#73 Nagarote

Hey family,

Thanks a ton for your email. It sounds like all is going well, and it seems really funny to me that mom is working. When was the last time that you worked? Like 20 years ago right??? Funny stuff. Also it sounds like Henry had a really fun birthday. I was busting up seeing the photo of his friends worshiping him. Classic.  On his birthday, the 24th, I was in Managua in a gira misional. Elder Soares who is one of the Presidents of the 70’s came and talked to us. It was pretty cool, and both the North and South missions were together. It was the first time in my mission that I had been in a conference like that. Cool stuff. Also Elder Ochoa who is the 2nd counselor in the Central American Presidency was there, and of course, the presidents of the North and South mission. Cool stuff. 

So I’m doing really well here in Nagarote. The big news is that this week, J and Y were baptized. I’m really happy for them, and I know that they'll be great converts and members, and that they'll help out this branch a lot. They are really rich by Nicaraguan standards, and are very well known in the community. So the story of their baptism was crazy. We had been visiting them all week, every night. They were progressing a lot, and Tuesday night, J told me that he was seriously considering being baptized. Y, on the other hand, really wanted to be baptized, and was just waiting on her husband. So I was really stoked for them. The really cool thing is that in our branch, a returned missionary named Y C just got back from his mission in Guatemala, and he is best friends with the son of J and Y. So in almost every lesson, he has been with us, and it has been a huge help. I am really grateful for the chance to be able to teach them, and be a part in their lives. From what Y C was telling me, he said that in November, they were thinking about getting divorced and splitting up. But now I can really see how the gospel has changed their lives. They commute 2 hours each day to work in Managua, and they say that before, they wouldn’t talk to each other for the whole two hours. But now, they talk to each other, and almost exclusively about the gospel/church. Y has said many times that every time that J comes by her work to pick her up, that he is always so giddy to talk about the church and the stuff that he's learned on the computer about the church. So the gospel really saved their relationship. So anyways, we had been working really hard with them to get them baptized. After J told me on Tuesday night that he was thinking about being baptized, we started to talk to them about getting baptized on this Saturday. They were really skeptical and didn’t think that it was the right thing to do. But the problem is that on Feb 1st, Y is going on a month-long vacation to the US. So they had to be baptized this week. So my comp and I and Y, had been praying/fasting a lot for this family, so that they could be baptized on Saturday. On Tuesday night, we went there, and J said that he is for sure going to be baptized, but after Y gets back from the states. So we were happy, but at the same time totally bummed out, because we were going to have to wait a month. Anyway, 9:30pm came around, and we had to leave. So we left, and Y C stayed with them talking for a while longer. So anyways, at like 10:30pm I got a call from Y C and he told me that the family changed their mind. That they were going to get baptized on Saturday!!!! I couldn’t believe it, and was so so happy. So anyway, we just started working and got the baptism all ready. They say that the reason that they changed their mind is because they feel like I will have transfers while Y is on vacation, so they wanted to get baptized before she left. Anyway, they really like me a lot, and they wanted me to do the baptism. (Which by the way, I had mixed feelings, because I really, really wanted to let my new companion Elder V do the baptism, but whatever). So on Saturday I baptized the family, and it was awesome. It all went really well, and on Sunday they were confirmed. How awesome is that?

Anyways, all this week has been focused around J and Y. So aside from that, we didn’t really get too much done this week. I have been on the road the whole week, seriously. On Tuesday we went to Managua for training for the new missionaries and their trainers. Wednesday: Interviews with President Collado in Leon until 5pm. Thursday: I had to go to Managua to the police station renew my Nica ID (that was a crazy experience). Friday: Managua again for the gira misional. Saturday: To Leon to drop off the ZL who came to do the baptism interview. And on Sunday, we had to go to Leon again for training from the Area Presidency. And today we went to Leon for p day. So yeah, every day this last week I have been in the buses for a minimum of 3 hours.... Pretty lousy, but whatever. 

Oh when I was in the interviews with President Collado, he told me that mom had sent him an email, so I helped him translate it into Spanish, and I helped him to write the response back in English. So yeah. I was in the interview for like 30 minutes helping Pres. Collado out with that, and the rest of the zone was outside waiting to be interviewed. After when we got back to Nagarote, my comp was like "dude... what were you talking to him about for so long??? What were you confessing?” Funny stuff. My comp was all worried. Anyways, so yeah that was cool. 

Well, I hope that all goes well. I love you all, and hope that this week is a great week. Let me know what’s up!

Elder Stark