“Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.” Doctrine and Covenants 90:24
Sep. 19, 2011
Hola, Hola, Hola, family! Que tal?
Just so you all know, I am serving in a “manly mission.” That’s what my zone leader called our mission. I was like, “hey what does that make me?” But basically he was referring to the fact that we have to be able to deal with a lot of crazy things to be a missionary here, like dengue, crazy bugs, disgusting dogs, the heat, the cold, the snakes (the human kind) and a lot of other things. So I am proud to say I am serving in a manly mission.
It has been kind of a crazy week. First off, we are no longer in a trio! Hermana Springer left on Wednesday to go to Villa Hayes with Hermana Alvarenga and there is now a trio over there. Special changes. Hermana Young and I started our first two weeks together alone and are ending our three months together alone, after being in two trios (unless we get another change together!) Changes/transfers are next week so we will see. This meant that I got to cross the bridge over the Rio de Paraguay. Wahoo, it was pretty cool and I was eating chipa while we were driving over it. So Paraguayan.
We had some ups and downs this week. We dropped Blanca (24), which is really sad. She has a testimony but doesn’t want to commit to getting baptized because she would have to change her lifestyle. Her friends and her family aren’t supportive. She doesn’t have the courage or the will to take this big step. It’s sad because I see all the blessings she will miss out on but hopefully, someday she will get baptized. We really love her and have become good friends.
Also, cool experience with Miguel and Justo’s family. Both parents were inactive but they are now reactivating. On Tuesday, Justo told us that after asking God if the Book of Mormon is true, he “received faith and happiness.” He’s just 9, but he knows it’s true! When we went back on Wednesday his mom, the less active member said, “Hermana, we have news that will make you really happy! On Sunday, we’re all going to church together, rain or no!” They’ve begun to pray and read as a family. Their father said that there was more peace and tranquility in their home. He thanked us profusely for coming.
We had a Family Home Evening on Friday night with them and the Sanchez family, an active member family. It was about prayer and Hermano Sanchez said he has been putting Miguel and Justo’s family’s name on the prayer rolls at the temple for years and that this is an answer to his prayers that they are coming back to church. It was a special moment. The only damper was that Miguel wasn’t there, he hadn’t gotten back from work (selling gum on the busses).
This Wednesday we are hosting a talent show at a missionary/investigator activity. It’s going to be SO awesome with lots of Paraguayan dancing and singing. We are going to do an act and make brownies! Did you know that brownies don’t exist here, except for when we make them?
District meeting went well. I taught about commitments and started out with an inspired question, “what is joy?” Then we went to the scriptures and talked about how joy comes from repentance and feeling the love of God in our lives. We can help our investigators experience joy by teaching them about repentance and how to keep commitments. Commitments are the little things: reading scriptures, going to church, praying to know if it’s true, that will prepare them to make covenants with God. It’s the little things that make the difference in our testimonies.
One of the members here, Aurora, gave a cool definition of faith in a talk. She said that faith is “que todo va a salir bien”or that everything is going to work out. I guess this could also be hope but they are so intimately tied together that I think it could be either. I like the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 90:24. It has become my theme. Tranquilo. Do your part and then trust that God will do his. Don’t become overwhelmed or think that you can’t make it because with God, everything is possible.
I would like to invite everyone to spiritually prepare for conference. Remember to read your scriptures, keep up with your prayers, ponder the last session of conference talks so that you will be ready to listen to President Monson and the other leader’s of the true Church. Take 8 or 10 hours out of your weekend and listen to the Prophet’s words. It’s the most important thing you can do. I am so excited for it!!! Last conference I was in the MTC! How time flies.
Well, another week in the Lord’s service. Thanks for the package Becca!! You never know how good Snickers taste until you’ve lived in Paraguay for 5 months :) Happy early birthday Taylor!!
Love always,
Hermana Brittner
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