Una semana de Milagros (A Week of Miracles)

This week was a really good week! 

First off, I will be staying in Jalapa with Elder Alvarez for another 6 weeks! So that is good.

On Tuesday we went to Ocotal to have interviews with President Poncio. That was a good day.I got to see the whole zone that day. And once again on Wednesday we went to Ocotal to have zone meeting. So that made it 2 days in a row going to Ocotal.

And won't you know it, We went to Ocotal again on Thursday. This time with an investigator. She got married on Saturday and needed her birth certificate. So we went with her and her 2 kids to get that.

After 18 hours of buses in 3 days, we finally stayed in Jalapa on Friday through today!

On Friday we had 2 baptisms! We were teaching 2 investigators for a about 2 months and they finally got baptized. And it helps that they are friends. When we got back from the baptisms we had pig foot soup!

On Saturday we had the wedding for a family that got baptized on Sunday.

Sunday, we had church. We had a record number of people there of 32! That is really good for Jalapa! And then after church we all went to the River to baptize. (RIO LINDO [Beautiful River]) We baptized 3 people and the other missionaries here baptized 2 as well. With 1 from the ward! It was a really good day. 

This transfer we had 10 baptisms! That is the new record for the zone here. 

And finally today, when I went to get my hair cut. The guy cutting my hair also cut my ear! He just asked me if I felt it. And I said yes and then he had to stop the bleeding before he could continue. It was kind of funny .

- Elder Taylor

Us (with Elders Carlisle and Vaidez) celebrating baptisms Friday night eating pizza at the best pizza place in Jalapa - Pizza Giormar - 24 pieces of pizza,bread sticks and a 3 liter of Pepsi for 570 cordobas or 20 dollars

Elder Alvarez and me

A crazy niño

Jalapa FUEGO!!!!

This week was a pretty good one. 

On Tuesday we went to Managua to hear Elder Rasband of the 12 Apostles speak to us. We had him and 3 other members of the 70 that preside over Central America there. It was pretty cool. He was there to talk to the president of Nicaragua. Elder Rasband doesn't speak Spanish so he had translators to help him. It was cool to understand both languages.

Then on Saturday we had a baptism for a sister Named Sonia. She was really excited to finally get to be baptized. She wanted a lot of people there, so we did what we could and got a lot of people to watch the baptism and support her. It was a good day.

This week we could have as many as 7 baptisms. But we will try hard to get them.

-Elder Taylor

"Goats in Nicaragua"

Sonia's Baptism

Making pupusas (A traditional dish from El Salvador)

Crown Burger Hat!

Birthday Baptism

This week was pretty awesome!

On Tuesday I had my birthday. (On Monday I bought a birthday tie) I first went to Ocotal for a Zone meeting and then when we got back around 4pm we went to go to Ramon's baptism! We finally had good weather, so we could baptize him. It was cool to have a baptism on my birthday! Then after the baptism we went to my first birthday dinner of Rabbit with fried tortillas and beans! It was really tasty. (It's funny because I was playing with that rabbit the week before!) Then we went to my second birthday dinner. Where after eating, they egged me. (A tradition in Central America) It was a good birthday!

On Wednesday was the first day in the mission where I felt like I needed a jacket. It was raining all day and super windy. It probably only got to like 60, but I was really cold all day!

On Sunday we went to church and had 26 people there! And then after church we went to baptize three cousins. Milton, Bryan and Raquelle. It was really awesome to baptize them after teaching them for 2 months! 

Tomorrow we are going to Managua to listen to Elder Rasband speak, so that should be fun.

Talk to you next week!

Elder Taylor

The baptism of  cousins Milton, Bryan and Raquelle

Ramon's baptism!

BIRTHDAY PICTURES!!

Just a lizard that I found

Goats chillin' in the road

#Febrero

It seems like time is going by fast now, we are already in February! It seems like yesterday we were celebrating Christmas!

This week we tried to have the Baptism of Ramon just about every day! But it rained every day this week. And since we baptize in a river, its kind of miserable to be outside when its raining. even for a baptism. So we are planning on the baptism for tomorrow. We also have 4 more baptisms this Sunday! That will make it 5 baptism this week! (If all goes to plan)

Tomorrow I will be 19 years old! That is kind of crazy to think, but rad at the same time.

I'll send some good pics and reports of happenings next week!

Flashback to Haciendo San Jacinto in my first transfer

The cyber that I am writing in today

I'm now Nicaraguensa

This week was a bit different, but kind of the same as usual. The same because I was on the bus for multiple hours. But different for the destination. 

On Tuesday I went to Managua. I was going to Ocotal on Monday night to go leave for Esteli Tuesday. But on the ride down to Ocotal I got a call that I needed to go to Managua the next day to get my visa. So Tuesday morning I left at 3am to Managua to get there by  8am. So then I spent pretty much the whole day in Managua for that. And then I got on another 6 hour bus ride back to Ocotal and got there at 8pm. Good bus long day.

Our house sometimes has a lot of ants. And I wasn't too sure why until Thursday night. We saw some ants in the sink, so we sprayed some bug repellent on them near a hole in the sink. And well, I'll just send the pic. (that is only about half of them)

In other news we have a baptsim tomorow for a 9 year old named Ramón. It will be pretty cool. I'll send pics next week.

Make this week a good one.

-Elder Taylor

New Nicaragua Visa!

Ants!

7 Months Under the Belt!!!

This week was a week full of success.

On Tuesday in the morning my new companion, Elder Alvarez arrived. We picked him up from the bus station. He is from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He has 1 year in the mission. We get along really well. He was companions before with a companion that I had also. (Elder Sevilla, Also from Honduras) He doesn't speak almost any English, but he understands some stuff.

We started working with people that Elder Torres and I were teaching before he left. When we were teaching before, they weren't very positive. But now with Elder Alvarez, we have put 17 baptismal dates this week with many families! We are really happy to be having success here in Jalapa. Especially after a few weeks without much.

This week we are going to Esteli again on Wednesday. So that should be fun. Not much other than that this week. But life is good here in Jalapa.

Stay beautiful!
Elder Taylor

Eating my American Oreos with milk

A nice view from where we eat lunch

My new Companion, Elder Alvarez

Celebrating 1 year in the mission on Friday for Elder Alvarez

Christmas In January

This was a good week here in Jalapa. We still didn't have any baptisms, but we have a lot of investigators progressing toward baptism. Which is good.

I spent alot of time on the bus again this week going between Ocotal and Jalapa. I had a district meeting on Tuesday in Ocotal, so we went there. They told us that we had a meeting in Esteli on Wedensday, so we stayed the night, then they told us it wasn't till friday. SO we went back to Jalapa, and went back on Thursday AND Friday we went to Esteli.

In Esteli we had President Poncio give us some good advice and words of inspiration. And I got to See Elder Sanchez for the last time. (He goes home today to El Salvador) It was a good meeting, and then we came home on Saturday. While in Esteli, I finally got my Christmas package that was sent from home in November! It was full of American goodies and treats!

Yesterday was the last day of the transfer, and Elder Torres got called to go to Chinandega. So I will get a new companion. He doesn't come until tomorrow, so I will have to wait till next week to write about him and send a pic. So today I will be in a trio until my companion comes.

Stay beautiful,
Elder Taylor

Studying in our apartment when the power went out

With Elder Sanchez right before he goes home

Christmas Package finally arrived!!!