Alright drum roll please....YES I got transferred! I am now in a place called Villa Flor in Managua and it is UNBELIEVABLY HOT!!! But there is a catch to this change...I finished my training finally but I got a call from my mission President, President Collado on saturday afternoon and he told me to start packing my stuff to come here to Villa Flor AND that I would be training! Yes...I am a trainer now! It's a little crazy that I just finished my training and now I am training someone. I love it though! My comps name is Hermana Ramos and she is from Honduras. She is literally the cutest! She doesn´t speak any english, but she is really ready to work which is a relief because I don't know this area at all! Villa Flor is like night and day compared to Matagalpa. There are real buses, stores, restaurants, AMERICAN MUSIC, and wait for it...I got to hear a Taylor Swift song today in the grocery store!!! It made my day! I am not going to lie...it was probably the most Chulpasa (“crappy") thing ever to leave Matagalpa! Sunday night I passed by for basically all of my investigators and recent converts to say goodbye. The worst was saying goodbye to the family that we married and baptized! The mom, Magadalena and the son Alan cried when I left...and so did I! It was like leaving my own family all over again...I hated it! I also had to say goodbye to Blankita my lunch cita and her daughters Anita and Blanca. I cried like a baby last night saying goodbye to them! Blankita became like a mom to me and was always watching out for me. Last night she made me one last plate of her famous Gallopinto and repochetas (quesadillas). She is so cute! They all have my email so we can stay in touch! Blankita told me if I don't come back to visit after my mission that she was gonna be really mad at me, so mom and dad...We have to come back, because one thing about Blankita is that you do not want her to be mad! HAHA! I am so grateful for the chance I had to work in Matagalpa and to be comps with Hermana Drollinger! This change is her last change in the mission and then she is going home! I hope I get to see her before she leaves! I am pretty sure I will. Other big news that I have is that on sunday night I got another call from President...and usually when president calls you personally it's either because you’re in trouble or he has an assignment for you. I knew he wasn't calling because I was in trouble and I knew it couldn't be about changes because he had already called to tell me I would be a trainer...so I was a little scared to talk to him...not gonna lie! I picked up the phone and before I could even say "Hola Presidente" he said "Hermana Dickey I have a job for you". I quietly thought to myself..."Oh no this could be interesting". He continued to tell me that in August we are having another mult-mission meeting with the north and south mission of Nicaragua and he needs me to put together a choir of about 50 missionaries and pick and song and direct it. Before I could even say "Ok esta bien" he says "Great thanks Hermana Dickey!" So needless to say the stress is on now because not only am I in a new area training a brand new latina, but I also have to organize an entire choir of 50 missionaries by August! Si se puede Verdad!! Haha! I am really excited for this opportunity and I am grateful for the confidence President has in me to be able to accomplish all of this! These next few months are going to be challenging and will definitely test my faith...by I am so ready to work hard here in Villa Flor! Hermana Ramos and I are going to "Hechar Fuego"!! Haha!

Yesterday I had my last baptism in Matagalpa and my last baptism with Hermana Drollinger. We finished strong! We baptized a woman named Jaqueline and her daugther Anielka. It was so great! Her other daughter is going to get baptized this saturday with Hermana Drollinger because she turns 8 tomorrow! She also has a 6 year old son named Elder! About 6 years ago the Elders who were in our area were teaching her when she was pregnant with Elder and she thought the Elders were so nice that she named her son after them! Needless to say when he goes on his mission his plaque will have his full name...Elder Gonzalez!

I hope everyone is having a great week and that this week is even better! Here in Nicaragua mothers day is on the 30 of May...and no mom I can't skype you again...But Happy mothers day again to all you wonderful mothers out there! Buenos Suerte!

Love, Hermana Dickey

Soy Nica....

1.When you are teaching a lesson in the home of a family with 40 chickens in their tiny house, a parrot, 2 dogs,and a turtle. Literally there are 40 chickens...I counted!

2. When the water in your house FINALLY comes back, THE DAY YOU LEAVE!! I think that was planned...

Hola Mundo!!

Well what a week! This past week was pretty great and we had some success in finding some new people! My comp and I are pretty nervous for changes coming up because this next change will be my comps last change in the mission and I will FINALLY be done with my training! I had an interview with my mission president last week and he said he wasn't sure what he was going to do with us...all i know is that I love Matagalpa so much and would be totally content with staying here HAHA! I will do what the Lord wants me to do though! Right now we have a lot of progressing investigators which I am so grateful for because when your new investigator tank is empty...it's not so fun! I am hoping to have a baptism of a mother and her daughter this weekend but she HAS to come to church...we will see! Lately it has been raining a lot here and when it rains it pours! The streets literally turn into rivers...it's actually kinda cool! I always swore to myself that I would NEVER wear or for that matter even buy crocs in my life...but mom you were right...there i said it! I am so glad I have shoes that are water proof, no matter how much I hate them! This week on thursday we are traveling to managua at 3 am to have a mission conference with Elder Duncan from the 70. My comp and I put together a choir of people in our zone and we practiced this morning and it sounded pretty good! Hopefully Elder Duncan will like it...and more importantly President Collado! Not much else to report! Sorry this weeks letter is lame...time runs out so quickly sometimes! I hope you all have a great week!

Hermana Dickey

Hola Familia!

Well this has been the best/stressfull weekend of my life! Saturday morning we got up early so my comp could skype with her family and then afterwards we went straight to the families house that we were going to marry and baptize that day to get them ready. I curled the little girl Julissa's hair and did the moms hair super pretty...because every girl wants to look good on her wedding day, no matter how poor you are or where the location is! After we got them ready they fed us lunch and then I left to skype my family! I'm not gonna lie...it was really great in the moment to talk to them and see their faces...but hanging up was like the experience of getting on the airplane all over again. My heart felt like it was in a billion pieces, but what picked it up and put it back together again was knowing that I had a family waiting to get baptized...together that night, and it all made it worth it! At 3 we went to our church building here in Matagalpa to decorate for the wedding. Hermana Drollinger and I had bought ballons, streemers and cake and decorated as pretty as we could. All I have to say is I have learned how to be creative ever since I have been in this dear country. The wedding started at 5 and as soon as the abogada announced "you may now kiss the bride" they cut the cake and we were on our way to getting the family baptized. We had everything ready to go. The font was filled, people were there to watch, the family was togther in white baptism clothes...everything was perfect...until Alan hijo got up to step into the water and we realized the Elder that has the keys to open the door to the baptism font left. Soooo we had to stall for a little while until he made his way back to the church to open the door. Hermana Drollinger and I improvised and sang a special musical number out of the spanish primary hymn book and then we sang some hymns with everyone, just to keep the spirit there. It actually was really awesome! Finally the elder arrived with the keys and we continued as planned. One by one the whole family stepped into the waters of baptism and became clean of their sins, renewed and happier than ever. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life! That day I got to skype with my family and yes it was hard to say goodbye again...but that night I got to help another family come closer to being a family for eternity. That's what its all about.

I have learned a BIG lesson since I have been here...well actually a couple lesons. One, as a missionary you have to be REALLY good at improvising HAHA! And two...this really is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ! I walk around all day long telling people that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, that they can be with their families for eternity and that they can be baptized and cleansed from sin...but why? To some those are just words...but for me and for all missionaries and members of this church...those are more than just words. That is happiness, that is joy, that is peace and most importantly...that is our savior Jesus Christ. He has provided the way for us to be baptized, to become sealed to our families for all eternity. He has provided this Gospel for us, to share with people, to not just SAY that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, but to testify, to speak from our hearts and help people feel, not just hear what we have to say. I KNOW with all my heart that this Gospel is true. I witnessed a whole family be baptized and confirmed this weekend and they all literally glowed with the light of christ. I am privileged to be a missionary. It is hard to be gone from my family, but all I have to say is that it is totally worth it!

I love you all so much. I am so grateful for your love and support. I hope this week is one of your best ones yet. I have every intention to make it mine!

Love,

Hermana Dickey

Hola Mundo!

What a week! This past week was really great and super busy as always. This weekend we are marrying and baptizing our family of 5 that we found about 3 weeks ago. Their wedding is this saturday and then their whole family is getting baptized right after the wedding...accept for their one year old baby of course, They are all super excited and so am I! My goal for the mission is to see a family that I baptized get sealed in the temple so hopefully a couple years from now I will be coming back and going to the temple with a family in Honduras to see them get sealed! Or for that matter the temple here right?;) Anyways the title of my email does have a purpose. This week we stopped by to teach our family and secure the plans for their wedding and the dad, Alan, decided he had a story to tell us and something to show for it. He continued to tell us a story about how he was really sick once and didn't know why. Turned out he had 71 kidney stones in his body that he had to pass...and he kept them all...in a jar...on his desk by his bed. He opened the jar and showed us and I thought I was going to throw up! It was so funny though! We were all just laughing! I seriously love this family with my whole heart! 

I am super excited to hear there will be a Chick-fil-a in Happy Valley! You all have no idea! I know the first place I'm going when I get home that's for sure! My cita de comida Blankita thinks I am too skinny so she always gives me more food than everyone else for lunch! I think I am gonna die! Haha! You can only eat so much rice and beans...I tried to tell her that but she is super stubborn so mom and dad...if I come home fat...blame it on Blankita! This week we have interviews with our mission president and certification so that should be interesting. At least my interview with president this time will be more productive than the last time because last time I didn't know anything the man was saying! I know WAY more spanish now! In 3 weeks we are having a meeting in Managua because another member of the 70 is coming. President asked me to put together a choir so i did. We will be singing "Una Luz sobre Monte" (Light on a hill by jenny phillips). It sounds so cool! Also my comp and I were informed this morning that out of the 110 companionships in the mission...Hermana Drollinger and I are number 3 in the whole mission. WE have been working really hard so we are super excited! Anyways I hope everyone has a great week this week and Happy Mothers day to you cute little moms out there! Te quiero todo!

We taught some people here how to make pizza! It was great!

Hermana Dickey