Week 43: Four baptisms

Baptism of Hermano Samuel's family.

We were really blessed with a lot of miracles this week and 4 baptisms of awesome people and thus the miracles have not ceased!!!!!

Funny Story of the Week: Two other elders had to come pick something up from our house but they didn't know where we live, so we just gave them the address over the phone.  We forgot that the house right next to us has the same address as our house. So, we see them walk into our neighbors gate, and before we can get over to tell them we live they walk up our neighbors steps open the door and walk right in like they own the place.  Needless to say, they were a bit embarrassed

Dos Pintos after a district meeting. 

Cool Experience of the Week: Usually we go to lunch at 12:00 p.m., but I felt we should go early, so we went to lunch at 1100 p.m.. On the way back from lunch, we ran into Hermano Samuel.  Hermano Samuel is the only member in his family.  We taught his family for awhile, but they weren't really interested so we stopped teaching them.  When we ran into him we talked for awhile and then he told us that he felt that we needed to go share a spiritual thought with his family.  So we went and shared a spiritual thought with his family and the spirit was super strong.  Long story short at the end of the lesson, they said they were ready to be baptized.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!

On Saturday, we had the baptisms of Ritle and Aldo! The way we found them was a little different, to say the least.  The story we heard is that their mom decided to become a witch, so they came and lived with some of their family members, Los Supers. Once they came to live with them, they started coming to church and we started teaching them.  They love going to church and are super excited about becoming members.  They are great kids.

Baptism of Ritle and Aldo.

Another Funny Story: We were talking with Aldo and Ritle the night before their Baptism and Hermano Super was with us. We were teaching them a little more and Hermano Super said, "the Lord will bless you a lot.   For instance, with a wife when you get older, but just make sure you find one with a good heart even if shes ugly."  Then he said, "my wife, she's super ugly, right elders? But shes got a good heart and that's why I love her." It was probably inappropriate and we were trying so hard not to laugh, but it was super funny. The Latino's are super savage, they just say what's on their mind and it doesn't matter how rude. HAHA

Another good week in the books, hope all is well Love yall

Elder Thackeray

The local sandlot game. 

Week 42: 4th transfer in Puerto

Fish Venders in Puerto

Puerto is cool! This is my 4th change here. Most missionaries are usually here anywhere from 6 to 9 months so who knows how much longer i'll be here.

Something Funny:  The electricity went out so I had to go pull up water out of our well using a bucket.  I took my flashlight out there but when I was bringing up the water my flashlight fell and went down the well. It made this bubbling song noise as it sank and the light just slowly faded out till it hit the bottom.  It felt like I was in a cartoon.  It made me laugh really hard, I don't know why. However, now I don't have a flashlight.

Airplane view of my area.

Something Spiritual: We had a family home evening with a family who had been really struggling these past couple months. It started with their house getting robbed; then they lost there jobs; but they always kept going to church. I shared D&C 98:1-3, one of my favorite scriptures. 

D & C 1-3 1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks; 2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. 3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.

It says that we should give thanks in everything and at the end of things, that our afflictions will work together for our good. I also shared some of Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk "Come What May and Love It."  (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng)   

It was super awesome and the Spirit was super strong. The next day, we got a call from them saying they had found work and would be able to pay for the things they needed so it was a pretty cool experience.  

Something Cool: We had to go to the church for a meeting and sometimes its hard to find a taxi in our area, so we waited forever and finally one came.  Before you get in a taxi here, you always ask how much because if you don't once they drop you off they will jack up the price and say some crazy amount. So, when we asked he said just get in we will get you there, which sounded a little fishy to us but we had to get to the meeting, so we just got in the taxi.  He ended up speaking English so we chatted with him as we drove.  When we got to our meeting and we tried to pay him he said, "Men of God ride free in this taxi"  so that was pretty cool. 

Anyways hope everyone has a good week! 

Elder Thackeray

Week 41: Transfers!

Wade with Chewie the pet monkey. 

Transfers came and went, nothing changed, I have the same companion in the same area.

This week went pretty good. we are finding a lot of cool people who are super positive, which is always nice.

Funny story of the week; We were in church in the priesthood class and this guy just walks in and is like, "Hey can I get a Book of Mormon?"  Then he stayed and was singing the hymns. Like really loud. I was busting up laughing. Then we gave him a Gordon B. Hinckley book so he could participate. Half-way through he just gets up with a hymnbook and Teachings of the President and leaves. No one knew what to do, so we just sat for a little but I was busting up laughing. I don't know why it was so funny, it just was, probably had to be there.

Livin' that good turtle life. 

Well. I don't have much this week but I'll leave y'all with a scripture in Alma 36:3:

Alma 36:3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Keep it real everyone. Love y'all

Elder Thackeray

P-Day Shenanigans.

Week 40: Well, well, well!

Hermana Shakira's Baptism 

Hows everyone doing?

We had another good week. We had the baptism of Hermana Shakira. She is super awesome. From the time we started teaching her she always read the Book of Mormon,, or folletos (pamphlets), or whatever else we would leave for her to read. She had talked to missionaries before but something always would come up and she couldn't get baptized until we met with her and taught her. That's one thing I have definitely learned on the mission. Sometimes you plant the seeds and sometimes you harvest the seeds.

Anyway, good week, but just the normal stuff. On P-day, we took a trip to the beach and took some pictures and threw the football around a little bit.

Beach P-Day

They just finished building a new church closer to our area which is nice it has been a little crazy and disorganized this week figuring out all of the schedule and such, but it's nice having a church building a lot closer.

Changes are coming this week so well see if anything changes or if it will stay the same.

Hope everyone has a great week!! praying for yall!!!

Elder Thackeray

From Elder to Beach Bumb

Beach P-Day Prep 

Week 39: 9 Months on the mission!!!

William's Baptism 

It is crazy how fast the time goes out here on the mission.  I seriously feels like I just started my mission yesterday. Everything is going decent here. Chugging away, working hard like always. William was baptized this week!  He was the first person I met when I moved to the Puerto Cabeza area.  He grew up in the states until he was 20 and then moved to Puerto.  He had an awesome baptism!

Fun fact for the week, my companion, Elder Bassett, has grandparents that live in Lovell, Wyoming.  Their names are Fred and Louise Bassett.  You'll have to see if Uncle Dale and Aunt Alana know them. 

Baptism After Party at William's House

Some exciting news, we have a multi-mission Zone Conference  coming up.  A general authority is going to come to speak to us and the other mission in Nicaragua.  The bad news is because we are in Puerto, we don't get to go in person.  They are going to Skype us in so we can watch which is still pretty cool I guess.   

Hope all is well in the U.S.of A. 

Elder Thackeray

Week 38: What's happening!

Jahir's Baptis

Everything is going well here in Nicaragua. 

Jahir got baptized this week! He is super cool! The first time we took him to church, he said he wanted to be like "the ones who are blessing and passing the sacrament". We are preparing him to receive the priesthood. His Uncle was going to get baptized as well, but he had to leave for Honduras so he could find work.  He said he would try and find missionaries there to teach, but if not he is going to look us up when he gets back.  

Some delicious papaya for breakfast with
Elder Samol!

We had divisions this week.  I went with Elder Samol from Guatemala! I have been working with him on his English and he is getting super good at it.  

It's getting hotter and hotter here every day.  I see pictures of snow back in the valley! Man, I miss the snow and being able to go to sleep without a fan blasting on me haha.  Oh well, such is life on the mission in Nicaragua.  

Hope everyone is going well!

Elder Thackeray

Week 37: Things are heating up!

Everything is good as usual here in Nicaragua.  It is starting to heat up quite a bit here, some days it gets really hot!  Needless to say my tan is starting to look pretty good. 

On Wednesday we went to the church because we had big changes to the mission daily schedule. Not really I guess, all that happened is now we plan in the morning instead of at night and we have and the mission president can adapt our schedule to best fit the needs of the mission.  

On Friday we had a multi-zone meeting with our Mission President. It was very uplifting. It was called a multi-zone meeting but it was just a zone meeting because we are 20 hours away from everyone. 

On Saturday we had interviews with the President.  Ours was at 9 but we had to wait until twelve because the President had to interview a bunch of members.

We are gonna have a baptism this Friday! There names are Humberto and Jahir. It's an uncle and his nephew that lives with him. They are super prepared of the lord, he keeps telling us he wants to leave and work with us and help save souls.  Jahir said he wanted to be like the deacons passing the sacrament. They are super prepared.

Anyways hope all is well, love yall

Elder Thackeray