Elder Jake Simpson: 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