It's cooling off here in Yby yau! We got down to the mid 90s (F) this week hahaha. It's turning over to fall, and it doesn't get cold enough for all of the leaves to fall, but let me tell you, the rain sure does here hahaha. This week as usual has been packed with a bunch of random stuff to do. Tuesday we had our district meeting, then a division with Elder Torres from Peru, because there weren't colectivos. We ended up visiting a bunch of members for a lot of the day, and ended up giving a couple of blessings, and receiving references of people to talk to in Yby yau! It seems like everyone in Pedro Juan Caballero has family in Yby yau hahaha. Thursday we had a really good Noche de Rama (activity for everyone in the branch) set up but only the branch president's family came, so we just sat and talked with them, and drank all the soda and cookies. They left, and we were about to leave but Fm Benitez (a family with our 2 recent converts, and about 7 other people that want to get baptized) showed up super late, so we ended up playing ping pong with them for a little while.
I have been cleaning a little bit from the house every day, and even had a division a week or 2 ago where we just cleaned my house because let me tell you, the house was nasty. If you have ever helped in a service project at a hoarder's house, this is what my house looked like. Anyways, I had been getting a little discouraged a week or 2 ago because there was just so much junk. The day we had our zone conference, I was talking to Elder Brower, my MTC companion, and Hermana Evans walked up to ask him something about his house, since she had just inspected it. Y'all might think I'm crazy, but I asked for a house inspection, because there is nothing to motivate a companionship like one of those. Anyways, one of the office Elders called Friday morning to let us know President and Hermana Evans were stopping by Saturday morning. Needless to say, we continued the cleaning process, and boy oh boy did the house need it. I've been discovering plates with old stuff on them, old books black with mold, etc. I'd like to give a shout-out to Mom, Aunt Miken, Howard Howard (Mike, please show him this), and all the guys in 12m and 13m in the MTC for teaching me how to clean, because it was a task. Motivated by Hermana Evans (as President put it) 'On the Warpath,' we got the house cleaned just in time. They came at about 9 a.m, and we had the house ready. I had warned Hermana Evans about how bad the house was, but we got it spick and span, and she was shocked at how clean it was. There are 2 fridges in the house, and 1 didn't work so I hadn't cleaned it yet, among 1 or 2 other small things, and they said they would come back after District conference to view the fridge again. The rest of the day saturday was spent getting ready everything for the coinference the next day, then we played a bit of soccer with the youth. Sunday we got up at 4:30 and went to the church, and everyone gathered there. We chartered a colectivo, so we all got in and rode to Pedro Juan Caballero. After the conference we went home in the colectivo, and Elder Baez, President Centurion (branch president) and 1 of the young men served hot dogs and soda to everyone. Pouring soda into cups on a moving colectivo is not as easy as it looks hahaha. President and Hermana Evans came back to look at the stuff and it was perfect! They were so pleased; she took a picture of us and is going to put it up in the mission office because apparently not many houses here are very clean, but she gave ours 5 stars! Today for pday we got to stay in the area, which was nice. We also have transfers coming up in the next week, so I may have a new companion the next time I write!
With all that cleaning in mind, I want to share a quote from one of my fellow workers in the MTC, Paul Cloward. He always told me a line I should live by and memorize; 'I'm all about commitment.' It's a little out of context, but it's pretty important. Missions and life are all about commitment. Here we teach people a lot of stuff about the church and Jesus Christ, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't commit them to do anything about it. We can't work if we don't set goals and commit to do them. I can't get up by myself at 6:30 everyday without committing to do it. That's all good, but it's important for y'all too! Everyone in school right now can't get a project done without committing to finish and getting it done (the night before it's due of course hahaha) Reading the scriptures EVERY DAY, praying EVER DAY, going to church EVERY WEEK and all the other stuff is impossible without committing to it. I challenge you all to find something you need to work on this week, like scriptures or prayers or whatever honestly, and commit to get it done. If you want to do it, you can do it!
Pics 1 With Elder Brower. he's doing good, learning a lot of spanish and still proud of his Idaho Potatoes
2 With Elder Raymond. He was in my first zone, and is in Concepcion now. He is in his last transfer, and is with Elder Brower. These pictures are from last week since I couldn't send them.
3 With Elder Villacresses from Ecuador. I had a division with him a couple of weeks ago, and he's one of our zone leaders. Also trained Elder Tesucun.
4 In Horqueta after zone conference, waiting for a colectivo to go home I don't know the order, but there is Elder ollero from Pero, Elders Baez and Godoy from Paraguay, and Elder Da Silva from Brazil
5 Last week, cleaning with Elder Ollero from Peru
6 some of the junk. I didn't think to take pictures until a while after we started cleaning, so it isn't horrible
7 one of 20 or so...
8 Elder Ollero putting in work
9 Brief pause for some stroganoff
10 Back at it. We found some termites too. Fun stuff
11 End result; we got a couple rooms looking like this
12 Elder Ollero and I had a division in Pedro Juan the next day. We had a family home evening with their recent converts
13 The day in Pedro Juan was my day 100 in Paraguay, so we celebrated with some pancakes
14 We didn't have a recipe but Elder Ollero watched someone make them one time so he whipped up the batter in about 5 seconds and I cooked them
15 perfecto
16 100 days so we took a Wilt Chamberlain 100 picture(Maybe only Dad will recognize
17 I found the smoke alarm while cleaning...
18 It... uh... doesn't quite work hahaha but I called and President Evans got us a new one. Also a new broom, because the old one wore out with all the cleaning
19 Noche de rama. Nobody else came but the food was good
20 Clean clean clean
21 clean.
22 clean. we also threw out the trash on the table so it looks nicer
23 clean.
24 clean. (and Mom and Aunt Miken), I make my bed every day! (Left bed)
25 Hermana Evans told us to throw the fan out. It was a little dangerous hahaha
26 Always look for ways to serve!
27 Our colectivo for District conference
28 Elder Baez was a little tired after conference
Email from Hermana Evans: "Thanks so much for a job well done and for your patience!"
Have a great week y'all and thanks for the emails and prayers. For those with cameras, there's nothing like getting photos with the Emails!
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