SEMANA 38!!!

Hola!!!

Wow what a crazy week! (haha) This week was GREAT!!! So first of all, we found someone literally AMAZING this week! His name's Jesus, and he's AWESOME! (haha) (Funny that his name's Jesus right?) Anyways, he's a reference from a member, and we met him at church with the Sanchez family (members) yesterday!!! (haha) It was the best! He came to church in a suit and tie all by himself, literally looked like a member, he already had a Libro de Mormòn and everything!! (haha) The best part was we were in Sunday school talking about repentance and the teacher said something like "After we've repented from all of our sins we need to be baptized..." Then she was like "Jesus you haven't been baptized yet right?" (hahaha) Then he goes "No, I'm going to get baptized tomorrow." (haha) Hermana Brown and I were so confused! After, he was talking to Brother Sanchez, and he was like "What do I have to do to be baptized?" Brother Sanchez called us over and we put him with a fecha (date) for the 13 de junio!!! (13th of June) (hahaha) This guy is literally a miracle!! He said he's been looking for the true church and found it and is ready to get baptized!!! (haha) It's experiences like these that make the mission the BEST experience EVER!!! MIRACLES!!!!

Let's see, we also found a FAMILY!!!! Wahooo!!!! I love families! (haha) But I contacted the Dad (Jorge) during divisions on Friday, and he accepted a baptism date and then asked us to pass by the next day to share with his wife! We passed by on Saturday and his wife is literally AWESOME!!!! She's named Pablina and literally has a TON of faith!! She was telling us all sorts of miracles she's seen in her life and that she has so much faith in Christ! We were just like yeah!! We talked with her about the church and testified and then invited her to be baptized and she looked at us and goes, "Siento algo diferente.  Me voy a su iglesia, voy a leer, y voy a bautizarme!!!" That's, "I feel something different. I'm going to your church, I'm going to read, and I'm going to get baptized!" HOLLER!!! (haha) They couldn't come to church yesterday because they had already made plans to travel, but she told us si o si, next week she's coming and going to start preparing!! MIRACLES!!!

So yeah! This week was great! We're finally seeing progress in our area and are working REALLY hard! On top of everything else we had intercambios twice and studied again on Saturday! (haha) My life's crazy but I love being a missionary!!! Life's good! I love you all have an amazing week!! Thanks for all your support!!

Love, Hermana Austin

SEMANA 37!!!

Hola Todos!

Wow, what a great week! (haha) Let´s just say my new calling's nuts! (haha) I feel like I get like half as much sleep as I used to... Okay, that´s probably an exaggeration, but it's definitely work! I don't remember ever being so exhausted... This week was great though, 'cause on Tuesday we went to the TEMPLE!!! Holler!! But really, it was the best to just go and relax for a day in the Temple, and it was exactly what I needed! On Wednesday we had a capacitaciòn de zona, (zone training) and we had to help the zone leaders set it all up and teach the other missionaries the material and stuff, so that was fun... Actually, I love public speaking! (haha) We talked about mission stuff, but it was fun to be in charge... Let´s see, Thursday was a normal day por suerte! (luckily) 

(haha) But on Friday and Saturday we had studies with some of the Hermanas. On Friday we woke up like at 5:45 to travel to Ita, which is like a solid hour from San Lorenzo... Let's just say I was TIRED that entire day! But, it was good, the Hermanas there were having some issues with their companionship that we had to help with... What happens is we get there and I study with one Hermana and Hermana Brown studies with the other. Basically, we have to make sure their doing okay and help them with any problems they´re having. (haha) I feel like a Guidance Counselor! It's been cool though, 'cause just like when I'm teaching an investigator, I always seem to know what to say to help! I mean obviously it's not me, it's the Spirit, but it's been really cool to see that I'm really here to help the Hermanas, and that God's gonna help me know exactly what they need! It's fun. I love working with the Hermanas!

Let's see, as far as our area goes, we are looking for new people a ful!! (haha) But si o si vamos a encontrarles! (We'll see if we can find them!) We did find a really neat family last week!!! Antonio y Mabel!!! They're awesome and accepted a baptismal date and everything!!! They are a younger couple, and they have a baby boy, that's SO CUTE!! They only need to understand a little bit more and si o si se van a bautizar!!! (They can be baptized) They're SO awesome! (haha) We were teaching them and Antonio goes "We're Catholic, but I don't believe a lot of the stuff the Catholics believe, like the Saints and Virgin Mary. And also gay marriage. The Pope made gay marriage legal, that can't be from God!" (HAHAHAHA) It was the BEST!!! Let's just say that I am NOT a fan of the Catholic church, and it's awesome to hear that people can see that it's not the true church! But, Antonio y Mabel they're AWESOME!!!

So yeah, that's pretty much what happened this week! It was a good week! I love you all, thanks for your support!!  Have an awesome week!

Hermana Austin

SEMANA 36!!!

Hey everyone! 

Alright, so this week I don't have hardly any time, but I got transferred to San Lorenzo which is ciudadite! (haha) But, that's okay! I´m actually really enjoying it! My new comp is Hermana Brown and shes been here in the mission for 8 months! Shes awesome! But yeah, our area's pretty dead right now, but that's okay! Si o si vamos a encontrar milagros y bautizar! (If or when we see miracles and baptisms!) But yeah, I don't have time this week cause of Mother's Day. I'll write more next week! Love you all, have an awesome week!

Hermana Austin

SEMANA 35!!!

Hola Todos!

Whoa! Where do I even begin? We just got a call from Presidente, and the Lord has called me to be a Hermana Lider (Sister Leader) in the mission!!! AHHH!!! (haha) I am freaking out! For those of you who don´t know the Hermanas Lideres, are the leaders for the Hermanas. I´ll be doing exchanges with them, helping them with all of their problems, and have meetings and such with the Zone Leaders and Presidente... (haha) it should be an adventure for sure... So, yeah, that´s the big news this week...

This week was GREAT though!!! (haha) We literally saw so many miracles this past week, and found some AWESOME people!! The best part of this week though was the Elders in our ward FINALLY had a baptism!! They haven´t had a baptism at all in the last three changes (that I've been here) in Ita Enramada, and it was literally a miracle! So, yeah, it was a great week! 

We also have found a WHOLE bunch of new people that are amazing that I won´t be here to see progress, pero si o si se van a bautizar! (if or when they will be baptized) (hahaha) OH, and my birthday was great! Thanks all of you for the B-day wishes, it was an AWESOME day!!

(haha) so much happened this week, but that´s all I can think of right now! Sorry this is kind of a crappy email...  Promise next week will be better...(haha)

Have an awesome week!  Love you all!!

Hermana Austin

SEMANA 34!!!

Hola Todos!

(Haha) This week was a good one! Nothing super eventful happened, but it was an awesome week! We've really been trying to focus a lot more on working with part-member families. So, we've been working with this menos activo (less active memeber) named Marta and her 17 year old sister in law named Ana! They're both awesome! So, we were out early Sunday morning looking for investigators to come to church and they called us, and Marta was like, ¨Hey, we want to come to church, can you guys come get us?¨ We were just shocked, and we're like ¨YEAH¨ (haha) So, we walked clear to the other end of our area to take them to church, but hey, it was all worth it! (haha) We have a cita (appointment) with them tonight and we're gonna invite Ana to be baptized! Holla!

AHH!! Last P-day was the BEST!!! (haha) I told you we were going to go fishing with the FAmila Cesped right?  It was SO FUN!!!  haha I kept having flashbacks of my childhood fishing trips with Grandpa John!  The best part was after we ATE THEM!!!  Hahaha I ate river fish from Paraguay and they were really good!  It was a party for sure...  Haha I love the Familia Cesped.

Bueno Teofido is still progressing un poco a poco...  He couldn't come to church again this week because of his work...  BUT we had an awesome lesson with the Bishop and his wife!  We taught him the Restoration because he didn't really understand it the first time we taught him, and he understood PERFECTLY this time!  He's so awesome, hes reading from the Book of Mormon, saying his prayers and keeping all of his commitments except coming to church!  I will never understand why it's so hard for the Paraguayos to come to church...  haha but its fing we just need to have some patience!  

Yeah that's about it this week it was a good one!  Thank you all for the Birthday wishes!  Haha Hermana Bennett is planning something for Saturday during lunch I think so I'll let you know how that goes!  Have an awesome week! Love you all!

Hermana Austin

SEMANA 33!!!

Hola Todos!

Wow, this week was absolutely AWESOME! (haha) So, Patricia got baptized on Saturday, and it was great! One of the best baptisms of my mission, honestly! The entire Primary came to support her and her family, and they even sang a musical number, it was so cute! I just love the Famila Cesped so much! We stopped by and visited them yesterday, and they invited us to their house today for Family night! (haha) We're gonna go by at like 3:30 or 4:00, and get this, go FISHING!!! (haha) I'm so excited, it's gonna be so fun! We also planned a really cool lesson on being fishers of men...It's gonna turn out really awesome, and I'm super excited! Don't worry, I'll send pictures next week! I just feel so at home with them, it's the best! They told us yesterday that they're so grateful for all of our help and that they think of us as family. I just love the mission! I cant even tell you how happy it makes me to see this family coming back to church. We talked yesterday about the importance of the temple, and they told us they are going to start preparing to go! They're just an awesome family!

Also we had intercambios (exchanges) again with the Hermana Lideres (sister leaders) this week! I went to Fernando de la Mora with Hermana Cheney, and it was so fun to work with her for a day again! And see a different area! She's doing awesome, and it was a good day! Were like best friends!  

Also, Teofido is still progressing a BUNCH! He couldn't come to church this week 'cause he works every other Sunday, apparently, but si o si, he's coming this Sunday and is going to get baptized on my BIRTHDAY!!! holla! (haha) I'm so stoked its going to be great! He just gets it and it's awesome!  

That's about it for this week, it was a great week! I sure do love the Mission! Hope you all have a good one! Love you all!

Hermana Austin

SEMANA 32!!!

Hola Todos!  

Wow, this week was great! First of all...we came across a gold mine on Monday after I wrote you all. (haha) We were walking around the grocery store, and all of a sudden we saw JIFF Peanut Butter! (haha) I was like a kid in a candy store, no joke! (haha) It was the greatest P-Day of my life! We bought like six of them, which probably wasn't necessary, (haha) but that's what we did! Needless to say, we've been eating peanut butter with everything, and I'm hoping it lasts for a while, 'cause I love peanut butter!

Anyways, like I said, this week was awesome! First of all, I'll give you all a little update on Teofido! He's AMAZING! We were definitely guided to finding him and Ruth. Anyways, we visited him on Thursday with an RM in our ward named Fernando. Let's just say Fernando's legit! (haha) It was like teaching with another missionary.  Anyways, Fernando just got Teofido to open up, and he told us that he was in a really bad place when we found him, but since we've come and started to teach him about the Savior, his life's gotten a whole lot better, and that he's willing to do whatever it takes to change! He even showed it on Sunday, and came to church after working for 24 hours on Saturday! He's got his baptismal date for the 25th of April!  

We are also still working a lot with the Familia Cesped! You all already know about them and the situation. We passed by to visit them again on Tuesday, and to our surprise, Antonio had drank again... It was pretty sad, I'm not gonna lie, but we're learning we have to have patience! We talked about repentance and he told us that he wants to stop for his family. We told him we were there to support him, and that he just needs to keep TRYING to do the things he knows he needs to do. Saddest part about it, is we don't feel like we should wait any longer on Patricia's baptism. She NEEDS to get baptized, she's ready, and she shouldn't have to wait until her dad can do it. She's getting baptized this Saturday! I'm super excited, 'cause I love this family. I mean it's not exactly what I hoped for, but they're still doing awesome! They came to church again yesterday, and everything!  

Cool little tidbit on the familia Cesped! So on Saturday they had a Birthday party for their youngest Juancito. It was so cool! (haha) Marta made hot chocolate with cookies, and we ate cake with the whole neighborhood! It was so CHILL!! So Paraguayo. It was just like a little neighborhood get together! I kept thinking about the parties back home, and how much everyone stresses over the games, and the gifts, and every little detail, and here in Paraguay it's like "Hey Juan turned two, let's eat some cake and hot chocolate with cookies!" SUPER TRANQUILO!! (haha) I love it here!  

Anyways, life's good! I love it here, and I love being a missionary! Thank you all for your support! Have an awesome week, love you all!

Love, Hermana Austin