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