Mon, May 30, 2011 at 5:51 PM
Hey everyone how is it going? I am doing grreat here in La Concha. I have a few pictures to send this time:
This is part of our area that is really cool looking. There are a lot of mountains and trees and crops of pineapple all along the mountain ranges. It is really cool. This is my comp Elder Sosa that is a little strange but a lot of fun.
The pictures on the beach was our Pday activity today and it was also a lot of fun. It was really pretty there. This is the actual ocean this time. We played a little soccer on the beach too and that got really tiring really fast. Also the ball we had had a huge hole that you could fit your big toe into. It was really hard to get it moving, but I made all of the goals for our team. Man soccer is a lot of fun. I think I will get into it when I get back. I almost set sail on this boat but then I decided not to. The other missionary that is in the pictures is Elder Harrison from Yucaipa. He is the one that was in the same ward as Evan and all of them. We are the best Californian buds here, haha. They had a fun restaurant there on the beach that had hammocks set up out front. Then there is a picture of all of our zone here.
The last picture is of the kid I brought with us to hang out. He is the one that greeted us with a bunch of bananas our first day here. He just started chucking a whole stock of them at us on the balcony so we had a war that ended up with him having banana stuffed in his mouth, nose and ears haha. He is crazy but cool haha. He just got assigned to be a ward missionary with us so that is cool. He lives below us on the first floor. His name is Norman, like my old barber, haha.
Wow my package did get there really fast. That is one thing about Nicaragua, they get stuff sent out fast. Maybe that is why there is a lot of drug trafficing here, haha. Concerning the drink mix I sent for you all to try, no we don´t have really cool fruit mixtures here. The Toro is actually not that great and will probably give you a sore throat. But by the time that you received this email you may have already drank it. I know the next stuff I will send though. It is called Pinolio. It is only made here in Nicaragua. Also Avena. The only fruit mixes here is Tang and you can buy that anywhere, haha. They make a lot of drinks here that leave a clump of the material at the bottom which flavors the added water or milk. You can eat the stuff at the bottom but I usually don´t.
That music I put in the box I sent home is really crazy music and you should be careful listening to it because it may give you impulses to do crazy things also. It seems to have that affect on the people here, haha. It is mainly just to have memories from here of walking in the streets and hearing it, haha. Braydon and Brennan may like it, haha.
But wow everything is going by quickly there at home. Braydon and Brennan sound like they are doing great. I am praying for them and you guys every night, you know.
Well I don´t have much time this week so I will have to close up a little early, but I want to tell you all that I love you a way a lot.
Gigantic hearts and keep close to the Lord.
Elder Ochs
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Mon, May 23, 2011 at 4:35 PM
Once again this week I don´t have that much time to say everything I want to but I will see what I can put in. First off, we also had the big hype about the whole end of the world and everything and we are all alright here too. Nothing happened. Of course.
Hey Dad the video you sent me, I wasn´t able to hear the music but it looks funny. I will look for a computer that has headphones next week to see it again. I have heard that "You Got A Friend In Me" song here actually. It sounds really cool.
It sounds like you guys aren´t going to be getting any cookies now, haha. They can get really weird at those games, Oakdalians.
I really liked those pictures of April's family. Everyone is growing up way too fast.
I already have sent off another package for the house last Monday so let me know when you get it. It isn´t that well wrapped haha.
Well I am now in a new area. I guess the rumor wasn´t true about me staying in the Zone Sandino for a whole year. I am now up in the mountains. The weather is really nice. I don´t sweat anymore here. It sometimes reminds me of Yosemite here. There are really big trees all around and it gets misty sometimes. The place is called Jinotepe, and my area is La Concha. The name is short for La Concepcion. I live about 3 blocks from the church so that is nice too. Supposedly it is called the Land of Citrus also. They grow a lot of pineapples and other fruits here so I am loving it. We are also opening up a new area called San Juan. My new companion is Elder Sosa. I haven´t got a picture of him for you yet though. Elder Montierth trained him. He is from El Salvador and he is really animated to work so that is awesome. We also have a very awkwardly placed telephone post, I can send a picture (3 exactly) of that. haha
Well I love you guys lots and lots and I will talk to you later next week.
Big Hearts
Elder Ochs
Once again this week I don´t have that much time to say everything I want to but I will see what I can put in. First off, we also had the big hype about the whole end of the world and everything and we are all alright here too. Nothing happened. Of course.
Hey Dad the video you sent me, I wasn´t able to hear the music but it looks funny. I will look for a computer that has headphones next week to see it again. I have heard that "You Got A Friend In Me" song here actually. It sounds really cool.
It sounds like you guys aren´t going to be getting any cookies now, haha. They can get really weird at those games, Oakdalians.
I really liked those pictures of April's family. Everyone is growing up way too fast.
I already have sent off another package for the house last Monday so let me know when you get it. It isn´t that well wrapped haha.
Well I am now in a new area. I guess the rumor wasn´t true about me staying in the Zone Sandino for a whole year. I am now up in the mountains. The weather is really nice. I don´t sweat anymore here. It sometimes reminds me of Yosemite here. There are really big trees all around and it gets misty sometimes. The place is called Jinotepe, and my area is La Concha. The name is short for La Concepcion. I live about 3 blocks from the church so that is nice too. Supposedly it is called the Land of Citrus also. They grow a lot of pineapples and other fruits here so I am loving it. We are also opening up a new area called San Juan. My new companion is Elder Sosa. I haven´t got a picture of him for you yet though. Elder Montierth trained him. He is from El Salvador and he is really animated to work so that is awesome. We also have a very awkwardly placed telephone post, I can send a picture (3 exactly) of that. haha
Well I love you guys lots and lots and I will talk to you later next week.
Big Hearts
Elder Ochs
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Mon, May 16, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Wow that was a good letter from the family. There sure is a whole lot going on. It was also really funny too. Ya Dad, concerning the baptism of Juan Silva. The slicked back hair guy is Erlin Silva. Juan Silva is his Dad. Daniel is the son of the sister of Erlin. The boy in the orange shirt is the son of Erlin, and yes he does where that shirt a lot. That is normal for Nicaraguans because they usually have maybe 5 shirts that they where over and over again. It is an easy way to recognize people because you remember yellow shirt guy is Juan or black patches is Baker, haha.
Yes it has started the raining season and my area is mainly dirt, now mud, roads. I have a little umbrella now though so it should be better than last year. Today we find out if I have changes so I will know tonight. We will see what happens. I actually wouldn`t mind staying in my area just a little bit longer because we have a few people lined up for baptism. We will see though.
Dad the table clothes here are very strange. I don`t know why they changed all of the colors of the fruit but almost every house here has the exact same table cloth.
Ericka couldn`t go to church this Sunday because she went all the way up to Chinandega with her Mom this weekend. I am not sure why though. We haven`t got to visit her all this week because it was just bad timing and missed citas. The other guy named Omar Castillo went to church with us again this Sunday and he liked it a lot. We went and taught him the first time with our Bishop and it went really well. He has already been reading the Book of Mormon before we even got there. We are also teaching another family in the same house and they are looking for a religion to put themselves in. So we are going to help them find the best one. Omar also has a problem with drinking and it is the reason why now he isn`t living with his family. We are going to find out where they live and tell them about how he is changing and how they can support him by being baptized in the same church also. We will see how it goes. This Sunday Mario, Juan , and Fransisco all received the Sacerdocio (Aaronic Priesthood) and are getting ready for June when they will get the Sacerdocio Mayor (Melchizedek Priesthood). Fransisco Urbina is the guy we baptized this Saturday. I got to do it too so that was awesome. I forgot to tell him to plug his nose on accident so I cleaned out his Sinusitis at the same time, haha.
I love you guys lots and lots and lots and Big Hearts.
Elder Ochs
Wow that was a good letter from the family. There sure is a whole lot going on. It was also really funny too. Ya Dad, concerning the baptism of Juan Silva. The slicked back hair guy is Erlin Silva. Juan Silva is his Dad. Daniel is the son of the sister of Erlin. The boy in the orange shirt is the son of Erlin, and yes he does where that shirt a lot. That is normal for Nicaraguans because they usually have maybe 5 shirts that they where over and over again. It is an easy way to recognize people because you remember yellow shirt guy is Juan or black patches is Baker, haha.
Yes it has started the raining season and my area is mainly dirt, now mud, roads. I have a little umbrella now though so it should be better than last year. Today we find out if I have changes so I will know tonight. We will see what happens. I actually wouldn`t mind staying in my area just a little bit longer because we have a few people lined up for baptism. We will see though.
Dad the table clothes here are very strange. I don`t know why they changed all of the colors of the fruit but almost every house here has the exact same table cloth.
Ericka couldn`t go to church this Sunday because she went all the way up to Chinandega with her Mom this weekend. I am not sure why though. We haven`t got to visit her all this week because it was just bad timing and missed citas. The other guy named Omar Castillo went to church with us again this Sunday and he liked it a lot. We went and taught him the first time with our Bishop and it went really well. He has already been reading the Book of Mormon before we even got there. We are also teaching another family in the same house and they are looking for a religion to put themselves in. So we are going to help them find the best one. Omar also has a problem with drinking and it is the reason why now he isn`t living with his family. We are going to find out where they live and tell them about how he is changing and how they can support him by being baptized in the same church also. We will see how it goes. This Sunday Mario, Juan , and Fransisco all received the Sacerdocio (Aaronic Priesthood) and are getting ready for June when they will get the Sacerdocio Mayor (Melchizedek Priesthood). Fransisco Urbina is the guy we baptized this Saturday. I got to do it too so that was awesome. I forgot to tell him to plug his nose on accident so I cleaned out his Sinusitis at the same time, haha.
I love you guys lots and lots and lots and Big Hearts.
Elder Ochs
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mon, May 9, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Hola Familia. Wow it was really great to hear from you guys and how everything is at home. I am really sorry Mom but I completely forgot to tell you HAPPY MOTHER`S DAY!!!!. When we were walking back I was wondering why I only talked to you and that Dad didn`t say much and then it hit me that we called because it was Mother`s Day. I was just thinking that it has been another 6 months and that means calling home haha. Well I apologize and I love you lots and lots.
I have sent home various pictures from here. One is when I went on divisions in another area in the zone and we found a bear pig. I had to get a picture before it broke down the gate, haha. It was really big and scary. Another is of a little pet bird. He looked pretty funny so I got a picture of him drinking orange soda out of the soda cap. I guess he likes soda alot and if you try to take it away he will bite your fingers. Another picture is a picture I finally took of our dinner cita. It is fried chicken, fried potato, gallo pinto, salad, and fried platano, with cacao to drink. The last one is of the baptism. The old man is Juan Silva. He is awesome. The little short kid is Daniel (March 21 and March 28) and the guy with slicked back hair we baptized back in February. I just realized that we did 3 generations in the same family. That is cool. the baptism went great but the events leading up to it were crazy and a real headache. But in the end it was all done.
This Sunday a surprise family showed up in place of Erica. I don`t know why she didn`t go because when we went by she was getting all ready with her husband to go but something must have happened. We are going by today to see what happened. We watched The Testaments with her and she liked it a lot. She said that it only makes sense that the Book of Mormon is necessary and she wants to go show it to her Mom now too. A suggestion Rachel, to teach about the Book of Mormon. Tonight we are going to see "On The Lord`s Errand", the one about the life of Thomas S. Monson. She is awesome also.
There isn`t much else that happened but I am loving it out here. From the word on the street I will be staying here another change, making it a whole year in the Zone Sandino.
I love you all lots and lots and I will talk to you next week.
Big Hearts.
Elder Ochs
Hola Familia. Wow it was really great to hear from you guys and how everything is at home. I am really sorry Mom but I completely forgot to tell you HAPPY MOTHER`S DAY!!!!. When we were walking back I was wondering why I only talked to you and that Dad didn`t say much and then it hit me that we called because it was Mother`s Day. I was just thinking that it has been another 6 months and that means calling home haha. Well I apologize and I love you lots and lots.
I have sent home various pictures from here. One is when I went on divisions in another area in the zone and we found a bear pig. I had to get a picture before it broke down the gate, haha. It was really big and scary. Another is of a little pet bird. He looked pretty funny so I got a picture of him drinking orange soda out of the soda cap. I guess he likes soda alot and if you try to take it away he will bite your fingers. Another picture is a picture I finally took of our dinner cita. It is fried chicken, fried potato, gallo pinto, salad, and fried platano, with cacao to drink. The last one is of the baptism. The old man is Juan Silva. He is awesome. The little short kid is Daniel (March 21 and March 28) and the guy with slicked back hair we baptized back in February. I just realized that we did 3 generations in the same family. That is cool. the baptism went great but the events leading up to it were crazy and a real headache. But in the end it was all done.
This Sunday a surprise family showed up in place of Erica. I don`t know why she didn`t go because when we went by she was getting all ready with her husband to go but something must have happened. We are going by today to see what happened. We watched The Testaments with her and she liked it a lot. She said that it only makes sense that the Book of Mormon is necessary and she wants to go show it to her Mom now too. A suggestion Rachel, to teach about the Book of Mormon. Tonight we are going to see "On The Lord`s Errand", the one about the life of Thomas S. Monson. She is awesome also.
There isn`t much else that happened but I am loving it out here. From the word on the street I will be staying here another change, making it a whole year in the Zone Sandino.
I love you all lots and lots and I will talk to you next week.
Big Hearts.
Elder Ochs
Monday, May 2, 2011
Mon, May 2, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Hola Familia, wow a lot of stuff has happened in these past days. It is really great to hear that you are all fine and well. Congratulations Mom on your new job, your quite the care taker if I don´t say so myself. Good to hear that Grandpa will be sailing the open seas again. I did´t realize that it is already Mother´s day again. I will see when I will make a heads up call but I don't know. My English is fine because there are a lot of American missionaries. Maybe I´ll forget a few words here or there but it is fine.
I got the email today just fine so don´t worry. I am writing a little late today so it had all day to get here. Ya I didn´t really notice how much of a mafia they look like until you mentioned it Dad. A lot of people here dress like that so it is normal, haha. But the family is really cool. A few of them are a little strange but they are all members, haha. They invite us to eat lunch with them every Sunday after church.
About clothing here in Nicaragua, there are some cool traditional shirts and nightgowns, but they are in Masaya. Masaya has all of the really cool arts and crafts. Or in the Oriental Market, which is the biggest market in Central America, they say. But that market is off limits for missionaries because there are a lot of thiefs. But I have a feeling that I may head over to Masaya this next change so we will see. As for the Razor Necklace that is probably findable here, haha. I will keep a look out.
Juan was really thirsty this week so he will need to wait a little bit for his baptism. Erica is doing great and is reading the Book of Mormon and looking for an answer.
Those pictures are great. thanks for the picture of San Juan del Sur. I am really looking forward to these outfits haha. But tell Ryan that he can "wipe his tears with one of his wings or something".
I haven´t gotten the Easter package yet. Is it a little bigger than normal, because if so it is held in the office until a conference or something, and then handed out.
The video of Milo wasn´t attached so maybe next week.
That stinks that you missed that meeting. That sounded like a very spiritual and educational meeting. L. Tom Perry, that is crazy. It is awesome to hear about all of the missionaries going into the field and especially from our ward. How many plaques are there now? Taylor should be heading home soon right?
I have attached a picture that I took today. We had our Pday at the beach over in Nagarote and it was awesome to get some fresh air and a little refreshment. The ride there was a little uncomfortable but totally worth it. We fit 22 missionaries in a 17 seater van. When we finally got there I fell out the door onto the sand and rolled around a little. I miss it so much. I got a picture with exploding water like the Little Mermaid too. We went to two different beaches. We also stopped at a seafood restaurant and ate some really good and missed food. It was a really cool trip. There are more pictures but they are in another Elder´s camera so I will see when I can send it out. I am trying to think of what more we did this week but I can´t remember much. I need to start writing it down before again.
Oh they announced that someone is coming from Salt Lake City to here in Ciudad Sandino tomorrow. They are cleaning up the church and putting in a bunch of plants in preparation. Speaking of plants, I am going to try sending some seeds of a really cool flower from here in a package. I want to see if it grows in California because if so it is really cool looking. i will take a picture of how the flower looks like the next time I see it.
Well I am having a great ol time here in Nicaragua and I want to say thanks you guys very very much for helping and supporting me out here. Well I love you a ton and I will talk to you really soon.
Big Hearts
Elder Ochs
Hola Familia, wow a lot of stuff has happened in these past days. It is really great to hear that you are all fine and well. Congratulations Mom on your new job, your quite the care taker if I don´t say so myself. Good to hear that Grandpa will be sailing the open seas again. I did´t realize that it is already Mother´s day again. I will see when I will make a heads up call but I don't know. My English is fine because there are a lot of American missionaries. Maybe I´ll forget a few words here or there but it is fine.
I got the email today just fine so don´t worry. I am writing a little late today so it had all day to get here. Ya I didn´t really notice how much of a mafia they look like until you mentioned it Dad. A lot of people here dress like that so it is normal, haha. But the family is really cool. A few of them are a little strange but they are all members, haha. They invite us to eat lunch with them every Sunday after church.
About clothing here in Nicaragua, there are some cool traditional shirts and nightgowns, but they are in Masaya. Masaya has all of the really cool arts and crafts. Or in the Oriental Market, which is the biggest market in Central America, they say. But that market is off limits for missionaries because there are a lot of thiefs. But I have a feeling that I may head over to Masaya this next change so we will see. As for the Razor Necklace that is probably findable here, haha. I will keep a look out.
Juan was really thirsty this week so he will need to wait a little bit for his baptism. Erica is doing great and is reading the Book of Mormon and looking for an answer.
Those pictures are great. thanks for the picture of San Juan del Sur. I am really looking forward to these outfits haha. But tell Ryan that he can "wipe his tears with one of his wings or something".
I haven´t gotten the Easter package yet. Is it a little bigger than normal, because if so it is held in the office until a conference or something, and then handed out.
The video of Milo wasn´t attached so maybe next week.
That stinks that you missed that meeting. That sounded like a very spiritual and educational meeting. L. Tom Perry, that is crazy. It is awesome to hear about all of the missionaries going into the field and especially from our ward. How many plaques are there now? Taylor should be heading home soon right?
I have attached a picture that I took today. We had our Pday at the beach over in Nagarote and it was awesome to get some fresh air and a little refreshment. The ride there was a little uncomfortable but totally worth it. We fit 22 missionaries in a 17 seater van. When we finally got there I fell out the door onto the sand and rolled around a little. I miss it so much. I got a picture with exploding water like the Little Mermaid too. We went to two different beaches. We also stopped at a seafood restaurant and ate some really good and missed food. It was a really cool trip. There are more pictures but they are in another Elder´s camera so I will see when I can send it out. I am trying to think of what more we did this week but I can´t remember much. I need to start writing it down before again.
Oh they announced that someone is coming from Salt Lake City to here in Ciudad Sandino tomorrow. They are cleaning up the church and putting in a bunch of plants in preparation. Speaking of plants, I am going to try sending some seeds of a really cool flower from here in a package. I want to see if it grows in California because if so it is really cool looking. i will take a picture of how the flower looks like the next time I see it.
Well I am having a great ol time here in Nicaragua and I want to say thanks you guys very very much for helping and supporting me out here. Well I love you a ton and I will talk to you really soon.
Big Hearts
Elder Ochs
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