This
week was awesome, everyone here in Villarrica is super nice, and they
are smarter, and the people who speak Spanish talk fancier Spanish, so
that makes them easier to understand. My new area is bigger, prettier, the people are nicer,
and there are more people who have never met the missionaries.
We had a baptism in Paso Yobai in a
creek, it was super awesome. The branch president out there says that
the missionaries shared with the Indians there before, and a whole bunch
were almost baptized, but right before the day of the baptism the
Indian chief changed his mind, and nothing happened. They just got a
new chief this week, and we´re about to talk to him, so that´s gonna be
great.
The Branch president, Presidente Galeano, is basically an Indian
himself, he´s probably one of my favorite people ever. He doesn´t have
very much, but he´s the happiest person I have ever met in my life. And
his happiness is real, its not like those people who just smile, and
just say that they´re happy.
I was going to send a picture of the chapel
in PasoYobai, but the computer I´m using is half-broken, so that´s not
going to work. I really want to go to church in Paso Yobai, but I don´t think
we´ll ever have the chance, since we usually try to get investigators
here in Villarrica, and we only go to Paso Yobai when they have
references for us. Recently that´s been happening quite a bit, but it´s
a super strong branch, there are only 50 members on the list and 35-40
go every week, but hardly anyone lives there in Pasoyobai, so that´s why
we only go there for references. They do speak a lot more Guarani in
Paso Yobai. We go there, visit the references with the
members, and leave, since the bus leaves early. In my opinion it is
the best branch in all of Paraguay, since it´s stronger, without as much
help from the missionaries. The people didn't meet the missionaries for
so long, because the branch president was teaching them. He called us
after 5 months, who knows why, but now he knows us and it seems like he
trusts us and is giving us a lot more references. No, we don´t spend the
night there, it would be hard to find a place to sleep. there were
missionaries there once before, but they took them out, because the
missionaries always got discouraged because there´s hardly anyone to
talk to there, since it´s so tiny.
People here speak Guaraní, but it´s real Guaraní, so that
makes it easier to learn, because they actually follow all the rules of
the language.
Also, the chipa (flat bread) here is sooo good. They just don´t know how to make it
in Asunción.(they sold it on the double decker colectivo, and sell it in
the street here as well).
Elder Reid is
finishing his fourth change/transfer in the area (he´s been here since March). fast and testimony meeting in Villarrica was great, almost
everyone gave their testimonies since there weren't that many people.
I live about 1 block east and 2 or three blocks south of the
chapel on the second story. There´s a stadium close to the chapel, and a
park/pond.
On the bus ride to Villarica, they paired us up, two by two, and I sat next to
Elder Vasquez, who came from my last district. We talked in Spanish,
since he speaks Spanish.
For me the key to a good companionship is if the two companions are both
obedient. If that isn't the case, then it just takes patience and what I
call 'creativity.' The sister missionaries are way better, so you
shouldn´t have to worry about that.
In the mission procrastination means disobedience, so
there´s really not any way to do it.
My area has the tallest hill in
Paraguay it´s called ¨Ybytyruzu¨ which in Guaraní means something like
viento fuerte (strong wind), or something.
We have been cooking more than ever before in the mission, we
usually have about one or two lunch appointments each week. My companion
often wants to cook a certain way, and I tell him not to, and then the
food turns out bad because he didn't follow chef Bowles´s advice, so
that´s been fun.
Kami, that´ll be super fun with Mr. Vought as the
cross country coach.
-Elder Bowles
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