Another week in Bella Vista!

Mon., 6/11/2018 (Luque)

Here we are once again on P-day. Today is Paz del Chaco day in Paraguay, so everything's closed everywhere. Good thing that there are despensas (a little room in front of peoples houses where they sell food) everywhere, so we won't starve this week! Also the fact that there are lunches with members every day! NOTE: If y'all have any questions or anything you'd like me to write about, let me know so I can make it interesting! This week was a bit of a slow one, with little noteworthy activities, but here are a couple of things that happened this week:

1 We got caught outside in the evening during a power outage and it was crazy dark! We could see the stars pretty well.
2 We have multiple members that asked us for copies of the Book of Mormon to give to their friends.
3 Shouting the words "tu primo" (your cousin) just became super popular in Bella Vista.
4 Elder Aguilar and I taught the lesson in District Meeting.
5 We helped a family move this week! It reminded me of the service projects helping people move with the missionaries in the states!
6 We went to the church for correlation Sunday afternoon and the choir was practicing. Well,there were only 3 ladies singing. Elder Sotec and I and Richard Britez (a Returned MIssionary that jjjjjjjjjjjjjust got home) went up to help and they sounded better.
7 There's an elderly man named Thomas that we've been teaching recently, and he came to church! We're not sure how much he understands, but he was beaming to just be there at church!
8 Members actually feed us here! Like real food! It still amazes me! hahaha. They are awesome here!

In my study of the scriptures, Liahona magazines, and so forth, I learned a lot about a 3-word phrase this week, which is "strive to magnify." We need to work and do our best to keep the commandments, work, and such but sometimes we don't do the best job, or by the choices of others or extenuated circumstances we aren't able to work to our potential! But God doesn't care as much in WHAT we do, but more in HOW and WHY we do it! For example if we keep the commandments so that others can see, we are like the Pharisees! But if we aren't perfect, recognize that, and try to get better, just like the publicans in Christ's parables! I also read a lot in 2nd Nephi and there were a ton of things I learned, but to sum it all up, Nephi was inspired of God, so were all the other prophets, and so is our prophet today. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is literally (as the name says) the church of Jesus Christ (that's why it's called that), and let me tell you, following the commandments is the best option if you want to be happy! I hope y'all have a good week! Thanks for the prayers and emails!

My camera won't upload the photos, so there won't be photos this week, sorry! Hopefully next week!