Week 91: Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

 This week was pretty great. I left the office Wednesday and i think i taught everything to Elder Johnson he needed to know... I hope haha. But yeah, so i came Wednesday night.  Our pension is actually pretty nice, no leaking windows and I haven't seen a cockroach yet, just we don't have hot water right now but it's cool. Our area is really cool as well, apparently it's the most dangerous area in the mission, it's right on the Brazilian border where a lot of people smuggle drugs and other stuff across at night, so we stay away from that part.  But I haven't seen anything crazy yet. But it's really cool, Elder Thomas and i get along really well and are having fun together, and the zone is pretty cool.  Elder Litchfield is in my zone again, he was the one I talked to before the mission.  I was his zone leader before, then he was my zone leader, and now I'm his zone leader again haha.. But yeah, there haven't been any problems yet, everything is going well. 

I did divsiones with one of the newer missionaries Friday which went well, he is really good; he is Elder Reyes from Chile.  We went to one of his investigators houses and there was a big storm coming and she was trying to cut her tree down.  She couldn't, so we helped her cut her tree down and she was telling us how grateful she was and that she didn't know what she would have done if we wouldn't have gone by.  So that was fun, hopefully she can get to know the church a little bit more.   Service is always a good way of getting to know people better. 

We have some cool investigators though, there is this lady named Lurdes who is reading the Book of Mormon and she really liked Mosiah 18:8-10.

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

She told us that she felt like verse 10 was talking to her and she made the decision to be baptized next month, so we are working with her.  Also, some less active people came to church which was cool, as well as three other investigators that we are working with.  Well two of them are new, so we are going to visit them this week. But the work seems to be going pretty well.  The branch has about 50-60 people usually, but 70 came yesterday. Last night there was a huge rainstorm and we got kinda wet and there was tons and tons of mud, but it's kind of nice being a regular missionary and walking around in the rain at night where its really dark getting rejected haha. I feel like a missionary now rather than being in the truck in the office. 

There are some good members though, we have lunch almost every day with them and there are a few kids getting ready to go on misisons that are willing to help out with missionary work. Being back in Paraguay is cool though, it's fun, and different so i can't complain.  My first area is pretty close by, it's in our zone and this week we have the conference with the Seventy, so we are trying to organize the food and stuff for that and do divisiones and plan an activity, so we are pretty busy which is good. I don't feel like I'm going to finish my mission soon, so hopefully i can keep going with that same mindset.  This weekend is stake conference, so hopefully I'll get to see some people that I met before. 

Thanks for writing and for the update, have a great week!!!

Elder Roberts