A good week and paella

Hello everyone, 

This week was very good. We had a lot of really spiritual lessons! Honestly, it was great. This next part is in and out of Spanish. Dad, you can translate it if you want. 

Ramon, nuestro investigator, ya se va a Buenos Aires por su trabajo, y no vamos a poder de seguir ensenandole pero el quiere bautizarse y quiere recibr los misioneros en Buenos Aires! Estamos muy tristes que se va pero esperamos que los misioners alla le cuiden! [Ramon, our investigator, is moving to Buenos Aires for his work, and we will not be able to continue teaching him but he wants to be baptized and he wants to receive the missionaries in Buenos Aires! We are very sad that he’s leaving but we hope the missionaries there will take care of him!]

But our lesson with Ramon this past week was AMAZING! We talked to him after like two weeks because he was in Buenos Aires. He said that he knew the Book of Mormon was true. He said that he prayed, though he hadn’t told us about it, but when he prayed he received his answer. He said that he knew it was true!!! He said that he loved every minute talking with us and that he wasn’t searching for anything when he let us in to talk the first time but that through our lessons he realized that he was missing this in his life. He has received so many blessings since we have been visiting with him and one of those is this new job project in Buenos Aires.

He will be constructing a huge, really nice restaurant and entertainment place that will take six years. It is an amazing project and he thanks God and us for those blessings. I am so sad that he is leaving us, I wish that we could continue because he said he wants to be baptized! Ramon has already promised to continue listening in Buenos Aires. He said that he would pay for Hermana Nunton and me to fly with him and teach him there!! Haha! I now just pray that the missionaries that find him in Buenos Aires treat him with love and continue to teach him!

Y Gabriela quiere bautizarse; sabe que es verdad, pero no esta casada y su esposo no quiere casarse... estamos ayunando y orando para que se ablande su corazon! [And Gabriela, she wants to be baptized and she knows it is true but she is not married and her spouse does not want to get married. We are fasting and praying that he softens his heart.]

Gabriela is amazing and we are hoping that she can get married and be baptized!

Jose, va muy bien, pero no vino a la iglesia... pero ya solamente fuma 2 o 3 cigarillos por semana y ya casi no toma! Esta progresando y con las ganas! [Jose, is doing much better but he didn’t come to church, but he is only smoking 2 or 3 cigarettes per week and is not drinking! He is progressing and has desires to keep improving!]

Jose said that he smoked 2 to 3 packets of cigarettes a day before but now only 2 or 3 single cigarettes a week! It is amazing what the gospel does for people! 

Toda va muy bien aca en Tacuari, pero el barrio esta suffriendo... y no sabemos que hacer por ello... el obispo está dormido; el consejero, todos le odian y la presidenta del sociadad de soccoro esta muy deprimida... pero estamos haciendo nuestro mejor. [Everything is very good here in Tacuari except the ward is suffering…and we don’t know how to help them…the Bishop is asleep, nobody likes the counselor, and the Relief Society President is very depressed.   But we are doing our best.]

I have never seen a ward with so many problems between people. I swear that if this was my home ward I would be less active too... sorry! 

 

So this is Paella.

My family has had it with friends in Mexico.

This gentleman makes enough for 400 servings.

This was lunch and it was sooo good.

Today I have pre-consejo [leadership meeting] and tomorrow I have consejo. It is the meeting for the leaders. We get to eat real American food in the casa de mision [mission home], which is like the fanciest place ever, and get to be with the Mission President. We also learn a ton and how we can help out the mission! I love consejo.

There were many spiritual experiences this week but it would take forever to write them all. But I want you all to know that I know that my Savior lives, I know that this church is true and I KNOW that God loves us. He cares for us and that no matter what we do he will always accept us again. I love him and I love this church! 

They don't decorate much for Christmas but here is what we have found so far.

Hermana Newell