December 26, 2011

Hey mom hope you had a merry Christmas.... when I woke up yesterday, it didn’t even feel like Christmas.  No waiting at the top of the stairs, yummy breakfast, opening presents, going to Farnsworth’s house or grandmas or having everyone over at our house.  It wasn’t cold, no snow, no smelly candles, nothing.  I gave a talk in church yesterday too.  I told everyone how Christmas isn’t about getting it’s about giving.  I told them all how last year I had money and I bought you and dad presents because you usually don’t buy a whole bunch for each other, and not that is we don’t have money but you know what I mean, and I told them how they were nice gifts and all but you and dad were just shocked at what I bought for you.  And then I shared the scripture in John 3:16-17 how god gave us his son.  There were about 10 different members who just thanked me for my talk....even tuff guy bishop who gave a talk after me (he passed by to go up to the microphone and said nice job homeboy) all of them said they just felt the spirit of Christmas!

But is sounds like all of you enjoyed the Christmas you had.  All of the gifts looked like they were loved by everyone!  I was so glad to see all of you too.  Even though it was really short it was still worth it.  And thank you for my Christmas present....I’ll just want that in my account so I can buy cloths and stuff when I get home.

Next thing for us to check off mom, my birthday- -  well your birthday and then my birthday....20? Wow! That’s old.  Today we got new numbers from President Callan, our numbers of excellence!!!!  This year by week they are:

Baptism: 1
Confirmed: 1
With baptism date: 9
At church: 9
Lesson with member: 20
Other lessons: 10
Progressing investigators: 8
References: 15
New investigators: 20, of the 20 5 families
Recent converts: 8
Baptism invitations: 20

I have one year to work hard to complete these numbers, well I don’t have to complete them but it would be nice to do it.  I’m feeling like I’m in the hang of things now, I can talk to the people and teach pretty good so I think this year will be better!

Love you mom, I have to go do shopping so I’ll see you next Monday


Taylor

PS  yeah I forgot to tell all of you, 2 weeks ago i finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish

This is what our screen looked like when the call came in!  We were all clapping and cheering!

Elder Salinas in Paraguay!

McCall singing to her brother

Salinas Family Traditions sent to Paraguay

Nativity in Paraguay

Christmas Dinner for Taylor

Top Left:  Pacu (Fish)

Top Right:  Cow Tongue

Bottom Left:  Pork

Bottom Right:  Beaver

December 19, 2011

1)   Are you for sure able to Skype? Yes we are going to Skype.

2)  Where from?  Internet Café, Member’s home, church building?  (Some missionaries from your mission are using the computer in their church) we are going to do it from an internet place
3)  What is the phone number that we are calling if Skype doesn’t work?  If Skype isn’t working which i doubt it won’t work, ill just call you from the same internet place where they have phones.
4)  Skype Login:  eldersalinas  (password) **********
5)  We have heard 40 minutes is the time limit - - is that correct?  yes the white handbook of missionary rules says that its preferable if its only 30 to 40 min so we can talk longer but President Callan says its 40 min only so yes its only 40 min

6)  What time will we be talking?  Here it will be 4 in the afternoon so there it will be 12:00.  So just be there at the barn or wherever before then so that we can talk at that time, and if there is someone else there at the internet place, then I’ll call you and tell you that we have to wait and then I’ll call again right before i get on Skype so all of you can be there. 

So i guess this week was alright, we have a baptism this week hopefully it counts for us, it only is my baptism if the girl isn’t registered in the system of the church.  They are all members and the girl turned 8 like in March and they just haven’t gotten around doing the baptism.  So I’m hoping it’s our baptism.

There isn’t really anything to write to you again.  We have a meeting tomorrow at the office with pres and the trainers and the new missionaries so ill see elder Heiner!!!!!!

But oh well we´ll talk on Saturday!

December 12, 2011

Sounds like it was a great weekend of wrasslin.  And like usual, Columbia wins!!!  Hope they can pull something out this weekend.  Awesome that Spencer got 1st team all state.  Tomorrow, I have 8 months on the mission.  1/3 of the mission already!!!  My birthday is in 2 months too, I’m gonna be 20....I don’t know how I feel about that?!?!?!  So this last week we didn’t have very many lessons, every person has left to go to a city to pay their respect to a virgin from Paraguay.  I did buy a few things with the money I took out.  It’s the stuff I bought for Christmas for me.  I ordered a hand stitched shirt that’s got little designs all thru out it.  Also I bought a radio thing so I can put my pin drive in there and listen to my music, I have more church music, and Christmas music now, this thing is pretty cool, they don’t have them in America, only in black market country Paraguay.  I did get the packages last week, one from you and one from Saige!!!!!!  So I have all of my presents from you around my tree in my room.  I got a sweet present from Saige....did she tell you what it was???  So I read that book that President Monson wrote it was good....I think Ihave an idea of what the other stuff could be.

Training is going good, I don’t have to teach him Spanish so that’s nice.  But he is doing really well.  Remember how we were (my group) tried out that new training program, well that’s what we use now so we just follow the little book so it’s really easy.  We get along really good. I like him a lot.  He is really smart too, and he tries really hard to do his best.

We found some new people the other day this guy and his wife, the wife seemed really interested but we'll see.  Hope we can find some new people....that’s what’s the hardest.  Find people.  That’s the job of the members!

We had stake conference yesterday, a lady passed out in the meeting and the stake president had to leave the stand to help her.

Man I feel bad that I don’t really have that much to write to you this week, it’s just like my journal!

I hope you have a sweet time in Reno.....and, next week is when we are going to talk, the end of next week so it’s like 2 weeks, but whatever it makes me excited.

Love you mom

Taylor

December 5, 2011

Ok, so this week has been all over the place....and I only have a little time in the mission and I’m training!!!  My new elder is Elder Segovia from L.A. He already speaks Spanish too so training is going to be cake!  So I found out that I was going to train last Tuesday.  I knew it was coming too, the DL said Elder Hauser you’re leaving, and I said and I am training right, and I sure am!  So on the bus on the way home from District meeting, the assistants called me and said Elder Salinas, your getting a local comp for a week because your comp didn’t come because he doesn’t have his visa yet.  So I went to the office to get my local comp and he didn’t show up.  So I took a taxi back out close to my area by myself and spent the day with Elder Patterson who came in my group and his new comp who came the change after me.  Then that night we took another taxi to the office and I got my new local comp.  Elder Morinigo....he leaves in January to go to Dominican Republic on the mish.  Yesterday, I took elder Morinigo back to the office and got my real comp.  I was really bummed out that I couldn’t be a part of the first day for the missionaries and when they get to meet their trainers and stuff, and the trainers learn how to train the missionaries but it was ok, I just sat in President Callan’s office for like an hour yesterday and talked with him about it.  He said “Elder,  if I get any kind of revelation, it’s about the trainers.  SO don’t feel like you can’t do the job.  So I guess I am able to do the job!

Also another highlight of the week, I saw Elder Heiner at the bus station or the terminal.  He is also training, out of the 23 of my group, Me, Elder Heiner, Elder Stevenson (from Nampa) and Elder Clark we are all training.  So I get to see them in like 3 weeks when we go back to the office for a meeting with the new missionaries and the trainers.

We do get to take money out today, and last week I really screwed up.  I went to take out 100,000 guaranies or 20 bucks well I hit the 1,000,000 guaranis so I took out 230 bucks, the dollar is worth more right now so I took out less money but I’m still pretty mad I took out 230 bucks, it’s locked away in my suitcase so I won’t use it unless I buy something nice.  So the money that anyone gives me for Christmas put it in my savings and I won’t take any of that out!  And today we are going back to the office because the office elders messed up and didn’t do my comps papers so back to the office today, hour long bus ride.....what a joy and so fun to do on MY p-day!!!

So today the weather is nice because it is cloudy but usually it’s a good 100 lowest and it’s about to start getting up to 115 every day!!!!

I will load a picture of me and my new companion, ooooh and also I found a paintball arena in my area and this gigantic canal that’s way deep, when you are down in the bottom, looks like you are in the jungle, when I have time to explore it I'll take some sweet pics.

And today we are going to Pan Cholos, hamburger place....for 25,000 guarani or like 6 bucks I’m going to buy a meal that is the same size as the big Jud's hamburger!!!!!!

Good luck at wrasslin this week, And when he is at Reno, he better not lose the match to place!!!

I will get a package tomorrow at district meeting, I paid for it last week, I think it is from Saige, she sent me a something a long time ago, so maybe I’ll pay for your package tomorrow mom!!!! haha can’t wait!  Can’t believe that is December already.

That’s about all for this week, I’m gonna write a little to dad and to grandma....

Love you mom

Not many days till we get to talk!!!

Taylor

 Elder Salinas, Elder Segovia, President Callan, Sister Callan

November 28, 2011

Ok, well this week was kind of yucky.  We had 3 lessons with members. And 3 other lessons.  So not many good numbers.  And it’s getting hotter and hotter every day.  It doesn’t even feel like it’s close to Christmas or that Thanksgiving passed.  Probably because it’s so stinkin' HOT.  It’s like 100 everyday with humidity and its going to get hotter at the end of December and in January and February.  The pic of the family at the barn was a little blurry but everyone looks so different! 

So this week for thanksgiving we had bread, some empanadas which are not very good here, some yogurt and an alfajor mini cake.  Not a very tasty Thanksgiving.  And now it’s like what are we going to do for Christmas???  They have Christmas lights here but it’s weird to see them in the baking hot sun. 

We have changes on Wed.  Don’t know if I am staying or leaving yet.  The zone leaders in this area are different.  They don’t give us the changes till Tuesday, so if we do leave, we have no time to pack our stuff or say good bye to the members.  Every other place, you get the changes Monday morning!  SO maybe ill bug them about it. 

So for Skype, you need to make me an account and send it to me so that I can Skype you.  And we are going to do it Christmas Eve.  Christmas is on a Sunday and we can’t ´´spend money´´ to pay for Skype on a Sunday.  We can do it Saturday, or Monday.  I’m going to do it Saturday so that I can come email on Monday too!  So we will go to another area to Skype you, and if that doesn’t work, Elder Moore gave me a sheet of how to call the USA.  SO I have that too.  But I will tell you what time we are doing Skype when that gets a little closer.

I didn’t get both of my packages last week. I only got one.  The sister missionaries who get the mail and the packages messed up the money so I only got one of them.  I hope I get the other one tomorrow at district meeting.  But the package I got was yours.  Full of white tootsie rolls.  They are about gone.  I have like 10 left.  I have eaten so many of them because I don’t have any money. 

So when Javier and Veronica got married, you have to pay for the wedding.  The judge said it would be 250.000,00 so not that much.  Javier said he would bring 200.000 and i told him great we will pay the rest.  SO after the wedding, we got the 200.000 from Javier to pay the judge, and then we got out the extra 50.000 to pay her.  She ripped us off over the wedding and told us it was 450.000,00, so I paid 150.000 and Elder Hauser paid 100.000.  Then she asked if we wanted a receipt so the mission could pay us back and we said yeah.  She just left, and then I called her and asked for the receipt and she said that the couple paid for it so she can’t give us one, then I told her about how we paid for it and she just up and left. SO her response was, well when you have another wedding call me and I’ll bring you a receipt.  What a joke.  SO for all of last week and for the week that we are in I have 5.000 or $1.25.  So I’m going to take some money out today to pay for my laundry cuz I don’t have any cloths to wear.  I didn’t wash them last Monday because I didn’t have any money! 

So that how it’s going down here in the dead heat,

Love you mom

TAYLOR

I killed this lizard with a sling shot, it a sling shot that you put on your fingers.  I got it with a marble!

These toads are huge.  Ive seen bigger but didnt have the camera.  Also you can kick these like a soccor ball and they go flying a good 30 feet and about 10 feet in the air!!!  HAHA.

November 21, 2011

Good thing you didn’t have a list of questions for me because I have a ton to write to you. First off the e mail is late because of the rain, we have no power in our area, and all of the roads are not roads they are rivers. We were going to go golfing today at this American resort in our area that only takes dollars but it’s raining. Anyways we are finally here to do e mail.

Ok so to start off, you just won’t believe what happened this week..... We are teaching this family that is really cool. Elder Hauser found him 3 months ago with his old comp. Turns out the guy had a Book of Mormon from his friend and was in Alma when they found him. well it had been hard to find them....about 3 weeks ago we found them again, he came to church but his wife never wanted to listen to us. We went back one night to teach them and she said she would listen. I don’t know if I have told you, but we sing a hymn at every lesson, just me and my comp. Yeah I bet you can’t believe that either. But we sang families can be together forever. Then we asked the lady to say the prayer, and she did, and she cried during the prayer! Then we gave them the plan of salvation. She cried some more. So the lesson was way good. Then we set a baptism date with them for the 19 of November and they said yes but that we would see more when the day gets here. So they said they would talk about it. Then I asked her why she cried, and to be short, she could feel something, and she knew it was true. Then on a Friday, not the Friday we just had but the Friday before, they said that they had talked about their baptism and marriage because they have to be married to get baptized. So they said that they were going to wait until February to do it so he can shut down his office, do a nice wedding, and take a vacation with his family. So we went home and made a lesson with all of the scriptures about keeping commandments and being favored by the lord and looking for treasures in the heavens and not on the earth. We found them on last wed, and we had this lesson and I asked them if they had said a prayer before they talked about their wedding and baptism, and they said no. Ok well their names are Javier and Veronica, end of the lesson; Vero was ready to do it. She said I don’t care what people will say to me, I am making a covenant with my heavenly Father and that all that matters to me. And Javier still wanted to wait. So I told him or them, I know you need to get baptized this Saturday (19). We are going to kneel down and say a prayer, Javier, you are going to say the prayer and ask Heavenly Father if you need to get married and baptized on the 19, and then I told him that I already know that you need to so you can’t tell us no, Haevenly Father is going to tell you to do it! So we knelt down and he started to say the prayer. Mid prayer, he could really feel the spirit....his voice changed then he just got quiet for like 2 minutes then he finished the prayer saying thank you a bunch. So we waited like 3 min and Javier said well I have a friend who is getting married the 26th of November, turns out that I am getting married before him. BOOM! Friday night we did the interview, Saturday we did the wedding and double baptism......

So that was the miracle for the week, also we needed to call the judge to have her come to do the wedding, she needs like a weeks notice, I called her on wed night, to ask if we could do the wedding Saturday night. She said yes!

So I baptized Veronica, Elder Hauser baptized Javier. Yesterday I confirmed Veronica and Elder Hauser gave confirmed Javier

It was a good week.

So I got you package Thursday thanks for all the stuff in it. And I have 2 more packages that are here, idk if you sent them or not. I knew I had them last Tuesday so can’t wait to see what those are tomorrow at district meeting.

I’ll send you some pics of the baptism and the wedding to in a minute.

Love you mom

Taylor

November 14, 2011

Well another week in paradise, well it’s not really paradise, but another week gone. Yesterday was a month mark too . . . 7 months in the mish already. We didn’t have a baptism on Saturday. We have a family who wants to do it but they have to get married first. Lucky they don’t have to get a divorce before. They are thinking that they are going to get married in February but we made a lesson today for them and we are gonna encourage them to do it sooner. SO they should be getting baptized Saturday. But man, my wife got like 100 times hotter yesterday. IT rained all day, we walked in the rain all day, the umbrellas don’t do much here. You just have to say “whatever” and just walk in the rain all day, and it’s still raining....the roads were just solid rivers yesterday!
I’ll bet Josh is super stoked to be in the bishopric, he is THE Bishop right??? :) I’ll have to write him a little note, I have a letter for the Walker family ready, it should go in the mail tomorrow so I’ll see if I have some time to write Josh a little spirit picker upper! I wonder if their kids will be hellions like we were when dad was in the bishopric. Haha!!!

We had like 35 lessons this last week, so it was ok. We don’t really have that many new people but its going good anyways.

About the shoes, they look fine, but I want the insides to be good, that why my shoes stink right now, they have no padding on the inside! But if you think they will be good on the inside then send them sometime.

So last night, we had FHE with Jorge and Betty, we ate Deere again and Crocodile. It was delish!!! And he goes to the Black market for us, I got a knife that is automatic but it swings out, it’s as long as my forearm. Also a knife that is a little smaller, and 5 switchblades. They are small, but cool, they were less than a dollar each! I’m gonna have him get me a jersey or 2 when he goes back.

So i don’t really have that much more to tell you about this week, but I have never been so tired in my whole life. As soon I go to bed, it seems like the alarm is going off. But when we get home from shopping, I’m taking a long nap. And I should get my padded envelope package tomorrow at district meeting. I paid for it last Monday so I better get it!

We only have 2 weeks left of this change too....goes by fast!

Love you

Taylor

From the left, Pablo, Moises, and Jorge...we ate these fish.  The picture of the fish by itself, yeah I ate that one.  Dont know what kind of fish it is, it came from the river and I ate it, thats all I know...ask Josh or Chris if they know what kind of fish it is!

Taylor ate this fish for dinner . . . anyone know what kind it is?

Donkey Cart

Taylor & Adib . . . He just left on the mission, he went to Argentina, his mission actually is just across the river so he can visit his family by boat !!!

The picture that every mom loves to receive from her missionary!

November 7, 2011

Well this week was alright.  We had 4 people come to church, would have had six but they were gone getting married so they can get baptized so not this Saturday but the next we should have 2 to 4 baptisms.  I ate some new food this week too....we ate deer and whorthog(pumba off of the lion king, yeah we ate that).  It was good.  We have zone conference coming up on the 17th of this month.  That will be cool.

I can now solve a rubix cube like a champ, Elder Hauser taught me how to do it.  The bats have been really annoying....there are holes and cracks in the roof so they poop there and it falls through and they don’t have to be around it....well one day I could hear one by the crack and its tail was hanging out, guess who snatched it up by the tail and pulled on it for fun....I did!!!  I got my Halloween card and the talk but not the padded envelope. 

So I’m doing pretty good, well my feet are a disaster.  My shoes are horrible, not that they have blown out or anything (well one blew out on the heel but it’s still fine) it’s the insides.  The little padding that there was, is all beat up so everyday I have like a ton of new blisters that I have to pop.  If you send me a package sometime in the future, will you please send me some new shoes that have a real thick bottom, and have comfort padding inside.  And a rubix cube :) I'm hooked on doing the rubix cube now haha....One thing that I forgot to ask for was Christmas music!  Christmas is going to be so different without Christmas music!  And I can’t even believe its November.  It’s so dang hotttt that it feels like July or August!  But one week and I got 7 months in the mish mom!  That’s about all for this week, hope yall have a good week!

Taylor

October 31, 2011

1)    How many discussions this week?

 Ok mom just a little note, we are not missionaries like dad was or your brothers, we don’t teach discussions anymore, we just teach what we are supposed to teach, but we had like 30 lessons total this week.

2)    Do you get to go to the temple on P-day?
 No we don’t go to the temple on p-day. There isn’t any time to go to the temple and it’s far away.  The elders who are close don’t even go.
3)   Are you in Asuncion - - or more out in the country?
 I´m in Asuncion but not in the city, it’s not really the country either; it’s just our little village.
4)   Tell me about a few of the people you are teaching - - names so we can pray for them!
 We are teaching a few people but we have a baptism this week, so all we need is for the kid’s dad to give him permission but all of the rest of his family are members.

5)   What kind of lunches and dinners are you getting fed from the members?  What did you love?  What did you hate?
I don’t really know how to tell you what we get fed.  It’s always like meat or chicken, potatoes, mandeoka, soda, bread and cookies.  Idk how to tell you, I can try to send you a picture.

Well Spencer and Grant had some sad losses but they can still win out, I bet Skyview loses to Blackfoot.  But still cool that they get to go to State!!!  I wonder how M´kay's first wrestling tournament will go too??? And how is the new job going, is it worth it or is it kind of boring?  So just to let the boys know that I have something that will make them a little jealous, I have the new Harry Potter, both of them, all 6 Rocky movies, Cars 2, Rango, The Green lantern, and 3 other movies that are with the CD´s.  Got all of them for 3 bucks.  Bought them last week and today in the letter from president it says that we can’t buy movies, it’s a new rule.  So I can’t buy anymore, but I do have those movies.  Maybe I’ll try to send them home. :) Since I can’t watch them or anything!!!
Ok so i have a question for all of you.....

God is going to be our judge meaning he listens to both sides of the ´´case´´. He isn’t going to punish us because he is our father a father doesn’t do that.

Jesus is our Attorney, he will be on our side and he can use the atonement for us and god will accept it.

Who is going to be against us in the judgment day?  Who is going to tell god all the not so good things we did in this life?

I´ll give you one hint, it’s in D&C 88 and Abraham 3.  And it is something you can see every day!!!

Well all is pretty good here, going

Love ya

Taylor!

October 24, 2011

Who is your companion?  Where is he from?  How long has he been out?

 Bueno, my new companion is Elder Hauser from Arizona.  He has been here for almost 5 months total in a week or 2, so I have been here longer and I am the senior companion.

Elder Cleverly is also in Asuncion, but a different place.  Are those little villages within Asuncion or what?

 Elder Cleverly is in Asunción and stuff but there are 5 zones in Asunción.  We aren’t really that close.  In the terminal I saw Elder Lamb, Elder Cleverly, Elder White, and Elder Grisham.  So that was nice, we got to the terminal at like 5:45 so we just talked for a while.  I’m in Lambaré, it’s a part of Asunción.  It’s smaller than my last area and way better.  It’s not to campo and it’s not to city.....it’s like perfect!  Sand and rock roads everywhere.

How did your first few days go in the new area?

 The first few days were good, we had 30 lessons total this last week which I never had in Encarnación.  Also there were 120 people at church yesterday which is a miracle for me to see.  Yesterday we printed out a calendar for the month of November for people to sign up to feed us lunch, I’ll just say that there are no open spots, so people had to sign up for dinner. 

Last call if you need me to send anything . . . deodorant, gum from Costco, body wash, toothpaste, etc.  If you don’t need anything, that is fine!  Just checking!
I will send home a picture of the toothpaste that I want.  And yeah I can buy peanut butter in this area, so if you want to take that out of the package so that there is room for other stuff you can.  I also want you to send me a flash drive memory stick of like 16 to 23 gigs so that i can put pics from my camera card onto the flash drive.  But that’s all, when are you going to send it?

But this area is way better than my last area; it’s just a little village really.  Our apartment or house thing is ok; there are a ton of bats though.  The bidet (idk if that’s how you spell it) but it works like a champ.  We have a water heater too so that nice to have hot water.  And every day, we have to sweep the floor because the bat poop falls through the wood slats in the ceiling.  I have a pic of a nice pile of bat poop to show you!!!!!!!!!

But really I just feel better here, I was always discouraged in my other area and now it is just different in a better way.  Pres Callan said that senior companions will be in their areas for 6 to 8 months usually; well that’s what the prophet said, so I bet I am here for 4 to 5 changes.  I had 3 in my old area if that gives you and idea of how long I should be here!

I already sent McCall a birthday card but don’t tell her that, she should get it this week I sent it a while ago.

Well that’s about it for this week, we have a baptism on Saturday so you can pray that that happens.

Love you mom

Taylor

October 17, 2011

Well I never thought this week would end.....! ! ! We didn’t have zone conference this last week; we just had interviews with President Callan.  On Monday he sent me a personal email that said it’s always darkest just before dawn.  That’s what I learned from him during my interview.  It is always nice to have a break and talk with Pres Callan.  About half way through the interview, he just stopped and got kind of quiet and paused for a second and said ´´I just wanted to tell you I love you.´´ It made me feel so good, it’s been like 6 months since I have heard that.  Well I read it from yall every week but it’s so much better to hear it.  Also he asked if I thought I was ready to be a senior companion, I told him yes.  Then he asked how my Spanish was, I said it was good, and that I still don’t know every word but that I can teach and talk to people about just anything.  Then we talked about how slow the work is in this area.... I said I never thought this week would end....because he told me what was going to happen.  He told me that I was leaving; he said to not tell anyone but that I was for sure getting a new area.  That’s why this week was so long. I will miss all of the people here in Encarnación but it’s a disaster, we have an average of 25 people in church and nobody to help us.  Elder Boydston who is my district leader now was in that area and he is from Moscow (Idaho) so we are always stoked to see each other, but he told me that there is usually 150 people in church and that its one of the best barrios in Paraguay....so my new area is Puerto Pablo in Asunción!!!  Stoked, get on the bus at 12:30 tomorrow night!

And sounds like the family is doing pretty good and another win for the boys....not that they got this swagger, if they keep going, they will win it all....I expect to see all 5 of Spencer’s state championship rings!  You hear that Spencer, all 5 and dad said you are on track to have a school record for pics....let’s get that done too.  M’Kay I hope you know how to put on a singlet still and that you better thin out them gigantic legs and turn into Spencer and Grant!!!!

Congrats on the job mom, if it’s all commission, then I’m pretty sure that you will work your butt off to make some money.  Speaking of money, I took money out of my savings today to buy an Albirroja Jersey, the Paraguayan team that’s pretty good.  Also I have some stuff to put into the box I will send you.

And I was way happy to hit 6 months, I got something in the sights for you mom, 2 months is Christmas and I can talk to you, 2 months more is my birthday, 3 months later I can call again to mothers day!

Oh yeah, during interviews, I saw Elder Bartlome.....that was cool, also he and Elder Reyes had to spend the night at our apartment so we talked a ton.  When we had the last zone conference, I saw Elder Nash but he was like 15 min away from my place.  In another zone where Elder Bartlome was, he said that every elder from our mtc district was at zone conference except me and Elder Nash.  I’m really missing Elder Heiner :)

That’s about all for this week family!

Love ya....

Taylor

October 11, 2011

Some guy painted this in 3 minutes with his fingers!

His favorite juice!

This is what they use to clean their water

Mini Cake

He LOVES these cookies!

Umm . . . not a mother's favorite picture!

Well I don’t really know what to say this week...we had 1 person or investigator who came to sacrament meeting.  3 lessons with a member present and 3 other lessons..5 baptismal invitations and they all accepted the date for the 29 of October but since none of them came to church yesterday we are back to zero with a baptismal date.  Also there were 25 people at church.

Every day we have plans for every hour of the day and it’s so hottttt, you have no clue how hot it is.  Plus its way humid so that makes it worse.  I think that I had the worst day of my life this last week, we had so many good plans and back up plans and every single appointment fell....plus this day was like 105 plus humidity and the sun just kills you.  The elders a long time ago could wear sombreros but not anymore cuz someone had to ruin it!!!   But you know that pic I sent home with the really old guy who is going bald? He is a champ, and like the only one who seems to care about us in this area, well he and the Delgado family. I just let it all out on him about all the stuff that goes on in the ward and stuff.  I was so sad when he didn’t show up for general conference; he said he didn’t come because he is ticked at all the leaders in the district.  Nobody does their callings.  Man American missionaries have it so easy.  But he made me feel a ton better that day.  Then later that night the zone leaders called me to see how the day was and I told them how hard it is.  They said they have been talking to president about this area and how they have no clue how I’m still just moving along.  Its only my 3rd change and I have to deal with an area as dead as this.  But we have interviews tomorrow with him.  He sent me an email this week that said we will have a good talk and stuff, and that its always darkest right before dawn.  I didn’t understand that at first but I do now.

Sounds like all the games are going good, Grants tooted his own horn about having 120 yards a game and that sounds like dad in his hay day being Mr. Touchdown!!!!

I tried to look at Spencer’s videos but the computers don’t have some type of video player and it won’t let me download the video player to watch the videos.  Put them on an SD card and send them to me, and then i can show people down here too, and put some videos of my most ballin matches too!!!

I did get a heap of mail today, 2 dear elders from Richard, one from Saige, and one from Elder Moore, also a ton of pics from the Walkers and letters from the girls.

Mom I love you

TAYLOR

October 3, 2011

Instead of a "copy & paste" letter from Elder Salinas today, I'll just let you know that in his letter he mentioned that he loved conference, he expressed his concern for his little sister, and mentioned that they are really struggling to find people to teach.  Please keep him in your prayers.

September 26, 2011

Well we finally found some new people to teach...we found 7 last week and of the 7 we found, 5 of them got invitations to be baptized. We are just hoping that of them, some will continue to listen to us, and that we can find more people from them. We found a really cool family, we haven’t gone to visit them yet, so they don’t count as new investigators, but this is a family of 3 or 4. She was really nice and asked us to come back, usually they just say that to be nice, but hopefully it will turn into something better. Yesterday we had basically stake conference. All the missionaries in our zone, all 16 of them were here yesterday, it was good to see some of them, like Elder Bartlome, who is now in my zone. That made the day. All of them are coming back to watch General Conference too, Elder Boydston (the district leader, from Moscow Idaho, soon to be Spencer’s friend who has tickets to the ducks games) and I have it all planned out for this weekend. Saturday, we get money, and for breakfast before conference, we are going to the fruit store in front of the church for a huge bowl of strawberries and cream, they are so good. For lunch, we are going to Bendos for pizza, and for dinner, we are going to get lomitos....Can’t wait, last night we had no food, and I had a slice of bread with some dulce de leche for dinner. My comp didn’t eat anything, and after this we are going to get some food finally. It’s hard for us because we only have one lunch appt well 2 but they are both with the Delgado family. Well 1 and a half....Sunday isn’t always, like yesterday we didn’t have lunch with them, I had 2 eggs for lunch, and I lost some weight the last few weeks. My pants that I wear every day, I could barley fit into them....but now I have a bunch of room, I sweat so much, and the heat hasn’t even started really, it’s hot and it’s just going to get worse!!!!!!!!!!
It’s about time that Columbia has won some games though, the boys are going to keep winning, they got some swag and they just can’t lose it now. And the truck didn’t make it home...ha, should have kept the old big blue one, it was way cooler.
I don’t really have that much more to tell you. Just trying to work hard, even though half the day is just walking around looking for people cuz there are none....it gets very boring and very depressing. Spanish is bugging me right now. If i could just talk to people in English. Well that about it for this week need to ask me some questions next week mom. But I have some stuff to add to my Christmas list

1. Dr. Sholls shoe inserts...the ones that I can cut to size to my shoes, like 2 or 3 of these.
2. Reeces Pieces
3. I thought about it and I want more than one of them peanut butter Twix bars...like 5 maybe.
4. Trinkets.
5. Photos of tons of stuff, family reunion, football games, just stuff.
6. Reeces
7. Licorice...twizzlers, the ones that i can pull apart :)
8. I don’t want cake or cookie mixes, they are kind of hard to make here.
9. With the labels, can you send me some of the bigger ones that are blank, i have a bunch of envelopes that have something in the top right corner and i want to cover it so i can use these envelopes!

Thanks for everything mom....love you

Taylor

September 19, 2011

I’m having a hard time getting pictures to you. Elder Moore knows how to do it here but not me. So right now Fatima is trying to download the pics to her facebook so you can see them there if she gets them to do it.

But i really wanted to send you some pictures, cuz we did some swimming this week!!!!
HAHA!

So Thursday the zone leaders told me that they were going to come and bring me all the baptism cloths. Well they didn’t and I had to take a bus out to their area to look for the cloths. We waited outside the church for 45 min in the pouring rain. Then they only had not very good cloths but they had to do. While we were waiting the branch president called and he was ´´sick´´ and wasn’t able to come. The night before he was fine and yesterday at church he was fine. The branch president here never does anything. So we called Fernando to ask him who else could baptize him. And he chose me.

No one was at the church for his baptism. We waited like 30 min and then started, and after about 10 more min a few more people showed up.

Yesterday he got the Holy Ghost and the priesthood. Also he is going to bear his testimony at stake conference. And he is trying to get work off for the 15th of October so he can go to the temple and do baptisms. He is pretty cool!

Now we have a problem, we don’t have anyone to teach. We found one new investigator this week. Everyone in the zone has the same problem; we can’t find anyone to teach. Don’t know what I’m going to do this week.

Anyways Columbia is 4-0 now, and sounds like they can have a way better chance of winning state. I can’t wait for them to beat Skyview. Hopefully Columbia is ranked right now. Are they?

Oh yeah, i have a few things you can add to my Christmas list
-- tuff actin tinactin....my feet are getting destroyed.
-- white tootsie rolls
-- peanut butter choc. Twix
-- jalapeño cheetos

idk what else for now.

I got the letter from Spencer, M’Kay and you today. Ballin!!!! And I got one from Saige and Richard too. Tell Richard to tell James to write me a darn letter. What does James think he´s doing not writing his only brother?

I just read a book in Spanish called dia de la defensa....Elder Moore is going to send it to me in English so I can understand it better, but all it is all the leaders of all the other churches and 2 missionaries. The missionaries can only use the bible to answer all the questions that come from the other ´´leaders´´. The other leaders can use talks, any book they want, What’s cool is that all of the questions are ones that we usually get. Ya’ll should read it.

Well that’s about it for this week, not too much exciting except a baptism.

Love ya mom

Taylor

September 12, 2011

Oh finally its pday again. It seemed like this last week was really long but I don’t really remember any of it. Just glad to have a break!!! First I’ll answer your questions:


1) Tell me all about your new companion!!! Where exactly is he from? Has it been hard to only speak Spanish - -or are you a “baller” as you would put it
Ok well my new companion is Elder Perez. He is from El Salvador. At first I thought “this is going to be a long change” But not so much! He is cool. He is just really quiet. But duh I’m a baller at Spanish....I can understand everything. But idk where it came from, I could understand pretty good before but now it’s just so clear. Elder Moore always did the teaching and most of the lesson. I don’t know how I just pulled out scriptures, and talked for hours but I did.


2) I am so anxious to hear about your “golden” investigators!! I’ve thought so much about you this week and am hoping that you have found success with them! Also, how is Lily? And Sonia?

Well I’m pretty much counting out Lily. She pretty much told us that she didn’t want to work on fixing problems; she is out of the picture now. Sonia idk, she didn’t come to church and I don’t think that hna Delgado has talked to her yet.
Well let’s get on with the good stuff!!!!! My golden boy....Fernando. Reference from Salt Lake whoo hoo that never happens. He found the church website and started to talk to a lady from Salt Lake, then we got him.....Elder Moore and I taught the restoration, he had some questions and we answered them and he understood. Oh and he asked us for a Book of Mormon too. So I went back wed with Elder Perez and I said well idk about this investigator, he isn’t that good at keeping commitments and stuff (as a joke.) We left him about 4 chapters to read on last Sunday, and he had all of them read by Wednesday when we went back. He found the questions of the soul online and started to read those too. He prayed about everything, and says he can feel that it is true. We left him stuff to read and went back Thursday. He read all of it and prayed, and you should hear him pray....no other investigator is like he is. He also printed out invitations to his baptism to give to his family and friends. Tell the boys not to get too excited on a mission because this never happens.....everyone is so jealous of us. So basically the next 3 days we are going to teach law of chastity, word of wisdom, and tithing. Thursday we are going to go over the baptism questions and Friday is his interview. He is getting baptized Saturday, and it’s about time I had one. oh and he went to the stake activity in another part of Encarnacion and he drove people to and from. BALLIN!!!


3) What was your favorite thing you ate this week? What was the worst thing you ate?
Well that’s easy, yesterday when Elder Moore and his dad came to church, after we went to eat lunch at Vanessa’s. Hermana Delgado made 85 empanadas. We are taken care of really well here. It was a sweet party.
The worst thing I ate was well I drank it. I’ve been kind of sick, like a cough and sticky green slimy snot. Hna Delgado made me drink this anti sick stuff, barf it was nasty, she made me drink 2 spoons of it. But it worked, I’m fine right now.


4) What was your most spiritual experience?
Probably when I was teaching a lady and I just talked and talked and talked about stuff. I don’t really know how, it just came to me.
But it sounds like football is doing good; all the kids are good too. I sent home a package bubble envelope with a camera card. Hope it gets there. I’m still working on some stuff that you can send me for Christmas; I really hope I get to stay in this area for Christmas. Its sooooo ballin. But tell grandma I love her, well all my grandmas. But that’s about it for this week, not that much got done, but I don’t care, as long as Fernando gets baptized then I’m good.

I love you mom

TAYLOR

September 5, 2011

Hey mom how’s it going? Going all good here, this morning found out who my new companion is going to be, Elder Perez. A Latin, which is what I need, I can understand about everything, but me cuesta or idk how to say that in English, it cost me or it’s hard for me to talk in all or every situation. But with him it will be good. This change went by faster than the last change did and I guess they will start to go by even faster when I start to become a better missionary. Anyways this last week was the longest week that I have had on the mission, it just, well we were just ticked!!!!!

So last Thursday, we did divisions with the zone leaders, I stayed here in centro and Elder Moore went to the other rama. We went to Lily to do her baptismal interview, and guess who was there, Hno. Nappa. His brothers got tired of him in Asunción and basically kicked him out. So he just showed up here, justito the day of her interview. Lily is such a nice person, even though she hates him for what he did, she let him back into the house until he can find somewhere to live or whatever he is going to do. SO she didn’t get baptized, I just want him to like fall off the face of the earth right now.

Pedro and Sonia are doing mas o menos. Hna Delgado went over to her house one day to see how Sonia was doing. Sonia said she wanted Hna Delgado to come back another day and talk about her wedding. Which is good, because Sonia is thinking about it, I don’t know what she said to her but, hopefully whatever hna Delgado is doing is helping her.

We did find two new golden investigators though.....out in San Miguel, we found a family who is really interested. They asked us for folletos,(pamphlets) and when are we coming back. They had good questions too. It will take a little time but, they will hopefully progress.

While we were at this family, the church called us and said they had a referral from Salt Lake. Yeah those never happen. Well this guy or referral (Fernando) is real.. He asked us what time church started, before we could invite him. He came to all 3 meetings, got there before we did at 8:30 and he was wearing a suit. 20 min after church was over, he sent us a message asking for a Book of Mormon. Later in the day he asked if we were still going to come visit him. We had an awesome lesson with him, the first lesson. In Preach My Gospel, there is a section that has questions of the soul like do kids need to be baptized, other stuff. So we gave it to him to pick out a topic. He picked out why does God allow suffering and pains. So we marked like 3 chapters for him to read. Then he asked, did Jesucristo really come to the Americas, so we marked that chapter too. The only problem he may have is looking up stuff on the internet, he is a little nerdy. I would not be surprised if he has read the whole Book of Mormon by Wednesday when we go back. Also a lady from Salt Lake calls him ever so often and talks to him about church and the Book of Mormon, so yeah basically he is getting baptized next Saturday!

It sounds like the boys are lovin football, and M’Kay is well idk what he is, does he like passing the sacrament, and does he like going around for 2 hours to get fast offerings. HAHA. Didn’t get any email from McCall this week. What the heck McCall? Where is it.


Well that’s about it for this week, I’ll let you know how my new companion is this next week. Elder Moore leaves tomorrow night, and my new comp will get here Wednesday. He looks pretty cool. I love you mom, I’ll keep working on that list of possibilities. Elder Moore is going up to Utah when he gets home as soon as he can to see his grandpa who isn’t doing the greatest. He is going to send me a few things, so if you want to drive down and meet him and his family and drop a small note or candy bar that would be cool.

His mom´s email is

Tracy Moore..... E-mail
And my companion (FACEBOOK)


LOVE YOU MOM

Taylor

August 29, 2011

¿Hola, que tal?

This week was pretty ballin....it started out crappy but has ended good. On Tuesday we went out to look for all of the less active members again, and yep, all 10-15 don’t exist anymore. So that day we were pretty mad but just kept looking and looking. The next day on Wednesday, we went to visit Lily. She is the one who just opened the business of delivery with her boyfriend and he bailed because it was going under. Anyways, the business is doing good, really good. We made a lesson for her on the Holy Ghost, and how he can help us make choices. We made this lesson that morning, then later that day when we went, we talked to her about stuff and she didn’t really know what choices or decisions to make. Our lesson just happened to work out pretty well for her. Her date to be baptized it Saturday. We are going to go to her see her every day this week; Satan really works against the ones who are ready. Pedro and Sonia are not doing too well though, it seems like they are going backwards. We have been promised that if we bring members and have prayers on our knees that they will be baptized. The members that we take bear testimony of their same problems, about getting married. Hermana Delgado, our mom who cooks for us 3 days and does our laundry, ripped them a new one. In the most loving way she told them what’s up. You know it’s a good lesson when they cry and they know what they need to do but it so sad when they don’t do it. They got some folletos from the J.W.s We were pretty shocked when they didn’t come to church on Sunday, I told Elder Moore that they probably went to that church on Sunday.....he agreed!

So that night, the assistants got to our apartment at like 12:00, so we didn’t get to bed until 12:30 and I fell asleep around 1:30. At 4:45 we all got up and showered, shined our shoes, got looking all churro and we left, got to our church at 5:30 to set up for the zone conference. Took a while but it was good. President Arnold came, he is the President of South America South or Argentina, Paraguay, and Uraguay. He is so cool, he came around right before we started, gave us all hugs asked us where we are from. His wife was real nice too. We had a ballin zone conference with him his wife and President and Sis. Callan. Pres Arnold would tell jokes and make comments all throughout the conference that were just funny. He´ll make fun of you a little in a loving way. At the end, he said now all of you are not going to stay around and take pictures and whatnots, leave and go work. But Elder Moore & I are in charge of the chapel so we had to stay for a bit to make sure a person would be there to lock up. So during that time we just talked to President Arnold for like 10 min. Asked us how you guys were, how I like the mission they are just really nice. The churches here don’t have a gym, they have a soccer field, basketball court mix type thing, and after the conference, he went out and played soccer with some kids and he is just a baller!!!!

Ok now for the questions.....

1. I am in the city, but we do have places out in the campo. Once a week we go out to San Miguel. The furthest place out there is about an hour and half. There are no street names out there, no house numbers, and so good luck finding any references out there.

2. So the animals are not in big supply here in the city. I killed two cockroaches last night. When it is hot there are tons of lizards, but they are colorful, unlike the ugly ones in the Idaho desert!! There is an ugly dog in the city, well there are a ton of them, but this one has a broken leg, so it hops around all lame. There is a lady in our ward who has a monkey, we have only gotten into her house once....she keeps her monkey in there and it smells so bad, probably because they never clean out the mountain of poop in the cage.

3. How to have fun, idk. The importance of knowing a ton of scriptures.....a quote from Elder Alexander, ´´remember elders, we don’t bible bash, but when we do, we win! Just remember that boys!

4. All you can do as a family is pray for all the investigators that we have which isn’t many. Pray so that we can get more, and that they will keep their compromisos.

Mom, ok my package was great, we don’t have a muffin pan to make the muffins, so we are going to buy flour and make pancakes out of them. The peanut butter was good on our chocolate cookies. You don’t have to send candy, there is tons of it here that is so good, you can’t even imagine how good the chocolate alfajors are mom....I will bring those home. Pictures are always good too. I’ll start to make a list of stuff we think off that you could send.

The scripture that I want on my plaque is Mosiah 3:41, the one that says remember remember because the lord god has spoken it, but I want it in Spanish, so if you could look it up and have them type it out in Spanish :)

So this is the last week with Elder Moore. He goes to the mission office on next Tuesday, and on Wednesday his dad will pick him up and they are gonna hang around Paraguay for a week. We have a mission calendar with all of the missionary’s pictures on it and we started to have a draft of who’s coming here with me to be the new district leader. Hopefully a Latin companion.

Well thanks for everything until next week, oh and you´ll get another email with some pictures of my scripture cases that finally came today!

Love you mom

Taylor