6th MONTH MARK!!!

"Happy March! Tomorrow is my 6th month mark on the mission. Wow. Time really does pass by quick. It's weird. A third of the way through. I feel like since I´ve been in Paraguay for 4 months now it should be all easy and smooth sailing...but really, thats not the case. It's difficult at times still for sure. A couple days this past week I seriously just felt so blah, and I think it's mostly due to the language. I´m at the point where I can communicate, but I want to communicate how I talk in English. It's frusturating at times, but I´m trying to be patient! I have realized and learned that those down times and frusturating days have brought me closer to my Savior and I've really learned to lean on Him for help."

"Yesterday we had a ward council meeting that the Bishop invited us to attend. I guess it's been the first ward council they´ve had in almost 2 years....eeek. But ya, I feel like the ward is really ready to progress and go to the next level and make some changes for the better."

"The work is going good. This past week we taught more lessons than any week before in these past 4 months. Busy, busy and running around. Makes for lots of blisters but puts a big smile on my face too! I like to be busy where at the end of the day I wish we had a couple more hours to work! We have some progressing investigators. One is Oscar, a 26 year old. We found him by clapping fences on Friday, taught him again on Saturday and he came to church yesterday. He's pretty hardcore Catholic, but I think he realizes that there is something different about our church and has a desire to know the truth. He said after we met him on Friday his mom was pretty upset that he had talked to us and that in his prayer that night he asked to be able to learn more about our church without problems in the family. Saturday after we visited he told his mom that he was going to be going to our church the next morning...expecting an angry response from her. But instead, she said oh good! Wow...the Lord really does soften hearts of people!"

"Saturday we did splits which was fun with 2 members in our ward. Hna Castaneda went with Silvia and I went with Hna Romero, the 67 yr old..and David, our ward mission leader came with us too. It was kinda weird cuz I felt like I had an Elder as my comp. David just returned from his mission and knows all the lessons so really it was me and him teaching. Kinda funny! I am so grateful for the help of the members in our ward. Saturday was rainy, streets were like rivers and lakes, but they still came....troopers!"

"Last Monday we made chipas with Silvia and Hna Canete. Way fun! I´ll have to send a pic. Today we had a zone activity. We had to be at a chapel, thats about 40 mins away, at 8am. We did our personal study there and then at 9 we had companion study guazo.....guazo is the Guarani word from grande. There were 22 of us there and we used the stage in the cultural hall and acted our scenarios to do practices..it was funny but we were all able to learn a lot from each other too! After that, we all changed, played some volleyball, ate ice cream, talked, the zone leaders gave us gifts....covers for out little hymnbooks...its totally South American and I love it. It´ll match perfectly with my covers that a member is making for my Spanish scriptures! Yay! I really like being with and talking with the other missionaries...it makes me feel normal as we share our struggles, funny stories, stories about our converts, etc, etc! Its nice just to talk!"


"Funny thing that an investigator asked the other day....Ii guess there is a rumor going around that Joseph Smith is buried here in the Chaco in Paraguay. Interesting...."

"So transfers are next week. We´ll find out Tuesday at district meeting and then change Wed. I´m pretty sure this time we´ll have changes. Most likey. But really, I feel like I can´t say that because of what happened last change! Most likely I´ll stay here in Leopardi and get a new comp. But who knows?! I have been praying hard to prepare myself for transfers and to accept whatever happens."

"Well familia, gracias por todo. you all are the best! I hope you know that you are in my prayers each day. This church is true. Live the gospel. Be obedient. and endure!! "