Independence Day? Looking Forward to Lobster Season.

Loving life here in Bluefields, Nicaragua!

So believe it or not, but I completely forgot about Independence Day until we got home that night about 9:00 and Elder Page told me I forgot it was the 4th of July. All of a sudden, I had a wave of sadness hit me, ha ha.... The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays (number three to be exact), but we have been working so hard we forgot all about it until it was almost over. We probably wouldn't have done anything anyway, not that we are really allowed to. As far as an Independence Day for Nicaragua, I am not sure if they even have one, but if they do, I don't believe I have experienced it yet.

This is a map of Bluefields mapped out into zones. The left half is my area.
It is about twice as big as my last area in Sandino, which was a big area also.

Well, I would say this week I have been getting to know my new area a whole lot better. It is soooo  big that it is difficult to memorize it all and remember the different streets. However, we were able to bring 15 investigators to church this week! Probably won't have a baptism for a little while longer, though.

Some of the houses and people here in Bluefields.

So Bluefields is definitely not like a resort, ha ha. The people here are still really poor, but actually not as bad as other areas that I have served in. There are some areas that are extremely poor, and yet other parts of the city with huge houses (but strangely, they seem to have about the same lifestyle as the poor people). The houses here in Bluefields are bigger (in general) and a lot of the people here have washing machines and big stereo systems in their houses. I see some tourists and college students here almost every day, but there really is not much here for tourists to see. There aren't any sandy beaches at all. Plus, the water in the bay is so dirty there is no way you would want to even touch it.

Our bathroom is nicer than most I have seen here, ha ha, but
I almost don't fit underneath the shower!

There are tons of African-Nicaraguans, and most of them speak English Creole, which is pretty close to English so a lot of them can communicate with us in English if they want to. I am also starting to learn another language called Mesquito, but mostly just a few words and phrases so far. It is definitely a different world over here in Bluefields and after nearly two weeks, I would say the work here is a little harder because the people so far seem a little less accepting. We have been sweeping the areas like crazy trying to find some new people to teach, and the majority of them so far have rejected us hard. I feel like so far it has been a little harder than my last area in Ciudad Sandino.

This is where all the magic happens! Our desks and study area.

But, the branch of the church here in Bluefields is super cool! I am getting to know the leaders better, and they have a reputation for giving a ton of references to the missionaries. The branch is HUGE! There are about 1300 members that live here (I was told), and the attendance at church on Sunday is around 150 people each week (which is bigger than a lot of Nicaraguan wards I have seen). In fact, there were six missionaries here several months ago, but some problems came up last Fall and some missionaries were sent home. Since that time, there have only been two companionships (four missionaries), so there is a lot of work to do here!

I won't say it is cold here, but it definitely gets cooler here at night.
Here we are taking shelter from a passing rain shower.
During the daytime, I have never sweat so much in my life! #humidity.

Every single view here is breathtaking --
the camera really doesn't do it any justice.

As I have been walking around the city, it seems like everything here smells kind of fishy, or some type of old, watery smell that reeks, ha ha! Everything here in Bluefields is more expensive, but they actually have a lot more stuff to purchase than in Sandino or Masaya. I haven't really ate anything too weird yet, but I am hoping to try some sea turtle (which is supposed to be a delicacy) and hopefully some iguana. Plus, lobster season starts this month, so yes, I will be eating a TON of seafood, and especially the lobster (which I don't remember ever trying before). Also, they have this bread here that they make with coconut milk that is some of the best bread I have ever had (it has no coconut taste whatsoever and it is thick and soft). They cook all the rice here in coconut milk, but it is not much different. The lunch cita here is not quite as good as compared to my last area in Sandino because the food is a little more plain. Some days we don't get much more than just a big plate of rice! There are lots of weird, exotic fruits here, and I love mamones, and this other type of fruit that I think is called 'soursop' in English.

A pic of some mamones.

Sounds like everyone had a great 4th of July back home. One down, and only one more to go for me. I did hit my 10-month mark last week, btw. Oh, my little brother learning to drive scares me, and he looks SUPER skinny... which is weird...but he better take care of the car! Praying for everyone back home who is sick and having surgeries.

P.S. -- I almost forgot!! A couple of my converts in Sandino called me and they are leaving for the temple in Honduras tomorrow! SO AWESOME!!!