July 21, 2014

the new challenges werent really what i expected, but theyre certainly new. Elder Huntsman left, as a zone leader, and normally before someone becomes a zone leader president calls them. Pte called elder Huntsman last sunday, and also told him that something that had never happened in the mission was gonna happen to me. so anyways elder huntsman and elder fonseca left obrero, and i stayed with elder blackett (who got here in obrero with me, and was in the other side), and we have two areas. more missionaries went home this change than those that arrived, so president had to close a few areas. normally when he closes, he just combines the two areas and theres just two missionaries, but this time he didnt close either area or combine them, we just work one day in one area and the next day in the other area. then next transfer, presidents likely going to separate me and elder blackett and we'll both have our own companions again, and our own areas. so technically i dont have a companion, i just go on divisions with elder blackett every day - one day in my area and one day in his.

so that also means a lot more proselyting area, a lot more investigators and a lot more baptisms (and more food in the fridge). we already have one convert together (francisco got confirmed yesterday) and four more that came to church yesterday and will be getting baptized in these weeks and a few more that came to church last week and also can get baptized.

on monday we went to a family home evening to translate for the youth visiting from the US in the house of franciscos girlfriend, and we had told her to invite him. we got there and explained a bit more about the importance of the confirmation and the gift of the holy ghost, and he said that he had had emergencies in his work but after not being able to come two sundays in a row he told his boss that he has to go to church on sundays and that hes not available to work or fill for anyone, so this week he came.

we also have cristina whos gonna get baptized this saturday, and is super gold. she lives in front of the church (in the other area) and we basically dont even teach her. we just leave pamphlets and she explains everything she learned to us. she's already in 2 nephi 3 after just a few weeks of having the book of mormon and loves to read it.

then we have kevin and edgar, who are gonna get baptized the next saturday. edgar's already been to church three times, but we've only been able to teach him once so it'll be pretty tough to get him ready. theyre a bit irreverent in church but they like it and edgar's even doing his my duty to God already (it was a requirement to be able to play in the youth soccer tournament)

then we have nelly, who came to church yesterday but is from the other area and i've never taught her, but she seems cool.

we've also been teaching a couple that was gonna get married and baptized this saturday a lot but he had a few problems with the law a few years ago and had an arrest warrant. a police officer in the branch said he could go with a lawyer and say he wanted to fix everything (cus he did) and be able to not get arrested and start his probation over, but then he fought with his girlfriend on sunday and she turned him in, so now he's in jail, which is pretty lame. but we found them when we helped that family build their house, so we're teaching a few other of their neighbors too. we basically just get to the members house, sit down, and invite everybody who's outside to come and listen. their houses arent particularly big or well ventilated, so theres usually a good number of people outside.

also last monday for the district activity we ate two of the biggest sandwiches that there are in paraguay, it was pretty cool.