Feliz Cumpleaños Mom!!!

Happy Birthday Mom! Thank you for all that you have done for me to get to where I am today and the example that you are to me.

All I can say is that this has been a long week, but a very successful one. Christmas Eve was pretty much like every other day. We went and taught all of our lessons. The only difference was that more people gave us food than on a normal day. Christmas Day did not really feel like Christmas to say the least. There are still plants somewhat living here and it is not cold. Not very Christmasy (I don’t think that is even a word).

Most of the week has been spent preparing baptisms, with finishing the lessons, finding the clothes (which can be really difficult), setting up the interviews and everything else. Saturday was a very busy day for us.  First, we went to a baptism for the other elders in our branch.  Then had to all go to the office for a meeting about our goals. Afterwards, we had to rush to the church to get ready for a baptismal service for a family. Before the baptism, Adriana and Ariel were married so that they could be baptized. After this service, we had about an hour until the next baptism for Alejandra, who is the daughter of Misael. Her sister felt she wasn't ready so we are still waiting on her.

Adriana and Ariel's Wedding

Adriana and Ariel 

On Sunday, we had a baptism also in the first hour of church for the son of Adriana and Ariel. They decided they wanted him to be baptized, but we had to find clothes for him to wear for the baptism. So that is why he was baptized on Sunday. Alejandra also brought a friend to church that we hope to start teaching. Sacrament meeting was a bit long since in total, there was eight converts that had to confirmed. Also, that night when we went to visit Adriana and Ariel, their cousin who has listened to one or two lessons, told us that she wanted to be baptized along with her three daughters. So we are now teaching them and are planning to baptize them on January 18.

Just for you Mom, I sent home a lot of pictures including one of our house. It looks clean, since I told everyone that we were going to clean. So you get pictures as part of the result. There is still a bit more to clean, but it is a lot better.

Elder Ferrin's Bedroom (note the coveted air conditioning unit)

Elder Ferrin's Kitchen

Thanks for all of the Christmas messages from everyone and all of the support you give me.


Happy New Year!

Elder Ferrin

Letter & Pictures from Mission Home at Christmas

Dear Marvelous Parents,

We would like to extend our gratitude and happiness to you and your family in this season of joy. Thank you so much for allowing us to have your son with us this special day, serving the Lord with all his heart, might, mind and strength. He makes us very proud, so surely we can´t imagine how proud you must be! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nicaragua Managua North Mission

Elder Ferrin

Elder Luecero, Elder Ferrin and Elder Zorrilla

Merry Christmas

Well this is going to be a short letter to pretty much answer questions since I will be talking to you all tomorrow. I will call about 10 in Nicaraguan time. I think there is a time difference, so it might be 9 in Utah time. Yesterday we had the Mission Christmas Activity which was pretty fun. They let us watch The Maze Runner, which I was really surprised about. It was good and followed the book pretty well.

This week we have three people that are going to be baptized. Two of them are sisters and the daughters of Misael. The other is a family to complete. The husband is a less active and the wife will be getting baptized.

All of Dads questions now. My area includes the Waspan Norte and bit more. I live in the Jose Dolores area just west of Waspan Norte. The area includes Waspan Norte, Jose Dolores, de la Toña, Hugo Chavez and another area I havenpt visited yet. It is really hard to tell you my address since it is not definite. It is something like this: De la mave, 3 a lago, media arriba. Kind of interesting. I have heard others like 20 feet from the car on only Saturdays. Electricity is pretty reliable here.

I also got the package from mom and the ward. Thanks for all of it and tell everyone thanks you.
Until tomorrow.

Elder Ferrin

Bread Basket Preacher

Well this has been quite a long week for me and I am not really sure why. But I am still going along. For Christmas, I will be calling about 10 on the December 24 or Christmas Eve, so be ready for that. And since we are calling on Christmas we won’t be writing next Monday, but you can still write if you want to. My shoes have been holding up. No, I do not have a Christmas tree. I think that I am mostly getting along with my companions. Let’s just say that I am again learning about patience with other people again. I have not gotten any packages and I might get them next week. 

This week we had the baptism for Misael and I was the one baptized him. It onlyl took two times, but I am proud of that since he is almost the size of Dad, so not too bad. And at the baptism service, Alejandra, who is one of his daughter, said that she wants to be baptized on December 27. We are not sure when all of the others will be baptized. We hope to baptize Cristian, Beatriz, Concepción, Lester, Alejandra, and Cristian (the daughter of Misael and Concepcion) by the end of the month. 

Misael and Elder Ferrin

During the week I had a few interesting experiences with people we contacted on the streets. First, was someone who insisted that Mary, the mother of Christ, was a prophet. I have never heard that. 

The next was a reference house from a member. We visited the son when his mom wasn't at home, and he seemed interested. So we set a time to come back the next day. But the mom wasn't very excited. The first thing she said is I am not going to talk to you since I am Catholic and I don’t want to be confused. So we just went and started talking and sharing the gospel, but she refused to really listen. But as we were talking, an evangelical came and joined the conversation and start to preach to all of us. All the time she was preaching was with a basket of bread balanced on her head. What was weird is that the Catholics were agreeing with the evangelical, even when they didn't actually agree.  Throughout the conservation, I could feel the spirit just helping me to say all I needed and they never said anything that proved that we were wrong. 

But thanks for all of your support and I am glad you had a good time in Disneyworld.  Goodbye, until Christmas eve, December 24, at 10:00 a.m. when I will be speaking to you all. Be ready at the computer that morning since I am not sure of the exact time.  Thanks for everything you do for me. Merry Christmas!

Elder Ferrin

Elder Zorrilla and Elder Ferrin

Elder Ferrin and Elder Lucero

First Transfer

Well it just so happens that  on the day that mom asks what day transfers are is the same day that we actually have transfers. I am still here in Waspan with Elder Zorrilla which was kind of what I wanted because I didn't want to leave all of the investigators we have here. But there was a change, we have an additional elder. His name is Elder Lucero and I think he is from Guatemala. So this we will be an interesting six weeks. Also, they are both the zone leaders so I get to still see a lot of exchanges still.

Everything has been going well here with the teaching and surviving.  Time is definitely flying by. It feels like I just got here, but it has already been six weeks. I am really unhappy that I couldn't go to Disneyworld, but it really isn't that important compared to what I am doing right now.

One family that we have started to teach is named Concepcion and Lester and their daughter Alejandra. Concepcion is actually the mother of our Convert, Nestor. So now we teach his mom and dad.  His parents aren't married any more and she lives with Lester. So we had bit of fear about church with everyone there, but there were no problems. They seem really open to all that we have been teaching and have been trying to do the things we ask.  I think they will be baptized this month or the beginning of the next. With Mizael, we are hoping to baptize him this week, but we still have a few more problems to work out before he can be baptized.

The other families we have been teaching are Eddy and Ester, and Cristian and Beatriz. Cristian and Beatriz went to church this week for the second time and we plan to baptize them next week. The week after we hope to baptize Eddy and Ester if they go to church the next two weeks. It truly is amazing how much the Gospel can change the lives of people. In Cristian I have seen how much he has changed, he just seems a lot happier. And all of this is because of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Sunday was definitely a crazy day. We went to church, which is slowly getting better. I almost understood everything that was said, but sometimes the teachers just talk and talk. We also went to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, which I understood most of also. But the reason all of this was so crazy, is that it was the day they celebrate the conception of Mary. So there were a lot of fireworks, music, and parties. Elder Zorrilla said this was almost what Christmas is like, only Christmas is a lot louder.  It was lots of fun to watch the people.

I don’t have pictures to send right now. There is not a lot to take pictures of unless you want to see trash, canals, and a dirty lake that aren't very pretty. Good to hear that Katee is home, hope she had a good experience. Also, thanks Sister Oldroyd for the piano music. I greatly appreciate it.

All is going well here, and I know the Lord is really helping me to start being the best missionary I can be. Love you all, until next week.

Elder Ferrin

Weird Dreams

Well this has been an interesting week. The first part of the week always seems so long, normally because there is a meeting. The Spanish is still slowly improving, and I just need more time and more studying.

I actually was referring to piano sheet music for the type of music that I want, and I don’t really need other music. Just music to play on p-day. I would like it if you could send some to me in any form, email or mail.

So I actually had these dreams like two weeks ago. I dream that I was teaching an investigator while I was laying in my bed and I would fall asleep. And then I would suddenly wake up in real life thinking, “Oh no! That is really not good.” Those dreams felt so real. What was worse that it happened multiple nights.  And one night I had the dream two or three times. But that is really all the dreams I have had in my mission.

So Tuesday was a multi zone meeting again with training and something about the Christmas Initiative for the church, “He is the Gift.” Part of it is a video by the church and all of this is to help people remember the true meaning of Christmas. The only problem is that they want the missionaries to share the video. You know how hard it is to do that when no one has easy access to the internet. But I encourage you all to share this video with everyone, it is a very well done video.

For most of the time that I have been here, we have been teaching a family named Cristian y Beatriz. We have been teaching them really slowly but are gradually progressing.  This week we gave them a baptismal date for the 21st of December and they will be married that same day. This week I got to teach the law of chastity to them and Misael twice.  We think that is one thing they are struggling with. Misael could not come church this week, so we won’t be having a baptism this week, but we are hoping for next week. None of our investigators could come to church this week. But we had a family of new investigators come to church named Eddy y Ester, who seem like they will get baptized and are pretty open about religion.

Church was kind of interesting. I still don’t understand everything.  However, I am slowly getting there and understanding more. But sacrament meeting was the really interesting part because I decided I would play the piano, since there wasn't a piano player. And all I can say is that I just slaughtered the songs. Afterwards, they asked me if I would play next week, so I don’t know what kind of mess I got myself into.

Everything else has been going a bit better. I think one reason I don’t speak in lessons is I just never know what to say. Some of our recent converts have commented several times about how I just don’t speak a whole lot even when it is me with another missionary. But that is kind of just me, I have a hard time talking to people, when I don’t know them all that well.

But it sounds like everything is going well at home and Thanksgiving went well. Have fun in Disneyworld, which is one place I am missing right now.

The Atonement is such a great power for all of the people who are willing to use it. My investigator, Cristian, has a strong desire to change his life and other investigators.  All of this is possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Elder Ferrin