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
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
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