It's incredible how fast the time moves here...I can't believe another week has already passed by.
Well, I am now officially legal here in Nicaragua! Today for Pday we had to go to Managua to the Migration Offices where I finally received my official card of residency. Now I don't have to worry about being deported or anything :)
This past week we have been working with lots of investigators but we have a few in particular who are really close to baptism...
Elia and her 2 children are all ready to get baptized, but we are still working out the kinks with her divorce. She is going to Masaya today or tomorrow to officially sign the papers she needs to sign, and then it should be about a month or so before the divorce is official. She and her current spouse are excited to get married. He doesn't want much to do with the church but is fine with his family attending and being baptized.
Manuel and Maria- Manuel is about 50 years old and has came to church twice now. He is a fruit vender at a bus stop and works every day but sunday from 8 in the morning until about 8 at night. It has been really hard to find time to teach him because he is always working and never in his house! However, we finally came up with a solution...two days last week we woke up at about 5, got ready, and then went to his house to teach him early in the morning before he left for work. He has a baptismal date for the 9th of June! This past week we also started working with his wife Maria. She hasn't came to church yet, but she attended a Relief Society activity last Friday where all the women in the ward learned how to bake certain foods. She is also very receptive. Manuel and Maria are both slowly gaining testimonies of the restored gospel and it is a beautiful thing to see.
This Wednesday we have changes. Elder Real and I are both pretty sure that Elder Real will be leaving because he has been here in La Concha for 7.5 months! We are both excited to find out what is going to happen.
The rain has slowed up the past few days but the weather has been really humid and muggy. I never thought I'd say this...but I miss the cold Utah weather!
These past transfer (6 weeks) have been somewhat difficult for Elder Real and I. We really committed ourselves to work hard this change but unfortunately we haven't been having much success. It is hard to continue to find the energy to work hard when we don't feel like we're accomplishing anything! Last week Elder Real and I were both a little down but he shared a scripture with me that has really helped. 1 Corinthians 15:58-"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." This scripture really impacted me this week, especially the last few words..."your labour is not in vain in the Lord." I realized that sometimes in life we work, work, work, work and give everything we have, but we still don't see the results we want to see. I have definitely felt like that these past few weeks as we've been working like crazy, but the work seems to be progressing even more slowly than normal. However, the Lord has promised us that if we are steadfast and unmoveable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our efforts will never be in vain. (Mosiah 5:15) I know that the Lord is always completely aware of his children. When we are giving our best to Him he will always bless us...in HIS own due time!
Be steadfast and Immovable, family and friends :)
Con amor, Elder Parrish
