Yo! So soooo much happened since I last gloomily typed my stressful words onto the keyboard in Mariano Roque Alonso. Most importably: The Biebster turned 21....
Ok so I REALLY.... I REALLY don´t even Know HOW to explain to you HOW GREAT I AM! GUESS WHY? 

*backstory* in the CCM my compañera, Hermana Moreno, didnt like it when I spoke to the people in the North American group so I stayed with the Latinos All day... and it was fine except I was pretty stressed sometimes or just like homesick but I wanted to UNLOAD in Ingles! 

So in my room at night I would push my bunk together with HNA Whittaker and whisper FOREVER (pretty sure I already sent a picture of us from the CCM and explained this but... whatever.) 

Since then whenever we saw each other in the office (not that often because I just stayed in Mariano and YBY YAU forever) we´d ask "When are we going to me companions?"

Well anyway

Hermana Fardos and I dressed up like Elders and went to district meeting and it was way funny and then they announced changes and "Hermana Valenzuela se va a Anahi con Hermana Whittaker."

"MIS SUEÑOS SE CUMPLIO!" is what I said (I have it recorded)

and then .... JOY! THATS WHY IM SO HAPPY! 

Seriously we couldnt even BELIEVE our luck and we stayed up too late laughing until we cried . HARD. because we were just so happy.

SHES JUST ME EXCEPT WITH BLUE EYES.

We think the exact same and we keep just laughing and we cant stop talking like Bill and Ted! She loves 80´s movies and sings me way cool songs from awesome bands because shes got Siiiick taste! She plays the drums! We havent shut up for the past week! I KNOW heavenly Father put us here to help me reach my potencial. I feel spiritually BUFF, Emotionally HIGH and just so happy! Its like I am just hanging out with STEE, except Im still doing REALLY effective-better than ever missionary work in South America!

I FEEL SO COMFORTABLE WITH HER BECAUSE SHE LOVES LIFE AND IS WAY FUNNY TOO!!!!!!!

and because of that, like were not over thinking stuff and the spirit guides so well in our lessons. The members here are SO nice! It´s all what I imagined the mission would be like when I first came... Except now I am more prepared spiritually to actually help thanks to the stuff I learned from before in other areas. 

Elder Goss my (old) Zone Leader told us a story about this Elephant and a Circus that would pull down GIANT trees and crush cars but then when his act was over they would put a chain on its neck and stake it to the ground. 

A young boy saw this and pondered ¿Why, when he has strength to do all these marvelous things in the show, does he not just rip the tiny metal nail from the ground and break free?

The trainer explains that since the Elephant was a baby they had staked him in. In his youth the elephant had tried and tried for days to break free, but at that point was too weak and couldnt, So he stopped trying and never tried again, even once full grown.

IM THAT ELEPHANT! Except I AM trying again. Im SO much bolder than ever, but I think it´s a good thing! Im not afraid to loving call people to repentance because I have more strength and love thanks to experience. I cant explain it better but I am a better missionary, Im in a promising area and things are coming "easily" now because Im confident-er (not a word) and less stressed. Im so happy!

WE HAD A WEDDING WITHOUT EVEN TRYING! WE DIDNT REALLY EVEN KNOW THE PEOPLE! IDK HOW IT HAPPENED! (the opposite of my other wedding) hahahaha they dont have the lessons yet, but thats like if someone wants to quit smoking BEFORE you teach the Word of Wisdom! YEAH! GO for it! GET MARRIED! Keep the Law of Chastity and now we will get you ready to be an eternal family!

There are a million funny jokes and storied to tell from this week. Ill try my best.

We are having so much fun!

I cleaned the whole house so well and organized everything and HNA Whittaker says I´ll be a good Mom and I realized I learned SO much from My Momma and Im so grateful! Mom, You taught me how to make a house a home! 

Hermano Tito (a guy from the ward) was so happy with how well Hermana Whittaker and I sing and he keeps calling us all the time asking us just to sing! hahaha He also said he loves my bushy Eyebrows and is glad I dont twease. hahaha THEY LOVE THAT IM A CHANGA. 

Then this investagator, Hermano Sosa, started rubbing my finger tips during lunch to see if I was musical. I have never whished I had calouses from the guitar SO BADLY! I had to be like NO IM LAME! but then he brought out a UKE! I couldnt remember how to play! YIKES! but i think it will be fine but I NEED TO LEARN THE GUITAR AND REMEMBER THE UKE! Regardless he just played while I sang and that my FAVORITE! I could even just sing and he would just follow. I sang Snails by the Format and he told me I should leave my mission and start a band.

This little girl saw a picture I have of Grandma, Z and I and asked which one I was. hahahahaha

Then  I was talking to this little kid and he got nervous and just pretended like he fell asleep like right there in his chair. hahahaha it was so funny. His name in Angel and he has 5 years. He and his whole family have lice and they handed me the cuttest baby puppy and I pet it and moved its fur and saw a lice and just handed it back. It was sad because I love puppies!!! but... LICE! (its not my biggest fear, but still)

Then this really anciana Hermana came up to meet me and told me I have mexican eyes! I love being Mexican! Everyone always just guesses that Im from Argentina and IDK Why because according to what most people say my accent sounds Colombian ( I LOVE YOU HERMANA LINARES). 

I bore a really good testimony to introduce myself and BARELY teared up! (Because I usually LOSE it!) IM GROWING!

Life is good and I will be talking like Bill and Ted, singing good songs in the street and DOING WORK here for the next 6 weeks with my SOUL SISTER--H WHITTAKER (first name Chloe, second name Severena... I call her DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Peace out for now.

Im so happy.

XOXO

HERMANA VALENZUELA aka DUUUUUUUUUUDDDEEE

We went to this REALLY hip ice cream pizza place.... I think I found my home in Oklahoma.

that other one of just our heads is like our weird relationship in a photo...

Then this is that wedding we had. The couple is so cute and stuff... And then that`s us like when we were trying to figure out how the wedding even happened and it`s just like kinda weird but cool that it did happen! 

I love Linares

Me, preaching on a rock in front of the temple

Me meeting that Tawaiinese guy I told you about a while ago

I was really Sad when Sara Samaniego Left

Love at the Temple (PS HNA FARDOS is Training! )

I really love Sara

This is Mirtha!

What made the red man red?

Holding a baby alligator

It was so hot that we held our district meeting outside

statistics

TIME LIBERTEE VALENZUELA has existed in some form: Eternity

TIME In the FLESH: 21years

TIME Serving a mission: 1 year and 2 months

TIME in YBY YAU: almost 6 months

TIME in MARIANO ROQUE ALONSE: Almost 9 months

TIME until Changes (transfers): 1 day

          

      what do I want to happen?: nothing.

 I don´t want to go (because change is hard) nor do I want to stay ANOTHER change here (because I feel in a rut, not because I don´t LOVE everyone here)

I´m always scared I will train (for reals because HNA Fardos was like... fake training) Im scared for her and for me.

I guess we will see.

I´m very very homesick of late, but my desire to help others hasn´t deminished and is keeping me working. 

I really really really love Jesus the Christ. I have been learning so much about Him of late and am blown away. I love The Father. I have been talking to Him so much and I feel He listens. My relationships with them have improved and as a result my relationships with myself and others are improving. Satan is rude.

 Life is a blessing I am trying my best to enjoy and help others enjoy as well. 

I love you all.

XOXO Hermana Libertee 

Im so grateful God gave my comp lice first so that I could see it wasnt such a huge deal and prepare to handle it well. He sure does know me and only give me what I can handle... even if sometimes I think He trusts in me too much. IM NOT THAT STRONG!.... "strength isnt something you have, its something you find"

HEY!

So... 

So we went to a Zone conference this week and we were at a little station learning about how to set goals for the mission (and also for life)

Changes are in a week and Elder Caulderon was like "Hermana Valenzuela, soon you will have a different companion..." 

And we (H.Fardos and I)  were thinking... dang, we ARE going to get changed

then he continued "... A strong, Beautiful man who hold the priesthood worthily" 

*Record scratching sound* Whhhhhhaaaattttt? hahahahaha

He was talking about after mission but we were like WHAT THE HECK IS THIS NEW MISSION CHANGE!?? hahahahhahahaha

Now we just go around the house saying " A Strong Beautiful MAN!" 

Happy Valentines Day!

Also, there is less that one "China" until I am home... Which I realized this week because I went to China on Feb 13 and returned July 2nd

My mission release date is again July 2nd.

Also, I remembered how to say Ear in Chinese this week.

We helped the Elders with their Baptism, taught a lesson during it last minute and made jellos and stuff on Saturday. Mirtha came!

I really like my District and Zone leaders which is really good. Elders: Goss (Arizona), Carpio (El Salvador) and Cartero (Chile)

I hope they dont marry paraguayitas or do maquanadas and disapoint me but hey! sometimes we watch out heroes die and we dont know why. 

I really liked the lesson I learned in Sociedad de Soccoro this sunday on Chapter 4 of the teachings of Ezra Taft Benson book and I think it was just what I needed. 

I love ARTICLES OF FAITH by James E. Talmage. There is a member here that has a BEAUTIFUL leather bound version. I read it everytime we go there. 

I hope I am learning enough and making the best of my time here. There are somethings I´ll probably never be good at in my whole life, but at the very least I can get BETTER at them, so that´s good. 

I´m so grateful for the chance TO get better at them and for the mission in general. I couldn´t explain it with a thousand words, but everyone who has faithfully served seems to know what I am saying. I think it´s pretty common for all missions as long as the missionary goes with faith, determination and humility, said missionary will give God a crumb and return with a thousand loaves whether he wants to or not. That´s just how God works. So... Leap with faith, Work with determination and submit with humility and I testify good will come from your efforts. (D&C 4)

Ps. I am reading all of D&C, one section everyday, and if I do that... I´ll finish when times is up on the mission (THANKS DAD FOR TELLING ME COOL TURNKY TRICKS). Im on Section 4 today.

So one night I woke up and I wasnt sure if I was being Lib-Lice Paranoid.... or if my head was really itching. I had a 2 am sit with Lice-Shampoo on my head for extra long shower and then swept through my hair with the Lice come. ANYTHING I found made me cry. My comp was asleep and drousily asked once"¿Are you Okay?" 

I replied "¡I THINK I HAVE liiiiiiiiiiiiicccccceeeee!!!!!!" between sobs.

But she really was asleep and couldn´t´ve seen well anyway so she was like "I´ll check you in the morning" 

I snapped this picture, raked the CRAP out of my hair and squished anything I found not knowing if I was literally going insane or not and then prayed and cried myself to sleep, HARD.

In the morning we found legit empty nit eggs on my head (like 12). None of which squished with the sound of a live creepy crawler inside. Hna Fardos asked "How long did you keep that shampoo in!?!"

"FOR LONG ENOUGH!"

I was proud of how well I handled the whole thing. I made a ton of jokes because I was so nervous the whole time and made Hna Fardos laugh a lot, so thats good.

Then I just sang the rest of the time (like I do for Harminee when she cuts my clean-non-fried- lice- free- brunette, not BLONDE hair back at home)

So.... Yeah. 

now I am so scared that they are still on all my clothes and sheets so I stripped my bed and put everything in sealed plastic bags. I have been sleeping on my plastic covered pillow sans sheets or covers. It´s the worst, but you know what´s REALLY the worst:

I GOT LICE AND THAT WAS MY BIGGEST FEAR.

(that... and pickle juice in your eyes)

My biggest fear has officially changed because although the whole ordeal was tramatic, it wasnt as scary as my new biggest fear. 

End of LICE STORY

I am not gross. 

Weak week, heavy weekend. 

HIGHLIGHTS:

Monday... idk... P-day stuff

Tuesday-Priesthood blessing from the Zone Leaders because we don´t have District Leaders right now. Elder Medina (our old DL got tranfered to Philedelfia because his comp hated the mission and went home after 4 days) so now we are District Orphans (annie) and have to travel to Remansito on Tuesdays for District meetings. ANYWAY... The blessing was just for comfort and strength. I have asked for them periodically throughout my mission because I really need all the Lords help I can get and during those calm peaceful moments set apart for listening to a called and worthy servant of the Lord speak the impressions of the Spirit in audible words to strengthen my soul  and for me to focus on the Saviors love for ME are moments I treaure and truly need sometimes to keep going. The work is Marvelous, but it isn´t easy. 

Wednesday-We visited Mariana and Nayeli. They are THE cutest. Their whole FAM is getting reactivated poco a poco and they will be prepared to make their first covenant with Our Redeemer on the 21st! YES! Also their Grandma was talking to us because Jessica (their sister) was getting married and we were talking about the wedding and she said "im not going to go" and Jessica asked why? and Hermana Mencia Replied: " Im not going to sit outside and kill misquitoes while I look at you" 

HAHAHAHA it made me laugh so hard. She also said "Plus I hate your music, it sounds like a boratcho with a stomach ache!" hahahahaha

Shes the greatest human! I LOVE her and her testimony is SO strong. Like she just speaks and every fiber of my BEAN fills with a warm spirit (maybe it doesnt seem like it from these two stories, hahah but she is so sweet)

Thursday- I need a rememberal because.... I really dont know ANYTHING to report

Friday- planning and we also recieved a HUGE bag of Guayavas from Nayeli. She said you have to drink a lot of water too when you eat them. When we asked why she just made a constipation face. hahahah Gross. Good thing Girls Don´t even Poop. We also said Farewell to Sara Samaniego who is leaving for her mission in Brazil. Her Dad looked at me and told me I should say something during the "dispedidas" and I just started bawling and talking about how the mission was the greatest decision I have ever made. Then we ate meat. But this time it was actually good. (I get pretty sick of slabs of mediocre meat) ASADOS

Saturday- We went to the temple for a special ward activity where the missionaries walked around with all the Menos Activos and Investigators (except it was only menos activos) and explained what happens in the temple. And we ate DANK Ice Cream. That night our Power went out for no reason. We live next to like... this Bachelor Pad/Man cave and didn´t want to go out and remind the drunk men outside that their were 2 blonde americans living alone in the little orange house that now were helpless and without power. I said a prayer in my heart for then and also in general for my life that God will help me feel when I am in Danger. We decided to just suck it up. So we took cool showers in our Pjs and tried to sleep while misquitoes ate us. 

Sunday- was Yesterday. We woke up groggy... -Can you say wake up if you didn´t sleep?- at 6 so that we could do our usually church round up trying to get people to come and keep/renew their covenants and enjoy of the spirit that rejuvinates the soul for the week, Focusing on THE most important event in the history of the universe, the Atonement of Our Savior. WELL...

Back Story; We have a running joke that every Cat-Call/Whistle/here they hiss like we are dogs is One hair in the beard of our future husbands....

If that were true I am going to marry Sasquatch. hahahaha

Im not even saying like "Im so hot" because honestly I am a sweaty Chancha/Changa here, but the men here are gross and pigs (on a general rule) and shout terrible things in English and Spanish and Guarani! Suddenly, I am not SO grateful to be able to understand 3 languages, It´s maddening to be degraded in 3 languages!  I sound so femenist, but really. I hate it. GIRL POWER!!!

Well since flipping them off it not what Jesus would do and getting mad at them would just make them rowdy and riled up, we walk on ignoring them with our heads held high. 

Sometimes God turns us invisible. Which is cool.

Ok back to Sunday morning. We walked pass a group of 6 cronies and they started with their words... "Baby, you gonna just ignore me again...." "Hermosa" "Que LINDAS Etc...." (Cue*Silver Volvo* hahahah Twihard)

When 5 of the six doops had passed I got cornered by the last. I thought it was the awkward "Are you going left or am I?"dance that you do down a middleschool hallway. Then he grabbed my leather satchel and breathed his booze stricken breath into my face;

"TELEFONO" he said, his eyes droopy with the stooper of the grip Satan had over his concious due to his bad choices.

I got like... really ticked and confused that this was even happening, especially after a night of being a misquitoe buffet  and not sleeping. I grabbed my satchel " I DONT EVEN HAVE THE PHONE!" I snapped back (but in spanish, Duh, Im in Paraguay)

Meanwhile my comp PUNCHES the Guy and says "SUELTELO!(LET IT GO)" 

YEAH! hahaha SHE PUNCHED HIM! hahahahaha

Then all his "friends" started saying like "DUDE what are you thinking you cant rob them!!!" etc

We walked away, waving to the lazy security guard sitting on the bench who had just watched the whole thing go down and never even stood up!

We went to get Ana and Andrea.... they couldnt come. They live "with their aunt" but in their own little hut attatched to many other hut. They do their own cooking and cleaning and laundry. Their ages are 8 and 11. 

Their relatives live in all the little shacks around theirs.

As we left their house we herd some guy yelling after us.

IT WAS DOOPY DOOP #6! THEY GUY THAT HAD JUST TRIED TO ROB US! Waving us down with the hand not holding the lit cigarette he was smoking. He asked for forgiveness. We hadn´t even regognized him and he was like "I just tried to rob you" 

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

hahahaha

"Yeah Im really sorry about that. I ask for forgivness! I was under bad influences."

"You´re forgiven" I said smiling... with love, sure, but also because the whole thing was just so crazy!

He shook my hand and then just started holding it and looking me in the eyes... almost snake status so I pulled it away to Reajust my Cat-eye spectacles. 

He explained that he had only done it because his "friends" had told him thats what he had to do to be in their Gang and he "Demasiado Mucho" (a paraguayan phrase of terrible gramatics) wanted to be in that gang.

We said we all make dumb choices sometimes because we listen to the wrong influences. He asked for forgivness like 50 times and we forgave him 50 times. We went to church.

Think back to his "Friends" though. They DID NOT have his back during the robbery! Which... Im glad because Idk if we couldve taken 6 of them, but .... on the principle... they KNEW what they had told him to do was Stupid. They were not lifting him up. They were not good friends.

"Good friends lift you up when you feel like you´ve had enough. They keep you going through the thick and thin. Good friends gather round you! Leave you better than they found you! They are by your side until the very end! THATS a good friend" - Cheesy EFY song

I invite all my readers to reevaluate their "friends" and decide to listen only to the voices that fit the former cheesy discription. 

I add another cheesy yet TRUE lyric from the BEST MUSICAL EVER hahahah Saturdays Warrior "If they tak you away from your Family and home, they´ll leave you alone in the end." (Also.. listen to the song Voices from that musical)

Today is Monday. We still didnt have power last night. I sent of letters in the office this morning. 

We FINALLY got our Power issue fixed. Hopefully its my last sleepless night due to power problems. I feel like this always happens! 

I really love the mission. Im trying to not look at that trunky Calander Dad made me (that says ill be home in 20 weeks) because even though I think of you all ALL the time, I will have an ETERNITY with you all (if we play our cards right). but I only get one shot, I cant miss my chance to blow! The oppertunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.

Work hard during the day given to you.

Im moving to Arizona. hahahaha Thats how I have been finishing all my sentences all week with HNA Fardos. 

Well this email is Rare because I didn´t fall into my routine of testifying for the majority of the time, but I at least want to testify that I, Libertee, know God lives. The Gospel is True. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and opened the Last and Great dispensation. We have the Light so many seek. So shine bright my loved ones. FILL your lamps. SIEMBRA GOZO!!! Siembra gozo siempre al andar;. Paz y gran consuelo da a todo ser.

And ... If someone tries to rob you

               "Punch Him"- Direct Quote Phoebe Davenport.

ADIOS until next week

Hermana Libertee Valenzuela