February 1, 2010

Hola Familia!
Well how is the weather there? How is life? It is hot here, always around 30-35C., but I’m not complaining.

Let me answer some questions you sent. Yes, that was a mango, and I do use the sunscreen that I have. It's just that we are in the sun all day. I will get temple clothes and baptismal pants here at the distribution centre. I will get slippers there. I have been told they are very cheap.

The money system here is interesting. Everything is in the thousands. The 1000 coin (1000 Guaranis) is about the same as a dollar (but not in exchange rate), then the 5000 bill, 10000 bill and they call them for example 10000 = 10 mil (mil in Spanish is thousand) so 1 mill can get you a water in the street or an empanada. And 100 mil is worth a lot. But! 25 American Dollars is exchanged for 117000 or 117 mil which is a lot. I have a Visa Card here that I use to take out my money. Every month I take out 800 mil. I use 100 mil for groceries every p-day so the money in my personal visa is going to be used to buy things that are going to be for me (that the mission money is not to be used on). (If that makes sense)

I’m not sure of the last name of Victor and Gabriela. Sorry but I will find it this week. Their daughter's name is in Guarani so I need do get the exact spelling so I will send it next week as well.

I don’t have to learn Guarani but people ask if I know how. I am going to try and learn it after I have Spanish down. I know a few words but not much. It’s a weird language haha. Lots of people speak a language that is a mix of Spanish and Guarani, called Jo-pa-rah (that is how it is pronounced. I don’t know the actual spelling, so people will be speaking Spanish then throw in some Guarani words.

We have lunch appointments Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with members and the food is not too bad. Once and a while there is something weird but nothing revolting.

We pay our laundry lady 60 mil every month so about $12 haha so that is a great deal. We take a bus in to the city of San Lorenzo and go to a grocery store there. The buses here are wild. They are like a roller coaster ride.

We have been teaching some cool people. We have two baptismal dates for this month and one other that fell through because they didn’t come to church. And we have one lady who was at church on Sunday, that we are going to invite to be baptized this week when we go back to visit.

I just got your reply to my first email last week and tomorrow during district meeting when we get our letters I am expecting to receive your reply to the second email haha so it does take a little while to get to me but not too bad.

Well Paraguay is probably one of the best places on earth. We had someone in our ward clean our back yard this morning because he needed work. And now we can walk around back there and we found orange trees, grapefruit trees, lemons, bananas. So I am excited for this next week with this new found fresh fruit haha.

Well I am having a great time here. I have a great companion to start off the mission, and am having a lot of fun and working hard. I love you guys.

Con Amor
Élder Rodgers