"The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force." Heber J. Grant‏

Querida Familia,

Wow, I am just so excited to talk to you tomorrow. SO much to talk about. But I`m still going to write you a solid email because I have time, and also because I love writing to you, even if you are all very busy and absorbed in the holiday and don`t read all I have to say. Writing to you is almost more for my sanity than to just follow mission rules and keep in touch.

 

WHAT a week. Instead of having a (baptismal) white Christmas, we had the biggest baptismal catastrophe yet. Really hard on me. Rodolfo had a great interview with the elders on Friday and everything was planned for his baptism at 5. He and his whole family were so excited. At 3 they called and said his motorcycle broke, and they had no way to get to the church, and could we find someone to give them a ride? I called everyone in the branch who has a car (three people) and in the end only the non-member husband in a member family was able to. He called Rodolfo to get directions to the house, and apparently wanted them to walk a little of the ways, and Rodolfo didn`t want to walk...and the man said some really strong things apparently (this is all just how I heard it, who knows what happened) and the next thing I know, I`m in the middle of a great lesson about the restoration at 4:30 p.m. and Rodolfo calls and says, "I`m not getting baptized and I`m not ever going to church again. If there are members like that in this church, I`m not going." and hung up and turned off his phone. Long story, but the thesis is Satan knew this young man has so much potential in the church as a priesthood holder...and was successful in postponing his baptism. More to come, but please pray for Rodolfo that he will have a change of heart.

At least I had cake for the primary kids the next day, since there was no baptism. :)  I was single-handedly in charge of all the primary kids yesterday because the teacher wasn`t there. Two hours in a little sweaty classroom with 12 very irreverent children. But how I love them. We practiced Jesus en Pesebre (away in a manger) and sang in Sacrament meeting. I was playing the piano and couldn`t lead at the same time, and so it was Sedona Primary-Stlye: can`t really understand the words they`re singing but they sure look cute up there trying.

We had two great investigators in church. Sonya came for the first time, and by herself, because her husband (well, entire family) is pretty catholic. She is a true seeker of the truth who believes the catholic church can`t be true because the Bible says to not worship anyone but God. Anyway, I really love her. People like her are why I don`t want to leave Piribebuy. There is a strong chance I do at changes on January 2.

On Wednesday we had a mission Christmas meeting. We sang to patients in a hospital, had a great lunch, I embarrased myself in my Silent Night solo, we had a Secret Santa exchange, and listened to David Archuleta`s Christmas concert from last year. I got the package from home and a letter from mom with photos (thank you mom!!! You the sweetest!) and the conference issue of the Liahona! I was absolutely 100% content coming home. What more could a girl ask for? Being a missionary, the conference issue in hand, letter from home, investigators to teach, a world to save and the gospel which has the power to save it! This is the life!

A year ago on Saturday I went to the temple for the first time. I was thinking about all that I have learned since then and how very greatful I am. Really, (knock on wood), my life has gone exactly as I ever planned. I don`t deserve it. Now if only I`m married within two Christmases from now, my life will really be on track as I mapped it out years ago.

Everyone here celebrates Christmas late at night Christmas eve by having a big dinner (and drinking and lighting off explosivos...er fireworks! That`s the word!) and if there are presents they open them Christmas eve night, too. I thought only the Jernigans open all their presents Christmas eve, but turns out all of Latin America does. We are going to be busy tonight (dinner with the Velazquez family and revealing ourselves as the 12 days of Christmas-givers and caroling to our investigators!) so we opened our packages today. THANK YOU for everything, mom and family! The shoes fit so perfect and I love them! (The wrapping paper had glitter all over everything and at first I thought you had sent me glittery shoes, and thought, "wow, I`m 6 years old again getting glitter shoes?" haha) and it was so fun to open the things you sent to Hna. Quito, too. It was all just what I asked for. Especially the Haz lo Justo rings and stickers, they`re like gold to a sister missionary. And the clothes Sister Oakason sent were perfect, I`m already wearing the skirt. I sent her an email already. And the package from Aunt Terri was awesome, too! I love the EFY CD!!! Last night in our 12 days of Christmas gift, I wanted to do something special but it was Sunday and we had no food in the house and couldn`t buy anything. I slipped a 20 dollar bill in with the nativity peice of Maria. And the next day, I get 20 bucks from grandma. I swear, I can never be out of debt to God.

I have so much to write still, such as a miracle with Marian and Jorge, and a sweet story about a menos activo Eduarda, but no time. But never fear! I will talk to you (virtually) face to face tomorrow!!!!

Merry Christmas, dearest family. How I wish I could sit on the couch with you tonight and sing the Nativity Story song and read Luke 2 with the Christmas tree lighted, and listen to Manheim Steamroller`s Silent Night, and watch the grandkids wake up tomorrow, and talk with Hope and Carrie and Mom and dad, and visit with Neal and hang out with him. But thankfully we will be together for eternity, and so it`s ok that I`m in Paraguay with the wonderful children of God here for one Christmas. I know with all my heart God wants me to be here, and for that reason you couldn`t pay me to be home for Christmas this year. I miss you so much but am also sooooo deeply grateful to be a missionary.

 

Striving for peace on earth and good will towards men,

Hermana Goimarac

For God So Loved the World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son

Wow, I didn`t feel at all homesick or trunky or anything but contentment until you told me the Bakers are in town! Jordan! Jeni! I think about you often but haven`t talked to you in ages. I am so glad you are in Sedona with my family! I hope I get lots of updates. I get to skype home next week! Wowie zingo, next p-day is Christmas Eve! Honestly it doesn`t feel at all like Christmas here. Aside from the heat that is like unto a Walmart parking lot in Phoenix in August, Christmas just isn't as big a deal here (the Virgin Mary`s birthday is a bigger ordeal). But today I baked chocolate chip cookies to give to members, investigators, and people who are not investigators but should be, and I sang Silent Night over and over (I`m singing a solo at the mission Christmas party on Wednesday...don`t ask my why on earth they asked ME), and also wrote Christmas cards to all my converts. And...it felt like Christmas for the first time. Well, actually, we started to leave a little 12 days of Christmas gift for a family (more below) and every night as my heart beats a million miles a minute it feels like Christmas. My favorite tradition by far. And yesterday, as I taught a primary class and had kids act as sheep and others standing on chairs being the angels, it felt like Christmas, too. Who needs cold weather and hot chocolate when you have Luke 2?

Carrie, your trip to San Diego and mom and dad, your trip to NYC sound so fun. It was so sweet of you, Hope, to watch all the kids so they could go on little trips. Thank you for telling me about them.

 

There is truly never a dull moment. Let me explain with a few recent adventures/highlights/tender mercies:

 

--Coaxing a nearly afraid-to-tears companion across a sketchy bridge over a rising river at 8:30 at night. Oh the things we do to visit menos activos (less-actives).

--Making it home to Piribebuy by the skin of our teeth after a division with some other hermanas in a nearby area, Ypacarai. The division was very refreshing--new people and place for a day. But we had to get back to our area and were late, and Hermana Quito and I were waiting for a bus to Piribebuy at about 8:45 p.m., hoping we hadn`t missed the last one (praying, too). For a while, we were sitting under a tree a little ways from the highway where the busses pass by, and then decided to go wait right by the road. As soon as we went to the road a bus for Piribebuy passed us, but didn`t stop! He was our only hope of getting home! We flagged the bus driver down and ran after it and he pulled over and stopped. If we had still been under that tree the bus driver never would have seen us and been able to stop. God knew that bus was about to come, and inspired us to wait out there. God answers prayers, and cares about little missionaries being stuck in the dark far from home and very alone.

--Five legitimate investigators in church yesterday! Nothing quite as devastating as no investigators in church, and nothing quite as sweet as people going to church for the first time all because you found them and visited them.

--Making scary treks through Ino`s neighborhood at night to deliver the 12 days of Christmas to his family. He is our branch mission leader and helps us a ton, and is very poor. What`s more scary than his dark, creepy neighborhood is the chance they will discover it`s us. Two chicas in skirts are pretty easy to identify.  But so far, it`s a secret. 8 more days.

--Arriving at Marin`s house only for the owner of her house (she`s renting) to show up and march up to us and say, "I`m the owner of this house and I ask you to never set foot on this property again. I don`t want you deceiving people. There`s one God, not seven."  (What?) He wouldn`t let us say much but I managed to testify of God the father and His son and their love for us before he said, "You have three minutes to get off my property." Good things she`s moving this week so we can teach her again. And...I guess I`ll stop teaching the 7-God theory to avoid this from happening again :-)

--I prayed to find opportunities to serve others one morning, and what do you know but we helped not one but TWO different older ladies clean their yard that day. They were very grateful. Elder Ballard`s challenge from conference is true.

 

Tom wrote me today and said that if my mission is hot and rejecting it`s good practice, because life is hot and rejecting (SO Tom, no?) :) It`s true. I`ve learned lots of patience and been very humbled this week. I`ve learned to just surrender. I`ve learned lots about companionship.

 

I am SOOOO excited for Hope`s mission call to get here! Oh man oh man.

 

We have a baptism on Saturday of a golden investigator, Rodolfo! He is the step-son of Celzo, our convert in September. He recently moved back home from Argentina and has come to church all three weeks in a row! We taught him commandments that will be difficult for him, like word of wisdom and law of chastity, but he very willing accepted to change his life. That is true faith. It`s been such a delight to teach him. Such a blessing.

 

I am so thankful to be a missionary. As much as I miss you and wish I was home for Christmas, I also wouldn`t rather be anywhere else doing anything else. Every morning it is still such a thrill to put on the black nametag. Serving a mission is truly more of a privilege than a sacrifice, and one of my greatest blessings. Obviously the gospel is true because I couldn`t be happy spreading something that wasn`t 100% true and good and right. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ. It`s ironic that I`ve never been so rejected in my life as I have been while bearing His name. He was truly despised and rejected of men....but with his stripes we are healed. And not only healed, but enabled, liberated, and forgiven, if we only do our part. And oh! how I want to do my part. I will never, no never, no never, no never forsake Him.

 

Merry Christmas dearest family. Les amo. Sooo excited to talk to you next week! I`m not sure yet when we`re going to skype, it could be on Monday or Christmas day if the cyber is open. I will let you know next week. Stay close to your computer next Monday morning if possible, 10:30 a.m. my time.

 

Love,

Your Sister Missionary,

Hermana Faith Goimarac

"Patience and love detoxify disappointment." Neal A. Maxwell

Dear Family,

You know you`re in Paraguay in December when:

• You rearrange your entire house to make it possible to be in the bedroom all the time, to study and sleep, because it`s the only room with a little air conditioning. 
• Men only wear shirts if they`re at church or at work.
• You carry an umbrella to block the sun. If you don`t, everyone asks you why you don`t. 
• You study with a frozen two liter bottle of water in your lap.
• It is necessary to buy ice cream every day. Thankfully it`s cheap and available on every other corner. And...it`s necessary.
• People watch TV from outside. No one has air conditioning, so being inside the house is like being being in a sauna. 
• Every conversation starts out with talking about how hot it is. 
• A hot shower or having to blow dry your hair would be absolute punishment (imagine that while you`re in NYC this week mom and dad! Or you freezing cold BYU students, or dear Jamie in Russia!)
• You probably will sweat more in a 20 minute lesson than your whole family will sweat all week, combined. 
• And you know you`re a missionary in Paraguay when dreaming of a white Christmas means....baptismal white. A white which is way better than snow white. 
• 
  

This week we had a baptism of an 11 year old girl, Blanca, who lives in Cordillera, an area pretty far from the church but still in our area. Her parents are members, but her mom died three years ago and her dad is old and sick. She lives with another member, but everyone out there is fairly inactive because it is so hard to get to church (don`t ask me how the elders baptized so much out there!). But she has been managing to come to church fairly regularly and really wanted to get baptized. It was a great little baptism. But, she didn`t show up to church yesterday to get confirmed (so.....looks like we have another long trek out to Cordillera soon.) It is so inspiring to me how the church really is reaching the corners of the earth. The worth of souls is truly SO great in the eyes of God. He is willing to do everything to reach His hand out to each one of us. Su mano aun esta extendida (His hand is extended). 

Saturday, December 8th, was a HUGE deal here. (If you google Caacupe, Paraguay there`s probably something about December 8th.) We live fairly close to a city called Caacupe, where there is a large, beautiful Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgen Mary (Tupasy Roga, house of the mother of God in guarani). On her birthday, the 8th, thousands of people from Paraguay visit the basilica. This year between 30,000 and 40,000 people went. Many of them walk to the basilica to show their dedication. It was so packed that the elders in Caacupe couldn`t leave their house for their own safety. We weren`t too badly affected by it. On Saturday we were walking really far in the middle of a particularly roasty afternoon to visit an investigator (Rodolfo, I will be talking about him later, maybe next week) and we were with a young woman in our branch, Johannah. She was saying that a lot of her friends invited her to walk to the basilica with them, but she was not about to walk kilometers and kilometers in the sun to worship an image. We decided we prefered to walk kilometers and kilometers every single day of our mission for God than to walk one time a year for an image. :)

We are neighbors with our District President, Pres. Velazques, and his family is so great to us. Hermana Velazques does our laundry and they feed us all the time, more than their share. They are one of the three members who have a car, and they always do visits and FHE`s with us. I am so thankful for them. Anyway, they have a 10 year old girl who lives with them, Pabla, who is such a good little missionary. There is a little neighbor girl, Milagros, who is 9 and her mom is an inactive member. One night we had some time, and Pabla and Milagros were playing and I decided to play missionary with them. We let them wear our nametags and they came and contacted us, and we sang and prayed and had a little lesson. They loved it so much, and now they always beg us to play misionera. It is the sweetest thing to watch them act as they perceive us to be. Milagros told us it is her dream to get baptized, and she even went to church, but she lives with her super-catholic grandma, so I`m afraid she won`t get permission. But it is a cherished relationship with those two little girls.

There is so much poverty that I have seen this week. Too many children without clothes, too many drunk fathers collapsed on the side of the road, too many homes without bare necessities. It is so hard on me to take. I know with all my heart that accepting the gospel will improve their lives, temporally and spiritually (Mosiah 2:41), but they don`t want to change to accept the blessings, to qualify for the blessings. I am just so thankful for the Atonement that will make everything that is unfair in this life right in the end. For children to live without loving parents or without food and clothes is an injustice, but thankfully, through the Atonement, even that injustice will be recompensed. Oh it is wonderful to me. It is truly miraculous. There is peace, and hope, and goodwill for all men thanks to Jesus the Christ. I am so thankful for HIM.

Rohayhu mucho!

Love,
Your Sister Missionary,
Sister Faith Goimarac

He who will lose his life for my name`s sake shall find it.

Dear Family,

HOPE. You crack me up so much. I am so glad I printed your email, albeit long, because I got some great laughs.  My comp kept telling me, ¨Companera, tranquila! (Calm down, companion)¨ Can`t wait to catch up on your blog. Good luck starting your job. Be a good example and I bet you can have some missionary experiences at work before you leave on your mission! Your tithing story will be PERFECT for teaching diezmo (tithing) on your mission. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWINS! I hope on Sunday you have a great time turning 7, Matthew and Katherine!! Wow I can`t believe you are so grown up! I am so proud of you both and miss you so much! You are two very bright, shining 7 year olds who bring a lot of joy to so many people, including me. Thank you for always praying for me. I know your prayers help. I am a very lucky aunt.

Along with finding some great new investigators this week, we had some very um......interesting lessons. A couple weeks ago we met a man named Fransisco and his two sons and taught them a couple times. They have a lot of interest, but their mom, Augustina, doesn`t want to listen to us because she is very catholic. Fransisco doesn`t want to go to Church without his wife. We really wanted to just talk to Augustina one time, but knew she wouldn`t answer the door if we were to just show up. On Friday we decided to pass by their house and if Augustina was outside we would casually chat with her. We walked by and what do you know, she was just walking out of her house on the way to the store! It was heavensent!  A minute earlier or later and we would not have run into her. We asked if we could just share a quick message with her and she actually agreed! She postponed her shopping trip for us, which is a miracle. We got the whole family together and taught the restoration briefly. She seemed to understand and be very grateful for our visit. We arranged an appointment for the next night and left  with  dreams of baptizing a family in December (ALL I want for Christmas!!!!) dancing in our heads. 

The next night we visited them with our District President, Pres Velazquez,who comes from a very catholic family. Augustina was apparently already sleeping and wouldn`t come out to join in the lesson. We had a great lesson with the others until we invited them to church, and Fransisco explained he doesn`t want to go without his wife, and how she is super catholic and won`t listen to him. Augustina, from the other room, starting kind of yelling at him from the other room. Little did we know she was actually listening. After quite the interchange, she came out and yelled at all of us. The only thing is it was in pure guarani and we understood nothing of it except something about San Blas and the Virgen, to whom she is apparently very devoted. The Spirit fled. It was terribly sad but we ended in a very respectful manner and left. Such is life in Paraguay as a missonary. People who we contact say, ¨Yes thank you for visiting, but your religion only believes in God, and I believe in the Virgen and San Blas.¨ Oh how I want to read Exodus 20 with them, but I just smile and ask them if they know anyone with whom we can visit. 

I am reading the four Gospels right now in between Thanksgiving and Christmas (Prof. Chadwick would be so proud) which is about 6 pages a day, even though I could read so many more. I'm taking the challenge of Elder Bednar that he gave in a talk at the MTC last Christmas to look for the character of Christ. I find so many examples of how Christ ALWAYS looked outward, He NEVER thought of Himself. For instance, after the death of his cousin John the Baptist, he went into the desert to be alone. But the people followed him. Instead of saying, ¨Give me a break, can I be alone for a while?¨ He taught them and blessed them and even fed them. His love is never ending. No matter the circumstance, He made time for others. Oh how I want to develop that type of charity. It is so powerful to me to read of Him in the Bible and Book of Mormon. It makes me remember Jerusalem and the Spirit I felt so much there. 

Everyone thinks the end of the world is going to be at the end of December. In the U.S., too? It`s sad that some people are legitimately terrified and think everyone is going to die. We are teaching a lot about the second coming, that we don`t know when it will be.  I personally wouldn`t mind if it was in a few weeks if I didn`t have plans to complete and dreams to live, like having 12 kids and making them arroz con leche and telling them ¨I love You¨ in guarani, which is rohayhu (row hi who).

The zone conference was SO motivating and inspiring! We all shook hands with Elder Zaballos and his wife and I received so many answers to my questions, and we had a great lunch together. Such a refreshing day. Wish I had more time to explain what I learned. One little fact of the day is that if you know Spanish and English you can communicate with 80% of the Church. 

Oh I LOVE THE GOSPEL!  I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES!  I LOVE MY LIFE.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.  And I LOVE the people of Paraguay, even if they do love the Virgen. 

Love,

Your Sister Missionary with wicked tan lines,

Faith

P.S. Do you all know how great beets are? I had no idea. I bought one today, peeled it, and ate it like an apple. I learn new things every day.

"Living cannot be all crescendo, there must be some dynamic contrast." Neal A. Maxwell‏

(From Faith's Mom--sorry to send this out so late.  Just forgot!)

Dear Family,

Carrie, I got your Christmas package this week, and since you said you sent a Christmas CD I went ahead and opened it and have been listening to Christmas MoTab all week. :) I love it! Thank you so much! And those "Soy un Hijo de Dios" pencils?! I was so excited!! It was perfect, and so thoughtful. And I`m always going to remember that you are my sister who always sends me a 20 dollar bill with every letter. I will send your boys 20 bucks in every letter on their missions, too. :) In about 12 years. :) Thank you, really.

 

Hope, your email had me laughing and crying. (I know.... I am a little more emotional than I used to be.) I loved your line, "Mom and dad have turned out to be quite the entertainers! They have people over all the time!" I don`t know why, it just really made me laugh. And your description of the food and just of home life...haha. You are such a good writer. I am SO excited to read your mission emails. :)

 

This week, a line from Elder Holland`s talk "The Inconvenient Messiah" came to mind, in which he says, "My mission was not easy." For some reason, as I thought how the mission of Elder Holland--probably one of the most powerful missionaries in latter day history--was difficult, perhaps my mission is not difficult just because of me and my failures, perhaps it is difficult for more reasons than that. I am truly a rough stone rolling, and am grateful for the polishing getting done here on my mission.  If I came on my mission just to be a better person this wouldn`t be so hard. But I didn`t come to just learn and have experiences and leave better than I came. If I wanted to just be a better person I would just stay at home and read emails of other missionaries study church magazines and apply what I learn. But I came to help others, to change THEIR lives, to help THEM learn and change...not just me. 

 

I think I have mentioned it before, the BYU devotional titled "Patience" by Neal A. Maxwell. It has helped me so much this week and throughout my mission. I am so thankful for my RM friend Emily Larson for sending it to me when I was in the MTC. Hay que buscarlo y leerlo (you should find it and read it). He talks about the connection between faith and patience and also God`s deep commitment to our free agency, which makes patience necessary. 1 Peter 2:20 is wonderful, too.

 

I heard that my freshman roommate Rebekah Seastrand got called on a mission to Spain?! Can someone facebook verify that for me and give me her address? I am so excited! That is 5 out of 6 from our freshman dorm with mission calls! Whoohooo! Any other mission call announcements you can tell me about?

 

The hermanas from a nearby area just arrived in Piribebuy and are going to sleep in our house tonight (hermana pijamada! Sister sleepover!) to travel tomorrow with us to zone conference. We are going to do divisions tonight, which means two FHE`s with members and investigators! Yippeee!  We are leaving at 4 a.m. to travel with our zone to a zone conference with Elder Jorge Zeballos of the Seventy (you can look for him in the Conference Ensign!). I am so excited! I am going to attend with plenty of questions in mind and know it will help me a lot. I think Paraguay is getting quite a few general authorities because it`s not doing so hot baptisms-wise, that`s my guess. There has to be some reason we get so many from high up visiting us. There is a perception that missions in South America baptize easily.  I think in Mexico their main worry is the elders getting pneumonia from being in the baptismal font all day. But in Paraguay, the fields are a little harder to harvest. There was a day this week when literally every person we contacted told us they're not interested because they are Catholic. It is hard to convince someone to leave their Virgin-worshipping roots. But I truly believe God is preparing people for us. I just need to find them. Pray that we do. Please.

 

Since you all asked, I will tell you what we did for Thanksgiving. It was a normal day, but since we didn`t have a lunch cita (appointment) that day I made mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and fruit salad at home. Yep. That`s all I have to tell. And that I have been working on my grateful list. Really, writing a list of blessings I have received throughout my life makes it impossible to deny the love of God. If you ever meet someone who doesn`t believe in God (I`ve only talked to one my whole mission), tell them to make a list of their blessings. After that, for me it would be impossible to deny the existence of God and His love for us.

 

I have to tell you about Marian and Jorge`s little boy, Kevin. He is three, I think, and the cutest little boy ever. I just love him to death. I have never met someone who literally bounces off the walls until him. They don`t have furniture or toys in their house, yet he finds a way to be in constant motion, and that includes running up to a wall and flipping off of it. I always tell Marian that I want a little boy just like him and she always says, "No you don`t. Kevin is like 5 kids in one."

 

Although mission can be difficult, I am, in the end, thankful for the difficulties as long as they don`t hinder the progress of the dear people of Piribebuy for which I am responsible. It is a huge responsibility I have. I feel like I have a taste of how bishops and stake presidents must feel....burdened as they hear about so many problems. But thankfully we are not alone. With faith in God, we are never alone. I know that, and for that reason I`m ok. Don`t you worry about me. Just pray for me. :)

I love our Heavenly Father so very much. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do all I can to serve him. Even if it just 1/12 of a teaspoon.

 

Love,

Your Sister Missionary,

Hermana Goimarac

"Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you." Pual‏ (Photos at end)

Dear Family,

I kind of forgot it was Thanksgiving this week until you all mentioned it in your emails. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Honestly, half the time I can`t remember what season or month it is because the weather is opposite to what I`m used to, and the fact that it`s Thanksgiving or Christmas doesn`t change a thing about the things I do. Ha. Anyway, I`m so glad you`ve invited people over for Thanksgiving dinner. I see the whole world differently as a missionary, and I see more clearly than ever that life is really about what we do for others. I`m so thankful I have parents who understand that. 

Dad, how great you went on a campout with the young men. Even though there are just a few YM, it is so worth it to make the effort to do actitivies like that. And I loved your lost wedding ring story. It had me thinking about what I have learned about prayer here on the mission, because I pray for soooo many things and many times what I ask for is not what I get. But I absolutely believe with all my heart that God hears and answers every prayer, it`s just that sometimes the answer is no, and sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is yes, but we have to wait a while until we get it. Like any responsible parent, he doesn`t give us everything we want right when we ask for it. And yet other times he answers us with exactly what we want, faster than we can believe. Like yesterday when it started raining in the morning, and I knew that if it kept raining NO one would go to church. I prayed that it would stop and that Marian would come to church so Eduardo could get confirmed, and what do you know, the rain stopped, and we had more people at church than we have had in almost 2 months, and Eduardo got confirmed. God answers prayers. :) Whether they be prayers for help with the subjunctive in Spanish, or prayers for help finding a lost wedding ring, or prayers asking to know if the Church of Jesus Christ is true, or prayers that a less active will come to church, or prayers that a disruptive child will settle down, or prayers that the Spirit will touch the heart of a rebellious son, or prayers for help with overwhelming problems at work, or prayers to be happy when nothing goes how you planned, or prayers to know if you should go on a mission......God hears and answers. 

Eduardo is Marian and Jorge`s 9-year-old son, who is such a good boy. His parents still aren`t married and he just couldn`t wait to get baptized, he was dying to! We thought it would be a good motivator and example for them if he got baptized, so he did on Saturday! He is so prepared and I have high hopes for him. I used to think that baptisms of kids were for some reason less significant, but really, I think they are the best. If they have the support they need, they have so much potential in the church. I hope he paves the way for his 3 younger brothers and his parents, and they become an eternal family with 4 missionary sons. 

Something pretty special was that yesterday in our branch we had a surprise visit from an area Seventy, Elder Digiovanni. I thought he was one of the THE seventy, so I explained to Marian that Christ is the head of the church, then there`s the prophet, then 12 apostles, then seventy men who are called to represent the church throughout the world. He helped confirm Eduardo, which was special for him. I talked with Elder Digiovanni for a bit and told him some things that he should talk to our branch pres about. 

Mom, I laughed too, about Mrs. Giles being in mourning about Mitt`s loss (I heard Mitt won the popular vote, Obama just won the electoral vote, is that not the case?). And Carrie, I laughed so much last week at your email about Ethan telling the whole world about Obama`s lack of values....haha, what a great kid. I hope he has that same courage as a missionary. Today as I was crammed onto a bus with way more people than it should legally be able to occupy, I looked out over the sea of people and thought about how their lives would be so different with an understanding of the gospel. I was the only one on that whole bus who is sealed to my family for eternity (even Hna. Quito isn`t). I wanted to just shout to everyone on that bus, as Ethan shouted to everyone in the grocery store about Obama, that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and that there is hope in the world thanks to our Savior`s and His hand that is always stretched out to us. But, I didn`t have the guts. Sin of omission, surely. 

Hna Quito and I finished our first change together (changes are 6 weeks). We contacted 714 people, taught 84 lessons, 65 more lessons with member, and contacted 49 references. And had one baptism. That is a lot of work for one baptism. But if that`s what it takes, that`s what I will DO!

Here in Paraguay there are signs everywhere, on houses, stores, fences, that say, "Gracias San Expedito por los favores recibidos." They are thanking a saint for the blessings that they have received, from him supposedly. It breaks my heart to see people thanking a person when it is GOD who has blessed them. This Thanksgiving, I encourage all of us to take the time to thank God for every blessing we have. I am going to recognize Thanksgiving with the most comprehensive list I can make of all the blessings I have. Well, I will start one. It will probably be a lifelong work. 

I am so thankful I have the privilege to be a missionary for Jesus Christ. I thank God for that opportunity in almost every prayer. It is so much more of a privilege than a sacrifice. I am so eternally grateful to have been born to the parents I have, to have been born at a time when the gospel is on the earth, to have been raised in the gospel in a wonderful ward, and to have a knowledge of what is most important in life. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and the hope He offers us, the enabling power His atonement gives us, and the shot at eternity we all have thanks to His great sacrifice. I am thankful for the Spirit that guides, protects, inspires,  and even improves Spanish abilities. These are my greatest blessings. 

If, for some reason you have a hard time being grateful this year, here are some ideas that I can give you:

-You don`t have to deal with borrachos (drunk men). 

-You live in a country where the Church is incredibly strong.

-You have constant electricity and running water.

-You can read, write, learn.

-You can speak English.

-You live in a fairly mosquito-free area.

-You most likely don`t have to carry all your groceries home from the store.

-You have never gone hungry in your life. 

I don`t have time to finish, but you get the idea. I am so thankful for each member of my family, and for everyone who has sent me emails or letters, and for everyone who supports me. I am truly more blessed than I could possibly ever deserve. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. 

Your grateful daughter/sister/friend/missionary,

Hermana  Faith Goimarac

"May we realize and understand how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, how much He loves us, and how much He is willing to do for us." Thomas S. Monson‏

Queridos,

Hope! Welcome back to the U.S. this week! Buen viaje!

Thank you for filling me in on the news, as sickening as it is. I honestly didn`t at all know that Obama had won, and politics was the last thing on my mind. But on Friday we had to go to Asuncion to do migrations (I had to sign my name about 5 times and get my picture taken.....such a waste of a day but it had to be done to stay in the country, I guess) and I got to talk to other missionaries while we waited. It wasn`t until then that I heard Obama won, and I honestly felt sick to my stomach. I really thought Mitt would win. I`m always so naive. I always think things will just go great, and then I`m always devastated. It happens on a daily basis, you`d think I would learn to expect the worse, but I never do. Anyway, I`m thankful for the gospel perspective we have to help us through times like these. What makes me really sad is to see our country vote for same-sex marriage, by the popular vote. ¿What is this world coming to? Surely the last days.

Training is going great. Hermana Quito is progressing very well, and we are really mejorando juntos (improving together). I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to train, because I learn so much and push myself a lot more in order to be a good example. We truly talk to everybody. We each contacted 79 people this week, our district leader couldn`t believe it. We want to be more receptive to the Spirit, so we fasted this week to know what we need to do to purify ourselves, to be worthier conduits. I made a list of things that make it harder for me to feel the spirit. At first it was difficult to make a list, because I was trying to think of things I should give up. I thought, "I literally gave up everything the last time I did this. I have nothing left to give." But I realized that when I think negatively or become stressed about not having had a baptism this change or that people aren`t going to chruch, or when I complain to myself, I am distancing myself from the spirit. It was interesting to me, dad, that Elder Eyring spoke about being optimistic. It is a gospel principle we forget sometimes. It hasn`t been a struggle for me to be optimistic before, but I have learned that pessimism really does drive away the spirit. Hna Quito is very serious laughter and humor is pretty scarce in our relationship (mostly because of the language barrier). But I have been working on that and we are happier. I also realized that when I distance myself from the spirit when I feel like I should talk to someone or do something, but ignore that prompting. I feel guilty all day. So that is my motivation to literally talk to everybody. We see a lot of blessings from talking with everyone.
One thing we do is when the alarm goes off at 6:20 in the morning we immediately shout D&C 4:1-4. A little cheesy, yes, but it actually helps so much. When I wake up remembering that a marvelous work is about to come forth and that the field is white.....the whole morning and day is just better. The last thing I feel like doing when I hear the alarm go off is try to remember a scritpure memorized in Spanish, but Elder Holland says that if we wake up as a straight arrow we will be straight arrows all day. So, vale la pena (it`s worth the pain).

This week last year (November 16th) I opened my mission call! It was such a great day, no? I remember how absolutely happy I was. I am eternally grateful I made it on a mission. Last year today I knew nothing about Paraguay, and now I could talk about it for hours and it holds such a place in my heart and always will.

We haven`t been able to catch Osvaldo at home this week except for a 3-minute chat before he had to go...so I don`t have much to say. I don`t think he`s as golden as I thought but igual, thank you for your prayers. We will keep trying. The mission is so full of emotional roller coasters. Like any relationship either ends in a break up or marriage, every person we talk to either has to be dropped or baptized, which means we are either devasted or ecstatic. We really put our hearts out there in the battlefield.

I mentioned that we had to go to Asuncion this week and it was a terribly long trip and waste of time, but the one good thing is that when I was in the mission office I got the package Cameron sent me! Hermana Quito was so touched you sent her things, Cameron. Honestly it was so fun to share that with her. You knew exactly what we needed. Zip lock bags? How did you know those are like gold in Paraguay? And my favorite granola bars with scriptures on them? Genious. You really made our day, on a very tiring day, too. Hermana Quito is so grateful. We took a picture of us with all the stuff you sent, but I can`t send pictures because our internet cafe here is chupa (junk), but I will in the future. Thank you so much and thank you for sending it, mom. It made us so happy!

I have had a lot of really sweet moments as I`ve read the Book of Mormon this week. Even when I`m not reading a verse that is particularly applicable to me I can feel the spirit so strongly that the Book of Mormon is true, that God loves His children and that He gave us this church to guide us. I just know it so much. It is so clear to me. I wish it could be that clear to everyone. I love the gospel so much, it is truly everything to me. My testimony has grown a lot over the past seven months, and even in moments when I feel I should be seeing more fruits of our labors, I feel so much motivation to just work, work, work, and I know that comes from the Spirit. I know He loves each of us and knows us personally, and has a plan for us. Thank you for reminding me of that, mom. I spend all day telling others that God knows them that sometimes I forget it applies to me, too.

Hurrah for Israel! A marvelous work is about to come forth, and as Hope said, "I am SO going to be a part of it."

Much love,
Your Sister Missionary who is currently surviving off cold watermelon,
Hermana Goimarac

Queridos, 

Hope! Welcome back to the U.S. this week! Buen viaje!

Thank you for filling me in on the news, as sickening as it is. I honestly didn`t at all know that Obama had won, and politics was the last thing on my mind. But on Friday we had to go to Asuncion to do migrations (I had to sign my name about 5 times and get my picture taken.....such a waste of a day but it had to be done to stay in the country, I guess) and I got to talk to other missionaries while we waited. It wasn`t until then that I heard Obama won, and I honestly felt sick to my stomach. I really thought Mitt would win. I`m always so naive. I always think things will just go great, and then I`m devastated. It happens on a daily basis; you`d think I would learn to expect the worst, but I never do. Anyway, I`m thankful for the gospel perspective we have to help us through times like these. What makes me really sad is to see our country vote for same-sex marriage, by the popular vote. ¿What is this world coming to? Surely the last days. 

Training is going great. Hermana Quito is progressing very well, and we are really mejorando juntos (improving together). I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to train, because I learn so much and push myself a lot more in order to be a good example. We truly talk to everybody. We each contacted 79 people this week; our district leader couldn`t believe it. We want to be more receptive to the Spirit, so we fasted this week to know what we need to do to purify ourselves, to be worthier conduits. I made a list of things that make it harder for me to feel the spirit. At first it was difficult to make a list, because I was trying to think of things I should give up. I thought, "I literally gave up everything the last time I did this. I have nothing left to give." But I realized that when I think negatively or become stressed about not having had a baptism this change or that people aren`t going to church, or when I complain to myself, I am distancing myself from the spirit. It was interesting to me, dad, that Elder Eyring spoke about being optimistic. It is a gospel principle we forget sometimes. It hasn`t been a struggle for me to be optimistic before, but I have learned that pessimism really does drive away the spirit. Hna Quito is very serious; laughter and humor are pretty scarce in our relationship (mostly because of the language barrier). But I have been working on that and we are happier. I also realized that when I distance myself from the spirit-- when I feel like I should talk to someone or do something, but ignore that prompting-- I feel guilty all day. So that is my motivation to literally talk to everybody. We see a lot of blessings from talking with everyone. 

One thing we do is when the alarm goes off at 6:20 in the morning we immediately shout the words to D&C 4:1-4. A little cheesy, yes, but it actually helps so much. When I wake up remembering that a marvelous work is about to come forth and that the field is white all ready to harvest.....the whole morning and day is just better. The last thing I feel like doing when I hear the alarm go off is try to remember a scritpure memorized in Spanish, but Elder Holland says that if we wake up as a straight arrow we will be straight arrows all day. So, vale la pena (it`s worth the pain). 

This week last year (November 16th) I opened my mission call! It was such a great day, no? I remember how absolutely happy I was. I am eternally grateful I made it on a mission. Last year today I knew nothing about Paraguay, and now I could talk about it for hours and it holds such a place in my heart and always will.

We haven`t been able to catch Osvaldo at home this week except for a 3-minute chat before he had to go...so I don`t have much to say. I don`t think he`s as golden as I thought but igual, thank you for your prayers. We will keep trying. The mission is so full of emotional roller coasters. Just as any relationship  ends in either a break up or marriage, every person we talk to either has to be dropped or baptized, which means we are either devasted or ecstatic. We really put our hearts out there in the battlefield.

I mentioned that we had to go to Asuncion this week and it was a terribly long trip and waste of time, but the one good thing is that when I was in the mission office I got the package Cameron sent me! Hermana Quito was so touched you sent her things, Cameron. Honestly it was so fun to share that with her. You knew exactly what we needed. Zip lock bags? How did you know those are like gold in Paraguay? And my favorite granola bars with scriptures on them? Genious. You really made our day, on a very tiring day, too. Hermana Quito is so grateful. We took a picture of us with all the stuff you sent, but I can`t send pictures because our internet cafe here is chupa (junk), but I will in the future. Thank you so much and thank you for sending it, mom. It made us so happy!

I have had a lot of really sweet moments as I`ve read the Book of Mormon this week. Even when I`m not reading a verse that is particularly applicable to me I can feel the spirit so strongly that the Book of Mormon is true, that God loves His children and that He gave us this church to guide us. I just know it so much. It is so clear to me. I wish it could be that clear to everyone. I love the gospel so much, it is truly everything to me. My testimony has grown a lot over the past seven months, and even in moments when I feel I should be seeing more fruits of our labors, I feel so much motivation to just work, work, work, and I know that comes from the Spirit. I know He loves each of us and knows us personally, and has a plan for us. Thank you for reminding me of that, mom. I spend all day telling others that God knows them that sometimes I forget it applies to me, too. 

Hurrah for Israel! A marvelous work is about to come forth, and as Hope said, "I am SO going to be a part of it."

Much love,
Your Sister Missionary who is currently surviving off cold watermelon,
Hermana Goimarac

"Rejoice, for though we may seem to be encircled, in fact we are not." Neal A. Maxwell

Dear Family,

What a fun week it sounds like you had in Mexico! It was so cute to read about Melanie loving the sea shells. I`m so glad you went. It`s important to take trips.

So how are politics????? Someone tell me! It`s November 2012 and I know NOTHING. It`s killing me. Who`s winning? Also, whenever anyone this week learned I`m from the estados unidos, they said there were strong winds there. I asked where and they just shrugged and said in the United States. It sounds like there was a hurricane in New Jersey? Is everyone ok? Just curious. I love America, what can I say.

Also, some missionaries talk about sending Christmas presents home and stuff.....sorry if you`re expecting something because I have no money and no time to send anything. It would be pretty awesome to send you something Paraguayo, but you`ll have to wait 11 more months. Hopefully I`ll have a baptism between now and Christmas and that will be the best present of all, no? Less than two months until I can talk you all on Skype! So excited!

Last Sunday as we were leaving the house headed for a with-member lesson with Marian and Jorge, I had the impression to take a Book of Mormon with me. I usually always forget to have one on hand in my bag. And it didn`t make sense to take one to a lesson with Marian who already has a Book of Mormon. But as we were walking to her house, we passed a young father in our neighborhood out putting ant killer on a tree. I decided to ask him his name because, well, he is our neighbor and I haven`t met him yet. Before even knowing who we are or what church we represent, he invited us to sit down.  He said, "You share the word of God, no?" I answered that yes we did, and told him we are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (I`ve said that at least 1 million times by now but I love it every time, still). His name is Osvaldo and his boss at his work in Asuncion is a member, he said. Osvaldo said he used to be Catholic just because his mom baptized him into the church, but that a year ago a co-worker invited him to an evangelical church called Buenas Nuevas (Good News) in Caacupe, and he was pretty much born again, and is a die-hard believer now. We didn`t have much time but we shared the first lesson in about 10 minutes with his beautiful wife and two little children, and he had a lot of questions about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and I gave him the Book of Mormon that I conveniently had, thanks to the Spirit.  He is SOOOO golden! We left walking on air that we had found a beautiful family, a true answer to many prayers.

We went back on Thursday and he said that he had read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith`s testimony, and he loved how Joseph Smith talked so much of Jesus Christ, because anything and everything that has to do with Christ he loves. He respects us as missionaries so much. He just thinks it is so admirable that we dedicate our lives to this. He was like, "I mean, the United States!? That is so far away! And to leave your family! You two are like the apostle Paul!" Hna Quito wisely explained in four words why we do what we do, "Porque es la verdad"  (Because it’s the truth).  We left him 3 Nephi 11 to read and asked him to pray.

We went back on Saturday to invite him to church, and he was a little hesitant about everything. He said that when he reads the Bible it touches his heart and he knows it is from God, but the Book of Mormon is just another book, written by men. I asked him if he had read anything past the introduction, and he admitted he hadn`t. He is judging the book by the cover, pretty much. He said he told one of his church buddies he visited with us, and I`m pretty sure his friend put some junk into his head. He was doubting a lot in that visit and my heart was sinking. Before we had a chance to invite him to church he told us he was going to his church in Caacupe the next day with his family. But he said that he needs to do some more investigating and said that he just might go to our church on Sunday the next day, alone, because his wife doesn`t like any of this Mormonism stuff. He asked us to pray for him, that he can find the truth. He truly does want to find the truth, which makes him a needle in a haystack. Oh, I hate Satan!!!!

Oh, as we left that visit there was not one thing I wanted in the whole world more than for this man in Paraguay to understand and to feel the truth of the church of Jesus Christ. I was already fasting but I wished there was something more I could have given up to show God just how badly I wanted Osvaldo to feel the Spirit. I have been praying constantly for him ever since. He didn`t come to church, but we are going to visit him tonight. I will keep you posted. But please, please, please, pray for Osvaldo. Pray that he will open his heart and truly feel the Spirit. Pray he will read the Book of Mormon and give it a chance.

We worked sooooo hard this week and put in so many hot, sweaty hours and pushed ourselves to do hard things. We worked a lot with members. We made a lot of visits on Saturday with members because inviting someone to church with a member present makes it easier for them to attend, because they know someone. But even with that and passing by houses to walk to church with investigators, we had no one in church. We`re putting on a special noche de rama (branch night) on Thursday so that members can invite their friends and we can find new investigators. There are never any activities in this branch, because no one has callings! Our branch president is....not super active and is pretty difficult, but we are taking the kill-him-with-kindness approach to motivate him. Anyway, I`m sure this isn`t very interesting to any of you, but for me it`s my life right now.

Yesterday in church I bore my testimony about how when we know we are children of God, everything just makes so much sense. If God is our loving Heavenly Father, of course he will give us a church with all the truths and the authority, of course he will make it possible for families to be together forever, of course he will guide us through prophets, etc. I found myself telling the branch that if they didn`t know that God loves them, they need to pray that night and ask, "Heavenly Father, do you love me?" and promised them they would feel the love of God. It was a great testimony meeting and how I wish we could have had investigators there to enjoy the spirit. But at least I can say, I’m at peace, that we declared the gospel with the sound of a trump and we have cried repentance. We did everything in our power to get people to church.

I love you, family. The more I live on my mission the more I realize how important the family is. Just looking at a picture of a young family in a plan of salvation pamphlet this morning I got emotional thinking about how central the family is in God`s plan. A loving mom,  dad, and children. That`s how it is supposed to be. I am so content to be a missionary right now and I love every minute, but having my own family is what I look forward to the most.

Also, Hope, and every other girl who wants to serve a mission, I found this quote recently that Russell M. Nelson said in 1985, "The influence of the young women of the church, like a sleeping giant, will awaken, rise, and inspire the inhabitants of the earth as a mighty force of righteousness." With thousands of young women turning in mission applications, is prophesy fulfilled or what?! But really, they are just joining the ranks of the already-mighty force of women of the church, whether they be sunbeam teachers or studious newly weds, or stay at home moms, or grandmas raising grandchildren, or the faithful visiting teacher. May we all give a little more to add more might to our mighty force of righteousness!

Quiero que todos sepan que amo a nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo, con todo mi corazon. El es mi fuerza y mi motivacion. Les quiero.  (I want everyone to know that i love our Savior, Jesus Christ, with all my heart.  He is my strength and my motivation.  I love you.)

Your Sister Missionary,

Hermana Goimarac

Life's Best Teachings Are Caught, Not Taught

To Faith's loyal readers--I should have posted this last week, but our family was preparing to go on a trip, and I plumb forgot!  So sorry!

Dear Family,

First things first. Aunt Loretta, happy birthday this week! I am so impressed you`re doing a 55-mile bike ride. Way to gooooo!!!!! Carrie and mom, sean pacientes con ustedes mismas. Estoy muy emocionada hablar con ustedes cuando regreso, solamente que voy a sentir un poco avergonzada porque van a hablar mas correctamente. (Also, Carrie, I about cried with your story about Ethan and the lady at the store.) Mom, I told Hna Quito about how you were overwhelmed with verb tenses and the subjunctive, and she said to tell you, "No se preocupe." She`s right. It`s amazing how everyone understands you even when you don`t use the right tense. I should know, haha. But I also know how you feel and understand. I want to be grammatically correct and fluent so badly. And  want to be that way NOW.

Which brings me to an apology. I feel so bad for any email in which I have even hinted at complaining or saying how things are not going the way I want them to go. If Elder Bednar were to read my email from last week, he probably would have said, "Get over yourself. It is not about YOU. It is not about ME. It never was. It is about HIM." And I whole-heartedly agree.  Every little worry or frustration I expressed last week was resolved and smashed to pieces by what I heard and felt on Saturday with Elder Bednar.  It was very interactive, with lots of question and answer (sounds like you did the same with Elder Anderson last week, dad) because that is how they want US to teach, with the learner being very involved. His main point was that we must ACT to receive revelation, to really learn. We need to involve investigators through asking questions, committing them to read, pray, go to church, and give them opportunities to bear testimony or share how they feel or what they believe. It is in acting that we discover what is truth, and realize what we believe. Teaching is NOT talking, he said. We cannot talk at people like they are objects. We must let them act, not let them be acted upon. We cannot think, "I will be such a good missionary that I will make them believe!" God certainly doesn`t do that to us.We are all agents unto ourselves.

He also said that sometimes perfectly obedient, hard-working missionaries don`t see much success for a while. And they think, "I am being obedient, I think I deserve to see some fruits of my labors. I want to teach lessons, I want to see baptisms." You know what the problem with that is? The I is in the way. Anyway, I could go on but the point is not what Elder Bednar said (as good as it was) but more what I felt. The Spirit was so strong you could have cut it with a knife. Why me? Why do I get such incredible experiences with opportunities to ask apostles questions?

To stand in front of an army of missionaries and an apostle and two mission presidents and lead them in singing ¨"Behold a Royal Army" and sing together, "A vencer, a vencer, a vencer!" Wow. As Elder Bednar walked off the stand he looked at me and said, "Gracias."  I had that same throbbing, flooding of the Spirit  feeling that I felt when I met Elder Holland in Jerusalem. Just overwhelmed and 100% convinced of his authority. It was a day never to be forgotten.  I know that the twelve apostles and prophet of the church are truly led and guided by God himself. How thankful I am to be on the same team as them, we are all in this together, like one big family, all trying to help our brothers and sister partake of the fruit that is sweeter above all that is sweet.

The night before the conference we went to Asuncion and stayed in President`s house. To walk into his home felt like walking into my own home to my own parents (almost, not quite as good but a good substitute considering), or perhaps a little taste of how it will feel to enter heaven`s gates so to speak, welcomed by loving parents in an environment full of the Spirit. We had a lovely dinner and I got to see my old companions. We talked about some talks by Elder Bednar and watched a live interview he had on Paraguay`s national television. As close to a vacation as I will get during the mission, for sure.

Marian and Jorge....didn`t get married because of money issues, yet again. But last night we had such a wonderful lesson with Marian and a member family who also had to get married to get baptized. We put into practice what we learned from Elder Bednar (or, by the Spirit, when Elder Bednar happened to be there, would be more accurate) and simply asked, "Marian, how has your quality of life improved as you have begun living the gospel?" It sparked a very powerful conversation between all of us. She is so committed, even though she has little support from Jorge. I am so excited to watch her grow in the gospel. She is even helping us teach her neighbor. A dry missionary, so we say (one who hasn`t been baptized). Great things are happening, and it`s not at all because of me. It`s alllllllllll God`s work. I just try to be a worthy conduit.

That is why, Hope, you don`t have to feel at all worried about if`you`re prepared enough or good enough to be a missionary, and a successful missionary at that. It has nothing to do with our talents or eloquence or convincing power, or even our bravery at talking to strangers (for example, remember how I used to really squirm at the thought of making a phone call? I avoided it at alllll costs. Now I make many phone calls a day and in Spanish at that, and all of them are hard phone calls when I have to ask someone to do something. But I just do it and it`s ok). It has everything to do with our committment to be obedient, to live worthily, and do our best. God makes up the difference. He gives us the bravery or whatever we need as we exercise faith. You will be an outstanding missionary with your determination. I wrote some letters today to fellow sister missionaries and told all of them how absolutely thrilled I am my sister is going on a mission. You have no idea how happy it makes me. Although, the thought crossed my mind that I am going to have to wait a long time to get married after I get home if you are to be at my wedding. I don`t know if I can promise that.....let`s just hope you can leave in January and just maybe I can wait until July 2014. It`s tempting to wait for you, after all you`re one of two of my siblings who can be at my temple wedding.

Con mucho amor,

Su Hermana Misionera,

the one and only (for now....) Hermana Goimarac