every night.

 

Here you dont say Hola when you see people in the streets. You either say Buenas or Adios. At first I thought this was funny but now it has just become a way of life.

 

This last week it has started to rain. What a blessing for me! I dont think I have ever been more grateful for rain in my life. Our house has a tin roof so when it rains in the night we definitely know. Every night I fall asleep to the sound of little animals scurrying across our roof. It really is beautiful here.

 

Now onto an amazing experience. Hna Rojas y yo had been working all day with our investigators to prepare them for baptism and hadnt contacted one family. When we realized what had happened hna marched up to the first door she saw and knocked on it.   Buenas! Somos missioneras de la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias! Before she could say anthing more the man had us sitting in his front room with his wife and son. He told us that has already read the book of mormon and loves it, especially Alma. He really likes our church and we have high hopes for him. We will teach him the first lesson this week.

 

It sounds like you all have a had a fun filled week with the grandparents. Tell the family high and thanks for the words of encouragement.Thank you for your updates. I hope the whole family knows that this email is for everyone even though right now I am only sending it to mom and dad. Has madison been posting it for people to read? RIght now, the only way to contact me is through email because I probably am not going to get mail or dear elders for a month or two, and I have permission to email whoever so if people want to get ahold of me, tell them to email me at this address. I have little more time to write now so if members of the family write me individually I should be able to respond.

 

Well, the work goes on. It is hard but it is incredible. To see a life changed by the atonement of Christ is worth the sacrifice. This week I have been especially drawn to the hymn Come Come Ye Saints. I know that grace shall be as our days and that it is better far for us to strive our useless cares from us to drive...There is a great reward to be earned and their is much joy to felt in the service of the Lord. I love you all. Godspeed.

Hna Manning

 

Familia!

Welp, here I am, in a little internet shop in Chinendega Oeste. Let me tell you that the past week has been insane and amazing. I will give you a rehash of the most interesting parts.

Sunday: Pues, this sunday Estuardo y Cesar came to church with us and both really liked it. After church we talked to them a little about how it went and then I asked them if they would be baptized the 7 of July and they said yes! Increible! I am sad that I am not going to get to see it, but I know that is the life of a missionary. What a blessing and privilege it was to know them.

 

Monday: Monday I said goodbye to Guatemala and I´ve got to say that that was hard. I love the country but more than that I love the people there. They are incredible and the church is getting stronger. What a privilege it was to attend the CCM there. Probably the hardest part was saying goodbye to my teachers. I came to love them and it is hard when you know you might not see someone again in this lifetime. It was also really hard to say goodbye to the food because en el campo, we dont have guacamole with every meal and a fruit bar and we definitely dont have delicious icecream. Well we boarded a  flight and flew to El Salvador where we connected with a flight to Nicaragua. President and his wife met us at the airport and we went out to a special treat: McDonalds. The second I stepped out of the air port I thought I was going to die. It is SO hot here. THe hottest country in CentroAmerica. That night 6 of us slept on four mattress on the floor of an apt of hermanas, we got to have one last slumber party before being separated.

 

Tuesday: Tuesday we recieved training and were oriented to the mission. We heard a little more from President and a lot more from his wife who is amazing and doesnt take any nonesense. Then President took us to lunch at this delicious place called Tacontento which is like the golden corral of tacos only everything is right on the table like a family style meal....yeah it was amazing. After being fed, we hit the field and prosylited for the rest of the day. The country is beautiful and the people are really friendly and really poor. What a blessing it is to have the necesities of life.

 

Wed. Wednesday was a big day for me because I recieved mi Entrenadora! Her name is Hermana Rojas and she is from Costa RIca. She is incredible and only has 3 cambios. She knows and loves the people of this community and they all have a lot of respect for her. I guess I am just really blessed. First Hna Pearson who is amazing, then Hna Heiner who I cant tell you how much I love and appreciate, and now Hna Rojas who is teaching me the ropes and is helping me to set goals and reach them. Our Area, Naranjo, is about the second hottest in Nicaragua...yeah I think that is pretty funny...but it is gorgeous.  Most of the people live in 2 or 3 room houses and some only in houses made of tin. IN some parts the people dont have food everyday, but dont worry about me. We have a cook and she makes delicious food so I am recieveing the sustenance that I need!   I washed my clothes by hand for the first time today. I am becoming so self sufficient. I am also becoming really sweaty adn stinky. I am really gross all day everyday but after a while you just get used to it becuase there are more important things to think about.

 

So now a little about the work. I got my first fecha this week in Nicaragua! It is for a woman and her son and they are so receptive to the gospel. It is amazing here how some people are so prepared. On the other hand there are a lot of others who can give any excuse in the world why they don´t want to listen. Today for my first P Day my whole zone adn the other zone nearby went to Corintinos to la playa and it was beautiful. I really wish I could just have you guys come down here and experience the life for yourselves because it is incredible. Welp, I dont have a lot of time so I just want you to know that I love you all and I am so grateful for your prayers ands emails. Please keep both of them coming. I know that this work is the work of God and that it is a blessing to be a part of it where ever you are.

 

Love Hermana Manning