Week 80: A Tough Week

Bueno this was a tough week jaja we decided to try out a part in our area that myself o Melo hadn't contacted and it didn't work ajaj the people are not as friendly as they are in Puerto, basically had no success.

But we have been working hard with Juanita and she told us she couldn't go to church Sunday because she had work if she went she would lose her job. we taught and taught but wasn't having it so finally, we made her a promise in the name of JesusChrist that if she went to church god would protect her and she wouldn't lose the job she just looked at us and said ok ill trust in the lord!!!!! she went to church and it was awesome and we have her baptism this week !!! such a spiritual experience and the promise held true and she kept her job.

Don't have much time but I met a guy who is one of our members and he used to drive trucks in the states las vegas to Seattle and he knows about Alturas of all places jaja 

Love yall 

Elder Thackeray

Week 79: Another Good Week

Another good week int he books! We had a ward talent show on Saturday it was good I recommend it for you guys lots of people came and presented talents it was a good time.

We have been working hard with Juanita and her daughter Ana they are both single mothers but have a strong desire to find the truth,
we have been talking a lot about the book of Mormon with them and have had soe reallly good experiencias and some powerful lesson.

We have also been working alot with some inactive familas trying to get them going again , its basically like they are investigators but someonetimes they are harder to teach and hearts are harder as well

What is the new mission spot like. Well i feel like im in the states again after beeing in puerto for so long definaltey alot more things accesible like today we went to metrocentro and had pizzahut jaja so its alot different , metrocentro is like a mall place its cool, people well its weird cause its a ward and i havent been in a ward my whole mission so i feel useless on sundays usually id have to give a message pass the sacrament or teach a class and now i do nothing..

Are the people different? yeah people here are alot different just cause its like a different cutuire jaja its a litte more civilized and the people are alot more prideful.

 Is it like a big city? yeah its the captital of nicaragua so its pretty big jaja...

What are the stores and restaurants like? the restarants theres like mcdonalds and pizzahut whatever you want realy store well mostly its just pulps unless you get to the main part pulps are just like  snack shacks so its nice to ave that right in front of the house

I assume you still walk everywhere?yeah now we take the city bus alot as well

 

Is it hard to speak Spanish and not Moskito? yeah jaja ive been accidenlty saying alot of miskitu in my lesssons but i did get to teach in miskitu the other day with a family so that was cool

Compare and constrast this area with Puerto. Well its basically how i felt when i went from the states to nicaragua but like reverse because its like im back it in the states theres super markets mcdonalds pizza hut memebers have cars its really weird completly different working you have to work alot more off referecias of members

Love youall!!

Elder Thackeray

Week 78: New Area

Well, it has been a really good week! the area has needed a lot of work because the last missionary who left didn't li}eave it in very good hands in terms of investigators but we had a great week and found lots of news which was really good.

We are teaching Juanita and her son they are preparing to be baptised next week they are cool a really humble family, this week was the primary program in the church so she was a little confused as to why the children were doing the preaching but said she really liked it but we explained about the primary stuff and it was good.

Its been a different kind of challenge training but I have been learning lots with my stepson sometimes I forget he's new jaja it's a different experience! 

Sunday we were guided by the spirit and it was awesome we were looking for a less active but its always hard to find directions here because it's like where the dog died 3 years ago 3 blocks north. but we fond the menos activo and he likes with like 20 people in his house so its awesome jaja everyone was really positive and wants to go to church so we are really excited to start teaching that family

Hope all is well

Love elder Thackeray

Week 77: 58 Hours on a Bus

Well after 13 months I said goodbye to Puerto.... it was tough to leave, leaving lots of families there. I'm moving from the Puerto zona y I am ready for my next challenge. I am going to be a step father haha. im going to finish the training of elder melo from brazil. We a chill guy the area needs alot of work but we are going to change things up. for the first time in my mission i am in a ward for the first time in my mission it will be wierd having a strong leadership in the church . Zona las americas my area is called reuben dario this is not puerto that is for sure jaja. its alot richer here i feel like a fish out of water jaja. 

On tuesday we headed off to managua in bus to go eat with president at his house. it was quite the journey it took 24 hours to get there because the bus was having alot of problems .
We had a good time in managua we had lunch and breakfast with president chilled around his house played some basketball and volleyball it was a good time. at night we went to carls junior it just opened in managua it was good stuff jaja i hadnt had fast food in little over a year haha 

On thursday we left at 4 again no problems with the bus abut there  part where you have to cross on a ferry and when we got there at night it was closed so we had to sleep in the bus all night till it oped in the morning so we got to puerto about 2 the next day but it mad for a good 34 hour bus ride . so on firday we had the baptism of jasel who is the daughter of a member who just reciently moved to puerto from managua we are going to marry her, marie and her husband juan in 3 weeks juan no es miembro but we are working hard with him so he can get baptised as well !!

Hope all is well
Love Elder Thackeray

Week 76: Milaroso

Sorry, no letter last week. Power issues again!

Well, let me just say that this was an awesome week and our zone! We are extremely happy and with our hard work and obedience, the Lord took care of the rest. <Tomorrow we will be traveling to Managua to celebrate at presidents house eat dinner and have a little pday action in Managua it been over a year since I've left Puerto haha so it should be quite the experience.

This week we baptized Nisa and Lisa who are Hermana they are the super awesome family we have been teaching!! we were going to baptize thee mom Xiomara as well but she is pregnant and was having some complications with the baby so we're gonna do here baptism next week!!! they are a really awesome family that has been through a lot Xiomara is a single mother but has really progressed with the gospel and is moving forward!!!!!!!!!!!.

one of the members has a nephew named Jose David he always goes to church and basically every companionship since Nam has taught her and tried to help him accept the Lord's gospel, but Satan always gets in the way. on Thursday we were ending our fast and when we finished the prayer, he just walked into our lunch city house and was like elders I WANT TO GET BAPTISED TODAY!!!!! such an awesome miracle of the lord it just shows to go you that everyone has there a time when they will be converted I fill honored to play a part in his conversion!!

This week we have Hermana Xiomara and Hermano Alex preparing to accept the gospel. Alex whole family is members menos him he's told us his lost his way for a while but is ready to find God again we are super happy and always have a great time teaching him.

Hope all is well love yall

Elder Thackeray

Week 74: Working Hard

Well, what a week it has been super rough and long but very successful. The zone is working super hard. Me and Sanchez are also working super hard to break the record for a companionship as well. That goal has kept us super focused on helping as many people as we can and working as hard as we can!!!

This week was sad and happy a la vez we had two families that we were going to baptize. Anora y Elias and Naomi y Darwin. Darwin had to go to work in the mar so we get back this week hopefully so we can marry and baptize them. the adversary worked strong on anora and elias i know they will get baptised but its just not there time yet!!

However we were super happy because we were able to be baptised carol and anacely!!! they are the nieces of Hermana Naomi y Darwin they are like there caretakers they are super awesome, when we were gonna baptise carol she was super scared because she thought she was gonna drowned so we had to talk to her to calm her down for like 10 minutes but we finally made her feel good about it!!! 

Everybody wants to be a cat!

Elder Thackeray

Week 73: Hurricane Nate

Sorry, no letter last week. No power.

Well, the hurricane didn't kill us so don't worry just a little rain and wind is all.

Monday through Thursday my comp was in Managua so I had to do divisions for that time shooting back and forth between areas it was crazy!

This week we baptized Julio he is doing well and is super awesome now we just have to start his preparation to receive the priesthood so well be working hard with him!

Antonio was supposed to be for next week but he was like elders I really just wanna be baptized now. he's been awesome he was an old investigator of other missionaries for a long time so when we started teaching him he was already super prepared, at the end of the baptismal service we were about to end but he just stood up and said id like to say something and then gave his testimony to everyone he super cool and we are going to be preparing him as well to receive the priesthood. Both of these men Had some tough lives and have been through a lot but we have really seen them be changed and purified through the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are great men and will be a big help to our Rama.

Hermana Janexas family and Satan was working strongly on her this week so she didn't get baptized but we are going to still be working with 

This next week we have two families that we are going to baptize, Hermana Anora and . and also Hermana Naomi and Darwin they are two super awesome families that is progressing so much in the gospel we are really excited for them!! also two of our old investigators are supposedly coming back from there communicated this week so we might baptise them as well if it be gods will!!!

Hope all Is well!!!

Love Elder Thackeray

Week 71: Armadillo

Another change in the book. Same area new companion from Mexico/Washington.

We had a really good week and we were able to find lots of new péople top teach so we are excited about that.

This week we are going to baptize a joven 14 years named Darwin. He moved in with one of our members so we have been teaching him and he is really awesome and is excited about his baptism. 

Les quiero mucho

Elder Thackeray 

Week 70: Another week in the books

Another great week in the mish in the books!!

The last week was real tough but the lord has blessed us with muchas blessings this week. We had the baptisms of the family of hermana karen and we have been having lots of sucess reactivating péople and getting there whole family converted and baptised!!

I gave the lesson in preistood about service. in the teachings of godon b hinkley

I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.

Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people. Cultivate a spirit of forgiveness in your heart against any who might have offended you. Look to the Lord and live and work to lift and serve His sons and daughters. You will come to know a happiness that you have never known before if you will do that. I do not care how old you are, how young you are, whatever. You can lift people and help them.

we all need to reach out and give serive to someone in need if we do this our lives will be filled with more joy and happiness.

Love you all

Elder Thackeray

Week 69: The Robbery

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Well, this week has been a tough one not gonna lie haha. robbed twice grandpa one our most positive investigators tested us out of the blue and said we couldn't meet anymore and she was gonna get baptized this week. It seemed that a lot of stuff didn't go our way and it was rough but we endured it to the end. And are seeing the blessing because of it.

 We made it a point not to [murmur[ like Laman and Lemuel. and we feel that the Lord has blessed us because of it. It been a tough week but also a week where I felt like I've grown a lot. I put into practice some advice from Joesph b Wirthlin in a talk he gave called come what may and love it his 4 points he says we should do are 1 laugh, 2 seek for the eternal perspective, Understand the principle of compensation, and put your trust in the father and the son. this talk helped me a lot in this week and help me endure the adversity. 

In a talk by Thomas Monson called decisions, he told a poem 

[One ship goes east,

 one ship goes west,

 with the same winds that blow,

Its the set of the sails,

and not the gales,

That bid them the way that they go.

it's not what happens to us in life that matters, but how we react to this adversity and where we set our sails!

So then Karen that we were gonna baptized this week turns on is already a member. We went to do the interview at her house and shes like well my mom called me today and I told her about my baptism and she was like but you already were baptised there when you were little and she didn't remember but her records are there so well it was cool reactivating her and we are gonna baptised her daughter   Kashima and 2 of her niece and nephew that live with her petition and perished  haha weird names I know.

Hope all is well !!

Love older Thackeray

Week 68: Remembering Grandpa

Hanging out at the Zone Meeting. 

Well, Grandpa has passed on to a better life. He was a great man with a strong testimony in the gospel. His weekly passages of scriptures always helped me strengthen my faith. He will be truly missed but now has the opportunity to rest in peace con grandma for eternity and the rest of the family members that have passed on. Death is a sad thing but we are comforted by the fact that it doesn't end with this life and we will all be able to live together again in the next life! We'll miss you, grandpa!! One of the last memories I have of him was going to a doctors appointment and John Denver's country roads take me home came on and we had a good time singing together! Grandpa Roy has gone home to live for eternity with grandma theta!

Good week per usual!!

We have been really working hard with a less active family and it's been going well the came to church every week last week and we baptized their daughter Sabrina. It's really an awesome experience to see them getting back to church and it's like a family of 15 so it fills up the church!

On Sunday as we were confirming Sabrina we felt such a super strong spirit we were talking afterward me and da Costa and we both agreed that you could just feel the spirit in the sacrament room the world was just silent for those few minutes really awesome!!

Karen and her daughter and doing well and we are going to have there baptism on Saturday keep them in your prayers.

Hope all are well 

Elder Thackeray

Week 67: Good Ol' Slow Pitch

Well, sorry I didn't get a letter sent off last week. I got really sick on Monday so we just went to the house. Recovered from that but then I got some eye virus that's going around in my area nothing to worry about mother haha!

Things are going really well here! We have been blessed with lots of new investigators! We do a lot of divisions with members so that we can visit more people and we are having a lot of success with references from members!

We had a really good lesson with A Hermana named Karen shes a single mom with 3 kids. We had a great lesson with her about the restoration and the book of Mormon and she asked so many great questions and we could feel the spirit so strong!! It's really awesome basically all of our success comes from the book of Mormon, it really testifies to the power it has in peoples lives!

Today we all played some slow pitch softball haha it's a little hard when you play when a bunch of people who don't know the rules but it was a good time anyway.

Hope all is well!!

Elder Thackeray

Week 64: Tarde Blanca

Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. Helaman 3:35

Well power went down in puerto. so the letter is coming in a little bit late.

Had another awesome week this week. we have been blessed with tons of miarcles this whole month. We have been working so hard and fasting every week and have truly been blessed. We were able to hit our goal of 5 baptisms this month with the help of the lord so we are feeling really grateful and blessed. We had a tarde blanca where 15 people were able to be baptised an awesome experience where you could feel the spirit so strong! It was an awesome experience!! 

 This week we had the baptisms of mikel and aikel. dont laugh haha thats their names. They are two brothers that are really awesome and have a strong desire to share the gospel even though they are so young, they were already inviting there friends to the church before they were even baptised!!!!! We are going to baptise there older brother this week. We are also working with a family 4 hno pedro his wife his dad and his kid we are really working hard with them so that we can help them become members and start there new life, hno pedro likes to drink alot but has progressed so much in the gospel. Andhe hasnt drank in over a week and so we are going good with him just have to keep them in the straight and narrow.

At zone meeting i talked to the zone about how we can make the miracles drop from the heavens on us, i feel like the zone really liked it and will help to put into practice what was talked about.

Pday as a zone we made pupusasa but as was said we were in the middle of cooking them and the light went out so we could only cook about half of them but such is life!!

I loved all of the experiences you guys sent me about sharing the book of mormon. Its our most powerfulñ tool combined with the spirit we had as missionary. The challenge i have for you all is open your mouth and talk to a friend co worker or whoever it is about the gospel of jesus christ talk about the book of mormon, give them the book of mormon and share your testimony. "Don't be afraid; just believe."-Mark 5:36. I look forward to hearing more of your expeiences.

Love yall

Elder Thackeray

Week 63: Zone Meeting

My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall  prosper in the land.

The Kitchen

Well another great week in the book.

Presidente came and we had a zone meeting we ate chilliquilas and talked about a new way to find new investigators and such, go in talk about the book of mormon pray and then asked them how they felt after and how they could have those feeling again worked really well and we found 30 new investigatores  this week. it was awesome!!

We had a good experience this week while we were looking for a referencia and we were talking to this guy that was on the street and this drunk looking guy was in his house a little of the road and he was calling us in but we didnt go because well we talked to about 500 bolos a day that never have anything good to say about us.So we just finsihed talkin to the guy and then we went on our way. Then the drunk guy sent his kid to come get us to talk to them. So we talked to him and hes family that was it the house that we didnt see and talked to them and there an awesome family, are accepted to be baptised next month. the spirit was strong in getting us to that house.

Funny story: we finished teaching a lesson and we asked this guy to pray and he was like yes i will. he started praying and it started really quiet then started getting slowly louder and louder until he was jumping up and down and shaking his hands and then when he finished he sat down and was like winded and was like oh man that prayer took it out of me haha i bet. Evangelicos and pentocostal have some entusiama when they prayer.

Our Apartment 

Hope all is well and that you guys are always praying reading the scriptures and having family home evening!!

Love Elder Thackeray

Someone glued this fruit to the tree!