Week 41- I'm dreaming of a white (not hot & sweaty) Christmas!

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Nov. 28, 2011

Feliz Navidad..Feliz Navidad!! Christmas is coming and I am sweating like a pig. I don’t think there is any more polite way to say that. It is 40+ degrees Celsius outside which converts to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and it is HOT. I have been sick this week and that means that I have been sleeping a ton. I am not sure what I have- I just know that it’s not dengue nor chicken pox, so that’s good.

Today for P-day we ate Lomitos with our zone full of elders...Lomitos are a Paraguayan burrito. They are kind of like gyros from Europe with garlic sauce and meat and cabbage inside. Yum. We also watched the elders play soccer and ultimate Frisbee because the hermanas aren’t allowed to play with them. Talk about injustice! But it’s okay...I am getting over it.

Pamela and Junior got baptized and confirmed! It was a great double baptism- their older sister Gladys even came (her first time in the church building) but unfortunately their mom didn’t come. Little Pamela is so cute (9 years old) and she bore her testimony at the baptism and said that she knew Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, that Joseph Smith restored the Church, that the Church is true and that if it hadn’t been for the hermanas she would never have found the Gospel and be able to get baptized and return to live with God again. Talk about just melting a Hermana missionary’s heart! Demasiada chulina. In Junior’s confirmation, the Bishop talked about how he will receive the Priesthood and be able to prepare to go on a mission. They are awesome kids!

We had a Family Home Evening a couple of weeks ago that I forgot to tell you about. We gathered up all the neighborhood Mormon kids and played EFY (Especially For Youth) games at Gissell’s house. It was super fun and it reminded me of the good ole days when I was an EFY counselor (except in Spanish).

Random Paraguayan fact: If you watch any Paraguayan doing yard work, you will notice that the only tool they use is a machete. They cut down trees with a machete and they make these wide swinging motions to cute grass with a machete. It is a multi-use tool here! One time, I saw a Paraguayan cutting her grass with a butter knife. Don’t ask me why.

Some members brought some investigators to church, so that gave us a few more leads of people to go visit and teach. Unfortunately two of our investigators, Leidi and Jorge, didn’t come to church yesterday.

Well, sorry there aren’t more exciting things to report this week. That’s just what happens when you get sick.

A few lines from my thankful list from Thanksgiving: I am thankful that I know how to read, that I have enough food to eat, that we have air conditioning in the room where we sleep, for my mission, my parents, my sisters, my family and friends, my Savior, the Restored Gospel and Joseph Smith.

Thank you everyone for your love and support for me. It means the world to me and I love you all!

Love, Hermana Brittner

Week 40- Thanksgiving, foreign claps and a dog in Sacrament Meeting!

November 21, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving does not exist in Paraguay. My old companion said they fasted last Thanksgiving, because they forgot it was a holiday. Don’t worry, we won’t fast, we will probably eat some noodles and sopa, as usual.

So apparently Paraguayans can tell between a Paraguayan clap and a foreigner’s clap. When I found this out, I was thinking, “great, not only does my Spanish have an accent but my clap does as well.” So now every time we clap a house, we turn to each other and say, “Did that sound American?”

Well, we have had an exciting week. It’s always an adjustment getting use to a new companion’s way of teaching but I think we are getting the hang of things and we are having a lot of fun. We had a family come to church yesterday! We were so excited. We found them through an Elder’s reference. He had contacted them in another area, but they now live in our area. They came to church with us when we passed by early Sunday morning to go to church. We almost stopped visiting the Mom because she wasn’t reading any of the pamphlets or the Book of Mormon but then the Dad came back from his trip and he was really interested. The Mom is 16, the Dad is 26 and their baby is 9 months old. They aren’t married. But they came to church! Poca a Poca. God takes raw materials and turns them into gold and that’s what our goal is for this family. It probably sounds pretty surprising, the situation they are living in, but in Paraguay, it’s very common.

Junior, Gissell and Pamela also came to Church on Sunday! Junior and Pamela are getting baptized on Wednesday. Their mom still hasn’t come to church but poca a poca. I don’t like baptizing kids without the parents, because it’s hard for them, but with Gissell and their strong testimonies and understanding of the Gospel, I think they can make it. They are really smart kids. Funny moment: walking into Sacrament, we saw not only Junior and his sisters, but also Junior’s dog, hiding and lying down under the last pew in the chapel. She follows him everywhere, even into the chapel! He dragged her out by the collar with her paws dragging on the ground. It was hilarious! Then to top it off, she came back in again. The Paraguayans were saying, “You know, visitors are welcome but that’s not what we had in mind.”

After church, a bunch of primary kids from the other ward came up close to me while I was talking to the Elders and started whispering to each other. It turns out they’ve never seen a Hermana missionary before and they were asking when I could come over to their house. They were awestruck and I felt like they were going to ask for my autograph or something by the way they kept staring at me. Oh, to be blonde in Paraguay.

So I’m not sure why, but in Paraguay they have “pharmacies” where they sell your average Walmart-type lotion, vitamins, diapers and face wash but they sell it “over-the-counter.” They also have school supply shops in the malls, where you have to ask “over-the-counter” for paper, pencils, gluesticks. It’s really strange. The other day, I had to ask over-the-counter for a gluestick . Don’t ask me why, that’s just Paraguay for ya.

Something that really surprised me this week was this: we visited a lady and her baby and the baby had a red ribbon tied to his wrist. After the lesson, my companion informed me that certain other churches go around and put those ribbons on baby’s wrists to say that they haven’t been baptized and need to do so, so that they aren’t condemned to hell. Can somebody please read Moroni 8:8 here??? “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.” I won’t go into how uncivilized it is that some people think that if their babies aren’t baptized and they pass away, that they will be condemned to hell. It really takes away from the idea of a loving Heavenly Father. Babies do not need to baptized because they do not carry the guilt for the transgression of Adam. They should not get baptized until 8, the age of accountability.

One new principle we practice as missionaries, is that we always invite people to be baptized on the first lesson, without fail. It’s a way to gauge the openness and readiness of their heart. Many times it goes like this here in Paraguay, “Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who has the authority?” To which they respond, “I was already baptized.” At which point, we lovingly tell them that their baptism was not valid in the eyes of God. It always makes for a good discussion.

I love being a missionary. I am learning so much. I am so grateful, in this season of Thanksgiving, for all the blessings my Heavenly Father has given me- for my family and friends, for this mission, for the Gospel, for the Restoration of the Gospel and for my Savior, Jesus Christ. This is where it is at! Having the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

May this Thanksgiving find you in good health and good company and may you feel the love of your Heavenly Father everyday in your life.

Cariñosamente,

Hermana Brittner

PS. It rained HARD last night and this morning. The streets are like rivers...at least it didn’t rain on Sunday!

Week 39- Paraguay Roads, Chicken Pox, and Lightning & Thunder!

Nov. 14, 2011

Five people riding on one motorcycle, a baby hanging off the side. A bus so jam-packed that people are literally hanging out the side. A 13-year-old driving a motorcycle with his little sister, going to the grocery store. A horse-drawn cart with a man on the back driving, next to a huge semi-truck and a taxi stopped at a red light.

These are just a few of the usual things you will see in Paraguay when you are walking around town. They have laws (I think) but I am not sure what they are. Jaywalking is expected across six lanes of traffic, babies don’t have car seats, people don’t wear seat belts and there is not an enforced motorcycle helmet law (which results in many fatal and serious injuries every year). Most people have motos or they take the bus. I imagine it is a lot like how the US was many years ago. The horse-driven carts just show how the old traditions of Paraguay live on, despite the changing environment and thriving technology.

Don’t worry, I still look both ways before I cross the street and I am very cautious. I just thought you would be interested to know what the roads are like here.

Well, this Sunday there was a HUGE thunder and lightning storm which meant that our church attendance was cut in half and our investigators didn't come like they promised. However, we are expecting them to come next week and planning a baptism a week from Wednesday!

My companion is great! We are having a good time together and even more exciting is that Hermana Astle and Hermana Van Dusen are going out to work with us tonight and then staying over!! Woot woot! They need a place to stay because they drove in from Concepcion for the Zone Conference they have tomorrow. I am sooo excited!! Some of my best mission comps! Woot woot! We are having FHE at Gissell’s house tonight and it’s going to be great.

Gissell is awesome! She has started reading all of the church books that we gave her for her baptism and taking notes on them.

Hermana Tua`one was sick on Tuesday so I spent a good amount of time writing letters and watching Mr. Krueger’s Christmas and the Testaments. While she was asleep, I received a call from Hermana Madariaga advising us that an elder has chicken pox and that we need to be careful. We had been exposed to him and his sickness. I have already had chicken pox but I wasn’t sure if my sick, sleeping companion had. I was thinking, ¨A week in this house?¨ and nervously awaited her awakening, but por suerte, she has already had them. Whoo. I’ve had enough sickness on my mission for both me and my companions, and I don’t want to spend more time in the house again.

Speaking of sickness, one of my old companions is going home for health issues, but hopefully she will be coming back. It’s sad but we’re hoping things can get worked out so she can come back.

I have had a few experiences this week with people of other religions that have just made me so very grateful to be a member of the true restored Church on the earth today. The Gospel just makes sense. The Book of Mormon is true. It’s the evidence of the restoration. We have a living prophet on the earth today. The Church was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.

We are decorating our house for Christmas...lights and all. We don’t have a tree but little decorations..it’s chulina. We have our zone conference on Thursday- I am super excited.

Well, love you all, hope you have a great week.

Until Next Week,
Hermana Brittner

PS. Taylor- Great job on your volleyball season- Go number 24!!

Week 38- New Traditions, New Companion

“It´s a great day to be alive, I know the sun is still shining when I close my eyes.” - Lyrics from a country song of which I can’t remember the title.

Nov. 7, 2011

¡HOLA, FAMILIA!

Well, Christmas is fast approaching here in Paraguay even though the temperature says different to me. That means that in the grocery stores, lined up right next to the watermelons, are the artificial Christmas trees. Weird. Three Kings Day in January is when they exchange gifts. I am sure I will learn more about the traditions as the days pass.

Well, I am still in Loma!! Whoo! However, Hermana Young is not and I was very sad to see her go. The good thing is that we will both be at BYU together after our missions! When she got the call, she said, “I am leaving the best ward in Paraguay!” Which is true. My new companion is Hermana Tua’one. She grew up in West Valley, Utah but her parents are from Tonga and Samoa. No one here can correctly guess what country she is from. They guess everywhere but the US. She graduated from UC Redlands with a degree in Political Science. I think we will do well together. She is technically a Senior Companion but since I know the area and all the people, I am taking charge with planning and everything. It’s a lot of responsibility but I am getting the hang of it.

When we got on the bus today Hermana Tua’one laughed. I asked her what was up. She told me that it had been a while since she had gotten on a collective/bus and had everyone stare. That’s because it has been a while since she has had a tall, white, blonde companion that everyone stares at. She has dark skin and dark hair, so she blends in. Me, on the other hand, not so much…Good thing it doesn’t bother me anymore!

Two of our investigators came to church yesterday! They are the little siblings of Gissell who was baptized 2 weeks ago. We have been teaching them and they are planning to be baptized. We just need final approval from their Mom. They are so smart and receptive to the Gospel, they are great. The 9 year old even bore her testimony in Sacrament meeting yesterday. Yep, that’s our investigator!

We are on the hunt for new investigators…(this is the point while typing the email when I turn to Hermana Young and say, ‘what else happened this week?’ But she is not here.) When we went to the office for changes/transfers, I saw 6 of the 7 mission companions I have had! It was great. I’ll send pictures later. I’m at the point now where all of the weird things about Paraguay have now become normal. So I’m sorry if my emails are not as interesting as they used to be. Let me know what you would like to know!

If there is anything I’ve learned on my mission, it is that we are in the Lord’s hands. We do our best and put our trust in Him. We are obedient and He leads us to where He wants us to be, where we will be the happiest, grow and learn the most. When we are keeping the commandments, we can go forward with faith and trust that the Lord is guiding our lives and we need not fear. When we are baptized, we are promised the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. All we have to do is be worthy of it.

I am still happy doing the Lord’s work. Thanks for the letters and love.

Until next week,

Hermana Brittner

PS. The next transfers/changes are 3 days before Christmas...so hopefully I can stay another month so I don’t spend Christmas in a new area!

Week 37- Happy Halloween!

Oct. 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

So you are probably wondering what Halloween is like here in Paraguay. Well, they don’t officially celebrate Halloween in Paraguay, although sometimes they have parties the weekend before. This past Friday the youth put on a huge Halloween dance and invited the whole stake. They sold snacks at the dance to raise money for EFY “Especially For Youth” (coming for the first time ever in January! Woot!) and it was a smashing success. They had decorations like in the States and a lot of people dressed up. They don’t have trick or treating or anything like that though.

Saturday morning we participated in a service project, painting walls and moving rocks at an addiction help center. It was fun- we even got to wear the yellow Mormon helping hands shirts =) Da gustar ayudar a las personas. OH and it was about 100 degrees outside! There were missionaries there from 2 zones. We hurried from the service project home to shower, then to our lunch appointment, and then we walked a half hour to get to the church and it was sooo hot! Our investigator Gissell was baptized!! Our baptism went well, even though the person who was going to baptize Gissell fell through and in the middle of the baptismal service we realized we needed another witness. But while they were watching a movie, the Bishop called someone and it all worked out. It had started raining hard and in Paraguay, that means no one leaves their houses or shows up to whatever activity is going on. So we had the Bishop, the 1st counselor who was conducting, with his family, Gissell’s neighbor and their family and us. Gissell´s mom went out of town and didn’t come. Gissell had the biggest smile on her face as she came out of the water! Afterward we served banana bread. (Paraguayans are crazy about that stuff.)

Sunday she was confirmed and I felt the Spirit so strongly. It was awesome! Her smile was a mile wide and you could tell that she is converted to the Gospel, not just a baptized member. She is awesome, so sweet and receptive. She was a reference from a member, one in three here get baptized. Which one of your friends can you refer to get baptized and receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ? After the confirmation Hermana Young and I gave talks on missionary work. It’s amazing how easy it is for me to talk for 10 minutes as a missionary, whereas before my mission it seemed like 10 minutes was forever. I spoke about the joy that comes from missionary work. I started crying while bearing my testimony as I thought about how much I have learned here and enjoyed this ward and this experience.

We went to TGI Fridays today as a Zone activity and I thought I was in America. SO weird!! That was my first time in a restaurant in a long time. The elders in my zone are pretty entertaining right now. I am happy, healthy and full of joy, the Spirit, and lots of food. Thanks for all your letters and support. Oh yeah, last thing: changes/transfers are on Saturday this week because President will be going out of town. So I have no idea if I will be going or staying or who my companion will be... I hope I stay but it’s in the Lord’s hands.

Until next week,

Hermana Brittner

Week 36- "Yankee. Gringa. Rubia."

“The nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more we are disposed with compassion on perishing souls. We feel we want to take them upon our shoulders and cast their sins behind our backs.” Joseph Smith, Jr.

October 24, 2011

Hola! Como estan??

Yankee. Gringa. Rubia. Just a few of the names that people call me- people on the street, as well as members. “Yankee” because I’m American (sounds more like “Jankee” when they say it), “gringa” because I speak English and am American (maybe this is like greenie in English?) and “Rubia” because I’m blonde. Regardless of what people call us, we always introduce ourselves as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ in the area.

I can’t believe another week has passed. Where does the time go? Well, yesterday was the Primary Program and I promised Mom I would tell all about it. There’s only one word to describe a Paraguayan Primary Program: CHULINA! I loved it! It was very well put together and all of the kids participated and they brought a very special Spirit into the meeting. There were songs and different parts, just like our programs, and all of the girls wore little flower headbands and the boys wore blue ties. They had a big poster in the back with the theme and red and yellow and blue fabric draped across the front. It is amazing- the organization of the Church and how it teaches even the smallest of children the Gospel truths. That’s what is amazing about this Gospel: it’s so simple that even a child can understand it. It was even more special because I knew each and every one of the children who were speaking. I have visited and eaten with their families. I have watched their spiritual growth and taught their non-member friends. I am eternally grateful for the strong members of Loma Pyta and their examples. Each one of them has a special place in my heart. I especially loved hearing the Primary sing, “We’ll Bring the World His Truth,” and the loud little primary boys singing off-tune. It was very touching to know that they are being raised in the truth and that someday, they will be missionaries too.

Gisel is getting baptized this Saturday! We are so excited! We got permission from her Mom which was a miracle. Her mom isn’t interested in sharing with us but she has noticed the difference in her daughter and she wants her daughter to have this guidance in her life. She sat with us through one lesson, when we taught the 10 commandments. We started testifying about how the 10 commandments have blessed our lives and she said, “Gisel needs to hang out with you all the time. Whenever you want, you can come over.” She was impressed with our testimonies and desires to follow Christ. She is even coming to the baptism! This is very rare in Paraguay and we are so excited.

Edith came to church as well. She is so excited to get baptized. She is Chilean and we are basically harvesting what many missionaries before us have planted. She has shared many times with missionaries but now is her time.

Ariel didn’t come to church but we had a sweet Family Home Evening with him and we are praying really hard that he will come this Sunday and realize that this Gospel will bless his family, even if they don’t think so.

I taught district meeting about how we need to have faith in ourselves, in our work and in our investigators. We need to see them through the eyes of God- their eternal potential and not just where they are in their lives right now. That is charity- seeing people as God sees them, and not as the world sees them or even as they may see themselves.

We have started doing missionary work differently. Instead of clapping random houses, we ask members for references of their friends and then go and talk to and teach their friends. In a zone conference, we learned that 1 in 3 references from a member is baptized whereas only 1 in 1000 people from clapped houses is baptized. It’s a much more intelligent way to work and I like it a ton better.

One of the ward member's Dad passed away suddenly two weeks ago. I have been working with quite a few members and non-members who have recently had someone pass away. I have never felt the sting of someone passing away who is very close to me, so I don’t know fully how it feels. However, I have seen the reactions and the emotional state of many different people. This sweet Hermana is an incredible example to me of someone whose strong testimony of the restored Gospel has given her strength in this difficult time. Although it is very hard for her, she has found peace and understanding in what has happened. This is because she has a strong testimony of the Gospel and an eternal perspective. She has turned towards God, instead of away from Him.

Well, it’s getting hotter and hotter everyday. Will I survive a Paraguayan summer? I hope so.

Love you all!

Hermana Brittner