Jun 27, 2011

She's been gone 8 months today.  Almost half over!

hola familia, how are you all? is it getting hot up there in the northern hemisphere? it is sure getting cold here in paraguay. is was 8 grados yesterday. I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit, but it is definitely cold. but the thing is about paraguay that they don't have insulation. so you are still way cold inside the houses. at church, no one takes off their coats. I am using my gloves that I never ever thought I would use. i could not imagine it being this cold. but at the same time. the good thing is that is doesn't stay cold. it is cold for a week, then hot again. cold for a week, hot again. so we get breaks every few weeks. it is funny how since the winter is short and sporadic, they don't really have very many winter clothes or anything. they just put on weird layers and wear their flip flops with socks. which i do also in the mornings. I have my snow boarding socks and my sweatpants under my skirt during studies in the morning. It is kind of ridiculous. my favorite thing is cafe de soja. warms me right up. I don't know if they sell it in the states, but if not, I am sure bringing it back with me. like a lot of it. 

well, hermana ramos told me that I talk really American. stab to the heart. I knew my accent wasnt perfect, but apparently I need a lot of work. so hopefully with her help I will talk more latina. I like having latina companions. i am learning a lot of new words. but I think a lot of it is slang from Honduras haha. 

nestor just made my week this week. he accepted a baptismal date, but was saying that he was still only almost sure of it. we read D&C 6 (don't remember the verses) that teaches that the peace we receive when we study and pray really is an answer. you have to read it. he committed to pray with more intent. the next time we met with him, he had read all of Moroni and said that he felt and immense peace and that he had received the answer he was looking for. how incredible. the book of mormon is so true. I feel it more and more everyday the power of the book of mormon. also, max, nestor´s brother, came to church yesterday. (we had stake conference and it was AWESOME). he loved it. so did alejandra. she wants to be baptized this weekend. I pray she will go through with it this time. she will be so faithful, but the first step is a bit scary for her. well, I got to go. you all are always in my heart, and I love you so much. 

Love,

Hermana Pummer

Jun 23, 2011

Hola familia, yes i have a new companion here in Leopardi. Hermana Ramos from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. she is really great. it is a bit different having a latino companion again, but will help so much with my Spanish. she joined the church when she was 13 years old with her mom, brother, sister, and cousin. they are the only ones in her family that are members. she is so faithful and full of energy. very outgoing, friendly, and ready to work hard. I think it was a bit weird for her at first to be with an Americana that doesn't speak perfectly or understand everything, but she is very patient. It was hard for me to say goodbye to hermana knapp. we always said that we would be good with being together the whole mission. i really will cherish our time together. we learned a lot together, had our first baptism together. lots of firsts with her and a lot of memories!!! 

this week was a bit rough. I have never been one to thrive under pressure. in tight matches in tennis I always got super nervous. so the responsibility of being the senior companion and knowing the area was a bit rough for me. I cried a lot this week. but in the mission that is practically normal for me. It seemed like when she got here, all of our investigators disappeared and I had to figure out what to do and where to go. but I feel a bit more calm now. we are finding new people to teach and Nestor, an 18 year old who was an investigator I think of hermana Sargent, has a baptismal date for the 2nd of july. we are really excited!!! what a miracle. he is such a good kid, and such an example to his younger brothers. his mom has been in Spain for the past 5 years to work and they only see her every 2 years. His family needs the gospel so much, and i know it is already helping him so much. please keep him in your prayers along with Alejandra. she is so ready to be baptized, but lets her fears get in the way. we finally know her main doubt. her family. she fears what her mom will say. they know we are visiting with her and everything, but not that she wants to be baptized. I love these people so much. they have their faults, haha, but the people of Paraguay are so special. It is hard for me to see them struggle. we are going to the temple today, so I will be thinking of how I can help my investigatos. i am so excited to go to the temple. this will be the first time I will see the temple here. there is no other feeling better than being in the temple. well, got to go. I hope all is well with everyone. I miss you all so much. your faces are famous here in Paraguay, because I show everyone pictures of my family. well not everyone, but any opportunity I get. love you all so much. and the best thing about it is that we can be together for eternity! my love for the gospel grows more and more everyday. 

love,

hermana plummer

Jun 20, 2011

Temple trip on Wed, so Pday isn't until Wed for this week only.

Jun 13, 2011

hola familia, how are you all? chris I got your letter! thanks so much. yes, the graph paper was so great. this week flew by. well, last monday seems like so long ago, but at the same time, I can’t believe it is already p day again and the end of another cambio. time is weird in the mission. sometimes long, but incredibly rapido.
this week we sadly had to drop a few investigators. that is so hard for me. I love them so much, but they just aren’t progressing. we were unsure what to do, but then hemana knapp read something from her journal from the mtc that one of her leaders said that satan will put pèople in your path that are nice to you but won’t progress just to waste your time. he wants us to waste time. we realized that we needed to make some changes and find new people to teach.  yesterday we found 2 familias. it was so great. hardly ever can we find  and teach the husband and wife at the same time. it was a huge blessing. we will see what happens with them. this week we also found an antiguo investigador, Nestor. he is 18 years old, lives with his dad who is a member but inactive and his 2 hermanitos. the missionaries taught him about a year ago I think. he came to church yesterday in a suit, and seemed really happy and excited. we are way excited to teach him. maybe this is his time. I hope we can find more new investigators. the ones we have showed so many signs of progressing. on the brink, but have kind of slowed down. we are really trying to pray to know what we need to teach them to help them really understand how the gospel applies to them individually. Alejandra right now is being kind of hesitant about her baptism. she often lets her fear get in the way. it is interesting how carlos, who really wasnt ready, was so eager to be baptized. but she is so ready but fearful. please have her in your prayers.
on saturday, R invited us to have lunch at his house. we were a bit hesitant because we always find weird stuff in the drinks he gives us. haha. we ate asado. and blood sausage. ya. it was soooo gross. I just tried to eat it really fast and hide how gross it was. but he was so excited to give it to us. some things they eat are so weird. always something to make us laugh afterwards. like when I tripped and almost fell into the lap of some man eating pizza. I have never tripped so many times in my life. anyways, love you all so much. I love love being a misisonary and am so thankful for this opportunity to serve the lord.
love,
hermana plummer

Jun 6, 2011

hola familia, cant believe another week has already gone by. I guess it is really starting to warm up there in the states. the weather here is really fickle. changes by the minute. the other day we left the pension when it was freezing, but the time we were headed back for lunch it was way hot. but then we left again and it was freezing. they say it is like this all winter. anyways, this week was a bit of a humbling experience. after receiving new goals and rules from the mission that we need to be teaching more and basically doing everything better, I felt really pressured. I feel like this week I was running around trying to do everything they are asking me to do and lost track of what is important. yesterday, only one person came to church. they all said they were going to come and then didn't. I can't even describe how awful it feels when no one comes. we do everything we can, and then it is up to them. it is just a bit overwhelming with everything I feel like I need to do better, and I don't know where to begin. but I feel like I just need to go back to the basics. we had a really good companionship study today. we decided to study humility. I need to get rid of a lot of pride. it is something that sneaks up on you without knowing but can really affect the work. I have a lot to work on. humility and charity are two of the hardest traits to develop, but vital at the same time. I struggle sometimes when so many people say they are going to do one thing and then do another or just don't do it. sorry, I shouldn't complain, but it really tests my character. in the mission, your character is attacked, and you really have to find deep down the unconditional love of Christ. 

on another note, alejandra is doing so great. I really don't know what will happen with carlos right now, but alejandra is such a different person. she is going to be baptized so soon. she said, I just want it to be on a Sunday already to go to church. It has been incredible to see the change that the gospel has made in her life. 

R is doing well. kind of up and down still, but more stable. I know that the lord was looking out for him by bringing the gospel into his life at the time that he really needs it. 

I am realizing more and more how important it is for me to take me out of the situation. thinking about myself takes away from the spirit. I really am so insignificant. a servant of the Lord and an instrument in His hands. all I want is to feel like He is happy with me. well,

I have to go. I love you all so much. I know this church is true, and I learn more and more every day how real the atonement is. 

love,

hermana plummer

Zone 4 Hermanas

Zone 4