June 14, 2010

Hola Familia!
This week went by fast, but I’m sure the coming week will be going even faster with 3 baptisms planned for Saturday, Augstin, Matias (son of Leo), and another girl that is 9 years old (Guana Lupe). We have been having a good week, but it seems along with Tyler (Mysyk) I have been putting in some patience-building weeks too. Elder Alvarez is a great elder, a great teacher but he is really thinking about home a lot and I think he doesn’t know the reason he came on a mission. He wants to sleep in the house all day long, or stay at peoples’ houses and talk for hours (members or investigators), so I am constantly saying things like ¨Well, ready to go¨ or ¨bueno, lets go¨ or in Guarani ¨Ja-ha!¨ haha
Friday we had our last interview with President Wade. Every interview he asks the missionary to say a prayer in Spanish to start but this time he said a prayer in English and he said some things that were very touching. He thanked the Lord for sending me to this mission, and asked that I would be able to learn the Guarani language and many more things. He is a great man. He told me after my mission to keep in touch with him because at the end of this month he is gone.
But something sweet, President Wade has given the missionaries permission to watch the Paraguay game today because it is P-Day, so we will be watching it here too. Italy won the World Cup last time so we'll see (apparently they’re not as good this year) But here in Paraguay there is so much promotion for their team. It’s awesome. I bought some blue sweatpants that say Paraguay and the team logo. I’m still waiting to buy a jersey but they are all over the place here.
I was reading some of the letters that I got from Elder Crane (Jordan) and realized that he finishes his mission June 18 which is in 4 days! So if you hear anything about him, let him know. I would love to hear from him.
I found something really cool in the scriptures this past week that I would love to share briefly. When Nephi was building the ship he says about 5 times that I make it after the manner of God and not of Man. I was thinking a lot about this and then I thought, ¨Yeah, that’s true¨. When we are building our families, our lives, our homes we build them after the manner of God and not of man, because God's ways are higher than our ways.
I made Shepherds Pie this week. It turned out alright! There were a couple things on the list that I don't know where to find here, and the peas were really different but it turned out alright. Then I tried to make the white sauce for noodles, but the noodles were sitting in the water for too long so they were really nasty haha. Trial and error, eh?
Those ties are here all over the place. I have a plan to buy a bunch of white temple ties. I had a plan to send the one I have in that package but in case we went to the temple I would need one or if we had a baptism. But I will be buying more of them.
I love the Gospel so much, and I love Paraguay. I love being able to wear the Savior’s name. I love the Book of Mormon and know it is true and know that is has a converting power that no other book has. Le amo mi Salvador mucho, el hizo todo para mi, por medio del Salvador podamos tener la vida eterna con nuestras families para siempre. (I know how to say it not write it. I hope that was right)
Thank you for everything you do for me.
Love, Élder Rodgers