News From Nicaragua: HUMP DAY!!!!

Familia, amigos, y otros,

Hows everything going?? This week has been pretty good. Yesterday was my halfway mark here in the CCM which is pretty exciting. In a short 3 weeks I'll be in Nicaragua! This week flew by, and I had a pretty good time here. The food still was terrible, and I was privileged to have sour milk again this morning but all is well! No new missionaries in casa 42 so that means we still have the open bathrooms. Everyone is probably laughing that I'm so grateful for 2 extra bathrooms but you have no idea how useful they are. I'll walk you through my week.

On Friday it was just a normal day, nothing really happened. I've gotten to know my zone pretty well so we just hang out and play some cage during our gym time. Thats how Saturday was too. Just the daily routine of waking up at 6:30, personal study from 7 until breakfast at 8. After breakfast I have a teacher until gym time at 11:40, then lunch at 1. I have another teacher from after Lunch until dinner, and then its language and personal study until 9. Its getting really repetitive but its nice to get into a routine.

On Saturday we did pretty much the same stuff as Friday. We did teach an investigator and things went well.

On Sunday I had to give a talk on Enduring to the end which wasn't too bad, and it only had to be 5 minutes so it was no big deal. In the night on Sunday they replayed a devotional given by Elder Bednar titled "How to be a Preach My Gospel Missionary." It was great and everyone who is on a mission, is going to go on a mission, or just at home doing nothing should read it! Sundays are awesome too because they always show a movie at night and its nice to just relax, and watch the movie. We've seen some pretty good ones so far.

On Monday it was just a normal day too.

Tuesday came and we had another live devotional that was broadcasted from Provo. The speaker was Elder M. Russel Ballard and he gave a pretty good talk. He talked about how we need to wake up every morning and do the best we can, and then when we go to bed pray and ask what we could have done better. I would encourage everyone to use this in their lives, even if you arent on a mission. He also talked about how at the end of his mission, he and his companion had the opportunity to kneel in the Sacred Grove and ask the Lord if he accepted their work. He encouraged all of us to kneel and ask at the end of our missions too. It was a pretty good devotional (not as good as last week) but you all can go go read it if you want to.

Wednesday was the halfway mark and P-day eve too so it was a good day, nothing special really happened.

This group email is kind of boring because nothing really happens here in the CCM. I probably have already said this, but its crazy to think I'm in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world and cant see any of it. Its sad but hopefully ill have the opportunity to come back!

I dont really have any great pictures from this week, I got a shot yesterday. My companion couldnt watch me get it because he passes out when he sees needles. hahah it was hilarious. It was nice to have something to do other than my schedule, even though it was a shot.

Shout out to A young and his mission call, good work! Hope things are going well for everyone at home.

I'd like to end with a saying. This morning I was talking to a janitor and some latino missionaries, one of them who is from the Dominican Republic which is cool. But the janitor said "trabajo sin metas es esclavitud y metas sin trabajo son solo sueños." For those of you who dont know spanish, it translates to "work without goals is slavery and goals without work are only dreams" We need to make sure we are setting goals in our lives and working to achieve them. Hope everyone has a good week, thanks for all of the prayers and love. Talk to you soon!

Elder Hanson