PARAGUAYAN ALEXA AND GAP HOODIES!!

Can you believe it's August! Today is exactly my 11 month mark on the mission. Wowww. Anyways, sounds like you had a great time in La Jolla. Sun or no sun, how could you not enjoy a nice vacation on the beach?! Mom gave me the day to day run down from all the fun activities you did down to the menu….my mouth was totally watering imagining all the yummy food you guys ate! Oh man, love LJ. Next year!!

So this past week was a good one. I´m thinking back and nothing like huge happened but it was a good week!

Renato is awesome and totally progressing. He may be getting baptized this Saturday. He´s totally prepared and we really want it to happen this weekend but the date is a little up in the air still. We are having an FHE with him and his family tonight to talk about it all. Seriously, we´ve seen such a change in him and its been amazing. Hna Cozzens and the other Hna before me taught him once before I came. The first time I went, well to be honest, I didn´t think he was serious and probably wouldn´t be baptized. I learned that I need to have more faith! He´s always reading what we mark in his BOM, comes to church on his own, asks us questions, learning a ton, knows a ton and ya....demasiado bueno el. And plus, get this, we found out he´s like a way good soccer player....like well known...and has a good chance of playing in the next mundial. Hna Ccozzens and Iare all excited because he´s like famous-ish. Ha!

Okay so one of our goals as a companionship for this transfer has been to go back to every person we taught a first lesson to and not to be like hmm, they didn´t seem interested. Just really trying to give everyone a second chance. We´ve been making the effort to do so and we have seen major blessings because of it. Some times the people are there and we teach them again. Some times they aren´t there, hide from us, lie to us, ignore us, etc....but it's been amazing to see how the Lord guides us to maybe that persons next door neighbor or down the road a little bit. I feel as if we´re in a cycle of some sort just looking looking looking to find those who are prepared. And everyday, the Lord leads us to them. We´ve found so many new investigators who we hope to progress. Another focus of ours is to really talk about baptism and even put a date for their baptism in the first visit. This lets us see what the persons desires, thoughts and motives are, more easily. We´ve really started doing that more this past week and its been great.

Basically. I love working with Hna Cozzens. She is awesome! Her and Hna Jara are tied for my fave companion here in Paraguay. Ha. But really, all my companions have been good.....just different....and I have learned from each of them. But really, when we´re totally united as a companionship it makes all the difference in the work.

So I have found a Paraguayan Alexa. It's this 7 year old girl in the ward here and she is so cute...and looks/dresses/talks like Alexa. She always comes up and gives me a big hug! Yesterday we were talking after sacrament meeting and knowing that I´m from the states, showed me her GAP hoodie that she was wearing and was telling me how her sister or someone brought it for her and that she likes to shop.. too cute!

We have zone conference this Friday!! Yay! I´m excited. We´ll have it with 2 other zones. We didn´t have it last change so I´m really looking forward to it!

Shout out to Natalie and Kayla................HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well fam, I love you all lots. Miss you guys. I always love reading your letters and hearing about what everyone is up to. I hope you all enjoy your last week of summer vacation. I can´t believe summer has like come and gone. I feel like I was just reading about when the school year ended for you all!

Well, Hna Cozzens and I are just off to do our grocery shopping and head back to our apt until 6. I´m excited to have some downtime this afternoon and to write some of my converts from Leopardi!

Just want you all to kow that I know this church is true. I know we have a living prophet on the earth today. How blessed we are to have his guidance. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Atonement is real. Our Heavenly Father really is our Father. He knows us and loves us. The gospel is great!

I LOVE YOU ALL!! Have a great week!!