41st Week Out, Santa Rita - Paraguay Week 12, "Maiteìpa pene!"

Title means; HOW Are YALL!

Guaranì is so freaking fun! I`m trying to learn it really much because I want that. I don`t know what I just said there but, English.

HEY! I`m just about finishing up with this translado in Santa Rita! I think Elder Madder has been one of my best companions. I love the way he teaches and studies, it really helps me out.

ok first I would like to share an answer to a question an investigator made to me. So the person asked me Why do we dream? And I said; Well that`s when God says HICISTE BUEN TRABAJO ENRIQUE! Tenga una pelicula!

That, and well my zone has the highest amount of Baptisms for this month! WOO! Pride. DOn`t. I`m doing great people! rockin it on the mish, I`ve been working on my cavakenho (Ukelele) skills. So yea Paul I`m on that. Check!

Super fast week also. I know everyone says that, but like WHAT THE HECK MAN! I´m about to have my 2nd General Conference on the mission! Like what is that!? Who is excited for conference!?

Anyhow, I have no real big news, we´ve been trying to get new investigators. Most of the people we teach its really hard to get them to do things. Like read... That´s probably the hardest thing of this mission. You know that they want it when they actually read what you left them.

I´M STILL TRYING TO GET PICTURES! Hold on! I hope you all have a wonderful week, and enjoy conference.

Impressions of Santa Rita:

Like most of our investigators are RICH RICH Brazilians, and they give us food and deserts like all the time. ITS THE BEST!

40th Week Out, Santa Rita - Paraguay Week 11, "Epyta Upepé"

Title means Quedate allí. 

Hola my fellows! I´m here again! I´m going to start off with a weird craving I have had lately. BOYSENBERRY SYRUP! I don´t know how to spell that, but I randomly received a revelation that I need that. OH my gosh it is so good. I´ve been having pancakes with Dulce de leche here! It´s milk and sugar boiled. Or carmel.

Anyways, I´m moving towards the end of this translado, and ALMOST A YEAR ON THE MISSION BROTHERS AND SISTERS. That´s a logro I will have to remember. I am apparently a Leo on the zodiac thingy? It says my favorite color is red, and that is right...

Today we´re going to an investigators house to make DONUTS! Like Paraguayan donuts! HOLY GOODNESS I´m excited. THEY TASTE SO GOOD! She sends us home with them every time we go. They call them Bolachas!

WOO! Alright so, we had 31 people in our little church building yesterday! That´s a lot for a group! Like really, we will be a Branch in a few months. ThatSunday a girl came over to me. She is like 7, and she pinched me in the butt... It really really hurt. I like screamed, and I looked her in the eyes and said ESO NO SE HACE! I felt so bad, but she laughed at me after, so I don´t know if she understood me.

I´ll share an experience I have had while teaching people here in Santa Rita. SO we have a SUPER catholic family here, and their last name is Maidana. They have come to church 1 time though. Only because Elder Cancino was leaving Santa Rita. They went all the way on a 1 hour drive with us to Minga Guazu to attend a church meeting in an actual chapel there. (because in Santa Rita we do not have a chapel, just a building, the fact they went over there their first time is WONDERFUL!) That was a while back though. And so I get my new companion Elder Madder, and he is really straight forward when he teaches. Which is good, like he is teaching with firm faith in what he is saying. But Hermana Maidana did not like that. And she got upset, and started to throw her Catholic doctrine at us. Like how they apparently have a "Holy Door" that opens up every 50 years that allows you to save someone who didn´t get baptized to go to heaven. And she talked about how us other religions don´t respect the virgin Mary as much as they do.

So that was awkward, and my companion tried to investigate where she was getting all of this by asking her for references in the bible. But she told us she "doesn't read enough" (people, this is what happens when you apostasize... So don´t do that...)

Then I decided to tell her that we will pass by again that same day at night to make macaroni and cheese for her kids (I gave one of her kids a english Macaroni and Cheese box) I have a better relationship with Hermana Maidana, and so she said yes. We went over and I made it, everyone was chill.

But I just felt like I needed to say something to Hermana Maidana because I was sure she was feeling awful inside for what happened earlier that day. So I just went out and said something. I said "Hermana, le puedo decir algo? Una vez me dijo que la unica cosa que quiere, no importa la religion, es de estar con Jesucristo despues esta vida con toda su familia. Eso casi me hizo llorar Hermana. Quiero que sepa y tiene que saber, que nosotros solamente estamos aquí para ayudarles lograr eso."

Translation> Sister, can I tell you something? One time you told me that the only thing you want, not important of which religion, is to be with Jesus Christ after this life with all of your family. That almost made me cry. I want you to know, and you have to know, that we are only here to help you achieve that.

She was lightented up! It was awesome, I felt the spirit like fire in my heart when I said that.

The church is true everyone!

Impressions of Santa Rita:

People here are so astonished at the fact that we have TORNADOS in the United States. They always talk to me about that when I meet a new person. They are like YEA so you guys have those tornados over there right? Where they pick up cars and stuff because its so strong.

Sorry I have no pictures yet...

39th Week Out, Santa Rita - Paraguay Week 10, "Visited the Boarders of Brazil"

Hello people! I got 459 days left on the mission! that`s a lot of time. I can`t believe Brennen is already getting back, that`s crazy. I however will be remaining in the fields harvesting still. It reminds me of the story of the pounds. I think that is what its called? When Jesus gives the parable about the man who hires other people to work for a penny. Then he continues to hire people, and the ones he previously hired continue working. In the end they all receive the same reward. And the servants who worked more were upset about the fact that they got paid the same as those who worked less.

That however doesn`t really apply to this situation I guess, (as I have just realized) Maybe it does, I don`t know. It came to me so I said it 

HEY! SOMETHING AWESOME TODAY. I went to brazil. I don`t have pictures to prove it because my camera died. BUT I WAS TAKING A VIDEO OF IT SO THAT`S BETTER! I am so happy, I touched your country Brennen. I`m still having trouble finding ways to send pictures, I`ll get them in asap.

Wonderful week! We are going to have another one this week too! Lot`s of missionary work going on. Falando em portuguese tambem. I`ve been surprised at how languages are cool.

The church is true my friends. Keep the commandments,  all of them. And go to the temple.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Impressions of Santa Rita:

There is a place here called America Helados. Its awesome. 70 cents for like 3 massive scoops and a cone. YES

38th Week Out, Santa Rita - Paraguay Week 9, "Find Your Gift"

What´s up! I´m back, another week completed! If you were wondering what haupei means it is the Salutation of Paraguay. It also means y despues which means like what´s up.

I HAVE BEEN INCREASING MY PING PONG SKILLS, and my arm size. My companion has successfully gotten me to work out in the morning everyday. Today was an exception. I feel bad, but HEY my mission president said that there are many many ways to exercise. Like ping pong is exercise so YEA!

WAIT, like all of the families here in my group went to the temple. So that´s great. We might actually see some real business pop down here. It´s actually really crazy because one of the families here was struggling. The dad was a drinker, and his wife had trouble with him. The kids suffered too. But then one day our Branch president called him to be his 2nd counselor. Like some serious faith was thrown down. And he decided right then and there that he wasn´t going to drink anymore. AND HE HASN´T FALLEN BACK INTO IT SINCE I GOT HERE.

Now they went to the temple and are sealed, endowed members of the church. I am doubly impressed.

We have started playing monopoly. I bought the board game here. It´s in Portuguese. And it´s the debit card one. Legitness. My companion is owning me. I EVEN LOSE TO MEMBERS. It´s so fun though.

We have 2 investigators here that the missionaries have been working with for a long time. They always come to church though. Like almost every Sunday. The only reason they´re not baptized is because they need to get married. The guy, Ruben, needs to divorce with his other partner. And then he can get married. So really I can´t do anything but invite them to church and pass by occasionally. The thing is that he is SO COOL! He´s a doctor, he gets called around all over other parts of Paraguay, and to Argentina. He´s SO SMART TOO! He always comments during the gospel doctrine class at church.

I hope he can do it one day. I keep trying to put more blessing on the line for him. Like talking about the temple, and sealings. And patriarchal blessings. (things you can only get when you are a member type stuff) :)

Anyways, I would like to declare another testimony again. I´ve been thinking, and I just want to say: what you think you´re not good at, you´re the best at. I do believe there is a negative influence that comes from the enemy of God, to the children of men. When you feel like you can´t do something, it´s only because the enemy KNOWs that you would be a very very EFFECTIVE asset to the righteous team if you are allowed to go 100% on that thing.

Like if you feel like you are super bad at sharing your testimony with other people, WELL WELL, I think you are just a race car that´s not on the track yet.

Satan is always working, he is going to try and stop the greatest players of the game at the earliest moment he can.

But we all know who is going to win the game, regardless of what happens.

Joseph Smith had a little battle with the dark side before he had the light come.

I challenge each and everyone of you reading this to put yourself to the test. If you feel like you can´t do something, it´s probably because you CAN do it, and maybe even more than other people(if it be for the building up of the kingdom of God. For all gifts of God are given; for the building up of the kingdom of God on earth)

Find your gift, because you´re on God´s team, and he needs YOU.

I testify that if you fight the negative influence you will beat it. And you will lay up many treasures in heaven. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Impressions of Santa Rita:

I´ve never seen more rich like houses in my whole life, than that which I have seen in this city. Freaking Brazilians.