hey hey hey

Familia y amigos!!! How are yall?!!! I’m doing just fabulous! I love the mission! Oh the life of a missionary and the miracles we are able to witness. We’ve been working with this guy named Gustavo for the past monthish and he’s a stud. The problem has been that he already has his own religion and he’s comfortable there and he’s not really looking for a change in religion. Ha but wow it just amazes me how much truth there is in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and how many blessings and how much happiness comes from the gospel. Anyways, we’ve seen him everyday this week and it’s really cool because every time we see him we just dig into the scriptures and he always has scriptures that he’s marked that he wants to share with us and then tells us why he likes them and it’s just awesome! Oh there is so much power in the Book of Mormon! And also everyday this week we’ve asked him if he was going to come to church and everytime he said vamos a ver and never gave us a commitment. Well we were at his house on Friday and he was telling us that the night before he was just sitting outside by himself and had time to just think. And he was thinking about the church and thinking that he would just need a sign in order to know. Well we know that that is not exactly how it works when we receive an answer! So my guapa comp turns to Alma 32 where it talks about “blessed are those who are humbled without being compelled to be humbled” and about signs, etc. and while she was looking it up, I took the opportunity to bear testimony. I told him that what it comes down to is if the Book of Mormon is true; because it’s either true or it’s not. And if it’s true, WOW! If it’s true Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God, and that he was a prophet called of God, and that we have prophets today on the earth to guide us and teach us the things we need to do to return to God and to live with our families forever! Ha I just get so excited about it! Oh the church is so true! Anyways, I just bore testimony and told him that God had a plan for him and that he had so much potential and testified how important it is to attend church and then went on to promise him blessings if he would. And then after Hna Case shared the scripture he still hadn’t given us a commitment that he would come, but explained that the reason he couldn’t come was because he was having a reunion with his friends that they only do every like 6 weeks or something (and I guess he had already told us about that a couple weeks ago too) but said if they didn’t show up by 8 then he would come. So we prayed and prayed and prayed and fasted that he would come, and then what happened?! He came!!! Apparently his friend’s car had broke down. Ha is that a sign enough?! It was awesome and testimony meeting was so perfect. I love this gospel! And yesterday when we first got to church we were about to enter the chapel and Manu was like Hermanas, hermanas look! And we were like what in the world? And then out walks Emilio in his white shirt and tie! Ha it was so cute and it gets better...he blessed the sacrament! It was so awesome to hear his voice over the speaker blessing the sacrament, and knowing that he holds the priesthood authority of God and that he is truly a man of God. And it gets better…we asked him earlier in the week if he would share his testimony because one of us is for sure leaving this next change and he was so nervous about it because he didn’t know what to do or say. And he was sitting there with Gustavo and Manu and Manu kept nudging him to go up and then Manu went up and he still hadn’t gone and we only had like 5 min. left, and then he got up and walked to the podium! And he was like, well I just got baptized and this is my first time up here and I’m kinda nervous, and then he just lost it. He put his arm over his face to control his tears…which of course made me lose it…and waited like 30 sec and tried to talk again but still couldn’t. Then he got control of himself and just thanked God for being able to be a part of this great work and thanked us for bringing him the truth and testified how it’s changed his life. It was so awesome! Afterwards so many people came up and told us how impressed they were by him and how fast he was progressing and what a strong testimony he has and how he just brought in such a special spirit when he bore his testimony. Wow, what a special and sacred experience! You know how in the call letter it says, “you’ll experience greater happiness and joy than you have ever felt” or something like that…well that’s how I felt! My heart was just about to burst! I am just overcome with happiness and feel soo soo blessed to be a part of this great work, to be an instrument in the Lord’s hand and to be a part of his conversion and to have this opportunity to get to know these people! I love them so much already, it’s amazing because I still can’t understand them half the time. But my heart is so full of love for them and I just want them to experience the happiness of the gospel. Oh what a great work this is! I love it…and it makes it all worth it..for example…the fact that we have to shower out of the sink because there’s no water…or the fact that we didn’t even shower for the past couple days because there was NO WATER in our apt and the fact that we went to bed dirty and sweaty and stuck to our beds because it’s so humid and that we’ve gotten like a total of 10 hours of sleep for the last 3 days because it’s been so hot and humid! Ha pero igual no mas. I actually think it’s hilarious and I love experiencing all of this! Oh Paraguay! What an adventure. It doesn’t get any better than this. Camping, what?! The church is true and that’s all that matters. Love yall and love this work! Have a great week!! And also thank Sis Wariner for her letter! I love getting them! And I loved Emily’s too…I’ll write her back next week! And Chel better write me this next week all about her hot date! And I want pictures too! I also got Keri’s dearelder..gracias! It’s so awesome that you’re working for the Daily Universe, you’d be soo soo good at that! And that’s so cool that Chels is taking your engagement pictures, I can’t wait to see them! How exciting! I love getting yall’s letters! Keep them coming!!! Oh and before you send the package make sure to include: garments ( I want those bottoms you got me that came out new..they are amazing and I need some more tops!) also perfume, dove deodorant, toothpaste/brush, facewash, bobbypins, chapstick (a liquid kind), a calendar, one of those lil battery spray fans, koolaid, mixed nuts or trail mix, cheese itz, ped socks!!! (black ones), pictures, mascara and eyeliner. I can’t remember what I told you last week so yeah…but any food would just be fabulous! Love yall! Love, Hermanita Nelson