We had a super busy week again! Monday we didn't have District Meeting, but we did get a new bike for Elder Castellaw and a pulpit for the church in Loma Plata. Elder Robinson then came with me for a division in Loma Plata, as he had to do our investigator Jose's baptismal interview. Well Jose forgot and his phone was off and he went to Filadelfia, so Elder Robinsonm had to stay an extra day to get the interview in. Good news is, Jose passed and was ready for his baptism! So Thursday Elder Castellaw and Elder Messa came to switch back so while waiting for their colectivo Elder Messa and I had a small division. We ended up doing an on-the-spot service project, crushing up cans for 2 hours.
Thursday Elder Castellaw and I got to work together, but then that night Elder Falcon and Elder Trejo came to start a division. I stayed in Loma Plata again with Elder Falcon this time.
Saturday we had a baptism! Let me tell you, it was a long day. We had 3 lessons set in the morning but it had rained all night so it was too muddy for bikes. We walked out to the lessons, which were 5-6 km from our house, then came back. We were supposed to leave on a 2 pm bus to Abundancia to have the baptism there, where the other missionaries had invited dozens of people and had them waiting for a baptismal service at 4 pm. Well, Jose had gotten 40 minutes late to work that day and his boss got mad so she made him work til 2 (2 hours after his shift should have ended), and the bus left early at 1:45, so we were shot. He also turned his phone off and wasn't answering his door, and we thought he wasn't going to be able to get baptized. After searching for hours for him in his work, home, etc he finally answered the phone. We found out then that as he was rushing to finish work, he had fallen down the stairs and had a big box land on his neck! So he had gone home to sleep the pain off. He still wanted to get baptized that day though, so we found a way to Abundancia and he got baptized. So apparently at 4 there were at least around 50 people there for his baptism, but they ended up eating refreshments and then leaving, so there weren't as many there to see his baptism but, oh well! He was happy to be baptized, and us too! Yesterday we had his confirmation and it went well! Elder Castellaw borrowed the game Jenga from Elder Trejo when we went to their house, and we played it to teach a couple lessons. With our investigator Ricardo, I've never seen an adult so happy!
I learned this week a lot about determination. If we have a purpose in what were doing in this life, we will get a lot done. If we're not determined and we let the devil distract us, he will have power over us. However if we don't give him anything he has nothing and we can continue on in the way of the Lord. When we keep the commandments and always do our best to follow them, we will be blessed (See John 14:15 and Mosiah 2:22,41). Thanks for the emails and prayers, I love you all!
Pictures:
1 How you buy ice here in Paraguay.
2 I had a division with Elder Robinson!
3 Elder Castellaw's new bike.
4 Classic Paraguayan food- some chipa and yogurt.
5 We did a service project- take off caps and crush up beer bottles.
6 I got in a little work with Elder Messa (from Brasil)!
7 The bananas we've bought the last couple of weeks have been HUGE.
8 Division with Elder Falcon (from Argentina)!
9 Huge beetle in Abundancia.
10 Jose's baptism!
11 pt 2
12 A pic of our fan...not sure what happened to the base but we have it on a broomstick.
13 Ricardo loved the Jenga.
14 In our colectivo today.
15 From the baptism.
16 same
Pictures courtesy of a friend:
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