New Family

Hola familia!

so this week was pretty awesome! We found a new family (almost-we haven't met the father yet but we`re planning to this week). And they are amazing! The mom is Diana and she has 6 kids. They are super ready for the gospel! they will need to get married to get baptized, but she said they`re thinking about it anyway, so we totally might have a wedding this month! I really hope so-- I haven't had a wedding yet in the mish. The only thing is, they did not come to church this week. They said they definitely were going to come, but then they didn't :( Her doubt about coming to church is that they are kinda scared to leave their house unattended for very long, becuase they live in an asentamiento (...no idea what that means in English because we don't really have them in the states... it`s basically the poorer areas of Paraguay that aren't an official "neighboorhood or community" yet. There are lots of small wooden "houses/shacks" and the streets aren't legit streets so they dont have names or anything. At some point I will take a picture and send it to you because asentamientos are like my favorite part of Paraguay! I just haven't done it yet because I`m a little nervous about taking my camera there because if someone sees it we may get robbed...). So yeah, they live there and there house isn't very secure- its pretty open, so they think if they leave it alone someone will go in and rob them... which is quite possible in an asentamiento... or Paraguay in general.. but we taught her about faith in God and told her that God would protect her house while she went to church. So we`re gonna work on that this week. (don't worry mom, I have not yet been robbed on my mission, God protects his missionaries! :)

We are also working a lot with another family, Alcides and Elida (and their 2 kids) who are amazing!! Alcides already has his answer and wants to get baptized! They also were going to come to church this week but didn't because when Elida told her super catholic sister that they were sharing with us and planning on going to church, her sister kinda freaked and almost disowned her from the family... So we`re workin on that... pray for them.

Nothing else besides that. Random, out of nowhere, super hard rainstorm on Thursday morning. By the afternoon it was nice and hot again. You gotta love the weather here in Paraguay (by the way we had like 1 month of cold, and its already super hot again. This summer is gonna kill me.)

Love you all!! Have a good week :) and read the scriptures! err`day!
Hermana Urie

Me and my new comp.! Hna. Rios!

My district (last cambio)

The Flocks

So this week was basically amazing! We had changes! I`m still in Villa Elisa, but I have a new companion, Hermana Rios. She is from Montana, but her dad is from Puerto Rico, so technically she`s half Latina, but she`s super blonde so you`d never guess! She is basically amazing. Seriously, I`m pretty sure I`ve got the best comp in the mission, no joke! She loves missionary work, she loves the people, she works hard, she teaches well and the spirit is always so strong when she testifies. Basically she`s like super missionary. She`s only got 3 months left of her mission (2 changes), and I am hoping and praying that we stay together both of those changes! (if not, that would mean I go to my FIFTH area... I would really like to have more than 2 changes in an area sometime!) But igual no mas, I will go wherever the Lord wants me to go! Oh, and also, Hermana Rios and I had the same mom/trainer!! (Hna. Espinoza trained her right before she trained me)

So missionary work basically exploded this week. We are working hard and finding a ton of people that are super prepared and ready for the gospel! All we need now is lots and lots of help from the members and err`one here`s gonna get baptized!!


So I don't have lots of time this week, but I wanna share a scripture. It`s Alma 17:31 (and 32-33). I don't have my scriptures with me, but its when the flocks of the King Lamoni (?) are scattered and Ammon and the servants...recogerles.... gather them (sorry forget how to say that in English for a second). So I was thinking about how the sheep/flocks are like less actives (and basically all of God`s children), who are scattered and lost for a bit when temptations and struggles and trials (or the Lamanites) come along. And we are like the servants of the king whose responsibility it is to go get them and bring them back and protect them. I`ve also been thinking a lot about home teaching and visiting teaching lately and basically decided that it is the KEY to continued activity and excitement for missionary work in church members. So everyone do your visiting and home teaching because it really does exist with the purpose of saving souls and strengthen each other!! So if you do not yet have a testimony of this inspired program, I invite you to spend some personal time this week to study the doctrine and principle and application of it (why do we do it, what is it, and how should we do it), and pray about it, and then apply it in your life.

So the fun story of this week... We taught a pastor!! of an evangelica church! We had set up an appointment with a contact, so we were going back to teach him and we walk in on the guy and his wife sharing with a pastor and a missionary. So we totally crashed that party- awkward!! and at the end they did a blessing of health with vinegar or something... even more awkward... But we taught the Restoration and invited them to church.


Well out of time, but love you guys!! talk to you next week!!
Love, Hermana Urie

Fire Overreaction

Hey, got the package thanks!!! I am so super stoked for smores you have no idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So funny story. This week we were teaching a lesson to some kids (super cute kids- they are getting baptized si o si). And we were trying to draw out the Plan of Salvacion with them, but there was lots of smoke (we usually teach lessons outside in the yard because inside is way too hot). So we look and there is a fire in the field across the street. Then a tree caught on fire and we were like "oh my gosh! should we do something?" But all the neighbors were just standing there super chill and a couple guys throwing buckets of water on the fire. And we`re like "isn't someone going to call the fire department?" so we called. And by the time they arrived the neighbors had already put out the fire. Haha oops... sorry if we overreacted a little bit..

So this week we had a Regional Conference and Elder Bednar spoke which was super amazing. He talked about repentance. And it was interesting because in another one of his talks that we read recently he said that someone can do all the steps of repentance (recognize, confess, ask forgiveness, not do it again, etc) without actually repenting. If in the process of repentance we forget that we have to come unto CHRIST, then our repentance wasn't real. And yesterday he was saying how the most important part of repentance is just that-- come unto Christ. Repentance has two parts: 1. Come unto Christ, and 2. Leave behind your sins. And many times, we think we have to leave behind our sins BEFORE we can come unto Christ, before we can come back to church, before we can read our scriptures or say our prayers. But thats backwards. We have to FIRST come unto Christ. And then he gives us the STRENGTH to overcome our weaknesses.

Sorry out of time! I love you all!! I think you are amazing!! Keep sharing the gospel and serving others!!!

Love,
Hermana Urie

Great People

So we are finding some great people here in Villa Elisa!! We`ve started teaching these 2 teenage sisters that are super chulina!! (I means cute, but I think it's just a Paraguay word, not a regular Spanish thing). They couldn't come to church yesterday because they were traveling out to the campaña (middle of nowhere) for their grandfathers birthday, but this week si o si!! Also we have another investigator, Rosa, that is super interested. She`s not sure yet if the church is true but she understands super well and wants to learn more, so we`re helping her out.
Oh and Cristian.. Well he came to church yesterday. He seems to like coming to church, but he`s got a LOT of opposition from his family and he doesn't quite seem to understand the apostacy and restoration, so he doesn't understand why he needs to be baptized again or how our church is different from all the rest. We`ve taught him that like 3 times already, so now we`re looking for a different approach to teach him (if we can ever find a woman to go with us, because we cant teach guys alone)... we`re basically just putting him into the Lord`s hands and praying that everything will work out..

Well that`s about it for this week! Hope you all had fun in Cali and the cousin sleepover! Happy first birthday Emma!!!
Love you!
Hermana Urie

p.s. mom asked about changes, it's true they are coming up! in 9 days, so I`ll let you know in 2 weeks what happened!!

One Year in the Mission!!

So not much new stuff this week. We`re still working with investigators, trying to help them progress. So Christian (our investigator that was coming to church) has stopped coming to church but comes to the activities on Wednesday and the baptisms on Saturday, so we aren`t quite sure what is going on there, but we`ll figure it out! And we`re finding some new people, but really not much to report in the way of investigators this week. Probably because this week has been a bit crazy and we haven't had tons of time out teaching..

Tuesday and Friday were great because we had the whole day to work and we worked hard! but Wednesday we had a Zone Training Meeting in the morning. And then in the afternoon we had to go to Asuncion because my back is having issues. So we talked to the doctor about going to a chiropractor and adjusting my back, but he said he wanted me to try some exercises first... so that's what I`ve been doing for the last week, but my back has started hurting more since I started the exercises, so we`ll see! I have a check up appointment this week so hopefully this time he will send me to a chiropractor! haha

And then Thursday we had divisions and I went to Fernando de la Mora for the day! They had a baptismal interview for a super awesome investigator who got baptized Saturday!

And Saturday the other Hermanas in our district had a baptism and we brought our investigator (Christian) to that. And then Sunday we weren't feeling well, so basically a week of craziness.

Sorry it`s so short but that`s about it for this week!! Love you all!!! (even though you went to California without me... haha just kidding! :)

Have a great week!!!

Love,

Hermana Urie

Back in Zona 4!

In the same zone as Hermana Mills!!! (one of my comps from the MTC)

Me and my current companion (Hna. Valle).. and our zone leaders

Kind of Whitewashing

Hello mi familia!!

So I realize I haven`t updated much on the new area, sorry about that, this change started out a bit rough and things have been a little crazy!

So I got here to Villa Elisa and we basically had no investigators whatsoever. The investigators the missionaries were working with before weren't progressing or going to church or anything, so it was like we were whitewashing the area (when both the companions are new to the area) and starting from scratch when I got here, but with the advantage that my comp already knows the streets and the members, so that's nice. So the first couple weeks were a bit hard trying to find new people to teach, but we have some great investigators now that we are working with.

One of our investigators, Christian (15 years old), we contacted my second day here and he came to church that Sunday- miracle! The problem is it is super difficult to teach him because we cant teach guys if there isn't a woman, and we cant find anyone to go with us during the week in the night (which is when he is home). So he`s come to church and the elder`s baptism and everything, but we`ve only taught him twice. And both times were interesting... the first time he was super ADD and we couldn't get him to focus and understand what we were teaching. Aaand afterward we figured out that the father of the young woman that we chose to bring with us had an affair with our investigator`s mom a couple years back.... what are the chances?! oops... awkward...

And the second lesson wasn't much better. We brought a member (a sister from relief society this time), but I think she got a little excited and started talking a little bit about everything in the church. We were going to focus on baptism and the priesthood, but we went a little off into Joseph Smith, the plan of salvation, temples, the spirit world, bugs nibbling at the spirits of those who didn't get baptized in this life (don't ask, just... don't ask), baptisms for the dead, callings in the church... etc.etc. I think we left him with more questions than we answered. Just remember, when you share the gospel, it`s "line upon line, precept upon precept"-- basically little by little, be super simple, don't scare them. But he came back to church the next day, so I guess the Lord is taking care of him.

We also have some other new investigators. They haven't been able to come to church yet, but this next week we are hoping that they will. One is a mother, Liz, and her daughter, Janny. They are super prepared! Every time we share with them from the first time we clapped at their house (remember we don't knock, we clap here in Paraguay), the Spirit has been so strong. We can tell Liz has had a lot of trials in her life that have brought her closer to Christ. And after we shared the story of the Restoration, I asked her how she felt as she heard it, and she said she felt hope. They are amazing and totally going to come to church this week (pray!) and going to get baptized and go to the celestial kingdom!! Well thats what I`m hoping for anyway.

Well that's about it for this week. Love you all and I hope everything is going great!!! Chao!

Love,

Hermana Urie

Villa Elisa

So, I had changes- I am no longer in Ita and I`m a little (a lot) heart broken. I love Ita it is the most amazing area ever and I just saw so many miracles there and there are so many people there that I love so much that I am gonna miss!! but, asi es la mision. (that`s the mission).

So when we have changes, all the missionaries that are going to change go to the terminal (basically a big collectivo station- like train station but for buses). And that's always a really fun hour finding past companions and friends and such. Well these last changes I ran into Hermana Murguia (my companion for 2 cambios in La Floresta), and she told me that Lety se bautizo!!!!! (umm.. got baptized, sorry this English thing is really hard for me today). (Leticia is the investigator that worked in the ice cream shop and I left before she got baptized). I am super super excited about that!!!!!! Also, I heard that Hna. Mills (one of my comps from the MTC) is now in La Floresta! Which is in our zone so I`ll get to see her at some point- I`m going to tell her that she better take care of my convert! haha :)

Now, I am in Villa Elisa (super close to my second area- La Floresta, its the same zone) So that's fun. The ward here is super great. Really friendly and happy, just not super involved in missionary work yet, but we`re going to work with the sisters a lot to have them come do divisiones with us and accompany us in lessons and such. There is one sister here that is AMAZING. Her name is Jazmin, she`s 18 years old, and she`s preparing to go on a mission. She is going to be the most amazing missionary ever-- una capa`ite!! She leaves with us every weekend and studies Preach my gospel and basically knows everything about the mission already (rules, how we work, the lessons, she even has a missionary agenda that she uses when she`s with us)-- she`s adorable.

I also have a new companion named Hermana Valle. She`s from Bolivia.

So we have a couple of good investigators, one of which will hopefully get baptized August 9 (pray!!!)- his name is Cristian. He`s already come to church a couple times and we`re teaching him. The problem is that it`s hard to find a woman to accompany us during the week because everyone here works, goes to school, or has kids and the house and everything. But we`re figuring it out.

Well that`s about it for this week! Hope everything is going great!!

Love you all!! Good luck with the mission and internships and tests and Singapore and everything!!! Love you tons!!!

Hermana Urie