Sweet Blessings 16 August 2010

Kyle and his companion, Taylor Whatcott chillin in a hammock


Alright so super sweet blessing this week.

Wednesday it was looking like we weren't going to have any baptisms this weekend, so we decided to interview a couple people and just see what the zone leaders thought, but Wednesday we got a phone call of a reference of a family that went to the church in Guatemala and wanted to keep going to the church. It was only a mother and her daughter that had been to church but there are 10 other kids and some have husbands. We went to the house on Thursday afternoon and we put a baptismal date for Saturday. Friday they had there interviews and Saturday they were baptized and Sunday they were confirmed. Also we baptized this guy that calls me Chuck Norris he is the brother of the black family that was baptized.

We had some super sweet blessings. As far as retention there are 35 recent converts that are in our area and so far in this month 25 of them have been to church so its alright. As a mission we have like 67 percent retention, so we have a lot of more work to do.

It is going to be sad leaving my area after 7 months but I am pumped to move on. It will be interesting to see what happens. I think I am in for a surprise on Wednesday, but who knows they are just rumors.

Sounds like things are going good back home. It is crazy to think Travis is a Junior and also I am old, I am almost 20. That is so sad to think about. Growing up sucks.

I think that is all. Oh I pulled 75 dollars out of my account. Sorry I needed money for the baptism and gifts and stuff for peeps.

Well love you and have fun back home.
11 months today - woo hoo
only 14 more.
Love, Elder Bloomfield


Home of one of the families with several children that Kyle taught and baptized.

Crazy Week 9 August 2010

This week was pretty nuts. I will start with yesterday. We had every thing planned out to have a sweet baptism of 8 people this week end, but every thing that you could imagine bad happened. Here are some of the things that happened. One of the guys was drunk, the others didn't come to church and the others couldn't get permission from their parents. I think for my first time ever, we only had one investigator in church on Sunday. It was pretty frustrating. now I don't know if we will baptize any body this weekend. We will see what happens.

This next week is the last week of the change or transfers. I think finally I will be able to leave the area but we will see. I have been here since February and can see my first area from here, so I am ready for a change. Any thing could happen, so I guess we will wait and see.

I am also kinda sad to be leaving. This change has been a ton of fun and real rewarding with my companion, good old Elder Whatcott. He is such a great guy and is doing so well.

I was thinking, Kara goes home really soon, that's nuts. It's just around the corner. It's crazy, it seems like I just left and like I am going home soon also (in another year and 2 months).

The 3 musketeers are all over the world now. I am in Nicaragua, Zach is in New Zealand and Mo is now in Ghana. Pretty crazy huh, but Mo only gets 4 months. Kind of a bummer for him.

I am not sure what else to talk about. I think that is all. Oh I might shave my head today with a 2 on the whole thing but I am not sure. Last time I cut it, it was like a 3 on top and a 2 on the sides. Don't worry I can't wait to grow it out when I get home. Then I will do sweet new Nica hair dos.

Well thanks for every thing have a good week.
Love, Elder Bloomfield

Getting even shorter emails 2 August 2010

This week every morning I had meetings with the the new President of the mission, Pres. Arredondo. It was for the zone leaders and district leaders (Kyle is now a district leader) from 8 to 12 every day. It was awesome. I was able to learn so much. It was super spiritual and it was fun to be there. If we can do now what we were taught, this mission will just fly off the charts.

Well I don't know what to say.
So I will talk to you next week.
Love you!

Short and Sweet (not much going on as he is sick) 26 July 2010

I am just hanging out here. It is super hot partially from the sun and partially the cold / fever I have. Don't worry not a big deal life goes on. Well I have been learning a ton these days with my kid (that is what they call a new missionary that is being trained). It's crazy how we can learn so much in just a week.
I don't know what all to write this week. I am doing great, the mission is doing great. In fact, this next week we have a 4 days of classes. All the leaders of the mission will be having a conference. It will be a long time to sit and talk, but I always leaved so spiritually pumped, so it is worth it.

Well sorry, but I think that is all I have for right now.

Oh and changes are in 3 weeks and if the intuitions I have are true, I will be happy in my next area, but we will see.

Love you and keep safe,
Elder Bloomfield

The curse of the Parasite! 20 July 2010

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, it was a holiday here in Nicaragua, so every thing was closed. It was good old Presidents day here. Every body was just running around like a bunch of crazies.

Let's see, oh I have a secret but you can't tell (I think that is so I don't tell his Mom). This week Elder Whatcott got a parasite so we didn't work much. He went to the bathroom with diarrhea over 60 times. We didn't leave the house to work for like 3 days. It was pretty bad, but now he won't eat anything because he is scared of getting another parasite. He is down like 20 pounds, but I am still rocking super healthy.

We had interviews with the new president on Friday also. They went really well. He asked how much time I have in my area. When I told him, he was like "wow that is a ton of time in one area". I said "I know tell me about it!!!" Then he asked how many I had baptized in that area and again he was like "wow that is a ton of people to baptize."

This past Saturday we finally were able to baptize the kid that was gay. He has changed a ton and we had to go through so much work to get to be able to do that. He had an interview with the new mission president and it was his first interview ever. It was pretty funny. I handed him the paper we have to fill out with every baptism and he just looked at it and was like why did you give me this. I had to explain to him all about the paper. It was funny, but now he knows.

Well changes are coming in 4 weeks, I can't wait to see where I go. I am so ready to leave this area. I am trying to leave with a bang and baptize a ton the last Saturday I am here. We will see how it goes.

Love,
Elder Bloomfield

No baptisms this week 12 July 2010

Well, this week was kinda sad. It was the first week in like 6 weeks not to baptize. It was really kinda weird. I didn't know what to do on Saturday with out a baptism. We have some this weekend.

Elder Whatcott and I are doing great. We are starting to have lots of success and he is getting pretty comfortable speaking to the people. He is a funny kid.

Sounds like you are having a ton of fun back home. You get to learn of the sacrifices of the members of the olden times and I get to give sacrifice with all the members today. In the MTC we would watch the Joseph Smith movie every other Sunday and watching it always brought tears to my eyes. Don't worry Mason, I didn't cry. You know that your big bro doesn't cry.

Sorry I don't write much these days, every thing seems the same to me every week. Time is just flying. It seems like nothing has happened since the last time I wrote you. The same amazing miracles happen week after week. Don't worry, just because I don't write much it doesn't mean any thing is wrong with me. I am just not a fan of writing. You know that mom.


New bed cover

I haven't gotten any letters or packages for like 4 weeks due to the splitting of the mission and the changing of offices. There has been issues, but don't worry one day I will get them.

Well I am still having a ton of fun and enjoy my mission like no other.

Love you,
Elder Bloomfield

Happy she made the right decision!! 5 July 2010

Elder Bloomfield (Kyle), not sure who the middle Elder is and Elder Francis.

Well it was a pretty eventful week. Every thing went real well, we had a couple of super cool spiritual experiences and others that weren't so spiritual. But every thing is alright.

One pretty funny spiritual experience was our baptism this week end. It was a family of 4 (a mom and her 3 kids). One of the daughters had gone to a church her whole life so she had little doubts about baptism. She loved the church and loved all the teachings. All week she was back and forth saying, "I will get baptized, or I won't get baptized, I will get baptized, I won't get baptized." She was just super undecided. when we went to pick them up from the house, the girl was like, "no I am not going to the church, I have to watch the house and stuff like that." She kept giving common excuses that she had to watch over the crappy tin house. We convinced her other wise that she could come to the church to watch the baptism, of her mom and brothers and sisters. After a little while she was like ok I will go just to watch. So we got her there and we were waiting for some other people to show up and while she was sitting there waiting every body passed by and congratulated her on her baptism and stuff like that. She would give us the meanest faces, it was really funny. When we were giving the rest of her family their baptismal clothes we convinced her to put some clothes on also and get baptized. So she put on the clothes and went into the the baptismal meeting. Baptismal meetings for the most part are opening prayer, hymn, talk, testimony, baptisms and then sing while they are changing their clothes, then welcome from a member, then song and prayer. Nothing luxury. Just saving souls. When it was this girls turn to get baptized she just sat at the door and was like "the door is holding me, it won't let me past" and stuff like that. It was funny. So I gave her my hand and helped her into the font. When I was showing her how to do it, she was saying "I don't want to, I don't want to," so I just said the prayer and dunked her before she could change her mind. After the baptismal meeting she was like, "well I came to the church thinking I wasn't going to get baptized, but I got baptized, and I am pretty happy I did it. Sunday she was the first person to the church. She had to wait out side because it was still locked. so that is my story of one of the things that happened this week.

Things with Elder Whatcott are awesome. We have so much fun. Having a gringo comp. is so much different then having a Latino.

I haven't met my new Mission Pres. yet, but I should meet him this week because we have a kid that needs an interview with him. He has been waiting for his interview for like 2 weeks so he is getting a little frustrated with us.

Another baptism from the week before of a young girl.

I will keep working hard here and stay safe so don't worry about me. I don't think I have any thing else to say so peace out.

Love you,
Elder Bloomfield

July 1st, President Carlos F. Arredondo became the New Mission President of the Nicaragua Managua North Mission as it was divided from the Nicaragua Managua Mission. Here is a picture of he and is wife and a little information about them from the church news:


Lorena and Carlos F. Arredondo

Carlos Francisco Arredondo, 52 and Ruth Lorena Laparra Veliz Arredondo (five children) are from the Acatan Ward, in Gualemala City Palmita Stake. Pres. Arredondo serves as a public affairs director and is a former stake President and counselor, bishop, and missionary in the El Salvador San Salvador Mission. Materials management manager for the Church. Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to Victor Manuel Arredondo and Graciela Elizabeth Castro de Arredondo.

Sister Arredondo serves as a ward Young Women president and is a former ward Relief Society and Primary president and ward Sunday school teacher. Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to Gilberto Antonio Laparra Martinez and Amanda de Jesus Veliz Laparra.