Hello!

There are changes coming in my life.

I am leaving my beloved jungle and headed for the big city. I am really scared. I have never felt more like Mogali from the jungle-book in my life. 

I don´t know how anything will be. I am sad to leave, so I don´t want to write about it because then it will seem negative about my new area... its not that I hate the new place/people... I don't even know them, Its just that I LOVE my people here. 

I love them. 

Mainly my Comp, the Elders and Romina,Leandro, Dahiani and Fransica.

I can´t write too much because A:I´ll cry and B: there are not words to describe my love for them, trust me, I´ve been trying all day. 

Who is Hermana Valenzuela if not the Queen Bee of her Jungle Town of Misfits in Yby Yau? I guess soon we will see. 

There was a parade on June 12th which was really long and kinda lame, but we had permission to go so we went and enjoyed ourselves because people watching is fun in every country. 

Also we took photos by the street named "12 de Junio" because when I came here in January I said "I`m going to take a picture by that sign on June 12th" (Never thinking I´d still be here)

Then we had our Ward trip to the Temple. Last week Presidente said we couldn't go unless we had Recent Converts who had done Family History and were taking their own names.... so this week we focused on Family History work. hahahaha

Leandro Romero did the work for his sister Pilar who passed away from a Moto accident. They were really close (15 months apart like Stee and I) and it was amazing to get to teach him that he could help her out even from this side of the veil! After baptisms we got to do a session with our wards one active couple! I love the temple. I want to go everyday.

We did a service project this week. My hands had a fight with the rake and lost.

 We didn't have cloth or anything so we wrapped them up in plastic bags. I joked that I was David Walker and Hermana Santos laughed and called me a square. It was really hard work for 8 men!!!! and we are just 2 chichas who insisted on helping this lady clear some jungle for her garden. Well... she wasnt there so her señor let us in ... (or more, pointed to the side of his house) and we made up what we were doing. We worked so hard and cried a little and sweat a lot until finally.... we couldn't go on.

So we knelt down in the piles of dirt and jungle debry and prayed for strength to finish.

Then we got back up and worked! More tears and sweat and a bit of blood and an hour later we were done! 

Walking back I told Hna Santos we had to hold it in until we were back at home. She needed no explanation and we silently walked home. The very moment the door closed behind us we collapsed on the ground and moaned for a good 5 minutes (giggling in between...we´re always laughing).

It`s been 4 days and I am still sore.

We made burritos this week for the Elders because they had NEVER had a burrito. They were of course nothing compared to what we know from Mexico or Guatemala... but for the inventiveness and creativity it took to pull off I was thrilled with the results. . . so was my belly :) 

We also surprised them with... Zapatillas? Zopapillas? we´re not sure what they are or how you say it but we wanted to make something special for them so we called the Herman Lider from Chile and asked for a Chilean recipe. We blindly followed intructions without even know what the end result or goal was. Someone please do some research and find a Chilean Scone like dessert made with pumpkin and see if what we made looks anything like them. hahaha

The Elders loved them and once again so did my belly.

Yesterday was the best Sunday Ever. EVER.

THIRTY SIX was our asistencia. 

We had 3 investigators come and 5 menos activos and the Elders had a whole Menos activo family come from "their area" (We visit them too...we kinda share areas)! We´ve been visiting them for a WHILE....

There were SO many people! I gave a really sweet talk about gratitude and didn´t even cry until halfway through (A new record for me).

Elder Muñoz talked about love/charity. 

We sang Himno 2. 

It was the best day and I felt so happy. I was elated. ELATED. to see a little plum sized fruit of our labors. 

It was the sweetest metaphoric plum I have ever eaten and I will never forget that happy day. Happy Paraguayan Fathers day!

I love my jungle town, even though the people here are really silly sometimes. I loved watching over them. I loved searching the scriptures and praying to know what in the world they needed to be able to come closer to Christ. I loved learning what Yby Yau had to teach me and I am nervous to leave. 

More than anything, I love my train-wreck of a ward because despite the fact that we are falling apart, we ALWAYS stick together.

I`m going to reserve a cloud in Heaven and call it Yby Yau and wait (with Tererè) for the few, but no less incredible, souls I met here. I`m so glad they changed my life forever. 

Over and Out.... and Out of the Jungle

leaving some of my heart here, but always sending home my Love,

Hermana Valenzuela

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words and I sent a thousand pictures this week so... I hope it will suffice. As for the words I will send,they will have to be a little less than usual. This week was sweet, Lots of rain and lots of partying. My birthday was more than I could´ve ever asked for. EVER.  After all the excellence I shed some tears to my own embarrassment and Hermana Santos and I held an emergency "Anti-Trunky" Dance party in our house. The truth is I wasn't crying because I was trunky. I later told my journal that the reason for the water-works was that I felt I don´t deserve all the muches of love that I received from my dear sweet family and friends, but I am more than uuber grateful for it. The wonderful people in my life are just... far too stellar to me, to the point that "my little heart is filled with joy" and that joy oozes out of my heart and up to my eyes, then falls in the form of the happiest most grateful tears. Thank you once more, all, for the packages, letters, birthday wishes and love. I feel SUPER supported... demasiado! and I hope I can do you all proud. I´m gonna try.  21 years down ? to go And although I don´t know what the future holds, I know of one solid way to ensure that the rest of my years are filled with joy, Rain or Shine. That sure was is Christ. He is the way, the truth and the light.  His gospel and saving priesthood power has been restored on this Earth in these Latter-Days and can be found in His true Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I testify that Our Father in Heaven loves each and everyone of us, His children. I have come to know this truth as fact. He wants us to all make it home, ever last one. As I close this thanks-giving latter home I would like to express my gratitude to two more personages: God, Our Father in Heaven, who loves us enough to give us His only begotten son to suffer and die for us so that we may live with Him again, forever And Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and Redeemer, who came to earth and obeyed Our Eternal Father with exactness. Thanks to Them, I can make choices and earn my home in Heaven, where I hope to be surrounded by the same loving, amazing people who have made my Earthly home so wonderful. I love my Family, my friends, and this Gospel. I testify of the joy it has brought to my life and the joy I know it can bring to all those who believe, live and love it in the sacred name of our Brother and Savior, even Jesus the Christ Amen.