Jan 3, 2010

answer to questions: and then i will send my email
Rama 2 with about 30 to 40 in attendance
very close to the capilla. about a 5 to 10 minute walk
yes, I guess the apartment is nice. we have a conditioning unit in our room, but H Lozano doens´t like to use it much because it gets cold but the ceiling fan is so loud i can´t sleep. ha we compromise.we used it last night but I think she was cold, so I won´t turn it on tonight. some nights is is way hot, others aren´t bad.
we share the area with a companionship of elders. Elders Lamb and Faber (both gringos). they go to the same rama as us.
the internet cafe is pretty close. 5 to 10 minutes 
hola familia. So sad that we can´t do the chat thing. so I guess you just reply to my emails to this address. i have more time to read them and stuff, so it is better that way. well, it has been almost a full week that i have been in paraguay. goodness. crazy. well, yes, I started my mission about 2 1/2 months ago now, but this mission is way different than the mission in the mtc. haha. that is for sure. there are a lot of adjustments. I am a lot more emotional for one thing. I have never been one to cry much, but just looking at my photo album made me cry. don´t worry though. I am still happy. just stressed and happy.
where to begin... well, this week has been a bit slow actually. in coronel oviedo, they have done what i guess the missionary world calls a white wash. the 2 elders we share the area with are brand new to the area. so h. lozano is the only one who knows anything around here. so we have basically been going to all the houses of the members with the elders so they can meet them too and since they don´t know their way around. so we haven´t really had a normal work day yet. so I kind of have been just walking around with them, because I don´t know what is going on really when they talk to the members. I can figure out what the conversation is about and stuff, but I don´t quite understand enough to contribute. especially when h lozano is a native speaker and doesn´t even have to think. but this week we will be able to really start goin. yesterday we were contacting in the calle and ended up basically teaching a lesson to this guy Adriano ( I swear, the names here are impossible to remember). he asked us why there are so many churches, and we said, we have just the answer for you. :) which then lead into a lesson. we have an appointment this week! H. lozano did most of the talking but I made my contributions. I practiced my lessons a few times with the members. when we contact, we switch off starting, but she usually has to come in because once they reply, I have no idea what they say. I can usually understand h lozano because I am getting used to her accent, but there are so many times I think she thinks I understand and I totally don´t. she was trying to explain to me how we count referrals differently here. it took like 15 minutes and I still don´t get it. oh well. I will figure it out.
I was going to send some pictures but I forgot my hookup. lo siento. next week. the main area of coronel oviedo is pretty normal. but a lot of the members live out in the campo. and I mean the campo. yes, with the bathroom as a hole in the ground. thank goodness I didn´t have to go. it will probably happen sometime though. eww sick. haha. The members are so nice though. I have learned a few guarani phrases. if I say one, they get way excited and are always saying how I need to learn guarani. I am like, oh ya totally. I will learn. ha. It is way hard. the pronunciations are weird. depends on how long I am out in the campo how much guarani I learn. hmmm. little by litte. that is what h lozano always says. so yes, the members are great. not very many here, yet ;). the four of use plan on taking coronel oviedo by storm. we are trying to get the rama organized. right now the members really rely on the missionaries for a lot. we are trying to get the president more involved and help them be self-sufficient. that is way important. testimony meeting was great though. some of the testimonies are incredible. apparently there was a lot of guarani, but I didn´t even notice. ya, that is how much I understood.
it is amazing here though. it is so different yet so much the same. we are inside a house with no lights in the room, dirt floor, only room enough for beds, or outside a house with loud cars and music rolling by but we sing a song anyways and the spirit is so strong. it is such a testimony builder seeing the lives of members in such a different setting. the church is the exact same everywhere. that alone tells me it is true. such unity can only be found in the church of jesus christ.
it has rained a lot. and yes the streets flood so my shoes are way muddy. but I would rather walk in the mud than those cobble stone streets. my calves are sore from those. it is an adventure. love it.
spanish... well, I think I understand a tiny bit more than I did last time I wrote. I pray for patience every night and that i can speak through the spirit. but still, i don´t understand a lot. apparently the paraguayos talk slow though. false. I hope i can get better soon, but i know it will be a while. h lozano is so patient with me. she has to repeat herself a lot. and gets a lot of huhh in response. It is harder to get to know each other with the language barrier. she is learning english though too. and knows a little bit. her accent is so cute when she speaks in english. we are very different, but I know our unity in purpose with help us bond. she is so in tune with the spirit, and I respect her so much.
today was weird, I heard english! we had a zone activity, so we met with the zone and talked about goals (2 baptisms per comanionsip for the month of january- minimum), played football, and ate. most of the zone is latin. probably 2/3. but the american elders talk english a lot. breath of fresh air being able to understand everything that a person says. so that was fun. now we need to go back and clean the apartment. I think I am going to have to get used to a bit of dirtiness for a while. haha. but I am going to try and clean it up a bit.
well, I got to go. I love you so much. every day my testimony grows stronger. I know I have the help of my savior everystep of the day. or else, there is no way I could do this. When I am able to feel the spirit and see the testimonies of the people, it makes everything worth it. I can´t wait to my first baptism!! oh, I almost forgot. dad asked about the food. way good. we were at these members´ house and I thought i would never be able to eat againt they gave me so much. but after walking around all the rest of the day, when we get back to the apartment at 9. I am so ready for dinner. the juice is way good too. mmm. they always have some kind of juice. well. adios
love,
whitney
oh and I forgot to tell you. yes I got the package. I didn´t get to open it for a few days. no time, but it was the best. I love it so much. I think all the cereal is gone. haha. thanks so much mom. I love you so much. 


Now as a mother I can relax.  Life is good and the church is true.