Week 63- New Companions, New Investigators and a Dog in Sacrament Meeting!

30 de abril, 2012

Well here’s the news...Yes, I am training!!! And I am whitewashing!! For those of you who don’t know missionary lingo, that means I am going to an area where neither I nor my companion know anything about. And my, oh, my, is my area beautiful!! Let me tell you a little bit about it. Well, I thought for sure I would be staying in Villa Hayes to train but that is not the case. I am whitewashing an area called Piribebuy, which is Guaraní; it is near Caacupe and Ypacurai. We took the scenic drive from Asuncion to Luque to Aregua, which is an artsy town where they make all kinds of statues and then drove and saw the lake of Ypacurai. It was sprinkling/raining the whole time and everything was wet and green and all I could think of was, “lindo Paraguay.” I wish I could take each of you on a drive through the Paraguayan country. It’s so beautiful here. We took a detour and went on a tour of the Catholic Church of Caacupe, where they have a Virgin de Caacupe shrine. It was very interesting and educational. Tradition has it, that the Virgin of Caacupe has been blessing the lives of Paraguayans for years now. Every year on December 12, hundreds of people take colectivos/busses or walk to the church to make a pledge to the virgin in return for certain blessings. As you can guess, there is a very heavy Catholic influence here. My area is beautiful, very clean, well-kept and wealthy, so unlike the Paraguay I know!! The people in our little branch are very “chuchi” and it’s like a different world to me. There are huge green trees everywhere and a stream and we spend the early mornings exploring our area while running. 

My daughter (mission lingo for the hermana I am training) is Hermana Greer from Maryland. She spent two changes in the Colorado Denver South mission before coming to Paraguay so she already has a little bit of experience. It’s interesting to hear what the work is like in the states. Her Spanish is really good for being brand new, as she had spent a month in Bolivia with her sister-in-law. She is a real trooper- she got sick her second day here but soon recovered. Her luggage didn’t arrive til Saturday and she got here on Tuesday. Plus the home we were supposed to move into was a disgusting disaster, thanks to the Elders who lived there last. We were appalled at the condition it was left in. Shame on those Elders, if their mothers only knew...

The good news is that the Elders left us quite a few investigators. We had 4 investigators at church on Sunday! A lady named Beatriz, a young couple, Ruben and Lela, and Lujan, 13, who will be getting baptized in 2 weeks. I am so excited to be working in this area! The members have been great and very helpful and the mission leader is always willing to accompany us on visits. On Saturday, there were two baptisms of children and Sunday we had 3 confirmations- one was a convert of the elders. The Spirit was so strong and when the Branch President asked me to bear my testimony, I did, and expressed the love that I have for the people of Paraguay. They are like my family.

Hermana Greer said one of the differences between Paraguay and the U.S is that when you ask members for references/people that you can go visit,  the people in the U.S say, “Well, I don’t know, no one is going to let you in,” and here they say, “just go clap some houses, everybody will let you in!”

This Wednesday we have zone conference and we are going to the temple. The only downside is that we have to leave at 5 AM! But it will be worth it.

Funny moment:  a dog was walking around in the chapel during Sacrament Meeting. It kept walking around until it found a sunny spot under the window to sleep in. Nobody said anything!

Oh and also, Hermana Greer doesn’t have a good sense of direction- which makes two of us! But I am really developing this skill, because if I didn’t, we would be toast.

Sara Crase, Happy Birthday!! Thanks for the dearelder and update on your life! Glad to know things are going well!

I love you all! Thanks for the great packages, love and support!

Hermana Brittner

Week 62- Loud Thunder, Bridges & Baptisms!

April 23, 2012

Alright so another week has flown by, soon to be another change/transfer in fact. We will be anxiously awaiting the call from our district leader tonight to find out which new area and new companion we will be assigned to. There is nothing quite like changes...waiting to see what the next 6 weeks of your life will bring, having absolutely no say in the matter. But the good part- it’s in the Lord’s hands and you don’t have to make any decisions. You just have to go with it. It’s most likely that only one of us will be staying in this area. My friend Faith is arriving at the mission and I may have the opportunity to train her. If I don’t train this change, I will not be training on the mission because you have to have 2 complete changes left in your mission. Where has the time gone?! 

This week we had a division/splits and I went to Mariano with Hermana Pingel, who is from Cordalene, ID. She is fairly new and it was really fun. It was very hot there- definitely hotter than Villa Hayes! Mariano is right next to Loma Pyta and I am now convinced that Loma was definitely hotter than Villa Hayes in the summer! (And that’s HOT!) The miracle of the trip occurred when Hermana Pingel lost the phone- it fell out of her bag so we had to retrace our steps to find it. I was praying, as was she, and we found it...right in the street in front of a house we had contacted. The miracle was that it was still there and someone hadn’t picked it up! 

This week, we had a huge thunder and lightning rain storm and I woke up several times in the night to booming thunder that shook the whole house! That made for a lot of mud and without my rain boots, it would have been impossible to survive in shoes! 

We have decided to wait on Leonardo’s baptism, since he has a little trouble understanding as a result of his guarani language barrier and so we are planning the baptism for this Saturday instead. We are excited because his friend Cleto, a recent convert, is going to baptize him. 

Some sad news, unfortunately, we had to drop/stop teaching our golden investigator Maria and her kids, or should I say that she dropped us. We went over to their house to celebrate Jose’s 11th birthday with them and were saddened by the situation. Satan came at her hard, as he does to all our investigators, but it appears that since she was so golden, he had to get out the ‘big guns.’ Her mom stopped talking to her and babysitting her kids because she was going to join a religion and her boyfriend who helped make the payments on her land, refused to support her decision and was harassing her about the church. God never told us life would be easy, right? There is a point in every investigator’s progress when they have to decide if they are really willing to give up everything to follow Christ...to make the changes necessary and sometimes face rejection of family and friends. It’s at this point that they decide yes and move forward, or choose not to get baptized. It’s so sad when the answer is no like the last line of the hymn We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet that says, “While they who reject this glad message, shall never such happiness know.”

Lucia, on the other hand, is what we would call an “eternigator.” Her daughters are all members and she has been visiting with missionaries for years. It seems however, that this is her time and she is s excited for her baptism at the end of May. As we taught her this week she prayed that both Hermana Van Dusen and I would be present at her baptism. We have a special bond with her. 

Other exciting news is that we were able to plant baby trees in the center of the street in front of the church. Also, a member named Nieves, who has been going out with us on visits a lot, is leaving for the MTC Argentina this week! We are so excited for her but sad to be losing someone who is always willing to go teaching with us! 

Almost forgot, we walked across the bridge over the Rio Paraguay in Remanso. It was cool, and we took lots of great pictures which I will send next week. The only problem is that as we got closer to the middle, with the river farrrr below us on one side, and big semis rushing past us on the other side, I realized that I am a little afraid of heights! So did Hermana Van Dusen and another elder in our group. It didn’t help that the bridge kept rocking up and down as we were walking. It was quite a frightening and thrilling experience that I am glad is over. I love roller coasters but have problems with rocking bridges, go figure! 

The branch president’s family just got satellite TV and we walked in when they were playing a show about the gangs of Oakland. I was like, “I live near there” and they almost flipped. “Is it dangerous there? What color shirt are you?” I laughed at their questions, but it was pretty discouraging to think that out of all the great things in the Bay Area, the Paraguayans and people all over the world only see the negative parts of it. But I guess it makes for an interesting watch? No sè. 

Well, wish me luck with changes/transfers! We will see what happens. 

Sara Crase- Happy 23rd birthday!! We are old now!! 

Katrina- I got your dearelder! Thank you so much! I am expecting to get your package on Wed!! I am so excited!  

Love you all!!
Hermana Brittner 

Week 61- Ants, Tarantulas and the Best Decision I Ever Made!

“The unfailing source of hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord, Jesus Christ, has saved us from death.” Hope, Anchor of the Soul -Liahona

April 16, 2012

It’s something fragile. Something that needs constant nourishment. Something that is not common, that not all people have. It will give you the strength and courage to do the right thing, when everyone around you is choosing the wrong. It will sustain you in your hardest moments, uplift you in your most joyful moments, and bless you in every moment.

As a missionary, I watch people grow it, strengthen it, sustain it, and sometimes lose it. The greatest moments are when someone discovers it for the first time.

It is something very important to me, perhaps the most important thing in my life. In fact, I would give my life for mine.

It’s a testimony.

A member once said that you never know when just meeting someone if they have a testimony, but it doesn’t take very long for you to find out. A testimony is so precious that if we don’t continue to nurture it through prayer, scripture study, church and temple worship, it will begin to weaken.

I had an interview with President Madariaga this week and he made me a personal promise, as he has the power to do so as the President of the Mission. He promised me that if I fulfilled the goal of contacting 75 people each week then I would find one golden investigator for every 75 people I talk to. A “golden investigator” is someone who is spiritually prepared to hear our message and usually means that they will get baptized. What a cool promise! Now I just have to do it. Our mission has been really struggling with talking to everyone around us and I have only had one week with 75 contacts on my mission! So pray for me to have the courage and drive to talk to everyone!

At this time in Villa Hayes, we have been abundantly blessed to have 6 progressing investigators, who are all reading the Book of Mormon. I think it has to do with our fast because Villa Hayes was not experiencing this success a few months ago. When we put the Lord first and consecrate ourselves to His work, we are blessed.

We had the baptism of little 10-year-old Brian this weekend and his confirmation yesterday. It was a great service. His dad baptized him, and it was wonderful. His dad is reactivating after living in the Chaco and he bore his testimony at the baptism. Brian’s dad is a great dad and really loves his kids. They are really lucky to have a dad like that, as many children do not have a dad in the picture here, let alone a worthy priesthood holder. The mission is putting a large emphasis on reactivating the parents of the children, so that they will have someone responsible to bring them to church.

So one of the worst moments of this week was when we were contacting a house in the dark in the Ciudad Nueva neighborhood, really far from our house. They weren’t interested so we were about to keep walking until I realized that my feet hurt and something was biting me. Then I looked down and realized that I had stepped on an ant hill!! I hadn’t noticed because it was dark! I flung off my shoes and started yelling. My feet were on fire!! They were just little black ants but wow, could they bite. We walked over to a member’s house and took a better look at my feet. They were already starting to swell with huge bites. I had the member say a prayer for my feet as I was resting and instantly felt better. I then made the long trek home, stopping at a pharmacy to buy antihistamine and then home to put my feet in a bucket of ice cold water. Oh, the joys of this mission! Interesting fact: the nurse told me that there are 452 different species of ants here in Paraguay. ‘All the better to bite you with!’ Fortunately my feet only itched for a few days and now they are almost completely healed.

Sunday we saw a lot of miracles. In fact, this whole week has been full of miracles. We had 9 lessons with members attending in one day, which is the highest I’ve ever had on my mission. We also had 2 wonderful investigators come to church, Lucia, who people have said is an “eternigator” because she has been investigating the church for 6 years now. She set her own baptismal date for May and is working towards it. She is the one who made me the cake. Also Leonardo came, who is getting baptized on Saturday. He moved here from the Chaco and is Cleto’s friend, an indigenous man, who lives at the traveling house, where people stay for short periods of time. The problem is that he understands a ton better in Guarani, so we have to bring interpreters (members). They both came and two families who originally went to our ward are moving back which is wonderful because we really need to fill some callings here. We also had Branch Counsel, which is so important for the growth of the branch!! Unfortunately Maria didn’t come with her kids. We are not sure if there was a misunderstanding or what, but they are still doing awesome. They read the Book of Mormon everyday together. They read so often that when we visit them, we can often hear the oldest son reading it out loud to them. Chulina!!

This week I saw a tarantula just crawling across the road. Yes, I freaked out. I also saw a toucan, someone’s pet and such a cool bird. I also saw a garden snake someone had caught. Gross.

Well, I have to say that going on a mission was one of the best decisions of my life. It has had a huge impact on who I am. Paraguay, the Gospel, missionary work, the people, a part of my heart will always be here in Paraguay. It has been the greatest adventure of my life and I feel so blessed by my Heavenly Father that I have been able to take part, even in only a small way, in this great work of bringing His children unto our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Love,

Hermana Brittner

Week 60- Squeals of delight, a great b-day, and humble investigators!

April 9, 2012

Alright so my companion just informed me that I yell at the computer with surprise and delight whenever I read emails from my family (I wonder what the Paraguayans think in the internet cyber café when I start yelling in English :)). Apparently I also do this when I am reading dearelders and letters. Just know that it brings me great joy to hear how things are going back home and to know that my family and friends are doing great!

This week there are way too many amazing things to write about and way too little time to do it.

To start with, my birthday was great, filled with phone calls from old companions, the mission president’s wife and little birthday packages. My companion surprised me with balloons, a b-day banner, a present and french toast. Yes, she is the best. We went out and worked since that’s what we do here and basically no one let us in. To top it off, it was Good Friday, Viernes Santo, which they take very seriously here, as the day that Christ was crucified. They think that you should just visit people and sit around and drink terere, and not let the missionaries in. Just kidding about the last part. I did get snaked about a million times on my b-day though. Lol, I usually choose not to notice anymore but sometimes they are just so blunt, it’s funny. Like when we went to buy ice cream and pizza to celebrate my b-day, the guy working there was staring at me so hard I thought his eyes would fall out and then he started fixing his hair, while staring. I proceeded to turn completely around and face my companion, who just laughed and said he was still staring. Oh, to be blonde in Paraguay...what a nuisance. But honestly, my b-day was great and even cooler, one of our investigators made me a cake :) with dulce de leche frosting and coconut. I was very happy :)

Alright, so our baptism with the Solis boys fell through again. Two weekends in a row!! Satan is working hard! Their mom took them to the Chaco and so they didn’t get back in time. We went to the church to clean out the font and refill it and it took us about an hour to clean out all the slime. Next weekend it will happen for sure I just know it!

Maria and two of her three kids came to church!! She is the most humble and also the poorest person I have ever met. Most of the time in Paraguay you just take your heart out and leave it at home because if you don’t, the state of poverty that the people and animals live in will kill you. But we couldn’t help but have our heart strings wrenched a little as Maria told us that she always prays before she leaves to collect bottles and this time, she found a huge sign made of plastic, which became a new roof for her home. Before, it was plastic bags and every time it rained, they would get wet. Her desire to learn the Gospel is great! The Spirit is always strong as we sing with her and teach her. Her kids are very hardworking and obedient. They have to be, they help work everyday. Maria’s education level is 3rd grade. I feel so blessed to have met her and her children as I know they are very special children of God, who are ready to hear His teachings.

We picked them up on Sunday to go to church and to our dismay no one was at the chapel when we arrived. That had never happened as President is usually there (and usually the only person there) but we set up the chairs and everything and began primary with only her family, only to find out that the hour had changed due to daylight savings time!!! Uninformed once again! But she and her family stayed for all 4 hours of church :) and then for Rebeca Rojas’, the President’s daughter’s baptism, after church (5 hours total). Maria and her family are so excited to get baptized and told us that they would have gotten baptized Sunday, if we would let them. Rebeca, who is 8, was afraid of the water and started crying uncontrollably after the baptismal prayer because she didn’t want to go under. Not the best example for our little investigators but what can you do? Hermana Van Dusen and I sang “Lead Kindly Light” and it sounded great! Hermana Rojas started crying because the Spirit was so strong. It was a wonderful experience for everyone.

Also, between classes at church, a dog kept trying to come in the front door. We chased it out and walked out of the church, only to see two beautiful brown horses grazing on the church grass! I wish that Jenna could have been there, it would have been great. But we had to chase them away too.

Well, overall this week was great. We have been working hard. We had two superb days with 8 lessons each and a couple not so great days where no one wanted to let us in. But we have 6 progressing investigators!! More than I have had in quite a while. Da gusto!!

The Semana Santa is what they celebrate here, the whole week of Easter, and they eat a lot of chipa and sopa and visit family. There is no Easter bunny here.

Congrats to Monica Hoggan who is getting married this week!! I am soo happy for you! And Julie Whitman who went through the temple! You are an inspiration to me!

Love you all!!! I am so grateful for my mission--it has been the greatest adventure of my life!!!

Love,

Hermana Brittner

Week 59- General Conference

April 2, 2012

General Conference is one of the most exciting times there is as a missionary. I don’t know what it is, but you go to sleep the night before like a little kid on Christmas Eve and then on the whole colectivo/bus ride there you are just giddy with excitement. Will the prophet announce a new temple? Who will speak? What will be the themes? We were all smiling wide as we sat down in a tiny room to watch conference in the Mariano building, the six English speaking missionaries apart from the rest. We set up desks, pulled out our snacks and watched it on a small TV screen. The Spirit was incredible. I don’t know what it is about having a missionary tag on that makes conference such a sweet experience, but it really is. Maybe it’s because we don’t have any worldly distractions and the Gospel is just our life. Or maybe it’s because we are sitting up with notebooks waiting to write down impressions and we’re wearing dresses, suits, and ties and not curled up on the couch falling asleep in a blanket. I have heard numerous missionaries say that they didn’t appreciate Conference before their missions but now they do.

I really enjoyed the story about little Paxson in the NICU and the faith of his parents. I felt like they talked a lot about families, how to deal with trials, forgiving and not judging others, and appreciating sacred things, like the sacrament. Of course, we cheered when they talked about full-time missionaries. I felt spiritually strengthened and edified from listening to the leaders speak. I can’t wait until the Liahona comes out to read it all! And wow- loved the MTC choir which actually included hermanas! I know that the Prophet was called of God and I am so blessed to be part of this restored Gospel.

The only thing that would have made conference better would have been if more of our investigators had come. We spent the whole week testifying that there is in fact a living prophet on the earth today and we only hoped that more people would have listened. Satan has a sly way of making it hard to come to church. At least little Bryan Solis came and will be getting baptized this weekend with his brother.

We found some cool investigators this week. Maria, who lives in a house made of plastic bags and sticks and has 3 kids came up to us on the bus and told us she wanted to hear more. We called her and then went looking for her house but couldn’t find it. She came and got us and took us out past the neighborhood, into a large field where her humble house stood. She collects plastic bottles to live, which means she is among the poorest of the poor. But this doesn’t matter, as she has been prepared to receive the Gospel. She said something pushed her to talk to us on the bus (the Spirit) and she said she liked the way we dress, with our long skirts. We taught them a lesson and they accepted the baptismal invitation but for some reason they were not there on Sunday when we went to pick them up. We also found Soledad, a reference of a member, who is 28 and has a 3 year old. She is very sweet and eats up our every word. It is so wonderful when, as a missionary, you have a listening audience, people who really care and really want to change! It is the best and a huge blessing. She works on Sundays so we are going to have to overcome that but she is looking for more tranquilidad/ peace and we left the first lesson, thinking- she is going to get baptized!

Well, love you all. Enjoy Easter! It’s Holy Week here and my b-day falls on one of the days of celebration. Should be fun! The next time I write I will be 23!

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you so much!!

Hermana Brittner

Week 58- Shiny Rubber Boots- Priceless!!

March 25, 2012

1. Puddle jumping the raging rapid roads in the pouring rain while running to catch the colectivo/bus: Wet!

2. Walking down a wet, muddy path, passing cows and goats to get to the Mariano chapel: Wetter!!

3. Walking around in shoes that squish because they are completely soaked: Very wet!!!

4. Finding a pair of shiny rubber boats for only 50 mil guarani that are just your size: PRICELESS :)

Yes, that is my success story of this P-day. Why didn’t I invest in rain boots earlier in my mission? I don’t know. I do know however, that it’s going to be one rainy winter! With the lack of rain gutters and paved roads here, I’m going to need them to puddle jump and wade my way from lesson to lesson! It has FINALLY cooled down and I am so grateful the heat is OVER. The winter does make the work harder as everyone hides out inside to keep warm instead of sitting outside all day. We sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to huge thunder cracks that last for 15 seconds. Thunder and lightning storms are frequent here and really cool!

Another success this P-day: making tacos with our zone and cracking jokes in English and Spanish that only a missionary could think were funny: priceless. It’s so cool that we come from all over the world: the US, Canada, El Salvador, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador to share our testimonies and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, highlights of the week:

- Not really a highlight but my comp was sick with flu-like symptoms and out for three days. I made a delicious homemade chicken noodle soup and couldn’t be more proud of myself :) I have also read about every Ensign and Liahona that has been published in the last 8 years. I am now an expert on parenting, financing, and other various Gospel topics, which seemed to be more frequent in the older editions. Sometimes, I get a trunky feeling and want to get off the mission just so I can try my hand at living the Gospel in not-mission life, and put in practice all the wonderful things I am learning. But I realize there is plenty of time for that after the mission :) I just love the Gospel. Although I was a little bored since we weren’t out working, I realized that I will never have a time in my life when I get to just sit around and read church material all day and I kind of enjoyed it.

One of the highlights of this week was that the family Suarez came to Villa Hayes to visit me!! A half an hour drive which made me feel so special and loved that they would drive out just to visit me!! Jose, their grandson, who I taught the lessons and helped with his baptism, came too! They are such a wonderful family and such Christ-like people. I truly love them as my own. I know that they will be a family that I always stay in contact with, now and throughout the eternities. Josecito was so nervous to see me again! He is such a sweet little boy and will be a great missionary someday!! It was great to see them. Sometimes we get discouraged as missionaries and it’s great to know that we really do make a difference in people’s lives.

The two Solis boys will be getting baptized this weekend in-between conference sessions and I am very excited. They are cute boys, a little shy but they have a great dad who will help them to learn what they need to know as they grow older. Our other investigators haven’t made the sacrifice to go to church so we are now looking for new ones...

“We thank thee oh God, for a Prophet...” General Conference this weekend!! I am so excited!! It is one of my favorite times of the year! I hope that everyone makes it a priority to go and enjoys the Spirit that is so abundant there. Also, we have a special zone training with president on Wednesday! Hopefully my companion will be feeling better so we can get some good work in!!

I am working on the attribute of charity because that is what this little branch needs! Lots of love and helping the leaders to understand their responsibilities and to fulfill them! “And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.” Ether 12: 34

Happy 23rd Birthday Kelli B! I hope that it is a great day and know that I am thinking about you!!

Love,

Hermana Brittner

Week 57- My new/old companion and my new style!

March 19, 2012

Changes/transfers happened this week! Here they are: I am staying in the same area but I am now companions with my MTC companion, Hermana Van Dusen! I am so excited and happy!! Most MTC comps dream about being comps in the field but we are living it, one year later. To be fair, Hna. Van Dusen told me that we would be comps again when we were in the MTC. It’s funny that we started the journey together and now we are back together again. I remember doing practice contacts and lessons with our broken Spanish in the MTC but now we are doing the real thing. We are both experienced, which makes it nice and I think it will be a good change. I wonder what the Lord would have us learn from this? Also, Hermana deVries went to Ypacurai, which is southeast of Asuncion and it’s supposed to be a really pretty area. I was bummed that I only got one change/transfer period with her. She is a guapa!

Hermana Van Dusen saw a photo of me with my sisters that had been taken right before my mission and said that I don’t look like that anymore. It’s true! She said I used to look preppy and “chuchi” (fancy or rich). My style has changed since being in Paraguay as a missionary. Make up-- not necessary, you’ll just sweat it off anyway. Accessories-- too “chuchi.” Except for a watch that may have been broken which I fixed with a paper clip and superglue. Hair--used to be strawberry blonde but has now been dyed platinum blonde by the sun, up in a ponytail or braid, so I don’t sweat as much or attract too much unwanted attention. Shirt and skirt--the lightest thing I own, as to not sweat too much in the Paraguayan sun. Shoes--the ones that don’t have holes in them. Perfume--bug spray. Yum. I am not a frumpy or unkempt missionary, lest you worry. My simplest clothes are still considered the nicest clothes in town. And the funny part- people here still think I am the prettiest and most exotic German (haha) to walk the streets of Paraguay. Or least it seems so from the amount of times we get snaked (whistled at...) Go figure.

So yesterday, all of our investigators fell through except for one. My alarm didn’t go off and so we woke up at 6:50, having to be at the church by 7:am, because the colectivo was leaving to take us to a conference in Mariano. We ran there and made it! The Solis kids and their dad didn’t go which means their baptismal date is pushed back to next week. The conference talked a lot about less-actives, the family and tithing. Paula, who we are working with, was baptized but her records are lost. We are teaching her husband as well. She is 18 with two kids and a very sweet girl. She seemed to enjoy the conference even though her baby was having a hard time sitting still.

We have another rat living in our house. We are planning to exterminate it soon. We have seen evidence of it all over the house. It’s droppings are all over and our food has been broken into--apparently rats like uncooked pasta.

I am becoming quite the cook here in Villa Hayes, if I do say so myself! We have gone from 3 lunch appointments down to 2 every week which is o.k. because I love cooking! When did that happen?

Well, keep this area in your prayers! I love being a missionary and wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world!!

Hermana Brittner