Jordan in Nicaragua: Halfway done in the CCM

Today we (my District) went to the temple, so that is why I am writing a little bit later. From here on out, I get to write for like two hours on P-day, so you can write as much as you can and I will be able to read it all! Since we just returned I didn’t have time to grab the letters you sent me to respond to your questions so I will go from memory. Dear Elder letters work. They arrive the day after you send it, most times. Other times it will take like a week! I just received one from you, Sister Wixom and Dad all crushed onto one page. It was really confusing.

At the temple today, we went to the visitors center watched the movie we saw at the St. George Temple’s visitor center this summer, it was sad. It made me think of you guys! It was really fun watching it all in Spanish. They had a little store there and i picked up two more ties. I also bought two ties from the tie store here, but they are crap, but they were 50 pesos. Last night I traded both of the crap ties for a really cool colorful one, so I was pretty happy.

So much has happened in the last week, but I feel like I just wrote. It is so crazy how time works here. We have started to teach two investigators now and one has a few problems. So yesterday, we planned out a chastity lesson and had some pamphlets. We had everything ready to teach her, but when we went to teach her, she only wanted to talk about the Word of Wisdom. So my companion and I gave a 30 minute lesson on the Word of Wisdom, in Spanish, impromptu. So I think that is a sign we are getting much better speaking Spanish!

In all the personal study I get, I have been reading about charity and the true love of Christ. Through this study, I have been receiving blessings of the ability to love others more fully.

On a sad note we, haven’t received any new natives in our casa. Right now it is my district and four other guys in the casa. That leaves us with two empty bedrooms and two empty bathrooms for the last two weeks. At first it was really nice because we could all shower faster but then a problem has happened. We have gotten used to having all the extra room, especially the extra bathrooms, so the new natives are going to hate us.

Also on a negative note, I have been deathly ill the last couple days. I had a cold on Thursday and by Saturday; I was coughing up blood and had a terrible sore throat. I took a spoonful of cayenne pepper three times a day, to try to cure the sore throat. You would have been proud of me though, because I was where I was supposed to be the whole time, I didn’t miss class once. I wanted to and I almost did when my teacher was kicking me out of class saying you need a doctor, but it was Saturday, so there was no doctor at the CCM, so I stuck it out.

Also, our first investigator has become our night teacher!!!!!! What????? It threw me off when I saw her. The last time we taught her, she was crying because we had such a spiritual experience her. I asked her if she was faking it and she said no you two elders gave an amazing lesson! That was nice to hear!

Back to today. When we were driving to the visitors’ center, which was about an hour drive, we saw many many many crazy things. Mexico is definitely a different country. Sometimes, Ii forget that I am in Mexico, but then I look up and see that I am surrounded by abject poverty.

Today before we left for the temple, we were hanging out by the wall which is our back yard. We saw a big circular metal bin that we put it upside down and stood on it to see over the wall. There was this really old Mexican lady there that asked if we were in prison. We said no (well at least we think she said prison), we are missionaries. She rolled her eyes and got in a taxi. It was so freaking funny, we were all busting up.

In the letter you sent me, you asked about money. I am doing just fine. There is a money exchange place here and if I needed to I can get some Mexican pesos. A week before I leave from here, I think I can order some Nicca money. There is district that left yesterday for Nicca north and they said they would email us about it. My district leader and best friend here has a friend in Nicaragua north right now and he says that it is like every day you have to swim to your appointments because it rains so much and is so humid.

The Hermanas are really grateful for my big umbrella because it rains almost every day here. The four of them only had 1 umbrella so I gave them mine. They stay dry while I get soaked, but it is okay because that is the nice thing to do. This past week my goal was to be nicer and less sarcastic to everybody and now the Hermanas think I am the nicest person aliveJ.

The Spanish is coming along a lot better. My district says I am most improved. I can understand it so well; it is just that I have a hard time with any tense that isn’t present. Half the words in the Spanish language mean three things, like que. It is what and that. Por que is for what, why, and because. When you have a fight with a brother or something they might just say why? Because. Because why? Which in Spanish would be; por que, por que, por que? Which I think would be pretty funny!!

To answer your question, my whole district is going to the same mission except for two Hermanas are going to Chicago.

Elder Bronson