"BASICALLY, I LOVE PARAGUAY!!"

"Hello! Happy Monday! How are you all? This weekend went by quick! I feel like I just wrote you. But ya, always something to write! Lets see....Friday morning we had our plan guazo after studying...its our big weekly planning session that we have each Friday for about 2 hours to discuss our plans for teaching, investigators, how we can best help them, etc. The rest of the past few days have been pretty normal. lots of teaching, and lots of help from the members. we didn´t reach our goal of 25 lessons with members for this past week...but this week, si o si! I feel like its a rollercoaster ride with our investigators right now. They are such good people but are struggling to accept the truth and progress. The adversary is real and will do anything. However, we are trying our best to help them to receive their answer and prepare for baptism."

"The weather has turned cold--por fin--and I think its here to stay this time around. It's weird to see everyone in their sweaters and jackets and not sweating. I like the chilliness and being able to wear my cardigans! However, it's been raining alot these past few days.....big storms during the night, power outages, and during the day it has been doing a constant drizzle. I feel like I´m walking under misters or something. The streets are all muddy and filled with puddles. One thing I don´t like about the cold is that no one is out on the streets anymore...it's sad and makes it a bit more difficult to make contacts with people."

"Okay, I have been reading the book ´Our Heritage´this past week and just finished this morning. Loved it. I didn´t want it to end. The stories about the early saints are inspiring. They seriously suffered and went though so much yet had great faith and determination to follow their Prophet and the Lord. such examples! The thing that I have thought about how this really wasn´t too long ago and how the church has rapidly grown since. It really is a marvelous work!"

"So mom asked about how my haircut went. Haha. La verdad, I was a bit nervous when an older man, about 60 years old told me he was going to cut it. Sketchy. However, I told him over and over again that I just wanted barely nothing cut off. And that's what he did. My hair is fine. It's no ROLFS haircut (ha!) but it´ll do since I only wear it in a ponytail every day."

"So I feel like each week I have a new animal or bug story to share. Ha. So, here it goes..there is this dirt path that we take to get to a members house which is surrounded by plants and this one huge tree that is full of bats...especially at about 6 or 7pm. The thing is, the bats just don´t stay up in the tree but swoop down almost running into us...its seriously scary! Yesterday we happened to have our umbrellas so we pulled them out of our backpacks and used them as shields as we ran by! Usually I cling onto Hermana Jara and close my eyes because if one comes near me...I don´t want to know or see it!"

"This sunday I will be completing 6 months of my time here in the middle of South America. And 8 months on my mish. Wow. I feel like I have so much work to do in such a short time. And time is passing by faster and faster. Eek. Basically, I love Paraguay. I really am so grateful for the opportunity to serve such sweet, humble, kind people. They are awesome. I love being able to testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ each day and share how our Heavenly Father has restored the gospel on the earth. The message is true!!"