Elote Loco!!!

This past week was pretty good. We have started to get a lot more investigators. They all seem positive, but they don't really want to make the effort to go to church. Hopefully soon they will start going to church.

Yesterday (Sunday) was stake conference for all of the members in Leon NIcaragua and its surrounding cities. We were supposed to leave on a bus that came from Momotombo to pick us up at 8:30am to go to Leon. But the bus came late so like 8 people went home. And most were investigators! So we ended up just going 5 of us.  And that stake conference was easily the most boring meeting in my entire life! Even more boring than when I didn't understand any Spanish at the start of my misson. Everyone was bored that they just started talking and we couldn't really hear the speaker after a bit. But I guess I lived.

On Saturday, the day went well, and we had some good lesson. But when we got home that night at like 9:30, a members 10 year old son called us and told us to hurry over to give his mom a blessing cuz she was really sick. So we went over, and apparently she had like a mini heart attack, and it was just her and her son. She was in really bad shape when we showed up. We gave her a quick blessing and she could start to look better immediately. She stopped shaking, crying, and mostly hurting. It was a cool experience to see the priesthood working that quickly. The next day she was up and living normal life. it's like it never even happened.

On Friday we went to visit a family that we had been teaching for a few weeks. A mom and her 17 year old son. But when we showed up, the mom was really sad. We asked her why and she said that her son died the day before from a heart attack. (There are surprisingly a lot of heart attacks here)  So we talked about the Plan of Salvation with her. She seemed a bit happier after that.

Also, on Friday we ate Elote loco, or crazy corn. It is corn on the cob with cheese, butter, ranch, BBQ, and Mayo. It is really really good. But when we were talking with the dude that made them, I told him that I wanted chile, cuz I always want chile now a days. But this dude put SO MUCH CHILE! It was burning my mouth and my lips. I managed to eat all of it though.

On Thursday we were in the house getting ready to leave and this random number called us and when we answered, it was a member from Leon. She told us that the wife of her son (a member) wants to start taking the lessons from us after being married for 2.5 years. We were really happy, cuz she is cool, just has always been catholic. When we went to teach her, her mom passed by (she is super catholic) and started yelling at her that she is catholic and that we are of the devil and a whole bunch of stuff. The daughter started crying, and went over to her mom and let her have it. It was cool. Hopefully she can be a strong member some day.

On Wednesday we went to Chinandega for the Multi-zone meeting. It went well, but on the way back it was the strongest thunderstorm I have seen. The night was lit up just by straight lightning. We almost missed the last bus back to our area that night. But we caught it right as it was leaving!

That is about it, crazy week. but it was good.

Till next week.

-Elder Taylor

The Elote Loco

Me sending a text on our phone

Me with a turtle that lives in a fountain in the park

How they get air out of ears here (that is a cigarette)

The garbage bag that we put on the street to get picked up each week

 A week old puppy

Malpaisillo Week 7

Well after I wrote last week, we went to go meet some of the members here so my comp (Elder Ramos) could meet them on his first day in the area. Well, It turns out that it was pretty hard to find anyone in their house. It was the celebration of the Virgin Mary here, and so everyone was out in the streets. For this celebration, people go to houses that have an alter to the Virgin Mary and sing a song and people give them candy and food and what not. It's kind of like Halloween, but for Catholics. We went to an investigator's house and they gave us dinner out of the blue. So we didn't have to buy dinner that night. We ate ground beef sandwiches with orange juice. That is a first for me.

On Thursday we went to Leon for district meeting. In the zone we got 3 new missionaries. 2 hermanas from Honduras and 1 from Utah, but he lived in Spain for like 10 years so he speaks Spanish already. Only my companion left in the district so it was pretty much the same. Then afterwards we went to the Center and we went to the store to buy some food for the week. It was a pretty good day.

On Friday, Elder Ramos got sick and couldnt work. So we pretty much just chilled all day while he slept. Pretty boring day. But he is better now.

On Saturday night we had the strongest storm I have ever seen. It was a pretty toasty day to start out, but around 7pm, it started to rain. And luckly we got inside to our dinner appointment, cuz about 10 mins later it started a huge thunderstorm and the power went out and  the lightning made it impossible to have a conversation, and the rain was pounding on the metal roof and we had to wait out the storm. When it had passed, my comp and I went back to the house and we got wet up to our shins in water. It was pretty fun actually.

On Sunday we passed for a bunch of investigators of which pretty much all said they would show up to church. We were hoping for a good turn out, but only 1 of the 20 or so that said they would come showed up. But that 1 that did show up finally showed up after 5 months of inviting her to church. Her dad is a member and was really happy to see her there. We ended up having 17 at church. Which is the best turn out I've had in this area.

And today for pday we went to Leon and played soccer and ate Mcdonalds. While leaving this dude is like, "Do you want to see the eclipse?", and we said sure. So he gives us this Lense and we could look up at the sun and see that the moon was indeed covering the sun. And no it did not get darker here or anything like that. If anything, It got hotter during the eclipse.

Till Next week,
-Elder Taylor

"Welcome to Malpaisillo​"

Chillin At Mcdonalds Today​

Us in a wheat field before an incoming storm​

Me and Elder Ramos during the Blackout (with Flash)​

Where we meet for Church​

New Comp...

This past week was decent. We found some really awesome new investigators. They are really humble and love to learn. They pray to know if things are true and always have them answered! If they can go to church, we can have them baptized soon. I really hope that they progress more. They just have to get married as well.

On Saturday we went to an Investigator's house to eat lunch. Her name is Rosa Pichardo. Her dad is a super awesome dude. And a member of the church. She made us pig soup. (See pics) It was really good.  Easily top 5 soups of my life.

On Sunday we only had 11 people at church. All of the people that said that they would go, all flaked and didnt go. Even the High Counsil rep for here didn't come for family probs. We are going to work hard this week to get all the people to church. Also, on Sunday, we got the news that my comp, Elder Espinoza would be going to Esteli and that my new comp would be Elder Ramos. He is from Tegucigalpa Honduras. He seems really chill. I think that we will get along well.

Today (Monday) I was woken up at 5am to fireworks and all sorts of bombs. Today is something called the Purizima. I'm not sure what it is called in English. (If you know, send me an email) Pretty much it's just a holiday that all of the Catholics set up alters to the Virgin Mary and tonight people will go to each alter that people have set up and will yell "what causes so much joy? The concepteion of Mary" and they will give you treats and combs and what not. It seems to me to be like Halloween, but with the Virgin Mary. But to each thier own I guess. I will fill you out on how that goes next week. It is one of the biggest holidays here.

Well, that is all I've got, I will talk to yalls next week.

-Elder Taylor

 Here is a pic of me with my new comp Elder Ramos from Tegucigalpa, Honduras

We are eating pig soup with an investigator. It was really one of the best soups I've ever had. 

It has pork on the bone, baby corn, malanga, lime, and a lot of other things that are really tasty

Our zone t-shirt after breaking the baptism record as a zone​​

Pictures!

Our District at President Poncio's House​

My district in front of the Active Volcano Momotobo

Our district at President's House​

The district at Momotombo​

The district at Momotombo​

A recent convert that went out to teach with us Friday

Elder Espinoza and me making a dessert called Rellenos (Plantains and beans)​

Elder Spears and me on the way to President's house​

Volcano Momotombo​