pulling the Mandioca tree 

Us next to a Mandioca field

Drinking PULP (so paraguayan) 

taking spikes out of my tennis while watching The District

Meat sticks for Aunistees Birthday

Writing in the Area Book by Candle when the power goes out due to frequent Flash storms

We lived another week here in Yby Yau. This week was trying because it seemed all the progress we had made flewn out the window, or more accurately, moved! We had our two"star pupils", or our investigators that were progressing the most, move suddenly. One to Asuncion to study and one to Ciudad de Este... That on top of other things and then it felt like suddenly we had no one! It was tough but after a reevaluation and plenty of prayer we went out and found new investigators to focus on. I am really looking forward to this next week. We have a new teaching pool and its full of wonderful brothers and sisters that we see so much potential in. We went out to the outskirts or our areas to make sure we weren’t neglecting any area and found that the "fields" there were white and ready! Our biggest struggle now is being able to get to them all in a timely manner. Villa de Maestros and Maria Axiliadora are both quite a ways out and we feel alot of valuable time is spent getting to the houses, time we want to use to actually teach. We think bikes would be useful and are asking for some this week. Our second biggest struggle and the goal we are going to work on as a companionship this week is clarity in lessons. These blessed sons and daughters of God often simply do not understand WHY we are there. Mostly this is due to a language barrier and frankly... lack of edumacation. We are trying to focus on using simpler words and being more animated so that the message gets across better. Teaching Primary will help me take those same teaching tools out into our lessons. Primary went alot better this week and I am feeling less stressed about things that use to drive me to tears. I am growing and learning more than I could’ve imagined. I love it! Sometimes I get too excited about what I learned in personal study and blab on and on to HNA Willis, but she is nice and listens always. I am also writing it all in my study journal so that you can all know the Doctrine according to Lib when I get back. Its profound, good good stuff!

 Now Im looking at my Planner because I cant even remember which week is which. 

Our district is getting along really well and I like that. Elder Munoz and Elder Benavente are both from Chile and have converted HNA Willis that Chile is the best South American country. We all learn from each other and support each other so thats nice, especially since there isnt really a Ward to lean on. Like the muppets said "life’s a happy song when there is someone by your side to sing along". 

We found a bunch of new potencials. It was awesome!

We did another service project for Lorenza. We harvested Mandioca (sometimes called Yuka/Uka). Mandioca to Paraguay is like Rice is to China. It is the staff of life and so harvesting it was probably the most Paraguayan thing we couldve done besides sit and drink Terrere. It was awesome. I got dirty and tired and ROASTED by the sun. I love hard work because it makes me feel like its just another early Saturday morning with my Family. 

Hermana Willis and I Fasted a day earlier than fast sunday because we usually start the fast mid-day Saturday and end it for lunch Monday, but I had PROMISED Aunistee I would eat a meat-stick in her honor so we rearranged it all and Celebrated a bit just for her. It was nice of HNA Willis to put up with that for me and she let me cry and tell her all about Aunistee. What a Party! haha- The meat was Yummy and you would have loved it, Stee. 

So there is a weird overview of my week. One more down, plenty more to go. 

Onward, Ever Onward.

I want to also end this be checking up on you, whoever you may be, and your reading of the Book of Mormon. I hope that you accept my invitation and act. That book is a wonderful treasure and all that it means and teaches brings me the fullest and sweetest joy. 

READ IT.

Okay cool.

I love you all.

I love this Gospel.

I know its true.

I am doing well and in the moments that I am down I am comforted by a living and loving Father in Heaven. 

I am so grateful to know He lives and to have the opportunity to grow that testimony in myself and share it with others. 

XOXO

Hermana Lib

Being creepy and cooling off with the fan.

 Reenacting a pic of my Dad on his mission to Colombia.

Took forever to write today because we went on a sweet hike to a place llamado (called) Cerro Mbmby! 

It was tiiiight. In Dad terms my “saw” is very sharp and hopefully I will leave enough time to send the pics today!

This week was Swagalishish. . . but in a spiritual way. 

We had alot of animo... which I don’t know how to say in English. I’m losing mi Ingles! We had tons of spirit and we worked hard! To save time and still get the info out I will paste my weekly email to my Mission Presidente.

 Hola Presidente!

Well, we had a very good week in Yby Yau. We had lots of animo and worked HARD! I loved it! We are trying to really focus on finding the people ready for our message and also the leaders we are looking for for our ward. Hermana Willis told me a story of a town that wanted a chapel so they looked in the phone book for a carpenter and started there (teaching and eventually baptizing him and so forth). We are doing the same thing. If we want this strong ward, we’ve gotta look for the leaders we need. We organized a list of our ward and much like a fantasy football league we put investigators and members into callings. We know that that isn’t going to be exactly how it turns out or anything, but it is helpful to have a goal of a dream of who these people could become. We also, of course, had some spaces blank and there we wrote attributes we would want in these people and recognize (such as a loving disposition, a want to follow christ, humble etc...) and now we are finding and fighting like lions to find these leaders we need. 

This week Daniel Vera (an investigator) came to church and it was AWESOME! Nothing quite like those people who are looking for the truth and then do their part-  searching to find it! Compromisos (promises) are So SO vital in conversion for that exact reason. God sends us blessings when we keep his commandments. We (as missionaries) explain these commandments or compromisos and invite them to keep them. In turn we invite them to partake of the sweet blessings God promises all who keep the commandments 

 (Mosiah 2¨41). 

The reason we get so stoked when people keep their compromisos is because we know that God will bless them and then they’re gonna want more and more of that same happiness! It is easier to explain the promised blessings and peace of the spirit once they have had a taste. 

I am learning so much from God, The Elders, the investigators (and All the people here) and SO SO SO much from Hermana Willis. I thank God every day for this opportunity to truly get to know Him, get to serve and help my brothers and sisters and get to strengthen my own testimony and knowledge of this gospel. Win! Win! Win! situation. Its not always easy, but as long as I look up rather than down on hard days, I always remember and see that is it worth it. 

Let me know if there is anything more I can be doing to serve you, your family, the mission, my ward, the people--- Anything!

Thank you for all that you and your Wife do. 

Love Hermana Valenzuela 

That is a pretty accurate recap of the week and it went by in a flash, a happy flash. 

I can now pray in Guarani... except only the steps of praying. For example: I can say “Father in Heaven”, “I am thankful for”, and “te pido por”, and then “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen” , .... but then the actual things I still have to say in Spanish, because I don’t have the vocab I need yet “but I´m learning” (Mr. Beans guy in Rat Race)  

I can also say things like “May we sing for you?”, “May we pray?” , and

 “It is hot”(used daily)

Pray for my Guarani, because I super want to learn! Also pray for Romina and Lorenza who are being kind enough to teach us for about 30minutes a week. We had 54 contacts this week and I said WOOHOO! and HNA Willis said “Oh yeah, your Dads number!” -proving that I talk about you guys (maybe too much) but it’s only because I super duper (like the skate team) love you all! 

This whole mission thing is going along swimmingly and I thank all for their help-(Prayers, financials, emails, letters, packages, happy thoughts, EVERYTHING!) 

I couldn’t do it without you!

I called the office this week and they said there is MAIL for me!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! It usually takes about a month for it to actually GET to me because we are in our little corner of the jungle, but even just knowing it’s there is comforting.

Same thing with home. Sometimes I get a little teary (or a lot) thinking of home but even just knowing home is there is comforting. You are all there and eso me da consuelo. It makes me think of our other home, Cloud 9, los cielos, Heaven.... I know it’s there and I know He is there. I know that my Redeemer lives... What comfort this sweet sentence gives.... 

That is my message after a happy week (not an easy week... but happy) of hard work. .... On to another I go! 

I continue to invite those who want to know the Lord more to seek and they WILL find, knock and it Shall be opened unto. . . but first you gotta keep your compromisos! (To see these same thoughts put more beautifully read a talk David A Bednar gave feb 3 2006 llamado (called) Seek Learning by Faith) 

Love to all from the sweaty jungle of Paraguay,

Hermana Valenzuela

 

/\   Elder Lira and Elder (zoom in on his tag, I forgot his name) at the Terminal we call home.

Fernando (the serious one)

Leandro (eating... lol he is cool)

 ME and Sister Willis (my arm looks like it could be her arm) and 

Elder (Jared) Munoz and Elder (Kaden) Billings

On Sundays we make the eElders food because they have to stay at the chapel and do Bishop stuff. We like to get fancy. Told you I wasn't starving.! Also a photo of a package Sis Willis got- all duct taped and with a pic of Jesus. This is a good idea of how to keep packages ecure because some peoples packages have been broken into. 

Our district being awkward for a family photo. hahaha

 Lorenza and I at church

Soaking my toe :(

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