2 months!

Alrighty, so this computer we are using this week is weird, so no pics this week.

Yes, I just barely figured out my camera thing, so any pics I take from now one will be better I hope.

Ok, to answer Dad's email.

Thanks for the sports updates! How are the Braves doing in football?

Ok so the food is ok! Mostly a lot of meat. But all the meat has a ton of fat and it is always on the bone, so its hard to get everything off. There is lots of bread too. Rice often, noodles too. I like the noodles. I have been trying to buy different foods from the supermarket. The milk is gross. The apple juice is good the first time or two but by time you get to the bottom its like jello. They have lots of little tortas, cakes without frosting, sorta like sweetbread. Its usually good! One Hermana that we visited had brownies. Ohhhh heaven. They also have a lot of Coke which we cant drink, Sprite type stuff, carbonated apple juice type stuff, all yummy!

They all drink this drink called Terere down here. They but this weed grass clipping looking stuff in their cup and pour water in and share with everyone. Its like a tradition thing. You just sit down and drink terere with your neighbors. All day. We can't drink it (haleluia). It looks gross.

They do have stuff like McDonalds and Burger Kings and Pizza Huts in the big parts of some cities, but its usually not within a missionary budget. Maybe once every few weeks.

We usually get like 680000 guarani per month, about 150 bucks I think. But everything here is cheap. If you arent eating out it is usually enough money for everything you need.

The people we work with... Idk, there are super great members who work with us a ton. Most of the great members are just recently returned missionaries. The President of the Branch got home from his mission in 2010. Super young. There are some solid youth too. Our average attendance in church is like 70.

Speaking of church, I gave a talk on Sunday! To be quite honest however, I had written it down before, so when I got up there to read it, I had no idea what I was saying. Whatever. I hope it made sense.

Mostly with our investigators and stuff its hard to get them to do stuff. They will always talk to you, all that stuff, they will say they will come to church, but their word means nothing here.

Discussions is hard for me, because I have to prepare in my head what I have to say, and once I figure it out we are usually on to the next topic. Oh well. We try to ask a lot of questions, it really helps when they can sorta teach themselves. Oh, and can I tell you how important members are??? If there is a member present or a member gave us the reference or something, the lesson always goes 10 times better for the investigator. SOOOO IMPORTANT!! GO OUT WITH THE MISSIONARIES!!!

The most powerful teaching tool in the world is the testimony of a friend or family member. Don't be afraid. The missionaries are just two kids from a different country here to dunk them in water, but a relative or friend is a true miracle in conversion.

My companion is chill. Sometimes too chill, but its just him! He works hard, and often gets frustrated because he can't do it all. Often he forgets I can't speak Spanish I think. He is very spacy, I always have to remind him to pay attention so we don't get lost. No mountains to guide me! He is a good guy. Jokes around a lot, sometimes I have to tell him not to say that, cuz the missionary he learned his English from didn't speak with the most reverence. But hey. He always teaches, teaches, teaches. We have been working on asking more questions and stuff.

Questions from mom.

Pday we study in the morning, just 2 hours. Then we go out and do some sort of activity. Today it was ultimate frisbee! It was funny teaching the latinos how to play. It was fun to be able to beat them at something, cuz we usually play soccer. Then we write, shop, haircut if needed, those types of stuff, then we are back to work by 6, FHE with a family, and probably one or 2 more lessons that night.

We give our laundry to a lady in the Branch, and it usually takes a week to get our clothes back. So I sorta have a cycle of two groups of clothes I wear. Mom, thank you for overpacking everything. Youre the best;)

I liked the whale van picture! Nice beard McKay! Way to keep up the tradition of the Penguin Kevin!

Mom, no worries, I eat way to much.

Yes I have been doing contacts because glasses slide off my face with the sweat. It has been fine!

Yes I use bug spray most of the time. There are lots of bugs, flies and mosquitos in our house at least, but they stopped eating me. They realized there is nothing to eat.

No the water is not clean in many areas. Thats probably why I got sick. But we pay like 2 bucks and we get water in a big tube for the week. Its super cheap and clean. I also buy lots of Gatorade type stuff, like one per day ish.

Mom, anything that I NEED I cannot wait for 2 months for. I would get it down here. Thank you though. And yeah, packages are expensive, just make sure never to send a package valued at over 100 dollars. 99 is ok, 100 will get checked by people and I will have to pay 50 bucks just to get it.

No, there are no mice that I have seen. Where is Elder Rigby now?

No it isn't against the rules to email back and forth within the same time I am on, I just don't have time to do that mostly, I only have 2 hours to do everything, to write everyone.

Alex, go kick some net.

I haven't talked to Noah in weeks! I don't get his letters, nor do I send mine to him. We don't have time to read all that. I will email him today though, I have been wanting to talk to him. Keep sending me little snipits from his letters. They are fun! He freezes, and I am getting up around 100 already. Wahoo!

Shannon, any tips, besides lighting big spiders on fire? I haven't seen any big spiders. There are huge frogs though, bigger than my palm plus legs!

People yell out of the cars, Hey Elders! Or Hey Hermanos! just to make their friends laugh, but its not in anger if that's what you mean. Sometimes drunk people are like, Come share something with me! I want the word of God! Usually we ignore the drunks. Or just tell them to come to Church.

Ok, now for the stuff that I have written.

First of all, it has got to be a record how fast I got pique. Serious. I had to go to another Hermana this week to get the rest out, this hermana had a special tool and stuff and she did medical stuff in school. About the same routine, just put cows blood over it instead of ashes. Idk what it did, but hey my pique is gone! It reminds me of a scripture that says,
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bringeth good tidings!

I hope you were being figurative, Isaiah.

The other day we were trying to show this member where utah was on her google maps on her phone, so just for fun I zoomed in and in and in and saw our house! From like 5 years ago. Before the remodel, after the tree was taken out. It was funny for me.

A different young woman asked me what my first name was, so I told her, then a few minutes later she showed me her phone with my Facebook page. Haha I am glad I don't have anything dumb on there.

Happy Birthday on Friday Jason! I realized that I am probably as far away from Korea as you can get in the world. I also realized that my struggles with the language, Kevin would know exactly how I feel! Any tips Kev? Usually in lessons its hard to do body language however;)

So, may I just say, this plaque on my chest does not change anything. I am no different than any other member. Just more focused on the work, I don't have other things to worry about. If I was hungry before the plaque, I sure well will be hungry after. Lazy before, lazy after. Do not go into the mission thinking that it is going to change you. To be quite honest, you could leave the same way you came. The reason for the change so many missionaries see is a stricter obedience to the Lord, more focus on His work and especially on His Son. Don't wait for a mission to be a missionary. There is soo much you can do as members. Go out with missionaries. Feed them. Offer a family home evening with nonmembers in your house. Just mention your religion to a friend, and offer to answer any questions. Most of all, live your religion. Live it every day so those people will see you and say, Why are they so happy? How are they so successful in their family or in their home or work or life. Pray for opportunities. They will come. Pray to be ready. You will be. As a set apart servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I promise you will see miracles if you just reach out. Be a friend. Serve first. Service opens hearts. Remember Gloria? She and I could talk and have a normal conversation because I offered to shovel snow once. Service is love in action. This Gospel can bless you in any part of your life. Be prayful over all things. Always have the Lord in mind, and He will always have you in mind.

Wow, ok that was my spiritual talk for the day.

I got a hat! It's so hot out hear that they let missionaries wear hats. It's sorta a half breed of cowboy, explorer, and sombrero. I have been trying to form mine to look more like a cowboy hat. It's sorta working.

So Elder Christofferson is coming to Paraguay for a conference on Nov. 13! I can't wait to hear him.

Yeah, it's hot down here. Like a sauna. All the time. Good thing I like saunas!

So there has been a lot of opposition this week. Crazy stuff. This inactive member of the church who is angry at the church for some reason has been going around this one area of ours with a lot of our investigators, telling them bad stuff, like how Joseph Smith was a raper and stuff like that. Crazy stuff. But we have lost a few of our good investigators to this plague. One of our investigators just stopped progressing once she saw a less active member neighbor drinking beer or something. Sad stuff out there. It's hard to do anything out there now.

So today is day 1400 of reading my scriptures! I still keep track of it, its pretty cool to remember when I started and the number was only 20 or 50 or 100. It's so easy to read scriptures if you just get a habit.

So I guess the local soccer team here in Itaugua got promoted to the first division league in Paraguay, so everyone was partying a few nights ago, fireworks, the whole shabang.

So there are soo many motorcycles here. Soo many. Like probably 3 to 5 for every car. Every family has one. Its just easier here. Everyone jsut uses the Colectivos if they need to go somewhere with more than 3 people, or don't have a motorcycle.

So my mind like completely shut down the other day. We were trying to practice and my mind just powered down to reboot. I couldn't think in Spanish, English, I was only doing anything on sheer will power, instincts, and following my companion. It was like this for a good hour or two. I just can't try to say more than 2 or 3 sentences in Spanish, because I can't focus on what to say while I am saying something else. It was weird. But no worries, I am just learning my limits I suppose.

Is there any way you could find and get me the email or address for Elder Jay E. Jensen? Idk why, I have just been wanting to write him! He dedicated this temple here! I think it would be cool to connect the world. I remember when he wrote me that letter when I was like 14 after I gave a talk in church, telling me how he could see me as a missionary. And now I am here, in the land where he dedicated the temple!! Cool stuffs!

It's sorta funny how the church is the same everywhere. There is a guy here with curly hair and is the 2nd counselor in the branch presidency. He is the Troy Salmon of here. Its funny cuz he has the curly hair and little 2 year old girl and its funny.

Well I will end with this scripture, it is one of my favorites out here on the mission.

And whoso recieveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

Doctine and Covenants 84:88

Super purete scripture. Purete means cool in Guarani.

Well thank you for all your support! I have to wait until I go to the office next to get the package that you sent. Idk when that will be.

I love you all, I love hearing from you. If I am not hearing from you, I have something funny for you next week. Dun dun dun!

With love as always, and until next time, this has been the weekly news. Over and out.

Elder Jake

Machette, pig and Pique

 

Ok so first of all, you will always send letters through the mission office. I send them back the same way.

If you would so desire, I would love a little ipod or mp3 with church efy and just nonromantic happy uplifting songs on it! Include the plug in cord. I think a flash drive works in some speakers too, which I guess I would need a little speaker too. Include Christmas Shoes the song if possible. Oh and Christmas music is always acceptable, any time of year! Yeah I found my flash drive and it has one song on it, Man in the Mirror! It´s a great song but after 3 times you get sick of it! Haha but this is only my Christmas list, no worries if you cant!

Yeah my area is one of the furthest south areas of the mission. 1 hour from Asuncion. It has stores and big roads and supermarkets and it also has dirt roads with people who get shipped clothes to wear. Its a big variety.

So lemme tell you about my morning on Tuesday. I had just gotten over a 3 day sickness that just slowed me down a little, (don´t worry, I just had to buy clean water instead of drink water from peoples houses) and I woke up with a little pain in my heel. I looked at it, and it was pique! For those of you who don´t know, pique is like a tick, it goes in your skin and it lays eggs in there and its not too hard to get rid of if you catch it. So I went to the Hermana whos house we live in and she took one of my sewing needles and just picked it out. It didn't really hurt. Then she got this alcohol stuff and poured it on to kill whatever was left. That hurt a little. Then she got some ash from the fire and rubbed it on it. Idk what it did, I am sure it helped. It really wasn´t that bad at all.

Anyways, so after all this I decide that I wanna make an omelette! We had just gotten the gas for our stove. So I put the pan on top of the glass of the stove and started going, super excited, when halfway through I hear a loud crack and then BOOM! Glass shatters straight outward in a million pieces!! Hot glass too! I guess the glass was just a cover! Stupid invention. But no worries. No one was hurt in the making of this omelette. Anyways, that poor Hermana comes in and helps us clean it up... She must think I am an accident prone, deaf, mute, clutz. She finally figured me out! Yeah... I didn´t get my omelette that morning, but never fear, I made one the next day!

Oh if you could, could I get, along with other pics of family and stuff, a pic of the Bountiful temple? I would love that.j

So to answer a question, I have not yet seen the sunrise or sunset here! Its all flat here, which means we can't see over any buildings at all. That and I don´t think they have daylight savings figured out, cuz the sun rises at like 5 30 and comes down at like 7. Weird.

So you should all, especially the teenage ones of my audience, listen to the song, The Reason by Hoobastank. Think about the Atonement when you do. It is crazy how incredible it is!

So everyone knows Simpson here too. Everyone always jokes with me! I have become quite a popular name I think. The tall, skinny, unlingual Gringo who has the funny last name! Thats me!

Mom, thanks for those Plan of Salvation picture cutouts! I use them every time! I did have to write the Spanish translation over the English words, but hey, it´s great!

So one thing that is sorta odd here is that we don´t eat dinner. Lunch is the big meal that we eat with members, but we never eat until we get home at 9 30. I get so hungry.

These people are trying to make me fat. They are always like, do you want more? after my 4th serving, and I am like, no I would love to but I am full! ANd they say, oh you are so skinny, eat some more! So I do. But I am not fat yet!

So we contacted this guy on the bus who couldnt speak or hear. We wrote stuff down on a back page in the Book of Mormon and he nodded that he would read it and stuff! Then the next morning I was reading in Isaiah 29 18 and it says something like, and the deaf shall hear the words of the book. Super cool!!!

It has been pretty smoky here lately because all trash here is just burned in their backyards. No trash cans or anything. Super weird.

It sorta fun in lessons, because often we will have a dog, cat, chicken, rooster, pig, frog wander through the middle of us. Its funny! Just different, I thought yall would like that.

So this Sunday was super great, we got Jazmin and Simeona, 2 investigators, to come to church and a bunch of our less active friends that we have visited came too! It´s a big focus right now with the less actives.

I love seeing the light in the eyes of the people who accept our message and the Holy Ghost enters into their lives. You can see it in their eyes, in the smile and almost suprise in their faces. It´s incredible.

Also I love the first prayers of people. So sincere. So genuine. Without all the muck of our mormon prayer culture. So cool.

I will end with a joke Elder Herrera told me.

A boy was doing a science experiment on how high fleas could jump with how many legs they had.

He got a flea with 6 legs and said, Jump! It jumped 3 feet.

He got a flea with 5 legs and said, Jump! It jumped 2 and a half feet.

He got fleas with 4, 3, 2, 1, legs and said Jump! They jumped 2 feet, 18 in, 12 in, and 10 in, respectively.

Finally he got a flea with no legs and said, Jump! It didn´t jump. Jump! he said again! Jump jump jump!

Finally he concluded that the last flea was deaf.

HAHA! I thought it was funny. Maybe it wasn´t. Probably not.

Well, remember who you all are, love you all, tune in next week for more of, The Life of Elder Simpson!

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change!

Elder Jake Simpson

 Me and my trusty machete! Not for spiders sadly, for yardwork (If we ever had any) I haven´t used it yet...

 Pique!! I don´t know how I got it, I promise I wear shoes everywhere!

 Yeah so this is my bathroom. Looks great huh! No worries, I do have hot water. But there is a pull string for the toilet! That´s how they all are down here. I feel so empowered when I do it!

 Me and my companion and a less active member working on his roof! I guess right before I came there was a crazy hailstorm. This guy and his wife came to Church on Sunday though!

 Us with a few member kids and their pig! I thought you would like this. Oddly enough the next time we visited them we had bacon... Just kidding!

Itaugua Paraguay

Just a few facts about Jake's first area - Itaugua Paraguay

30 Kilometers from the capital city of Asuncion
Population 90,000
Itaugua was named by the Guarani Indians, translated "Ita"= stone, and Gua = from Guarani Indians
Languages - Spanish and Guarani
Economy - manufacture and sale of textiles of Ñandutí. Nanduti means "spiderweb". Here are some examples of this beautiful art form.

*Notice the curtains in the background

Here are a few more images of Itaugua, Paraguay from google images...

 Hopefully Jake will figure out how to get more pictures to us soon - until then, google will have to do!

Welcome to Paraguay!

Ok I am working on pictures right now, so you may not get them this week... I hope so though, I want you to see my house and machete and stuff!

First, a quote cuz I liked it a lot. I made it up.

"Smiles are the leading cause of happiness"

That shall be the motto of all society someday.

So something that makes me sorta sad is having to explain sledding to all of these Latinos! I am gonna miss snow!! Eh, oh well.

Speaking of weather it has rained about every other day here, and today was pretty heavy, like water filling some streets, but it stopped and I didn't get to take any knee deep water pictures or anything.

No, I have not found any of our missionary friends, Elder Rigby or Elder McSwain. Sad day.

So I know you all are dying to hear about Paraguay, but I got a list of things to write, and first is about Conference. Yes I watched it in English.

Edward Dube, super duper coolest guy ever. 

Look at what you still have to do.

Faith always points to the future.

It's not what we have done, or where we have been, but where we are willing to go.

S. Gifford Nielson

Exclaimation points!! Yes!! Look for them in the scriptures! They are super cool.

Jeffrey R. Holland

Believe in miracles

Light will come

My Favorite Talk was M. Russell Ballard

He will assist us if we act in faith in His work.

Don't be Afraid

Be Bold

Ask for direction, then DO

By faith miracles are wrought and angels minister unto man.

Favorite Quote by M. Russell Ballard

It is IMPOSSIBLE for us to fail when we try our best and are on the Lord's errand.

Something I have been thinking about a lot recently is charity. I thought of the primary song and I think it is a perfect description.

Love one another as Jesus loves you

Try to show KINDNESS in ALL that you do.

Be GENTLE and LOVING in deed and in thought. (Also see Moroni 7:45 for more attributes to have)

I made the important things big because I can't highlight them here.

So, I guess I ought to talk about Paraguay now... Eh, maybe next time...

With all the brotherly, sonly, friendly, and Elderly love I can muster...

Elder Simpson

JUST KIDDING!

I love it here!!! It's so great.

So I read Noah's letter about how most people there speak English. Well no one here speaks English. They speak Spanish with a mix of the native language called Guarani. It is very difficult to understand Guarani. I know a few words. But even the little kids can speak it! It's like, "You're really cute, but I have no idea what you are saying!" (Finding Nemo quote)

So I travelled with about 20 missionaries here. We got here and for the whole first day was just training in the mission home. We went and walked around the temple. I was sorta super stressed out and not like SEND ME HOME! or anything but that night we went to this baptism of like 5 kids and I realized, this is what it's all about! You could feel the Spirit there and see their future becoming more clear. Super cool. It helped me relax, I needed it.

I met my companion Elder Herrera from Columbia that morning, and we shipped off in this truck, 3 of us crammed in the front bench! It was great!

My area is called Itaugua. I don't know what it means.

That whole first day was us moving into our house and stuff cuz we had to move in all the furniture and stuff, so it took a long time.

So the real first missionary day wasThursday. I am not gonna lie, I couldn't understand anybody. The Paraguayans have a certain mumble in their voices that isn't quite understandable! So the first day expecially my companion would just look atme during the lesson, and all I heard was one word like Expiacion (Atonement) and so I would give my little sentence about how Jesus suffered for our sins. I am sure they were talking about the Restauracion and what I said made no sense, but whatevs.

Oh my companion speaks fairly good English, better gramatically than I am at Spanish, but I know more words in Spanish than he does in English I think. We help each other out.

So I am not gonna lie, I was expecting rejection and slammed doors and all that sort of stuff, but it just never happened! Everyone here is super nice, anyone will let us in, mostly we talk outside though. But ya we are almost always teaching a lesson, with a less active family or nonmembers and a lot of partial member families too! Already we have like 12 investigators. It's sorta rediculous how humble and willing to learn all of these people are!! It's so great!! The hard part is getting them to church and stuff, they always say they will, but usually its a far walk and no one showed up yesterday, but next week we will get a few.

It's so great how some of these people recieve the Gospel. This one lady named Mariam, she is older, every time we say something she has this look of pure joy on her face, like a child at Christmas, she keeps saying, Exactly! Exactly! Amen! It's super cool.

Speaking of Christmas, Mom, my companion loves my green shower shoes. He wants you to send him some. He says the color doesn't matter, but he probs has the same size feet as me. I don't know if you actually will or not, but it would make him super happy. Also I like candy and pictures, if you just happen to be sending a package ;)

Oh something exciting, in one of our lessons this woman started breastfeeding her child, right there!! I guess it's not socially unacceptable down here. Eh. Whatevs.

Music down here is funny, especially because there is a lot of American music down here. The song "I Love It" is quite popular down here, but sadly it is the unedited version, and it swears often. But I am the only one who understands it! Haha it's funny.

Yes mom I know the singing missionaries. We start every lesson here with a hymn. I have had plenty of people compliment me on my voice, but to be honest, the Paraguayans mostly cannot hold a tune. I think I am the only one singing the real melody sometimes. 

Yesterday I saw fireflies for the first time!!! It was magical. I was so happy, my companion was so confused... I was like jumping around and was just in utter disbelief. I saw a centipede too!

So I played the piano in Church this Sunday! Another American sister, Sister Hunt (also a newbee, I knew her in the MTC) did the first hymn, but pobrecita she just plunked through it, even one handed. So the last two hymns I went up and played just the right hand. It honestly wasn't good, but afterward all these kids came up, they wanted me to teach them! Haha I couldn't, but it was still funny.

So my Spanish is getting better already, when I am focused in the middle of the lesson I can understand the general idea of what is being said, and follow, and respond and give my lines, but the little connector words I miss sometimes.

The hardest is contacting, cuz I am not used to the persons accent yet, so I can rarely tell what they are saying, but as I know them more and they slow down a bit I can usually respond appropriately. I think.

So something that was super funny that sorta made my life...

So someone said this word in Guarani that I recognized, pronounced Hah-kay. I was like, What does that word mean? They told me that it meant, Be Careful!! I asked them how to spell it, they said J A K E. No joke. My name in Guarani means, Be Careful! Fitting right? When I told them that that was my first name they laughed hard too!

Ok I am running out of time, I will send pics next week.

To answer Mom's questions, 

My companion is super laid back but still works hard. We often are late to places and get home with not enough time to do everything and stuff, but I am working on it with him! But yeah he pushes me hard to talk in lessons. A lot of times he will look at me, and I will just look back at him with the look of, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID. I will get there.

My area, mosquitos, bugs, dirt, humidity, heat, I am in a branch, not a ward. Yeah the pics will describe better.

Well, I think thats all, until next time, this is Elder Simpson saying Goodbye!

With all the love I can muster, 

Elder Jake

 President and Sister McMullin picking Jake up at the Airport in Paraguay.

 He traveled with 20 other Elders. The McMullins are from Bluffdale, UT

 Jake with his first companion Elder Herrera from Columbia.

 And Pres and Sis McMullin.

Dont cry for me Argentina

Jake will be leaving the Argentina MTC tomorrow and flying off to Asuncion Paraguay!

 Here is his email...

So I can't read your emails, I have like 5 minutes for this, so yeah sorry I can't respond.

I will leave here tomorrow morning at 5 am. My flight leaves at 7 20 with 20 other missionaries.

My flight number is AR1260 so you can stalk me if you would like. Or so you know what number to look for in the news. Just kidding don't worry mom. If my flight is on the news then please bury all of my possessions in the backyard and in the year 2050 on November the 11th all my living relatives shall go on a treasure hunt for my things.

Yes, I went there.

But really don't worry! I am in the Lord's hands, and I can't wait to get going!

Love you all, por favor put this on the blog because I thought my will was funny. Thank you.

Do not be afraid, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest! (Including Paraguay)

~Elder Simpson

Hey Macarana!

So this is my last email from Argentina, except I think I get a short one on monday for mom, letting her know flight stuffs or something. So my next whole email won't be for a whole week and a half til next Monday.

 

I just got another 2 letters from Lauren. I quite enjoyed those pictures, especially the sentimental hug with me and Alex, and Kevin poking his face around goofing off. It's great.

 

Alex! Homecoming looked super fun! How come you didn't tell me about it? Yeah, that's right, I am publically calling you out.

 

Michael, thank you for hitting that pole.

 

Thanks for keeping my updated on the wardies! I am happy for Inoke and Casey, getting close! Dad, I have no idea how to get everyone to mutual. Say Elder Holland is gonna be there and get a cardboard cutout of him. Yes. Please.

 

I have only heard from Noah that he left for Denmark! Thanks for that little tidbit.

 

Danielle!! Congrats! That's super great!

 

Weather here is getting warmer, pretty much sweater in the morning and short sleeve afternoons!

 

Now for the stuff I wrote down to write to you all.

 

Whatever ball. It's volleyball but basically there are no outs and it can hit the ground and there are no rules. So naturally I don't use my hands, ever. I had a sweet bicycle today, Alex, you would be proud. It was crazy sauce!

 

So for our Servicio this week we went to the Hostil (a place where people visiting the temple from far away stay, like a church hotel sorta). All the people there look up to us like we are superheroes! I don't they have seen so many tall white people in their lives. Little kids wave and stuff. It's super cute.

 

OH! I got my hair cut this week! First time not by my momma! It wasn't as quality as moms cuts, but that guy finished in like 2 minutes. I had to check to make sure I wasn't completely bald. It didn't look bad after I did it the next day.

 

We don't proselyte this week because of GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! I am so stoked for it. I honestly cannot wait.

 

Last week for proselitismo we were in a new area, and no one really wanted to talk to us at all. So we wrote little things and the address of the church in all the pamphlets and our 2 Libros de Mormon, and put them in peoples mailboxes. We would go up to a house and I would say, what do these people need in their life? If I saw a beer bottle outside I gave them the Word of Wisdom. Haha! So we gave everything in mailboxes, except I didn´t want to give my LDM to a mailbox, so I kept it. Time was running out and we couldn't find anyone to give it to, so we just walked back to our bus stop, but I decided not to put it in a mailbox, just in case. We got to the bus stop and there was a teenage girl sitting there doing homework, smoking a cigarette, and had nose piercings and stuff. I was like, hey Degn, I got a book to give away! So we went up to her and I basically said. Hi señorita! What's your name? Macarana. (Macarana, no joke) She told us she was super busy and didn't want to talk to us, so I was like, that's ok, have you ever read this book? no. Well it's a good book. Well will you read it? We want you to have this! She grabs it and is like, ...ok... and I was like, will you read it? And she said, Sí! So yeah that was cool.

 

So yeah I tried the Baday, however spell it. It was fantastic. You can control the temperature and everything! (This is to be included in my blog thingy, do not delete, thank you)

 

So we are studying something in Spanish right now called Subjunctive. It is the Devils playground. Its super hard to know when to use it.

 

I BLAME THE TOWER!

(as in the tower of babel)

 

It's awfully funny in the mornings to hear like 10 different alarms going off at the same time. Just thought I would throw that in there.

 

So down here EVERYONE knows the Simpsons. They watch it in school in lessons and stuff. I think it'll be a good tool to get inside some houses. Simpson! Is your dad Homero? yes he is. Why you no yellow? Yep. It's great.

 

Well I will just end with a few thoughts, I enjoy thoughts.

 

You close your eyes to pray, and when you open them again the world seems a little brighter:)

 

1 John 4:18

Perfect love casteth out all fear.

That is soo true.

 

Thanks for all of your support!! You are all great! Love you all! I love the pictures! Talk to you in Paraguay!

 

Remember that you are all Children of a King!