Merry Jungly Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy new year! Sorry I couldn't write last week. I went to a mission Christmas party in Managua and it is 5 hours by bus, so we got home really late and couldn't write. But I sent a pic from the party ​

Two Saturdays ago we had a baptism. It was a lady that my companion was teaching last exchange. He is too short to baptize, so I got to baptize her. We baptize in a river here.

Yesterday I got to Skype the family. It was really awesome! I don't have much time to write today, but that is my short letter. Enjoy the snow back home!

-Elder Taylor

Skyping on Christmas with the family

The Ice Age

This week was full of buses! Bus after bus, after freakin' bus! I think that this week I was using buses for at least 30 hours! My new area is 3 hours from Ocotal where is like the central for our zone. And we had to go there a lot this week. And we went to Matagalpa for a meeting as well, and that's another 3 hours away! I have been able to see a lot of Nicaragua this week though, which is good.

This new area is kinda weird, The Central is like an outdoor mall. There are paved roads there, then they just kinda stop and then they are dirt roads that lead into the mountains. And those are all dirt, it is a really weird mix. My house is the size of a bedroom with the bathroom. It is really small! But its cool. It's chilly here. There are cows and horses running around everywhere. It puts a new spin on free-range cows. I've almost been hit by one! The church is new here, so at church we met in a small room and had 12 people there.

This week I went on divisions with Elder Hodges. He is still in his training, so we relied on my spanish to get by, it was cool to be the one that knows whats up for once!

Like I said earlier, we went to Matagalpa on Wednesday because Elder Ochoa of the 70 came and talked to us. He is a pretty cool guy and we all learned a lot.

I also found out that we have our baptisms here in a river. Just more motivation to help people be baptized.

Talk to y'all next week,

The pic of the black dude is my new companion, (full body shot next week)

-Elder Taylor

It says "Happy trip Elder Taylor We love you a lot, we love you a lot!!"

A llama shrub

me in front of a Christmas tree

My new companion Elder Torres

Guadelupe's family

Matagalpa

A family I was teaching in Ciudadela

Transfer Deadline!

Well the results came in and I have been transferred to Jalapa Nicaragua! It was a long trip to get here! 

I left at 4 am to the first bus to Managua. 

(1 hour) 

Then I got on a second but to Ocotal         (4 hours) 

And finally a bus to Jalapa (3 hours) 

It was a long trip! 

My area is the northernmost in the mission! I am super close to the Honduras border! It is really mountainous and a lot of pine trees

My new companion is from the Dominican Republic! He is really short and fully of energy. It should be a fun transfer!

But earlier in the week we really didn't do too much. On Thursday I went to San Benito with Elder Spears. It was good times. And we went to a baptism on Saturday for the elders from Cristo Rey

Sorry I dont have much time because of the transfer! More next week!

--  

-Elder Taylor