Hermana Brittner's Adventures in Paraguay: Week 49- Hot. Humid. Yep, that's Paraguay!

“I took the road less traveled and it has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

Jan. 23, 2012

Dearest family,

Checklist of things to grab before heading out the door

umbrella for shade
sunscreen
bug spray with DEET to prevent dengue (again)
washcloth (to wipe sweat off my face)
the scriptures
1 liter water bottle, frozen (for the first 39 minutes)
pamphlets to hand out

(Just a few items I use each day to survive in the hot Paraguayan sun.)

You may think you know hot, but you do not know hot until you have lived in Paraguay. I use to think I was hot when I walked from my air conditioned car into my air conditioned house. I had no clue what HOT was! There is a difference between living in America and living in a country that doesn’t know what air conditioning is, and walking around all day outside in the hot, humid Paraguayan sun, dripping in sweat. Please send me a slurpee in your next package!Today while dripping in sweat, I washed my own laundry by hand and it made me feel very Paraguayan. This is only because the laundry lady moved and we haven’t found somebody else yet. But really, for most people here it’s just a way of life.

Don’t worry I am enjoying myself even if I am melting away. I just thought I would give you of taste of Paraguay. I really love what I am doing. It is totally and completely worth it. As I am approaching my one year mark, I have had time to reflect on the choice that I made to serve a mission. I have thought a little about the sacrifice, but mostly, I have thought about the blessings. When I think about my mission and all that it means to me, I don’t have words to adequately describe the change it has made in my life and the change within me. It’s something that is so special and so important to me that I can’t really describe how much it means to me. Everyday I am learning new things about this Gospel and why it is just SO important because IT is the reason for this life. I can see how God has guided my life to this point and I have never been more positive that He will guide my future and bless me, as I follow Him.

We had a really awesome baptism yesterday of Josecito, a 9 yr old, who just got permission from his mom in Spain to be baptized. He is so sweet and sings extra loud in sacrament and is a really wonderful kid. The family prepared most of the baptismal service so we were just the buffers to make sure things went smoothly, like conducting, singing a musical number, bringing brownies and bearing my testimony. Unfortunately, we all got a little sick from some lomitos we ate on Friday (I will never eat them again!! They are like Paraguayan burritos.) It hit Hermana Reyes the hardest so she wasn’t able to attend church and stayed home with Hermana Tuaòne. I went on splits with Sara Jara, a ward member, to church, the baptism and a lunch appointment. Church was great because all the youth bore their testimonies about their experiences at EFY(Especially For Youth). They had a great time except that the food and/or water made half of the kids sick. Oh Paraguay. Sometimes it is a little underdeveloped here. Also, a young man got his mission call and shared his testimony so it was a very spiritual meeting. I am so glad that I didn’t miss church or Jose’s baptism! It’s amazing how children so young can have such an influence for good in their families and in the world.

We have been taking advantage of the fact that we are in a trio to do a lot of splits and it has been great. I love going out with the youth and teaching with them. Tomorrow I am going on splits to Ybera (right next to Kokuere) with Hermana Fonseca (from Honduras) and a local. This is a new program the mission has started to help us learn from one another. I am so excited.

I have been thinking a lot about what the scriptures say about being a 'chosen' one or someone with great faith who righteously follows Christ. Basically the conclusion that I’ve come to is that God does not choose the chosen, the chosen choose Him, over everything else.

Retention, retention, retention. This is a problem in Paraguay. I am not sure if it is the tranquilidad culture of Paraguay, or the fact that most Paraguayans were members of a different Church prior to joining this one and that Church required very little. Either way it is difficult for people to adjust to attending church every Sunday. Working with many less-active members, I have seen how easy it is to choose other things over God. Sometimes it is laziness, sometimes it is being offended and being angry, sometimes it is choosing the ways of the world. I have visited SO many less-actives that it is exhausting and sometimes discouraging. What I have learned from this is that I will NEVER go inactive! You will never find real happiness, choosing something or someone else over Christ. It is only through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you will be TRULY and ETERNALLY happy.

But “shall we not go on in so great a cause?” (Joseph Smith) The Church is true. I wouldn’t be walking around in 100+ degree weather if it wasn’t true. Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father have blessed my life more than words can describe. It is so important to remember to thank God everyday for the blessings that He has given you, for there are many. Thank you so much for your love and support.

Con amor,
Hermana Brittner

PS. Kristen Hoopes- got your dearelder letter and I can’t believe that almost everyone at the candy counter is married!!! Well I can, but it’s weird to realize it. At least you are waiting until I get back to get married =) That is very nice of you. Lol. Thanks for the news and I will write back soon!