EMAIL... Week 63

Hola All!

Another week has just sailed by with some unique experiences for us. Last Saturday, after our baptism here, we drove up to Condega for a baptism. We missed the wedding of the couple, but got there in time to drive to the river and then walk through the mud and grasses to get to the edge with an area where they could be baptized. Elder Espinoza baptized the 9 year old daughter, Noemi, first. Then Elder Pérez baptized the parents, Pedro and Fatima. Beautiful setting, and lots of ants. We then went to the Elders' house, where they now meet for church and where the wedding was held, and served cake and soda to celebrate the wedding. Unfortunately the Elders have a swarm of wasp like creatures living in front of their house, but gratefully, only two got me and none got Elder K, since he is allergic. It was a wonderful experience and worth the ant, mosquito, and wasp bites to be there. We then headed to teach the first Temple Prep lesson to a darling young couple there. Great day!

Monday we felt impressed to go and visit the father of one of the families we are working with to prepare to go to the temple. No one else was home, and he told us he is still having a problem with smoking. Elder K asked him if he had any cigarettes in the house. He did, so Elder K told him to give them to him and even offered to pay him for them. He smiled and happily gave them to him, but wouldn't accept money. (Elder K hadn't taken cigarettes away from anyone since he retired.) We talked about how Satan was trying to tempt him so they couldn't go to the temple, and read some scriptures with him. We asked him if he needed the extra help of a Priesthood blessing and he asked Elder K to give him one right then. He gave him a beautiful blessing of strength, help, and encouragement. We talked about different strategies to defeat this vice in his life. His family came home as we were leaving and we checked on him a few days later, and he's happy and clean! We'll keep praying for him! We love their family and so want for them to have the blessings of the temple in their lives.

We got a call Tuesday night that the little 104 year old man in our Branch was really sick. We went and picked up the new Branch President and drove over to see him. He had had a stoke and was breathing very erratically. They said he had not eaten much for three days. He also has prostate cancer and a catheter, which he has been dealing with for years. They gave him a Priesthood blessing and talked to his wife, who thinks he will die soon. He refuses to go to the hospital because the last time he went, they about killed him, according to him. We love Carlos and Evangelista, and have had the privilege of visiting them weekly since we got here. We checked on him today and he is slowly deteriorating. It is so sad to see him suffer through his Gethsemane.

Today is Central America's Independence Day...we waited in line at the grocery store yesterday for over 45 minutes as most people had yesterday and today off of work. The schools are out too, and many students are in their school bands and traveled to Managua to march in parades. Lots of cannons and fireworks...not the pretty ones, the noisy ones. They like to celebrate!

That's Nicaragua! Thank you for your prayers and support! We love you all!

Love,
Elder and Hermana Koelliker