EMAIL... Week 51

Hola All!

Great week with the missionaries...pancake breakfast for their District Meeting, 2 birthday dinners at Rosti Pollo, fun day in León for P-day seeing the beach (it was pouring rain that day so I looked at the ocean with crashing waves on the beach from the truck...Elder K of course got out to see it and got soaked) and then their cathedral. Luckily the rain let up while we went up the barely one person wide staircase to the roof where we could view the whole city. It was beautiful! It started to sprinkle on the way down. We were able to treat our guides, one of our former sister missionaries who served with us here and we adore, and her companion to Pizza Hut and then McFlurries at Mc Donald's for lunch. Great day! We were able to go on some great visits and appointments with all 4 sets of the young missionaries this week, and each set has a baptism scheduled today. Today will be busy and AWESOME! We love these amazing young people and so admire their diligence, obedience, testimonies, and spirits! They are truly great blessings in our lives!

We had a couple of crazy experiences, which we could totally see the tender mercies of our loving Heavenly Father. On the way to Leon we had to pull over on the highway for a herd of cows coming down the middle of the road. Elder K got out to take a picture and then back in the truck. (Picture on the blog) As we were waving to the cowboy herding the cows from behind, he motioned to the ground beside the car and urgently said something to Elder K. Elder K opened the door and his wallet was there on the ground. He hadn't realized that he hadn't put it back in his pocket after paying for gas, and it had dropped out when he got out to take the picture. Whew! That could have been a nightmare! A few days later, we came out to the truck from going to the bank, and the car next to us looked like it was stuck to the side of our car. When we could actually see, the back end of the woman's car was seriously less than an inch from the back of our truck. She couldn't even get out on her side and hurried to get out the other side to tell us that she hadn't hit our truck. The security guard was out there by then, and there was no way to back either vehicle out safely. We were inspired to pull our truck forward as far as we could...about 18 inches. This gave her more room and the guard yelled at her as he guided her to her way out. She took off immediately. No harm, no foul. Experiences like these constantly remind me that Heavenly Father is in charge and so involved in the details of our lives. That doesn't mean we escape all trials and problems, but we have the assurance that He will help us get through anything that comes! This is a concept we are trying to help the people here really understand and see in their lives. The scriptures teach us that the Lord is bound when we do what He says, but when we do not, we have no promise. He always keeps His part of the promise! What a great comfort and blessing to know and understand!

We had a special experience yesterday morning, Father's Day in Nicaragua. Marvin and his family invited us to the dedication of his father's grave. His father died in November 2015, but they just got the headstone recently. They bury their dead within 2 days of death, because it is too expensive to embalm the bodies. They had hymns playing and the women in the family decorated his grave, while Marvin hiked us up to a vista where you could see all of Estelí. Breathtaking! (See blog) He did an awesome job dedicating the grave, and he, his mother, his sister, and Elder K all talked about the great example he was for all of them and how much he wants them to prepare for and attend the temple, so that they can be sealed as a family forever. Marvin's parents were sealed 8 years ago in the Guatemala Temple, but the children were all adults, so they each have to be endowed and sealed to their parents. Marvin's goal is this December. Hopefully the other 3 will follow. Poco poco...

Enjoy the temple and the blessings therein! Keep your covenants and do the small and simple things every day to strengthen your testimony and to help you stay strong! Thank you for you examples, love, and prayers! We love you!

Love,

Elder and Sister Koelliker