October 29, 2012

Dear Family. . .sorry the letter is late, I was at immigrations, my comp had to sign the papers or they would have deported him.  It’s all jacked up now since they threw out the old president of Paraguay.

This last week was ok.  Not good as in the work we got done, or the progress that 3 Bocas is seeing.  But I had a good week.  Mostly because of the things I found out.  First, 2 more baptisms.  The family that I found in Hernandarias got baptized.  Elder LaFaye told me about it on Saturday.  Also he told me that Andres, my first baptism in Hernandarias is the 2nd counselor in the Branch, and his wife Gabi is pregnant.  That was exciting.  Also, Jorge and Betty from Puerto Pabla.They are doing really good!  After 7 years of struggle, Betty got her divorce.  So now she can get married to Jorge and then be baptized.  The only problem is that Jorge is being kind of tuff and saying that after 7 years, the church told me when to get baptized...now I’m gonna make the choice and be baptized when I want.  I’ll have to write them a letter of encouragement.  

But the most awesome thing that happened this week was when Elder David A. Bednar came to the Mission.  He came with Elder Arnold the area president who I met a year ago, and Sister Bednar came too.  Elder Bednar is always sort of strict in his talks at General Conference so I didn’t know what to expect.  He was the exact opposite with us.  He was so funny.  The best was when he said “el espiritu es el maestro.”  Then said ´´If you think that the people are going to believe you, 19 and 20 year olds from the USA and Canada are going to convince them about the truth of our message, give me a freaking break.  You don’t know anything...el espiritu es el maestro.´´  He didn’t even give a talk.  He asked us to read and study some talks he gave a while back, then he said elders, what did you learn.  Then we got to comment on what we had learned and stuff.  Then after a while it was changed up....he said ok, now is the chance of a life time that most of you will never get again.  Now all of you may ask questions, and I will answer but don’t ask stupid questions.  Don’t ask me where the sword of Laban is...I don’t know, and I really don’t care.  He said an example of a good question is ´´Elder Bednar, we sustain you and 14 other men as prophets, seers, and revelators, could you teach us about revelation?´´  It was a good experience.  One person asked, what do I do when I am being 100 % obedient and work really hard but I don’t have success, and in the other area there are two missionaries who are not obedient and have tons of baptisms?´´  As my companion was sleeping, he said, ´´those who are not obedient and are blessed with many baptisms, it’s just a way of marking condemnation on them.´´  My comp has  a ton of baptisms, but I don’t know if they do him any good with how he acts.

The best part of the whole conference was the end when Elder Bednar shared his testimony.  You could just feel that he is a chosen servant of the Lord.  His testimony was, I am a witness (or in other words have seen with my eyes) that God has a body of flesh and bones, I am a witness (or have heard) that Jesus speaks in our days, and that he takes care of all the church matters.  I am a witness that God the father and the son Jesus Christ came to the sacred grove and spoke to Joseph Smith.  After that, he left us with his Apostolic blessing.  I got one from Elder Scott in the MTC and then one from Elder Bednar.  Never had a better spiritual experience!

Tomorrow we are going to find out the changes.  My comp has been here for 4 and he has 2 left...so I am guessing that he is leaving...but I hope I get to leave. 

I saw all of my friends on Saturday, LaFaye, Bowers, Lamb, Bartlome, Stephenson, and Heiner.  It was just a great big treat. 

Love you all,

Taylor

October 22, 2012

Dear Mom. .. 

Sounds like the family is really growing up and we don’t have to sit around at little kid things anymore...well not for like 10 years.....or it could be less, but let’s not count on that.  Just as Dad said, looks like Grant is growing up haha.  Remember when I broke my thumb wrestling Tyler Moore and that weird doctor who did the x ray and gave me that huge cast....well if you sort of remember, that’s what my companion looks like.  And he is studying to be a doctor too...

But also the whole family is sick it seems like.  Yall can’t poop out on me before I get home.  All of you have to be there.  But I haven’t been feeling that good either.  I haven’t eaten hardly anything this week.  One we still don’t have a fridge or money...but when there was food I just had no desire to eat anything....I went 3 whole days without eating anything and then the other days I ate ramen noodles because that’s all I bought.  And I havn’t been able to sleep at all...I got like 3 hours of sleep last night and 3 hours of sleep Saturday night.  It was probably bad of me but I took a nap yesterday....After our overloaded sacrament meeting of 9 people including us we had lunch with the bishops family and I ate a ton...Probably because it was real food and not empanadas or junk food we buy on the streets.  

So I got a letter this week from Audrey Aultz.  I’m going see Elder Hiener, Elder Lamb, Elder Bartlome, Elder LaFaye, and a bunch of other mission friends.  I don’t know what I’m more excited for, see Heiner and Stephenson or meet Elder Bednar.  It’s kind of a toss up. (j/k)

So I’m pretty much done with Elder Salas.  I can’t take him anymore.  This is one of those hard things I can do.  In my letter to president, I’m going to ask for a change....We have changes in a week, so I’m just going to ask that he move me and not Salas.  He only has 3 months left, he can stay here.  I don’t know what he and his last comp did, but this area is a disaster.  All of the members just think that we come over to talk or watch TV.  And the way they treat us or how they think they can act with us is inappropriate.  

So the first thing that happened this week was that a 13 year old girl put two sewing needles in the chair, they are the big 2 and a half inchers.  Elder Salas sat down on it hard.  Also he now has a heart problem and kidney problems.  And Sunday we gave talks....mine was on charity and missionary work.  It was good, I think I did a good job.  My comp took his backpack up to the pulpit and started pulling a bunch of junk out of it.  He pulled out a tennis racket, a soccer jersey, and other lame stuff.  He started talking about how they were his treasures from Paraguay and it had nothing to do with any spiritual message at all....and then mid talk he said oh yeah and this, pulled out a guitar pick from his wallet and said I’m grateful that I can carry this around with me always too.  I used it to play the guitar and play backstreet boys, then he started to sing part of a song from the backstreet boys and he was also dancing...Soooo embarrassing.

I have one investigator who is pretty cool.  His name is Dionisio.  He plays soccer, for the big teams here in Paraguay.  They play on the pro level.  We might get some free soccer jerseys.  His wife is a member.  He likes what we teach, but we can’t really convince him to get married to  her, or even think about it really.  Both of them say that nobody is meant to be together forever.  Big wall we have to break through.  They didn’t come to church yesterday either.  I was banking on him to come.  But there wasn’t like a single person in the whole zone who had investigators come to church.  And the other ok investigators didn’t come either.  

Oh yeah and here in Paraguay the Mangos are here...every where you go, MANGOS.  People just toss truck loads out because they have so many.  And there are limes, oranges and bananas.  How are the fruits down in Florida Spencer.  Any oranges yet or what???  Oh and Paraguay didn’t make the world cup so people down here are pretty ticked off!!!

Have a good week!  I love you

Love ya tons...

Taylor

October 15, 2012

Dearest mom....

This week was mas o menos.  Not the best one I´ve had in the mission.  The numbers weren’t that great.  Elder Salas is really TRUNKY.  It was just kind of hard.  We are on a diet by obligation....the fridge broke like 2 and half weeks ago and the office still hasn’t done anything about it.  I haven’t been able to buy food for the last 2 weeks.  The only stuff we buy is food on the street.  That is really bugging me.  And the food here in Paraguay is really starting to get to  me too... I´m tired of it...no flavor, just boring gross food....and its been making me sick.  That’s why for Christmas I would like you to send me some season salt or something like that.

Well a year ago I started my mission papers mom.  And I hit the 18 month mark!!!  That was really fast.  I only have 6 months left and there are a ton of things I want to do.  Like finish the Book of Mormon again.  I’m in Alma right now, in chapter 16.  I think i will be able to do it.  The day I get home, are we going to read Moroni 10 in Spanish, English, Portuguese or Guarani?  We can read a little in all 4 languages.  Oh and I got a letter from Grandma Nette this week.  When i was reading it i had an idea.  She will be at our house the night i get there...I’d like her to say the prayer after reading Moroni 10, and follow his counsel and ask Heavenly Father if it is true.  That is if there is not a huge mob of people at our house.  I would rather not have a huge party that night...

 
So how is the school sign up going haha.  You can start today right.  I was thinking about it this last week...see if you can sign me up for BYU Provo too.  Don’t know if i have good enough sat scores to get in but its worth a shot.  There won’t be that many freshman who will be signed up.  And I could work at the dental lab which I will really need...a good job.  But I’m going to see Elder Heiner on the 27th when Elder Bednar comes so I’ll alk to him about it if i have a minute.  Maybe I can convince him to go to Provo...where all of our mission friends are. 

So a weird thing that happened this week was what my comp said to a lady.  She is a less active member.  He was like wow you are like really skinny since the last time I saw you.  She said something about her baby who is like 2 or 3.  And my comp was like oh yeah duh, she is sucking you dry....I can tell.  Yeah that was awkward.  I know she is like the lady on Grown ups who let her kid breast feed for really really really long but that doesn’t give my comp the right to talk about her milk.  So lame.  He is just an interesting soul.  Oh yeah, another story he told to some members this week...apparently he was kidnapped when he was little.  But he was kidnapped by organ sellers.  He said that there were like 50 kids at this place and that they were going to harvest their organs and sell them on the black market ( you can get organs in Ciudad del Este).  But he broke free and escaped, but none of the other kids escaped only he did.  Yeah ok...(in a Spencer voice.)

This week we had interviews with Pres. Agazzani.  They were alright, but not as uplifting as the ones with Pres Callan.  He just asks you if you have questions for him.  So I said what do I do with my comp who is trunky, not wanting to do anything or obey the rules.  He told me about one of his comps.  One who snuck out and was a disaster.  Then said we all will have one of those types of companions in the mission.  Then he said just deal with it.  Then he just said be happy and work hard to be a good example for him....and that’s what I’m trying to do.  Just help him to be a good missionary.  A real returned missionary, not somebody who did some tour of Paraguay and counted it as service for the Lord.

So there is this one family that I found last week.  Dionisio and his wife Mari.  He plays soccer for a semi pro team.  If he won his game yesterday then they will move up to the pros.  Mari is a member but not Dionisio.  He is on vacation now so hopefully we can find him.  We have a planned visit with them tonight at 6.  He had a baptismal date for the 27th but he has to come to church 2 times first.  He is really cool. Hope we find him tonight.  And then there is the Ocampos Family.  They are all members except for Fatima and Monze.  We are going to visit them tonight too. We want to have them baptized Saturday or the next week.  All Elder Salas and I want is one baptism together.  That was his goal on his mission, baptize with every comp....that’s what I’m trying to help him achieve.

So some stuff that i would like for Christmas would be Peanut butter, A Dr. Pepper, Pictures, A new tie, Jalapeño cheetos, no gum i have some from last Christmas and my bday still, Season salt, some TJMaxx special puma socks, mine are all holy and my ´´church socks´´ all the elastic is gone so they just fall down, i would like my iPod cord and wall plug so i can charge my iPod because the speakers are broken, and candy almond joy, twix, kit kat, reeces, Swedish fish, butterfinger, twizzlers, and some face wash...

 
That’s about it for the week....love you all

Taylor

October 8, 2012

Dear Mom. . . 

So conference was really good.  The theme that I got out of conference was to do the little things like take ocare of your family, like telling your wife you love her, and spending time with the kids, repentance...all of these things bring a mighty change of heart so that we can all become disciples of Christ.  SO yeah i enjoyed it.  We had two investigators go. Elder Hales sure made a comeback too...even stood up for his whole talk. Only one more General Conference and I’ll be home....that’s fast and crazy...2 months is Christmas, then 2 months later my b day and then I will be coming home ;)

This week was starting off as usual...but then we had divisions with the zone leaders.  We did them for 2 days instead of 1.  Elder Marple came over to my area and we got a lot of stuff done.  Elder Salas hates divisions and called the zone leaders to say not to do them because I didn’t know the area.  Whatever!  So I talked to Elder Marple on the phone and told him that he was coming over.  He was excited...and all we wanted to do was find new investigators and make some plans and goals for my area...since it’s kind of in a wreck.  We found some great news and a ton of miracles.  One is a great family that we found.  It was a lady who had been baptized like 12 years ago.  She said that her husband would never let us in...we asked him and he let us right in.  We had a sweet lesson and he has a baptism date for the 27th.  Also the 2 parents of the lady have baptism date for the 27th.  That’s just one of the people we found.

I set some goals for my area.  I want the Branch to turn into a Ward.  SO we need more Priesthood holders. What I am going to do to achieve the goal is 3 baptisms each change (every 6 weeks). 2 of them are to be men that will get the priesthood.  And 2 of them are going to be references from members.  To get those 3 baptism I will need to have 9 people with baptism date every week.  And every baptism invitation will be with a specific date.  The little note I put on the wall in front of my study desk...Act.  Don’t be acted upon.

So some things have changed.  The second coming just got closer with the change of the missionary age.  Looks like Dalton is gone next year.  And Grant and Spencer do overlap.  Also, now it will be hard for all of us to get married since all of the young ladies will want to go on missions now. 

There is a sister  in my district from Mexico.  She was in Encarnacion and knows Fernando.  She said he was mad about the sisters getting taken out of Encarnacion and that they were putting elders back there....so he said he was going to go on a mission.  I sent him a letter last week so he should get it soon.  We´ll see what he says about that.


Sure love you mom...

October 1, 2012

Dear Family.....

This was an ok week.  We got this one kid Marcos confirmed on Sunday.  The numbers were ok....we still don’t have any stud investigators....but we have been making friends with a ton of the less actives to bring them back to church and to baptize their family members who are not members yet.  We will see how many of them start to progress, or come to church.  I don’t really know what to write to you...nothing amazing has happened this week.

I went on divisions with an elder from Australia.  His parents are from  El Salvador but he is from Australia.  And we got stuff done...and we could feel the spirit because of what we did.  You enjoy those little moments here with Elder Salas.  This week we are doing divisions for 2 days with the Zone Leaders.  I am going over to the Zone Leaders area with Elder Hauser.  Elder Marple is going to drop the cane a little bit with Elder Salas.  That’s why Iwent on divisions with the DL last week...so he could see what we could do to help Elder Salas.  That will be fun to be with Elder Hauser again.

This week is General Conference.  I wish we had some good investigators to take but whatever....That means that there is only one more general conference till I get home.  I still remember sleeping that whole day....now it’s different....we enjoy listening to the prophet and apostles....Speaking of Apostles, Elder Bednar is coming to the Mission in 3 weeks, at the end of October...we are having a Conference with him and the North mission.

Sounds like Spencer is just loving the Mission.  He does need to enjoy it while it lasts.

Hey dad, that kid you are thinking of from eagle is Elder Shaw....he is pretty cool.

Really sad about Grandma Mann.  I hope she can get over this one like she did the other 2 or 3 times.

So you all have been doing a bunch of work on the temple tour and stuff.  We are going to the temple in November I think.  That’s what the assistants said.  Can’t wait to see how many temples they announce this weekend since there were none last time.  Have they done anything with the Meridian temple yet...or will they start that when they finish up with the Boise temple.

Mom, did you ever send me pictures or say that the ward sent me pictures or letters???   I want to say you said that to me.

Well I love you all...I guess I’ll  just keep on trying... ;)