¡Hola familia y amigos!
It feels like last P-day was yesterday and yet we've had a
year's worth of experiences this week.
We've been working really hard to find new people to teach
and to utilize the time we have to proselyte and serve to its fullest. This
week we've had some really cool, unexpected opportunities to serve.
Early this week we were following up on a contact we made a
while ago and we passed by a lady who was cutting her lawn with a machete. Our
contact wasn't home so we passed by the lady again and asked if we could help.
After a brief instruction she handed me the machete and I cut the grass while
my comp swept up the cut pieces. It wasn't a picture perfect, manicured lawn,
but I cut grass with a machete! We had a lesson afterwards and got a new
investigator.
Something different here in Paraguay is that people don't
have cars and rely on the collectivos for transportation. The collectivos only run
on the main roads and a lot of the sentimientos, or neighborhoods, are a ways
off of the main roads. Often times, after shopping for groceries, people have
to carry their groceries on their own and it can be difficult. It is a great
opportunity to serve for us, as missionaries, because we can help them carry
their groceries as well as get to know them as we walk. On Saturday we ran into
a lady who was carrying an unusually heavy and large amount of groceries. As we
started walking she told us that she'd called everyone in the world to come
help her carry her groceries but only God responded. I am so grateful for my
calling as a missionary and the ability I have to be an instrument in the hands
of the Lord. It's moments like these that make all of the sweat and toil worth
it.
Funny story of the week: One day while proselyting a huge
rain storm rolled in. The day had started out with clear skies so we figured it
would just blow over. We kept walking and walking, getting farther and farther
away from members houses. All of a sudden it started to rain, so we ran for
cover under a mango tree. After a few minutes we realized the rain was coming
down harder and harder and we were a few streets away from the nearest member's
house - everyone else had already shut
up their windows and doors to wait out the storm. As we looked around our only
option for shelter was an open patio oratorio for the catholic virgin Fatima.
Hermana Còrdova and I felt pretty awkward waiting out the storm in the oratorio
- yet we were grateful for the little shelter it provided. After a while the
rain let up and we were able to run to the Familia Flor's house. Even though
the oratorio is meant for worship, I felt more comfortable and felt the spirit
more in the home of an active family. The home really is a sacred place.
This last week as a mission we were studying the topic of
Faith in Jesus Christ. I love how in Ether 12:4 it says if we have faith we
hope for a better world. We also ponderized Alma 32:40- I love that faith is a
choice, not a coincidence.
With love sent from Paraguay,
Hermana Carr
P.S. Estamos trabajando, pero ahorra todas de las fechas
bautismales pusimos con investigadores estan cayendo y la obra es muy lenta en
nuestra area. Esta semana tenemos la esperanza en una "Capilla Abierrta"
y tenemos la esperanza que vamos a ver muchas personas nuevas. Tambien nuestros
lideres son muy inspirados. Un dìa hicimos servicio, hicimos proselytismo y
pusimos todo nuestro fuerza para encontrar mas personas y nadie quierìa aceptar
la invitacion bautismal. Por la noche, nuestro lìder de Zona nos llamò. La
proxima dìa fue lo mismo y la Hermana Lìder, la Hermana Farrish, (tambien la
mama de mi compañera) nos llamò y nos dìo animos a mi compañera. Tambien, este
Domingo nuestro Presidente de Misiòn asistìa nuestra capilla y nos dìo un
discurso para ayudar los miembros entender la importancìa de trabajar con los misioneros.
Estoy muy agradecida por nuestros lideres. Aunque no tenemos los frutos ahorra,
tengo esperanza y confianza que un dìa vamos a verlos y tambien voy a tener
dìas tan gozosos en la misiòn. Ahorra tenemos satisfacciòn que estamos
trabajando en la mejor manera posible que podemos.
