Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 1:01 PM

Hey there family and friends. I am doing great here in Managua, Nicaragua. Elder Flores and I got our packages and everything was in it so don´t worry. I also got a bunch of letters so everyone was pretty jealous. Elder Flores was really excited and he is already working on his new ScanDisk Fuse player and the candy too. I guess that was the first package he has gotten yet on the mission and he has about a year. He really appreciates it a lot.

Seriously we get along really great. We are actually one of the only companionships that gets along with each other here. We are like best friends. I am hoping we have at least one more change here as Retention.

So my hand is alright. (Elder Ochs sent us pictures of his right hand that got infected with some rash when petting a puppy.) The only reason I sent the other shot of my other hand is so that you could compare it. I would take a picture of it right now but I don´t have my camera with me because my backpack stinks. I showed the nurse lady for our mission and everything and she is the one that prescribed the medicine. The only problem was getting a hold of it because the office took forever to send it. I didn´t show the mission president because it was in between the crazyness of the division and changing presidents. The rash didn´t spread anywhere just turned different colors where there was contact. It is totally fine now and he hasn´t given me any problems at all since then. So don´t worry.

So I wanted to tell you also that that recipe to get rid of asthma, you only need two cloves of garlic, not two whole things. Hopefully none of you have already tried it and almost died haha. If you did you may get an idea of the Nicaragua food we sometimes eat here haha. So ya it is only two cloves.

Speaking of foods I had cow tongue this week. I would have taken a picture of it before but I didn´t know what it was before I ate it. It was really soft and tasted alright I guess but when they told me what I ate I felt sick in the stomach haha. More on food here, Rootbeer doesn´t exist. The only people that have even heard of it are ex-missionaries and others that have left Nicaragua, which is a very small percent here. I was talking to an ex-missionary about it and he said when he found it he fell in love with it. He told my comp that it was better than Coca Cola which is what everyone loves here, and especially my companion. My companion is dying because we aren´t allowed to drink it here. His job before the mission was with Coca Cola painting there advertisements. He had an unlimited amount of Coca Cola when working haha.

So today is the celebration of Independence for Nicaragua and they have a lot of spirit. They already started partying early last night bumping there music and dancing in the street. It was so funny seeing how borrachos dance. I have already learned some new moves haha. There was just huge groups of people all crowded in the streets. Today people are wearing there red and black and driving around with people in the backs of the trucks waving flags around. We have to be careful though tonight around 5 because that is when they start drinking and getting crazy haha.

Last Saturday we had a soccer game with the locals again and it started raining so we played in the rain. It was so cool because I was thinking how nice it would be to fall into a pool just before and the pool came and fell on us haha. We got pretty soaked but it was a lot of fun.

So lately in the mornings between the time I get up and when we start our studies I have been copying my companion's Bible. He has already read through it here on the mission and has marked so many good scriptures for teaching. So I have just been going through and copying his markings which is a lot with all of these references to other scriptures. I have about an hour and a half every morning to get as many as possible. Changes are coming up this next week so I need to get what I can in case he leaves. I have also divided and tagged my scriptures so I can quickly turn to them when teaching. Don´t worry I am going to read the Bible for myself while here but that won´t be for a while.

We also had an activity this last Saturday for all of the recent converts and less actives here in Managua. We got pictures of there baptisms and a few years later and had them displayed with a projector. It was really cool and it was a good turn out.

So I am having a great time here in Nicaragua and I am so glad to be here right now. I know that I have changed a lot here and I still have a lot to work on too. We are having so many awesome experiences here and I getting closer to my Heavenly Father everyday. Thanks for all of your love and support for me while here and I love you all too.

Big Hearts.

Elder Ochs