Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Out of the warphole and into the water!
Well so many things have happened this week. Its been a week full of challenges and full of blessings. But the Biggest thing that happened was I got changed. I got out of the Warphole!! Haha that means I am no longer in the Luque stake. My new area Is called "Trinidad" and I am in Asuncion right now. Its so different here. There are a TON of cars here. Like Emboscada was out there and there wasn't much of anything. Here there is everything... Cars, tons of people everywhere, lots of noise, Cigarette smoke and dogs in the street... It's so different. I feel like it's a little bit more like the states. My area is a lot smaller than Emboscada and there is a lot more asphalt here. I'm sure my shoes are loving it. I like Trinidad because it is so close to where the church began here in Paraguay. We have some of the oldest Paraguayan converts and they have some amazing stories. For example, we met with the third Paraguayan to get baptized on Friday. He was baptized I believe in 1965. He told us that he has represented the Church in Paraguay for many years and has been able to travel to Utah for Conferences and meetings. I've met people that helped build the temple here. I know an Architect that helps design and build all the chapels in Paraguay. The architect is named Jose. He speaks English and has read the Book of Mormon (In English) more than 36 times. I love all the history here.
My new companion is Elder Fermin. He is from a native tribe of Nivacle here in Paraguay. He comes from the north of Paraguay in "the Chaco" and he has about 7 months on the mission. It's hard for him because he didn't speak Spanish before the mission. So Spanish is his second language also. It's hard because he doesn't talk much. In fact he talks very little. I try to let him talk in lessons but he just says a little line and then won't say much more. I'm not sure if he doesn't understand or if he just doesn't want to talk. I feel like he just doesn't want to talk. So its been pretty hard. Just not having anyone to talk to. Or someone to respond to me. But honestly I love this opportunity. I believe that he is a direct descendant from the lamanites. Its a pretty special opportunity that I have to be with him. It's a tough challenge, but it's worth it.
So last week I told you about a crazy wind storm that tore up trees by the root... well, here there aren't any trees torn up, but there has been a ton of flooding. They say the the Paraguay river has grown over a mile wide on each side. There are tons of people with houses underwater. Honestly its nuts how much water there is. The government has given thin sheets of plywood and 2x4s so people can build temporary homes. It looks very very poor, because there are tons of wooden huts that line the street. I'm sure that some are poor and have lost most of their possessions, but I get a feeling that most are ok. It's been a mess trying to find members, because they have all moved and nobody knows where they live now. So we honestly don't know where a lot of people are. But we will be searching this week!!
I love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas (emphasis in the Christ)
Elder Jared
My new companion is Elder Fermin. He is from a native tribe of Nivacle here in Paraguay. He comes from the north of Paraguay in "the Chaco" and he has about 7 months on the mission. It's hard for him because he didn't speak Spanish before the mission. So Spanish is his second language also. It's hard because he doesn't talk much. In fact he talks very little. I try to let him talk in lessons but he just says a little line and then won't say much more. I'm not sure if he doesn't understand or if he just doesn't want to talk. I feel like he just doesn't want to talk. So its been pretty hard. Just not having anyone to talk to. Or someone to respond to me. But honestly I love this opportunity. I believe that he is a direct descendant from the lamanites. Its a pretty special opportunity that I have to be with him. It's a tough challenge, but it's worth it.
So last week I told you about a crazy wind storm that tore up trees by the root... well, here there aren't any trees torn up, but there has been a ton of flooding. They say the the Paraguay river has grown over a mile wide on each side. There are tons of people with houses underwater. Honestly its nuts how much water there is. The government has given thin sheets of plywood and 2x4s so people can build temporary homes. It looks very very poor, because there are tons of wooden huts that line the street. I'm sure that some are poor and have lost most of their possessions, but I get a feeling that most are ok. It's been a mess trying to find members, because they have all moved and nobody knows where they live now. So we honestly don't know where a lot of people are. But we will be searching this week!!
I love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas (emphasis in the Christ)
Elder Jared
Monday, December 14, 2015
Storm!
Hola familila!!
This week has been a better week than last week! We had a little bit more success getting into houses teaching people!! So that's a good thing. BUt the internet connection is really slow right now and there isn't much time so its going to be a quick letter! I just wanted to tell you a weird thing that happened this week. It was Wednesday and we had just finished an "Emergency service". The sister needed help laying a cement floor and there was supposed to be a storm coming
through this week. so we finish the service around 5 and were getting ready to leave and work when this huge wind storm rolled through. It was seriously}y the strongest wind I've ever seen in my life. It was honestly crazy. So we were about to leave and the light goes out. So in the storm and without light, we were told that it was to dangerous to leave so we had to stay inside. So the next day we leave and there are HUGE trees completely uprooted. I've never seen anything like it in my life. It was crazy! I have pictures but I don't know if i'll have time to upload. Sorry to make it short, it just that time didn't work out today! I'll write more next week!
Love you all. And I'm safe and sound,
Elder Jared
This week has been a better week than last week! We had a little bit more success getting into houses teaching people!! So that's a good thing. BUt the internet connection is really slow right now and there isn't much time so its going to be a quick letter! I just wanted to tell you a weird thing that happened this week. It was Wednesday and we had just finished an "Emergency service". The sister needed help laying a cement floor and there was supposed to be a storm coming
through this week. so we finish the service around 5 and were getting ready to leave and work when this huge wind storm rolled through. It was seriously}y the strongest wind I've ever seen in my life. It was honestly crazy. So we were about to leave and the light goes out. So in the storm and without light, we were told that it was to dangerous to leave so we had to stay inside. So the next day we leave and there are HUGE trees completely uprooted. I've never seen anything like it in my life. It was crazy! I have pictures but I don't know if i'll have time to upload. Sorry to make it short, it just that time didn't work out today! I'll write more next week!
Love you all. And I'm safe and sound,
Elder Jared
Monday, December 7, 2015
A Bag of Noodles --
Yes I know.. Very interesting interesting subject line wouldn't you say?? What does a bag of noodles have to deal with missionary work? To help you understand we have to take a trip back in time.. back to last May......
Kast May the assistants to the President came to our district meeting. They did an object lesson that really helped. They had two bowls full of two types of noodles. Most of them were big noodles that were shaped like a elbows and there were a few of the same noodles, but much much smaller... I hope you understand what I mean... but each companionship had 2 minutes too find as many of the small noodles as we could. By the end of the two minutes, we could find maybe 2 or 3 little ones. Nothing more. We had to search through all the big ones to find them. They related it to how we have to contact everyone, to find the ones that are ready.
I hope you understand the activity... But this week Elder Bustillos and I were thinking about that a lot this week. We were focusing a lot on finding. putting our hands into the bowl of noodles and as for now we have found a bunch of big noodles.. SO its been pretty dificult just not finding anyone to teach this week.. But that just means that our "2 minutes" just aren't up. We didn't give up and yesterday we calculated that we must have talked with nearly 200 new people this week. 200 people had the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus Christ. So that animated us a lot. We felt that we had done well.
But Nicanor and Reina weren't able to attend this week. We go every Thursday now so we will see what they need.
Familia Fleitas is happy as ever. Ceferino is really animated to work and help less actives come back into the fold.-
Not much else to say. It was just a week of the same ol same ol. But I will send more pictures this week
Love you bunches
Elder Jared
Kast May the assistants to the President came to our district meeting. They did an object lesson that really helped. They had two bowls full of two types of noodles. Most of them were big noodles that were shaped like a elbows and there were a few of the same noodles, but much much smaller... I hope you understand what I mean... but each companionship had 2 minutes too find as many of the small noodles as we could. By the end of the two minutes, we could find maybe 2 or 3 little ones. Nothing more. We had to search through all the big ones to find them. They related it to how we have to contact everyone, to find the ones that are ready.
I hope you understand the activity... But this week Elder Bustillos and I were thinking about that a lot this week. We were focusing a lot on finding. putting our hands into the bowl of noodles and as for now we have found a bunch of big noodles.. SO its been pretty dificult just not finding anyone to teach this week.. But that just means that our "2 minutes" just aren't up. We didn't give up and yesterday we calculated that we must have talked with nearly 200 new people this week. 200 people had the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus Christ. So that animated us a lot. We felt that we had done well.
But Nicanor and Reina weren't able to attend this week. We go every Thursday now so we will see what they need.
Familia Fleitas is happy as ever. Ceferino is really animated to work and help less actives come back into the fold.-
Not much else to say. It was just a week of the same ol same ol. But I will send more pictures this week
Love you bunches
Elder Jared
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