Christmas Miracle

Christmas as a missionary was a really special experience. What better way to remember the life of Christ than to serve as he would serve? I hope you guys also had wonderful Christmases with your families! Among the blessings I recieved Christmas day was eating Christmas dinner 3 times because the members here make it difficult to say no.

I also witnessed a Christmas miracle in my investigator Margarita. She had a desire to be baptized from the moment we first began teaching her, but she was living with her boyfriend. We explained the law of chastity and told her that she would have to marry him before she is baptized. She said that wouldn't be a problem, and we were workinig with the relief society president to plan a nice wedding for her on January 13th. On Friday, her boyfriend decided that he did not like that idea. He told her: "It's me, or religion." She said, "Fine, I choose Christ. Bye." 

She came to church on Sunday in a very similar situation that Jesus was in when he was born: rejected and homeless. When sacrament meeting was finished, she tracked down the bishop and asked him if she could be baptized if she was living single. He told her of course. It wasn't until that afternoon that we learned about the situation. I asked her if she had a place to spend Christmas eve, and she said no. So we arranged for her and her two children to spend the holiday with the relief society president and her family. She later found housing with one of her older daughters and her husband. Her faith through all of this has been absolutely incredible. We are very excited for her to be baptized shortly.

Love,
Elder Stephen Watts

Since we didn't receive any pictures this week, I'm adding one from our Christmas day Skype call.

Merry Christmas!

Hey all! 

For those that will not be skyping me, Merry Christmas! 

Yesterday, in the midst of the heat, rain, and overabundance of appointments, I forgot that Christmas was only a week away. Not saying I miss the cold, it's just weird celebrating without it. 

 
Miracle this week: Kathia got baptized. I really wanted to baptize her whole family, but this is the way they wanted it. It's a small blessing that she went before her family because now she is telling them how awesome it is. I'm hoping that they can all unite in faith shortly. 

We found Kathia's family by happenstance. We were waiting outside the chapel for the Ward Secretary, to give him the baptism record of Edwin, about a month ago. It began to rain, and, because we don't have keys to the church, we found shelter across the street in the police station. They were there taking care of some legal stuff. We got to talking a little bit, and they invited us to go to their house to teach them. They live in the very most extremity of our area, and it's a twenty minute bus ride to and from their house, but I'm glad we've been making it work because they are a golden family. It just goes to show that you never know when will be your opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. 

I wish I had more cool stories to tell, but this will have to suffice for now.

Love you all,
Elder Stephen Watts

Kathia's Baptism

Coco

Hey all!

It's pretty weird celebrating the Holidays in the heat. Not even kidding, try singing Christmas carols while the suns beating on you. It's just not right. People started freaking out because it hit 19 degrees Celsius here one night (66 degrees F). They started saying it was going to snow because it was the coldest Nicaragua had seen in years. I did not feel cold at all. 

This weekend we baptized a young man named Coco. Well, his name's Danny, but everyone calls him Coco. He received the lessons from the missionaries in September, while the missionaries re-activated one of his friends and baptized another. He just never progressed and the missionaries kinda moved on. One time I caught him playing soccer at the church and just said, hey, why don't you join your friend and be baptized? He said O.K. but in his own time. He came to church, and so I said, well, why not next week? He said naw, but came to church again. So, again I said, why not now? He said no. Then his friend (has 3 months as a member) shared an incredible testimony, and got him excited for baptism. It was awesome!

We also begun teaching this lady named Margarita. Her son, Eliut, was baptized in October, the week before I got here. Eliut, however, lives with his dad, so I don't think the missionaries ever knew his mom. Anyway, Eliut was depressed and gay before he knew the missionaries. He legit talked like a girl the first time I talked to him. Now, he has changed completely. He smiles a lot. He talks like a man. He has good friends in the church. The change is incredible. His mom, my second time talking with her, said she was impressed and very happy with how much joy Eliut has found in the gospel. Before we had the chance to invite her to be baptized, she straight up told us she wants to be baptized because of the blessings she's seen her son receive. It's pretty incredible how the gospel works.

Enjoy photos from the baptism and a P-day trip to Volcán Masaya!

Coco's Baptism

Christmas Devotional

Well, our mission president promised us that if we are obedient and diligent, we will see miracles. He challenged us to always focus on the miracles. One miracle I saw this past week was the miracle of the Christmas devotional. It started Sunday morning with two phone calls. Both from investigators, both saying they would not be able to make it to church that Sunday. When sacrament meeting began, there were zero investigators in church. The last time I showed up to church with zero investigators was in September with a companion that could hardly walk. Miraculously, 1 investigator showed up late, so at least I didn't have to report 0, but it was still a pretty sad church meeting. 

I decided that one thing I could do to help my investigators (and myself) atone for that, was bringing them to the Christmas devotional. I had not previously invited anyone to the Christmas devotional, and had almost forgotten it existed. I began to call every investigator, and pass by their houses to invite them to the Devo. 10 were able to make it, along with only 14 of the members. While I was still sad that they couldn't make it to church, it was just what I needed to see the sacrament room full of the people I had been teaching. 

Sorry, no pictures this week :(
Love you all!
Elder Stephen Watts

Elder Pocasangre

Elder Watts & Elder Pocasangre

Well, I guess Elder Henriquez and I were too killer of a combo that they decided one change was enough. The honest truth is, I was not getting along well with him at the beginning, but by the end of the change, he'd become like an old friend to me. We were working incredibly, sometimes literally running from appointment to appointment to fit them all in. I feel a little bad because I am surely about to baptize a bunch of the people that I taught with Elder Henriquez, that he won't be able to see, but I guess that's the mission.

I get the privilege of staying here in the Concha (nickname for La Concepción), but with the assignment of training a brand new missionary! I'm way excited. Today was his first day in Nicaragua. He is also from El Salvador, his name is Elder Pocasangre. He is the first ever missionary in his family, and has been a little timid, maybe because that's his personality, or maybe because he's scared to death to be here. Either way, I'm hoping to help him love the mission as much as I love it. 

Daniela

Last Saturday, Elder Henriquez and I shared one last baptism: Daniela, 10 years old, way excited to be a member. Her mother is a less-active member, and her brother is a recently re-activated member, who has now presented us to some of his friends to teach them. The family has been an awesome fountain of missionary work.

Sunday was stake conference, and I was worried that because it is like a 45 minute trip out there, that we would have trouble bringing investigators, but the Lord provided means whereby 7 of our investigators could be transported in the vehicles of members! It was beautiful to have them all there. 

Much Love,

Elder Stephen Watts

Fantastic Week

​​Hey all!

I attached a butt-load of pictures, hope they get through! It's been a fantastic week :) We baptised again: Brenda, a 15 year-old girl who we had been teaching for three weeks, but she had been consistantly unable to come to church. We decided that one thing that might help is if she didn't have to go alone, so we decided to have a Saturday night FHE with a favorite family in the ward, and arranged for another 15 year old girl to walk Brenda to church the next day. Of course it worked, so families beware: FHE is now a Monday night and whenever the missionaries tell you to event. From there, Brenda and the awsome young woman (named Stefani) began to be best friends. Last Sunday they wanted the count of how many young women were going to youth conference, so of course we got her baptised as fast as we could so she could be part of that count. All it took was asking special permision from our mission president since the norm is that investigators have to have at least two Sundays in church before they are baptised.

Remember Cecilia from my last area? She is the mother of Flavia (the first person I baptised). She received her testimony of continued revelations from watching general conference with us and began to be a regular in church, but for whatever reason insisted on waiting to be baptised. Monday, I got a call from her. She said that she was going to be baptised the next day, on her birthday. She asked if there was any way I could attend, and perform the baptim. Of course I begged for permision, but was denied. Nonetheless, I could harldly contain my joy that she was baptised. She said she was planning a trip to the Concha to visit me :) 

Today, we went on another rain foresting adventure (hence the photos). I freaking love it here, Nicaragua is gorgeous. I'm going to be pretty sad when I have to leave.

That's all for now, love you guys!
Elder Stephen Watts

Brenda

The best district (and their "Mama's" son - the woman who cooks, cleans, and does laundry for them)

Humanitarian Project

It was a hard week as we endured yet another lost baptism. The day was set, the interview passed for Claudia, who is now 4 chapters away from finishing the Book of Mormon, when her parents forbid her baptism. While she is 21 years, and doesn't technically need her parent's permission, it is always good to honor your father and mother. Claudia was in tears, as she told us that it was not going to work to be baptized this week, but informed us that she still planned on being baptized eventually. We had an appointment to speak with her parents and explain that we don't worship Joseph Smith, but her parents decided to take off running, so... that's where we're at.

The worse news was Edwin (15 years old, who went AWOL the day of his baptism three weeks ago) decided he wanted to be baptized, and apologized for running. We scheduled an interview for him, on Tuesday, the District Leader showed, but Edwin did not. We were beginning to give up hope. Then, out of the blue, Edwin came asking when he can have that interview, and apologized for not being around Tuesday. We scheduled another interview for Friday. He interviewed and was baptized Saturday :)

The background information that we did not know, was that while his mother gave him permission (and signed for him) to be baptised, his father was very opposed to the idea. His mother told us after the baptism that his father finally folded because Edwin had changed a ton. He had stopped bullying his younger sister. He had started telling his mom where he was going when he left the house. He had started coming home earlier. It is a beautiful thing how the gospel really does change lives. Edwin was able to be baptised by a good friend of his, Irving, that often accompanied us when we taught him. 

Sunday, church was invaded by nearly 100 Americans that had come to do dental work for future missionaries. It was fun to talk some English and all that, but they were pretty awesome. After the meeting, they surprised the ward with all sorts of gifts: blankets, soap, soccer balls, ties, jewelry, candy, backpacks, school supplies, and who knows what else. The greatest gift by far, was they took each family in front of the church, and took a photo, printed, and framed it. The moms were soooo excited to put their family photos on the walls of their homes. It was great.

I love you all!
Enjoy the photos from the baptism and our stellar district :)

Elder Stephen Watts

Edwin's batism

The district

A couple members of the group who were there for the humanitarian project took pictures of Elder Watts and sent them to us.  What a fun surprise for us!  Here are the pictures we received: