Catholic Week

Alright, so this might be short and to the point cuz I don't have a lot of time today. Want to know why? Okay I´ll tell ya. So today, December 8, is a national holiday here for the Virgen of Caacupe (a.k.a. the Virgen Mary- its a Catholic tradition) And today half of the nation (I might be exaggerating a little bit, but not much..) goes to the city Caacupe where the basilica thingy is and do the "pilgrimage." I don't actually know what it´s called. But basically they walk for miles to go to the basilica thing, and the most devoted people crawl the last kilometer there- or something like that. To show their devotion and fulfill their promises with the Virgen (if this isn't super accurate I´m sorry, I don't understand that much about Catholicism). So since half the world is there, our normal cyber is closed, and we are using the internet in a different cyber and it is a bit slower, so sorry if this is short.

Yes mom, I did receive the package from Peter a few weeks ago, and also our zone leaders told me yesterday that I´ve got my Christmas package, so probably tomorrow I´ll get it? Thank you soo much!!! Love the skirt, and the T-shirts will be wonderful for the summer!!

I am eating a TON of mangos!!! Like 2 or 3 a day. They are soo good, and just laying all over the streets, so you can just pick ´em up and eat ´em. Last summer, my area had like two mangos trees (but seriously- and that is super strange for Paraguay cuz there are mango trees err´where!!) so I only ate a couple last year. But this year we´ve got plenty!!

So we don't have a lot of progressing investigators right now. We[re teaching a few really great people, but no one will come to church! They say they will, but then they don't show up. So we are just trying to work through that little snag. But we are starting to work a lot more with the members in the ward and really trying to strengthen and activate a lot of people, because about 12% of members here in our ward are actually active. So we are working on that, and we are praying and fasting a ton! The Lord will guide us. Paciencia no mas!

And the last fun thing of the week. Rezamos!!! (a.k.a. we prayed... Catholic style) Okay, so we didn't actually join in because that would be super not okay. But we were at a big lunch because it was the anniversary of a death and someone in the neighborhood invited us and we thought, alright plan of salvation. So we were there and then suddenly an older woman invited us to pray and said that they always share with us so we should share with them,etc. so if we left it would've been super offensive. So we just sat in the back and listened while they recited the Rosario (don't know what it's called in English). The Rosario is longer than I expected it to be.. and very repetitive. I[m pretty sure I've got it memorized now. Anyway, that was my week. Hope you guys are all doing awesomely!!

Love you!!!!

Love, Hermana Urie

Huge fruit thingy

David, Yessica, Derliz, and Hna. Rios (and pig)

Mario and his daughters (and me and Rios)

Awesome grasshopper thing

My district last change!!

Hna. Walker, Hna. Rios, me (and random man in the terminal).. the almost
trio (we were all comps with each other, just at different times, and we're
all super close, so we'll just say that we are a trio)

In honor of Catholic Week... this is a Catholic Chapel in
 La Floresta (my 2nd area)

Maura's baptism!!

Our Zone!!