Note from Sandra:
Elder Buck arrived home last night...Thursday, March 17th. His flight was suppose to arrive at Sky Harbor at 7 pm. Various family members and friends were all driving to the airport to be there when he came off the plane. However, we had just exited the freeway into the airport area when Stu got a phone call on his cell from a number he did not recognize.
Phone conversation:
Hello this is Stu.
Hello this is Elder Buck.
Where are you calling from? (thinking McCoy was using the expensive phones on the plane)
I'm in the airport..where is everyone? (McCoy's flight was 45 minutes EARLY...a first for American Airlines I think!)
We are just pulling into the airport terminal and still need to find a garage to park!
I will go down to the luggage carousel and get my luggage...so I will meet you there.
Tanner and his family got to the luggage area first and met up with McCoy.
Stu, Sandra, Carly and several friends plus the Tryon's arrived a few minutes later and found the lonely Elder.
Carver, Amanda and kids were on the upper level so we had to find them and bring them down to McCoy.
The family went to a nearby In and Out Burger to grab a bite to eat then we took McCoy to meet with President Weathersby and be released as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We got McCoy home...visited for a while...then got to bed about midnight.
So no big video of him coming out of the terminal area and the family to great him with signs and smiles. Stu did video all of us together when we finally found him. I'll post the video later.
Friday, March 18, 2011
March 7th Letter Home
Hello Family!
Just so you all know I have 10 DAYS LEFT...not 9.
Wow Jake Armstrong is serving a mission… that’s AWESOME!!
I am feeling better, my stomach doesn’t hurt as bad and I don’t have diarrhea much. It’s for sure not our food I watch her cook and we drink nothing but purified water but I will be okay.
I am for sure going to be keeping the habits and all that I need to when I get back. I will for sure be going to institute, school, singles branch (if necessary) and work and all things necessary. That’s so weird that Carly is an adult and will be doing those things too...
I had an awesome week!
Monday after writing you guys not too much of anything exciting happened that day.
Tuesday My companion and I were focused on baptizing a family for this last week so first we visited them to see how they were doing and they were expressing some doubts and difficulties that they were having concerning baptism that Saturday and wanted us to visit them later that night. Then before going to the next visit we contacted these people that were out side and found 5 new investigators, and then we talked with another family that we have that our progressing named Bilma and Francisco to make sure they were going to church this week and they informed me that they were. Then later that night we went back to Familia Padilla the family that is preparing to be baptized that week and we were able convince them enough to have a baptismal interview.
Wednesday We had a really bad day that day we walked and walked and walked SO FAR.....and nothing...nothing....NOTHING!! No news no contacts no NADA!
Thursday we had the baptismal interview with the family Padilla just the husband got interviewed but we found out that he was cheating on his wife and selling drugs to make ends meet..........I did not see that one coming. Later we went to the family that we contacted 2 days before and taught them the gospel and they accepted a baptismal date but it wasn’t too positive they live with a whole bunch of other people who didn’t let us in to their house to teach them.
Later I went and did the interviews for Villa Flor we were there for EVER and I interviewed to people to be baptized last Saturday.
Friday just a bunch of visits to encourage people to go to church... no one accepted to be baptized but we did have 1 more new investigator.
Saturday was the activity for the baptisms but we didn’t have any baptisms.
Sunday we had in church 5 investigators 2 families. The prophet sent out a commandment from a revelation that he received that we should focus more on the institute and seminary age students and get them in these classes. So on Sunday our ward obeyed and we did 80 visits to members of the ward active and less active to invite and encourage.
My companion and I received a special assignment to go visit this woman who is the only member of her family and is inactive. Well my companion and I went and it was super far to walk. But when we got to her house we met her husband but at the time didn’t know that, that was her husband. But as we sat down and visited her to get to know who she is we found out that she used to be a seminary teacher and was a really active member of the church. We found out that she had a husband and when I asked if he was home he was just leaving the house and so I called him and asked him if he would like to join us. He was reluctant and said yes. So as we taught him, he was incredible he only been to church once but he knew everything. He never met with missionaries before but he said he was really interested in the message we taught. As we got to the part of the book of Mormon and we taught him about Moroni´s promise he said he was anxious to know, then as we set the baptismal date I had the strongest impression that for this Saturday he should be baptized with out any hesitation he said "YES!!" I love the GOSPEL AND MISSIONARY WORK!! THIS IS TOTALLY WORTH IT! I can only recall the joy that I felt but I was seriously happy and loved this person. His name is Lenin.
But that’s all I have for time right now.
I love you all and will talk with you next week!
Elder Buck
Just so you all know I have 10 DAYS LEFT...not 9.
Wow Jake Armstrong is serving a mission… that’s AWESOME!!
I am feeling better, my stomach doesn’t hurt as bad and I don’t have diarrhea much. It’s for sure not our food I watch her cook and we drink nothing but purified water but I will be okay.
I am for sure going to be keeping the habits and all that I need to when I get back. I will for sure be going to institute, school, singles branch (if necessary) and work and all things necessary. That’s so weird that Carly is an adult and will be doing those things too...
I had an awesome week!
Monday after writing you guys not too much of anything exciting happened that day.
Tuesday My companion and I were focused on baptizing a family for this last week so first we visited them to see how they were doing and they were expressing some doubts and difficulties that they were having concerning baptism that Saturday and wanted us to visit them later that night. Then before going to the next visit we contacted these people that were out side and found 5 new investigators, and then we talked with another family that we have that our progressing named Bilma and Francisco to make sure they were going to church this week and they informed me that they were. Then later that night we went back to Familia Padilla the family that is preparing to be baptized that week and we were able convince them enough to have a baptismal interview.
Wednesday We had a really bad day that day we walked and walked and walked SO FAR.....and nothing...nothing....NOTHING!! No news no contacts no NADA!
Thursday we had the baptismal interview with the family Padilla just the husband got interviewed but we found out that he was cheating on his wife and selling drugs to make ends meet..........I did not see that one coming. Later we went to the family that we contacted 2 days before and taught them the gospel and they accepted a baptismal date but it wasn’t too positive they live with a whole bunch of other people who didn’t let us in to their house to teach them.
Later I went and did the interviews for Villa Flor we were there for EVER and I interviewed to people to be baptized last Saturday.
Friday just a bunch of visits to encourage people to go to church... no one accepted to be baptized but we did have 1 more new investigator.
Saturday was the activity for the baptisms but we didn’t have any baptisms.
Sunday we had in church 5 investigators 2 families. The prophet sent out a commandment from a revelation that he received that we should focus more on the institute and seminary age students and get them in these classes. So on Sunday our ward obeyed and we did 80 visits to members of the ward active and less active to invite and encourage.
My companion and I received a special assignment to go visit this woman who is the only member of her family and is inactive. Well my companion and I went and it was super far to walk. But when we got to her house we met her husband but at the time didn’t know that, that was her husband. But as we sat down and visited her to get to know who she is we found out that she used to be a seminary teacher and was a really active member of the church. We found out that she had a husband and when I asked if he was home he was just leaving the house and so I called him and asked him if he would like to join us. He was reluctant and said yes. So as we taught him, he was incredible he only been to church once but he knew everything. He never met with missionaries before but he said he was really interested in the message we taught. As we got to the part of the book of Mormon and we taught him about Moroni´s promise he said he was anxious to know, then as we set the baptismal date I had the strongest impression that for this Saturday he should be baptized with out any hesitation he said "YES!!" I love the GOSPEL AND MISSIONARY WORK!! THIS IS TOTALLY WORTH IT! I can only recall the joy that I felt but I was seriously happy and loved this person. His name is Lenin.
But that’s all I have for time right now.
I love you all and will talk with you next week!
Elder Buck
Monday, March 7, 2011
Feb 28th Letter
Hello Family!
Well as far as my health I am doing a little bit better...I have diarrhea here and there. I drank over 25 Gatorade's this past week so I'm doing a lot better as far as keeping hydrated. Im not going to lie though...I AM SO TIRED....my body is dead. I can’t even wake up in the mornings and the moment my head hits the pillow I am out. It’s really really tough to be keeping strong when my body is physically giving up on me.
Thanks for the videos that are really neat seeing snow... I'm actually not to excited to go back to cold weather.
I will work with Dad the best I can so you can be blessed....but I will be back and ready to help the best I can!
ha ha to be honest I'm looking forward to a visit to Doctor Hancock... I WANT TO BE NORMAL AGAIN!?
Ahh..I'm sorry Carly that you didn't get accepted to BYU but wherever you go you will do well THAT'S FOR SURE!
I am so ready to work once I get back that will be the first thing that I need to do! I got to keep all my working habits like the time that I get up, go to bed (actually I would love going to bed a little bit earlier) and most important my personal study and prayer. I need to get registered up to institute and just have a good environment and influence and I know I will be able to stay strong and do what I need to in life, if I keep those same habits. But I'm ready to all that I can to help for so much that you guys have helped me with including my mission.
It scares me to think of where I would be in life if I didn't serve this mission. I figure this I would be a bum, almost literally and definitely wouldn't have a purpose in life. These two years have been so dang hard but I have grown so much spiritually and if it weren’t for these trials there would be no other way possible that I can learn and grown as much as I have here.
This is a response to mom’s letter:
No they don’t have the missionaries see the doctor but I tried. Um you might want to double check the information they gave you I was told I would be leaving on March 17th in the morning. I DONT WANT TO BE RELEASED THAT SAME NIGHT I WANT TO BE A MISSIONARY FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!! Im really not looking forward to being released, its going to be sad missionary work is my life......
Im glad you enjoyed Myriams story this week was pretty good, difficult but good.
Monday We did family home evening with one of our part member families and it was alright.
Tuesday We did District meeting and all that Jazz, then after wards we ate lunch. After lunch were we eat there is only one person who lives there and is not a member. His name is Javier and he is Luz Marina´s brother. He is Evangelico and has always been confused about the fact that we talk so much about Joseph Smith so we had to explain it simply but he understood then we explained the book of Mormon then he understood! Then we left the invitation read, pray and ask God if it is true and he said he will! Then we check up on our family that we were going to be baptized last week but we found a couple problems and moved it back to this Saturday.
Wednesday I went for my poop exam in the morning and I didn’t have any parasites so only God knows what I have. Cuz shortly afterwards I called the mission to tell them that I didn’t have any parasites then she like (the nurse) oh that’s good yeah but the bad news is I STILL HAVE DIARREA! Nothing was done....im on my own to suffer that’s alright I don’t care anymore.
Thursday We went to Fam: Padilla and checked up on them are doing a little bit better with trials and what not. but that’s about it for that day.
Friday we found an incredible lady named Pilar, she is amazing. Okay this is her story:
She is a single mother of 2 children and her oldest daughter left her with her son who is 15 months and she is very very poor. So when we met her she was very positive and she called us over and she first asked us who we were. and she was like "oh I have heard about you from other people but they are very positive about you so I don’t listen to what they say" so I told her who and what we actually are. Then she was like I want to be baptized and we were shocked. Then she was like if I join your church I can’t tell my pastor or he will say bad things and make me feel bad about joining. But sadly this week we couldn’t get her to church she left at 5 in the morning to go work on Sunday she is so poor she wants to get baptized but hasn’t developed faith enough to make sacrifices to receive blessings.
Well that’s all I can type...I am out of time.
I love you all
Elder Buck
Well as far as my health I am doing a little bit better...I have diarrhea here and there. I drank over 25 Gatorade's this past week so I'm doing a lot better as far as keeping hydrated. Im not going to lie though...I AM SO TIRED....my body is dead. I can’t even wake up in the mornings and the moment my head hits the pillow I am out. It’s really really tough to be keeping strong when my body is physically giving up on me.
Thanks for the videos that are really neat seeing snow... I'm actually not to excited to go back to cold weather.
I will work with Dad the best I can so you can be blessed....but I will be back and ready to help the best I can!
ha ha to be honest I'm looking forward to a visit to Doctor Hancock... I WANT TO BE NORMAL AGAIN!?
Ahh..I'm sorry Carly that you didn't get accepted to BYU but wherever you go you will do well THAT'S FOR SURE!
I am so ready to work once I get back that will be the first thing that I need to do! I got to keep all my working habits like the time that I get up, go to bed (actually I would love going to bed a little bit earlier) and most important my personal study and prayer. I need to get registered up to institute and just have a good environment and influence and I know I will be able to stay strong and do what I need to in life, if I keep those same habits. But I'm ready to all that I can to help for so much that you guys have helped me with including my mission.
It scares me to think of where I would be in life if I didn't serve this mission. I figure this I would be a bum, almost literally and definitely wouldn't have a purpose in life. These two years have been so dang hard but I have grown so much spiritually and if it weren’t for these trials there would be no other way possible that I can learn and grown as much as I have here.
This is a response to mom’s letter:
No they don’t have the missionaries see the doctor but I tried. Um you might want to double check the information they gave you I was told I would be leaving on March 17th in the morning. I DONT WANT TO BE RELEASED THAT SAME NIGHT I WANT TO BE A MISSIONARY FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!! Im really not looking forward to being released, its going to be sad missionary work is my life......
Im glad you enjoyed Myriams story this week was pretty good, difficult but good.
Monday We did family home evening with one of our part member families and it was alright.
Tuesday We did District meeting and all that Jazz, then after wards we ate lunch. After lunch were we eat there is only one person who lives there and is not a member. His name is Javier and he is Luz Marina´s brother. He is Evangelico and has always been confused about the fact that we talk so much about Joseph Smith so we had to explain it simply but he understood then we explained the book of Mormon then he understood! Then we left the invitation read, pray and ask God if it is true and he said he will! Then we check up on our family that we were going to be baptized last week but we found a couple problems and moved it back to this Saturday.
Wednesday I went for my poop exam in the morning and I didn’t have any parasites so only God knows what I have. Cuz shortly afterwards I called the mission to tell them that I didn’t have any parasites then she like (the nurse) oh that’s good yeah but the bad news is I STILL HAVE DIARREA! Nothing was done....im on my own to suffer that’s alright I don’t care anymore.
Thursday We went to Fam: Padilla and checked up on them are doing a little bit better with trials and what not. but that’s about it for that day.
Friday we found an incredible lady named Pilar, she is amazing. Okay this is her story:
She is a single mother of 2 children and her oldest daughter left her with her son who is 15 months and she is very very poor. So when we met her she was very positive and she called us over and she first asked us who we were. and she was like "oh I have heard about you from other people but they are very positive about you so I don’t listen to what they say" so I told her who and what we actually are. Then she was like I want to be baptized and we were shocked. Then she was like if I join your church I can’t tell my pastor or he will say bad things and make me feel bad about joining. But sadly this week we couldn’t get her to church she left at 5 in the morning to go work on Sunday she is so poor she wants to get baptized but hasn’t developed faith enough to make sacrifices to receive blessings.
Well that’s all I can type...I am out of time.
I love you all
Elder Buck
Monday, Feb 21st Letter
Hello Family!
Things this week have gone pretty well. I still have not been to a Doctor or to the hospital but I am still sick im going on my 4th week of having diarrhea WOO-HOO!!
My companion says he is feeling a lot better but sometimes he will say that his stomach hurts, but we’re hanging in there...
It is very hard to get things done when I feel weak and not well for sure, I HATE IT!!! I want to be normal....
Yes my companion is from Tonga, HE IS SO COOL! He speaks English well because he was raised in Tonga but lived in the states. He is doing good with Spanish he write Spanish it’s just the speaking part he struggles on, but he is doing awesome. He says he likes Nicaragua. Well in his family he is an only child but his whole family are members. Its awesome he always tells me about the Tongan culture (usually cause im always asking) and what they do and Tonga it’s really cool. They are really close people especially like family relationships.
Ha-ha so Rulon´s is getting chubby huh that’s alright he’s a baby that’s good to hear that they are doing well though.
Well I have a super cool story to tell you guys about this week.
Well this week we had a baptism and her name is Myriam and we just barely met her last Wednesday. Well anyway the Saturday before last Saturday my ward secretary told us that he was gong to bring a friend to church. And when we met her we set up a visit for Wednesday to teach her.
Well Victor has known her for about 2 years because they have been studying together in medicine. But in her family her parents are divorced and her mom is a pastor of an evangelical church and her dad is a priest of a Catholic church. And she is just confused and doesn’t know what to do or where to go. So when we met up with her she wasn’t very positive but positive enough to meet up with us.
When we came and I asked her "what she wanted to learn from us" she just said "she wanted to know more". so then I was like "okay well what do you know??" so then she told us all that she knew. Ya she knew everything! So then I asked her "have you prayed and asked what you knew about the church if it is true". and she said "no". and I asked "why?" and she said "she didn’t have courage". so I asked her "what does she need to have courage?" and she said "she didn’t know". so I read in the scripture guide what courage is and it says "courage is not fear, not fearing to do what is correct." so I asked her do you know what "faith" is?? and she didn’t really know so we read Alma 32 and at the end she was like "wow" and so at this point I knew she felt the spirit so I was like "will you pray to know if this is true" and she said "yes" and I was like "Myriam will follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who has the authority of God this Saturday" and she was like "yes" and I was like "wow".....its incredible how the spirit works.
Well that is about it, this computer I am using is horrible so that’s all im able to write today.
I love you All
Elder Buck
Things this week have gone pretty well. I still have not been to a Doctor or to the hospital but I am still sick im going on my 4th week of having diarrhea WOO-HOO!!
My companion says he is feeling a lot better but sometimes he will say that his stomach hurts, but we’re hanging in there...
It is very hard to get things done when I feel weak and not well for sure, I HATE IT!!! I want to be normal....
Yes my companion is from Tonga, HE IS SO COOL! He speaks English well because he was raised in Tonga but lived in the states. He is doing good with Spanish he write Spanish it’s just the speaking part he struggles on, but he is doing awesome. He says he likes Nicaragua. Well in his family he is an only child but his whole family are members. Its awesome he always tells me about the Tongan culture (usually cause im always asking) and what they do and Tonga it’s really cool. They are really close people especially like family relationships.
Ha-ha so Rulon´s is getting chubby huh that’s alright he’s a baby that’s good to hear that they are doing well though.
Well I have a super cool story to tell you guys about this week.
Well this week we had a baptism and her name is Myriam and we just barely met her last Wednesday. Well anyway the Saturday before last Saturday my ward secretary told us that he was gong to bring a friend to church. And when we met her we set up a visit for Wednesday to teach her.
Well Victor has known her for about 2 years because they have been studying together in medicine. But in her family her parents are divorced and her mom is a pastor of an evangelical church and her dad is a priest of a Catholic church. And she is just confused and doesn’t know what to do or where to go. So when we met up with her she wasn’t very positive but positive enough to meet up with us.
When we came and I asked her "what she wanted to learn from us" she just said "she wanted to know more". so then I was like "okay well what do you know??" so then she told us all that she knew. Ya she knew everything! So then I asked her "have you prayed and asked what you knew about the church if it is true". and she said "no". and I asked "why?" and she said "she didn’t have courage". so I asked her "what does she need to have courage?" and she said "she didn’t know". so I read in the scripture guide what courage is and it says "courage is not fear, not fearing to do what is correct." so I asked her do you know what "faith" is?? and she didn’t really know so we read Alma 32 and at the end she was like "wow" and so at this point I knew she felt the spirit so I was like "will you pray to know if this is true" and she said "yes" and I was like "Myriam will follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who has the authority of God this Saturday" and she was like "yes" and I was like "wow".....its incredible how the spirit works.
Well that is about it, this computer I am using is horrible so that’s all im able to write today.
I love you All
Elder Buck
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
Hello Family!
Happy Valentines Day...I love you too!
Oh please don’t countdown the days until I return ha-ha...that’s horrible. IM NOT COUNTING!! But im glad you love me and are getting excited for my return.
I am sorry for my short letter I sent last week, it was very short and I didn’t have very much time. I have been kinda sick lately im just waiting for permission to go to the hospital to do a final check up before heading back to the states. I called the nurse here and it’s still the same mess trying to get missionaries to the hospital. Where she sends an email to the states then the mission doctor there looks at the problem and symptoms and mails back saying if the missionary can go or not and I still haven’t got permission. I have diarrhea again, I have had for about 3 weeks now and I have no MORE ENERGY!!?? I drink 3 Gatorades a day to keep me hydrated and im taking medicine but its not doing much. My whole zone practically is sick and my companion has the same thing I have and he is starting his 2nd week with diarrhea. poor guy......but im alive.....some how.
The pictures of the new baby are of the family where we eat each day. That family is the Chacon Family with Luz Marina, Lesley, María, Rosario, and Marcela. I will title the photos later....But it is a very cute baby. I miss my NIECES AND NEPHEWS ha-ha.....
My new companions name is Elder Taufa he is from Tonga. Born and raised in Tonga but move to California. He is SO COOL! He is so humble too! I Love that guy....We are getting along great. Im not his trainer but he is starting his 3rd month in the mission. I died sterile.....:( (In the mission we refer to train-ees as "kids" but I didn’t have any that I trained in two years, therefore I died sterile.)
What helped me out a lot is what Nephi said in 2 Nephi 33:1-2 It’s talking about that "there are many that harden their hearts, therefore the spirit does not dwell in them...so they reject and do not consider the word of God as nothing..." and its true i was also reading in Doctrine and Covenants today...(by the way I LOVE STUDYING!) and I read the vision of Joseph F. Smith in section 138 and he talks about those also that rejected Jesus Christ even though they saw his great works and miracles. He talks about it in verses 25-26 and then at the same time it makes me think of Laman and Lemuel. They saw angels and miracles they felt the power of God and were even shocked, but they still fell into apostasy. crazy.......
Something my mission president gave me after he quoted something I thought was remarkable and gave me the reference, this is my own words. He said (referring to the spirit) " The manifestation of Christ or God the Father himself would surely be an impact to both mind and spirit, but the spiritual impact could eventually dwindle if they don't keep the spirit with them always. Meanwhile when one has the guidance and companionship of the spirit at all times, it is hard to ever deny personal manifestations or seen miracles".
I haven’t had any great experiences this week to be honest.....But I will tell you of what happened this week.
Monday: don’t remember anything to be honest ha-ha.
Tuesday: in the morning I had a District Leader meeting that I had to go to, it was really awesome. It was in the Waspan building in Bello Horizante. When I got there, there were other District leaders and Trainers. Pres. Arredondo training us on how to train others and it was really cool, I took a lot of notes. HE IS SUCH AN AWESOME MISSION PRESIDENT AND SO IS HIS WIFE! But we talked about how to teach with the spirit.and more then anything how to use the spirit in this missionary work.
Wednesday: I went back to the same place and we had some more training then they gave us District leaders time to teach others how to train. It was voluntary so of course I did it. It was really awesome because I taught a group of missionaries of about 30 including my mission president and his wife and AP´s. It was really cool... I nervous at first but I was confident that the spirit would help me know what to do and say. After I was done teaching we also did an evaluation to see how well I did and here are some of the comments that they made.
• I expressed my feelings as I taught
• I explained everything really well
• I asked for other peoples experiences
• I had great teaching methods
• I taught from preach my gospel
• I helped others apply what I taught in there work
• I used myself as an example of what I taught
• I used personal experiences
• (this is the presidents wife comment) She could tell I was listening to the spirit and she said she also felt the spirit really strongly
• ( presidents comment) I taught like a humble teacher
So that was pretty cool...I taught in this training meeting how to TEACH PEOPLE, NOT LESSONS. I really enjoyed it.
Thursday: my companion and I did our weekly planning session in the Church and then I had district meeting with my district. My district now is only made up of 3 companionships.
La Fuente-My companion and I
La 14- Hna. Velazquez (Guatemala) and Hna. Carranza (El Salvador)
Villa Flor II- Elder Bonilla and Elder Oliva
Everyone in my district had changes these last week, IM THE LAST OF US to stay in this area until I come home... ha-ha...
It was interesting this first week with the Hermanas (sister missionaries) they have both been here for a while in the mission but are both new in there area. I call my district every night to see how everyone is doing and also to see how they did during the day. When I called the Hermanas one night the one that answered the phone was Hna. Velazquez and she was crying and I was thinking "oh crap". So then I asked "what happened", and she’s like "nothing im fine."
It was like that 3 more times that week when I called her she is really moody or crying and so I was like "what the heck is going on??" I called my zone leaders and told them and they said "Alright thanks for letting us know we will talk with them".....
So a couple days pass by and I was talking to my zone leaders asking what the heck is up with the sisters?? My zone leader is Elder Grey (Utah) he’s like "uh don’t worry about it’s actually a personal problem" and I was like "oh shoot is there something happening with her family back at home" and he’s like "uh....no its something that happens monthly with women". I said, "OH CRAP, ITS SHARK WEEK??!!" HAHA and he just busted out laughing. We were both talking about how weird it was working with sister missionaries; it’s a first for the both of us. Ha-ha
But something I also wanted to ask is if it’s possible if you guys could run down to Milano’s Music before I get back and buy me some violin strings...the ones I have are not that great.......and that’s it. Ha-ha
I love you all
Elder Buck
Happy Valentines Day...I love you too!
Oh please don’t countdown the days until I return ha-ha...that’s horrible. IM NOT COUNTING!! But im glad you love me and are getting excited for my return.
I am sorry for my short letter I sent last week, it was very short and I didn’t have very much time. I have been kinda sick lately im just waiting for permission to go to the hospital to do a final check up before heading back to the states. I called the nurse here and it’s still the same mess trying to get missionaries to the hospital. Where she sends an email to the states then the mission doctor there looks at the problem and symptoms and mails back saying if the missionary can go or not and I still haven’t got permission. I have diarrhea again, I have had for about 3 weeks now and I have no MORE ENERGY!!?? I drink 3 Gatorades a day to keep me hydrated and im taking medicine but its not doing much. My whole zone practically is sick and my companion has the same thing I have and he is starting his 2nd week with diarrhea. poor guy......but im alive.....some how.
The pictures of the new baby are of the family where we eat each day. That family is the Chacon Family with Luz Marina, Lesley, María, Rosario, and Marcela. I will title the photos later....But it is a very cute baby. I miss my NIECES AND NEPHEWS ha-ha.....
My new companions name is Elder Taufa he is from Tonga. Born and raised in Tonga but move to California. He is SO COOL! He is so humble too! I Love that guy....We are getting along great. Im not his trainer but he is starting his 3rd month in the mission. I died sterile.....:( (In the mission we refer to train-ees as "kids" but I didn’t have any that I trained in two years, therefore I died sterile.)
What helped me out a lot is what Nephi said in 2 Nephi 33:1-2 It’s talking about that "there are many that harden their hearts, therefore the spirit does not dwell in them...so they reject and do not consider the word of God as nothing..." and its true i was also reading in Doctrine and Covenants today...(by the way I LOVE STUDYING!) and I read the vision of Joseph F. Smith in section 138 and he talks about those also that rejected Jesus Christ even though they saw his great works and miracles. He talks about it in verses 25-26 and then at the same time it makes me think of Laman and Lemuel. They saw angels and miracles they felt the power of God and were even shocked, but they still fell into apostasy. crazy.......
Something my mission president gave me after he quoted something I thought was remarkable and gave me the reference, this is my own words. He said (referring to the spirit) " The manifestation of Christ or God the Father himself would surely be an impact to both mind and spirit, but the spiritual impact could eventually dwindle if they don't keep the spirit with them always. Meanwhile when one has the guidance and companionship of the spirit at all times, it is hard to ever deny personal manifestations or seen miracles".
I haven’t had any great experiences this week to be honest.....But I will tell you of what happened this week.
Monday: don’t remember anything to be honest ha-ha.
Tuesday: in the morning I had a District Leader meeting that I had to go to, it was really awesome. It was in the Waspan building in Bello Horizante. When I got there, there were other District leaders and Trainers. Pres. Arredondo training us on how to train others and it was really cool, I took a lot of notes. HE IS SUCH AN AWESOME MISSION PRESIDENT AND SO IS HIS WIFE! But we talked about how to teach with the spirit.and more then anything how to use the spirit in this missionary work.
Wednesday: I went back to the same place and we had some more training then they gave us District leaders time to teach others how to train. It was voluntary so of course I did it. It was really awesome because I taught a group of missionaries of about 30 including my mission president and his wife and AP´s. It was really cool... I nervous at first but I was confident that the spirit would help me know what to do and say. After I was done teaching we also did an evaluation to see how well I did and here are some of the comments that they made.
• I expressed my feelings as I taught
• I explained everything really well
• I asked for other peoples experiences
• I had great teaching methods
• I taught from preach my gospel
• I helped others apply what I taught in there work
• I used myself as an example of what I taught
• I used personal experiences
• (this is the presidents wife comment) She could tell I was listening to the spirit and she said she also felt the spirit really strongly
• ( presidents comment) I taught like a humble teacher
So that was pretty cool...I taught in this training meeting how to TEACH PEOPLE, NOT LESSONS. I really enjoyed it.
Thursday: my companion and I did our weekly planning session in the Church and then I had district meeting with my district. My district now is only made up of 3 companionships.
La Fuente-My companion and I
La 14- Hna. Velazquez (Guatemala) and Hna. Carranza (El Salvador)
Villa Flor II- Elder Bonilla and Elder Oliva
Everyone in my district had changes these last week, IM THE LAST OF US to stay in this area until I come home... ha-ha...
It was interesting this first week with the Hermanas (sister missionaries) they have both been here for a while in the mission but are both new in there area. I call my district every night to see how everyone is doing and also to see how they did during the day. When I called the Hermanas one night the one that answered the phone was Hna. Velazquez and she was crying and I was thinking "oh crap". So then I asked "what happened", and she’s like "nothing im fine."
It was like that 3 more times that week when I called her she is really moody or crying and so I was like "what the heck is going on??" I called my zone leaders and told them and they said "Alright thanks for letting us know we will talk with them".....
So a couple days pass by and I was talking to my zone leaders asking what the heck is up with the sisters?? My zone leader is Elder Grey (Utah) he’s like "uh don’t worry about it’s actually a personal problem" and I was like "oh shoot is there something happening with her family back at home" and he’s like "uh....no its something that happens monthly with women". I said, "OH CRAP, ITS SHARK WEEK??!!" HAHA and he just busted out laughing. We were both talking about how weird it was working with sister missionaries; it’s a first for the both of us. Ha-ha
But something I also wanted to ask is if it’s possible if you guys could run down to Milano’s Music before I get back and buy me some violin strings...the ones I have are not that great.......and that’s it. Ha-ha
I love you all
Elder Buck
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Monday, Jan 31
Hello Family!
It’s good to hear that everyone is doing well!
This week was SLOW!!!....ha-ha but good in the end.
But here goes my week...
MONDAY after writing you, my companion and I did a family home evening with one of our newest recent converts Flor and she liked it a lot.
TUESDAY I did my super-cool-awesome-District Meeting. Then after my companion and I found this guy who was a reference I gave to this same area I am in, but when I was Reparto Shick. His name is Miguel, I don’t want to be mean but if you want to know what he looks like, he looks like the guy on Men In Black II that gets his head shot off (by will Smith) and it grows back ha-ha. He is pretty cool, he is an English teacher so he wants to do the discussions in English, and he has a baptismal date for the 12th of February. Then we taught Flor´s sister whose name is Lupe but she is way different then her sister she doesn’t know anything about Jesus Christ. Then that same day we lost 3 family investigators.....
WEDNESDAY not much happened that day. Both our zone leaders were changed and the new ones are E. Grey and E. Peña they are cool...
THURSDAY was rough, just getting our two baptisms ready for the week.
FRIDAY Interviews: I had only one interview that day but the Elder Grey who is new to the zone came to my area to do the two interviews that we had but only one passed. His name is Jose a 9 year old kid that wasn’t baptized by his Mormon family at the age of 8 because they wanted him to be a "converted member". I had to remind them that at his age an 8 year old is capable of understanding and choosing to be baptized and the parents understood. Then I went to Villa Flor and did an interview for a kid named Alexander who is 19 years old.
SATURDAY we did the two baptisms together and I lead the ceremony.
SUNDAY I GOT TO TAKE THE SACRAMENT THAT WAS AWESOME!!! I feel so much better now.....not that I was doing anything wrong but that was my most spiritual experience for the week and it’s kind of relaxing.
Now I would like to take the time to thank you Mom and Dad for all that you have done for me for all of your support and love....I love you both very much and the rest of my family as well. CARVER, TANNER AND THERE FAMILIES WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE AN ETERNAL FAMILY BEING HERE IN THE MISSION THERE IS ONE THING THAT I LEARNED, AND THATS.....HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A GOOD FAMILY. There aren’t too many good families here......
Love
Elder Buck
It’s good to hear that everyone is doing well!
This week was SLOW!!!....ha-ha but good in the end.
But here goes my week...
MONDAY after writing you, my companion and I did a family home evening with one of our newest recent converts Flor and she liked it a lot.
TUESDAY I did my super-cool-awesome-District Meeting. Then after my companion and I found this guy who was a reference I gave to this same area I am in, but when I was Reparto Shick. His name is Miguel, I don’t want to be mean but if you want to know what he looks like, he looks like the guy on Men In Black II that gets his head shot off (by will Smith) and it grows back ha-ha. He is pretty cool, he is an English teacher so he wants to do the discussions in English, and he has a baptismal date for the 12th of February. Then we taught Flor´s sister whose name is Lupe but she is way different then her sister she doesn’t know anything about Jesus Christ. Then that same day we lost 3 family investigators.....
WEDNESDAY not much happened that day. Both our zone leaders were changed and the new ones are E. Grey and E. Peña they are cool...
THURSDAY was rough, just getting our two baptisms ready for the week.
FRIDAY Interviews: I had only one interview that day but the Elder Grey who is new to the zone came to my area to do the two interviews that we had but only one passed. His name is Jose a 9 year old kid that wasn’t baptized by his Mormon family at the age of 8 because they wanted him to be a "converted member". I had to remind them that at his age an 8 year old is capable of understanding and choosing to be baptized and the parents understood. Then I went to Villa Flor and did an interview for a kid named Alexander who is 19 years old.
SATURDAY we did the two baptisms together and I lead the ceremony.
SUNDAY I GOT TO TAKE THE SACRAMENT THAT WAS AWESOME!!! I feel so much better now.....not that I was doing anything wrong but that was my most spiritual experience for the week and it’s kind of relaxing.
Now I would like to take the time to thank you Mom and Dad for all that you have done for me for all of your support and love....I love you both very much and the rest of my family as well. CARVER, TANNER AND THERE FAMILIES WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE AN ETERNAL FAMILY BEING HERE IN THE MISSION THERE IS ONE THING THAT I LEARNED, AND THATS.....HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A GOOD FAMILY. There aren’t too many good families here......
Love
Elder Buck
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Letter from Monday, Jan 24th
Click link to see all the pictures of my life in La Fluente...my zone, district, baptisms, food, gifts, etc.
La Fluente
Hello Family!
I LOVE YOU ALL TOO!!!
Thank you for remembering to email me this time...;P Even though you had to wake up at 2 am, What can I say? Not too many people can sleep with out thinking about me. Were you able to see the pictures of the families that we baptized??
I will be staying in the same area until I am released, I will miss my companion though HE IS SO COOL! I will be training this next companion change - for my FIRST TIME. I was afraid for a second, I thought I was sterile (here in the mission we call the new trainees our kids and until now I have never had any kids).
My final release date is the 16th of March I thought I told you that already?? Im surprised you haven’t got any info from the mission either that’s interesting....That is the last thing that I need is someone planning my life for me. I think that’s how my life was before my mission; I was being babied too much. Ha-ha you know its true......
Well if Carly doesn’t get accepted at BYU Provo there is always BYU Idaho, a lot more are accepted at that school. That’s actually were I’m planning to go. But what exactly does she want to do or study or major in??
Am I getting trunky??.............no. Really im not, you can be surprised, I have been told that I am one of the least trunky missionaries, I haven’t said anything about me going home, unless someone asks. Yeah this last week I had a really good and spiritual district meeting so our district kicked butt this last week. The Sisters finally had a Baptism! YEAH!
It will be very sad to leave Nicaragua especially this area and the people I have grown to love here. My ward loves me, they think im funny or goofy, I don’t know which one of the two. Im actually excited about coming home to school, I have learned how to finally discipline myself to be able to focus and get the job done. Mom, that’s my favorite part, actually my personal goal to get married at 24-25 years old.
Well I have much to talk about this week I will start with
MONDAY well after writing we went back to the house and prayed that we could find a new family that we could help know the Gospel. So with the visits we had they all fell through and so we went to a member’s house to ask for references but know was home. They rent rooms to people in there house so we met Reynaldo and Karen who were there alone. They are a family and we read to them the proclamation of the family and they accepted baptismal dates to be baptized this Saturday.
Tuesday That day I taught an awesome district meeting, I stayed up till 11:30pm the night before to pray and plan to help my district have success and not just me and my companion. Then after district meeting, I felt there was something wrong with one of the companionships in my district. I talked to the Elders and they told me what’s been going on. I know this kid and know that he has done a lot of crap especially with being worthy to receive a temple recommend. I first told him, the two of you wouldn’t be mad at each other if you were obedient, but because you are doing things that you are not supposed to do, you do not have a great companionship. I gave him suggestions of what he needed to do. About companionship prayer morning and night and praying for the other companion like you told me mom and reading a chapter from the BOM together before going to bed.
Then after I finished talking to him he was like, is it okay if I go on divisions with another elder and I was like ha-ha.....no. I told him it’s not healthy for his companionship if he is going on divisions to distance himself from his companion. I found out that later he did.....so he got in trouble for that because I did not authorize it so he got an emergency transfer.
That day was a good day with investigators with baptismal dates. Wilson will be the first of his family to be baptized with complete support from his parents. They also want to be baptized but they don’t have Sundays free that is very hard to tell them to have faith and quit their job, Especially in a third world country. I actually feel so sorry for them, this communist government is so screwed up, they have no controls of their work hours and if they miss their shift their fired.
Flor who we actually had planned to baptized this week we were able to baptize and confirm her last Saturday.
Later that night, we found a new family of 5 to teach: Somarriba family who are huge liberals and supporters of the Sandinistas, so that was interesting to see how a political family accepted the Gospel even though they are opposed to religions.
Wednesday During companionship study (which was awesome) we were going through the Christ attribute test in preach my gospel and my companion had a challenge with Hope. So we reviewed what he needed help on and while I was talking to him I made a my own quote "Do the best you can NOW, to learn from your mistakes to prepare for the future." and then another quote I wrote I told him "DO what God has destined you to do, BE what God has given you the potential to BE". It helped him and me and it was actually really cool. We also found 2 other investigators, EDA and Bryan and set a baptismal date with them for the 5th of Feb.
Thursday not much happened we found a new family of 2 and contacted a lot of people.
Friday Apostle D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON CAME TO THE MISSION AND I GOT TO SHAKE HIS HAND AND HEAR HIM SPEAK AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH HIM!!!!!! That’s it..........ha-ha jk That day was so awesome though!!! I wrote down everything he said… I LOVE BEING MORMON!
Saturday We found a family of 10 and invited them to church, we baptized Flor… I LOVE HER!! She is so cool!! We also set a baptismal date with a lady that lives in front of our house for this Saturday.
Sunday Elder JAY E JENSEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE SEVENTY CAME AND SPOKE IN OUR STAKE BUILDING THAT WAS ALSO SO COOL!!!
And that’s about it with my week
I love you ALL
Elder BUCK
La Fluente
Hello Family!
I LOVE YOU ALL TOO!!!
Thank you for remembering to email me this time...;P Even though you had to wake up at 2 am, What can I say? Not too many people can sleep with out thinking about me. Were you able to see the pictures of the families that we baptized??
I will be staying in the same area until I am released, I will miss my companion though HE IS SO COOL! I will be training this next companion change - for my FIRST TIME. I was afraid for a second, I thought I was sterile (here in the mission we call the new trainees our kids and until now I have never had any kids).
My final release date is the 16th of March I thought I told you that already?? Im surprised you haven’t got any info from the mission either that’s interesting....That is the last thing that I need is someone planning my life for me. I think that’s how my life was before my mission; I was being babied too much. Ha-ha you know its true......
Well if Carly doesn’t get accepted at BYU Provo there is always BYU Idaho, a lot more are accepted at that school. That’s actually were I’m planning to go. But what exactly does she want to do or study or major in??
Am I getting trunky??.............no. Really im not, you can be surprised, I have been told that I am one of the least trunky missionaries, I haven’t said anything about me going home, unless someone asks. Yeah this last week I had a really good and spiritual district meeting so our district kicked butt this last week. The Sisters finally had a Baptism! YEAH!
It will be very sad to leave Nicaragua especially this area and the people I have grown to love here. My ward loves me, they think im funny or goofy, I don’t know which one of the two. Im actually excited about coming home to school, I have learned how to finally discipline myself to be able to focus and get the job done. Mom, that’s my favorite part, actually my personal goal to get married at 24-25 years old.
Well I have much to talk about this week I will start with
MONDAY well after writing we went back to the house and prayed that we could find a new family that we could help know the Gospel. So with the visits we had they all fell through and so we went to a member’s house to ask for references but know was home. They rent rooms to people in there house so we met Reynaldo and Karen who were there alone. They are a family and we read to them the proclamation of the family and they accepted baptismal dates to be baptized this Saturday.
Tuesday That day I taught an awesome district meeting, I stayed up till 11:30pm the night before to pray and plan to help my district have success and not just me and my companion. Then after district meeting, I felt there was something wrong with one of the companionships in my district. I talked to the Elders and they told me what’s been going on. I know this kid and know that he has done a lot of crap especially with being worthy to receive a temple recommend. I first told him, the two of you wouldn’t be mad at each other if you were obedient, but because you are doing things that you are not supposed to do, you do not have a great companionship. I gave him suggestions of what he needed to do. About companionship prayer morning and night and praying for the other companion like you told me mom and reading a chapter from the BOM together before going to bed.
Then after I finished talking to him he was like, is it okay if I go on divisions with another elder and I was like ha-ha.....no. I told him it’s not healthy for his companionship if he is going on divisions to distance himself from his companion. I found out that later he did.....so he got in trouble for that because I did not authorize it so he got an emergency transfer.
That day was a good day with investigators with baptismal dates. Wilson will be the first of his family to be baptized with complete support from his parents. They also want to be baptized but they don’t have Sundays free that is very hard to tell them to have faith and quit their job, Especially in a third world country. I actually feel so sorry for them, this communist government is so screwed up, they have no controls of their work hours and if they miss their shift their fired.
Flor who we actually had planned to baptized this week we were able to baptize and confirm her last Saturday.
Later that night, we found a new family of 5 to teach: Somarriba family who are huge liberals and supporters of the Sandinistas, so that was interesting to see how a political family accepted the Gospel even though they are opposed to religions.
Wednesday During companionship study (which was awesome) we were going through the Christ attribute test in preach my gospel and my companion had a challenge with Hope. So we reviewed what he needed help on and while I was talking to him I made a my own quote "Do the best you can NOW, to learn from your mistakes to prepare for the future." and then another quote I wrote I told him "DO what God has destined you to do, BE what God has given you the potential to BE". It helped him and me and it was actually really cool. We also found 2 other investigators, EDA and Bryan and set a baptismal date with them for the 5th of Feb.
Thursday not much happened we found a new family of 2 and contacted a lot of people.
Friday Apostle D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON CAME TO THE MISSION AND I GOT TO SHAKE HIS HAND AND HEAR HIM SPEAK AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH HIM!!!!!! That’s it..........ha-ha jk That day was so awesome though!!! I wrote down everything he said… I LOVE BEING MORMON!
Saturday We found a family of 10 and invited them to church, we baptized Flor… I LOVE HER!! She is so cool!! We also set a baptismal date with a lady that lives in front of our house for this Saturday.
Sunday Elder JAY E JENSEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE SEVENTY CAME AND SPOKE IN OUR STAKE BUILDING THAT WAS ALSO SO COOL!!!
And that’s about it with my week
I love you ALL
Elder BUCK
Monday, January 24, 2011
Slow Week
Hello Family!
Ha I cant believe you guys have forgot about me....that’s alright who needs you anyways ha-ha jk...jk Yeah a letter is for sure what I am always looking forward too on boring P-days such as this.
That’s cool to know that my best buddy will be home 4 months after me. You THINK everyone is doing okay?? Wouldn’t it be better to KNOW that everyone is doing ok? Sedona that sounds fun...never been.
I am good and healthy as a matter of fact, I was a little sick but that was mostly just allergies. You have no idea how dusty and dirty and gross Managua is. GO GREEN does not exist here just GREEN-GO (gringo) that’s what they call us...always. You haven’t seen any photos I just posted some last week! With my baptisms I had. But other then that no...You won’t be seeing many photos I haven’t taken much because my area is pretty dangerous.
I am enjoying my time for the most part. You know there is always be shortcomings and trials but I will keep on swimming.
A favorite scripture verse hmmm.....I think Alma 26: 11-13 is one, I don’t really have one though.
Well as far as this week im not going to lie nothing too exciting happened this week. But I am working hard and working with the Spirit, We are working with an investigator named Flor she is so cool. She is probably like 47 years old and looks Samoan but speaks English and has lived in the states and we are preparing her baptism for the 29 of January so we are pretty excited for that...other then that. I don’t have much too say.
I love you all
Elder Buck
Ha I cant believe you guys have forgot about me....that’s alright who needs you anyways ha-ha jk...jk Yeah a letter is for sure what I am always looking forward too on boring P-days such as this.
That’s cool to know that my best buddy will be home 4 months after me. You THINK everyone is doing okay?? Wouldn’t it be better to KNOW that everyone is doing ok? Sedona that sounds fun...never been.
I am good and healthy as a matter of fact, I was a little sick but that was mostly just allergies. You have no idea how dusty and dirty and gross Managua is. GO GREEN does not exist here just GREEN-GO (gringo) that’s what they call us...always. You haven’t seen any photos I just posted some last week! With my baptisms I had. But other then that no...You won’t be seeing many photos I haven’t taken much because my area is pretty dangerous.
I am enjoying my time for the most part. You know there is always be shortcomings and trials but I will keep on swimming.
A favorite scripture verse hmmm.....I think Alma 26: 11-13 is one, I don’t really have one though.
Well as far as this week im not going to lie nothing too exciting happened this week. But I am working hard and working with the Spirit, We are working with an investigator named Flor she is so cool. She is probably like 47 years old and looks Samoan but speaks English and has lived in the states and we are preparing her baptism for the 29 of January so we are pretty excited for that...other then that. I don’t have much too say.
I love you all
Elder Buck
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Successes
Hola Familia!
Hello everyone....this week was a little bit longer I think ha-ha. They say if it’s long that means that you are not working hard, but I would love ‘to beg to differ’. This week was so HARD ha-ha. But I am happy to say we ended it just the way I planned it.
News about the mission, Elder Jensen the Pres. of the Seventy and the Apostle Elder D. Todd Christoferson are coming here to Nicaragua and I will be able to have the privilege to hear from them both I MIGHT EVEN GET TO SHAKE THERE HANDS!!!
Sorry Carly your back in school...no worries you will be done in May. Have you been to sell any of the programs you have made Dad?
Well as far as this week we had planned 5 baptisms one to complete the Baptism of Manuel and Manuel jr. and their family!! I love that family they are so awesome! Aaaah....im going to miss Nicaragua I really am....:(
I have done so much here and still so much I want to do.
As far as being a district leader it’s awesome, I love it. Being able to help out my district of 8 people is really quite a responsibility. I would like to try to talk about my week.
Last Monday was way fun, after P-day we went to Fam: Rodriguez’s house and had a family home evening with them. (That’s the family that was baptized this week) The son Manuel guided the program and we had some members over to lead the music and and say the prayer. Then the best part Manuel the dad gave the lesson, he gave it on Agency. He is so funny he was ‘evangelico’ before he was baptized and so when he gave the lesson he sounded like a pastor but it was a really good lesson! Then at the end the mom (Giovanni) she gave the refreshments and played a game.
Then on Tuesday we had District Meeting. From 8:30 till 11:30am its pretty hard teaching my district and helping them understand better the doctrine of Christ in 3 hours but I love it. The spirit was pretty strong. I taught from 8:30 till 10:00am then we took out our vision of how many people we want to get baptized this week and how we were going to do it, then from 10:15-11:30am we did practices on the lessons to help us be better teachers and practice for real investigators.
Then at 2:00pm we went to visit a woman her name is Flor she is one of our progressing investigators. We are just waiting for her to get baptized ha-ha but I think it will be a while. Then at 3:00pm we found a new family named Familia Martinez they are a family of 5 but the husband is a member but in active. They really liked what we taught them and we could feel the spirit most importantly because that is what we are really trying to focus on.
Then from there all our other visits fell through so we just went contacting.
Then on WEDNESDAY in the morning at 7:00am I went to one of the areas in my district and did the interview with a guy named Nelson. That guy was pretty strange, 3 minutes into the interview I could already tell this guy wasn’t ready to be baptized and that was even before I asked him the baptismal interview questions. Interesting it turned out he had only being to church once in his life but has been investigating the church for about 6 years. He had quite a few problems so he didn’t pass. We helped him feel good about preparing for a baptism in the next weeks to come and to fix his problems were he had some.
Then at 3:00pm I went to one of my other districts in Villa Venezuela and did the interview for them. But when we first got there the Family that I was going to do the interview with wasn’t home. (I would like to tell you a little bit about this family. So when we went to do the interviews they weren’t home because there was a little incident. The man José Eric is a guard at his work and he works 24 hour shifts. The night before the interview there was a gang that came up and wanted to rob him but they didn’t know he was a guard cuz he carries his pistol in his holster underneath of his jacket that he wears. When they came up the guy had a gun and tried shooting him in the leg but they shot Jose by his phone, keys and the gun itself so the bullet didn’t do anything. It did make a big bruise in his leg and kind of a hole. We found out he was in the hospital but was suppose to come back that same day.
Well they came home at around 5.30pm that afternoon. I started talking with the family and started doing the interviews the guy still had some problems but passed because I talked with my zone leaders just to make sure, and the daughter who was 9 years old. But the mom whose name is Rosario didn’t not pass because she did not want to give up coffee, and she didn’t not know anything about the word of wisdom.....grrr...I don’t like when missionaries just try to baptize people with out preparing them. The next day before the baptism of her husband and daughter she drank not only coffee BUT BEER!!. Ha-ha Wow what a rebel, but she went to church this Sunday.
Well I would love to finish with the week but I am out of time.
I love you all so much!!!
Elder Buck
Hello everyone....this week was a little bit longer I think ha-ha. They say if it’s long that means that you are not working hard, but I would love ‘to beg to differ’. This week was so HARD ha-ha. But I am happy to say we ended it just the way I planned it.
News about the mission, Elder Jensen the Pres. of the Seventy and the Apostle Elder D. Todd Christoferson are coming here to Nicaragua and I will be able to have the privilege to hear from them both I MIGHT EVEN GET TO SHAKE THERE HANDS!!!
Sorry Carly your back in school...no worries you will be done in May. Have you been to sell any of the programs you have made Dad?
Well as far as this week we had planned 5 baptisms one to complete the Baptism of Manuel and Manuel jr. and their family!! I love that family they are so awesome! Aaaah....im going to miss Nicaragua I really am....:(
I have done so much here and still so much I want to do.
As far as being a district leader it’s awesome, I love it. Being able to help out my district of 8 people is really quite a responsibility. I would like to try to talk about my week.
Last Monday was way fun, after P-day we went to Fam: Rodriguez’s house and had a family home evening with them. (That’s the family that was baptized this week) The son Manuel guided the program and we had some members over to lead the music and and say the prayer. Then the best part Manuel the dad gave the lesson, he gave it on Agency. He is so funny he was ‘evangelico’ before he was baptized and so when he gave the lesson he sounded like a pastor but it was a really good lesson! Then at the end the mom (Giovanni) she gave the refreshments and played a game.
Then on Tuesday we had District Meeting. From 8:30 till 11:30am its pretty hard teaching my district and helping them understand better the doctrine of Christ in 3 hours but I love it. The spirit was pretty strong. I taught from 8:30 till 10:00am then we took out our vision of how many people we want to get baptized this week and how we were going to do it, then from 10:15-11:30am we did practices on the lessons to help us be better teachers and practice for real investigators.
Then at 2:00pm we went to visit a woman her name is Flor she is one of our progressing investigators. We are just waiting for her to get baptized ha-ha but I think it will be a while. Then at 3:00pm we found a new family named Familia Martinez they are a family of 5 but the husband is a member but in active. They really liked what we taught them and we could feel the spirit most importantly because that is what we are really trying to focus on.
Then from there all our other visits fell through so we just went contacting.
Then on WEDNESDAY in the morning at 7:00am I went to one of the areas in my district and did the interview with a guy named Nelson. That guy was pretty strange, 3 minutes into the interview I could already tell this guy wasn’t ready to be baptized and that was even before I asked him the baptismal interview questions. Interesting it turned out he had only being to church once in his life but has been investigating the church for about 6 years. He had quite a few problems so he didn’t pass. We helped him feel good about preparing for a baptism in the next weeks to come and to fix his problems were he had some.
Then at 3:00pm I went to one of my other districts in Villa Venezuela and did the interview for them. But when we first got there the Family that I was going to do the interview with wasn’t home. (I would like to tell you a little bit about this family. So when we went to do the interviews they weren’t home because there was a little incident. The man José Eric is a guard at his work and he works 24 hour shifts. The night before the interview there was a gang that came up and wanted to rob him but they didn’t know he was a guard cuz he carries his pistol in his holster underneath of his jacket that he wears. When they came up the guy had a gun and tried shooting him in the leg but they shot Jose by his phone, keys and the gun itself so the bullet didn’t do anything. It did make a big bruise in his leg and kind of a hole. We found out he was in the hospital but was suppose to come back that same day.
Well they came home at around 5.30pm that afternoon. I started talking with the family and started doing the interviews the guy still had some problems but passed because I talked with my zone leaders just to make sure, and the daughter who was 9 years old. But the mom whose name is Rosario didn’t not pass because she did not want to give up coffee, and she didn’t not know anything about the word of wisdom.....grrr...I don’t like when missionaries just try to baptize people with out preparing them. The next day before the baptism of her husband and daughter she drank not only coffee BUT BEER!!. Ha-ha Wow what a rebel, but she went to church this Sunday.
Well I would love to finish with the week but I am out of time.
I love you all so much!!!
Elder Buck
A New Year
Hello Family!
It was also good to hear and talk with all of you! Everyone looked so happy that also made me happy.
Oh that’s awesome that Rulon was blessed on Sunday, he is such a cute little baby!
Sounds like you had fun in the snow, I miss the snow.....Yeah it’s pretty hot here for the moment and will be I forever! Ha-ha.
Well as far as goals that I had for these last months are pretty big. For this month, as far as baptisms my companion and I, we have a goal to have 10 baptisms 3 with families. As a district we have the goal for 28 baptisms 7 families! It will be a lot and we hope to reach that goal. So far the only ones that are doing what they need to do to reach that goal is my companion and I, we have 5 baptisms so far for this month and that includes this week we have 4 and last Saturday we had 2.
The family that we are preparing for baptism there name is Family Rodriguez. and there are 5 in the family.
There is:
Manuel (dad)
Giovanni (mom)
Manuel (son)
Chirli (daughter)
Marcela (daughter)
They are so COOL! In testimony meeting this week Manuel stood up and bore his testimony and it was SO POWERFUL!! It was awesome...
As far as my goals when I get back I want to be able to go to the temple at least once a week and at least 1 a month with all of my family. (We are going to have to find a lot of babysitter’s ha-ha...) and my other goals like studying and work you know that good stuff...
The new year was interesting....they like to celebrate the new year with lots of beer and fireworks I got some video of all of that. I was half way asleep around 11:30pm and then a boat load of fireworks start going off and it woke me up and I could not go to sleep until like 3 am in the morning....it was rough. Yes there is always a lot of parties and music....
I have an awesome story to tell you about this family that will be getting baptized. With the son whose name is Manuel.
Well my companion and I were teaching the family and there were only 3 people present at the time, there was Manuel, Giovanni, and Marcela. And we were talking to them about there baptism for last Saturday and seeing how they were doing....
Well as always in the mission there are surprises...and they had one for us. I asked “So how are you guys feeling about your baptism this week" and then Manuel says” It looks like im getting baptized alone"...and I was like "what?? What do you mean?" , "Well" he says, "Marcela and my wife are going to Chinandega for new years to visit family." and I was like "Okay well when will they be leaving" and he's like "on the 31st and wont come back till the second of January...." . "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO???!!" (I thought)
Okay I said I need to talk with my zone leaders. So I called my ZL'S up on the phone and I was like "HEY??!! I NEED YOUR HELP THE FAMILY WONT GET BAPTIZED THIS WEEK, JUST MANUEL??" so after talking the options were these....
1. You talk them out of going with the family and get them baptized and confirmed this week.
2. You talk with your bishop and see if he can do the confirmation right after the baptism.
3. Pray for God to help you....
that is how it usually goes...
So...I tried letting the spirit guide me and I thought that we should talk about faith. But after about an hour of teaching she was not convinced...so I prayed while she walked off to do something...so I talk with poor ol Manuel about his baptism that he will be doing his baptism just by himself. His wife comes back out and she says "my son mauel wants to get baptized" and I was like what??!! "Well where is he, bring him here?" and for sure the kid did want to get baptized it was truly a miracle.
At the end I asked "Why did he want to be baptized now??" He was only present in one of our lessons before, why did he want to get baptized with only one lesson? He said, While I was in my room and I just woke up and I heard you talking about my dads baptism tomorrow and I felt this wonderful feeling in my heart and I knew that it was something I also had to do.
The two, Manuel and Manuel jr. were baptized on the 30th of December it was truly a miracle that I will never forget.
Love you all
Elder Buck
It was also good to hear and talk with all of you! Everyone looked so happy that also made me happy.
Oh that’s awesome that Rulon was blessed on Sunday, he is such a cute little baby!
Sounds like you had fun in the snow, I miss the snow.....Yeah it’s pretty hot here for the moment and will be I forever! Ha-ha.
Well as far as goals that I had for these last months are pretty big. For this month, as far as baptisms my companion and I, we have a goal to have 10 baptisms 3 with families. As a district we have the goal for 28 baptisms 7 families! It will be a lot and we hope to reach that goal. So far the only ones that are doing what they need to do to reach that goal is my companion and I, we have 5 baptisms so far for this month and that includes this week we have 4 and last Saturday we had 2.
The family that we are preparing for baptism there name is Family Rodriguez. and there are 5 in the family.
There is:
Manuel (dad)
Giovanni (mom)
Manuel (son)
Chirli (daughter)
Marcela (daughter)
They are so COOL! In testimony meeting this week Manuel stood up and bore his testimony and it was SO POWERFUL!! It was awesome...
As far as my goals when I get back I want to be able to go to the temple at least once a week and at least 1 a month with all of my family. (We are going to have to find a lot of babysitter’s ha-ha...) and my other goals like studying and work you know that good stuff...
The new year was interesting....they like to celebrate the new year with lots of beer and fireworks I got some video of all of that. I was half way asleep around 11:30pm and then a boat load of fireworks start going off and it woke me up and I could not go to sleep until like 3 am in the morning....it was rough. Yes there is always a lot of parties and music....
I have an awesome story to tell you about this family that will be getting baptized. With the son whose name is Manuel.
Well my companion and I were teaching the family and there were only 3 people present at the time, there was Manuel, Giovanni, and Marcela. And we were talking to them about there baptism for last Saturday and seeing how they were doing....
Well as always in the mission there are surprises...and they had one for us. I asked “So how are you guys feeling about your baptism this week" and then Manuel says” It looks like im getting baptized alone"...and I was like "what?? What do you mean?" , "Well" he says, "Marcela and my wife are going to Chinandega for new years to visit family." and I was like "Okay well when will they be leaving" and he's like "on the 31st and wont come back till the second of January...." . "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO???!!" (I thought)
Okay I said I need to talk with my zone leaders. So I called my ZL'S up on the phone and I was like "HEY??!! I NEED YOUR HELP THE FAMILY WONT GET BAPTIZED THIS WEEK, JUST MANUEL??" so after talking the options were these....
1. You talk them out of going with the family and get them baptized and confirmed this week.
2. You talk with your bishop and see if he can do the confirmation right after the baptism.
3. Pray for God to help you....
that is how it usually goes...
So...I tried letting the spirit guide me and I thought that we should talk about faith. But after about an hour of teaching she was not convinced...so I prayed while she walked off to do something...so I talk with poor ol Manuel about his baptism that he will be doing his baptism just by himself. His wife comes back out and she says "my son mauel wants to get baptized" and I was like what??!! "Well where is he, bring him here?" and for sure the kid did want to get baptized it was truly a miracle.
At the end I asked "Why did he want to be baptized now??" He was only present in one of our lessons before, why did he want to get baptized with only one lesson? He said, While I was in my room and I just woke up and I heard you talking about my dads baptism tomorrow and I felt this wonderful feeling in my heart and I knew that it was something I also had to do.
The two, Manuel and Manuel jr. were baptized on the 30th of December it was truly a miracle that I will never forget.
Love you all
Elder Buck
Friday, December 31, 2010
December At A Glance
Note from Sandra:
I did not get any of McCoy's letters posted in December...very busy month for some reason. HA
However, we did speak with him on Monday of this week for his Christmas phone call home. He is doing well and loving the mission. He is still in a poor area outside of Managua...he really likes this area. He is still a trainer to his new companion from Wyoming and he is still a district leader. He has four companionships in his district. They are doing well with teaching...lots of contacts and investigators but problems getting them worthy for baptism. They had one baptism this past week.
His health is better than it has been for a while...still have to be careful of the water and foods. The mission had a big mission party for Christmas with a banquet of meat, potatoes and foods that the missionaries from the states hadn't had for many months. He bought himself a violin for Christmas...I guess they are pretty cheap down there. He had a sister at a ward party show him how to play it...he picked it up quickly.
He said his clothes are getting pretty threadbare...the washer woman scrubs with a metal brush and wears holes in the material of his white shirts. He said he will make everything last until March. He has a tenative release date of March 16th.
He is in good spirits and loves the Lord, the mission and the experiences he is having. He wants all family and friends to know he love you and appreciates your prayers and emails to him.
He is excited to come home and hold all this neices and nephews...especially new baby Rulon.
I did not get any of McCoy's letters posted in December...very busy month for some reason. HA
However, we did speak with him on Monday of this week for his Christmas phone call home. He is doing well and loving the mission. He is still in a poor area outside of Managua...he really likes this area. He is still a trainer to his new companion from Wyoming and he is still a district leader. He has four companionships in his district. They are doing well with teaching...lots of contacts and investigators but problems getting them worthy for baptism. They had one baptism this past week.
His health is better than it has been for a while...still have to be careful of the water and foods. The mission had a big mission party for Christmas with a banquet of meat, potatoes and foods that the missionaries from the states hadn't had for many months. He bought himself a violin for Christmas...I guess they are pretty cheap down there. He had a sister at a ward party show him how to play it...he picked it up quickly.
He said his clothes are getting pretty threadbare...the washer woman scrubs with a metal brush and wears holes in the material of his white shirts. He said he will make everything last until March. He has a tenative release date of March 16th.
He is in good spirits and loves the Lord, the mission and the experiences he is having. He wants all family and friends to know he love you and appreciates your prayers and emails to him.
He is excited to come home and hold all this neices and nephews...especially new baby Rulon.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Awesomest Week!
Hello Family!
I had the most awewsomest week! We worked so dang hard this week!
Well I don’t remember much as far as day by day but we have a goal to baptize 27 people 7 families and 9 priesthood holders. They all accepted to be baptized we just got to help prepare them for the 11th of Dec that’s when we will be baptizing them.
So we have been working really hard. Everyday was a miracle we were able to have a member with us in almost every lesson and that is very hard to do. So right now my investigators all have friends in the church.
This Sunday or yesterday we had 10 people in church (not exactly 27) We had one family of 8 plus 2 other people that we are preparing. This is the name of some of the families that we are preparing for baptism and how many are in each family.
Family Flores (8)
Family Garcia (4)
Family Juan (2)
Family Miguel (2)
Family Cesar (2)
Family Obando (2)
Family Hyman (6)
We are working so hard to pass by them everyday so that we follow up to see how there doing and making sure that they aren’t discouraged or been told rumors by their neighbors. It's hard work but the Lord is blessing us so much.
This week we have one baptism, it is the bishop’s son’s girl-friend. We are also having discussions with her mom and brothers, they are pretty positive so the mom already gave us permission to baptize her daughter this week.
I love the mission! It’s full of so many experiences good and bad... ha-ha. But I love being able to help other people!
My district is doing pretty good, the sisters are struggling quite a bit I offered to go to their area to help them out, but they didn’t like that idea.
Danget I wished I brought my agenda today so I could write what happened this week day by day.
Ha-ha Kendall what a CUTIE, just chimning in and saying the Thanksgiving prayer by herself! It’s good to hear that everyone is doing so good including Carver and the family... CARVER WROTE ME!!! I WAS SO EXCITED!
I will try to share a spiritual experience that I had with the Flores Family.
They are such a cool family. But struggled to understand the gospel messages that we share, but now they are our most positive family.
On Tuesday we stopped by there house and it was just the dad that was home. So we started talking to him a little bit about what his questions and doubts are. Then we answered all them. But the coolest part was, is we left the book of Mormon with him so that he can read it and HE DID. Cause right afterwards he brought a huge new book of scriptures and things that he liked.
Then yesterday we had a lesson with the whole family. It is so hard to have them all together. When we got there it was Angelica and her neighbor outside and like always her neighbor was talking crap about our church. But we were cool about it then asked the neighbor what are her questions and doubts. She started asking me really weird stuff like "is it true that you offer up human sacrifices to the devil" I was thinking "ha-ha ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" I almost wanted to say "YES SILLY LADY" but I wouldn’t know how to defend myself afterwards. So we talk about the Book of Mormon. Much easier subject.
After talking with that crazy lady we went in the house and started teaching the family about the Book of Mormon. First we watched a short video clip giving a brief explanation of the Book. Then most of the family wasn’t in the first discussion and several were asking "who is this Joseph Smith?" Then I was like ah....got to explain it all again so everyone in the family hears it this time.
Then we answered one of the questions that the crazy neighbor lady had. It was actually a good question "Where is it that we rest after death?" so we read Alma 40 and Alma 11. It was just so awesome to see all of them reading Moroni promise and all reading the Book of Mormon together.
Well I'm out of time and got to go.
Adios I love you all!
ELDER BUCK
I had the most awewsomest week! We worked so dang hard this week!
Well I don’t remember much as far as day by day but we have a goal to baptize 27 people 7 families and 9 priesthood holders. They all accepted to be baptized we just got to help prepare them for the 11th of Dec that’s when we will be baptizing them.
So we have been working really hard. Everyday was a miracle we were able to have a member with us in almost every lesson and that is very hard to do. So right now my investigators all have friends in the church.
This Sunday or yesterday we had 10 people in church (not exactly 27) We had one family of 8 plus 2 other people that we are preparing. This is the name of some of the families that we are preparing for baptism and how many are in each family.
Family Flores (8)
Family Garcia (4)
Family Juan (2)
Family Miguel (2)
Family Cesar (2)
Family Obando (2)
Family Hyman (6)
We are working so hard to pass by them everyday so that we follow up to see how there doing and making sure that they aren’t discouraged or been told rumors by their neighbors. It's hard work but the Lord is blessing us so much.
This week we have one baptism, it is the bishop’s son’s girl-friend. We are also having discussions with her mom and brothers, they are pretty positive so the mom already gave us permission to baptize her daughter this week.
I love the mission! It’s full of so many experiences good and bad... ha-ha. But I love being able to help other people!
My district is doing pretty good, the sisters are struggling quite a bit I offered to go to their area to help them out, but they didn’t like that idea.
Danget I wished I brought my agenda today so I could write what happened this week day by day.
Ha-ha Kendall what a CUTIE, just chimning in and saying the Thanksgiving prayer by herself! It’s good to hear that everyone is doing so good including Carver and the family... CARVER WROTE ME!!! I WAS SO EXCITED!
I will try to share a spiritual experience that I had with the Flores Family.
They are such a cool family. But struggled to understand the gospel messages that we share, but now they are our most positive family.
On Tuesday we stopped by there house and it was just the dad that was home. So we started talking to him a little bit about what his questions and doubts are. Then we answered all them. But the coolest part was, is we left the book of Mormon with him so that he can read it and HE DID. Cause right afterwards he brought a huge new book of scriptures and things that he liked.
Then yesterday we had a lesson with the whole family. It is so hard to have them all together. When we got there it was Angelica and her neighbor outside and like always her neighbor was talking crap about our church. But we were cool about it then asked the neighbor what are her questions and doubts. She started asking me really weird stuff like "is it true that you offer up human sacrifices to the devil" I was thinking "ha-ha ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" I almost wanted to say "YES SILLY LADY" but I wouldn’t know how to defend myself afterwards. So we talk about the Book of Mormon. Much easier subject.
After talking with that crazy lady we went in the house and started teaching the family about the Book of Mormon. First we watched a short video clip giving a brief explanation of the Book. Then most of the family wasn’t in the first discussion and several were asking "who is this Joseph Smith?" Then I was like ah....got to explain it all again so everyone in the family hears it this time.
Then we answered one of the questions that the crazy neighbor lady had. It was actually a good question "Where is it that we rest after death?" so we read Alma 40 and Alma 11. It was just so awesome to see all of them reading Moroni promise and all reading the Book of Mormon together.
Well I'm out of time and got to go.
Adios I love you all!
ELDER BUCK
Monday, November 15, 2010
Hard, but Good Week
Hey Family!
I think I will keep the gifts till march. Idk...I’m still trying to figure that out. Thank you for sending me a Christmas package even when I told you not too! ha-ha. Yeah, as far as i know we get the packages before Christmas.
How is Carver and the family doing I still haven’t got a letter back or anything from them....
CARLY DONT WORRY YOU WILL DEFINATLEY BE ACCEPTED FOR BYU! Your too smart for them to reject you! Now you better buckle down and complete your last year with flying colors (dad quote).
Really SWEET I WOULD LOVE TO WORK IN ALASKA! I’m so excited to be able to travel IM AN ADULY NOW! i remember before i was just afraid of doing things alone. ha-ha School in 2011 - For sure i need to get started on a career. I’m just trying to think what i will be doing....Dentist, web page designer, graphic design, architecture....those are just a bunch of ideas i got for the moment.
Teaching this week....ha-ha Its been one good and very hard week...
We had Karina’s baptism...but this week no baptisms its stake conference on Saturday and Sunday. I will start with...
MONDAY after writing home we went and did Family Home Evening with some families we have, and i taught the lesson. I had my Gospel principles book and i wanted to do my lesson on the gift of the holy ghost and using the book as like a guide but it was really hard because the section was the "holy ghost" and i meant to do "the gift of the holy ghost" so that was fun. ha-ha.
TUESDAY: They chose our zone to take the new Elders that just arrived into Managua on their first day to experience Nicaragua. I was assigned with a really cool Elder named Elder Yates from St. George, Utah. That was a neat experience, took me back (memories) to my first day here in Nicaragua, but he said he had a really good experience. My poor full time companion, the Elder he was assigned to for the day was super nervous and wanted to pray all the time. Ha-ha
WEDNESDAY: It was a really good day, we worked hard by starting in the morning looking for new people to teach cause we pretty much baptized all the people we had been teaching. We were going to this new part of our area that we haven’t contacted before and we met Jorge, he seemed kind of interested. Then we went to this family named Family Rodriguez and we taught the restoration. They were so awesome and happy that they could know and feel that what we taught is true. They were just really positive.
Then we met up with all ward organization leaders, we are trying to work real close with the members cause we always seem to get more help that way. It is way different here as far as relationships between member to missionary. Its almost like they hate missionaries ha-ha.
Then we met Jaxon and his mom Emilina he is 24 and she is 48 and they were so cool and positive and both accepted to be baptized.
Then the worst part of the day....we found this awesome family the week before named Freddi and Maria José. They are a young couple but the parents live with them and they are 7th day Evangelists. When we were there teaching them they were all positive. When we went back and we talked with the mom, a sweet little old lady and she is like "I’m sorry our pastor said we shouldn’t be meeting with you, we have already sowed our seeds in the church".
We came back three days later and the dad just starts flipping out and saying how he didn’t want his kids to meet with us and just totally ticked off. Then their other brother comes and starts yelling at us... I was working to keep my cool. Then we hear, “GET OUT OF HERE STUPID LITTLE KIDS!?" and i was thinking "what the heck?!" Because the voice that told us we were stupid was that sweet little old lady. and i was like "hermana?? What happened to you, you were nice”?
After we left that family we found 8 new investigators and set two baptismal dates.
THURSDAY: Was an AWESOME DAY! All the investigators that we had just found and started teaching we started setting baptismal dates like crazy. We have the Family Rodriguez, which was a family of 4, and then a reference that we received named Gabriel who is the last member of his family to get baptized!
IT IM OUT OF TIME!!!
Well i got to make like a plunger and get the crap out of here...LOL jk
I LOVE YOU ALL
ELDER BUCK
I think I will keep the gifts till march. Idk...I’m still trying to figure that out. Thank you for sending me a Christmas package even when I told you not too! ha-ha. Yeah, as far as i know we get the packages before Christmas.
How is Carver and the family doing I still haven’t got a letter back or anything from them....
CARLY DONT WORRY YOU WILL DEFINATLEY BE ACCEPTED FOR BYU! Your too smart for them to reject you! Now you better buckle down and complete your last year with flying colors (dad quote).
Really SWEET I WOULD LOVE TO WORK IN ALASKA! I’m so excited to be able to travel IM AN ADULY NOW! i remember before i was just afraid of doing things alone. ha-ha School in 2011 - For sure i need to get started on a career. I’m just trying to think what i will be doing....Dentist, web page designer, graphic design, architecture....those are just a bunch of ideas i got for the moment.
Teaching this week....ha-ha Its been one good and very hard week...
We had Karina’s baptism...but this week no baptisms its stake conference on Saturday and Sunday. I will start with...
MONDAY after writing home we went and did Family Home Evening with some families we have, and i taught the lesson. I had my Gospel principles book and i wanted to do my lesson on the gift of the holy ghost and using the book as like a guide but it was really hard because the section was the "holy ghost" and i meant to do "the gift of the holy ghost" so that was fun. ha-ha.
TUESDAY: They chose our zone to take the new Elders that just arrived into Managua on their first day to experience Nicaragua. I was assigned with a really cool Elder named Elder Yates from St. George, Utah. That was a neat experience, took me back (memories) to my first day here in Nicaragua, but he said he had a really good experience. My poor full time companion, the Elder he was assigned to for the day was super nervous and wanted to pray all the time. Ha-ha
WEDNESDAY: It was a really good day, we worked hard by starting in the morning looking for new people to teach cause we pretty much baptized all the people we had been teaching. We were going to this new part of our area that we haven’t contacted before and we met Jorge, he seemed kind of interested. Then we went to this family named Family Rodriguez and we taught the restoration. They were so awesome and happy that they could know and feel that what we taught is true. They were just really positive.
Then we met up with all ward organization leaders, we are trying to work real close with the members cause we always seem to get more help that way. It is way different here as far as relationships between member to missionary. Its almost like they hate missionaries ha-ha.
Then we met Jaxon and his mom Emilina he is 24 and she is 48 and they were so cool and positive and both accepted to be baptized.
Then the worst part of the day....we found this awesome family the week before named Freddi and Maria José. They are a young couple but the parents live with them and they are 7th day Evangelists. When we were there teaching them they were all positive. When we went back and we talked with the mom, a sweet little old lady and she is like "I’m sorry our pastor said we shouldn’t be meeting with you, we have already sowed our seeds in the church".
We came back three days later and the dad just starts flipping out and saying how he didn’t want his kids to meet with us and just totally ticked off. Then their other brother comes and starts yelling at us... I was working to keep my cool. Then we hear, “GET OUT OF HERE STUPID LITTLE KIDS!?" and i was thinking "what the heck?!" Because the voice that told us we were stupid was that sweet little old lady. and i was like "hermana?? What happened to you, you were nice”?
After we left that family we found 8 new investigators and set two baptismal dates.
THURSDAY: Was an AWESOME DAY! All the investigators that we had just found and started teaching we started setting baptismal dates like crazy. We have the Family Rodriguez, which was a family of 4, and then a reference that we received named Gabriel who is the last member of his family to get baptized!
IT IM OUT OF TIME!!!
Well i got to make like a plunger and get the crap out of here...LOL jk
I LOVE YOU ALL
ELDER BUCK
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Visiting An Old Area and Converts
Hello Family!
RULON IS SO CUUUUUUUUUUUTE!! Thank you for writing up the birthdays! Now I know who has having whose birthday, sorry I have done a pretty bad job at not even sending anyone anything but I think I made up for it for the gifts that I bought for all of you I only have to buy something for Tanner and then I have everyone.
This week was awesome! This week has not exactly gone by quickly ha-ha but it has been a really good week! I love the mission!! And the new president. There is a totally new change and the most awesome part is Preach My Gospel has new doctrine that we are applying in the mission.
That’s awesome dad! GOOD LUCK! With the computer program. Do you want to know something really good, I have been able to discipline myself so well I might be able to help you out with computer programming. How was the dance Carly? You seem to be a little more adventurous then me.
On Tuesday we had a District meeting in the church in Reparto Shick and then after I had the opportunity to go and visit my converts when I was in that same area several months ago. Sadly....almost all of them are INACTIVE!?! WHAT THE HECK?!! First I visited the place were I ate my meals and they are happy and doing well.
Then I went to go visit my Convert Karla and her daughter and they went to church the week before but before they couldn’t because her mom was in the hospital almost dying.
Then I went to go visit another convert who were my first ones Alex, Marieth, and Flavia. Alex is active and faithful but Marieth is going to her grandma’s church and Flavia is studying on Sunda’s. But when I asked them if they still "believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God?" They felt the spirit and said that they feel badly that they always knew it was true but just didn’t have much support from ward members.
Then on Thursday my companion and I visited our ward secretary (Victor) at his house. He is the only member of his family who is a member of the church. We were a little lost and didn’t know how to get to his house, and the place that we were in, every time we contacted someone they told us that we shouldn’t be there that its a dangerous place, "you could get killed"...etc.
We kept looking for his house, we ran into our ward young men president and his family and they needed to drop stuff off to Victor so we followed then. When we got there Victor introduced us to his dad who was watching T.V. and left. We were like uh.....then the spirit took over and helped us out after saying a quick prayer.
The man was real nice his name is Javier (victor’s dad) and told us to sit down. We talked a little bit about his doubts that he had about the church but there was way too much distraction. When the young men president and his family were leaving and they were saying good bye and as the YM president shook hands with Javier he said pointing at the T.V: "turn that off and listen to the message these missionaries have to say". I thought Javier was going to be offended but he turned the T.V. off and sat down to listen to us. His son accompanied us and was at his father’s side the whole time.
We started with a prayer asking that Javier could feel the spirit. We started asking questions then I had the impression that his son should shares his experiences with his dad about how he became a convert and the only member of his family to join the Mormon Church. After Victor shared his experiences, the dad said that he felt a beautiful feeling and wanted us to come back and wanted to come to church on Sunday. Awesome!
I have more experiences to tell you but Im out of time!
I LOVE YOU ALL
ELDER BUCK
RULON IS SO CUUUUUUUUUUUTE!! Thank you for writing up the birthdays! Now I know who has having whose birthday, sorry I have done a pretty bad job at not even sending anyone anything but I think I made up for it for the gifts that I bought for all of you I only have to buy something for Tanner and then I have everyone.
This week was awesome! This week has not exactly gone by quickly ha-ha but it has been a really good week! I love the mission!! And the new president. There is a totally new change and the most awesome part is Preach My Gospel has new doctrine that we are applying in the mission.
That’s awesome dad! GOOD LUCK! With the computer program. Do you want to know something really good, I have been able to discipline myself so well I might be able to help you out with computer programming. How was the dance Carly? You seem to be a little more adventurous then me.
On Tuesday we had a District meeting in the church in Reparto Shick and then after I had the opportunity to go and visit my converts when I was in that same area several months ago. Sadly....almost all of them are INACTIVE!?! WHAT THE HECK?!! First I visited the place were I ate my meals and they are happy and doing well.
Then I went to go visit my Convert Karla and her daughter and they went to church the week before but before they couldn’t because her mom was in the hospital almost dying.
Then I went to go visit another convert who were my first ones Alex, Marieth, and Flavia. Alex is active and faithful but Marieth is going to her grandma’s church and Flavia is studying on Sunda’s. But when I asked them if they still "believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God?" They felt the spirit and said that they feel badly that they always knew it was true but just didn’t have much support from ward members.
Then on Thursday my companion and I visited our ward secretary (Victor) at his house. He is the only member of his family who is a member of the church. We were a little lost and didn’t know how to get to his house, and the place that we were in, every time we contacted someone they told us that we shouldn’t be there that its a dangerous place, "you could get killed"...etc.
We kept looking for his house, we ran into our ward young men president and his family and they needed to drop stuff off to Victor so we followed then. When we got there Victor introduced us to his dad who was watching T.V. and left. We were like uh.....then the spirit took over and helped us out after saying a quick prayer.
The man was real nice his name is Javier (victor’s dad) and told us to sit down. We talked a little bit about his doubts that he had about the church but there was way too much distraction. When the young men president and his family were leaving and they were saying good bye and as the YM president shook hands with Javier he said pointing at the T.V: "turn that off and listen to the message these missionaries have to say". I thought Javier was going to be offended but he turned the T.V. off and sat down to listen to us. His son accompanied us and was at his father’s side the whole time.
We started with a prayer asking that Javier could feel the spirit. We started asking questions then I had the impression that his son should shares his experiences with his dad about how he became a convert and the only member of his family to join the Mormon Church. After Victor shared his experiences, the dad said that he felt a beautiful feeling and wanted us to come back and wanted to come to church on Sunday. Awesome!
I have more experiences to tell you but Im out of time!
I LOVE YOU ALL
ELDER BUCK
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Only Four More Months
Happy November! I will be coming home in March!
I really do not need anything for Christmas...you could put a little more money in my account so I can pick up some souvenir's to bring home. I was able to get my shoes patched so they should last me until I get back.
I picked up some cute little Nica dresses for the nieces but I still need a new list of everyones birthdays.
We had two more baptisms this week. I love my new mission President...he is awesome and I love being a DL. It is great when everyone in my district is on the same page and want to achieve the same goals and we work hard together. My companion Elder Smith and I get along great too...he is great.
I don't have much news this week but everything is good here and I am healthy and happy.
I love all of you and send my love to everyone. Send me some more pictures!
Bye,
Elder Buck
I really do not need anything for Christmas...you could put a little more money in my account so I can pick up some souvenir's to bring home. I was able to get my shoes patched so they should last me until I get back.
I picked up some cute little Nica dresses for the nieces but I still need a new list of everyones birthdays.
We had two more baptisms this week. I love my new mission President...he is awesome and I love being a DL. It is great when everyone in my district is on the same page and want to achieve the same goals and we work hard together. My companion Elder Smith and I get along great too...he is great.
I don't have much news this week but everything is good here and I am healthy and happy.
I love all of you and send my love to everyone. Send me some more pictures!
Bye,
Elder Buck
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
One Baptism This Week
Hey Family!
I decided to come home in....March and yes 3 weeks does seem like a lot when you are longing to have hot showers and eat normal food and be healthy again. haha.
My toe is fine I’m always cleaning and putting new bandages on it daily so everything is all good.
That’s so awesome a new baby and nephew! He will still be kind of new when i get back! SEND ME PICTURES!!
That’s cool the trunk or treat wow I can’t believe its almost Halloween and Christmas. Halloween is not celebrated here the people think it is of the Devil. haha.
Yeah I got my package probably like 2-3 weeks after it had been in the mission office. Yes everything was in it. 4 shirts, 2 candies, 4 ties and thank you those ties are SICK! I will start thinking of a list of things I will need to finish my mission and you can send them before Christmas. I will try and have it list ready by next week.
This week was a good week. We had 1 baptism this week his name is Fernando, he is the last person in his family to be baptized a member. He is 16 years old.
This past Sunday we had a really cool experience where all of the missionaries first met up in the stake center then we all left to go contact passengers on buses. (5 buses to contact for each missionary) I was a little nervous at first but being the leader of my district I had to show an example so I went first. There were 5 of us in the group so we contacted 20 buses, it was a really neat experience. Its funny cuz when the bus comes by you just say to the bus driver “Can We Preach the Word of God?” and then they let you on without paying. Then you just stand at the front of the bus and preach to the people.
We are teaching with a new technique. There is a new program that the church is releasing for the missionaries called the Doctrine of Christ where it introduces new teaching methods. One focuses on the spirit a lot, its awesome, because we ask the investigators inspiring questions, and then listen to the response and just keep asking them more and more questions so they do most of the talking and practically teach themselves. I really like it. It helps me to focus more with the spirit.
I got to go I’m almost out of time.
I love you all!
Elder Buck
I decided to come home in....March and yes 3 weeks does seem like a lot when you are longing to have hot showers and eat normal food and be healthy again. haha.
My toe is fine I’m always cleaning and putting new bandages on it daily so everything is all good.
That’s so awesome a new baby and nephew! He will still be kind of new when i get back! SEND ME PICTURES!!
That’s cool the trunk or treat wow I can’t believe its almost Halloween and Christmas. Halloween is not celebrated here the people think it is of the Devil. haha.
Yeah I got my package probably like 2-3 weeks after it had been in the mission office. Yes everything was in it. 4 shirts, 2 candies, 4 ties and thank you those ties are SICK! I will start thinking of a list of things I will need to finish my mission and you can send them before Christmas. I will try and have it list ready by next week.
This week was a good week. We had 1 baptism this week his name is Fernando, he is the last person in his family to be baptized a member. He is 16 years old.
This past Sunday we had a really cool experience where all of the missionaries first met up in the stake center then we all left to go contact passengers on buses. (5 buses to contact for each missionary) I was a little nervous at first but being the leader of my district I had to show an example so I went first. There were 5 of us in the group so we contacted 20 buses, it was a really neat experience. Its funny cuz when the bus comes by you just say to the bus driver “Can We Preach the Word of God?” and then they let you on without paying. Then you just stand at the front of the bus and preach to the people.
We are teaching with a new technique. There is a new program that the church is releasing for the missionaries called the Doctrine of Christ where it introduces new teaching methods. One focuses on the spirit a lot, its awesome, because we ask the investigators inspiring questions, and then listen to the response and just keep asking them more and more questions so they do most of the talking and practically teach themselves. I really like it. It helps me to focus more with the spirit.
I got to go I’m almost out of time.
I love you all!
Elder Buck
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Two Letters to Post
Hello Family! (October4)
It was a good conference, I am glad to hear it was awesome! I wasn’t able to see some parts of it...dang Im going to download conference though on my iPod so I can listen to it. I love conference, most the time I was listening to it in Spanish and also seeing how many investigators and recent converts were present and watching it. There was a huge storm going through on Saturday and through the night and it kept on cutting in and out with the satellite feed...so I missed a lot of the speakers.
My favorite talk that I can remember and understood was the one by D. Todd Kristofferson talking about the steps on how to have a consecrated life I really liked that one. But yes in parts I did fall asleep too....LIKE ALWAYS!! What can I say? Im a hard worker and I get sleepy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! I hope you had an awesome b-day! It sounds like you did!
Sweet, Im glad Carver and everyone got my letters! Im glad the kids liked them too!
I did get transferred this past week and here is the story:
Tuesday it was a rather difficult day for my companion and I, we were both trying to work but were also anxious to who would be changing...we went back to the house after we were done eating dinner for the night and waited in the house and planned until our DL came back from working and tell us of who was leaving.
We waited and when he came back he told us that none of us have changes. I was happy to be able to stay, but discouraged that I would be with someone for six more weeks who absolutely does not like me or have any interests in what I do..Well so I thought SWEET you know what this is going to be an even better change.
However, the next morning I woke up to my companion slapping my feet saying "move your feet they are in my way". He was trying to get to his suitcase but my feet were hanging over the bed so it blocked his suitcase flap to open up his suitcase. In that exact moment I was thinking in my head "well I can either tell him to shut up and ask nicely or I can tell him sorry and move my feet". It was hard but I chose option B. Later that morning he was talking crap to me but I just ignored him and it helped me.
We finally went out and started working and our discussions we had set up were falling through. So I said lets go back to the house were we eat and teach Rosa’s daughter who still isn’t baptized. We went back and when we found out she wasn’t there we were leaving the house then my district leader runs up all out of breath and said " we were looking all over for you guys you both have changes!" and I was like "what?!" " I'm sorry they just told me, but you guys got to get your stuff packed and go at 2:00pm". I had a bad feeling in my stomach while packing like I was leaving a part of me behind or my family.
We got to the bus station at 1pm. Our district leader told us that my companion would be going to Chinadega and I go back to my old zone to Villa Flor, La fuente, outside of Managua. I was getting on the bus and my leader told me "Hey your new companion will be a white boy that you will be training" and I was like "NOOOOOOOoooo!" and he said "You are also the District Leader" idk why but when he told me that I felt AWESOME! Finally!! RESPONSIBILITY! LEADERSHIP! and it is awesome!
The bus ride back to Managua was about 2 hours long and the whole way back there was a TV right in front of my face playing Prince of Persia and I feel ashamed to say but I watched like 10 minutes in total for the whole way back. When I got to the bus station in Managua no one was there to pick me up so I waited 2 1/2 hours and still no one picked me up so I called my zone leaders and they said to just take a taxi to the church. I did and when I got there I met my companion ELDER SMITH!!! HE IS SO COOL! I am so happy. He is from Wyoming and is a newbie he has 1 month in Nicaragua so I am a trainer again and a District Leader.
My district is a district of 4 for now, my companion and I and the hermanas. I have sister missionaries in my district and they are hard workers so we are doing AWESOME! Im real excited for this change. This Wednesday I will be doing my first baptismal interview as District Leader and am excited about that. I heard from others be a district leader is way better then any other thing so I am happy for this opportunity.
I have been in my new area for 5 days now and we are doing awesome. My area is dangerous like Reparto Shick but it is awesome! The people are so much more receptive here then the people in Matagalpa.
We have 1 baptism planned for this week and 1 for next week and 3 for the next week after that. The one that will be baptized this weeks name is Karen she is 9 years old and she will be baptized by us because her parents are members but inactive and didnt get her baptized at the age of 8. We are activating her parents too.
One of our investigators name is Nelson. The missionaries have been visiting him for about 8 months and he has read the BofM 10 times, been to church 11 times and has read the principles of the gospel, but will not commit to baptism. When I went yesterday and met him for the first time, I talked with him about the baptismal challenge and he did not accept. I asked him what was holding him back and he told me it was because he was afraid of failing after his baptism. We talked about failing, atonement and forgiveness and he seems to have a greater desire to be baptised now.
Im out of time but love you all!
Elder Buck
Hello Family! (October 11)
Thank you for the congrats...I was transferred to a new area. I am back in Managua in an area called La Fuente. It is close by my old area Reparto Shick.
This week has been one crazy week, Im loving it though..
On Monday I don’t remember if I wrote you this but someone called me on my phone while we were in the house and asked my companion and I to go to the nearest hospital and give this sister a blessing. The guy that called me was the Branch President to the Diriamba branch in Jinotepe and he said he would come by and picked us up and take us to the hospital. On the way he explained the details about the sister.
The sister was a mom of a returned missionary sister. She has some type of infection in her body I don’t remember what he called it...but she was dying. The hospital was packed like usual and we had to wait for the returned sister missionary to come find us so we could get entrance because it was the part of the hospital that is for females only. It was gross, cuz when we got access we were passing by rooms where woman were having babies and I about threw up.
When we got to the room the lady was sitting up in her bed with her eyes closed but still conscious and with a hole cute in her throat and a tube going into it so she could breathe. She was in really bad shape and the daughter and whole family was there crying and I didn’t really know what to do. We waiting till a doctor came in and gave us permission to put our hands on her head to give her a blessing.
When we got permission my companion did the anointing and I sealed the blessing. I don’t remember at all what I said but I felt the power of the spirit very strongly. It was a unique moment. After the blessing the family still had tears in their eyes but where a lot calmer. Then the family thanked us and we left.
Later that night we received a call again to give her a blessing and I told them "she already received one, it’s not necessary that she receives another". Then they told me that it was a blessing of comfort, so I agreed and went to the hospital again, it was pretty late like 8:45pm. When we got to the hospital the guard at the door had a bad experience with Mormon's so he wouldn't let us in no matter what. While we were waiting another man came up and it was the 2nd counselor of the South Mission here in Nicaragua. He was also informed to come. We finally got permission to go in but we went another direction to the sister who had been moved to intensive care.
When we got to the room of intensive care, I did not like that at all. I felt sick looking at all the people in bed with thousands of tubes in their bodies to help them survive. They were mostly old people that were there. The doctor was mad that there was more then one person there to give the blessing and would only permit one of us to go in the room to give the blessing. The 2nd counselor went in and gave the blessing. We waited out side with the other family members. You could tell this poor family had gone through a lot that day... all worn out, with bags another there eyes, unkempt hair and tears. My companion and I said a prayer with them as we waited. When the counselor came out he said he gave the blessing and we silently said goodbye to everyone with a smile and drove back home. That was my first spiritual experience of something like that and not one that I will forget...
Tuesday was my first time to direct my own district meeting. They wanted us to come half an hour early to tell us what goals we have as a district and how to be better leaders. Then I taught my district the Doctrines of Christ which is a new really cool missionary program.
Wednesday I went and did my first baptismal interviews for my zone leaders. That was a really neat experience, I interviewed two sisters that were in there late 20s. The first I could feel the spirit with in the first 2-3 minutes of the interview telling me she is ready. But the other one I didn’t feel the same because she had quite a serious problem with the Law of Chastity. I told her not to tell me the details but she continued to talk in great detail...thank goodness it was in Spanish cuz there were a lot of words she used that I didn’t know and I didn't understand what she was telling me. Later that night I did another interview with another investigator for the sister missionaries in my district. That was also really cool!
Thursday: I wasn’t able to do much....I have had an ingrown toe nail on my big toe for a while and the pain is getting unbearable. During the morning we met up with an investigator named Raul who is from Miami. We met him a day earlier, he is probably like 23 years old, and was positive the day before. We gave him the lesson 1 pamphlet and told him we would come back today. The first thing he says to us in English is "Im not feeling it". I asked, " Not feeling what?" He said, I don't feel the message of the restoration is true." I told him he was not going to feel it unless he prayed and ask God if it’s true". He said other stuff, so we tried teaching him the importance of the preisthood authority and why it’s necessary that it was and is on the earth today. Then he told us what other religions say about priesthood authority and that anyone can get this authority if they have faith in God. I told him about the laying on of hands by those with the authority, but he shut down and didn’t listen, so we left him with the invitation to pray or "you’re never going to feel it" (the truth).
Friday was a good day, we worked hard trying to get to know our area better by trying to find the 28 out of 33 recent converts we don’t know. We dedicated the whole afternoon to finding where these recent converts live, well we didn’t find any recent converts but we did find 6 new investigators so that was really cool.
Saturday was the first baptism I had in this new area. The name of the girl is Karen who is 9 but her parents didn’t baptize her cuz they are INACTIVE. The baptism was horrible though...I really do not like the baptisms here in Nicaragua. I was leading the baptism and her cousin was the one that was going to baptize her. The cousin forgot his baptismal shirt so we had to delay the baptism and wait for his dad to go and buy a new one. All the people we invited on Friday didn’t come to the baptism, neither did the bishop or any of the counselors. When the cousin did the baptism itself, the cousin wasn’t too experienced and almost drowned her so Karen came up bawling. Then after the baptism was done...nobody congratulated her besides my companion and I. WOW
Later that day I got my ingrown toenail pulled out. The specialist put anesthesia (shot) in my toe which hurt like heck. He said there will be a slight tingling and Im afraid it was a little more then that. I tried to stuff my fat wrapped toe in my shoe so after that I didn’t work much the rest of the day.
Sunday we spent all morning walking and trying to get our investigators to church from 6am - 9am and had 2 investigators there. I couldn’t walk very well and I my toe is still hurting like crazy! I got chewed out by my zone leaders for not working cuz of my toe but it was a good week.
Still haven’t got my package yet, the zone leaders are going to go pick it up from the mission office tomorrow.
Glad everyone had fun in Utah. I need a favor if you could send me the dates of everyone’s birthdays!
AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THOSE THAT HAVE BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER. I HOPE I REMEBER ALL OF THEM. MOM, KADE, CARLY, AND EMILY! THAT’S WHY I NEED A LIST OF BIRTHDAY DATES!
Love Elder Buck
It was a good conference, I am glad to hear it was awesome! I wasn’t able to see some parts of it...dang Im going to download conference though on my iPod so I can listen to it. I love conference, most the time I was listening to it in Spanish and also seeing how many investigators and recent converts were present and watching it. There was a huge storm going through on Saturday and through the night and it kept on cutting in and out with the satellite feed...so I missed a lot of the speakers.
My favorite talk that I can remember and understood was the one by D. Todd Kristofferson talking about the steps on how to have a consecrated life I really liked that one. But yes in parts I did fall asleep too....LIKE ALWAYS!! What can I say? Im a hard worker and I get sleepy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! I hope you had an awesome b-day! It sounds like you did!
Sweet, Im glad Carver and everyone got my letters! Im glad the kids liked them too!
I did get transferred this past week and here is the story:
Tuesday it was a rather difficult day for my companion and I, we were both trying to work but were also anxious to who would be changing...we went back to the house after we were done eating dinner for the night and waited in the house and planned until our DL came back from working and tell us of who was leaving.
We waited and when he came back he told us that none of us have changes. I was happy to be able to stay, but discouraged that I would be with someone for six more weeks who absolutely does not like me or have any interests in what I do..Well so I thought SWEET you know what this is going to be an even better change.
However, the next morning I woke up to my companion slapping my feet saying "move your feet they are in my way". He was trying to get to his suitcase but my feet were hanging over the bed so it blocked his suitcase flap to open up his suitcase. In that exact moment I was thinking in my head "well I can either tell him to shut up and ask nicely or I can tell him sorry and move my feet". It was hard but I chose option B. Later that morning he was talking crap to me but I just ignored him and it helped me.
We finally went out and started working and our discussions we had set up were falling through. So I said lets go back to the house were we eat and teach Rosa’s daughter who still isn’t baptized. We went back and when we found out she wasn’t there we were leaving the house then my district leader runs up all out of breath and said " we were looking all over for you guys you both have changes!" and I was like "what?!" " I'm sorry they just told me, but you guys got to get your stuff packed and go at 2:00pm". I had a bad feeling in my stomach while packing like I was leaving a part of me behind or my family.
We got to the bus station at 1pm. Our district leader told us that my companion would be going to Chinadega and I go back to my old zone to Villa Flor, La fuente, outside of Managua. I was getting on the bus and my leader told me "Hey your new companion will be a white boy that you will be training" and I was like "NOOOOOOOoooo!" and he said "You are also the District Leader" idk why but when he told me that I felt AWESOME! Finally!! RESPONSIBILITY! LEADERSHIP! and it is awesome!
The bus ride back to Managua was about 2 hours long and the whole way back there was a TV right in front of my face playing Prince of Persia and I feel ashamed to say but I watched like 10 minutes in total for the whole way back. When I got to the bus station in Managua no one was there to pick me up so I waited 2 1/2 hours and still no one picked me up so I called my zone leaders and they said to just take a taxi to the church. I did and when I got there I met my companion ELDER SMITH!!! HE IS SO COOL! I am so happy. He is from Wyoming and is a newbie he has 1 month in Nicaragua so I am a trainer again and a District Leader.
My district is a district of 4 for now, my companion and I and the hermanas. I have sister missionaries in my district and they are hard workers so we are doing AWESOME! Im real excited for this change. This Wednesday I will be doing my first baptismal interview as District Leader and am excited about that. I heard from others be a district leader is way better then any other thing so I am happy for this opportunity.
I have been in my new area for 5 days now and we are doing awesome. My area is dangerous like Reparto Shick but it is awesome! The people are so much more receptive here then the people in Matagalpa.
We have 1 baptism planned for this week and 1 for next week and 3 for the next week after that. The one that will be baptized this weeks name is Karen she is 9 years old and she will be baptized by us because her parents are members but inactive and didnt get her baptized at the age of 8. We are activating her parents too.
One of our investigators name is Nelson. The missionaries have been visiting him for about 8 months and he has read the BofM 10 times, been to church 11 times and has read the principles of the gospel, but will not commit to baptism. When I went yesterday and met him for the first time, I talked with him about the baptismal challenge and he did not accept. I asked him what was holding him back and he told me it was because he was afraid of failing after his baptism. We talked about failing, atonement and forgiveness and he seems to have a greater desire to be baptised now.
Im out of time but love you all!
Elder Buck
Hello Family! (October 11)
Thank you for the congrats...I was transferred to a new area. I am back in Managua in an area called La Fuente. It is close by my old area Reparto Shick.
This week has been one crazy week, Im loving it though..
On Monday I don’t remember if I wrote you this but someone called me on my phone while we were in the house and asked my companion and I to go to the nearest hospital and give this sister a blessing. The guy that called me was the Branch President to the Diriamba branch in Jinotepe and he said he would come by and picked us up and take us to the hospital. On the way he explained the details about the sister.
The sister was a mom of a returned missionary sister. She has some type of infection in her body I don’t remember what he called it...but she was dying. The hospital was packed like usual and we had to wait for the returned sister missionary to come find us so we could get entrance because it was the part of the hospital that is for females only. It was gross, cuz when we got access we were passing by rooms where woman were having babies and I about threw up.
When we got to the room the lady was sitting up in her bed with her eyes closed but still conscious and with a hole cute in her throat and a tube going into it so she could breathe. She was in really bad shape and the daughter and whole family was there crying and I didn’t really know what to do. We waiting till a doctor came in and gave us permission to put our hands on her head to give her a blessing.
When we got permission my companion did the anointing and I sealed the blessing. I don’t remember at all what I said but I felt the power of the spirit very strongly. It was a unique moment. After the blessing the family still had tears in their eyes but where a lot calmer. Then the family thanked us and we left.
Later that night we received a call again to give her a blessing and I told them "she already received one, it’s not necessary that she receives another". Then they told me that it was a blessing of comfort, so I agreed and went to the hospital again, it was pretty late like 8:45pm. When we got to the hospital the guard at the door had a bad experience with Mormon's so he wouldn't let us in no matter what. While we were waiting another man came up and it was the 2nd counselor of the South Mission here in Nicaragua. He was also informed to come. We finally got permission to go in but we went another direction to the sister who had been moved to intensive care.
When we got to the room of intensive care, I did not like that at all. I felt sick looking at all the people in bed with thousands of tubes in their bodies to help them survive. They were mostly old people that were there. The doctor was mad that there was more then one person there to give the blessing and would only permit one of us to go in the room to give the blessing. The 2nd counselor went in and gave the blessing. We waited out side with the other family members. You could tell this poor family had gone through a lot that day... all worn out, with bags another there eyes, unkempt hair and tears. My companion and I said a prayer with them as we waited. When the counselor came out he said he gave the blessing and we silently said goodbye to everyone with a smile and drove back home. That was my first spiritual experience of something like that and not one that I will forget...
Tuesday was my first time to direct my own district meeting. They wanted us to come half an hour early to tell us what goals we have as a district and how to be better leaders. Then I taught my district the Doctrines of Christ which is a new really cool missionary program.
Wednesday I went and did my first baptismal interviews for my zone leaders. That was a really neat experience, I interviewed two sisters that were in there late 20s. The first I could feel the spirit with in the first 2-3 minutes of the interview telling me she is ready. But the other one I didn’t feel the same because she had quite a serious problem with the Law of Chastity. I told her not to tell me the details but she continued to talk in great detail...thank goodness it was in Spanish cuz there were a lot of words she used that I didn’t know and I didn't understand what she was telling me. Later that night I did another interview with another investigator for the sister missionaries in my district. That was also really cool!
Thursday: I wasn’t able to do much....I have had an ingrown toe nail on my big toe for a while and the pain is getting unbearable. During the morning we met up with an investigator named Raul who is from Miami. We met him a day earlier, he is probably like 23 years old, and was positive the day before. We gave him the lesson 1 pamphlet and told him we would come back today. The first thing he says to us in English is "Im not feeling it". I asked, " Not feeling what?" He said, I don't feel the message of the restoration is true." I told him he was not going to feel it unless he prayed and ask God if it’s true". He said other stuff, so we tried teaching him the importance of the preisthood authority and why it’s necessary that it was and is on the earth today. Then he told us what other religions say about priesthood authority and that anyone can get this authority if they have faith in God. I told him about the laying on of hands by those with the authority, but he shut down and didn’t listen, so we left him with the invitation to pray or "you’re never going to feel it" (the truth).
Friday was a good day, we worked hard trying to get to know our area better by trying to find the 28 out of 33 recent converts we don’t know. We dedicated the whole afternoon to finding where these recent converts live, well we didn’t find any recent converts but we did find 6 new investigators so that was really cool.
Saturday was the first baptism I had in this new area. The name of the girl is Karen who is 9 but her parents didn’t baptize her cuz they are INACTIVE. The baptism was horrible though...I really do not like the baptisms here in Nicaragua. I was leading the baptism and her cousin was the one that was going to baptize her. The cousin forgot his baptismal shirt so we had to delay the baptism and wait for his dad to go and buy a new one. All the people we invited on Friday didn’t come to the baptism, neither did the bishop or any of the counselors. When the cousin did the baptism itself, the cousin wasn’t too experienced and almost drowned her so Karen came up bawling. Then after the baptism was done...nobody congratulated her besides my companion and I. WOW
Later that day I got my ingrown toenail pulled out. The specialist put anesthesia (shot) in my toe which hurt like heck. He said there will be a slight tingling and Im afraid it was a little more then that. I tried to stuff my fat wrapped toe in my shoe so after that I didn’t work much the rest of the day.
Sunday we spent all morning walking and trying to get our investigators to church from 6am - 9am and had 2 investigators there. I couldn’t walk very well and I my toe is still hurting like crazy! I got chewed out by my zone leaders for not working cuz of my toe but it was a good week.
Still haven’t got my package yet, the zone leaders are going to go pick it up from the mission office tomorrow.
Glad everyone had fun in Utah. I need a favor if you could send me the dates of everyone’s birthdays!
AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THOSE THAT HAVE BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER. I HOPE I REMEBER ALL OF THEM. MOM, KADE, CARLY, AND EMILY! THAT’S WHY I NEED A LIST OF BIRTHDAY DATES!
Love Elder Buck
Monday, September 27, 2010
Good Week with More Rain
Hey Family!
I got your letter! Ha-ha no worries. I hope everything goes well with Kali and her baby, that’s crazy everyone is pregnant right now ha-ha. That’s good to hear the Thomsons stopped by… how is Walker doing??
I am also looking forward to the general conference this week. I LOVE HEARING THE PROPHETS TALK! I have almost all of the general conference talks on my iPod and listen to them every time I get the chance. That is a really good talk about judging others, I will apply it.
I, pretty much judge myself and sometimes my confidence could be a lot better. But its alright...This week was a good week. It seemed really long this time. But that’s alright.
I tried putting a lot of the things that Elder Clark talked about in practice but, the members here still don’t want too work with us or my companion. Ha-ha He is a very stubborn person but I love him and we work hard. Teaching went good I have no problem teaching anymore I have learned a lot of scriptures. My favorite thing to do though is teaching Gospel Principles class. I taught in Sacrament and I also taught the Elders Quorum I talked about how the Church of Jesus Christ was when Jesus Christ was on the earth. There is a lot more participation from the members as far as the classes.
We weren’t affected by the hurricane itself this past week but there is a lot of rain, it just rains and rains and rains. And then when there is a bunch of rain there are also a lot of mosquitos. Puerto Cabezas (where I was about a year ago) got hit hard but no serious damage was done.
I took your advice dad about totally just changing my attitude and filling with my mind with good thoughts.
I have always carried around a notebook and usually use it to study more Spanish words but haven’t been using it lately and just had it in my pocket because by habit it’s what I take with me everyday. But here are some thoughts and experiences I wrote down.
September 21, 2010
"Today at 3:15pm we were leaving a lesson with Tatiana and Dariam which went really awesome today. I’m on divisions with my zone leader and we passed by this drunk guy we always see and he says "Hey hermanito tiene un poca de comida alli??" (hey brother do you have a little food you can give me) but 2-3 days before I gave him a pamphlet for the word of wisdom and asked if he "read the pamphlet" and he said "oooooooh, SI GRACIAS POR LA PAGINA!, y Dios le bendiga" (ooooh, yes thank you for the page and let God bless you) lol I thought it was funny because he is a really crazy drunk guy.
My newest convert Juan Pablo is going to be conferred the Aaronic Priesthood this next week and ordained as our WARD MISSION LEADER!! He is so excited and so am I! He will also be teaching the gospel principles class next week.
4:00 pm We just had an awesome member lesson with Manuel and Rosa. THEY ARE SO COOL! We just set a baptismal date with Fransisca (good friend of Rosa) Fransisca is born and raised catholic but we are going to try and baptize her with the help of Manuel and Rosa WE WILL DO IT!"
September 22, 2010
We were coming back from noche de hermanamiento from the church, and my companion wanted to hitch-hike back so he goes over to a truck that’s waiting to turn on to the main street. The driver rolls down his window and my companion asks him if he could give us a ride. I told my companion we are not going to the house yet, so my companion told him never mind and waved him off. As we kept walking the same truck pulls over and the guy driving asks in English (because he was an American) "Where are you guys headed??" and I was the closest to the truck so I responded "over there no more, no more then there" and I couldn’t talk in English! I couldn’t make a full sentence in English that made any sense ha-ha, so I said, “ Sorry we are fine IM JUST FORGETTING ENGLISH!" and then he laughed and said "okay" and drove off."
September 24, 2010
"We taught an awesome lesson on the plan of salvation to an investigator Wilfredo and he took no interest, I don’t understand that? I just found a scripture that can help me Alma 17:11.....
And that was about it as far as what I wrote in my note book this week.
I did work hard in studying my patriartical blessing but only got the first 4 paragraphs memorized I get distracted so easily. I am in good health and I need to buy new shoes… the ones I have have holes in them so my feet are always cold and wet.
I went and did some shopping and bought a lot of cool stuff from Nicaragua. Im sorry mom that I wont be able to mail you a package with your birthday present. There have been a lot of robbing from packages that missionaries send back to the states (supposedly).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still haven’t gotten the package you sent and im not sure if I have changes this week or not.
I love you all
Elder Buck
Missed a Post Home
I did not write last week because we had meetings with Elder Clark. They were so awesome!! He is so funny, I thought he was going to be super strict (cause that’s what they say). It was really cool though, he talked about a lot of mission stuff most I don’t remember but I have it written down. The main thing I learned the most was how to use the ward members more effectively. Which is awesome… but my branch right now has just simply given up. We did have a good attendance at church with 81 people, so it’s starting to improve here in Totolate.
It is still raining, it rains every day of the week so that is pretty cool (NOT!!!) Chech out my YouTube video. I haven’t received my package yet or I won’t get it until changes which are next week. We have 3 months now between interviews or multi-zone events…so idk when I will get my package.
My companion is doing well. We set some goals but so far no good. It’s alright as long as he likes to work I’m happy because he actually does work hard…But I love him.
The teaching is always good we are always finding people but they drop like flies because the members here don’t fellowship and don’t give us references.
Tanner and Emily are going to have another baby?! WOW.....that’s cool cuz at least I will be there before the baby is born. If he starts working in the air force does that mean he would be living on or near the base?? or how does that work??
Im looking forward to general conference too that will be really cool to watch and listen too. Im going to try and mail of a package it’s kind of cheap and hope it gets to the states before moms birthday.
That’s awesome that Grandma is doing all that genealogy work… it sounds interesting. I have been doing a lot of studying with the gospel principles book and it talks a lot about that. Thank you grandma for your letters!
I really thank you guys for your letter this week. That’s actually something that can help me out is telling you what my weekly goals are. My personal goals for this week are first not to become discouraged when everything drops and we lose investigators. I could do more service for my companion and work at completing more of my daily goals. Not complaining (I have kind of developed a Laman and Lemuel attitude since I have been here). Talk more and help members, especially the organization leaders. My goals for my companion and I are try and get along better. Um....get on his good side (which is by not talking to him). Um loving him more.
I want to be a better MISSIONARY! But there are some days im not going to lie, where I just don’t have anymore fight in me. It is trying to help people understand when they have doubts and once we clear the doubts they will listen. But idk....I haven’t lowered my standards or anything like that but I have been discouraged a lot more lately. Another challenge to help me grow? But I love the mission im sad that it’s coming to a close. I will never be able to do what im doing again.
This week was a pretty good week though. Our area here is getting pretty dangerous, one night we were coming out of our food visit. And a couple houses down they were having a party so there were a whole bunch of drunks outside. One comes up to my companion and has two huge rocks in his hands (cause they fight with rocks here) and he is talking to my companion like he knows him then when my companion wasn’t looking he tried reaching into his pocket to steal his money but my companion caught him.
The drunk left and went down the road to another house and then out of no where a police truck drives up with some bad guys already in the back they picked up for fighting. They got out of the truck and found the guy with the two rocks and he starts fighting the cops and so one of the cops picks him up and throws him in the back of the truck. The drunk guy stands up and is like "you guys got the wrong guy, your wrong"! Then the cops get in the back of the truck and just start beating him and then they drove off. After that my companion and I had to wait for another half an hour because right after the police left two gangs show up and start fighting each other. It was pretty crazy, but Im safe.
My health is good! What a MIRACLE! And Im having fun!
Love you all!
Elder Buck
P.S. Who ever read my letters I would like it if they could send me an letter or email or something I hardly ever get anything expect from my parents.
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