Cooking for pets

Well another wonderful week in Ytororo, Paraguay. Lets see, what happened this week....

So earlier this week I was reading in Ether 7. And as I came to verse 5, I realized something. The Book of Mormon is full of examples of prophecies coming true. I know, this is kind of an obvious statement, but it just hit me in a way that it never had before. This last time reading through the Book of Mormon, I keep noticing that it often says things like "y asi se cumplieron las palabras del profeta Samuel/Alma y Amulek/Nefi/los profetas" etc. etc. (rough translation-- and that`s how the words of the prophets (Nephi, etc.) came to pass). And it says it a lot. So I started thinking about how that is really a testimony that prophets know what they are talking about. Because they really receive revelation from God, and they are always right. Sometimes we try to reason away or justify our disobedience, but if we look at what the prophets say, we`ve just got to accept the fact that wickedness never was happiness. Its clear, black and white. And also the other way. Sometimes we feel that we are doing everything right, so where are the blessings we`ve been promised? We`ve just gotta be patient and remember, every prophecy, every promise from God, every scripture, will come true, whether now or further down the road, in the way we expected or in one even better, they will come to pass. What the prophet says, goes.

So there`s the spiritual thought for the week. Now to the funny part. So we have a goal in the mission to start eating lunch with different members every week, because here in Paraguay they`ve kinda gotten used to having the same people eat with us every week (Flia. Gonzalez on Tuesdays, Flia. Baez every Friday, Flia. Duarte on Thursday, etc.) So we eat with the same 5 families every week. And, well, that is not really an efficient way to take the whole strength of the house (see my letter from January 12/ DyC 101:55-57). So that`s been what we`ve been doing lately- looking for the less active families and eating lunch with them (because there are only about 5 active families in any given area). And then helping their family members get baptized. It`s actually working out fairly well. Anyway, to the funny part. When they were telling us to do this, to help motivate us to do it or something, they also made the point that if we eat with a family only once a month instead of once a week, we`ll also get better meals, instead of whatever they happen to have in the pantry (a.k.a. tallarin- noodles with meat.) So last week we were joking about that, and i was saying how we should get more lunches with other people so we stop getting fed as if we were just the dogs (because they are so used to us coming every week that sometimes they just give us our food and then go clean their house or something while we eat). Then that day we went and ate lunch (tallarin), and then the member gave my leftovers to the pets- dogs, ducks, and chickens. So we really do eat the same as the pets here. (then again people do actually cook FOR their pets here- cheaper than buying pet food). So, spent a lot more time on that story than I was planning.. haha what can ya do?

And other funny thing. Yesterday, as me and my comp were walking to church with a recient convert and some investigators I realized, this transfer is the transfer of the kids (el cambio de los niños). Our two baptisms this change were 9 and 11 years old, the two baptisms we`ve got planned are 10 and 12 years old, the 5 investigators we`ve had in church this change are all between 9 and 12 years old. and most of our current investigators and between 9 and 14 years old. This has never happened before. haha but its really fun because kids are just so willing and eager to follow Christ and to learn about him, and it`s really fun to teach them, so I guess it`s fine! (and most of these children are members of Part-member families that we are trying to reactivate)

Well that`s it for this week.

Love you!! See you soon!!
Love, Hermana Urie

semana 2 en Ytororo

So it was confirmed.. I DID in fact have pike. I took it out myself (don't worry, I made a video to show when I get home). BUT... I don't think I got it all out. Cuz there`s a little black dot there again... oops! I think this time I`ll have a member do it.

This week we did service! There is a sister in the ward, she`s a single mom with 3 small kids, and they just moved. So their yard is a bit of a mess, and there was a palm tree half fallen over (a bit dangerous for small children when it falls the rest of the way) and trees and bushes and thorns everywhere. So we went with the elders and our ward mission leader with machetes and chopped it all up. It was fun.

Also we found a miracle this week! We`ve started using a list that the church has called the lista de accion (action list?) and we are finding lots of part member families in our area! We already found 2. One of them is the Leon family, and 2 of their kids, Micaela and Arcenio, and going to get baptized this Saturday! and then there`s another family. They were leaving to go fishing when we found them (where- i have no idea, cuz they said they weren`t going to the Paraguay River right next to us and as far as I know, there is no other river or water source in Paraguay besides the rain and the humidity in the air). So we only talked to the daughter, but she`s super cute and says she wants to get baptized, so we`ll work with that family to help reactivate them so that she and her brother can get baptized.

And also this week, we had Conferencia de Zonas! in the offices. It was AMAZING. We talked about... well I`m not sure how the scriptures translates exactly into English.. It`s D & C 101:55-57. so you can look it up for yourself. But basically it says that we`ve gotta take the whole strength of the Lord`s house, and we`ve gotta do it now. So we are talking a lot about how to involve the members in missionary work. And not just active members, but less active and inactive as well (reactivating them). Because if we only use the active members, that means only 10 or 15% of the strength of the house. So we`re basically changing how we work with the members and trying to work on baptizing, retaining, and reactivating all at the same time.

Also we focused a lot on how we must ALWAYS bring the focus as fast as we can to Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Help people truly understand and experiment the Atonement. That is the only way to reach salvation and true happiness.

I know that Christ is my Savior. I know it with my whole heart. I know that he loves us, and that he showed us the way to follow him, through faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end., and then he suffered for OUR sins, and OUR sorrows and sicknesses and everything. I know this gospel is true. And I know that anyone can know it as well, if they just kneel down in sincere prayer, and ask God. And He WILL answer, because HE LOVES US, and we are his children.

Love you all!! Don't be getting too trunky yet! I`ve still got 6% of my mission left!! It`s not done till its done!! (and even then, its still not done.)

Love you!
Hermana Urie

Semana 1 en Ytororo!!

Semana 1 en Ytororo!! So I think I failed to mention last time that we are super close to the Paraguay River, and just on the other side of that is Argentina! So I can see Argentina from our window. It seems nice.

So not much to report this week. Just getting to know the area as fast as I can. It rained, like usual. It`s unbearablely hot, and we are drenched in sweat, like usual. And I am as happy as can be. :)

We found someone awesome this week! Her name is Dominga. We contacted her one day and invited her to get baptized (because we basically invite everyone to get baptized within the first 5 minutes of meeting them- its pretty awesome to be a missionary) and she said, "well, we`ll have to see. Let`s talk a little bit first." So we went back another day and shared with her and she is AWESOME. She had shared with missionaries before and she really liked it, but then she moved and lost track of it. She is like one of those people from the scripture that says that many look for the truth, but don't find it only because they don't know where to find it (somethin like that, I`m tryin to translate to English..). She`s really looking for the truth, so we are going to work a lot with her this week. We passed by yesterday but she wasn't there. Her son was there and we met him. He said he was interested and wanted to go to church too. He also said my eyes were really pretty.. like  5 times.. haha y bueno! But yeah, just working! Fun fact: 1.5 of my previous comps were in this area before! Hna. Lossa was here a year and a half ago, and Hna. Hinkson as well (that would be the "half/wannabe" comp)

This week we have a zone conference in the offices, and today we had to go as well, my comp had to sign some immigration papers, so lots of traveling to Asuncion.

I`m so glad to hear the twins are doing well!! they look SO SMALL in the pictures!!! i`m praying for you guys!!

So I`m pretty sure I don't have a concussion... or at least if I did its gone now. No more headaches, and we`re working like normal. Mañana we`re going to go running and we`ll see if that does anything, but yeah- todo bien!! though I might have pique... haha jk!!...?

Anyway love you guys!!!

a cigarra. It makes a really awesome and annoying noise

don't know how well you can see it, but that was my hand
(at the half way mark, it got bigger than that later)



The wind blew my umbrella into the river. I stared for 2 seconds and then said
"I`m goin down." I miss climbing, but its a bit harder in a skirt.

we walk with cows on the sidewalk. it's Paraguay.



Diana`s kids! Feliz Navidad!!

The Asentamiento in Villa Elisa :)



Saying goodbye to Yessica and Diana :(

First comp, last comp (Hna. Mills, Hna. Aguirre)

This is Hna. Espinoza`s cousin! (my trainer) and she`s in Reducto (my first
 area where I was with Hna. Espinoza)