A New Apartment and A Baptism

The pioneers of Barrio 1. The first sister missionaries in 25 years.

Va e Shapa! This means “how are you?” in Guarani!

I hope the week for everyone has been really good! Sorry my keyboard doesn’t have a question mark so my questions will be like statements. haha. We write from a Cyber [café] like in Mexico. This one is in a big mall place and it is kind of dodgie, but not too bad!

Today were transfers! Hermana Pitts and I are both staying!!! We are super excited about that!

So this past week was really good! Well, as good as it can get when you are inside the whole week, haha. But Hermana Pitts is doing a TON better. We are going to take it slow this next week. We are going to go out and work, maybe like half days, and see how she feels. We don’t want her to get a recaida [relapse] and make it worse.

This past Friday we did splits with Hermanas Nilson and Martinez so I could actually get out and teach. It was amazing! We had some very spiritual lessons. And that afternoon Hermana Pitts and Nilson moved us!

So we are now in a new apartment! It is really nice and in a much better and safer area of the city and like three blocks from the church! 

The fog this morning.

On Friday we visited with Clotilde. She is amazing. But this time we went to ask her really what she thinks of the gospel. She told us that this past week she was in Asuncion with her family and she told them that she was meeting with us and they all freaked out. She said that they didn’t like it at all and that they are all “catolica y te,” very Catholic. She said that she didn’t want to lose them and that they mean so much to her.

As we talked the spirit was so strong and we shared experiences. She said that she did believe that the Church is true and that it just is hard because she doesn’t want to lose her family. I really understand but it is hard because she knows it is true! So we are now working on helping her get a testimony so that she knows what she has to do.

Then on Saturday Axel and Michelle were baptized!!! It was amazing! They are both children of a less active family that has now come back to church. They are ages 14 and 11. The Elders have been teaching them but they are in our area so we will be giving them the new-member lessons. It is so amazing, in every baptism, the spirit is just so strong!

Michelle and Axel

Victor our investigator came to the baptism as well and really liked it!

On Sunday he came to church and then afterwards we went and visited him. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptized. He said YES! He has a date for the 19th of March, and we are helping him to now gain that testimony!

Then Sunday night we went to choir practice. It is the first time because normally we are working but the ward conference is next Sunday and they really wanted us to sing. So we went. We are singing “I am a Child of God” in English, Guarani and Spanish! It is pretty sweet! The members wrote the English in the way that they will know how to pronounce it. It is really funny.

This is it in Guarani.

Che ha'e petei tupa ra'y ha'e

Che mbou ko'ara pype i py'a

Pora gui, che sa mby hy ha che mbo'e

tupa rape re

i katu hagua pei aiko hendive-te

It’s really pretty when sung! 

This past transfer has been amazing and I’ve loved every minute of it! I’ve come closer to God and my testimony has grown so much. We have had investigators in church every week! Victor is amazing. Familia Mendieta and Clotilde are our miracles. The members are amazing. One of our menos activos [less actives], the wife of the doctor who studied at Harvard, is having a change in her heart. There are so many things and I am so grateful to God for this time that I have to serve as his messenger!

Hermana Newell

Dengue Worries

So this past week wasn’t super exciting.

At the beginning of the week we were house hunting and we found a super nice place! So tomorrow, March 1^st, we will be moving. BUT Hermana Pitts has dengue fever... so we will see how the moving goes. We will get help from the ward members, because the Elders, one has dengue and the other sprained his foot... haha. The natives too, everyone and everywhere, like a fourth of the mission right now [has dengue] and everyone at church so it’s rough. But we are hoping that I don’t get it. I have to take care of Hermana Pitts!

So it’s just kind of a rough time down here.

Last week we did splits, and then Friday Hermana Pitts got dengue. We have just been in the pension [apartment]. But we did go to church so that was good!

Oh, but last Wednesday we had a huge South America South devotional with Elder Bednar. It was over satellite from Buenos Aires. It was sooo good! Elder Bednar just dropped the cane on us, as we say here. He was super direct and blunt but heck, it was so good. I learned so much and he was so amazing. I loved it! And I really learned about faith. We can’t have faith if we don’t act. They go hand in hand. Also I need to strengthen my prayers. God is real and he needs real prayers. He loves us and wants to help us. He is so amazing; I love God, I love this work and I love being a missionary!

Today we have been at the doctor for Hermana Pitts. At the doctor they put a shot in my bum! It was awful and the first time I’ve ever had that happen! It was of Vitamin D3, which is supposed to support my immune system so that I don’t get dengue. We will see!  

We have a doctor in our ward, Hermano Decio, who studied at Harvard. After the other doctor appointment we have been chilling in his house all day, taking it easy and watching “Meet the Mormons.” And eating! They live in the Country Club area here!

On Sunday Victor came to church again! And then Carolina and her spouse also came. She is the daughter of a recent convert, and an investigadora! So it was super great!

Life is really good. We are just going to be in the pension all week, so a lot of studying! And then we will move on Wednesday! So all is well! 

Photos next week, sorry I don’t have my camera with me again! 

Hermana Newell