Hey Everyone,
¿Mba´e te co? ¿I´porante?
It seems like you guys are all doing well so that it good. So this week was pretty good. It was the Semana Santa here, all centered on Christ. It is kind of catholic based but still has good meaning.
So I thought I would tell you guys about the food. People here like to make chipa, sopa and chipa wuasu. Chipa is this super dry brick of bread that tastes like well gold fish mixed with sand, and you know you are eating the better type of chipa if it squeeks on your teeth. Yummy right haha. Also sopa is corn based its alright. Chipa wuasu is good my favorite. Looks like sopa but tastes so much better. The part that stinks about all these foods is that the majority of the time they are super dry and Paraguayens dont offer drink until you ask. So I don't know... it just is more of a pain than a pleasure to eat.
Anyways,
This week I had a division with our district leader. It was super fun. I needed a break from my comp haha. But on the other side my Spanish is sky rocketing. I feel like I can speak really well now. It doesnt always role off my tounge how I would like it to, but I feel like when I teach it just flows. I truly am experiencing the gift of tounges. There is no other expaination.
Well I studied alot this week about our baptisimal covenant. It is so awesome. I was reading the sacrament prayers and just really pondering them. It is such a great covenant we have. We are promised to have the spirit with us always ... think about that, always. I just feel like there is so much more to this gospel then what we would think. There are so many levels of faith. President Madariaga shared with us a really inspiring talk that he prepared. He said there are different degrees of conversion. He refers to these levels or degrees as the Celestial, Terestial, and Telestial. The difference is so great. When we are converted to the Celestial degree of glory, are will becomes the Fathers. We consecrate our selves to Him. This can be done in so many ways too. It doesnt mean you are perfect or that you are just short of exaltation, it means that you live the gospel with reason. I love the quote from a talk in conferense i cant remember his name but it was from a seventy, he said, One can be active in the chruch, and not active in the gospel. Let our conversion be celestial. Desire the things of God. Dont just be active in church but be active in the gospel. The other two degrees have their qualities but i dont have time to expain haha.
I think we could all increase our faith a little. There is always room to improve. I strongly recommend that everyone strives to increase their faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement. I know that if you do this, if you make a sincere effort to further your testimony in Christ and His atonement, your faith will grow in ways you may have not even expected. I know this because i have experienced it. I have felt a differance in my life that has literally changed my desires. I have a greater love for my Savior and my Father in Heaven. I know they live. I know there is a plan for us that will allow us to live with our Heavenly Father after this life. It is all made possible through the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is perfect.
So Dad, I read this quote this week I thought you might like it. It is a Lorenzo Snow Quote, Dice " como el hombre es ahora, Dios fue una vez; como Dios es ahora, el hombre puede llegar a ser." Cool right. Also I listened to the God is the gardner talk this week. I loved it. I downloaded a bunch of talks onto my ipod. I have a bunch of the clasics. I really love McConkie, He is the man.
I love you guys i always pray for you. When I say you guys I am not just refering to my family at home but all my family, and my friends. You are all important to me.
Quick shout out,
Mom, I love you. I wrote you a letter for your birthday, but you won't get it on time. I want you to know I will be thinking about you.
Untill next week, everybody stay classy and do good in school.
Peace,
Elder Brandon Carpenter
