Happy Thanksg...cumpleanos

Dear everyone,

Cool thing of the week: Noah's flood basically happened in Itaugau friday night. If Utah got rain like that once a year, ain't nobody ever gonna complain about no draught! hahahah the streets turned into rivers!!! so what did we do? We took our shoes off, put our scriptures in plastic bags, and we walked anyways. HA! It was so fun!!! I didn't have to shower the next day because it rained so much. XD Chiste but really I didn't have to wash my makeup off so #blessins. 

We're fighting a terrible disease here. It's called tell-the-missionaries-you-want-to-be-baptized-and-then-disappear-forever syndrome. It's happened with literally every investigator we had this week. I feel like my life is a giant game of hide and seek. Oh gee. So we'll see what happens with that. 

Mauro and Leticia both set days to be baptized!!... in july. Mauro has to get divorced before he can marry Leticia, and divorces cost a LOT. And he's unemployed. And then even after the divorce goes through, they have to wait three months before they can get married again. Soooooo God is a god of miracles and I'm really feeling like they'll be baptized in March. We'll see. 

Cool scripture: Mosiah 23: 20-24. I received a lot of guidance from this one this week. 

AND WHO'S EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!!? I made a paper chain countdown!!! We also are writing the 12 days of paraguayan christmas. Here's a sneak peek.

On the first day of Christmas my companion gave to me 

A terere that I can't drink. 

....the second day of Christmas my companion gave to me

two mangy dogs 

and a terere that I can't drink

and the third?

three empanadas,

two mangy dogs and a terere that I can't drink!

It's a work in progress. 

Besos from Paraguay, 

Hna Scott


Bonus Mom email material. More Q & A:

How much door knocking do you do? we knock doors quite often... but its actually clapping doors hahah knocking isn't a thing here. A lot of people just invite us in off the streets and we teach mini lessons, but its hard to find people that are interested in the gospel and not the United States. 

What cultural thing do they do there that you wished we did in the US? uhhh a cultural thing?... hmmmm families just sit around and talk. Like they put their chairs in the front yard and everybody sits around and drinks terere and they just talk. For hours and hours. Mom, dad, kids, neighbors, cousins, everybody. It's cool. 
 

If All Men Had Been Like Unto Moroni

Nov 23, 2015

Okay so like, nobody emailed me about the France-bombing-world-war-3 problem??! Like I need to know these things people!! Just a side thought.

Hai!! How is everyone?

So I have two quick stories. One is about a guy named Hermano Flores. Hno Flores has cancer. Having cancer in paraguay is a struggle because you have to pay for your treatment and all the materials. IVs, sheets, medicines, machines. All of it. So they said that most people just get pain medications and suffer. It's sad. But Hno Flores is pretty welloff so he can pay for it. But he is a great guy. His house has the Spirit like the temple. It's SO strong. And he is so warm and friendly, and his wife and him just have great understanding of the atonement. And so even though they are both suffering through this lifetime trial, they are making the best of it. So what does a Paraguayan man with cancer do in his free time?! He opens a 24 hour on call pizza place in his house!!! And then he invites over the sister missionaries!!! Hahah the pizza was amaaazing I ate like five!! hahah #worthit. So even if he is in a lot of pain, people can knock on his door and he gets up and makes them a pizza. I love this family, they serve in spite of struggle!

The other is Mauro!! Him and his "wife" Leticia came with their two little boys to church this week!!! AH! He has literally completely changed since we met him. His countenance is light, he's friendly, laughs a lot, loves his kids more,  and when he has questions, he smiles and asks them, and then he says "I guess I have to look for the answer in the scriptures."and we're like yesssss you got it bub! I wish I could show you the difference in him. He says we are his heavenly messengers because he gave up on religion until we knocked on his door with a book of mormon.

The Church is true yall. I've seen it work miracles this week.
Love,
Hna Scott


Bonus Content from her Mom letter. Kaitlin is answering specific questions I sent her:

 How do you get your laundry done? We do it ourselves, when we get home from proselyting. There's an endowed lady that could do it for us, but it would require trekking across town with large bags of laundry twice a week. Its not worth it hahah

Is your branch full of wealthier or poorer people - how do they get along?   (Like if there is a ward party and there is a person living in a house with plumbing and another person living in a one room shack with a dirt floor - does they guy with the house always have to bring the cookies?) Uhhh no its all even. You give what you have. Everybody has something. Like just because they live in dirt shacks doesn't mean they don't have money for food. Does that make sense? I haven't seen any kind of discrimination among the wealthier and the poorer.

Do you get spending money? What do you spend it on? We don't get spending money. We get money for rent and groceries. But I admit I buy icecream in the streets on hot days and empanadas when I'm really hungry hahahah

Do you think you will be changing areas before Christmas? Yeah we have a cambio one week before Christmas. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying in Itaugau, because my companion has been here for almost half her mission, so I'll probably stay to keep the area going. But I'll have a new companion.

What is the education level of the members? You mentioned at one point you were teaching a family that was illiterate.  Is that common? Education is the most important thing in the entire world. Lots of people can read but they can't read scriptures. The words are too hard. And they're too embarrassed to say so so then we don't know they can't read and like two weeks later we're like OHHH you can't read scriptures! Makes sense!!! No, most people have an education. But it's obvious in the culture that the education isn't that awesome like it is in the states.

Come What May and Love It

Nov 16, 2015
 
Yooohoooo, big summer blowout! Half off missionary discussions, fruit, and a bottle of sweat of my own invention! 

Okay ew gross I'm so sorry I made that joke. This week was good but HARD. The weather just knocks you out. So blasted hot! I'm trying to remember Nauvoo and no fruiting, and that definitely helps. That being said, I am shocked and amazed when I stand up from a cita and there is literally a puddle of sweat. hahahahhaha Wow. Love it. YES. 

This week we had interviews with President and it didnt even feel like an interview and literally we just sat and talked for like fifteen minutes about how weird paraguay was. Then he kind of looked at me and he's like, mhmm, yeah, you're fine. Alright, can we end with a prayer? And I was like... don't you want to ask me about my area or something? Nope! He just gave me cake and sent me on my way. #icouldgetusedtoaviewlikethis

What other things happened? OH! Thanks everyone for praying for Mauro because HE WENT TO CHURCH. I REPEAT. HE WENT TO CHURCH. Oh my gosh I about died!!! We had TWO investigators at the church this week AND three menos activo families that we work with! YES! Mauro is learning a lot but we are still fighting all of his doubts. I know that God can work a miracle with this man!!! And as soon as he is converted, I have a feeling that his wife will follow suit. 

Also it was elections in Itaugua this week. So basically the city celebrated like it always does: fireworks, loud music, and getting drunk. Conveniently all of our citas fell through, and we ended up home two hours before nine for dinner and studies. We later heard that it was really dangerous on the streets and that bad stuff was happening, fights and things. The Lord works in weird ways. 

Study of the week: Faith. Did you know that  you have to know who Jesus is before you can have faith in Him? That sounds like a stupid question but I actually thought about it for a long time. You have to know that Jesus is all powerful and all loving before you will trust His commandments, and then you'll realize that Jesus is more powerful and loving than you thought. Also: we're learning how to change our prayers to be active praying. Instead of saying, Lord please bless that today won't be hot, we pray, Lord please bless that we will be buff enough to master the heat. I have found that I am a lot stronger through Christ.

Alright that's it. Love all of you more than Frozen,

Hna Scott



Bonus Content from her Mom letter. Kaitlin is answering some specific questions I sent her:

How often are you eating at members verses making your own food? We eat with members for lunch most days. Any other meal we eat at home. We usually eat cereal or ramen or sandwiches. We can't boil water because of our stove.... it cuts down on a lot of other easy meals.

What do you eat for breakfast? Cereal. What else?

How much do you walk in a day? mmmmm... good question? we have no idea! Liiiike depends. I would say upward of five miles? 

What is the economy like there?  Apartments? Grass huts? uhhh depends. In the city people have really nice houses, some people even have indoor bathrooms. Farther out, it's more like cinderblock walls and dirt floors. But everyone has a tv, cellphone, and a fridge. Go figure. 

Have you had any uncomfortable encounters with chickens? YES. Do you know how chickens mate? I do. #duringmylessononfaith

How is your language coming? Super bien, puedo hablar facilmente entre los dos, pero todavia tengo dificultad con la forma condicional, como "would happen" es muy dificil para mi. Y tambien a veces mi mente esta trabajando mas rapido de mi boca, o estoy muy emocionada sobre una tema, y mi espanol es horrible jajajaj. 

How big is your branch/ward?  Our asistencia is between 90 and 130 people every week. We have a pretty big, functioning branch for the area

What is the rate of active vs inactive? wow. Too many. like, we have inactive families we don't even know about. Once a family moves, they;re basically lost forever. Bishops forget to send records and we don't know where they go. Church is hard here. 

I wonder if people in the United States think when they make things that they will end up in Paraguay. Paraguay loves mainstream pop from the US, everything except Taylor Swift.:( There's a guy in our ward who wears this sweatshirt that says SUPERMOM in big letters. Hermana Noorda and I don't have the heart to tell him. 

A Cucaracha In My Suitcase

Hey guess what everyone?! I've officially survived a cambio [change - they change up the companionships of missionaries every 6 weeks] here in the mission! That's right, 6 weeks DOWN like a spoon full of sugar! So with changes and all, we got big news. President took out a set of missionaries and now there are only two companionships for all of Itaugua. You people with google look that crap up.... I am supposed to be finding/saving souls in like an entire 15 kilometres of area.......... agh. We are only two!!! So it's been stressful and we get late everywhere and... Through the Lord we can do all things!!!

In other news, I rode a bike for the first time today in YEARS. And I lived! The mission makes you grow in more ways than one. Darn you, zone activity and peer pressure. 

This week we found a purete *cool* couple. Mauro and Leticia. They are awesome and a lucha [fight] because-- Well Mauro especially. He's gone through about six different religions and he's decided that none of them are true. So we're like, okay, we can handle that. The problem is that he does his daily scripture study... and his daily internet search. We all know what's online about Joseph Smith. We're like Mauro, if you want the best bread do you go to the bar or the panaderia[bakery]? Like... Go to the source!! He just needs to take a step of faith and he'll be golden. Pray for them, would you??

Sergio is awesome, for all those that asked. He is rapidly finishing his Faith in God booklet. 

Pensamiento del dia [thought of the day]-- The Atonement is so amazing. Literally, everyone's tarea [homework] this week is to read about the Atonement in true to the faith. If anyone ever tells you that its Adam's fault that he transgressed and stuff you just tell them FALSE. The Plan is perfect. Yes, Adam fell, with the purpose of progression. And Jesus Christ has already made up for the Fall with His resurrection, AND MORE. Do your tarea. I don't have time to write it all. 

XD 

Hahahah enjoy your week y'all. Peacin' out from 107.9 degrees farenheit. 

Hna Scott

 

xXx

 

Bonus Content:

 

" The cool thing about paraguay: They don't have dia de gracias [Thanksgiving] to get in the way of their christmas celebrations! There are santas and bells in all the store windows. Also mangos and watermelon and blooming flowers. It's a weird mix."

A Very Bucket Baptism

Hi everyone!!!

As you all have so kindly remembered, this last Tuesday we had the baptism of Sergio!!! It was funny.... because it turned out to be way harder than it needed to be. We cleaned the font and we tried to get the water to fill the font... but the little knobbies to turn on the water wouldnt turn!! So we called the elders and they came eventually, and started the water... and then we ran out of water in the church! Like this kind of stuff only happens in Paraguay! So we ended up filling buckets of water outside on the lawn and then bringing them into the church to dump them.... it took awhile. hahahah but all said and done Sergio is baptized and was confirmed on Sunday. :) So glad to have been a part of this great work! And it's cool to think that his story is now part of my story and vice versa, make sense?

Also a funny story: We decided to go on a forest adventure and find a shortcut between two of our citas, and we went on this road, and then we ended up locked behind a barbed wire fence on all sides. Don't ask how that happened! hahah Hna Noorda jumped the fence and ripped her skirt, and being significantly less athletic than her I consigned myself to starvation and eventually death behind the fence. Conveniently a neighbor showed me a hole in the fence which I climbed through no problem. I felt like I was living in the movie Jurassic Park. So imagine that. XD Ahh my life. 

As far as Sebastian goes, we haven't heard from him ALL WEEK. He asked to be baptized and we can't get ahold of him-- It's AGONY. His sister said his phone doesn't work, and on top of that he is a joven with a job, and estudios, and a girlfriend. Therefore he is never home. Agh! Fasting that we can get in contact with him.

To read this week: Moroni's epistle to Pahoran. Alma 59?? Moroni makes me laugh. There's a whole chapter talking about how he's a man of God and so righteous and literally his go-to for solving problems is killing people. Oh, the lamanites are coming? Let's kill them. Oh, the king men are acting up? Let's kill them. Oh, we're not receiving provisions? Let's kill the government! HA! Oh man it's been funny. But honestly. In between the burns and ripping into Pahoran, there's a great message about DOING something to receive blessings. ASK and ye shall receive. KNOCK and it shall be opened. Like. JUST DO SOMETHING. ANYTHING. God blesses when we show our sacrifice, whether it be time, talent, or will.

Love all of you!!! Besos [kisses] from Paraguay. Hna Scott

Bonus Material from her Mom email:

"For computers we go to this little business that has like ten computers all in a row and we pay them money for our time online. So all the computers are set up, you just go to the site you want and then pay when you're finished. It's called a cyber but I didn't know that it was spelled cyber because everyone says see-burr."

Regarding halloween: "Me and Hna Noorda keep joking about buying a watermelon and carving it. We had like a day dream session of autumn and crunchy leaves and frost. In Paraguay they celebrated the futbol game of Olimpia and Zero-- aka the whole world was drunk and they blasted music on the streets until four am. The difference entre paises. :) Enjoy here while youre here, because theres no here there. :)"

 "Also!!! Hna Noorda celebrated her birthday this week and so I caved and bought a birthday glass*! It just didn't feel right without it." *At our house we have a special birthday glass that only comes out on someone's birthday.

 
 

Blood, Sweat, Tears, Parasites, Etc

Hi everybody!! 

This week was iiinsaaaaaaaaaaane. 

SERGIO IS GETTING BAPTIZED TOMORROW!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!! We are planning everything, and he passed his entrevista [interview] and he's so excited!!! We are making dessert and he chose me to give a talk on the Espiritu Santo [Holy Ghost] so pray for me on that one hahaha. 

"How it feels to have a baptism this week. Please don't judge me"

Oh and THREE PEOPLE came to church!!! We had two menos activos [less actives] that we worked with and they both came!! And then we met this guy Sebastian who basically invited himself to be baptized when we met him Saturday night. Okay I have to tell you this! So we knocked on this door because our other cita [appointment] fell through and we meet this guy, right, and we say the opening prayer and he's like, "So you guys said something about baptism, right? I want to start over in my life, I want to be closer to God. I say little prayers every day, but I feel like I need to do something more. What do you have to do to be baptized?" This is Saturday night, right? He comes to Church the NEXT DAY and he's like, yeah, I read the entire chapter you left me yesterday in my LDM. I feel something in my heart when I read it. And we're like, what!?!? THEN after church he said, "I never knew I wasn't supposed to work on Sunday, but I learned today. I'm going to rearrange my schedule so I don't have to work sunday." :O So he's committed to be baptized in four weeks. 

AKA God blessed us so much!!! I am really feeling the love and I'm SO excited to keep working this week!!! We are so excited for everything, I'll let you know how it goes!!!! 

Reading assignment: 1 Nephi 21. I love that the Lord has "graven [us] on the palms of [his] hands." We use our hands for everything!!! The Lord cannot forget us. He literally can't. He chose to keep these marks on His hands, despite His resurrected body, and why? So that he will know how to succor His people. 2 Nephi 2. 

Love all of you!!!! :D HAPPY 1st BAPTISM WEEK!!! Celebrate with me!!!

Hna Scott

Other Things that Happened this Week:

-we didn't have electricity for 24 hours. aka no air conditioning. that was a prueba.

-hna Noorda got a fever

-I made us stay home for a day with some kind of heat exhaustion sickness thingy?

- got hit on by a drunk guy on the bus!!! XD Oh jeez it was scary but also funny. He kept saying "My name is Zacarias, like in the Bible. You're a missionary. Jesus is in you, Jesus is in me, Jesus is in everything." Wow. #palabradesabiduria  [wise words]

-accidentally stood on an anthill, my entire right leg is covered in bites

-i lost 15 mil on the street. :( que pucha. [?]

- we had divisions!!! I went to limpio with Hna Jones and I learned so much!!! It was awesome to go and see how a pro faces the mission. I wrote like three pages in my journal of stuff I learned. The most important thing I think, is that she taught me that our personalities are gifts of God and when we teach we should teach with our personality because it makes things interesting and easier for people to relate to us. :) 

- we committed three people to baptism!!!!

-We got parasites!!! Whoo! we are real paraguayas now!!! It's this bug called pique and it climbs in your feet and lays eggs!!! :D Hna Noorda had one really bad and she also has a fear of needles so that was a reaaaaaaaaal problem (i feel so bad I was laughing at her but it was one of those laugh or cry moments and it was kinda funny!!!) But no worries we fished them out like slivers and we are now pique-free. Apparently they are really common.