The Last Week

So this last week was the last week of this transfer! Its hard for me to believe that 6 weeks have already passed since I've been with Elder Proffit. honestly, Its been a great great change. We have seen a lot of progress in the ward and the members. There just seems to be lots of excitement in the members and that shows by our attendance yesterday. we reached an all time high for over 2 years with 87 people in church. It was so great just to see the chapel full. the Bishop was ecstatic and the leaders were so happy! There is a lot of excitement and with next week being ward conference, the members are going to be working so hard! Haha so I am excited for this week!! We are anticipating a lot this week, so everything is set up to be a great week!! Haha

But last week I promised a little report on our investigators, a lot of them seem like they wont progress, they just have made some excuses each time we've come to their door, but ill give a little update on all of our investigators!

Eduardo Ozuna is a little 10 year old of an active family. he was baptized when he was 8, the only thing is that he never went all the way under. they did it 3 times and the third time he got scared and just left the font, but he seems like hes ready to be baptized, we are just working a lot on getting his trust back, he has a date for the 7th of may. I feel like he will be baptized this time even though he is super shy. But he is progressing well.

Then we have Victor Azuada. He is a great investigator that has quit smoking since we have been teaching him. he really has huge desires to change. It really is incredible how the atonement of Jesus Christ has changed his life. he recognizes that he has changed, but still hast to change a lot. he is a trooper.

Next is Luz, she is an investigator that we had found contacting a few weeks ago. she is really interested and she seems like she will progress. she wants to go to church, the only problem is finding time to teach her. She is incredibly hard to find, but when we find her, the lessons are spectacular. The spirit is always with her because I believe she is earnestly seeking the truth.

That's really all of the investigators that seem like they will progress as of now. But something really awesome that happened this week is we had a huge service project for a family in our ward, they actually are recent converts and they live in very humble circumstances. Their names are Dani and Liz Paola. They have 4 little kids with 1 on they way and their house is literally sticks and bags with a roof. So as a ward, members donated time and talent to help their house, we were able to install water into their house replacing their roof and rewiring their house. The change was incredible. They were so happy and they were able to relieve a little bi of stress with that. Their home is a lot more comfortable and they are happy so I am happy!!

i love you all and if you have specific questions, just write me and Ill do my best to respond to them!!

Elder Jared

Summer's Last Laugh

Man this has been a good week of such great work!!  We had a great week of work this week so that always a good sign for a missionary!! But what made this week so great?? SO let me tell you...

Well, first of all, on Tuesday, we had the opportunity to attend the temple!!

 It was so great to be able to enter into the lords house. Every time its a special time. there is just so much peace, so much joy that I have when I enter into the temple. As a missionary I am sad to say that It was my last time. The temple will be closed when I go home so i was Kinda sad for this to be my last time. But I have to say, that this time was such a good learning opportunity.  I learned a lot and was spiritually revitalized. I love this Asuncion temple so much. It may be small, but Just like every other temple it is incredible. So That is such a great way to start off the week. 

I named this email because i feel like this week was summers last shot at making us miserable. Because man, it was hot this week. It had been cooling down but it shot up this week. But we had a nice rainstorm this week and everyone says that It should start cooling down. Making things a little bit more comfortable for us! So I hope that it stays cool!

But the other thing that happened this week that w<as so great is that we found 8 new investigators!! ( Ins quite incredible and never in my mission have I found so many in 1 week!! we found them all contacting! It was a great testimony builder knowing that contacting works!! but we will see how much they progress, some of them didn't seem to interested, but they accepted the baptismal invitation! ill tell more about the ones that Progress next week.

We are still working with Victor. He is doing well and has great desires of getting baptized. He really wants to change and is willing to do all he can to change. He has a date for the 28th of April, and he seems pretty firm for that date!! SO I am happy for everything that is happening here!! I love you all!!

Elder Jared

General Conference

Man what a great weekend it has been!! A weekend when we can listen to our Prophet and Apostles always has to be a great weekend!! I really loved these sessions there were soo much wisdom and soo much knowledge to gain from these wise leaders.. So Ill give you a quick highlight of my favorite talks!! First of all, we missed the first session and the priesthood session due to technical difficulties, But we got the other sessions!!

There were really Three talks that really stood out to me. All of them from the Quorum of the 12. I really Enjoyed Elder Christofferson, Elder Utchdorf and Elder Holland.

just a quick version on why they really impacted me,

I loved Elder Christofferson, because he really focused on the Father and the importance of them. I just want to send a quick shout out to my awesome Dad who really has done a great job. As I was listening, I could have made a list of awesome things that my dad could do. So dad, thanks for giving me such a great example. You are Awesome!!!

I loved Elder Utchdorfs Talk on the Lost sheep. But the story about the Cathedral really touched me for some reason. I believe he said something like "There is no life so shattered, torn or destroyed, that through Jesus Christ, It cannot be made whole."
I just loved it because I really have had a huge testimony increase on the Atonement. I know that everyone can repent. Its possible through him. It really touched me, thinking that that is what Im trying to do, Help others be made whole through Jesus Christ

And Elder Hollands Talk was soo full of love for us. It really was a great conference ender. I left my notes at home, but for some reason, His talk just really stood out to me. I love how much emotion he puts into his talks. It really is so incredible!! He is such a good speaker and I love him so much!!

I don't have much time, but I love you all!!!

Elder Jared

Additional letter to Family

The Holy Week

First of all, I want to start off my letter with a little tribute to the missionaries out in France that have been injured in this recent terrorist attack. I know Elder Wells and my companion knows Elder Empey. I feel that even though things like this happens, many people will be strengthened by the testimony of those missionaries. Things happen and the only way to accept it is to keep going. I don't know much about what has happened, but I hear that many people have been touched by the testimony of those Elders. I know that every missionary around the world, and the members of our church and other churches will be praying for them. Together we can unite as children of God and be firm in the faith. I feel that the attack was planned during this Easter week. Maybe some of the reasons behind the date of this attack was to disrupt some of the faith, because  this week we remember our Savior Jesus Christ.  I know that He is ours Savior and that He has suffered these things for all. He will be with the missionaries, others that were attacked and everyone that has been affected some way in this attack. I know that our God loves us. And that's why He sent his only begotten son to us. So that through him, all mankind may be saved. My heart goes out to all the families that have lost a loved one or have been affected directly from this brutal attack. Viva la France!! (That's long live France in french. My comp is so cool that he speaks french too!)

But aside from that, This week has been a good week! Here, in Latin America, they celebrate the week of Christ. Not just His ressurection. But I feel that here, there is more emphasis on the day Friday. The day that Christ was crucified. The Catholic tradition here is that we should avoid walking, talking loudly or doing anything that requires effort. So Friday was a pretty hard day. We just were walking though the streets and the whole world was dead. And then Sunday, It was just a normal day, they were playing soccer, drinking, and just doing stupid stuff. It didn't really make much sense to me.

We had a good week this week. We found a few new investigators. One is named Rufina. We found her on Wednesday. We had an incredible lesson with her on the power of the Atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so powerful. She is Catholic and had a little bit of trouble understanding that she needed to be baptized again, because she was baptized as a child. But she was very very friendly and she promised to search the scriptures and pray to know what she needed to do. So that was very exciting. We also found another investigator named Luz. We shared the same thing. The Atonement and the Gospel Of Jesus Christ. But she seemed to accept it more easily that little kids didn't need to be baptized. It's very interesting to see that you can teach the same thing and people react a little bit differently each time! Its so weird but that's why I love the Gospel! I just makes sense!

Haha but this week has been an incredible week for me. So much focus on the atonement of our Savior.  I have felt the love of our Savior so much this week. It has been a special week to really be able to teach and testify of His name. Í love being a missionary for Him. I love that everyday, I am able to put on a plaque that has His name next to mine. A plaque that helps others to recognize me as a representative of our Savior. I love him with all my heart. and I will serve Him with all that I have. I know that He loves and understand each and everyone of us and that we can, with Him, overcome all the trials and pains of life. I love my Savior and I know that he loves me!

With all my love from Paraguay,

Elder Jared

Ps Dad, Left my camera at home so pics next week Sorry😥😥

The past two weeks

Man sorry to all of those that didn't get my email last week. But I just gotta send a worldwide shout out to my Little bro/best friend who got his mission call to Buenos Aires!! Argentina is sure lucky to have you bro!! I am so so excited for you i know you will love it!! So that's really the Reason why I didn't write last week!! So I hope to fill you all in today!!

To start off, Ill tell you about my new Companion. His name is Elder Profit and he is from Ivans, Utah. It's Great because he is fresh from the MTC. It's so much fun being with a new missionary.I feel like I'm re-living my training just from another point of view! Its funny because he does some of the exact same things that I did. Things that I've adjusted to that he thinks is weird. So Basically I love being with him. Even though he does struggle a bit with Spanish, he is making great great progress. He is a great worker and loves being obedient. So Basically we get a long pretty well. And all I can say its going to be pretty hard or me to be lazy(not that I want to) with him.He is full of energy and  I am so glad that he came to me at the finish line to help me go to the end. We work really well and have tons o fun together. So i love it. hes so great.

But the work is going really really well here. We have been focusing a lot on the members. Specifically the leaders to help them get animated to help us in the work. SO for the past 3 weeks, we have had some outstanding ward councils.  It was funny to hear a leader say "it feels so good to help the members!!" and that Is so so true. there is so much more excitement in the leaders and we have a great plan and goals that we will be fighting to meet. One example of the work of ou council is we have planned to do this huge service project for a family of recent converts that are living under some very very humble circumstances. The leaders are so ready to help. I feel as if we aren't alone in the work anymore!! I its such a great feeling having lots of people on the same page. So good things are to come in Huguito!!

We had a very interesting doorstep conversation this week. we just decided to clap on this mans door and initially he just says no. So I ask him why and he says that some missionaries tried to convince him that he needed to be baptized. So here is a summarized version of our conversation

Him: "how many times was Jesus Baptized?"
Us: "Once."
H:"I was baptized as a child"
U:"We need to do it right the first time"
followed by discussion about the correct form of baptism
H:"Well I'm not Jesus Christ"
U:" Do you want to be like him?"
H:"Yes."
U:"Then don't you think it would be important to follow his example exactly?"
No Reply
U:"Hermano?"
H: "I'm busy, Come back later:"

Yup so that is basically it.It was a little bit sad just thinking about how he thinks he can change the doctrine of salvation. SO it was sad. But we had a fun conversation. I think it was worth it.

We also heard that we got paid to baptize people. That was something new for me. So I just said that we get blessed that's it. They seemed to accept it.

Also, something super funny from last week. It was Elder Profits first meal with a member and what do they feed us? Alligator. Yup. Alligator. It was actually really really good. It was a lot like chicken just a little tougher. It actually was one o my favorite things that I have eaten here. Loved it!!!

I love you all!!!!!
Elder Jared the older (I feel like that's how I have to sign out now because of my little bro!!)

with Elder Johnson

With new companion, Elder Profit and President & Sister McMullin

Study time

The Last Week of the Change

Well its been another week!! It honestly suprises me every week just how quickly the week passes by. This last week was the last week of the change (I think English missionaries use transfers, but in spanish its "cambios" which means changes). So we find out tomorrow if we have changes.Elder Polo has like 6 months here, so its probable that he goes. It kinda makes me sad, because that means I only have three changes left. Its crazy how quickly time has gone by. But thats enough trunky talk. This week was a good week!

We are still working with Victor. He has found  a huge help in the Book of Mormon and Prayer, but has still be struggling with attending church. We have seen huge progression with him. he still is trying to quite smoking and drinking. Its a struggle thats going to take time. But this week we had planned to pick him up sunday morning to go to church together. You could just tell that he really wanted to go to church. So everything was tranquilo. Then sunday morning at like 5:45 in the morning, he called us. Elder Polo talked with him and from what Elder Polo told me he sounded like he was crying. He told us that he had gone to a party. Repeatedly he told us that he was sorry that he wouldnt go to church. We feel like he truly was sorry. but thats the start of the repentance process. Hopefully he realizes what he did wasnt good and will start to act more. Be more wise in his choices. Hopefully his progression will start to accelerate.

Not much else has happened this week. We are starting to see a lot more desire from the ward leaders in the work. They are starting to get more organized and doing their visits. Its a huge relief for us. we feel that we arent alone in the work anymore. It really helps a lont knowing we arent alone.

Im not sure what else to say. Mom sent me pictures of a possible apartment and I lost my train of thought... oops!! Hah but I love you all!!

Elder Jared