Quick Update

Hello all!

After all of the crazy changes last week, I don't have a ton of new stuff to report this week. Elder Moore and I are getting along super well. I took some photos, but forgot the camera today. We spent a bunch of time showing the new sister missionaries around their area. We've been finding a ton of new investigators, honestly more than I've ever done since coming to La Concha because with the area divide, we dropped every investigator that wasn't progressing, then gave half of the progressing investigators to the Sisters. That being said, we've been really successful in finding those nuevos. It's incredible to see just how many more souls are going to be saved because of the area divide.

Love you all!

Elder Stephen Watts

Good News!

Wow, I have so much good news, I don't even know where to begin! On Saturday, we had the wedding of Alexander and Liliana. It was absolutely crazy, Elder Pocasangre and I spent the morning making cake, cleaning the church, then decorating the church. The Relief society provided dinner for everyone. About 80 people showed up, and it was super happy. Sunday morning, Liliana was baptized along with Karen.

Apart from the incredible experience shared in last week's email, we continued to see miracles with Karen. On Thursday, we fasted together with her to help her figure out if she really wanted to commit to following Jesus Christ. That same day, we had an incredible lesson with her, and she decided she really was ready to be baptized. Liliana was also way happy to finally be able to be baptized.

After the baptisms, we made our way to San Marcos (the nearest chapel with a projector) where we were able to see a special broadcast for all of Central America. We heard messages from Kevin R. Duncan, and Adrian Ochoa from the 70, Craig C. Christianson, from the presidency of the 70, Sharon Eubank, from the relief society, and Quintin L. Cook, from the Quorom of the 12 apostles. It was a super great conference, and pretty much everyone boldly exhorted the Central American members to be more diligent and committed to the Lord. Elder Cook talked a lot about temple work. I can't wait until Nicaragua gets their temple.

On Monday afternoon, I received word that Wednesday, God wanted to open up a second area in La Concha (La Concepción). I was tasked with drawing the area division line, and finding a house for the new sister missionaries that would be arriving in 36 hours. In some miracle, I was able to find a house, get it approved by the President's wife, negotiate the cost, and sign on it all before the end of the day Monday. Yesterday, we had changes, and to my great joy, I get to stay another change here! I love this town and these people so much. I have been dreaming of, and working towards, dividing this area for so long now; it's a dream come true.

The only bad news is, I did have to say goodbye to Elder Pocasangre, who was sent to Ciudad Sandino, to work the area next-door to my first area. My new companion's name is Elder Ethan Moore, and he is from Reno, Nevada. What are the odds? I'm way excited to be working with him. The sister missionaries we received are Hermana Mckenna (Georgia) and Hermana Calderón (El Salvador). They are super great, and I spent yesterday evening and this morning showing them around their area. They are now the ones responsible for Liliana and Alexander (who still needs to be baptized to join his wife) and Giovanni. We kept about half of my investigators though. Also with dividing the area, they decided to make the Concha it's own district, and I was chosen to be the district leader. It's going to be great!

I love you!

Elder Stephen Watts

Liliana and Alexander's wedding

Cutting the Cake

Their family

Liliana's Baptism

Karen's baptism

Prayer

It has been a pretty incredible week this week. The experience that I am about to share with you is probably the single most powerful experience that I have had thus far in my mission. We were in a lesson with an investigator named Karen. Karen had read 150 pages of the Book of Mormon and come to church twice in the last two weeks. She hadn't been able to pray. I realized that there was something prohibiting her from praying, she wasn't just "forgetting". So, we asked some questions and she finally opened up. She said that shortly before her sister passed away (10 years ago, Karen was 15 at the time) they had gotten in an argument and some ugly things were said. She has since been unable to reconcile with herself. She confessed that she hasn't been happy since. She said that she hasn't been able to pray, or even close her eyes since. She said that she would like to pray, but that she couldn't do it alone. We invited her to pray with us. She said OK, but not here. We offered to go to the church, a dedicated building and pray with her. She said O.K. We lead her into the sacrament meeting room, where we sang a hymn to calm her nerves, then knelt together and she began to pray. She began slowly and timidly, then little by little begun to pour her whole heart and soul out. We prayed and listened for over a half hour. She asked if the church was true. She asked for forgiveness of every little sin that she'd committed. She asked for comfort and peace. She told God that she would like to change her life. When she finished, we knelt silently for a little while longer, then lead her into the baptismal font room. We took our seats there in front of the baptismal font and explained that if she wanted to begin a new life, it would start there. She said she felt the spirit testifying that she needed to be baptized, and that she would like to be baptized that very day. We said that would be O.K. and were about to pull out the spontaneous baptism (complete with an interview and the 2 lessons that we still needed to teach her) but in the end she decided that she would rather take a few days to think it over and invite her friends and family. It was really just incredible how strong the spirit was as she offered that prayer. I felt I could almost see the angels that were ministering to her on the other side of the veil. 

In other news, I officially became a Nicaraguan resident today. Elder Pocasangre painted an investigator's nails, so that she could look pretty for church the next day. We killed and feathered about 20 chickens on Friday (sorry, I forgot the camera that day). Alexander and Liliana are very excited about their wedding on Saturday. 

I don't know if transfers this week are going to affect me or not, but if they do, it's going to be a pretty great last week!

Love,
Elder Stephen Watts

Miracles

Two miracles this week. First of all, we got papers signed and everything finalized for the wedding of Liliana and Alexander the 17th of this month. They are very excited to be married so they can be baptized. As they do not have money, we've figured out ways to use the Relief Society and Elder's Quorum to find ways to have food and cake in their honor. The plan is that they get married and baptized in the same weekend. Liliana is the daughter of Margarita, our super-convert of about a month ago.

Miracle number two, we found a young man named Jovani, but he sometimes goes by Jovi, which is a pretty sweet name. He was a reference from a young woman in the ward. They are really good friends. Jovi comes to seminary every day. He always does his reading, and puts the members to shame. Unfortunately, he could not come to church this week, but he will come this Sunday and be baptized the following week. Between finding him, and our second visit 2 days later, he had read up to 1 Nephi 17. He's now half-way through 2nd Nephi. 

Bonus miracle: I'm happy and healthy and praying all is well out there in the United States.

I know the church is true. God is preparing the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It has been incredible to see all the people that have accepted the gospel into their lives here in Nicaragua. It has been incredible to see the country-wide push to get the temple announced here. Nicaragua is the biggest Central American country by area, and remains the only one without a temple. However, efforts have been doubled to do family history work, send names to the temple, reactivate members, and share the gospel. This ward in particular has helped us out a lot finding and teaching people here. 

Love ya!

Elder Stephen Watts

Blitz

Hey all!

I don't have too much to report this week. We had multi-zone training on Thursday, a blitz in San Marcos on Friday, and yesterday I spent the day in routine divisions with my district leader, so I haven't really even been working in my area all that much. A blitz is a pretty fun activity where all of the nearby missionaries meet up in just one area. They then take priesthood members as companions and find a ton of new investigators while exciting the members at the same time. It was pretty fun, and we were able to help spark an area that has been struggling a little bit recently.

One of the things we were challenged to do in the multi-zone training was program three investigators to be baptized every Saturday in the month of February. It seemed a little difficult at the time because we had very few investigators with baptismal dates. However, since then, we've begun to see February fill up a little bit. We were able to put the 10th as a date for two investigators, and the 17th for four more. We are hoping to have a lot more success in February, as January we did not see the success that we had hoped for. 

One of those dates, we were able to put the second time talking to someone. It was a pretty cool moment to see Jorlin gain a testimony so quickly, in two days, he had read the first eight pages of the Book of Mormon. I'm pretty excited to see how his faith continues to grow.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Stephen Watts

Quick Update

Hey all!

Unfortunately, I do not have time to write a nice, thoughtful email today. Just know it's been a great week. We have finalized plans for Liliana Liseth (Margarita's daughter) to be married in 3 weeks. She will be baptized that same day. We have continued to see progress with Oswaldo, and have been delighted to work with a new investigator named Eddi. He reads the Book of Mormon daily, and came to church last Sunday. He wants to get baptised, but has to break a smoking addiction first. We are working hard to help him slowly let go of his cigarettes, but it is looking like it might be a long process, as his current habbit is 8-10 cigarettes a day. It's a little bit draining how many different methods I've seen Satan work within the lives of so many people, but to have witnessed a few people conquer Satan, and choose Christ, it has all been worth it. 

Love,
Elder Stephen Watts

Elder Watts sent this picture today from a multi-zone conference back in December.  His mission president's family is on the front row, along with a senior missionary couple and several stake presidents and their wives.

The Elect

Hey friends and family!

What a pleasure it has been to be a missionary in this place, at this time. Our task as missionaries is to find the elect, and help them come unto Christ. Doctrine and Covenants defines the elect as those that hear the word of God, and harden not their hearts. I always thought that meant that the elect were those that accept everything we teach, keep all their commitments, and are baptized in 2 weeks. I have since learned that that is not at all a good stereotype of an elect child of God. A better stereotype of an elect would be someone who marches onward despite everything that Satan throws their way. 

Take Margarita for example, she left her to-be husband in order to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Her daughter, Liseth, has demonstrated the same kind of incredible faith. Her to-be husband comes from a very Catholic family. They showed her every anti-Mormon video they could find on YouTube and urged her to stop talking with us. She told us that she will not worry about the content of those videos because she knows that she feels the spirit when she reads the Book of Mormon and does not feel the spirit when she watches those videos. 

Liseth's brother, Duban was baptized last Saturday. Liseth, after pleading with her to-be husband many times, has finally convinced him to marry her so that she can be baptized, and so that she can present their baby in sacrament meeting. 

Another miracle for your week is that an investigator named Oswald found his way to church on his own last Sunday. I had never before seen the man, but when I saw him wandering outside the church doors, I invited him to come in. He accepted, but later confided in me that that very morning he was contemplating suicide. He told me that he felt like it was a good decision to go to our church instead. I instantly referred him to the bishop, who talked with him for a while in his office, and gave a priesthood blessing. He told me that he would love it if we could come to his house and teach him more about what we believe in our church. We're hoping to see some positive changes in his life these coming weeks, maybe even a baptism.

I love you all, hope you have a great week!

Elder Stephen Watts

Duban's baptism