6th letter

So let me start at the beginning! A very good place to start! So Monday or well maybe Sunday night our last in the MTC! So a few days before I was feeling really nervouse and scared for this. But Sunday I just felt good todo bien! (that's what everyone says here, how are you? todo bien, all good) It was a good morning, we had Relief Society and Linda S Reeves from the general RS pres. spoke. It was good but she seemed kind of scatter brained..but it was good. Then we had our district meeting me and Hna Lundberg talked about the atonement. And after our zone sang Para siempre Dios este con vos. God be with you till we meet again. Then we did some last packing. And after dinner had a departing devotional, and I dont remember if I wrote about this but one day when Hna Lundberg had to make a phone call I was sitting there writing a list of things I was scared about :) and Sister Trost the 2nd councelors wife in the MTC presidency came up and started talking to me. She is the one who my first week spoke about overcoming fear. We talked more about that and related to eachother a lot. It was suuuper cool. Any way after the devotional she came up and we talked a little more! Then we had the normal Sunday night devotional and sang songs like always before. I miss all the singing we did in the MTC! And in the devotional it was by one of the district presidents and his wife, the Lindals but she spoke about fighting off the voice of the enemy, satan, and how he speaks to us through fear and other things... and the voice of the natural man and how we need to know how the adversay speaks to us so we can fight back and not let our faith be replaced by his fear. I liked that. Then instead of watching a movie Bro. Monson and his wife said they would come visit with our 2 districts. so we listened to him talk, He's super purete!  super cool. At one point he said who's scared and I shot my had up and in my head I said oh I'm so scared! But i didnt feel it. The nervous scared feelings were gone!! I was so happy! Y eso no mas. (that's it)

So then traveling was interesting. I don't like planes or suit cases or the skirt I wore for 2 days haha. It was fine. It was cool, we ran into members at every air port even Brazil, (but he was a returning missionary) We passed South Jordan on the front runner on the way to the air port, I said good bye again! Oh manI'm glad I saw the temples again and the mountins!! I got pictures. Anyway after a lot of traveling we finally got to Paraguay! It. Was. So . Hot. I could feel my hair growing bigger and bigger. (I have a picture of that too) And apparently it wasn't even that hot. But President Mcmullin and his wife picted us up they were waiting for us! We talked about south Jordan, that was nice :) then we drove to the temple and sat in the heat and talked about the foundation of the church in Paraguay. It's a pretty temple! Then we went to the mission office, they talked about a lot of things I dont remember I was so tired. Good thing they have us written info because I was faling asleep. ANd we met the latinos in our mission they are the ones who went to the Argentina MTC. all of us AMericans went to provo. They were saying they had a huge group or something so I guess we couldn't fit. And we were the first group in this mission to go to Provo. I'm so super glad though! I needed my time there to adjust and everyone and thing there was amazing! Oh and I talked with the president's daughter Erin, she's 17 and knows Ensley!! and some other people I know too. I love the family they are so nice! They we went to the Hna training leaders house and got to sleep. It was hard though because there were so many of us in there ! I was hot tired grumpy and just wanted to sleep. I looked back in my journal and I pretty much felt the same way as my first night in the MTC. This whole week has actually been the same. That means it can only get better!! :) 

So the next morning we went back to the office and talked about stress and some things and I was still tired and just didn't feel... right. I don't know how to explain it. I was tired and sad and scared and stressed and everything. So we got some study time after (they split us up in our 2 groups americans and latinos) and I just wanted to cry. I needed to cry and I knew it but I couldn't get it to come out! But talking with Hna Lunberg and Noorda I finally got it out! well most of it. Oh it felt so good! After I was happy and excited and ready to meet my trainor! And that's what we did. They put the trainers on one side of the room and us on the other and put up a picture of the trainor and then the missionary they had. I was the last hermana so I kind of know before they put the picutres up. My companion is Hermana Johnson. She's not a native (heavenly father knows me so well haha ) this is her last transfer of her mission so she's super-ieper purete! She's from Texas and her dad actually served her so she's met some of his converts! And she's super dedicated and obedient and hard working and so so nice! She's really good with helping me with my spanish and pushing me out of my comfort zone to talk to people! Its hard but I love it! how else would I get better! So yeah we said good bye and got a taxi to toke us to our house! My area is Molino in Luque. Small...poor-ish. Yeah. our house is actually not bad. If you keep it clean it looks nice. it's cool and as I meantioned we have a flushing toilet and a shower and running water and AC!! It's not quite a home but it works. It's safe. I actually feel really comfortable there, safe and fine. But we're always cautious! We actually live in our  zone leaders area but teach some people in their area. So we work with a few families in their area and walk to ours every other day. I have no idea how much but we walk so much! Remember how I like hiking? Yeah I hike everyday. And it's actually not bad, I kind of like it! I'm going to have some nice leg muscles when I get back! haha I sweat a lot, I'm always wet. So back to Wednesday, we put my stuff down studied and then went and taught a lesson! We taught Pedro, he's 12 and has a baptizmal date. He's super smart and does all we ask him and he has a testimony! it's cool! Then we ate dinner with a member she made fish. It was good I have no idea what kind but it was good and she had a nice house! No dirt floors yet! Thankfully! Then we just visited some members. She had me participating in the lesons already! she would look at me and it would be silent so I knew I had to say something I would have a moment of panic but then say something and it would be fine! I am understanding a lot actually and people say its not the same language they learned in the MTC. I dont't notice a difference except there are just people with no teeth here and everyone talks fast-ish and slurs. If I listen really hard I understand just fine. It's reponding I have a little trouble with but I know with practive I can be better. Oh and they usually throw in a misheemee (that is so not spelled right along with everything else, but that's a little bit in guarani) of guarani. Sometimes that's hard. But I know its guarani because they talk like their nose is plugged. Yeah but we are teaching every day and working with recent converts and members. There are actually a lot of Wards and stakes here not just branches. We are in a ward. Hna Johnson says its  one of the best wards she's been in so far and it's her last. A pretty good amount of members! And we teach a lot of people and we contact. That's hard for me but she makes me do it, so I'm improving! :) 

On saturday I took my first collectivo ride to Asuncion so Hna Johnson could go to the temple with her converts Carla and Emillio they are married with a little baby girl EMily. They did baptizems for their family. So while they did that I went with her other companions compainions. She was in a trio. Oh and the collectivo ride its a bus and it goes really fast and is an old clutch engine thing that is loud and bumpy. Dont try to eat on one! And it goes over the cobble stone streets  like a 4 wheeler. off roading almost! It was fun though I liked it. And it helps me get to know my area! It was cool to be at the tmeple again. We just contacted while we wated for them. 

Church sunday was good and we ate with memebers after. I had sopa Paraguay which how they made it was just bread with some things in it. It's hard though they eat lunch as their big meal and it is the middle of the day and these people feed us so much hot pasta and meat! and bread! ooo the bread though I like it they put fennel in it. holy cow its hard after lunch luckly we sit and talk for a while so we can digest. I eat a lot of pasta. and some form of meat. and potatoes. and they like cabbage salad. And that yucka root stuff I forget what it's called but it tastes like mushy nothing. For dinner yesterday we ate with a member family Lopez he made some really good chicken stuff with salsas and tortillas. oh that was good! and he speaks english haha that was nice. Then he and his wife who washes our clothes drove us home! That was amazing :) Oh and they drink so much jugo (i dont know how to spell it) juice! orange, banana, avacado! pomello, mango ( I mised mango season pucha! dang) they have a juice for everything! So yeah that's the food. 

Anyway I'm hot and sweaty but happy! I don't love it yet but I think I will .I'm sleeping well and my companion is great! And I understand and speak spanish! yay!! 

and I think that's all! I love you all so much and miss my bug free home, It feels like I dont know that this is not real or something. Some days I just have to think of being able to go home to make it through. but it's just my first week.  And yeah I love you! I can't wait to talk to you again! 

Love,
Hermana Sarah 

Collins!