Crazy crazy week...

Alright, so much to write about and not enough time...

So the rats... we found it, trapped it, and took it out. we got home and kneeled down to pray to do daily planning, and we saw it running around trying to get out of the room (but we had closed the door behind us). so we took refuge on our desks. Did daily planning sitting on our desks, and then made the master plan to get the rat out. We figured out that it was hiding in the nightstand next to my bed (because I saw it trying to slowly sneak out when we were quiet and it thought we weren't looking-- but I saw it and its creepy black ball-ish eyes)so then it was hiding there so we closed the door of the nightstand and taped it shut to trap it in there. and then carried the nightstand out of the apartment, down the stairs and outside and let it out. (by the way, that was fairly small mouse-ish rat--Carlotta)

Then we came back inside just in time for Hermana Murguia to look over and see Gustavo jumping in from the window and hiding behind the oven. Now I don't know how he`s been getting in and out from the window cuz we are on the second floor and it's a straight drop to the ground, nothing around to jump on or climb on. So apparently rats are either like spiderman or can fly. So we moved the oven around, made some noise, etc, until we scared Gustavo into jumping back OUT of the window...which he did. I don't know where he jumped to. Seriously I think they can fly, either that or he`s like a cat and can land high falls just fine. And guys... Gustavo was BIG. he was HUGE!!!!! Well after that we closed all the doors and windows. Hopefully they can't get in from the hallway.

Alright, now to more spiritual matters...

My zone made a goal about a change ago (changes are 6 weeks, they made the goal 7 weeks ago) to read the Book of Mormon in 2 changes. i.e. a little less than 3 months. But somehow this did not get communicated to me and Hna. Murguia until about 2 weeks ago. But we are determined to finish with them, so we are reading 15 pages a day (in Spanish of course). We are in Mosiah. Hopefully we will finish in time. I`ve never read the Book of Mormon in 7 weeks, but it's going to happen.

So about church yesterday. We had 3 investigators come! and they were all miracles. One of them we weren`t able to find or contact all week (since last Monday) and he was pretty new- we`ve only taught him twice. But he had said in the last lesson that he wanted to come to church on Sunday, so we told him, Great, we`ll pass for you at 8:30 on Sunday to go to church. But we hadn`t been able to talk to him all week, so we were going to his house yesterday, hoping that he remembered that we were coming and that he hadn`t changed his mind. And when we got to his house, he was ready and waiting outside for us. So great miracle there.
And we had another investigator that said that she would try to come to church yesterday, but we didn't have time to pass for her. But when we got to church, there she was, sitting in the chapel. She came all by herself (after a long night of not being able to sleep for some insomnia thing or something, I'm not exactly sure) but she still came. And it was great. We are going to share with her again tomorrow. But she really is looking to change her life and come unto Christ. Its amazing. and her son is coming to church too and really likes it. So basically lots of prepared people ready to come unto Christ. I love being a missionary.

Last little tid bit of information that I`m sure you all are dying to know...
Since I`ve been in Paraguay I have developed a great liking for limes and coconuts. Just thought I'd let you know.

Love you tons!!! The gospel is true!! The plan of salvation is amazing!! God love us sooo much!!! And families really are the most important thing in all of eternity. So hey, I love you guys kind of a lot!!


Love,
 Hermana Urie

¡7 meses ya!

I`m running out of time!! Only another 11 months! So not enough, I feel like I`m just getting started.

So this week was interesting...

So last Saturday..
We found a woman who lived in Washington DC for 40 years!!! So like she knows English. So she would only talk to us in English but she let us in and we are like, "sweet, we are so going to teach her in English"... weirdest thing ever!!!!!! It was so hard!!! I kept slipping into Spanish and it was like I didn't know how to speak English anymore. I`m so used to teaching in Spanish. And it was so difficult because as I was teaching I had to translate in my mind from Spanish to English, because I was thinking in Spanish but speaking in English and it was really weird. I feel like I don't remember the gospel in English anymore, haha, its fine!
I also had the realization during that lesson that, I really was called to speak Spanish. The whole lesson just had a different feel to it and was just strange. It was really fun to try teaching it in English once, but I don't think I`m going to do it again, unless I find English speaking people that don't speak Spanish (like in the Best Two Years with dutch!!) but I doubt it.. Anyway, I know I really was called to preach the gospel to the people in Paraguay in their native tongue. (i.e. Spanish with some random Guarani words thrown in there, haha, because i do not know puro Guarani)

Also last Saturday. It was almost 9 pm and we were on the way home when we decided to stop at Amandau and get some ice cream. So we walked in and we were waiting for the worker to come and ask for our order. And Hermana Murguia suddenly is like "oh my gosh, look!" so I look down at the counter. First I saw one of the church pass along cards with a picture of the Salt Lake temple on it and I thought "oh that's cool, someone left a pass along card".... and then I saw what was right next to the pass along card. It was a big notebook- like those drawing notebooks with lots of blank, unlined, thicker paper. And on it had been drawn the salt lake temple. It was gorgeous. So the worker came over and we were like "what is this?! Its amazing!" and she was like "I know isn't it absolutely beautiful!" apparently someone had left the card in amandau and she found it and thought it was so pretty and decided to draw it, so in her free time throughout the day, she would just draw the temple. it was amazing. We are going back so she can draw us one, and to teach her. She`s amazing and the Lord basically led her straight to us, so gotta follow the lord`s path right! and then we got a huge ice cream cone. It was a pretty great day :)


Alright I`m out of time. But love you guys a ton!

Hermana Urie

Rain

So the weather here is cooling down a lot. It has rained 3 or 4 days this week, and I was actually a chilly part of the time, so that's nice. I think it was around in the 70s and 80s a lot this week. It was really quite nice. (p.s. I think I am going to freeze to death in the winter, because 70s is cold, and it gets down to like 40! and its humid... we`ll see if I survive haha)

So I told you guys about Junior right? The 8 year old kid that got baptized like 3 weeks ago. Well we`ve been working a lot with his mom, Elva, and his aunts recently. His mom loves everything about the church, her only problem is that she needs to move away from the father of her children. They aren`t married, and they aren't even together anymore (so marriage isn't really an option that they like). That actually happens more than you think here, where the couple breaks up but still live in the same house, because moving is dificult here, especially in the city. to find a place big enough, that's affordable, and somewhat near your work and school... yeah pretty hard. so we`re looking for somewhere they could move, but after that, she`s ready. (This is basically the same situation as Rosa from Reducto 3 months ago, who by the way moved out and got baptized!! Yay!! don't remember if I already told you that)

Alright, sorry no more time. Love you tons!!!!!

Hermana Urie

The Rats...

Okay so CLARIFICATION...

Apparently I didn't make it very clear and some people were a bit confused..
when I said that Gustavo and Carlotta were living in our apartment (which they still are by the way, we think we`ll just keep them). Gustavo and Carlotta are RATS, not men. hahaha. But they are too smart to get caught in the rat traps, they eat the food without setting off the trap, so we`re just giving up.

Alright so this weeks email might not be quite as long because I`m sending tons of pictures. But that's okay..

Last week in Paraguay...

I taught a drunk guy the word of wisdom.. I don't think he`s gonna remember it though, so I gave him a sticky note that said "water is of God, beer is of the devil" but in Spanish. I hope he gets something from it...

aaaannddd... I`m out of time.. love you all tons  I will  write a LOT more next week I promise!!!!!!!

hey look! its Argentina!! (from the top of a hill)

me on the cerro lambare (lambare hill)

eating my first Paraguayan mango

my zone!! (last change, sorry i`m super behind on the picture thing..)

puppies!!! (me and my comp.. from last change (Hermana Lossa))

more puppies!!

Love Being a Missionary

Alright so this week was fun.

P-day with the hermanas, we did have horchata and popcorn, but we forgot to make a trap for the rats, and they are too smart to get caught in our rat traps, so I think we still have them, but we haven't seen them so who knows, maybe they got bored and left... haha yeah right.

Junior got confirmed yesterday!!!! He is now officially a member of la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias! And his family and two of his aunts came (we`re teaching all of them, and they`re getting ready to get baptized too! so in the next few weeks :) ) And we had 5 investigators in church yesterday.. five!!! That's amazing. 

The weather is getting better. it rained quite a bit so that always cools things down, but its already getting hot again, so we`ll see how long that lasts.

Yesterday we contacted a guy sitting in front of his house, and as we talked he told us he doesn't believe in God. He thinks Christ was just a regular guy that did really good things, but thats it. I just don't understand how people can't believe in God. Everything proves there is a God. everything. and that he loves us. It's interesting when we talk with people like that (or that tell us how we`re wrong, or that we should stop and just go home, etc,etc) because every time it happens it just strengthens my testimony more. It all just works and fits together so perfectly. As soon as you learn more and start to understand you just can't deny it. I know this is the church of Christ, with his gospel, with his teachings, with his spirit, and with his authority. I know it. And I know why I'm here- to share it with anyone and everyone that will listen.

I love being a missionary! :)

So that's all I can think of.

Love you!!!!

Hermana Urie

Bautismo!! ... y ratas..

So this week we had a baptism!! He`s 8 years old and super excited and prepared for the gospel. His mom is going to get baptized in a couple weeks too. It was so amazing to be at his baptism. He was so excited, and it was so beautiful as I was sitting there and thinking that while yes, I taught him some lessons and helped him out a bit, I really did do anything to get him here. It was all the Lord. The Lord knows what he`s doing. These people were already prepared. He basically just led us to them so we could invite them to take that step, but He really did all the work for us. This work is amazing. Missionary work is amazing.
So there`s my spiritualness for the week, now lets get to Paraguay. HAKU E`TEREI!!!! it is so HOT (in guarani). Someone was talking to us a couple days ago and said that it was like 43 degrees Celsius, which is approximately 110 degrees farenheit. And then you add in the humidity. and then you add in the walking all day in the street. So yeah, its hot. But the rumor is its only gonna get a little bit worse the next couple weeks and in march it`ll start going down, so we`re basically praying for that. We`ve kinda gotten used to the always dripping in sweat thing during the day, but what I don`t like is when the power goes out and we don't have air conditioning at night when we`re sleeping (which happened twice this week). But hey, I don't think I will ever complain about summer heat in Utah ever again.
And Gustavo and Carlotta are still living in our apartment. One day we got home and opened the door to our bedroom and they came running out and ran across Hermana Murguia`s foot. They ran to their little hiding spot in the kitchen where there`s a big area that we cant see very well because the oven is in the way. We put out rat traps but they`re either too smart or too lazy to come out of hiding. but we saw them running around behind the oven yesterday, so they`re still there. But we`ve got a plan. Today, the Hermanas (from the other area in the ward) and coming over and we`re going to figure out a way to trap them and take em out.
Which brings me to my last thought. Today the Hermanas are coming over to hang out for Pday! I haven't hung out with anyone besides just my companion since before the mission! we`re gonna make banana cake and horchata, and talk and listen to EFY cds and maybe watch "The Restauracion" or The testaments, or preach my gospel dvds or something. We`re not really sure, but I`m super excited! (I sound like I'm joking but I am kinda dead serious right now. I know I'm a dorky missionary, it's fine! I love it!)

Anyway, that's all for this week. Love you tons!!!

Hermana Urie

Cambios!!!!!

So I am still in La Floresta, but I have a new companion!! Her name is Hermana Murguia. Her parents are from Mexico, but she`s from Utah, so she already spoke English and Spanish fluently before the mission. So nice for when I don't know words in Spanish she can help me, but bad because we are really always just talking in English so I`m not practicing as much as I should be. But we`re making goals to speak English only on p-days, so its good. She super cute, super funny, and super bold. its great! :) She`s been in the mission for 10 months already (so I`m not training yet!). we`ve only been together like 4 days, but I can already tell, we are going to work hard this cambio. She`s super determined.

So we had 3 investigators in church this week!!!!! That's like, amazing. i super excited for this cambio, its gonna be super busy. there are a lot of people here that are converted and ready, we`ve just got to teach them and get them to church.

So we have a couple people we found recently that already have all the lessons and everything from a few months ago, just their circumstances before didn't allow them to get baptized, but things have changed and now they`re ready and supre excited, so we`re basically just reviewing and the lessons and they`re gonna get baptized in the next couple weeks!! yay!! there is so much work to do here but I`m so excited to do it. The mission is amazing. I love it :)

Also, last week when we had cambios, I saw Herman a Espinoza in the terminal (where all the missionaries meet to do changes) and she said the Rosa (my investigator from Reducto) and her son got baptized!!!!!!! I`m so excited for them!!!!

Alright no more time, but next week I`m gonna send pictures and write more. and one of these days I will actually finish one of the many letters that I`ve started and send it to you. love you so much!!!!

Con todo mi amor,
Hermana Urie