29 October 2012

Dear Family,

The first picture is of me and my companions and hna Creel.  Yesterday we had an activity of hermanas.  There are like 34 sisters in our mission.  That´s just an approxamation. 

The second is hna Real and me making tortillas.  yay tortillas.  So delicious...

I have more pictures but it took me like ten minutes to load two. So... 

I have a picture of myself by the grounds where they are going to build the temple whenever they decide to let us have a temple! 

It´s in Las Colinas. 

Um... I´m really glad to be back in my area.  I spent half the transfer in Las Coinas.  There are some really neat people in Las Colinas.  I would love to see them again.  I want to see Janis, he´s the one that said there´s an emptiness we feel that can´t be filled with water or food that there is something more that we have to do here. I want to see him baptized!  Yay!

  Here we are working with Henry, a 15 year old that loves the church and everything, he´s just super Catholic and LOVES maria.  He´s a really fun kid. His dad just got baptized. 

  Alez and Valeria they are a young couple that have gone to church twice, I think.  They want to get baptized and everything but Alex is a little afraid of messing up after his baptism.  He´s trying to stop smoking. 

I talked to Hna Martinez and her companion Hna Reuel yesterday.  Everyone is doing well in La Borgoña.  The people in Masatepe are good too.  It was great to talk to Hna Silva again yesterday.  When we´re in the moment, we don´t realize how greatly we are blessed and how much God is helping us.  But talking to Hna Zapeta before she went home and with Hna Silva yesterday made me remember how much God really participates and how families can completely change. And how many miracles, big and small I have been able to see. AWESOME!

    I´m not going to lie.  I´ve been thinking about the elections.  Thanks for the update.  I´ve been thinking about how elections are tuesday and I´m going to write on Monday.  Honestly, I´m not sure if the people here will know who won the election.  The news here is mostly how people have gotten killed or hurt in car accidents.  But, yeah I think they´ll probably annouce something about the election on television... I´ll have to ask around a little...

   Dad, thanks for the letters.  I liked your thought about John I´ll have to think a little bit more so I can internalize the grace for grace frase. I mean... phrase.  Sounds like fun to have Alice and Elizabeth there.  

Mom, thanks for the notes and the packages.  It takes about two weeks for a letter to get here . 

Everyone else, there isn´t enought time to write.  But I love you all and I hope you are all doing great.

We are going to baptize a lot here!  yes! 

Paul, that´s great that you´re doing the diet

Dani I hoppe your back feels better.

 Kevin, and Cheryl, hope you and the munchkins are doing well

 love mb

22 October 2012
Hey family,

  how are you all doing?  Thanks for the letters, mom.  Write me a note!  I`m still in Las Colinas with the other trio. 

love, mb

 

Hey family, 

  We have had a ton of awesome experiences this week.  Cool.  We were also almost eaten like three times.  First, by dogs, then by dogs, then by ants, then by dogs again.  That´s why I used to walk around with a rock in one hand and a bom in the other.  haha 

 Mom, I loved the letters and what you said about the trip.  Sounds like you had a great time and that grandma and grandpa enjoyed it a lot.   The Christmas event looks awesome!  I love the idea of an orchestra!  

   Kyle, thanks for the BYU update.  Good luck on the job search.  Sounds like school is going well. 

   Kevin, thanks for the update.  I hope the job search goes great and that you end up being really happy!  I´m sure you´ll get a great job! 

  Cher, thanks for the pictures, I LOVED them.  Tanner and Nani are so cute it´s ridiculous.  Something funny, whenever I show the family picture everyone says oh you have a morenita!  (a little brown one).  And they think it´s exciting that we´re not all chelitos. Tanner looks soooo grown up.  And Nani!  I was like whoa.  She has grown up! Her hair looks so cute! I hope you keep on keeping on! :)  Sounds like you are doing wonders!

  Tanner thanks for the letter.  You are so smart and kind!  I love you too! 

  Pablito, congrats for keeping up on the diet.  That's really impressive!  Woo hoo!   Do you have school plans or are you going to keep on working? 

  Dad, I love you!  Thanks for the update last week. As for work... Just say no.  :)  son bromas  But are you going to retire pretty soon? 

Um... I´m still in Las Colinas.  Hna Anderson is almost better.  She only took a two hour break yesterday, but her foot swelled up again a little so we have to take it easy I guess.  I was going to send pictures but 

Jose, who went to church yesterday, loved church.  His wife is super catholic and he´s helping to build the catholic church, donating time and money and work. But he loved how they explained everything in church yesterday.  There was a talk on the Book of Mormon during sacrament meeting that was just beautiful, and it was exactly what he needed.  The people here are so awesome because they love to hear about God.  They really love it.  And in the church they actually explain the doctrine, and people love that. Jose came out talking about the sabbath day and how he has to change his work schedule. Another investigator, whose dog almost ate us like three times, was interested to hear that we have to repent everyday.  He was like, wow, I didn´t know that.  And the people love to learn.  It´s great. 

If you want to know where I am, look up Santo Domingo.  There´s a super famous catholic church in our area.  It´s really beautiful.  I´m on the highway that goes from Masaya to Managua.  In Miraflores, my real area, I´m more in the center of Managua.  There aren´t many dirt roads there. 

Um... thanks for all the letters and the love.  

Grandma Campbell, thanks for the letters!  You are wonderful!  I did use the balloons but not in an FHE.  Thanks!   

Grandma and Grandpa Tew, I hope you all had a great time and that you are resting now!  That must have been a great time, but I would be tired afterwards! 

Katelyn Sneed,  I haven´t forgotten you!  How are you doing?  and are you in California?  Love you!

Okay family.  I love you all a lot and pray for you always.  

Love, hna tew

 

oh yeah mom, for Christmas sweets, just traditional stuff we eat that won´t spoil.  Peanut brittle and I don´t know what else will stay good... But yeah.  Stuff we eat at home.  Thanks for asking :) 

I love you a lot!  

Thanks, hna tew

 

 

15 October 2012
Hey family,
How is Paul doing?
How are Kevin and Cheryl doing?  How did the interview go and the presentation?
How is Kyle doing? Have you revised your plans to come to Nicaragua instead of Panama? :) 
How is Dani doing?
How are Grandma and Grandpa Tew doing?

  here´s my letter to President Monestel below.  I am in Las Colinas.  It´s the same zone that I was just in when I was in La Borgoña.  I´m just visiting for a while because one of the sisters that just got here, Hna Anderson, is sick and so I´ve been with her and Hna Barrera.  I came here last Tuesday, and they said it would just be three or four days, but we went to the hospital for her checkup and she has to rest completely!  So, she sticks around with a member in the house and Hna Barrera and I go work.  I feel bad for Hna Anderson because she only has two weeks in Nicaragua, but she has a good attitude.  I´m going to be here probably for another week or something...  vamos a ver...  I´m tell you a little about Las Colinas and everything in the other letter I send.  But we´re all doing fine...
love love love
hna tew

Hey family, 
   So, I´m back in Zona Las Colinas, just for a week and a bit.  This is a really different area because this is where all the rich people live.  There are a ton of embassies here.  We ate dinner in the house of someone from the American Embassy last night.  The house is sooooo big and sooooo beautiful and I felt pretty weird there.  interesting points... we eat way better here. They serve fruit and vegetables.  I ate a grape yesterday for the first, maybe second time in a year.  Lots of people work here in houses as maids and guards, but they don´t actually live here.  The house where we live doesn´t have water after 6:30 in the morning.  We have to wash our clothes.  
   In Miraflores Jefferson and Ramon got baptized on Saturday!  Jefferson is the guy that was reading his Book of Mormon at his work.  His birthday was Saturday and he turned 20 years old.  He is a really nice person.  Ramon is kind of almost his step dad and his wife is a member.  In Miraflores there are a ton of less actives, so we are trying to complete a lot of families.  I really like Miraflores and I miss the area.  I actually know this area, Las Colinas, better than I know my own area in Miraflores.  I also miss my companions, Hna Real and Hna Vasquez.  
   I thought I would tell you a few cool things.  From two weeks ago, one week ago, and this week. 
This week we went to visit a new investigator with Hna Barrera and Hna Anderson.  He had read the pamphlet about the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we were going to teach the restoration.  And Hna Anderson had to start the lesson.  She´s a little timid, but really great!  She started talking and asking questions about what he liked about the pamphlet, and what he thought.  She did so great.  We could really feel the spirit and the investigator, Antonio, was so open to everything we taught.  He is definitely prepared to hear the gospel.  He kept on talking about how much he liked the part about baptism and he understood really well.  It´s awesome to hear a new North American teach and bear testimony.  We taught the restoration. and then hna Barrera whispered, put a baptismal date.  And Hna. Anderson put the date!  It was awesome. 
   Also, we taught about the gift of the holy ghost to an evangelical that feels like she´s failing God right now and for that she can´t feel the peace that she´s felt on a few occasions before.  It was a really spiritual lesson and it made me realize how much we need the GIFT of the Holy Ghost.
   Well, there´s not enough time for the other experiences... oh well.  I wanted to say hi to everyone. 
I hope you´re all doing well.  I LOVED the pictures of the trip mom.  Everyone looks so great!  Mom, you look skinny.  I hope you are enjoying the trip, Grandma and Grandpa and Jeanine.  I am glad you all are getting to spend a lot of time together and are getting to see a lot of neat places. 
   Doug, we haven´t done exchanges yet in Miraflores.  I guess I´m kind of in my third trio:  the MTC, Miraflores, and now in Las Colinas for a week or two.  That´s really cute about Scotty in the primary program.   haha 
  Mom, thanks a lot for the letter.  I haven´t received the package you sent yet but the office elders that helped us today (I had to go to Miraflores to get more clothes) told me that I have a ton of letters and packages waiting for me. :) You are the best mom in the world.  My testimony of that has been strengthened as well. :) 
Ah.. I just got the email, Dani and Dad.  Thanks!
Love you all,
hna tew

hey ya´ll.  write me a note real fast.  I´m going to be here for about 50 more minutes.  I hope everyone´s doing good.  Kevin, let me know how your family is doing!!!  Thanks for the letters Doug and Mom!
Love, hna tew

8 October 2012
hey family,
   I´m writing early today so send me an email now if you´re going to send one. 
I want to hear how you all are doing!
yes I did get transferred.
love, mb

Hello Family,
   Thanks for your notes.  I liked hearing from you Mom and Dad. 
To respond to your questions... yes I got transferred, yes I saw conference, but most of it was in Spanish.  My favorite part was the hymn Does the journey seem long.  It was sooooo beautiful.  I loved it.   The song at the end that they sang is a hymn in Spanish, Si la vida es penosa en la lid.  And Dad, I haven´t talked to President Monestel about you all coming to pick me up but a bunch of parents have come so I imagine that it´s just fine. 
Thanks for the emails Dani and Kyle.   It´s great to know that we´ll only be separated by one country, Kyle.  Why don´t you come to Nicaragua for Thanksgiving instead.  You can eat gallo pinto and queso frito and drink pinolillo.  What more can you ask for?
My favorite conference talk was probably the talk by Elder Ballard.  about the bees.  I watched that one in English. 
I am now in Managua!!!!!!  In the city.  and....I´m in a trio!!!!!!  I was really surprised.  President was announcing the transfers and he said in Miraflores la hna Real recibe a la hna Tew y a la hna Vasquez.  And I was like... what?  Everyone was kind of weirded out by it.  Hna Real is from Guatemala City and Hna Vasquez is from Huehuetenango, Guatemala.  I think that´s how you spell it.  They are both great missionaries and nice people.  It´s pretty different to be in a threesome.  It´s fun to teach with three. 
   My area now is all city.  The housed are all right there in a row, pegadas. The area isn´t very big but there are a ton of houses.  At the edge of the area you can see the mountains and the lake!  It´s pretty.  It´s very hot here.  Masatepe and La Borgoña are both kind of cool areas and it´s seriously really hot here in Managua.  In La Borgoña I slept with my blanket and here I don´t even use a sheet.  But the people here are great, of course. 
   Hna Real is a really great missionary.  She contacts a lot and doesn´t let people pass her by on the street.  She teaches very slowly and only the most important points.  I´m really grateful that she´s my companion and I´ve already learned a lot from her. 
  Hna Vasquez is a really great missionary too.  She is very kind and loving.  She worked as a preschool teacher before the mission.  She teaches with a lot of love and I know I´m going to learn a lot from her too.  They both share a lot and serve a lot and that´s ben a great example for me. 
   President Monestel warned us to have a lot of communication.  He said, you´re all good missionaries, and you´re going to hae some differences in  opinion.  So you have to talk about it.  
   Kevin, how did everything go at BYU?  I was thinking about you on Friday and praying for you.  I hope Tuesday goes well too.
   Cheryl, how are you doing?  Thanks for the letter last week.  It sounds like Tanner is doing great in school.  I thought of Nani when the choir sang my life is a gift...
   Kyle, when are you going to have your internship or whatever it is?  Why did you decide to go to Panama?  Are you going with someone else?
   Doug, I hope work is going great.  I love you!
   Dani, thanks for the update.  I hope you all are doing well in Gillette.  Have you made any presentations for the stake yet?
   Pablito, how are you doing?  I think that it´s great that you´re living the diet and I hope you are feeling good.
Mom and Dad, thanks for the email and I hope you are doing great and that the trip goes really well.  It sounds like a great time.  I´m just imagining the air conditioning.... haha.  No it sounds like Grandma and Grandpa will have a great time.  Good luck with the lobsters and everything :)  Tell them all that I say hi and I hope you enjoy it.  Mom, I love you a lot and miss you too.  I love you Dad!  
   We are teaching a 19 year old and we passed by his work one day and he was sitting outside reading his book of mormon! We were all really excited about that.  cool.
Oh and we´re all super excited about getting 18 year old missionaries and 19 year old sister missionaries!  Woo hoo! Alright folks.  Hasta luego.  Have fun on your trip and write me during the week because I´m going to be writing earlier in the day los lunes. 
Ok, Bye!
Love,love,love,love,love,
Hna Tew

1 October 2012
hey family,

  how´s it going? 

Cheryl, thanks for the letter.  I have no fatted calf to kill, but I´ll see what we can do.  Sounds like you all are doing great.  I loved hearing about the family from China and how Tanner and Nani are doing with school and everything.  Thanks for the pictures too.   The kids look so beautiful! and so big!  Tanner looks a lot like Kevin.  Sounds like they are two smart cookies. :)  I hope you all are doing great.  

Kevin, Thanks for the letter.  It sounds like you had to do a lot of work just to get considered for the job!  I´ll be praying for you that everything goes well for you!  It sounds like a great opportunity! I know you´ll do great! 

Kyle, thanks for the update. I hope all the interviews go well!  

Doug, sounds like you´re doing good with work, I hope the family is doing good. 

Dani, thanks for the email, It sounds like you´re going to be busy!  Give the munchkins a hug for me! 

Pablito, congrats on staying on the diet.  I hope you´re happy and feeling good! 

Dad, thanks for the letter and everything.  The Christmas plans sound like a great opportunity to share the gospel in Gillette.  It sounds like the stake is doing well and that you´re plugging along at work.  When are you going to retire? 

Mother dear, I love you so.  I´ve had primary songs about mom and dad stuck in my head this week.  It´s been kind of weird. Thanks for the letter.  I´ve been getting lots of letters and dear elders and stuff.  The Christmas stuff sounds excellent!  That´s too bad that there aren´t spanish elders right now but the class sounds wonderful. 

I got a letter from Charlotte capron and Charity Kemp this week too.  That was fun to hear from them.   

Well, for the moment I´m here in La Borgoña.  But, transfers are this Wednesday, so I´m probably out of here.  All last week I was thinking about how I wanted to leave and start over again with the members and investigators and everything.  But this morning I woke up and I started thinking about leaving and I might have cried a little bit. The people that I´ve taught here are really special to me.  Today I felt sick just thinking about changes, but whatever happens will be what the Lord wants, so, we´ll see what happens.  

I don´t have a lot of specifics to share. There are always awesome and funny and spiritual things that are happening but I can´t remember them right now. I´ve been recording my journal entries at night instead of writing them because there just isn´t much time.  

   The mom of a kid we´re teaching (the whole family is member except for the kid, who has MAJOR drinking problems) found a pamphlet we left with the family under his pillow.   

   Our district leader always calls us Testigos (Jehova Witnesses) because we carry our umbrellas.  All Jehova Witnesses carry umbrellas.  But he says it in a really annoying voice.  He´s kind of crazy.  But nice. 

   We sang in Sacrament Meeting as a district.  It sounded great. 

   It´s just cool to be a missionary and talk with anyone at any time about Jesus. Thins morning in the taxi I talked to the driver. And he was kind of excited about it.  It´s fun because you have to be friendly, and kind, and you have to talk about the gospel.  Cool!    

   Well, not to get trunky or anything, but the mission is passing pretty quickly.  I´m excited to see you all but it´s still about 4 months away!  

Love you all, 

hna tew