General Conference

Alright so, General Conference was AMAZING!! I did not want it to end. Though I guess it wasn't really so much of an ending as it was a 6 month interruption.. haha

So this week has been lots of searching, teaching and working. We had divisions with the Hermanas Lideres Entrenadoras (sister training leaders) and I went with Hna. Whitmer off to the beautiful Fernanado de la Mora and Hna. Murguia stayed here with Hna. Cortez. We learned lots and then decided to really be super diligent the rest of the week, so this week was basically awesome :) 
We`ve been working a lot with our investigator Jose Luis this week. Oh and we figured out that his name is not actually Jose Luis, it`s just Jose. But he wants it to be Jose Luis, so he just tells everyone that that is his name. He`s quite a character. One day last week during a lesson with a member, the member was talking for quite a while, and Jose Luis just started saying the closing prayer. While the member was still talking. We were like "um, hermano... okay" so we all bowed our heads and let him say the prayer, and then we shook their hands, said thanks, and left. Haha awkward. But he came to conference yesterday, to both of the sessions. Showed up all by himself!! So that was basically a miracle. And then between the sessions he saw that the hall and the bathroom were kinda dirty, so he just started cleaning the church building. We were like "Hermano, you don`t have to do that, people come and clean every Saturday." Haha he is super funny! He`s a really good guy, and wants to change his life and is super excited for his baptism! He is still having some problems with the word of wisdom that we are trying to work through but he`s coming along. With Christ and his atonement in our lives, we really can overcome anything. We just have to put our trust and faith in him, and really develop that personal relationship with our Savior.
I love the gospel, I know it is true. 

So... to finish up the rat story. haha.. After we slept at the hermanas` house, the district leader and his comp came over with a member to try and find and.. you know.. dispose of the rat. But they couldn't find it, so they just set up rat poison everywhere and a couple rat traps. And the next few days we didn't see the rat, but we heard it and saw rat poison slowing disappearing, so it was eating it, but not dying (this rat is intelligent and evil and cannot die). And then one day we noticed that the door that goes out to the balcony had a small hole in the bottom of it, and there was a big pile of little pieces of wood next to it. So apparently it got desperate to leave (because we never leave the windows or doors or anything open anymore so that nothing can get in, which also means nothing can get out). So I guess it wanted to leave, and it decided to eat and dig and scratch it's way out.. I told you, this rat is nuts. Anyway, since then we haven`t had any more rat problems :)


Love you tons!!!
Hermana Urie

And here`s the door the rat burrowed through... fun fun

My awesome district (well, from last change, sorry still a little behind on the picture thing..)

My wonderful district (the current one) at the temple!!!!!! 

Temple and palm trees!! (I`m pretty sure Paraguay used to be an ocean or beach or something-- it's the only thing that explains all the palm trees and sand that is everywhere)

Us with the Hermanas Entrenadoras!

¡una semana mas!

¡¿Quien esta animado para la conferencia?!  umm.. yo

Seriously, its like a kid at Christmas, i cant wait till Conference!

Anyway, this week...

So the rat story made short..

The rat/mouse we took out in the nightstand actually must have been Gustavo and Carlotta`s baby (named Ruiz :)  ), because we found Carlotta (not as big as the one, but not as small as the other) a few days later running around and making the place hers. Seriously, she ate our bread, Hna. Murguia`s big doughnut (all of this THROUGH the packaging), left her little rat poop everywhere, including on the Books of Mormon, etc. etc. So the night we figured out she was still there, we got all scared and decided to both sleep on the top bunk, just in case.. Then the next night, as Hna. Murguia was washing dishes, the rat ran out from behind the dishes about 2 feet away. She screamed. Loudly.  

Anyway, we tried to scare her to get her to jump out of the window like Gustavo, but she wouldn`t do it! She just kept runnin around the kitchen (with us huddled on the counter with the broom screaming... the neighbors downstairs must love us) until we just got to such a frustrated, emotional state, and something was broken in pieces on the floor, and we had lost the rat when it ran around a corner and had no idea where she had gone in the house. So we decided we couldnt take it anymore, so we grabbed our emergency bags and took a taxi to the Hermana`s house at 10:30 at night and slept there.. yes very dramatic.. anyway, the rest of the rat story next time. I`m out of time..

Sorry there wasn`t much spiritualness this time.. but lots of pics!! We do have an Investigator, Jose Luis, that we are working with a lot right now. He`s basically awesome and totally wants to change his life and get baptized and everything, we just have some word of wisdom problems to work out. He`s super funny and introduces us to ALL of his friends and tells us to share with them. He`s a pretty unique character. 

Anyway, that's all for Hermana Urie`s adventures in Paraguay this week. I promise more spiritual mission stuff next week!! love you tons!!!

Hermana Urie

3. Goodbye to Hermana Lossa :(  (..two months ago.. sorry i`m a little behind on the whole picture thing... :) ..)

Junior`s baptism!! (8 Febrero 2014)

snakes... they were on their way to be sold and eaten.... `nuff said.

Valentines Day!! (left to right: Hna. Cortez(sister training leader on splits with the other hermanas in our ward that day), me, Hna. Hinkson (one of the other hermanas in the ward), and hna. Murguia (my companion!!))

2 MORE WEEKS TILL CONFERENCE!!!

Okay, so that title actually has nothing to do with this letter, I`m just super excited so I thought I´d let y'all know :)

Okay, so I said that the last week was crazy right? Well I was wrong- THIS week was nuts. We were crazy busy.

So Monday after emailing we traveled downtown to the TEMPLE and cleaned for a few hours!! It's the second time I`ve been able to do that on the mission and I was so excited! The temple is so beautiful and so peaceful. I just love it so much! And while we were cleaning me and Hermana Hinkson (one the other sister missionaries working in our ward) quietly hummed hymns with harmony and stuff and I just felt so peaceful :)

Then Wednesday we had a Conferencia de Zonas. So every month we have a "Capacitacion de Zona" where our whole zone gets together, has a lesson-type thing, and encouraging spiritual thoughts and practices and whatever we happen to need to know at the time (I guess you could kinda relate it to Ward Conference or something.) But everything 3 or 4 months, we have a "Conferencia de Zonas" where 4 or 5 zones get together in a big gathering at the mission offices and there is the mission president and an Area of the Seventy there and they give us the conference (like Stake Conference or whatever). So we had that last week and it was great. We talked about the Atonement of Christ and how it helps us as missionaries and how it can help our investigators in their personal lives as well.. and lots of great missionary stuff. So that was great and uplifting and stuff.

And then Thursday... The rat came back. It like that story of the cat, it wouldn't go away it just came back (okay so I don't really know the story, but Michelle in Gilmore Girls refers to it somewhere in season 3 and that just popped into my head as I was typing this)
So the rat came back. This rat is smart. It is mean. and it is terrorizing us. Well I don't really have time to tell the story how I would like to, so I`ll write it in a letter tonight and send it to you.

And then Friday I was sick, but that actually ended up being our only full day of the week this crazy week so we decided to just keep working. And Saturday I was so exhausted from being sick while walking and working in the sun all day so I just crashed for like 5 hours. So fun fun week. Anyway. Love you all!! Good luck in all your fun endeavors!!!

Love from your favorite South American missionary :)
Hermana Urie

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!!