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

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

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

Man. This week has been such a great week. Quite a bit stressful getting things already for the Baptisim/wedding. Lots of pictures to come. Haha. So that was really the main part of the week. Just going over final preparations and getting already for the big day Friday!! So basically everything that I will write about happened Friday so this will be a time by time Friday!!

6:00 am- We woke up and did exercises, early today because we had a ton to do. 

6:30 Am- get to the church to clean the baptismal font. It was a bit nasty because the last time it was used was last so there was a few bugs and stuff in the font so it had to be cleaned.Usually the branch would clean it but no one could do it so we had to sacrifice a bit of time to fill it. But I'm not complaining! The font took 3 hours to fill so we were there till like 9:30 doing a little study while waiting. 

9:30-shower before the zone leaders before we go to the Baptismal interview.

11:00- Baptismal interview. we couldn't do it any earlier in the week because Hmno Ceferino was working until Thursday night. So we had to go in the morning and it took sooo long for the interview. Like 2 hours. I don't know why it took so long but in the end they passed

1:00- a light lunch prepared by Hma Fleitas. 

2:00- Making a cake and weekly planning. Elder Bustillos made a banana cake. so while the cake was baking we were doing our weekly planning. Busy multitasking day. you gotta do what you gotta do

5:00-Back to the church to help clean. Just to get things spic and span for the night

7:00- Wedding. In Paraguay the bride and the groom have to have two witnesses each (4 in total). But the witnesses for Hmo Fleitas didnt bring their IDs so they couldnt be witnesses, so luckily passport photocopies work and Elder Bustillos and I both happened to have our copies so we were able to be witnesses! Haha it was quite unexpected but it was cool. 

8:00- baptism.there was so much support from the branch- The room was full with members, less actives and nonmember friends. The Hermana Maria Fleitas asked me to baptize her and my companion baptized Hermano Ceferino!

It is such an honor to help someone take this important step in their lives. All through the night I had one scripture going through my head. all night its Docterine and Covenants 18: 15-16

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

I testify that it is true. there is no other feeling greater than helping people come unto christ. I have felt the greatest gift in the world. The sweetest fruit that there is. I am satisfied with the work that I have done in these past 17 months and I cant waith to continue to feel this great joy through out my life. I love the work. I love my savior Jesus Christ. I am ready for this Christmas season to honor him. 

#ASAVIORISBORN #HANACIDOUNSALVADOR

Love,

Elder Jared

Wedding

Hermana Fleitas

Fleitas Family

Oh the things that you find!

Man this week has been such an interesting week... Crazy stories finding crazy people and amazing fun. Sometimes things just happen on the mission that you cant explain. Haha missions are the best :)

I feel that this week will be a good week to do a rare day by day :)

Tuesday: You ready for a funny story?? Haha this is a good one. So Elder Bustillos had returned home to eat lunch and before cooking he takes the trash out. Then, all of the sudden, He yells "ELDER! COME HERE!" so I go running out the door to see whats happening and hes in our back yard chasing a chicken around!! Then he Yells "Help Me!!" so we spend a good 10 minutes trying to grab a chicken. after sucessfully grtabbing the chicken, for some reason he takes it inside our house. and as he walks in, the chicken escapes. So we had a chicken loose in our house. It ran right into our bedroom and hid under my bed. as we were searching for the chicken, to our amazment we found another chicken that had walked in! so we had two chickens in our house!! It was actually quite funny!
So we had to spend another 10 minutes chasing chickens around our house trying to get them out. It was pretty awesome. I got it on video. Ill try to find a way to up load it.

Wednesday: WE had interviews with President. The time that I had with him was like GOLD! He helped me so much giving me such great advice to help me become a better missionary. I love my mission President!

Thursday: I had divisions with my friend Elder Stutz! I dont know if you remember him but we were in the same distric when I was in Juan de Salazar. So we have done many divisions together. It was fun to work with him. WE were able to teach Reina and she accepted a Baptismal date for the 12 of December. She is very shy but understands what we teach. Im sure she will progress twords baptism. She loves going to church and loves the Book of Mormon.

But Thursday night, We had an activity in our branch where we watched meet the Mormons. It was going all good until the story of the Fottball coach and then the electricity went. So we couldnt finisht the movie. We were told to go right home because all of Emboscada was without electricity and the streets were dangerous. so we had to go home and light up our house with candles. It was fun but interesting.

Friday: Everything was basically normal. Until we decided to visit a less active member that hasnt been to church for a few weeks. As we were talking she starts telling us about "revelations" that she is receiving. SHe told us that The Lord wanted us to start storing water and she wants the church to build houses for the members. We were just like....uhhh... then she explains to us that she talks with the Presidents of Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and wait for it.... Barak Obama. We honestly didnt know what to say. so we just kinda talked about profets and their role. It was a very interesting day.

Saturday: This was just a normal day. walking under the sun and enjoying the best job on the planet. I love it!

Sunday: It was our last chance to meet with Ceferino fleitas before his baptisim. He shared such a powerful testimony and I feel that he is truely converted to the lord. He has seen such a big change in his life and is prepare to make this covenent with the Lord. We see the same in his Soon-to-be-wife.

Looking forward to this week with a baptisim and a marrige!!

Love you all

ELder Jared

This has been such a great week for me. I have had a lot of fun this week walking under the blazing hot sun. I've got a few good stories for ya so I hope you enjoy.

The first story: I was on Divisions with Elder Ramirez (from Peru) and we were walking home for lunch. We were on a path that wasn't very populated. We could hear lizards running around through the bush. As we were looking for some lizards and suddenly we see this flash of green and suddenly there is a snake strangling a lizard. It all happened so quickly it was unreal. But Mom and Grandma, don't worry, the snake wasn't close to us so we were safe. But then Elder Ramirez grabs a stick and pulls the snake and lizard out of the bushes and kills the snake to take it home. It was pretty awesome to see something happen so fast. So that explains pictures this week.

Then on Wednesday, Sister Fleitas asked us to give a blessing to her granddaughter Milagros. She wasn't doing to well and they were thinking of taking her to the hospital but wanted the blessing first. So we give the blessing and she just sleeps. So we leave and we passed by Thursday to see how Milagros was doing. She was perfectly normal happily running and playing. It was a huge testimony builder for me on the priesthood.

Also this week were elections for the mayor of Emboscada. The voting was Sunday and it honestly was a mad house, so many people were there. There was lots of drinking and smoking so Elder Bustillos and I decided that It would be best if we avoided the town and went to one of the outlaying areas to work. Everything was calm over there but as it was time to go home, the results came in and everything just exploded.. We knew that we had to get home ASAP. So we basically start running, well not running, just walking super fast. We were walking down the main road and there were so many people out on the streets celebrating. they filled cars and trucks and buses with people to go celebrate in the center. We were about 2 miles from the center but we just knew that we had to go and get home. As we are walking through the center there is so much beer and drunk people, loud music and we knew we weren't going to sleep a wink with worries of drunks and loud music. But then out of the dark sky we see a huge storm cloud roll in. The cloud came out of nowhere. It seriously just appeared. There was tons of rain and lightning. So that stopped the party. We were able to sleep peacefuly last night. I know that God was watching out for us last night. I know it.

I hope you see as many miricales as I do!

Elder Jared

Changes and a softened heart

I don't remember if I told you, but this past week was changes. I am staying in Emboscada but I have a new companion. His name is Elder Bustillos from Ecuador. He came with me to Paraguay so we have know each other for a long time. He is a good friend of mine. We get a long super well. I love hearing about Ecuador. It sounds like a very interesting place. I would love to visit there. I dont know if you knew, but they use the American Dollar there! so there is no money changing. We will have to see if the opportunity presents itself to travel there.

But this week really has been a good week. Familia Fleitas has a date for their wedçding the 27th of November and their Baptisim the 28th. They are super excited and super prepared. They love the Gospel and have felt the effects of the atonement in their lives. They are super prepared to take this step.

Nicanor and Reina are progressing well. We only go to Nueva Colombia once a week. But they too look like they will be baptized here pretty soon. They are praying to know when they should be baptized so we will we this next week what they say.

But this week we have been focusing a lot on contacting and we have gotten a range of rejections and invitations. It's always nice when someone accepts you into their home. We found a family called Familia Martinez. I'm not sure they will progress. They are "Catholic" but don't do much. But you never know we will see.

It always hurts when someone rejects you. This week we were talking with a lady in the park. She grilled us hard for like 15 minutes just saying that we were wasting our time and how there isn't a true church and if there was a true church young men wouldn't preach it. We tried all our tactics (I.E. asking questions, talking about the bible etc.)  but she wouldn't have any of it. She was just hard core. So after getting grilled for 15 minutes there was nothing we could do so we just testified. It was extremely powerful. I'm sure the  spirit was with us. After she apologized to us but she didn't want us to visit with her. I'm not sure if we won the battle but at least we changed her mind about us. After testifying she said she gained a lot of respect for us. So I think we did good.

Looking forward to working with my new companion and best friend!!  Also, Pictures to come next week :)

Elder Jared