Sounds like you had another crazy week in tmec. It was nice seeing all the families together at the Kofs! Bummer about the cars.
So today was pretty sweet cuz we went to ... THE NUNERY! It is just this catholic place but there is a sweet gift shop in the back, ... so we just skipped to the gift shop hahaha. It was cool we went with our district too so it was 6 of us. This isnt a normal gift shop though cuz it is all this indian stuff from the chaco ( indio parts of paraguay, guarani´s). Just a bunch of wood art. The wood is called palo santo and is endangered haha cool right. I got this tortuga pencil holder and this indian warrior carving and some other stuff. It is super dope, it just weighs a bunch haha. I almost got this spear and a bag but they ran out of the cool ones. I got the kids some sweet bracelets though.
Paraguay info. Well you know how in the states we have snow days, when you stay home from school cuz it is just about impossible to get to school. In Paraguay they have rain days! haha thats right rain days. It rains so everyone gets scared and nobody goes to school. Tight right? Why cant we have rain days. It is actually kind of a bummer because not that many people go to church on rain days, but on school days it rocks!! Thought id share that with you. Quick thought...I miss our rain days when we would get to scared to go to school and we would stay home and play games all day haha.
Dad, Happy birthday! I Hope you had a great day. I thought about you alot.
So Sunday morning I got super sick and woke up at 3am to throw up. It was def the worst. I woke up three times. But we worked really hard this week and had a lot of faith someone would show up to church, so my comp gave me a blessing and we went. We have sacrament last here, so church starts at 8 then sacrament meeting starts at 10. For the first two hours nobody showed but we still had faith, and last second as i was about to shut the chappel doors Braiyan our investigator showed up!!!! It was so cool. I knew he would make it. I was so happy. Then in the meeting a pigeon showed up from on top of the casing haha. So this pigeon (paloma as Paraguayans call it which also means dove) just hung out with us. Everyonce and a while it would swoop in front of the speaker , funny stuff man.
This week we worked extremely hard though. I talked to 83 people this week and we found 8 new investigators (the most in one week this change). I thought id share with you a quick story. It was night time and we were working an area we hadnt touched yet all change (transfer). I clapped this house cuz i saw this guy out side. He looked at us and i started to talk to him, but he quickly shut me down by yelling paraguayans favorite two words, "OTRO DIA!"(another day, or my definition ... NO!) He then turned around to walk inside so i yelled at him, well is there anything we can do for you and he said, just pray for us, so i asked in what i felt like was a sincere voice, Well what is it that you want us to pray for you?. The man just stopped. Back still faced to us and he just stood there. He then turned around came up to the fence unlocked it and let us in. He told us that 15 days ago they had just moved from the chaco, which by the way is flooded hard core right now, and that they would like us to pray for their new home. So we came in and offered a kneeling prayer for them. There were three of them. we then asked if we could share with them and they said yes. We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then put them with the baptisimal invitation which they accepted, so then we put them with a date for the 16th of june! It was so sick. What we thought would just be another rejected contact turned into a new family of investigators. Listening to the spirit really is one of the biggest parts of missionary work. He always helps us with what we need to say and do. I enjoyed that night alot. .....FYIWell they didnt go to church so they need a new bapt. date, but i have faith that the lopez family will really progress. I love having moments like that.
I want you guys to send a shout out to the new family that got baptized recently. I am super happy for them and cant wait to meet them. They sound like they are really great.
I keep getting these feelings like summer is approaching, but i know its not haha. Winter is:(. I think i just feel like you guys do back at home getting ready for summer haha. So i hope you all are prepared to have fun. Enjoy your summers though and fill them with uplifting and fun activities. You will always remember them. Also family, kids, learn to appreciate family time, it def is the best.
Mom can you send me chocolate chip cupcakes???? I love you.
oh that reminds me. I have three packages in the office, but i prolly wont get them for a while:( so just know stuff is here i just need to get to the office.
Well i love you guys a lot. I think of you all the time. I love my mission. I am having the greatest time of my life here. I feel like i am at home. "IM AN ADULT" haha. I am happiest when i am working hard and this last week was so fun! WE just had a blast. So until next week, i love you all.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Carpenter
