Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 4:24 PM

Oh man, Nicaraguans don´t celebrate Halloween. It is just another day, and it is raining. But you guys seem to be having a good time. I can´t wait to see the costumes. That one picture of Rachel is definitely scary. And Dad that is the picture I was referring to, haha. I didn´t realize it till afterwards reviewing it on the computer, haha. You said that Nikki came with Bryce and Ryan? Is Nikki with Bryce?

I tried taking out some money the other day and I couldn´t. Maybe it was just the bank but I don´t know. The amount in there is good though. You were saying Mom about the clothes, I am leaving behind my shoes because I can´t get rid of the mold growing on them and they are really old. I am going to see if my boots last me.

Rachel I believe I have tried out that caramelo milk thing here. They make some weird stuff here. I hope the headless bride turns out good and maybe you can scare Dwight, haha. I liked that scripture you sent me and the message. I want to buy a bunch of the church books online to start studying when I get back. I have been holding back from studying that kind of stuff while here on the mission. Which books does Dad already have?

Dad you never said who won between Whitmyer and Morgan. I heard that Sister Morgan is really good but I don´t know about Brother Whitmyer. I have only played once here Dad so I will challenge you when I get back, haha.

About the waterfall picture, you can´t see what is behind me. There is an artificial dam and a little dry path out to the edge. I had him take the picture so it looks like I am in the middle of a rapid waterfall, haha.



Today we went to a place called Masatepe to see a supposedly "cool" lake. It is just a water and trash run-off. We went down this really big hill to get there and we had to go back up it sweating like crazy. I can do that any day of the week in my own area. Afterwards we ate Pupusas.

The path to the "lake" was pretty cool

Here is a cool flower

and a Catholic church we saw on the way back

So from what is coming from the grapevine, I have changes and Wednesday I will be going to my new area, and probably the last. I am sad to leave La Concha but I will be back soon.

This weekend the baptism didn´t happen because they didn´t feel prepared yet. So I won´t see their baptisms. It stinks because we didn´t have a baptism all of this change. I want to finish well though. Hopefully I die in Masaya.

Well I love you guys lots and lots and hope you are all well.

Elder Ochs

Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 5:31 PM

So you guys are having a good time and are staying busy as always. Cool story that you found a guy from Panama, to bad Rachel wasn´t there to attack him, haha. Dang a Chess Night sounds like a lot of fun to do. I have played it once here but that is it. I have got a lot better with my car motion sickness. I sat backwards and hunched over for about a 40 minute drive today and I wasn´t even sick, yaaaeh!! As for the Christmas package just put some money in my account to get stuff in the Market in Masaya. I have a list of all of the names of the family and I still have more people to give gifts. I got Ryan´s gift today and something for some one else but I just don´t know for who yet.

Rachel that is awesome that you are going to BYU-Idaho. You will get to be there with Hillary. It is also going to be really chilly up there. Thanks for that scripture in the Book of Mormon. That is really cool and interesting to know. Somehow I don´t even remember that one, haha. And I read that one just a few weeks ago.

My Camera cards are fine and the package got sent off about a week ago now, I believe. Alright I will look for a gift for Tyler. I believe that we are going to Masaya this next week so I will get something cool there. That is really cool that you got to see Jeff Peabody. That doesn´t seem like a coincidence to me either.

I am sending a bunch of pictures so I won´t be writing that much.

So hear are some of the pictures from our P-Day last week and the trip that we took down to La Maquina.

a Catholic church in San Marcos on the way.

This looks like it could be London but it is Diriamba.

us on the side of the road waiting for a bus.

The water was really muddy and it was raining this day.

Alright so I got up on the waterfall and a Park Ranger got mad at me and Elder Woodruff.

A rickity bridge.

A Panama tree.

and a cool rooty tree.

Here is a picture of the group that went.

Here are a few random pictures:

us in a multi zone conference.

the Green Lantern, haha.

Dolphin boy (an option to engrave on a ring, haha)

And here are a few more pretty plants that I found for Mom:
















Today we went to a beach called Huehuete. It was really cool and I found a lot of cool shells. We had about 2 hours to run around and whatnot. I also got some cool pictures:

Here we are in our house having some hot chocolate before we head out.

us on rocks on the beach.

one of me in the rocks, does it remind you of another picture? haha.

me

and me on a log

We found a tiny hermit crab

and also a big crab

So concerning your question about how me and my companion is doing: Elder Chavez is a strange guy but we are getting along fine. We finally had an investigator in church so that was great. We are going to see if we can get 3 baptisms this weekend and possibly a family. Pray for us so that we can finish up this change strong.

Love you lots and lots.

All of the creations Hearts,

Elder Ochs

Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 8:18 PM

Oh man I don`t have very much time to write to you guys and I forgot my camera in the house. I had a bunch of pictures to send you guys too. Oh man Yosemite, I miss that place. It does sound like you guys are having a lot of fun and eating some good food. I am also very glad that you weren`t fined $450 dollars. Dad, Mom is always right. I have learned that from early on and you are still working on it, haha. I enjoyed all of the pictures you sent. I really love to see your lovely faces. Rachel has some interesting clothing, haha. I didn`t get a good view of that beanie but it looked like a Grimlin or something, haha. Where did you get it? But in the end we are a very adventurous family.

So today we had a pretty awesome Pday and because of that, I don`t have very much time to write and it is getting late. We went to this place called La Maquina. It has all of these trails, cool trees of all types, and waterfalls. I got a picture up by the waterfalls but then the ranger guy also told us to get down. It has been raining all of this week. It is a wierd rain. There aren`t drops of water but a thick mist. Like walking through misters all day long. With the cold air and wind it has been really chilly till the point of cold. I never imagined being cold here in Nicaragua. So the guy was worried about the water rising or something. We weren`t even alloed to be there in the first place but we snuck in and then had one of the sister missionaries talk to the guy watching the place to let us take picture and what not. In the end we gave him some money and there was no harm done. I got a lot of cool pictures though. I am also preparing a disc to send home with all of my pictures from a memory card and some videos for you guys to see. Man I am really learning how to control my car motion sickness here, being packed into the back of these tiny vans and being taken all over the countryside. Hopefully I learn how to control it completely.

Mom you are the first person that I remembered to tell HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! Before your birthday so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I am sending home a box of goodies and presents for the family at home. I am sending it tomorrow and it has your present in it. This package has a lot of cool stuff and there is more stuff to come. Let me know if the Ochs`s or Grahams are going to do a gift exchange this year because I want in on it.

Well I don`t have time and I need to run home now but I love you guys lots and lots, and hope to hear from you next week.

Central Valley Hearts,

Elder Ochs

Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 3:38 PM

Hey there you guys, thanks for writing me again this week. It was great to hear from you guys and what you´re doing. It is also getting a little cooler here too. At this time in La Concha the weather is really great supposedly. Hopefully I am here for a little bit longer or even finish here.

So here are a few more pretty flower I found in this area:






Rachel I liked that lesson you guys learned about. That is really cool. I bet I would like to be able to teach like Bro Meiners. He always has good insights about the scriptures and understands them really well. Good luck and have fun on the camping trip. It is going to be chiiiilly. Especially for you if you haven´t adjusted yet haha. I was thinking about Mom and Dad leaving on the couples mission too. That would be so awesome. They would have to go to a Spanish speaking one though so we can all communicate between each other. I was thinking about that during the conference.

Mom stew and brownies sound really really good right now. Oh the package you sent was received. Thank you very much for the goods. They were very satisfying. I liked the picture too.

So has Montierth said anything? Has he replied? Have you asked him anything? He still writes every Monday too to let me know how life is and what not. He is studying in a Community College right now in Arizona. He is a really cool friend that you will probably meet often, haha.

I don´t know what the name of the guy with the hole in his head. It is more like a big ol dent I guess. You don´t touch any brain material. He doesn´t guy cross eyed but the people touching it do.

We have finally got our power back in the house so that is good news. It is a lot better at night now. I guess the power thing exploded or something. The wiring here isn´t that great either. They tie main power lines to dead-termite eaten trees as poles. So whenever there there is a storm and a little wind comes, someone is losing power. It is normal here though, haha.

Don´t worry Dad you will get used to the Spanish talk. Especially after you serve a mission here in Central America with Mom.

This Sunday none of our investigators came to church so that was a bummer. The four jovens are doing fine but they are always busy playing the piano in their own church that is practically all day everyday. We will see how it turns out. We want them to at least teach someone in the church how to play.

This week we had our Multi Zone Conference and I talked to an Elder that I went on divisions with in my last change in Ciudad Sandino. We did divisions as a Zone and I went to another area. Well Elder Styles had a reference to go contact way out in the boondocks in the mountains. So we walked out there looking for this guy, asking people in their wooden houses in the hot sun where this guy was. Turns out we were totally lost and he lived on the other side of this mountain. Well in our search we contacted a house with a ton of kids and there parents. They were in very poor conditions and the majority of the kids didn´t have clothes on. That day we had high goals to meet so we decided to put baptismal dates with all of them. They all accepted and we invited them to church. I thought for sure that none of them would go being that they lived really far from the church building. We continued working that day and finished the divisions the next day. I didn´t really think about them until the day I talked with the Elder at the Conference. It turns out that all of those being above the age of 8, got baptized and are active members in the church. 8 of them were above the age of 8. That was really cool and it is crazy how the Lord works.

Well I hope to hear from you all again next week and I love you lots

Amount of sweat sweated here in Nicaragua Hearts,

Elder Ochs