August 30, 2010

WOW!!!! What a week yall had! How exciting! I loved all the emails and all the news. That is so CRAZY that Skyler is going to Ty’s same mission! What a small world! Wouldn’t that be hilarious if Ty trained him? Haha. And Ty thanks for sharing what the member of the 70 had shared with yall, it helped me a lot! So wow quite a week! Alright here in Paraguay we had quite a week too!!! So we had the special changes from Monday night until Saturday morning and it was probably the best week of the mission. Hna G and Hna Henderson (who lived with me my first change and were super tyte) came to stay with me for the week and we just had a BLAST! We had the capacitacion (the conference thing) from 9-3 every day and it was just AMAZING! I just love being a missionary! It was so eye opening and man there are just so many things that I need to be doing better ha but I’m working on it, so it’s all good. We probably only got in like 6 hours of work the whole time they were here because we didn’t end up getting home until like 5 every day… we had a couple interviews with President and then I got super sick on like Thursday and waiting for colectivos and yeah, and then at night we had consejo de barrio (ward council) and a meeting with our mission leader. So the work was kinda limited which really stinks because this week we have to like start over again! Because all of the investigators from the hermanas that left are not progressing!!! I kinda wish we would’ve dropped them earlier because we just found out that they have been working with the other hnas for a really long time and they aren’t keeping their commitments. Ahhh dificil! So this week we are starting over with a new clean slate. We should be having a baptism this Wednesday with a man named Luis (again…stories for after the mish) and I’m really excited for him. He really wants to be baptized but we’ve just been trying to help him prepare better and he just loves us and teases with us all the time. When I first got here I couldn’t understand barely anything he said because he mumbles! But now were good. Ha he kinda reminds me of grandpa Bill, like the way he jokes around and everything, it’s hilarious. Aver… so something happened yesterday that changed my mission for me or maybe better said, changed my life. Bueno… actually this week there have been a couple different things that have happened that just COMPLETELY and TOTALLY changed my perspective about life! 1. There is opposition in ALL things. Something I have truly come to understand and treasure. We can’t ever truly appreciate something until we have truly understood the opposite.. like living here in Paraguay and seeing so much poverty.. Things that have literally broken my heart and I have felt completely hopeless on what I could do to help. And there were times when I asked, Heavenly Father, why them? Why do these precious little children and loving people have to live like this? Why did they get this life? I look at these kids, and yall know how much I love children… and their lives are just so so so sad. Most of them don’t know who their dads are, they live in trash (the other day we were walking over this lil bridge and underneath there was this nasty steam filled with trash and pigs and was just gross, and there was this lil boy, probably like 4 years old, searching for food. I’m sure yall can’t even picture that. But that is just how it is in a lot of parts of Paraguay. And just things like that happen every day. And then these poor moms that have all these children and NO SUPPORT and can’t find jobs and can’t provide for their children. Ah it just kills me. I feel so bad for these poor children that have to live in the mistakes of their parents. I honestly don’t understand how it works. But I know that God loves them just as much as anyone and that His plan is for EVERYONE. It is the ONLY plan that brings happiness. I am so eternally thankful for this knowledge that I have. I’m serious. God loves us. His love is so great for all of us individually.. I hope you pray to understand the greatness of the message of the restoration and then that you go out and share it! I love yall so much! And am so thankful for all your emails and love and support. It means the world to me, to have family and friends that actually care and that are such great testimony builders. That is AMAZING. There are times when I try to explain to our investigators about family prayer and family scripture study and family home evening…things that honestly were not my favorite things to do growing up, but now what a treasure that is to me-and they can’t even comprehend something like that. Now, I understand the difference it makes. That opposition. Ha now I understand how important it is to follow the council of the prophet. He really does know what he’s talking about. I don’t know why sometimes we don’t follow. But I know that if we do follow, we will be happy and we will live with God and our families again. Wow this email is all over the place! Just pray for me. Pray that we will find the people that are ready to accept this message so they can have the FULLNESS of the gospel. And that we can find a house! Ahhh! I love yall! Have a great week