EMAIL... Week 2

Hola!

What a week! Last Saturday we flew into Managua and were greeted by the President and Sister Poncio, Elder & Sister Lee (the office couple), and Elder & Sister Bell (the mission nurse and her do it all husband). They came in their 3 vehicles to get us and all our stuff, and we rode with the Poncios to dinner with the 8 of us at a Mexican Restaurant. Muy delicioso! We checked into our hotel for our Managua stay. 

Sunday, we traveled to Dario with the office couple, where Elder Lee serves as the Branch President. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get there. There were about 30 in attendance. Sister Lee is teaching 2 girls in the branch to play the keyboard, but they just started so we sang acapella. The members all sing out! There were 3 speakers after the sacrament and 2 confirmations. Then the Branch President had us bear our testimonies in Spanish. Elder K did great and I used my paper. Talk about humbling. The RS President taught the Sunday School AND Relief Society lessons, and she talks way fast. I understood some of it.  We are getting more and more of the language, but I have a LONG way to go. 

We met with President Poncio Monday for our entry interview. What an amazing, humble, and sweet man! He gave us both a blessing and asked us to meet him in Sebaco this coming Sunday to have a meeting with him and the District President to discuss their plan for us. 

We spent the week traveling to Esteli ( 2 1/2 hours from Managua) to choose our home from the 3 they had approved, back to Managua, getting approved furnishings selected and ordered, getting our vehicle (hand-me-down Rav 4, which is needed for the dirt, bumpy, crazy roads here...so glad I won't be driving!), loading up at Price Mart (Nicaragua's version of Costco) and Walmart (which they don't have in Esteli), and traveling back to Esteli Thursday to check into the hotel until our home is ready. (Hopefully Saturday they will deliver the furnishings, including the stove, fridge, and washing machine...all small versions, so we can move in.) We feel so blessed to be moving into a nice, safe duplex, next door to our landlord's home. They live by a different time concept here, so things happen when they happen. 

The office couples have been so helpful and have truly taken us under their wings. The Bells helped us bring our stuff up and spent the night here. We drove up to Ocotal (1 1/2 hours away) to deliver mail to the missionaries there. The countryside is beautiful and lush! We drove back and had lunch today before they went back to Managua. Our young waitress, who had served us the last time we were up, came right up to us and hugged me and Hermana Bell. We asked her about her family and she has a 1 year old daughter and her husband is a chauffeur. We gave her a pass along card and invited her to church. She wanted to know the times of the services. So sweet! We went to a baptism tonight in one of the Esteli branches, and have met several missionaries in the district. It has been an exhausting week, but we are happy to be here and feel so blessed to be in this beautiful country with these amazing children of Heavenly Father. We love you all!

Elder and Hermana Koelliker