Tuesday, October 24th - Monday, October 30th

Big long mass email.

So Monday we didn't do a whole lot, just cleaned the house and wrote and such.

Tuesday worked and such. And got things ready for the morning since we were going to have interviews with the misión president. So staying up a bit late prepping for that....haha like all the missionaries do.

Wednesday starting off nice and early a zone meeting followed b interviews. It wasn't all that bad. I got my package that I've been waiting for from my parents. So I'm happy with that. Got some wonderful goodies and it's been pretty fun to have. 

Thursday more work. Nice and hard.

Friday visited the sister's áreas with one of our ZLs Elder Fankhauser. So we went around visiting and helping them out there then a bit in our own area. 

Saturday morning it was kinda funny but we sent Fankhauser alone with a member who had a car who was already gonna go to Estili so we didn't have to take buses back. Then we ended up working

Sunday we had church and how weird. For the first time in a long while I didn't have to give a talk or a class. It felt weird  but a nice Little rest.  And that was pretty much my week. Today we went to celebrate the birthday of Elder Fankhauser, so we had an activity at the church, it was fun. Anyways see ya all next week.

- Elder Vogt

Tuesday, October 17th - Monday, 23rd

So weekly letter time. Well I don't have a whole lot to put just since we were in a Trio this whole week with another elder Elder Najera. 

So Tuesday we had a district meeting, and then went out to lunch to celebrate the birthday of one of the sisters. 

Wednesday we had a multi zone meeting in Matagalpa..... they usually are in Estili...I thought once I got switched from Matagalpa to Estili I wouldn't have to travel so far to go to the meetings...I was wrong...They changed it to where I was before. But oh well. I got to go back and see some people I knew before, so that was cool. So we went there in a mini bus that was rented out by the mission for the transportation, got there and had the meeting, a 70, elder Cordon came and it was good, had dinner there in Matagalpa, and headed back.

Thursday well it was a nice normal work day, not much special

Friday we visited an investigator Hno Trinidad and he was super positive and ready for his baptism tomorrow. Saying that he was talking with some of his family and friends about this decision he has made of joining our church and how he prayed and knew this was the right thing for him. So that was really cool

So Saturday we started off nice and early. and got everything ready then we headed to Estili with the branch president and a couple people for the baptism and had a great time. IT was supposed to be a big activity with all the areas baptizing, but only us and the ZLs had for that day, but oh well it was good. Did that then headed back

Yesterday Sunday we had church and had an interesting experience in the morning. We were about to head to the church before it started but we were like nah we will go for 1 more person so we went to a house they said they coudln't go since they were sick as we were walking out a random guy we talked to once called for us (he lives in a different house) we talked briefly and then invited him to church (this was like 15 minutes before church started) and he slipped on a shirt and came with us then and there. That was cool

So that was a bit of my week. Thanks for reading.

- Elder Vogt

 

Tuesday, October 10th - Monday, October 16th

So this week has been pretty full. So what we ended up doing is we had a busy week working, had divisions Friday and milked a cow Saturday morning and hosted a mutual for the young men and women in our branch. So we did that had a nice day at church and climbed a mountain for the activity today. 
Sorry for not writing all too much but thanks for reading! 
See you all next week.
- Elder Vogt
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Additional Info from Family Emails:

* Trinida is on date for Baptism

* He, Elder Hughes and Elder Soares milked one of Trinida's cows and then drank the milk (he said it was "alright, a bit warm but good and pretty creamy")

* Elder Najera will be staying with him and Soares until Saturday

* There is a Multi Zone Conference in Matagalpa this week

* The Branch President and his wife feed them every night

* Their Mountain Climbing activity was supposed to be a Zone Activity, but he said that 4 companionships baled. He enjoyed the people who did go - in addition to he and Elder Soares, there was Elders Hughes, Najera and Fankhauser and Sisters Amado and Lainez

* The Mountain overlooked his area of La Trinidad (La Trinidad is a smaller outlying city of Estili... he said think of Laural MT compared to Billings, MT)

* After their hike up the mountain, they went to eat at a Burger King in Estili

Tuesday, October 3rd - Monday, October 9th

So we gonna start this weekly letter off like this. With this introduction I am just typing as I go. Honestly I don't even know what I am gonna write I'm just kinda letting my fingers go wild. Well I don't wanna bore ya all too much so I might just leave it at this. 

Tuesday starting off bright and early we had to head to the church to clean a bit for an acticity, so we did that and had a nice day with us and elder Najera over here with us. Since Today is a ZL meeting in Managua so his comps are over there.

Wednesday I dropped my shoes off in the morning with our Branch President, and then in the afternoon we went to the area of some of the sisters over here in our district so my companion could do a baptisimal interview for two of their investigators. So while Najera, the sisters and I were waiting we were telling and trying to solve various riddles. It was all good. We headed back to our area to work a short bit then ended up chilling in the house at night staying up just chatting with the three of us. Got my shoes back, they aren't bad but they didn't have the best fitting sole but oh well. Beggers can't be choosers.

Thursday we had a zone meeting there in Estili. So we dropped off elder Najera and had the meeting. but would ya know..... I have divisiones. So I worked with Fankhauser and Najera today in their area.  We left with the senior missionary couple the Koelikers or something like that. And it went all well. Was a nice time but we had to walk a whole lot in the mud.

Friday so came back and it rained pretty bad but oh well. we had a decent day of work and everythig

Saturday starting off early headed over to the area that my comp did the interviews for earlier this week. So we went to the baptism of them both and it went well, then we came back and cleaned the church to get it ready for Tomorrow.

 

Sunday we had church and all it went nice. I taught the 2nd hour class and yeah that's about it. Had some nice pasta for dinner.

Thanks everyone for Reading. Write again next week.

 

Love, Elder Vogt

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additional info from family emails

 

* Had my first church meeting with the new Branch... it was good. A lot of old people (over like 30) so it was a big change from my last one haha.We meet in kinda like a building from my old branch just a bit nicer. And we meet at 9am

 

* The Branch President invited us and another companionship to dinner, so they made a delicious pasta dinner but then the other companionship couldn't come so we got to eat it all and take a bunch home!

 

* For Pday today, we cleaned the house and just kinda chilled in our area, didn't do anything really special

Tuesday, September 26th - Monday, October 2nd

So talking about my week...

Starting Tuesday, we started off the morning with no water, so we went to the church to wait out the time. During the time there I caught an iguana by trapping it and chucking pieces of wood at it. Don't worry it was fine not hurt or anything just a bit stunned and then I let it go. Then in the night we got a message that the next day that my companion, Soares, had to go to Managua for a meeting with the other district leader. So the other elders Espinoza and Basset came over and we had a huge dinner.

In the morning Soares and Espinoza left so I had a chill day with Basset since we both dind't know my area snice he is new to the zone too and it was the 2nd day. so it was fun I had a good time wiht him.

Then the comps came back and we slept.

So Thursday morning we cooked early before heading to the zone meeting then afterwards went to work.

Friday we had the ZLs here to do a baptismial interview for an investigator set for next week. Then we were going to have an activity at the church but no one came because of the rain.

Saturday and Sunday. Well pretty much we had conference so that's pretty much all we did hah. It went well I enjoyed the talks and all.

Love, Elder Vogt

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Additional info from family emails:

* No more washing clothes by hand in a basin! Our Branch President lives pretty much next door and he has a washing machine that we use

* Our meals are also taken care of here - I'm thinking I might end up gaining a little bit here because of that! haha
 

* We have Elder Najera with us for the next 3 days. His companions have to go to Managua, so he will stay with until until the Zone Meeting on Thursday

* We had a Zone activity today - we met at the church and played games (like Clue) and then ate. Our Zone has more Sisters than Elders but they are all super cool 

* It's super rainy here. I finally found another umbrella a couple of weeks ago, though

* We went to the church and watched all sessions of Conference. They just have the words dubbed over in Spanish 

* My favorite talk was by President Eyring -  found it really clear and direct

* My companion has been here in the area for 4 transfers

* We serve in a Branch of about 30 members. The Branch President is very supportive and encouraging to us - which is a nice change. The Branch is fairly new, only being created about 2 years ago