16th email

Well this week. Tuesday we went to the temple for our once a year trip. It was so good! This temple is pretty small for the session they had to bring in a lot of chairs! But it was good to be there! We had a zone testimony meeting before and after we had pizza. I don't like eating the American food here its weird not that it tastes bad just that I'm used to the Paraguayan stuff now :) then after we went to the distribution center after and I know I cant spell. then by the time we got a collectivo to go back it was like 3 or 4 in the afternoon then we got on a really crowded collectivo with our zone. Hna Lundberg wanted to sing I am a child of God. On the bus! so we did it was funny but cool we did it again today :) So yeah we didn't work much but it was a good day at the temple!
I don't really remember what happened the other days of the week... we are working hard to find new people and teach. Oh I remember Thursday I think it was no Wednesday I had my first division with the Hermanas lideres. Hna Tabouada (something like that) from Peru came with me for the day or well from 8 to 6 she was in my area before so she knew pretty much everyone But we contacted a lot and found some cool new people we'll see where it goes but it was fun! She was so nice! Something I learned with her well not that I didn't know before but she just reminded me that changes are hard but really Christ is our companion, he will be with us for everything we are never going to have changes or divisions or nada if we are worthy he will always be our companion. And that helped me a lot, leaving a companion is hard but I am neve3r alone! y si

Then this week we have been working really hard because Saturday we got to watch Meet the Mormons or Conozca los Mormones in our stake center! But to get in you had to bring an investigator. So we spent a lot of time contacting and inviting everyone. EVERYONE We went to soccor games and got on collectivos  yeah. the day of we called or passed by every investigator we had and a few said they were coming. But none of them came! Well we were waiting and before the movie started we said a prayer that someone could come. And then after the movie started and we had no one. But we still waited. Well we were pretty disappointed and frustrated. After the movie ended we were so sad, it was so good and none of our people were there to watch it. we were looking around and some muchacho was standing there with a big smile on his face wanting to shake our hands. Neither of us could recognize him at first then realized he was the only investigator we didn't see or talk to that day. And he came either while we were praying or just after!! It was amazing he was there for the whole thing and loved it!So that was good!
And then we get to today we went bowling. It was fun... I'm not very good and its weird to do something like that for  a p day I just feel out of place, I'm so used to walking shopping going places. To play was odd but fun! haha . And yeah, this week will be interesting getting Hna Betancourth ready to go and changes! But I'm excited!
Well I cant remember anything else right now I'm sure I will as soon as I log off but ya know :) I love you all and hope you have a good week! Sorry I forgot my camera so pictures next week!
Love Hermana Sarah

15th email

So this week we have been contacting a lot and tocando puertas (knocking, well really clapping at gates) to find new people to teach. Because I think it was last month we really fell short on baptizems so we are trying to up our game. And we found this guy named Diego, he is so cool! He has all these questions and said yes I want to read the book of mormon and yeah I'll pray about it. And yeah it was really cool we've had 2 lessons. We went today but he wasnt home. 

Then Saturday we had a rescate sion with the stake where we go with the youth and teach less actives and contact. It was rainy in the morning and there was lots of mud and a sister went with us fromt the ward we were in to show us the way, well she was wearing heels (oh brother) it only took a year and a half to go and come back but we had some really good lessons. And a crazy collectivo ride back to our area. 

And then there was Sunday and we got to skype!! Oh that was so good! And Oh! Saturday night we were in an investigators house in our area that is farther away from our house and this dumb dog that follows us everywhere but usually just for a few blocks followed us all the way to this house! And then it started to pour rain! Thunder and lightening and it was pouring! And we decided to leave before it got worse, guess who was sitting outside in the storm waiting for us, this dog. And then he walked with us all the way back to our house and slept outside our gate all night and followed us to church sunday and to lunch at a memebers house to another members house getting beat up by all the other dogs along the way because he was in their territory... Sunday night we managed to loose him. Crazy dog! Oh and in the storm we were walking through rivers. the streets were rivers my rain boots didnt help much. And there was one part were the water was flowing so fast we couldnt cross so some random guy came and helped us(thank goodness our crazy dog who barks at every stranger was with us because it was like 8 at night) but it was all good and there were other people outside watching the crazy missionarys try to walk in the rain haha 

And si. tomorrow we get to go to the temple!!! Oh I'm so excited! I cant wait! And this is Hna B's last week.! Crazy how fast this change went! 

Well I think thats all. Hasta el próximo lunes! I love you! 

Love Sarah



Hermana Collins dumping water out of her rain boot




It's hard to tell but that's the dog that was following the
Hermana's around


Hermana Collins and Hermana Betacourth matching (:

14th email

Hi guys! 

This week was good, it was slow ....really slow but at the same time fast. It went by fast but we had days that I have never had before. One day I dont remember which but we had all these plans and no one   NO ONE was home or wanted to talk or nada. We had gone through everyone pretty much and then we were trying to contact and that wasnt really even going anywhere either. So we prayed. Then we were walking and we walked past a street that had a taxi parked next to a house. I recongnized the taxi, it was the one that Hna Johnson and I went in to get to changes and that took us to the offices one day. Well the day we went to the offices Hna Johnson was talking with him and he was interested and said he lived close to us and that we could visit him, his name is Manuel. Well we ran to this house and clapped and there were only women. Well we shared with the mom she was old and catholic but nice then her daughter left, she told us that her daughter drove the taxi and I was sure it was this guys. Well talking more she said that her daughters husband actually has the taxi and one of his legs got cut off ( this was something I knew about him before) It was Manuel!! So we bugged her about where they lived and ran there (okay more like walked because we had walked all over the place!!) And we started talking with his wife because he wasnt there and it turns out they live just down the street from us. It was cool. We talked for a long time and I just had this feeling that she was going to change. Then she said you have your religion I have mine I'm good, I was a little fased by that but still I think they can change! We havent gone back yet but we are planning on it. Then ya so that was exciting. And the rest of our days were pretty much like that we got in with a few people that we havent for a long time! Like this one girl her name is Michelly shes 14 and a less active recient convert, we only talked to her mom but we got through the gate for the first time in like 8 something weeks! Woo! :) 

So yeah I dont really have any other cool stories, but we are just working and walking on our feet in Molino!

Oh so our dinners Sundays that we have with the Family Lopez yesterday he came up to me and was excited but looked tired and wanted to show me a picture, I thought his wife who is pregnant had her baby! But no, he showed me a picture of bagles! One day I mentioned (several weeks ago) that I wanted a bagle, I think really I was just talking to Hna Johnson. Well long story short he MADE  bagles!! And we had them for dinner and they were really good! That was exciting. 

Okay so today we ran all over the place looking for a thermos (termo) and a dress and all sorts of things and then we went and had lunch with a member in Capiata an old area of Hna Betancourths she was suuuuper nice and really cool. Well she has a hair salon thing and hna B bought this stuff to well I think it is to permantly straighten your hair so she did that which smelled really bad and took what felt like a long time. Well the hermana said you look tired here take a nap, on these bench chair things... so I sat there for a bit but then I did feel tired and they were talking and spanish is so soft and flowy ( I dont know how to explain it) I fell asleep. haha it was funny but soooo nice! And yes several colectivos later that brings us to now. :)

 

The outside of Hermana Collins' house

13th email

Okay so this week, especilly yesterday everyone wants to give us food! something about this week, it has been more than ever! And Hna Betancourth likes to cook so she's made things for breakfast and then she likes to eat dinner and i am used to a banana or crackers at night. And I dont really like to eat after 8:30 9 ish so I ate a lot. But yesterday, so we eat lunch every sunday with the familia Valasquez and it was the hna's birthday so we had bbq bean salad and rice salad and mandioca lots of meat. then I ate an orange. Then We were at Carla y Emilio's house they are recient converts. And Emilio's mom was talking about mamón (papya) and I said I had never tried one. So she's like, oh we have one bring some for her to try, I thought oh just a little piece no they brought the whole thing!! And they wanted me to eat it all! It was really good, kind of like a sweet squash, not much flavor but I was already full. Then we taught investigators and they were like here  eat dinner with us. And me and hna j had refused them before and hna b says yes to a lot of things so with my stomach so full I ate chicken and bread and a little bit of chancho and then they  gave us cake!!! oye. Then we had to walk back to our house. it was not comfortable. i am still full! haha yeah 

But anyway I am feeling great! I love learning new teaching styles with a new companion, she is really spunky and loud. But I think that will be good for the pepole we are working with. One day I dont remember it rained aaaalll day! I love it so much! but we got really wet and either 1 or 2 things happens in the rain. Everyone invites you in because they wonder what inthe world you are doing out in the rain or they are all asleep. This day only a few people were awake or home... but i love the rain!! We came back finished planning early and everything and went to bed early :) it was great! 

Carla y Emilio they are a young mrried couple who live with Emilio's family. theyare the only memebers, butwe are slowly working with his family. He has a sister who is 11 silvia. She came to church with us this Sunday!!! and she asked for a book of mormon to read! She's really smart and wants to learnmore! oh its so cool! 

And then we are teaching this guy who hna j found one day we were walking because their house looks like a mexican style church thing its really cool and she wanted to know what it was. Well this guy is pretty rich and speaks a little english. There are people who speak a little and like to practice with me... at first I liked it but durring a lesson its just weird, I get so confused! But he's cool and theyare a family and yes I hpoe they progress! 

OH and so there is the community Apy I think I wrote about that before, of natives indiginous people ...whatever they are and they speak chomococo and hna b really wants to learn chomococo ... she speaks a lot of guarani too but I think I'll learn spanish first :) 

Okay and last thing, Hna johnson with all the things she couldnt fit, left a set of essays her grandpa sent her buy william george jordan they are all out of print but are sooo cool! This is a part that I really like and am trying to apply here. 

Self control may be developed i precisely the same manner as we tone up a weak muscle, by little exercise3s day by day. Let us each day do as mere exercises fo discipline in moral gymnastics, a few acts that are sidagreeable to us, the doing of which will help us i in stant action in our hour of need. the exercises may be very simple, dropping for a time an intensely interesting book at the most thrilling page of the story, jumpi ng our of bed at the first moment of waking, walking home when one is perfectly able to do so, but when the temptation is to take a car, talking to some disagreeable person and trying to make the conversation pleasant. These daily excersis in moral discipline will have a wondrous tonic effect on mant whole moralnature. The individual can attain self control in great things nly through self control in little things. He must study himself to discover what is the weak point in hi armor what is the element within him that ever keeps him from his fullest success. Then you work on that. 

And yes, I am working  on that with contacting speaking all sorts of things. Its hard but i think it will be worth  it. 

I love you all so much! 

Love Hna Sarah

 

 

 

 What a street look like

 

 

12th Email

This week was nuts!!! And it feels like forever since last Monday! Okay so I have a new companion! Hna Betacourth, she is from Honduras and this is her last 6 weeks before she is done with her mission too! Yeah... She is really awesome, short and a little ball of fire! She was in my district before so I know her which helped with the transition. But I guess now Heavenly Father wants me to speak better Spanish, or something. Its not bad though I can communicate just fine with her, except for my feelings really, like emotions more than just tengo hambre or I'm tired or happy or whatever. I think though is that Spanish is in my brain just not in my heart. And she knows a little English I'm teaching her and we practice but she's pretty good. Andshe is really good in our lessons, (its like hna Johnson never left! ) She is a little more loud and direct I guess you could say than Hna Johnson in our lessons haha its really hard not to compare I love them both...  But yeah...
Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were really hard, We had been focusing so much on getting Hna Johnson ready to leave and I was focused on her and how she was feeling and I mean yeah I was nervous and scared to have a new companion and to have to teach the area and all that but other than that I didn't think much of it. But I forgot to prepare myself. We went to the Stake center to do the changes and things the last few days and this day were moving so so fast I got a little chocked up when we said good bye but then we had so much to do. So after things settled down after she left I was so sad. I couldn't feel anything else I was so sad.I was hungry and didn't want to eat I felt so sad (that only happened once for a moment, don't worry)  I missed her ( I still do) so much and I cried a lot, I physically could not hold back my tears. It was so weird I have never felt so much sadness. But I wrote it all down and I saw Hna lundberg a lot so I talked to here even though she really didn't understand I talked it all out and really its like the grieving process after someone dies. And then Thursday I was struggling so much I said as much to my comp as I could in Spanish and cried a little , it was just... hard then guess what happened. Hna Johnson called me! from the office. But she called me I was so happy and she was so sweet and oh I just love her. She wanted to make sure I was okay and it was awesome. And she made me tell her how I was feeling and everything and I cried more... (lots of crying buy I'm better) Hard but awesome! So that is what has filled most of my thoughts this week! But I am so much better now that I have had the chance to talk and write about it! And get to know Hna B better. so yes. :) I don't know how other people feel when this happens but que pucha chera it was dificil y te! ( some guarani Spanish and English for ya no idea if I spelled it all right)

Oh we had a baptism too! Piti the 9 year old. It was really nice! His brother Ivan who is 10 I think gave an amazing talk on baptism before and it was really imprecionante for a 10 year old! And Sunday he bore his testimony and was amazing! The family is progressing really well and growing spiritually more and more and its so cool to watch. (They were less actives before) Oh and just before that we had an activity with the stake like we did before where we wen tout with the youth and taught and contacted. This time in Palma loma the area of hna lundberg, and there were not very many youth so Hna b and I went together. so that was fun but exhausting and then had our baptism and it was a long day. But good.

Well we've been doing a Libro de Mormon reading challenge with our mission and its interesting because I can understand pretty well in Spanish! Woo!

And yes its all very exciting! and estoy mejorando, I CAN TALK ON THE PHONE IN SPANISH!!!  that is like a huge accomplishment for me! Woo! yeah okay. y si. :) Sorry I cant really remember any spiritual things except for even though it seems like no one understands how I feel about Hna Johnson leaving I know Christ does and He has helped me so much, when I couldn't talk to anyone else I prayed and my burden was lifted. The atonement is real and we can use it for anything!!

Love Hermana Sarah


Hermana Collins and Hermana Betacourth



The boy who got baptized


A typical Paraguayan lunch! 

11th letter

So this week was Semana Santa, holy week. and Pascua on Sunday (Easter) oh and we just happened to have conference :) So first Semana Santa, everyone makes muchísimo ( a ton of ) Chipa. Which is actually really good if it is made right. I've had some nasty ones. But it is just like a cheesy fenally bread made with really fine corn flour I think.. .its good but it has a ton of butter and fat in it and everywhere we went this is how it went, Oh! We just made chipa you have to have some! or here take some chipa or do you have chipa? oh well take some more! Ah we ate so much chipa! We even made some with a family, that was fun! So yeah. And on Thursday when they dont eat meat they eat only chipa but that's only the strong Catholics. They are the ones who do Palm Sunday where they take their palm leaves. And Friday everyone had a day off work. So it was like eat chipa go to church for the first time in the year and sleep for a whole day. Members here really dont have any traditions other than make chipa and chill on their day off they dont do the other catholic things. Oh but they do watch movies. I guess all of the easter like films are on TV. On thrusday we went to the Bishop's house for dinner and they were watching the 10 commandments and another time we walked through a house and they were watching Ben Hur! It's not really a big deal here unless you are catholic. But we had the conference to get people excited about! 

So all this week we had been passing out cards for the #graciasqueElvive (thatks that he lives or something I dont know in english, but its the video about Christ and the Atonement and Resurection..) And that was fun! If you havent seen it watch it! 

We did that and just made sure everyone was going to come to Conference! 

Okay so Saturday, it was raining. Not bad, I love the rain but we had to go pick people up for the Womens meeting that started at 10am. And they lived lejos!! (far away) We went to get Rosemeri she lives in Api (its like happy with out the h) It is a village of native people, mostly chomococo. But she couldnt come anymore. So then we got Naomi she is really awesome she is 16 I think or 15 and the only active member in her family she comes to everything all by herself so we took her with us and then we got Carla. By the time we got to the stake center we were soaking wet and muddy. But we were there!!! I was so excited. I couldnt hold stil! There was hardly anyone there and we had to wait for the stake pres. to hook up the trasnmission. So we came in to the conference with Sister Stevens talk. So today listened to the beginning, in english ( and downladed the opening song mom! ). Because I heard it all in spanish. Which actually I understood!! So that was good! And then more people came and guess what! They had it set up for us to listen in English! Woo! I did listen to a few in Spanish like Sunday those 2 who spoke in English, and Pres Uchtdorf and his German that was so funny! We all thought when that happened that the Elder who was changing the channel to go back to English from Spanish for the last talk had changed it to Guarani or something (becausee they have conference in guarani!) Yeah it was funny. But anyway I could understand the spanish but I couldnt really realate to it or it didnt mean very much. So I was so greatful for the spanish!! 

I loved conference both days! Oh my it was just so exciting! I was so excited multiple times my eyes watered... :) I loved Sister Wixom's talk and Bishop Cousse( or how everyou spell it) I definatley took forgranted the things we have so readily available in Utah. Their are churches everywhere and we have so much! It was a good reminder, tambien to be more aware of God's hand in our lives. And I really liked Brent H Nielson's talk and Pres Uchtdorf and his talk on Grace! That one helped me with some questions I had come with! So good! And Kevin W Pearson, that was was good, after it felt like a gust of wind just hit me in the face he talked so fast and so strongly, Read your scriiptures! Cada dia every day every day!! Oh and Wilfor W Anderson and his dance and music metaphores wow. that was beautiful! And pres. Monson, he didnt look well and besides the Priesthood session he only spoke once!  There were some good things! And it was so nice to listen and learn! 

We sat in a room most of the American Missionaries just us and watched and shared snacks. It was fun! And just amazing!! 

And yeah I think that was pretty much everything! I learned that to change we have to make the decission that we want to and then let Christ in and He will change us and we can be better and try again. And the Atonement can be applied to every aspect of our lives. To never ever forget it, we can't do this alone we need his constant help. And to keep an eternal perspective and as always families are very important! :) And I think that's it!

I love you all so much! 

Love Hermana Collins 

 

Oh and I ate blood sausage! nastiest thing ever!!!!! it made me shiver...yeah 

 

Hermana Collins and a huge tree!

10th letter

So today we went to another city to visit people in Hermana Johnosn's first area. It was interesting. But there is a family where this Sister, is from Utah. She's super nice! And has a really interesting story. She is from Alpine and served a mission in Uruguay and met a guy from Paraguay named Mahonri Moriancomer (the brother of jared) and then she came back and had a lot of impressions she needed to marry him (I guess there was a long distance relationship somewhere ) and I dont know all of it but I know she struggled a lot with the decision but knew it was right. So they got married and they live here! And she just had a baby! She's so amazing, she struggled having a baby here and was saying she just got over the home sickness but its hard to be away from her fmaily. I dont' know she was just really cool and her baby is adorable. And she said if I need anything she's going to Utah in June :) haha But yeah..

Oh! so Pedro got baptized this week! Saturday! It had been raining all day (I LOVE the rain sooooo much. I just love rainiy weather! ) and he had a boy scout thing so we were worried he wouldn't show up to his own baptism. But he did in a T-shirt and basketball shorts!! We told him to bring and wear a tie and white shirt... 12 year olds!! haha But it was good we actually had quite a few members show up! And yeah. He looked really happy after and felt good. I have been trying to remember my own baptizem this week. Especially because we have a thing that the President gave us to do when we teach Less actives. We use steps from Alma 5 to remind them of their baptizem and changes they made and how they felt. So I asked myself the questions. And I remember a lot of what happened but not really how I felt. It's interesting to remember. 

This change went by so fast! I fell like the MTC went on forever but this has just zipped by! I'm excited and nervous to find out who my next companion will be! To see how she will do things. I've learned a lot from Hermana Johnson. She's helped me so much to step out of my comfort zone. At times I don't like it at all but she'll just smile and stare at me... until I say something or go contact someone. She's tuff but I know its good for me. It's interesting this week so many people have complimented me on my spanish. On lady inparticular, Hermana Bordon she is Pedro's grandma and a fisty, cranky, super nice and sometimes scary lady.Lets just say she is sweet unless you make her mad then watch out. And she's short ( incase you were wondering) But I read some scriptures and after she just looked at me and said Wow! the gift of tounges is really with you. And some other stuff in spanish. Then Hermana Johnson said how's mine and she was like..eeehh. haha it was funny. But just to have it come from her was really cool. 

And eso no mas... It was a good week :) I'm so excited for conference!!!! and cant wait to hear what you think! 

I love you all so much!! 

Love Hermana Sarah :)