This week has been so crazy for me. Last week on Monday I ate Iguana, went and did some family home evening activities in my area and then went to Managua at about 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. We, as District Leaders in the mission, we called by the mission president to a two-day, super-training conference. It was fantastic and I learned a LOT while I was there. The highlight of the whole activity was that I learned that I am going in the right direction as a leader here in the mission. I had the opportunity to give a little bit of a sample district meeting lesson to a class full of district leaders and had the president and a zone leader supervising. I taught at the very end. I was so nervous to teach in front of everyone else, so I was praying a ton so that I could have the Spirit with me to guide me so that I could say what needed to be said, teach what needed to be taught, and really help myself and the others in the room to learn something new. It was a quick 10 min. teaching experience and I was so nervous throughout the entire thing, yet the class participated, I said everything that I felt needed to be said and in the end felt comfortable. We had a little bit of a "constructive criticism" session afterword and when they got to my part of the lesson nobody had anything bad to say. Not one complaint. I was stunned. As we were leaving the room, I stayed back a little bit so as to put everything away in my backpack, a couple of the missionaries that were in the session with me walked up to me, one by one, and told me that they thought I was one of the best "teachers" that got up (for one reason or another). I was speechless. I blushed and thanked each one as they left, but I was stunned, awestruck, you name it. I know, I know, humble Elder Bolton, right? But that was a serious answer to my prayers. I worry that I'm not the kind of leader that I should be some times because I'm not the most successful and I'm not the most intelligent, but at least I know now that I can help others learn and become better.
The training was two days and when we weren't in meetings we went out to work. I went back to La Primavera and found a family and baptized them with two other missionaries. The family was hilarious and it took a LOT of work to get them to the church, but they are a great family. Then I went back to my area and started working with my companion again. We have been working with a number of families over the past two week, about 10 to be exact. However, this weekend we hit problems with ALL of them. Every single one. This is such a trial for me, as I really want to help these couples get married and baptized, but occasionally it gets very difficult to help people to progress. I find that I get super discouraged when things like this happen, yet I have faith and hope. I know that things will get better and that eventually all will work out. I just have to remain positive.
Ok. My soap box. My turn to rant about how ridiculous I think some people are at times. I hate two-faced people. Hypocrites basically. I dislike people that say that someone should live one way and then they live the opposite. I try to be a leader here in the mission that is obedient, because I expect it of those in my district. I love those that I do not know, and I am kind to missionaries when they make mistakes or mess up. We are all human and are bound to err at times. So, I do not like it when others harass those that are obedient, I don't like it when good missonaries get so verbally bashed when they make mistakes, etc. I do not agree with the current mission "politik" in the which I find myself currently. Hopefully, with time, this can change here in the mission. I have so many ideas on how to help this mission become even better than it is, but unfortunately there are some people who do not like my ideas, nor would they like to take the time or effort to make such changes. Ok. Soap box over.
Now. The INFO. My companion is a Rexburgian. Born and raised in Rexburg, ID. He is 19, funny, fantastic and works really hard. We enjoy our time together and have lots of fun while working hard. He is one of the best companions I'v had here on my mission. Reminds me a lot of one of my roommates from BYU. I have 4 areas in total in my district. My area, La Posada 2, La Posada, Momotombo (a little coommunity), and La Paz Centro. Momotombo is about 2 hrs away in bus and is the residence of Elders Denton and May (Elder Denton was in Puerto with me for a few months). Both are from Utah, work hard and make me laugh a lot. Then there's the elders in the city of La Paz Centro (The Centre of Peace), Elders Martinez and Morales. Martinez is from El Salvador, and Morales from Panama. They are both pretty goffy but, again, good missionaries. In La Posada there are Elders Smith, Wyoming (tease him about that a lot and the Latinos don't ever understand), and his companion Elder Guevara (El Salvador). All in all, my district is tight, and I love all the missionaries. The Zone is fantastic, but really goofy. We have high goals for this month and we hope to achieve them all.
Anything else you would like to know? I am trying to record video journal entries lately of funny things that happen during the week and I'll have to figure out how to get them all to you.
Foods tried now: Brain, tongue, turtle, iguana, yuca, plantain (boiled/fried), bananas, watermelon, papaya, pineapple, mango, tamarindo, jocote and mimbro (SOUR fruits). Yeah. lovin the Nica food. This week I hope to learn how to make gallopinto so that I can make it for you all when I get back.
Lemme know anything else you would like to hear about in next week's email.
Love you all,
Elder B
