So after last email and last week, a particularly rough week for me, I left my email to Mom and others pleading for prayers of comfort. They worked! This week was great. The very day I sent the emails things started looking up. Thanks for all the prayers everyone. Keep them coming!
We had our first transfers in our little town of Yby Yau.
Leandro (the greatest convert ever) threw us a little party and we ate hot dog sandwiches. It was awesome! Goodbye, Elder Billings.
We had to travel to Asuncion for fingerprints and immigration. We took a midnight bus and arrived at 5:30 AM. Did our stuff (I found my brother ELDER VALENZUELA from Bogota Columbia)... but he didn’t know Dad.
I saw the temple (I get to go to the temple in April)
I love cities, but I know my little EAT DIRT town needs me, so we bought tickets for a bus home....
They told us the WRONG TIME OF DEPARTURE!!!
We and about 20 other missionaries (all going to different locations) had to switch our tickets and wait in the Terminal from 12PM until 10PM! WOWZA!
But... if I’m honest..I loved it! It was like God knew I was stressed... or as Dad would say, he knew my saw needed sharpening and he forced me to slow down a bit and have a day off. We contacted in the Terminal, looked at shops (only looked because we had no money) and talked to each other. One missionary, Elder Lira, and I poured our souls in a particularly satisfying talk-session. He is from Brazil and was at the CCM with me. One of the 2 people who flew with me on the plane. We have the same amount of time out on our missions and are in similar situations with our towns and training. The more we talked, the better we felt. OMG I FEEL THE SAME WAY! can be the greatest sentence to hear after thinking you were the only person who loves city life that has been shipped off to the jungle with a tiny TINY ward. The more we talked, the more we bonded and kept saying IM SO GLAD IM NOT THE ONLY ONE GOING THROUGH THIS!
We took a photo and swore to, every transfer to update each other on this crazy thing we’re doing and take a new photo since we also started together. It was funny talking to him in Portuguse-Guarani-Castellano-English.
We made it home and the rest of the week went over well.
We made Valentine treats for some of the less active members and recent converts. (SO HARD on a sugar fast) and delivered them. It was a perfect intro to talk about love and the love Christ has for us (2 Nephi 26_24). I also made sure EVERYONE (the WHOLE TOWN) knew that MY sister was getting married that day! It was hard missing my first HUGE event and missing my 2nd sisters wedding! I know she knows I was thinking of her, praying for her, I am so happy for her and I know she knows how much I love her. Also I wrote a novel in my journal about all my tender feelings that day that Im sure will be embarassingly fun to read with her when I get home. I love you Stee and I hope my letter gets there soon so this all sounds more profound and meaningfull-er. Congrats to you and Kenny. You both Shine with the Light from the sun! Also- Congrats to my bestie Phoebe who got her MISSION CALL! She and I will be tearin’ UP the mission field together come June 25th! Watch OUT Mexico City, The Coolest Cat is coming your way! LOVE YOU PHEEBS! SO HAPPY! SO PROUD
LORENZA came to church which was SO great because she got to hear me give a talk and cry the whole time (you know how I do)
AND I have a BRUTAL ingrown toenail...
That’s basically all I have to report and I still have photos and emails to read and write.
I love you all.
ªALL is well, All is well.ª
