29 Mar 2010 email

Hey I am finally here in Nicaragua. This is my second attempt to send this email because the first time when I was about half way through the power went out in the building haha. It happens a lot.

Well the last flight over here was rough on my stomach but I was able to teach the first lesson to this girl next to me. I also gave her a pass along card for a Book of Mormon because we only had Spanish ones. When we got off the plane it was 9 am and very hot and humid. There were a bunch of people waiting to get through regulations. When we finally got through there, outside the gate was even more people trying to help people with their luggage so that they could get some money. We found the mission president and his wife and headed off outside. We met the APs and we were packed into a truck. There are not really any speed limits here, hardly any stop signs, and no one has licenses. They just drive around like crazy so we had to also. People and dogs were everywhere in the streets. We stayed at the AP's house for the first two nights. I have a picture of that. The first day we had meetings and then afterward we did splits with some of the missionaries. We were again packed into taxis and taken around the crazy streets. We walked around and contacted people in the streets in Spanish, or at least tried haha. Elder Neal almost fell down an open pothole that we couldn´t see the bottom of haha. Luckily I got his attention just before he stepped down it haha. The first few days were pretty great until we finally got assigned our areas on Wednesday. We all gathered in the church and they displayed on the wall who was going where.

My companion is Elder Pérez. He is also sending you an email. He has only been here 3 months and he is my trainer. He is a really great missionary. He makes me talk during the lessons too. He is from Guatemala and knows a little bit of English. When he sends you his email it is going to be in Spanish so you will need to enter the text in to BabelFish probably.

We were assigned to Chinandega Oeste, Tezoatega. It is the most Northwest mission. It is also the hottest area in Central America and some people say in the world. And this week is the hottest week all year long. Perfect timing. It is like we are walking around with blankets wrapped around us haha. One good thing about the heat being 24/7 is that the mosquitos can´t stand it so that isn´t much of a problem.

The church is about a mile away from us. We walk everwhere we go. People here live in houses from cement blocks to cardboard and plastic wrapped around sticks. Some how though almost everyone has enduros and motor cycles.

There are so many kids running and playing around here haha. They are pretty funny kids. Most of them don´t go to school so they just run around all day. Even though, they are all happy.

Oh also another thing is they all have hammocks in there houses. It is a must have furniture here. I want to get one this Thursday.

But yes the people here are probably the nicest I have met. I can´t tell the difference between the members and any other random person. Maybe except a few drunks, smokers, and one cross dresser haha. Everyone just sits out front of there houses and we say hi to everyone pretty much. The other day we were just walking by a house, we yelled adio and they replied back, invited us over, gave us there chairs and we talked to them about the church. The whole time I thought they were members. It turns out they weren´t and now they are our new investigators, about 5 of them. People here are pretty receptive.

This last Saturday we baptized 5 people and I did one of them myself in Spanish. My first one on the mission!

I had an interview with President Fraatz before coming out here. He wants me to read the Book of Mormon, create lesson plans for all 42 principles, and have perfect Nica(ragua) Spanish in 3 months. It is pretty crazy but I know I can do it because "the Lord does not give commandments unto the children of men lest he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish the things which he has commanded them" (I'm pretty sure that is how it goes). I have been getting up an hour earlier to have more practice.

Our apartment here is a big change from what were staying in before. I took a few photos and I ran outside and got some quick ones around down some streets.

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

Your not supposed to really have your cameras out because even though these people are nice they will also nicely steal from you too.

Well I love you all very much and I have more to tell you next week. Oh and mail doesn´t get here for 3 weeks. The pic with flowers is the AP house the others are in my area and house.

Love,

Elder Ochs