Semana 70!!!

Hola!

So wow...  I can´t even explain all I´m feeling right now. (haha) I can´t believe I´m gonna be home in less than two weeks! It´s the weirdest feeling honestly, but, hey yeah, it´s fine! 

Last week was great! We had Intercambios with the Hna Lideres on Wednesday, which was way fun. (haha) I was with a Hermana that has less time than me, which was interesting. She´s one of the few Hnas I didn´t know, so I was kinda nervous, but at the beginning of the day she was just like, ¨I just feel like this Intercambio's for me to learn from you!¨ I was kinda shocked, not gonna lie! (haha) I realized she was probably kinda nervous to be with me too, and after that we hit it off! She really helped us a lot in our area, and we were both able to learn from each other. That´s one of the cool things about the mission. It doesn´t matter how much time someone has or how much experience, you can always learn something new from other Hermanas, or missionaries in general. Anyways that was really fun, I also got to see Hna Bennett again which was great! I love her tons!

New Years!!! Okay, New Years Eve was SO CRAZY! We had dinner with a couple in our area! They can´t have kids, so they ask all the missionaries to call them Mama y Papa! They take SUCH good care of us! Anyways, Papa made us Asado de carne y pollo, y Chorizo. (Basically just a big BBQ with any meat you could want) It was SO good! So we ate and then came home and slept! (hahaha) So at like 12:30, I woke up and was SWEATING! I looked up, and our AC was off, so I grabbed the remote and tried to turn it back on...nothing, nada, zip, zilch... I looked outside and there wasn't a streetlight in sight lit up. NO ELECTRICITY!!! Oh my gosh, we were dying of heat! Can you guys imagine being hot right now? So, anyways, we´re laying there trying to sleep, sweating, and Hermana Nielsen jumps up all of a sudden and is like, ¨I´m going to bring up a fan, do you want one?¨ I sat up and said ¨Hermana. We don´t have ELECTRICITY!!¨ (HAHAHA) I said it kinda sassily but I was so fed up with the heat, I didn´t even realize. (hahaha) Whoops, guess I need to work on being more charitable... FYI the electricity came back at about 2... No biggie! 

So yeah, we've been working really hard to find nuevos but are not seeing fast progress, we´re seeing progress but not like I´d like... (haha) It´s kinda a pain, but I was sitting in Relief Society yesterday thinking about how we hadn't had investigators come to church, when a Hna started talking about her sister that needed extra help. All of the Hnas started offering support when Hna Patiño raised her hand and said, ¨I think we should go visit this hermana!¨ The Spirit just hit me so hard and I just thought, ¨Look what you've done, reactivating this family means so much to Heavenly Father. Don´t worry about the rest, leave it in his hands, he´s gonna take care of it!¨ Presidente Wilson said in a Leadership Council once that ¨A family Reactivated are like CONVERTS to the Lord!¨ I know without a doubt that´s true! The people that are lost are just as important as those who don´t know where to find the truth! 

So yeah!  It was a good week! Can´t BELIEVE this time next week I´ll be writing my last letter! AHH! Crazy! Love you all thanks for your prayers have a great week!!

Hermana Austin

PONDERIZE!!!!  Moroni 9:6  (I´m too lazy to write it out... just go looke it up its great!)

Semana 69!!!

Hola!

Wow, this last week was great! Let me just say, Christmas in the mission is the best thing ever. It´s so much different in Paraguay, but it´s something I really love. On Christmas Eve, most people spend the night with their family. It´s really cool, 'cause they have a big dinner together, like asado (which is like a steak) pork, chicken, basically any type of meat you could want! After dinner, they wait together for midnight, light off fireworks, and that´s it. Bueno, everyone who's not part of the church spends the night drinking with their family (haha) but It was cool this year, 'cuase we had permission to stay out late and eat with a member, whereas last year we had to be home early. I loved it! It was such a relaxed Christmas, and I just remember thinking as I was eating dinner, that this is what Christmas is for. To spend time with family and be grateful for the birth of Christ. Because of him we have the opportunity to be with our families forever, and more than that because of him we are never alone. In the darkest moments he´s always there. The miracle of Christmas is the Atonement. I was reading and thinking in my study Christmas how happy of a day that was for the entire universe the day the Savior was born. It was a day that changed the course of all mankind. I love my Savior and am so grateful for all that he did for me! I know without a doubt that he lives, that he loves us, and that he´s always there to help us.  My testimony of him is one of many things that´s been cemented here on the mission, and something I am grateful I have.  

I love you all hope you had a great Christmas! (haha) Not much else happened last week, it was a good one but nothing super exciting! love you all, and Happy New Year!!!

Hermana Austin

Semana 68!!!

Whoa, I'm not even sure where I should begin!!! (haha) Last week was the best! Firstly, we had the Actividad de Navidad last week, which was so great! On Wednesday we traveled to Ita to just celebrate Christmas with the whole Mission!! (haha) It was so much different than last year 'cause I literally knew like EVERYONE!!! It was so fun! I got to see all my comps, basically, which was so great! (haha) Basically spent the day with Hna Ball, I've missed her so so much! She's the greatest. It was kinda hard too though, 'cause everyone and their dog was reminding me all day long that it's my last transfer! (haha) I said a lot of goodbyes too, 'cause I'm not gonna see most of them again... But, it's fine! (haha) All part of the experience I guess!

Also, we worked really hard this last week looking for new people! (haha) To be honest, we're not having much luck... It's kinda frustrating, 'cause I want to leave the area in good condition, but we're just hitting brick wall after brick wall, it feels like... But, I know it's all part of the plan. If there's one thing I've learned, God ALWAYS guides us to the people who are prepared. We just have to put our trust in him. If he wants us to have a lot of people these last few weeks, he's gonna guide us to them.  

The Flia Patino's really progressing! We're starting temple prep and they've been so cute about it! We went to eat lunch with them on Friday, and the mom was talking about the two girls they have getting baptized and she goes "Samira told her grandma she wants to get baptized!" (haha) Miracle! The grandma basically said that Samira can choose her own path and that she doesn't want to force Samira to be Catholic. It was such a miracle! The grandparents have been a worry factor for weeks but it sounds like they're gonna be okay with everything! Such a blessing!!! The two daughters have a baptismal date for Jan 2. Keep praying that it all works out!  

Anyways, that's all I have this week! Life's good, and I'm enjoying every second!!! I love you all, hope you have a great Christmas!!!

Love Hna Austin

PONDERIZE!!!!  John 3:16  Merry Christmas 

Semana 67!!!

Hola TODOS!!

So wow, this week was the BEST! We are working so hard! Monday and Tuesday were pretty interesting! (haha) It was the Día de la Virgen de Caacupé Tuesday, so we didn't work AT ALL Monday or Tuesday... (haha) They put us on house arrest! Up until about 6 o'clock on Monday it was fun, but then I was just BORED!!! (haha) I guess I'm just used to being busy all the time.  

Let's see, I guess I should tell you all the biggest miracle of the week, you all remember those less actives I talked about last week, right? Well, they came to church again yesterday! Miracle. We talked to our Branch President yesterday, and he said if they keep going strong they can go to the temple and get sealed right before I leave!!! That would be my dream! Also, we're working with their Hijas so they can get baptized sometime in the next few weeks! It's really been such a miracle, keep praying for them so that they can keep going strong and we can keep helping them progress...

Speaking of the Temple, remember Pedro who got baptized my first week here? Well, he left on a trip to the Temple this morning! (haha) It´s literally the best feeling ever to see your converts progressing. He's such a great kid! Speaking of converts, the mitaí (little kid) Juan Manuel, has a goal to serve a mission! He's also the greatest! All the converts are progressing and doing great!  

We've also been looking a lot for new people and found a few miracles!!  I´ll write a little more about them next week when they start progressing! (haha)

So yeah, it was a good one! We´re working really hard and are seeing the fruits! These next few weeks are gonna be great, I can feel it! Thanks for your prayers, love you all!!

Hermana Austin

Semana 66!!!

Wow, this last week was so great! (haha) So, to start things off, on Monday night Cesar got baptized!!! It was such a great day! (haha) Funny thing is we went like two hours before to fill the font up, and it got about two feet full, and STOPPED!! No water... (haha) We were so nervous, but Cesar showed up and he was like, "Igual Hermanas, voy a bautizarme hoy." (haha) He had to lay down completely to go all the way under, but it turned out good! He's so great. He came to church yesterday for his confirmacion and was in a white shirt and tie. He cut his hair and shaved. He looks like a completely new man! His baptism was a little crazy, but still the best! All the members are really excited and saying he's gonna be a leader in the Church! 

Let´s see! (haha) Oh yeah, so on Wednesday we had cambios and it was crazy 'cause Hermana Guardado and I didn't think we'd have them, but SUPRISE we did!!! (haha) Crazy! It was sad 'cause Hermana Guardado and I get along great and she really wanted to stay but yeah, so we went to the Terminal and I see Hna Ball and she's the greatest that's all... (haha) She was with another Hermana from my last district, Hermana Nielsen, waiting to see who Hna Nielsen's comp was... Firstly, Hermana Nielsen's so great! (haha) I was in her training when I was a Hna Líder and I got to do intercambios and studies with her a few times, so I knew her pretty well. So anyways, I was there talking with them and then an elder walked up and handed me a paper of my group. (I guess I was in charge of my group, haha) It had all of the companionships on it, I looked at it and immediately found my name it said, Hermana Austin (Sr) Hermana Nielsen (Jr)!!!! (haaha) I screamed and ran to Hna Nielsen and gave her a big hug! (hahaha) She was shocked! It was the best! We're already such good friends! It's been great! Crazy thing, is that was my last transfer before I go home... That's kinda been weird. (haha) Hna Nielsen's gonna kill me!  

Let's see, things have been kinda crazy this week 'cause there was a HUGE storm on Thursday night... We didn't have light until Friday night, and water until this morning! (haha) We didn't shower from Friday to Sunday... Finally, yesterday, I told Hna Nielsen I'd had it and we went to a members house and showered in water from their well... (haha) Good times! It's been really interesting 'cause like no one in the entire city's had water all week! We've just been camping, it's been great! So, if you could all pray our water starts working that'd be great. It's been kinda a pain. Also fun fact, tomorrow's el Día de la Virgen de Caacupe!!! (haha) It's a big holiday for all the Catholics. We're not gonna be leaving our house for the next few days. But it's cool, I love the culture here. It's a whole different world...it's crazy!

Other than that, things have been good. We had a family of less actives in church and that was great! When they came through the doors the Hermana said "Look Hna we made it, and we're gonna do all we can to come every week after this!" I was so happy, I wanted to cry! We've been working with them ever since I got here and finally this last week it clicked! They also have two daughters that are eight and nine that aren't baptized... So be praying they keep going strong so that we can help their daughters get baptized, and more importantly, get the entire family to the TEMPLE!!!!  

Anyways, that's about it! Life's good. I love the mission! Hope you all have a great week, thanks for all of your prayers!

Hermana Austin

PONDERIZE!!!!

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, but the greatest of these is charity." 1Corintios13:13

Also if you have time go read Uchtdorf's talk from the Women's session last conference...  That's what inspired the Ponderize Scripture this week!!!

SEMANA 65!!!

Hola Todos!

Wow, so where to begin? This last week was CRAZY! (haha) It was so fun! Oh first things first... Remember Cesar? Well, he had his interview last Monday, AND he kinda forgot he can´t drink Coffee! (haha) He doesn't drink it on a normal basis, but it just so happens last Sunday his mom had made him a cup of coffee for breakfast! He drank without realizing... (haha) SO his baptism was postponed until tonight! Satan´s the worst.... But IGUAL NO MAS! He's still getting baptized, and thanks to that little experience he´s never gonna forget the Word of Wisdom! He's literally the greatest! He's so excited for his baptism tonight. Don´t worry, I´ll be sure to send you all a picture next week! 

Let´s see... Oh, Wednesday was the BEST! We had intercambios with the Hermana Lideres and I got to do an Intercambio with Hermana Bennett!! Wow! It was so fun to do an intercambio with my hija! We have both changed so so so much! We had a good time together. We bought some ice cream and some asaditos, and just worked our guts off!  

(hahaha) Two funny stories this week... So on Thursday, we were out in one of the more country parts of our area where there aren't very many people and all of a sudden I had to pee... (haha) We went to two less actives and they weren't home. I was pretty desperate. My companion was like, ¨Nobody´s around, just go behind that bush.¨ I thought about it and decided, ¨Why not?¨ (haha) So I popped a squat and went! (haha) Don´t remember the last time I did that.... I was probably hunting with Dad or Grandpa two years ago... But, hey! The mission´s always an adventure! (hahaha) The best part is the next day the EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED!! We were in the exact same spot and I had to go to the bathroom again... Luckily, (at least that´s what I thought) this time the less actives were home. (haha) We showed up and I asked to go to the restroom and the Hermana was like, ¨Sure, but it´s not your common bathroom...¨ I told her it was fine! Thinking nothing  could be worse than squatting in the woods, (haha) I was wrong! Their bathroom was a hole in the ground... There were two poles on both sides so you could brace yourself and squat... (haha) It was crazy, and a fun little adventure!  

Sorry... on a more spiritual note, remember those converts we found last week? They came to church again and their mom, Nilda is progressing poco a poco! She´s the greatest really! Her only problem is her husband! He´s a little duro, but that´s okay. We´re praying for miracles!  

Anyways, yeah, life´s good! (haha) Yesterday I had PIKE!  Which is like a teeny worm that buries itself into the skin on your foot and lays eggs and stuff! BUT, no worries the members have lived with that all their lives. They took it out and I´m good now! (haha) I love the mission, so many adventures! Love you guys thanks for your prayers have a great week!

Hermana Austin

PONDERIZE

DYC 6:36  ¨Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not¨ 

SEMANA 64!!!

Hola todos!!

So wow, this last week was crazy! We've been working so hard, and seeing miracles. First of all, remember Cesar? Well, he´s the greatest! He works SO MUCH, it´s kinda been a pain teaching him 'cause he doesn't have hardly any time to share with us! (haha) So, long story short, we didn't get to teach him all week last week 'til Saturday...  WE were pretty nervous 'cause he was supposed to get baptized this Saturday, the 28th, and we didn't really know how he was feeling... We sat down and started talking and we asked him if he remembered the day of his baptism. He did! (haha) He said he´s ready and for sure wants to get baptized this Saturday! He´s a miracle! We passed over the interview questions and he´s so prepared! Saturday, si o si!

We've also been looking for all of the members in our area, like I said last week! Let me tell you, God is helping us SO MUCH! He guides us every day to the people we´re looking for. We've found so many people, but some of the greatest have to be Christina and her mom, Nilda. Christina got baptized about a year ago, and is 11. Her mom isn't a member... yet! She´s basically a member seco! She only has to get married and ya esta! (it is done!) But really, her husband's a little arjel no mas but that's okay, we´re praying for a miracle so that we can start working with the entire family!

So yea, this week was really great...same old same old. We've been eating some pretty crazy crap. (haha) Gives me a nice stomach ache, but that's okay! Thanks  for all of your prayers! Love you guys!

Hermana Austin

PONDERIZE!!!

So i realized I didnt´s tell you my scripture last week, but it was Alma 26:12

This week's is Luke 22:32  ¨But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.¨