Ciudad Sandino Week 68

Well it's your Elder Hironaka!!! This week was a long one and one I will not forget because of the pain, haha. 

My week!!!!!

I had a meeting with the other leaders in the mission this week. This meeting can be good or bad… It's good if your zone is doing well. If your zone is doing bad however, you might as well bring a bag to carry your head home in. lucky I have never had a bad zone, so, I have never gotten it too hard.

I also got a little sick this week, which don't worry I doing fine now. I had a mosquito sickness that is called chikungunya (I think that's it). I was freezing but I had a high temp. I couldn't walk and my whole body hurt and was covered in a rash. I talked to a Dr. and got pills, but I'm good now.  It sucked but I'm ok now so don't worry

I also had a baptism this week, which was awesome named Carlos!!! I'll send some pics. He is 85 years old and is all there and still works a little.

So, that was my week, really short. I´ll write more next week, Mom, but I love you.  Be safe!!!  

Ciudad Sandino Week 67

What a week I have had, holy moly!!!!! Your Friendly neighborhood Elder had changes to a new area!!! Yeah I left Masaya to come to none other than Ciudad Sandino!!!! The awesome thing about this is that Bello Amanecer is the area that is next door!!! Yes I can visit and see all the people I helped and baptized there. Crazy week right!!!

So I left Masaya and had changes. Funny thing is Elder Kliner had changes as well. All that happened to us is that we switched spots. He went to Masaya and I went to Sandino. I now have 3 new companions. Elder Elison who is from a small town out-side of St. George, Elder Petty who is new and is from Tucson AZ, And Elder Paxson who is from Guatemala. Elder Bennett got changed to another area in this zone as well, so you guys will be hearing a little more from stories with him.

Masaya was sad to leave. I knew I wasn’t going to be there that long because they told me so, but on the same hand I didn’t think that I would leave after one change. It was a blessing to see my converts and to be able to baptize others there.

Here in Sandino we had 13 investigators at church!! Four were new people we had found during this past week. We are going to baptize a man named Carlos this week and I’m excited to send photos of his baptism.

I can’t write a whole ton this week because tomorrow I have a presentation that I have to do, but I want to say that I love all of you and I’m happy that your happy!!! I’m praying for you guys have a lot of fun and be safe!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Masaya Week 66

1) High of the week? Finding Carla

2) Interesting, gross, or yummy food you ate this week? Beans and rice, gross and interesting haha

Well it’s your friendly Elder Hironaka coming from Nica TOWN!!!! I want to start by saying how much I miss everyone. I can’t believe that I have been on a mission for 15 months and that I come home in MAY!!! 

This week was great because we met a lady named Carla. Carla is a strong Catholic lady and thinks the Evangelists could be true but at the same time is listening to the JW missionaries. This week was the first time that she had talked to us, the Mormons haha! It was a great lesson we had. We explained the plan of salvation with her. She was brought to tears to know that she could live with her father who recently passed away and that Our Father In Heaven has a plan for her and him. She loved the message and has told us that she would like to be baptized. Cool! Right?

Well mom I liked your question about what part of my testimony has changed during my mission!! The part of my testimony that has changed or has been better understood in my mission is the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that Our Father In Heaven loved us so much that he sent Jesus Christ for us. I know I’m not a Dad, but I find it very hard to send your perfect son to place where you know he is going to suffer the most pain anyone could ever feel, to be laughed at, to be mocked, to be unfairly judged, and to die a slow painful death. For Our Heavenly Father knew that even in His Son’s last words that he would be crying for forgiveness for us. I know that our loving brother Jesus Christ felt my sins and bled for me so that I could be happy. 

P Day Soccer

Best Friends Together in the Gospel

Well another week in the greatest mission in the whole world, NICARGUA MANAGUA SUR!!!!!! (I say it is the greatest because it really is the greatest mission in the whole world) This week was a fun packed week. We were able to baptize 2 young men.  It was super fast because as we have only been teaching them for 3 weeks, but it was still as exciting as always!!!!!! 

So for starters I would like to report on the two dudes that got baptized, Alex and Esteven!!! They are really smart and had a lot of support being that they have been going to the ward of a long time. Alex is cool. He is the best friend of Marcelo’s. (Marcelo is the first convert that I taught in my mission) Yes, Marcelo helped him and wanted him to get baptized, so that he would have a best friend in the church. It was awesome to see how much Marcelo has grown in just one year. I will never forget the day I was able to baptize him.

Esteven is the son of a non-member. He loves singing hymns and every time we taught him he always liked starting with a song. The funniest part is that my companion can’t sing and refuses to try. I can’t sing either but I’m game to a least give it my best, and Esteven likes to sing just quietly. So yeah, it was just me really, haha. And it wasn't the best thing to listen to.

Also we are teaching a man named Rohelio. He is from Panama. He is cool and we are looking forward to seeing him get baptized!!!

I hope everything is going good please be safe! 

Memorable Hand Shake

This week was a week to remember!!!! I was able to have a great time seeing President Nelson twice!  He first met with all of the missionaries of Nicaragua and was later at my Stake Conference.

The week has been a little crazy but I really hope you will enjoy reading about it!

So for starters my investigators are doing great. We are going to have 3 baptisms this week. Their names are Alex, Esteven, and Neil. It was great to see how happy they were when they came to church with us in their white shirts and  ties. It was fun and during Stake Conference President Nelson told them along with all of the Young Men, Young Women, and Primary to stand up and to sing I’m a child of God. They just loved doing that.

This week I had to rent the bus to take our huge zone to a multi mission conference. It’s awesome having a huge zone but it’s hard sometimes. It’s a lot of verifying and going from one place to another. I have to say though I love being here because I have so many friends from Masaya to help me and say hi.

In the multi mission it was awesome to see my great friend Elder Baldwin!! He looks great!!! The same, but great!!! He sang in the choir and did an awesome job. I was not able to talk very much to him and we weren’t allowed to take pictures with the North Mission. So that was a little bit of a bummer, but it was awesome to see him.

The greatest part the whole week was to shake the hand of President Nelson. He really has a lot of love for everyone. He taught us many things, including about the tribes that we come from. I loved his talk and found it very interesting.

Today was a day I won’t ever forget as it was the day that we were given hot wings!!!!! Yeah! It was the first time I have gotten those in my mission. We ate them after we played sports as a Zone at a park. It was cool because the park had a turf field. We played for a good hour and a half. It was fun playing and hanging out with my boy Bennett, haha. His chill reminds me a lot of Jared.

I’m happy everyone is doing well. Its awesome to see how good Tyler is doing. You guys wont believe this but I have lost 30lbs since I left home!!!!!!! I feel good and I’m not sick but I’m going to have to start working out hard with big weights and eat a lot again. Like I did before my mission, haha. SKINNY MAN!!!!! ANY WAY, LOVE YOU GUYS!  BE SAFEEEEE!!!!

Elder Hironaka

E. Hironaka & E. Bennett

E. Hironaka & E. Bennett

WINGS

Masaya Week 63

Hey well it’s your friendly neighborhood Elder Hironaka, still reporting from good old Masaya!!!! I love it here it’s awesome!!! This week I’m a little busy today and I don’t have too much time but I’m going to give a good report!!!!!

We are teaching a lot of people. We have really gained a lot of respect here as missionaries. A lot of my old friends from here are calling us to talk to their friends and to invite them to come to church. This last week we were able to have 11 people come to church; 6 of which I think will get baptized! 

Also so last week I talked about how we were teaching the friend of Marcello, right? So anyway he came to church this week by himself all done up in a tie and shirt. Cool, right? He also was called on to give the prayer in priesthood and did it; I was like, that's what I taught him!!!!!

Also this week I went and did house checks with Hermana Russell and one AP. It's fun going doing house checks with Hermana Russell. It reminds me of when you and me, Mom, did the same in my own room. But this time I passed the test as well as many in my zone. I have to say missionaries here in this mission are in the good hands of Hermana Russell. Our homes are good houses.

Also had a very cool experience here with the stake with the Stake President. So, the day before the house checks I went to the Stake President’s house to get the keys to the Stake. When I asked for them he told me that he would meet me at the church at 7 in the morning.  The next morning I went to the stake early because I didn’t want him to be waiting for me. When we got there we were 7min early and we waited. Out of nowhere a man in a hat and a huge jacket come from out of the blue. It was the Stake President. Ha-ha He was very happy to see us. He told us that we were the first Elders to be exactly on time. He opened the church and then the next day he just threw me the keys and told me to lock up once we were done. I didn’t think much of it until President Russell and Hermana Russell told me that I’m the first Elder to have the keys and that the Stake President has never trusted anyone with the keys. They told me I passed the test, ha-ha! I was like that is so weird, ha-ha. But it’s an event for the mission.

Anyway, like I said can't talk all that much but want you guys to know I love you all!!!! BE safe, love you mom.

Masaya Week 62

It’s your Nica. Missionary Elder Hironaka. Well this week there wasn’t too much stuff that went on, but it was exciting a little bit, haha.

To start we talked to Barkidia again this week. She is someone I was teaching last year but didn’t get baptized. She has been really involved in the lessons and has been reading a praying to have a testimony. She will be a lot of work to get baptized because she needs to get married. I can see however that she will be baptized some day.

Marcelo!!!!! My little buddy is doing work!!! He brought his best friend to church this last week and he loved it. It has been good to see how much Marcelo has helped us. I hope that he will be able to see his friend be baptized!!!

Also this last week I was in my 2nd area of my mission. San Miguel, I love that area the people are so nice and it was awesome to see all the people I taught and who were baptized. It’s awesome to see that even after we left that they wanted to listen and help the missionaries with the work. I even think that Lester who we baptized is the ward mission leader!!!! Crazy right, but cool!

My zone as I told you guys is huge we have one district that is an hour a way!!!!! I think but do not know for sure, but I think we might change it and have 2 zones but IDK.

Elder Nelson is coming and he is going to be in my zone for the stake conference.

I can’t talk all that much but I want to tell you that I love you and miss you all. LOVE YOU BE SAFE!!!!

Love, Elder Hironaka

                   Workout oh yeah!!! LOVE YOU!