Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 1:49 PM

Wow wow a lot did happen in this last week. It seems like a long time since the last time I wrote for some reason though. So yes I am in a new place but in the same Zone I was in about a 1 1/2 years ago. I am in Managua again with the heat. My area is really close to my last area Linda Vista actually. My area is called Acahualinca. We are right next to a place called the Plaza which is used for performances and everything. Right now they have a really tall Christmas lights tree that you can see from the house. There is also a carnaval right now and it goes all night. Recently they did the elections so everyone has been crazy here. Unfortunately you can`t carry around your camera here because robbing is normal. So I may not be sending as many photos now and there aren`t really any cool plants and flowers either. I do have a few pictures for this week though:

A picture of my last zone

My flight plans for coming home. It will be on Jan 26.

A chicken with crazy frizzy feathers.

Me with a hanger in my new house. Brother Falabella is a good friend that was in the Ward when I was last here in Managua.


Now we have running water so that is nice. The house that we are in is pretty cool also. I meant to take pictures but I forgot. It is two stories tall but not all that much space. We sleep upstairs and it is kind of tucked away and hidden so I like it a lot. It is kind of like a little fortress haha. I will probably die here like Rachel said but I am fine with that. We have a nice grocery store here that has a lot of nice food so I am excited about that. I bought Chex Mix the other day there. They recently built a new capilla (Chapel) that is really nice. Sunday we only stayed for the Sacrament session so that the people could go vote. That Sunday so many people gave us red soda, like 2 liters each of us. I was sick of soda. My new comp is Elder Stanley from Panama! He said that he is from the capital. I don`t know if you knew him Rachel. I will send a picture next week of him. He likes to work a lot so that is great. I am his Step Dad so he is pretty new here. I eventually broke in half his one dollar air soft gun though because he kept shooting me, haha. But that is the news here.

Now to answer the other questions. The Beaches here are really nice and very warm. I definitely want to come back here to swim and surf and whatnot.

It sounds like you all had a fun Halloween there. Dad the video you sent didn`t work, I don`t know why.

For Pday today we played a game that we invented here in Nicaragua in my last area. It is called "Horseball". You play it on a court where it has the lines for Basketball and Volleyball. It is a mix of a few games. There are three people on each side inside of the yellow box for volleyball. there is a box between the two boxes also. You need to kick the ball past the other side with only two kicks from your side. The ball has to touch the inside of the box and you can`t touch it if it goes in the middle. It is called Horseball because you make crazy hits which they call here being a horse. Being a horse is when you do dumb stuff and sometimes in this game you make dumb kicks or you do kicks like a horse. I will have to show it to you all when I get back because it is actually really fun.

Hey Rachel I was thinking about applying for BYU Provo for the April-September session. Could you look that up for me and help me out with that?

Well I love you guys a ton like always and I hope to hear more interesting stories next week.

Tuna Hearts,

Elder Ochs

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