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