Postcards From Paraguay

This Mate Dulce burnt my mouth to a crisp and also I kept looking like Roz (from monster´s Inc) aka a slug

April Fools Prank--- Freaky Friday Edition

Mirror Pic (Model Behavior Anyone?)

Familia Souza 

Just in case people think "oh she´s had a lot of time in the mission, I bet her feet don´t even hurt anymore"...Fancy shoes+ crappy roads= my feet are MULCH

At the temple

Between sessions we ate in the back of this van (We had chicken Lasagna that was to DIE for)

Elder Vela in Hermana Whittaker´s Glasses

Conferencia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The Elder´s playing Card´s in the "Conference Cove" 

This kid came up while we were talking and asked if he could take this picture... and he cut my soul mate out. My face portrays my emotions

My comps Eyes

My interpritation of an Alanis Morissette´s classic song (Easter Edition)

My Interpretation of Hermana Whittaker´s favorite song by the National

I painted her blue blue eye

I painted the tomb scene

And an Astronaut

This same day that we dressed as eachother, we also found this cool like part of the jungle that was like full of beautiful flowers! 

Wellllllllllllll I´ve been being a Lucy Loser and writing really dumb short Emails with all my jumbles thoughts at the end of my time at the ciber. 

NOT TODAY! 

If we learn anything from the good news of the Gospel it is that we can always repent and start doing things right! So thats what Im doing here. get ready for a cool LONG email with all my jumbled thoughts al principio de my ciber time!

Okay, first... Restitution and setting right of things that I missed last week:

We had one of those lessons that you leave thinking "Oh yeah, THAT´s Why I LOVE THISSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!". It was with the Familia Figueredo. He is an RM, but they are MA but like SUPER siiiickk people and we were just like really straight up with one another and bonded like Crazy and testified and extended invitations and called out the Advisary and all his tricks and... idk, but it was good and I loved it. I really love being a missionary when I get out of my pension. 

I asked them "How can you guys keep applying the Atonement NOW in your life to keep progressing on to the blessings of Eternal Life" 

And then Hermano Figueredo just got super stoked and was like Im gonna leave all my distractions behind (mostly he is just not coming to church because of work and not paying tithing because they´re tight on money) and I reminded him also to forgive himself for being human (because he had said sometimes he doesnt feel digno to pray).

Then they committed to pay tithing but like not just like "eehhh... ok" but more like " HECK YES". Hermana Fig Even said "Im going to do it and no esperar NADA!". He´s not looking for "signs", He is obeying with faith. idk... then the Hermana teared up and their two cute daughters who were just like sleeping woke up and we all kneeled while Hermano offered a humble prayer. 

I love God, Postive thinking, Faith, The Gospel, Repentance and Jesus Christ.

Other things:

The Familia Martinez has 6 SUPER cute kids and even though they all have lice it´s okay because I just pull my hair up and gel it and then I can love them and play with them and hug them! 

Their Mom Reina is very sweet, but maybe a little immature and the Dad is under the captivating influnces of alcohol and although he is around, is not completing with The family: A Proclamation´s deffinition of the divine responsiblities of a father. But... We shake his hand and try to help best we can with anything. 

Also, They always are running around barefoot and cutting up with toes way bad and last week I was so sad because little Natalia got a CHUNK of her toe ripped off and she was just crying and ... honestly they´re real dirty all the time and so it was for sure going to get really infected and her mom was just kind of ignoring her and so I scooped her up in my arms (Im sorry, I know that´s missionary illegal) and carried her to the well and drew some water to wash her foot really well and she was so tough while I cut this big flap of skin off and scrubbed the dirt around her sore. Then Luckily I had Lisa Frank band-aids and her mom got some cream stuff and we played doctor and she was so cute and happy and... I tell you all this because I LOVE them! I want to Bathe them and take hour picking and squishing every one of their lice and then play dolls with them forever! I love them.

I love them.

ANYWAY

Also the other week we went over and they were showing us all thier toys (amputated parbie dolls and a styrafoam box they "cooked" mudcakes in)

It was so precious! I LOVE THEM!

Well last monday was Angel (the youngest´s) birthday so we went through the house and got everyone a present (just weird toys and junk that I had from packages and some chapsticks and headbands) Whatever we had. We took a pack of glow sticks and a bag of balloons and a cake....

WE HAD THE BEST PARTY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the happiest Day of my life! 

They had never seen glowsticks and now they think we are wizards!

I love them.

Here is another funny story:

So if you´re in my family, after many road trips you will know that Dad and Harminee have the smallest bladders, but I pride myself in the fact that I dont even have to stop in filmore (except for gas and a hot dog, but not to pee)

Well.. All that had changed! I take like a sacrament cup of water and 2 seconds later I am DYING! I´ve been having to Go SO BADLY all the time!!! (gotta go gotta go gotta go right now!)

Well... There is this Elder, Elder Day, and we are always giving him crap and daring him about dimb stuff because he is kind of stiff (he was an assistent), but like... Fake enemies just funny. 

Well we had a Zone thing and we all stopped to get drinks and treats and I was SO THIRSTY so I bought a 2 liter  of water and he was like "pppsshhh... you´re never gonna finish that"

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Everyone was very impressed when I DOWNED the whole bottle in like 3 minutes.... but then we got on a bus for like 2 hours and I was seriously DYING, but I COULDNT LET ELDER DAY KNOW! 

So I was just suffering in silence (except Hermana Whitaker did know) 

Then we just suddenly got up and got off the bus and everyone was like "what? What are you doing?" and we just said "We do what we want" (I think we said we had to buy something... idk)

but the truth was I just had to pee because I am a dumbo that takes things that arent even a challenge as thought they are.

We were just going into shops and asking (while dancing a little the pee pee dance) if we could use their bathrooms

There is a special place in hell for people who deny bladder bursting people in need with bathrooms (its the same for the people who talk in movies)

We did finally find a bathroom (And I dont have to go right now.... Good for you Lady)

Another thing: the Familia Souza here is my favorite family ever. Their son felipe is the only member (he came home from his mission last tuesday). They are from brazil. They have adorable accents, they always are smiley and jokey. The Mom ALWAYS comes to church and pays tithing and went to ALL of conference (I think she was just waiting for Felipe to come home and so.... I think she´ll be baptized soon)

And the Hermano is teaching me Guitar and they have a bunny farm! 

They cook SO WELL.

I love them.

This week was Latin Americas PARTY WEEK (semana santa) so... no one does anything (like... extra lazier then normal) and all the buses are not running on friday so... when I went to THE TEMPLE ON FRIDAY WITH ANTONIA FROM MARIANO (SHE GOT ENDOWED!) We had no way to get back to Anahi and we slept in Mariano. It Was fun... my ONE NIGHT THERE.... the power went out and we slept on the floor... or rather... we layed on the floor awake until morning... but I was with my soul mate Hermana Whittaker so it was just the funniest night and the greatest in spite of the fact it was the worst. hahaha

we also ate more chipa than normal this week... but not CRAZY like everyone says. 

Easter Festivities included painting eggs (My comp freaked out at my Ressurection scene and made me feel talented)

it was funny. In her words: "I´m thinking... yeah, we´ll paint eggs, its like a kid´s activity... whatever and then you´re freaking paiting the whole TOMB SCENE!"

Also we were on a collectivo and Hermana Whittaker was on the phone so I sneakily bought her easter eggs and when she turned around I was just holding them up and smiling and said "Happy Easter!"---- which it would have been but the chocolate was GROSS! it was like the Mockalate made from Cat hair in that friend´s eppisode. I miss Robin Eggs.

And good news from Mariano, Viviani (from the wedding of Viviani and Anibal) is doing well (not attending on sundays still though)- But the Sisters went over for a Noche De Hogar (thinking that They were of course going to do a spiritual thought) but instead Vivi had everything set up and a table with the scriptures out and ready and she directed the lecture of a certain chapter of the BOM and stopped and explained verses and had a quote prepared about what her and Anibal should be doing to magnify their callings as parents or something.... (Idk I wasnt there) but I was so happy to hear it. She KNOWS! We werent just giving her fish! We taught her how! (now it´s her choice to act)

Conference was... Interesting. There was a storm here so we didnt hear the womens one and we listened to most of (listened, no visuals) other parts and we never could get the "English Room" to work so it was all in spanish which is fine but also not as easy to write notes ( At some pòints I was translating for hermana Whittaker, not because she doesnt understand but just so that she could write notes) but... yeah.

Final Answer: It was Great, but I cant wait to reread or watch it... and hopefully in English.

But I did particularly love The talk about the Prodigal son, Holland´s,Uchtdorf´s and Boyd K Packer´s

Also... There was just A LOT of talk about marriage, So it was a funny "Last conference in the mission" conference because everyone was like giving us crap "Did you get the answer´s you were looking for" or "This talk is for you Hermana"

But it was funny and I liked it (I can dish it AND take it)

Plus I love Families! SO MUCH!!! So I´m Okay with all of it. All of it! More than okay with it! I LOVE IT! I LOVE THE GOSPEL!

Okay well... I have 5 thousand pictures to send

including some of my "April Fools Prank" 

so I will do that now.

We seem to have broken our Trunky Trunks.

We´re working hard

I am having a grand ol´ time.

I love what I am doing and I know it is truly the work of God (well I´m just doing my little part).

Also In this Semi Easter-y Email I´d like to add that I know Jesus is the Christ, The Son of the Living God. 

I love Him and The Father and my family unconditionally because they loved me so first.

XOXO 

Hermana Valenzuela