Week 55 - Kennedy - Veterans, New Mission?, Comfy Blankets, 35 Lessons a Week, Poop Well

This week was great. The family we reactivated is going to have the rest of them baptized this Saturday, and they are super excited.

I don´t know if I mentioned this, but a couple weeks ago we went and visited some veterans in the war of the Chaco, which happened a long time ago. They were crazy and spoke Guaraní. They can´t really get to church either because none of them walk very well. They have veterans from the guerra del chaco, which happened about the same time as World War 2, and basically only the Paraguayans and Bolivians remember it, since just them fought it. The Paraguayans say they used their machetes to kill the Bolivians and steal their guns. That´s how they won the war, but I don´t really believe it.

 

My companion will be trained 3 days before transfers. It´s going to be a weird transfer day. I find out in a week at this change if I get to stay in this mission or not.the possibilities are Mision Paraguay Asuncion Norte, mision Paraguay asuncion, and Argentina Posada. Since the other two are both robbing part of our mission.

All I remember about seminary graduatin is that we took a picture, and there was refreshments. That´s about it.

 

It´s not too cold yet. the mission just gave us big comfy blankets for the winter when we went to zone conference. I liked the cold better, but not as many people leave their house to talk to us when it´s cold, so that makes the work harder.I´m wearing the new pants and belt right now. 

 

I´ve heard of several cases where the person was baptized but not confirmed. It´s almost normal here. In this case their kid went to the hospital and then they moved to a different part of Paraguay. Part of the family are members and some aren´t.  There are 6 people in the family.

 

These last couple weeks we´ve been teaching 25ish lessons each week, in addition to that about 10 to less active members each week as well. gospel principles has about 20 people in it each week, some recent converts, some returning members, and some who just don´t like the normal Sunday School teacher.

 

I speak less than 30 words in English everyday si o si. I´ll run with Kami when I get back at least a couple times.

 

This week I ate rabbit for the first time. it was really good. The next thing on my list of things I want to try is anaconda and guinea pigs.

 

This week we´re going to help someone fix their poop well (I don´t remember what it´s called, it´s like a septic tank, but it´s not going to be as pretty). That should be interesting in one form or another, we´ll see what happens.

 

 

If they had Salvation Army here, everyone would go, just to get a free meal.

 

Cuando yo encontré a alguien que realmente estaba escuchando, y quiso saber más, yo sentí el espiritu muchisimo. Tay muchas personas que whoops really just want to talk, and it´s great to find someone with a sincere desire to find out more.

 

Two days ago we found a bug that was blue, looked like a wasp and was 4 inches long. I didn´t dare get too close to that thing.

 

I appreciate the Lord a a source of help instead of doing things just so I could go to the Celestial kingdom. The more you use the scriptures, the more you feel the spirit.

 

Love,  Elder Bowles

Week 54 - Kennedy - Gospel Changes People, No License Required, Spider Bite, Package Received

It rained a ton this week. I´m super glad we have a warm shower, because it´s started to get pretty cold here. I turned on the heater for the first time this week.  I think it just feels really cold here because I haven't felt cold for a whole year now, and now that it´s come it surprised me big time.

 

We´ve been working with a family for a while now that hasn´t really progressed, but we´ve been visiting them for a while because the members always tell us we should visit them. Nothing really changed, but all the sudden they went one Sunday and said they were going to go forever,.  That same day that they went the dad was able to get a new job to have more time at home. That´s a blessing. They will all be baptized in two weeks from now.

 

We´re also teaching someone who used to do all kinds of drugs. Now all he does is smoke cigarettes, so that´s a lot healthier, and he went to church and loved it.  His name is L***, and he´s super funny, and wants to change his life. It´s great to know that anyone that accepts the gospel can enjoy all the blessings that God has for them, regardless of what they have done before in their life.

 

Since I came here, I don´t care who´s on the road. it´s dangerous no matter who is driving here in Paraguay. Basically all the roads are like Highway 99 that we take all the time to get to Red Bluff, with 4 times the traffic, licenses not required. Every day is an exciting day when you go to town.

Last week I went on run with Elder Aguilar, and he just about died. He started complaining and was impressed with how I wasn´t tired. I really was exhausted, but I just didn´t say anything. We´ll see if he ever wants to do that again. My companion got bit in the eye by a spider. I took a picture, he looks like a meth addict. 

 

There is one animal that makes super wierd noises. its a cross between the sound that a dove makes with the sound that a pheasant makes.

 

I got the package! (which we sent March 1st) I really did like it. I was glad there was more syrup. At first I thought the pants were black (they're brown), and then I realized that the pants I have now just aren´t as dark brown as they used to be, maybe sunbleached. My trainer had a pair of black pants that turned brown because of the sun. The Koolaid was a nice surprise as well.  Of course I absolutely loved the Reeses, Butterfinger and other candy. The belt´s great too -  reversible, super fancy.

 

Church attendance is normal for now. The one convert who was planning on going on a mission I haven´t been able to get a hold of. We found someone the other week who was baptized but never confirmed, we´re going to have to fix that.  We had 3 investigadors in church on Sunday.

 

For our Mother's Day calls, my companion used a phone. His family doesn't have internet.

 

The last thing I bought was my collectivo ticket. Before that it was these wafer things that I think I´m addicted to.

 

Elder Ivan Bowles

 

 

Week 53 - Luque - Mother's Day Phone Call Summary

Ivan with a branch of bananas

We were able to Skype Ivan today for Mother's Day.  There was technical difficulties on his end, and we were not able to see him but he could see us.  It was interesting to hear him talking in Spanish to the owner of the cyber trying to work on the video problem.  He is definitely completely fluent.  We had Hailey on our cell phone on speaker so she could also be a part of the phone call.

It sounded like he was outside while he was talking to us because we could cars and motorcycles driving by in the wet street outside.  He said that the door at the cyber was open so that was why the traffic was so loud.

This morning was a crazy morning for Ivan and his companion because his companion had to be at the immigration department this morning at 7:30am. They got up at 5:40am this morning took a 2 hour bus ride to immigration and a 1 hour bus ride to the cyber in order to talk to us.  No wonder he was a bit late calling us.

They "clap" (instead of knocking) 5-30 houses a day. It just depends on how many people let him in and how long they feel they should stay.

He told us that there is a myth there that a white kid will steal Latino children who are not asleep during siesta.  He also said that investigator parents threaten to have the missionaries take the kids who misbehave during the missionaries discussions.

They also think that if you eat something salty, then sweet, and then cold you will get sick.  If they weather changes they believe that also makes you sick.  Ivan said that if you eat something greasy and then cold you WILL get sick (diarrhea).

He said he had eaten a cooked fish eyeball that was mixed in with other meat.  He swallowed it whole.  He really likes blood sausage and said that some are better than others.  He said he would probably buy one today.  He has also had fried egg on rice which isn't his favorite.  Dessert there is fruit salad.  He used to be disappointed by that but he says that now it is really good.  They have the best grapefruit are the best thing and they eat them by peeling a hole and sucking the juice out of the hole.

Ivan is fairly certain his next transfer will be out to the jungle because they are opening a bunch of areas in the country.  He said there are many sister missionaries coming and they won't send them out to the jungle, so it will be the Elders doing that.  Plus Ivan has been in his current area as long as he can, so that is also why he feels he will be moving.

The congregation he is in now is the closest to functioning in his area because it almost works.  Five people in his ward have gone on missions.  They have 100 people who come each week.  Yesterday only 30 came because it was raining.  Ivan and the other 3 Elders did the Sacrament because of the low attendance.

He said he would definitely live in Paraguay after he finishes school here in the states.  He would need to find a good job there and he would want to take all of us with him.  Therefore he doesn't think it would ever happen.

A member lady washes their clothes for them in a cheap plastic washing machine.  Nobody irons their shirts there. His shirts look white as long as he is not standing by a new missionary.  Since he has been training a new missionary for the last 2 months his shirts have not looked white for 2 months.

He said he recently received a letter from a lady in our ward, Siri, which had been written when he was in the MTC (last May).  Now that he has more computer time, feel free to write him:  ivan.bowles@myldsmail.net   It is easier for him to respond via email.  He said he has trouble writing people back because all of the envelopes he has have sealed shut due to the heat and humidity there.  Plus if he wants to send a letter he has to take it to the mission office to the ONE Elder who knows how to send mail through the pouch system.  He has to pay 15 mil to send it.

There are so many kinds of bread there in Paraguay.  They use rolls for the Sacrament.

He said that Paraguayan people are always joking and that they like to give you a hard time.  For example, the laundress was telling Ivan that he promised to pay her when they dropped the laundry off.  He knew she was razzing him so he just firmly told her that they would pay her when they picked it up.  Then he started accusing her of putting a hole in his laundry bag (even though he knew it was already there).  He said that the laundry lady is one of his favorite people in Paraguay.

He also said that there is a hole in the wall of their house that needs glass.  Right now there are bars over it.  Ivan is "fixing" the hole by shoving plastic bags into it to seal it off.  He has about 50 bags in it right now and gets more every time he goes to the store.  He said that most Paraguayans move into their homes and then finish them.  Since the landlord never moved in, it never got finished so half of the house is tiled and the rest is concrete...  They have lizards and tarantulas in their house.

He receives $850,000 Guarani per month to live on.  This is about $200 which is deposited into his missionary account. He said that he doesn't skimp and just buys what he wants to eat.  As the senior companion, he receives extra money to pay the rent and electricity. He also said that he has to use some of his money each month to get out of a "fix."  He said that the missionaries before them had not paid the electric bill for their house for several months so he had to take care of the old bills.  He also said that he had to teach his companion how to use his mission debt card.  Ivan recently purchased a USB drive and speakers (for less than $20) on the street.  He is going to download church music and talks and listen to them at his home there.  He wants to buy a big pot for their house because they need one.  He would just leave it there when he is tranferred.

He hasn't had any more problems with the foot parasite.  He has been flossing once every 2 weeks or so.  He thinks that is pretty good.

He speaks English Tuesdays at district meeting to the American Elders, Sundays (sometimes) and on some phone calls.  Right now in his district, all the senior companions are American and all the junior companions are Latino.  This is just because there was a recent influx of Latino missionaries and so they are newer to the mission.

He is outside most of the time.  The most he is inside is on Sundays and p-days when they email.  All of their lessons are in the front yard.  Some people don't have chairs inside their house.  They have the most comfy chairs here in Paraguay.  He plans on making one when he comes home.  He needs one when he gets back.  They are like the antigravity chairs we have outside. 

Ivan has been studying Guarani (Indian language) with his English/Guarani dictionary.  He makes time to study and then gets frustrated, so he quits and then tries again in a couple of weeks.

Ivan has a bit of an accent but didn't have any problems speaking English.  His voice is higher pitched.  He said it hard to speak Spanish with a deep voice. Everyone has high pitched voices there, and he sounds super weird with his deep voice.  He said it is easier to speak fast in a high voice, but he feels like a sissy doing it.

-Laurie

Week 52 - Family Comes to church, No Grapefruits, No boardgames, Close to temple

This week was great. Isaac came to church, and it was great having all three of them, Dominga, Yamila, and Isaac all there. Isaac is awesome. Really it is so much better when more than one person in a family get baptized together, because then they all support each other when they don´t want to do things. I know that families are really necesary to help people arrive at salvacion.

Saturday it rained all day long. and it rained really hard. I was super glad I had my umbrella.  I got super muddy, I accidentally stepped where someone´s pipe had broken and my whole leg got dyed brown from the mud. Luckily I didn´t get stuck. Not a single person let us in, so we went and shared scriptures with some members.

This week I ate lentil salad. It´s super good. It´s lentils, mayonaise, lemon juice, and onions. It sounds gross, but it´s super good.

It has started to get a little chilly here, it´s probably nothing, but after being hot for so long, it feels really cold.

Then towards the end of the night we found someone really cool named Hector. You know when someones great when they just ask you questions, and it was what you were thinking you were going to say anyways.

The bad news is that the storm knocked a lot of the few grapefruits that were still on the trees off of the trees, so it doesn´t seem like I´ll be able to eat many more of those.

The Saturday where everyone let us in, we went back to the contacts we did before, and talked with different members of the families. We´ll see what happens.

 

The water here is normal, like our water at home. It looks pretty gross, but if you wait about five minutes, the bubbles all go up and disappear.

 

When we mow lawns for service, we pretty much always we use machetes. One time I used a mower, but it was a crappy electric one that was held together with string.  It only is hard to use a machete if it´s thick grass. If it´s thin grass it´s super easy and fun.

 

I haven´t played a single board game in almost a year.

 

Here they´re having a ward temple trip the 18th. It´s easier to get to the temple in Asuncion from my area than it is to get to the temple in Sacramento from Chico.

Elder Ivan Bowles