ANOTHER WEEK (well this time NOT) IN NEULAND

Mon., 1/22/2018 (Neuland)

It has been a VERY FAST week in Paraguay. I set foot in the following places (and a few more but this is all I remember!): Neuland, Filadelfia, Pozo Colorado, Asuncion, Limpio, Benjamin Aceval, Abundancia, Filadelfia, Yalve Sanga, Yacac'vash and Paraiso! A LOT of Traveling! We started off with district meeting Monday night in Filadelfia. Our district is hype so our district meetings are hype. Tuesday morning Pte Colman (1st counselor in the Boqueron District and church repairman) came to pick us up and we went to Paraiso to get a few things done with the house there and such. He showed us a little town called Yacac'vash on the way where there are apparently a lot of members. He dropped us off in Neuland, and we rushed to get a lesson with an investigator in before rushing home to get on a colectivo to Filadelfia, because our colectivo to Asuncion was going to leave from there. Wednesday we took our colectivo to Asuncion, buuuuuuuuuuuut the air conditioning broke and it was really not a good situation, so they evacuated the colectivo and put us on the next one that passed through, but that one was full so we stood from Pozo Colorado to Asuncion; 4 or so hours. Fun experience though! We got in and stayed with the assistants for the night. Thursday was Zone Conference. We learned a lot and there was a lot of role playing. Near the end of one of the classes they had been calling up a lot of companionships to teach principles from lesson 1. We all wanted Pte Evans to teach one and show us how to get it done, but he needed a companion so I got to teach about the Book of Mormon. It was a cool experience. After the conference, we went to the Assistants' area to work for the afternoon. Elder McEwan and I got to work with Elder Villacresses in a trio. It was a cool flashback to the divisions I'd had with him about 9 months ago! Friday we had to wait for the Filadelfia Elders to get the truck that they were going to take into the bushwack, then we drove up to Filadelfia together and got in at night. We helped them get ready, then they took us to Paraiso Friday. We were held back by the torrential downpours again, as the roads here get veryyyyyy muddy. We finally got to Paraiso a while later around 7, then the other Elders set out for Campo Ampu (a little community about 150 kilometers further than Paraiso that is all members of the church). Well they didn't exactly make it as the road further out turned into a lake, so at midnight or so they came to Paraiso, covered in mud from digging the truck out. Sunday they had the genuis idea of driving the truck around the whole community inviting everyone to church! We had a solid count of 27 people come. We had the sustaining of Pte Nelson as prophet in Paraiso, and Elder Hermansen explained what prophets were. His talk went something like this: Adan. Profeta. Etch.Enoch. Profeta. Etch. Moises.Profeta. Etch.Jose Smith. Profeta. Etch. It was a good talk. It was cool having 4 missionaries to help in Paraiso. The people out here are awesome! That's basically the week! So much more but no time! I hope y'all have a good week!

Pictures:

1 We now have new locks on the Paraiso doors so nobody breaks in while we're gone.

2 Eating on the road.

3 Chaco District at Zone conference

4 We saw a rainbow!

5. Went went to Yalve Sanga to talk to a judge about marriages.

6 Pouring water in the rain.

7 On the way to Paraiso.

8 Yacac'vash!

9 The squad in Paraiso.

10 Elder Hermansen was assigned to Neuland and Paraiso last year

11 Showing Elder McEwan how to take water out of the well.. He's a quick learner.

12 Paraiso is an awesome area.

13"10:30 Retire to bed."- Missionary handbook. Well heres a what if question: What if the road getting to your area floods and you get stuck and can't pass? Well I guess you show up in Paraiso at midnight or so hahaha we were so confused when the Filadelfia Elders woke us up at 12.

14 We also went around all of Paraiso inviting people to church and asking for the churches seats back.

15 The mission truck got a lil dirty.

16 Cooking... well I'm not sure what but it was good!

CAMBIOS Y NEULAND

Mon., 1/15/2018 (Neuland)

Well it has been a really busy week. Monday night we had to leave Neuland to Asuncion for changes, but guess what? After having used up all my money for food on 2 tickets to Asuncion, they called us 45 MINUTES AFTER WE GOT IN THE COLECTIVO and told us to just get off in Filadelfia. Elder Ruiz's area is Abundancia, so he'll be staying close. Well I wish they would have told us a bit earlier to get a little work done hahaha but it was nice having a relaxing day of service projects in Filadelfia. We helped a family move and I actually got a slight sunburn on my neck! First time in a year or 2. That night we got to meet my new companion, Elder McEwan from Oceanside, California (basically San Diego). He is starting his fourth change in Paraguay, so this is his second area. He is really excited to be here. Lets just say it has been a great week since then. We've done service almost every day, cleaned the chapel without help, and put in work. Elder McEwan and I get along really well. It's cool because we cook shop clean work live, and really do everything together. It's been an answer to recent prayers. He is also my first American companion in more than a year! We have been working more with all the different parts of our area, so our numbers have gone way down in terms of new investigators and such, but that doesn't mean we aren't working. Most of Neuland is VERY strong in their religions or has heard a lot of lies about us missionaries (for example that we don't believe in Christ, even though we are the only people around that have name  tags that say Jesucristo, Jesu Christi, or Hesukristo on them). It has been fun and really is great when your companion is on the same page with the work and obedience and cooking good food (looooooooots of noodles and no rice! I really needed a small break from rice). We have been eating really healthy. It's really been a great change so far. This upcoming week we will be going to Paraiso (maybe), Asuncion, and some time in Filadelfia, so we won't have too much time to be in Neuland. It's really crazy here but we love it. I love my area and my new companion! So much to tell y'all about but not much time!

Pictures:

1 Getting rid of some weeds

2 Our chapel (supposedly work starts this week to fix the roof?)

3 "kitchen creations" feat. not a lot of time and no a lot of money

4 Good ole windows updates

5 The chapel door fell on Elder McEwan!

6 Chapel cleaning

7 Welcome to Neuland

8 Kitchen creations(we drink a lot of bananas con leche)

[Elder Olson sent the following written by his new companion Elder McEwan:]
HI EVERYONE!
We had changes.... Guess where I am..... THE CHACO! I am so stoked! There are only 8 Chaco Elders in the mission and I get to be one! We are the only 8 missionaries with bikes and we are the the only missionaries in the state of Boquerón. My new comp is Elder Olson (20 years old from North Carolina) and we have two areas: Neuland and Paraiso. Neuland is a German Mennonite colony with about 2000 to 2500 Germans (Mennonites), 2500 Nivacle Indians (Indigenous/Lamanites), and 800 Paraguayans. Missionaries in Neuland have only ever baptized Nivacles, so my comp and I are going to break the curse. We already set one baptismal date with a Paraguayan, and we are going to start working with the Germans more. It´s kinda funny that I was called to serve a mission in Spanish, but they mainly speak German and Nivacle here. Luckily my comp knows some German and now I am starting to study it too. We have pamphlets and Books of Mormon and everything in German. It´s pretty sweet. If anyone has experience with converting Germans, please give us some tips. All the Mennonites are super active in their church and if they leave, they get shunned by the whole community, so that makes it extra hard. Neuland is the furthest area where missionaries live in the entire country. However, there are still further areas we have in the Chaco. Our district leader and his comp get to go to Mistolar and Campampu. We get to go to Paraiso. Paraiso is 70km further from out in the Chaco. If you look up stuff on the internet, I think you can find stuff about Neuland, but you won´t find anything about Paraiso. It is a place in the middle of nowhere with only Nivacle Indians. We still haven´t gone there yet, but we will travel there this week. I will send pics next week. Elder Olson and I are having an awesome time, and he is a great cook. I am behind on my emails, so I am gonna cut this one off here so I have time to read all of them. Love you guys! The Chaco is awesome!!!! Also our door in our chapel fell off and fell on me. I put the pic below...
Love,
Elder McEwan

NEULAND AND CHANGES

Mon., 1/8/2018 (Neuland)

I don't have too much time today because we have changes coming up and being the furthest from the office we have to leave today, not yesterday so here it is really quickly:

I will be... STAYING! What? I don't know. Elder Ruiz will be going somewhere else and I will be staying for the 5th change in Neuland. It's kind of crazy but I love it here and staying for a long time is cool because I can see a little bit of the changes in the area. Neuland is a little dusty town in the middle of nowhere, but I like it. The people are really humble and we get a chance to be a major part of the church, helping teach classes and capacitate the branch president etc. It was slightly unexpected by us. It's kind of bummy that Elder Ruiz had to leave after only 1 change, but we are sure the Lord has something in mind for him. As for me, I'll go to Asuncion and pick up another companion. I learned a lot from Elder Ruiz and this change, and hopefully we will continue the success in the next change!

Also I wanted to share a small testimony. I have this testimony in common with the members here. Befiore we had heard of the passing of Pte Thomas Monson, one of our less active members did a memorial broadcast on the Chaco wide radio. Crazy huh! It shows the faith of the people here. They don't have much, but what they have is a testimony. I testify that Thomas Monson was a prophet of God and that whoever becomes the next prophet will also be called of God! I testify that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you for all of your prayers and emails! Y'all have no idea how much it helps getting emails and pictures!


Pics:

1: I went to Loma Plata to have a division with Elder arker, and forgot my camera but it was REALLY muddy and this is what happened to my shoe. I'll try to get a picture that he took; the roads were really muddy and my bike slipped out from under me and I got my clean white shirt turned a very dark brown hahaha!

2: Crazy spider web in the chapel rubble during chapel cleaning!

3: Scorpion also in the chapel.

4: The cleaning crew!

I can't remember if I sent these yet? If I did, sorry!

5:Elder Ruiz's bike (blue)

6: My bike (white)

7: the bikes!

FROELICHE WEIHNACHTEN/FELIZ NAVIDAD/MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Mon., 1/1/2018 (Neuland)

We had an interesting week! Well, it's the holidays so it was a little different than normal, but it was a good week as usual. Monday we skyped home, then found out that the buses weren't running (after having called the bus company and they told us"no changes in the bus schedule." We were able to get a ride halfway, to Filadelfia, but then even though the guy then told us there would be a colectivo on Tuesday from Filadelfia to Neuland, there wasn't one, and there were no people on the streets. Also, nobody worked, so all the stores were closed. Then on Wednesday, the colectivo that the company said left at 11:30, left around 11:15. We were able to finally get home Wednesday night. We also had an open house activity in Abundancia, so we had to take a night colectivo on Friday to be there Saturday for the activity (all the missionaries here in the Chaco always help with everything because there's nobody else to do it). Nobody came, except for us and the sisters who were making a lot of bread and sausage for the activity--despite being announced on the Chaco-wide radio--so we basically went for nothing, but the activity will get rescheduled for another week. We did have food prepped for a looooooooooooooooot of people, to eat among the missionaries. We were able to get back to Neuland for church, which went well. Nicacio, our recent convert, gave a talk! He spoke on obedience and really did a fantastic job. Someone then went around saying that there wasn't going to be a New Year's activity and honestly we've been trying to get the Branch President to do something about that for a while, and, well, we did have an activity, and it went really really well. We showed up early to show the Branch President a few things on the computer, and it turns out that a lot of members started showing up at that same hour, so we decided to show him later and just sing hymns, because they all love singing here. We sang for about 45 minutes, then started the activity. The Branch President explained the situation of how the branch is going right now, as there isn't enough communication and not very many people go. We then watched 17 Miracles and shared how the problems that we all have aren't near as bad as what the pioneers suffered. Maybe there isn't a lot of money to eat, maybe we have to work long hours, maybe we have family problems, but as we are taught in Alma 7:11-13, Christ understands us. It was awesome and all the members loved the movie, singing, and are learning so much! That's basically our week! We miiiiiight be able to have a baptism this week, so stay tuned! Elder Ruiz and I are prepping for an even better week this week! I hope y'all have a good week!

PS Changes are this week; we'll see if I stay or go!

Pictures:

1 That's our tap water.

2 Elder Ruiz caught a mosquito.

3 With our investigator Heinz Braun.

4 The colectivo didn't stop at Abundancia where we wanted it to, so we had to walk 4 or 5 km.The stars are really bright there!

5 Ready for our open house presentation on baptism... that never happened hahaha but it was really pretty cool.

6 The open house crew.

7 Sugar cookies for the branch activity that Elder Ruiz and I made.

8 I got thirsty!

9 We found a possum in the church.

10 It's been hot this week! Also it rained so it's been humid! Even so, it's a lot of fun!

That's all from me; have a good week!

Mon., 12/25/2017  (Neuland)

Merry Christmas everyone! What a week! I'll keep it short and sweet because I don't have much time! It feels like yesterday that I was in Juan de Salazar with Elder Bridge, sick as dogs but grateful for our Savior's birth. Elder Bridge was a good example to me that Christmas, giving a talk even though he really shouldn't have gone to church he was so sick. It reminds me of what our Savior did for us, many years ago. He didn't deserve all the treatment he received, but he suffered it out of his love for us. In his memory we celebrate Christmas every year, in every part of the world, in every language of the world. Seeing Elder Ruiz's face when he got to talk to his family for the first time in 5 months was another testimony to me, about the family. CHRISTmas is for Christ and families, so think about those things for a little while! Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pics: (YAY!!!! Elder Olson's brother Mike helped his mother download pictures!  She will work on adding pictures to all of the other pictures from the other blogs!)

1: Paraiso AKA African Safari

2: Merry Christmas from the Neuland Branch (maybe it wasn't a white Christmas, but it was cloudy! That was a Christmas blessing!)

3: With Family Duarte from Paraiso. They're recent converts and ALWAYS go to church, no matter if there is rain or heat or whatever in Paraiso!

4: On the way to Abundancia to Skype!

(ELDER OLSON CALLED AND TALKED WITH HIS PARENTS AND THREE BROTHERS FOR AN HOUR FROM ABUNDANCIA.  LATER, ELDER RUIZ WOULD CALL HIS FAMILY.

ELDER OLSON LOOKED GREAT AND SEEMS TO LOVE THE WORK AND THE PEOPLE.

HE TALKED ABOUT THE WEATHER, THE CHALLENGES WITH BEING SO FAR FROM THE REST OF THE MISSION, AND THE HIGHER EXPENSE IN THE AREA. HIS SPANISH IS NOT BAD, SINCE HE HAS HAD LATIN AMERICAN COMPANIONS MOST OF HIS MISSION.  MOST OF THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM THEY COMMUNICATE SPEAK SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND SO HE HAS HAD THE CHALLENGE OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND GERMAN SPANISH, NIVACLE SPANISH, AND GUARANIAN SPANISH.  ELDER OLSON NOTES THAT PARAGUAY IS A MELTING POT OF OTHER CULTURES.

HE BORE HIS TESTIMONY TO US IN SPANISH.  GREAT VISIT!)

We got picked up by the 2 Elders from Filadelfia in their truck and they dropped us off in Abundancia, where we have our skyping. As I write Elder Ruiz is next to me doing his skype call. His family hasn't been able to email him at all, so it was awesome seeing him able to talk to them. Christmas is a time of miracles!

WOW IT GOT HOT... 55 DEGREES

Mon., 12/18/2017 (Neuland)

Well y'all know the routine, not much time but we'll make it quick. We have hit some warm weather, and when I mean warm, I mean warm! A few weeks ago we had hit 53 Celcius one day, well we passed that and hit 55 Celcius this week (that's about 130 degrees Fahrenheit)! Let me tell you, that's a blessing because we can see we're being protected by God. I mean honestly, we walk around outside all day in a shirt and pants sharing the gospel. (The houses here aren't big enough to go into, so all of our lessons are outside!) The fact that we haven't gotten dehydrated at all is plain evidence of divine intervention. The Lord protects his missionaries! Neuland really is a super cool place.
Fun stuff that happened this week: It got windy and a tree fell over so we helped our recent convert Nicacio cut it down! So much fun. Elder Ruiz found refried beans and jalapenos in a store in front of the house, so he is jumping for joy! He loves his Jalapenos (imported from Mexico). WE cleaned the church! Still no roof, but one of these days! Sunday in church was realllllllllllllly good; well only 17 people showed up because it was voting day and that's a universal excuse to skip church, but those that went were great! Sunday school went well. Today for Pday we watched a movie called Errand of Angels about a sister missionary in Austria. I thought of Mom (Happy birthday by the way!). Also, I translated since nobody else here speaks much German. The Zone Leaders came up to do divisions tomorrow with the Elders in Loma Plata, so we played soccer, 5 on 5. This week really went by quickly. We are getting to Christmas, one of my favorite times of the year! It's going to be a fun Christmas, and I'll be able to talk to the family this week, so exciting! I hope you all have a good week, and go serve someone for me! Light the world with your examples!

Pictures:

1: Contacting in the German village Neuendorf! Not too many people talked to us, but it was fun!

2: We made it to the end of the Neuendorf road and took a pit stop in the shade. Man it's hot here!

3: This picture shows grass! I haven't seen grass in a looooooooooong time!

4: There's the tree we took down!

5: Mexican food!

6: Our clean chapel! You can see at the back where there are just plastic flaps where the roof was. Honestly its kind of cool having a chapel that doesn't have a full roof

7: If y'all hadn't heard, Sam Jorgenson got reassigned and his mission touches mine! (He was scheduled to go to the Portugal Lisbon Mission but because of Visa difficulties for all missionaries was reassigned.) Actually it touches my area, Neuland but that is just because my area is HUGE hahaha! But it's cool that he's going to be my neighbor here in South America.
(Elder Olson's mother talked to Elder Jorgenson's mother on 2/10/2018 and he was yet reassigned to the Lima Peru Mission and will fly out next week. He entered the MTC knowing he would go Spanish speaking but not the destination! They will both be able to speak to each other in the same language upon their return from their missions!) 

That's all! Have a good week!