Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 4:28 PM

So wow Dad, I hope that you are alright and that it isn´t something too serious. My back is doing fine now. I found out the problem why I was having problems. The whole last month and a half I was sleeping on the wrong side of the mattress, the part where all of the springs are, haha. It is a lot more comfortable now. I found that out when we moved to our new house. It is just at the corner of where we lived before. It is alright of an house I guess. We moved this last Saturday but I haven´t taken pictures yet. What I can tell you is that drunks like to sleep out front and talk all night long.

The baptism of Blanca went great as you can see from the picture. We had a whole lot of people there that day. Before the baptism we had a sports activity and that was a lot of fun too. One thing I know for sure, Nicaraguans don´t know how to play volleyball, haha. But ya the baptism went great and next week Ivanio Calero is going to be married and baptized. He is doing awesome and he has already started paying his tithing before even being a member. It is crazy though because again missionaries have been visiting him and his family for over 15 years and then he decides now that he wants to be a member. Missionaries taught the exact same things as we did all of that time and he made the decision now, haha. I would guess it is just a case of good timing. We are also preparing Orlando Gevara to be baptized this 23 of July. The rest of his family is doing great. He didn´t come to church this Sunday but the rest of his family did. The daughter, Julisa, did not want to go at all but her Mom made her. When she went to the Young Women's class after Sacrament, she enjoyed it a lot and now she won´t have a problem going next time too. We have others here and there but we need to find new ones.

So I bought some foot fungus powder the other day. The other night after coming to the house, I took off my shoes and I had holes on the bottom of my big toe. That freaked me out, so I asked what was going on and I guess it was some wierd skin eating fungus. Don´t worry though because it is already going away. The powder is this chalky stuff that dries off all of the moisture on your feet. It makes me feel like those Olympic people before they do gymnastics where they put their hands in that bowl of chalk, haha.

I met Rachel's old companion, Hermana Calero, and she is crazy. She also has a really weird accent now that will be fun to hear when I talk to Rachel after the mission. Sorry Mom and Dad when we do talk in Spanish in front of you, but it may come handy in the future, haha. Watch out Dad.

Today for Pday we did service. We were cutting down branches from a big ol avocado tree. We now have sooooo many avocados, haha. I climbed really high up one and it was pretty scary. I have learned how to cut tree branches with machetes now so I will have to show you, Dad, how it is done so that the next time we trim the branches we can do it Central American style.

But wow everyone is going home slowly but surely now. That is really sad to hear what happened to Shaun. I can´t imagine going back early. That is really tough. Tell him I am praying for him that everything turns out alright. Taylor should be coming home soon too, right?

Well I put on some other crazy flowers pictures I have found here.






I seriously feel like I am in another world here because I just see the weirdest plants, bugs, and sometimes people, haha. It is seriously an adventure everyday here, I love it. It is exactly how I thought and dreamed my mission would be like. I LOVE NICARAGUA!!!!!! Don´t worry I am going to bring you guys here afterwards.

Well I love you all a ton as you know and I can´t wait to here from you next week.

Love,

Elder Ochs