Slow Week

So this week has been a slow week. The president changed, or well we think it was him I really don’t know haha. But they changed what numbers they ask for and it essentially changed our focus to working with members more and friends and references that they have. So we are working on finding members who have references for us right now, and hit it had this week!

My new companion is Elder Baldeon, (bal-de-on) he is from Ecuador, he is a bit on the quieter side and we have a bit in common and enough to talk about and get to know each other.  His Spanish is a bit harder to understand, he has a small lisp. But he is awesome; he has been in the mission for a year and seven months. He has been a zone leader for a time and now is our district leader.

Not much else has happened this week. IT has been very relaxing and very chill, but at the same time a lot of sweat and a lot of hard work. 

Not very long this week.

Elder Merrell

Good Morning

Stuck with a weird computer again, haha running some old windows, so I'm just happy to be able to email. There will be pics next week. I hope..

So this was the last week for Elder Fontolvo, and you would assume he would be out and about happy as can be but he was actually pretty sad. Sad to be leaving. We were able to go do a service project for a woman in the ward that even the bishop calls the Abulita, meaning little grandma, we left and started the service project cleaning her yard and beginning what we needed to be a 11 meter hole. By the end of the allotted time that we had given ourselves we were at a very clean yard and about a 2 meter hole. The ground is really thick here...and dry... and hard... haha and we don't have a real shovel, in my book. But none the less it was fantastic! Had a blast and got to see a humbler part of the area.

The rest of the week was interesting, Elder Nielson got back from a three week papers trip to Posodas and we went on divisions with him. After me and him cleaned the baptismal font in his area we got hungry and went looking for food. But it was during a time which is called ´Ciesta¨ or nap haha, and basically everyone leaves town, and nothing is open, so we walked a ways down to a arm of his area to this Country Club... A nice Country club and we walked around looking for food, the only place open was this sushi place that neither of us felt confident enough to eat at so after some more walking and such we came across a small Gourmet Empanadas place and the empanadas were wonderful! But at the same time the lady running it could not have been more prepared to receive our message. We talked with her a bit at the restaurant and went over the outline of our message. We assumed that we would set up a date that we could come back and visit her but she beat us to it, AND invited us to have a lesson that day. So we hopped on a golf cart, no joke, and drove down to her house, We past her mothers mansion of a house and then down to what she called a humble home, but it was still super nice. We had a wonderful lesson with her in "dirty damp" normal cloths..And we used the only book of Mormon that we had, which was given to her by some elders a long long time ago. We retaught her how to pray, asked her if we could help her to be prepared to be baptized and then set up a date for her. She is a wonderful person and I'm very happy for Elder Nielson.

 Sunday came around and Elder Fontolvo was asked to play the only two songs that he knew on the piano, both songs were conducted a lot slower then they were suppose to be played, but we are use to not having a piano player, so that was funny. After, he gave a quick talk and shared some scriptures that he knew would help the people of the ward. After church we visited all the people that we could. About 10 o'clock that night we drove to the terminal in Ciudad Del Este and he took off. And will be in his own bed Wednesday night.

 I will be in my area one more time, and from what I've heard I will be getting another "big'boned" Elder haha -3 for 3.
-Elder Merrell
 

Christmas!!

Christmas!!

Christmas Eve was fine, not much happened and we were able to have a nice dinner with a Family of the ward and then headed back to the pension. We got to bed at a decent time, meaning a bit after 10.30, haha But it didn't last long, cause apparently when Santa comes to South America he announces his entrance with Fireworks at midnight. And the Fireworks continued for a good hour until after he has given all of the presents to all of the children.

Christmas day was our Pday that week. Which was pretty pointless in the fact that everything was closed and we couldn't find computers to use to write to families But! We did manage to skype our families after we learned some members were in town. I got a chance to talk to Mom and Dad and the family. It was a wonderful experience and I am very grateful for this chance to talk with them. With Christmas I opened to packages I had received from the Roylance Family and from my family, with some socks, ties, alot of notes, and some much needed Sour Patch Watermelons.. And ohh goodness where they amazing!

On the 27th we had the Baptism of the Arrana Gonzalo Family and we were able to follow it as planned. It was a wonderful experience, and I was able to baptize Sara, the grandma, and also Laura, the 18 year old girl. We also had Elder Balcaza come, (my previous companion) to baptise the two boys, and Brother Colman to baptise the mother. The next day we had their confirmations in the church and me and my companion decided that it would be good to allow priesthood holders of the ward a chance to practice and use their priesthood.

New Years eve was relatively quiet.  Basically the last two weeks have been nearly impossible to get lessons in but we tried none the less

New years day was our next P'day which came to about the same result as having Pday on Christmas, nothing is open and there is nothing to do. :(

This most recent Sunday though Gonzalo, the 12 year old in the family was able to be given the priesthood and ordained a Deacon and i was able to participate in this blessing!

Preparing for Baptisms & Christmas

So its been a while but none the less, let´s get to it!


So last week was a blur and alot of sitting, We had another papers trip to correntes which is 12 hours of busses away. We got there pretty early, around 7 in the morning, after starting our travels around 3pm the day before. Oh goodness. So we got there and sat for a bit more, never ended up signing anything which I take as bad, and then left there around 7pm that day getting to the mission home in Posadas at about 12 that night. We slept woke up at 8 and got on another bus back to Hernandarius haha. Long trip

Then back to the work! Not much happened last week. We did however, have the Ward Christmas dinner and party which was fantastic! We ended up sleeping in the chapel that night and the next night based on the fact that we dont have any air conditioning. But we have some now thank goodness. The Dinner party was wonderfull! The Primary conducted a very rambunctious but very sweet nativity and first christmas. After the program we had dinner. Every table had their own 2L of soda haha.

We went over the baptismal quetsions with the Aranna family and they are more than ready. They are practically members of the ward having their own table at the christmas dinner and everything. It makes my heart swell to see them so happy.

Christmas is comming up and I'm not too sure what we are planning on doing. I know for sure the skype call but then again they expect us to go contacting and try to talk to people that day also. Its a bit odd but we will see how it works out haha. Not to sure about it. Super pumped for my first christmas away from home though.

Other than that, once again the computer doesn't like my camera. but I'll try to get some pictures this week anyways. Much love


Elder Merrell