February 22, 2010

¡Hola Familia!

Greetings from the south!
Wow ¿what happened to February? It went by so fast! That card was sent about my second week. When I first got here they had us write a letter to our parents but I didn’t get mine handed in so it was sent late, but it’s good to know that it got there. And the price to send a letter is the same for any where else G200 + G800 + G4.000 + G4.000 = G12.000 = $2.70. Those shirts were after a windy day of work haha. And that picture of us eating is at a member’s house, la Familia Rivedos. And that house with the number 416 is our house, well if you can call it a house haha ¨our living quarters¨.
That baptism has been moved to this week. And we have someone else that is going to tell us tomorrow whether or not she wants a baptism date.
I have everything for the new email account going. And I am using it now but you just have to use my new email. And I didn’t bring any of the Christmas things, which I think was a good idea because I for sure would have been over weight.
But I would like to share a cool thing that happened yesterday. Sunday is the day that we usually have a member come out with us and work with us for an hour or two. It is usually one of two young men who are 18 and I believe they want to serve a mission. But yesterday I had an idea to go on divisions, so I would work with one of them and my comp would work with the other. I didn’t know how well this would work out but I went with someone who spoke a little English so with my bad Spanish and his broken English we went to go teach some lessons. After about 45 min of walking and doing some contacts we got a call from my comp. He said that he was walking by the church and there were people that needed to get into the church for a baptism of an 8 year old girl. So he let them in. Then as he left they were wondering where he was going. It turns out that the bishop was asked to direct and they didn’t have baptismal clothes and nobody to conduct the baptism. So he had to run all over getting clothes and conducting a baptism. If we had not gone on splits we would not have been able to get our goals, or teach our lessons. It’s a good feeling to know that the Lord watches over us.
We have a ward mission leader. He is going through a temple divorce, but he is still active. And we had our first meeting with him last Wednesday. About the ward mission plan, we have to get it done for zone conference Thursday. And while at zone conference I will be able to stop at the distribution centre and pick up some things there for cheap. All garments are half off so the people here can afford them.
I am finding some really cool things here in Paraguay that are really unique. Today I picked up a shoulder bag that is hand made is really nice I will send pictures next week. I got it for G35.000. And something else is something that I have been told is only in Paraguay is a kind of wood called Palo Santo which translates to ¨holy wood¨. It’s really cool because it has a natural smell to it and is heavy, well, for wood that is. I had someone make me a little cup and a pair of drumsticks. It is really cool. I am looking for someone who can make me a nativity set out of it. There is someone here that does it, but I have heard he has moved to the south mission, but I am still looking. And they have a design of tie that is made here I don’t know how to spell it but is (al-po-we) and is a design of tie that is only in Paraguay so I am getting some of those to send home. (They also have white temple ties in the distribution centre.)
Well I hope everything is good back home, all is well in Paraguay, But I am ready for winter!
Con Amor,
Élder Rodgers