Rolla Holla! Saturday, October 31, 2009

By Small and Simple Things… Family, Family, Family! Friends, Friends, Friends! How the heck are ya? Things are great down here in the motherland. I am happy and hard-working. Blessings are rainin’ down on me every day and I feel so grateful for each of you, and for a Heavenly Father that’s always hookin’ me up. This week has been great. I’ve continued strong. I’m about to come up on 21 days straight of some important new habits I want to develop. I’m already seeing myself, at night, feeling uneasy if I haven’t written in my journal, or filled out my personal progress checklist, or prayed with my companion. It seems I had those things down pretty well in the field, where my every thought is caught up in the Lord’s work, and investigators to help, and cool stories to tell. Here in the office, the typing, making phone calls, and sending faxes doesn’t exactly inspire those things naturally: we’ve got to FIGHT for them. And a fight it is. Lately I’ve been winning. Apart from that, I’ve been finding ways to go the extra mile and do things that may not exactly be under my list of responsibilites, in order to help others. President had me create a checklist to help all of the future missinoaries of the district prepare all necessary things to go on a mission. I got his permission and have been calling them and helping them fill out the forms, get dental work and Doctor’s exams, and progress spiritually. It is so gratifying to see these fellow young people, who I come to love and respect greatly for the many trials they overcome, take important steps toward such an important decision. They truly are incredible. Several weeks ago, one of these youths, Iban Ibañez from a tiny branch out in the Paraguayan desert, showed up outside of our house here in Asunción. Tired from the 8 hour bus ride, lost, and nervous for the adventure upon which he was about to embark, he knocked on my door. It was the first time I’d met him, in person. He and his father had come, since they only had money for 2 tickets. We arranged all of the last minute details and early the next morning at 4am, we took him to the airport. Without all of the fanfare and glory that should belong to a missionary leaving his home, the 4 of us stood in the empty airport as he prepared to pass through airport security. The father and the son looked into eachother’s eyes and said a thousand words in one fleeting moment. Clearly not used to showing affection, they gave an awkward hug and the boy was off, into a world that would make him a man. The father fought to hold back tears, and asked to borrow my cell phone. Weeping, he told his wife that Iban was off. He asked me to comfort her over the phone. I offered a few words of reassurement that he would be safe and would get there fine. Both parents thanked me as they wept. I realized in that moment, that our part in this work, however great or small, is a blessing so huge that we can’t even begin to comprehend it. God is giving us these experiences for a reason. I love Him for that. I am so grateful to be here. Grateful to weeping parents, that are making great sacrifices. Grateful to friends who always supported, uplifted, and encouraged me. And grateful, more than anything, to be alive and in God’s great army. That we all do our little part to deserve such infinite blessings.

With love,

Elder McCarty

056 Pancake breakfast this morning in the office kitchen. Tie tucked into my shirt.

..008 On a division with Rodrigo, and awesome young man who always goes out on divisions with us

001 A cool old car we found sitting in a green, palm-covered field.

The Rolla Holla! Saturday, October 24, 2009

Back on Track

I set a resolution this week. I decided, I WILL NOT let my head touch my pillow until I have done 3 things: written in my journal, prayed with my companion, and sincerely, soul-searchingly, and with all energy of heart, said a personal prayer. Since I made that resolution, I have not missed a day, and I have SEEN so clearly that God is pouring out blessings as a reward.
This week was infinitely more satisfying. We worked hard and saw the results. Elder Vail told us last night, during the nightly “tell stories about your day” session, that we are experts in finding young, golden families. This week we found 3 that resemble Marcial and Saide. They welcomed us in with arms wide open, offered us water, listened to and enjoyed our message and got fired up about doing what it takes to get an answer from God. As Marcial and Saide continue to progress, now filling out a chart we made up to develop habits of reading, praying and family night, the fruits of our labors LIGHT THE FIRE inside to continue striving and sweating even if only to help “the ONE.”
As my time here at the office surely winds down to it’s end, I have also decided to learn Guarani so I can use it out in the field. The lady who makes us lunch here in the office so that we don’t have to leave is teaching us a little bit each day. I like to learn little phrases that are funny or that help in the work: “Arundeve peteí mensaja porá’ite va” means “we bring a beautiful message”, or “Anga che kuña taí ove a paga ta ndeve,” which means “I’ll pay you when you are young” (to an old person, or, in other words, I’ll never pay you). Those good ol’ Guaranies, just have hilarious ways of saying things.
Today, Elder Frutos took a moment to explain to me how GREAT the mercy of God has been from Adam up until our time (Moroni 10:3), and how we need to at least show a FRACTION of that mercy to those we love. He learned the lesson powerfully because of those moments when he didn’t have patience with his kids, and now they are distanced from him, and respond more to their mother. It must be a painful regret, looking back at something now impossible to change.
Sometimes we get that feeling: those moments where it hurts us so badly that we aren’t something more; that we couldn’t DO more; that we fell when it was so important that we stood strong; we were harsh when tenderness was needed most.
This morning the Spirit touched my heart, and I was almost brought to tears by the realization of the people I have hurt in my life, both before and during the mission. The pain was a refreshing one, because it led to the ABSOLUTE determination to do better. In those moments, my mind always asks: How? I’ve tried so many times before. What will be different now? The answer is always the same: Christ will help me. That ´s why He´s here, by my side—that’s why He came! I know He will change me as He has before, and I will be a “new creature,” escaping the weakness and corruption of the natural man and feeling the happiness that I can always take with me—a constant possession. I love you family, and hope that we all grow in Love and Obedience to our God.
Elder McCarty
057 Catching Cocroach: we wanted to see if we could catch it without it flying out at us. Eventually it did and we ran away screaming. Then, Elder Vance snuck up on it and caught it.
029 He is a less active family we found, I may have told you the story: we felt like we should go see a new part of our area, and it turned out to be a ghost town. On the way out, we decided to contact this random house and it turned out they were members that were baptized a year ago in some other ward and had lost contact with the church! Crazy!

p8…126 An oldie but a goodie: Elder vance always wanted to take awkward old-fashioned pics. Here is one of them.

PA 030144 Cristian Baptism. I’m not sure I sent one of these. PA120249 End of Changes, all of us tired, up in President’s office, doing some late night work.

PA220253 At my desk, working like a dragon. PA160166 Derlis House, Luz turned 11 and so she made us dinner. It was pretty good.

PA230196 Dog for Dinner. The family Canisa is hilarious, and I was amazed the dog let us do that.
PA230195 Or maybe Brother Canisa for dinner?P8090121 Doing some kind of dance, coordinating, not sure what is going on.

The Rolla Holla! Saturday, October 17, 2009

They say that being away from home makes you a poet and a dreamer. It has always been interesting to me the connection between suffering and genious. The way that so many great poets commit suicide, and super-star musical artists die of drug-overdose. Maybe the highest hights of human achievement are made possible only when we are brought to our lowest depths. Maybe we achieve piercing focus only when we are painfully stretched. There always has been and always will be opposition in all things.
This week a million things came together to bring me down. As we struggled to open 7 new proselyting areas, findg houses, purchasing furniture and appliances, and organizing transportation, we didn’t get out in our area to do the work that we love ALL WEEK LONG. When Thursday came around and the 17 new missionaries were with their trainers in their new areas, and the 5 veterans were on planes headed to all parts of the world, exhaustion and sickness struck, and combined with the discouragement of not getting out all week, the few days that we DID have, have been ineffective and unsatisfying. But the work must go on. Moments like these are moments that determine whether we will take the difficult road, apply ourselves, and pull out of the slums we are stuck in, or whether we will give up and give in, and go down the gently declining pathway that only ever leads to sadness and despair. I am choosing to climb.
Next week my brother, Elder Andrew Allen McCarty will head home. He has completed a full and honorable mission—a heroes task that I think we may not always fully understand. Two years of humble, quiet, dedicated service. Away from loved ones and on his own. He is an example and a beacon to me. I pray that I will be able to measure up. Thank you Drew. Thank you family. I love you all,
Elder McCarty


017 & 020 My guitar and I. This is in the waiting room of the office, after having just taken a quick little nap on the couch on Pday (thus the red, puffy eyes :-).
PA…239 Out to lunch. We decided to try a cool new mexican place we found: “Pápagos.” It was pretty good. The first REAL spicy food we’ve found, and they had really good quesadillas.


243 Out of the house, to the office. Getting packages ready to send.
217 and 219. 2 Attempts at a soccer Bicycle kick. First attempt gone wrong. Second, looks better, but I totall missed the ball.

230 and 231 comp pics in the train. The one in the round window is supposed to be preaching to the multitudes, but I’m not really sure why you would do that from the window of a train. 223 Broken down train, we decided to do some boy band poses.

The Rolla Holla! Saturday, October 10, 2009

"Mangy”
Funny story: we showed up at the Troche Family’s house to drop off their 15 year old son that had gone out teaching with us one night. My companion was almost attacked by their little, crazy looking dog with mis-match colored eyes. His mom told us the dog had gone crazy and was attacking and jumping up on everyone that passed by. The neighbors were all frightened. Then, with that introduction, she asked us that we put him in our big blue van and take him far away and leave him there.
Maybe not using our best judgement, we agreed to do it. We spent 15 minutes trying to get him in the back and finally, unexpectedly he jumped in FRONT! I hesitated to drive with him there, but my comp sat between me and the dog to hold him down. Half way to the far away place he jumped on my lap and I had to drive with a nervous, shaking, vicious dog all the way to our next appointment, where we glady dropped him off. Crazy things that happen in the mission
We’ve also got another youth in the ward that comes out with us (there are like 3 that are absolute studs for doing divisions). This one is named Felix and he is a machine for saying stupid things in our lessons. The other day after a profound testimony from my companion, Felix shot off saying, “You know, if you ever wanted, I’d be glad to come over here and clean your house up a bit for ya.” Last night, as we were about to invite 3 ladies to be baptized on the 24th, Felix explained, “yeah, Baptism is great, but you knowwhat ISN’T fun? Getting baptized for the dead. They just dunk you under, time after time.” My companion and I just looked at eachother, like, “no you just didn’t,” and then spent 15 minutes briefly explaining vicarious ordenances and trying to get back the spirit.
Life is great on the mission. I am really happy and the office is a great, if challenging experience. It is definitely humbling, since the rewards aren’t as vivid as one out in the field who SEES lots of people changing their lives as a direct result of our service. One finds out why he really IS in this work in the first place. I know I am here to serve my Lord in the best way he needs me. I have seen Him guide me and trust him with all my heart. Thank you family. I love you all.
Elder McCarty
001 This is me driving with that dog. You can see my scared face in the rear view mirror.

011 We went out today for empanadas and they had like 20 different kinds. One kind, the Chilena, had RAISINS in it, gross.

020 (Just for you Mom) We went to this cool hand-made store in Luque, a city just outside Asunción and I saw these little dresses (they stuck this sombrero on me just as we were taking the pic to send it home to you). Anyhow, they cost about $8 each, Mom. I could buy some to send home to Anika, Aspen, Brindley & Caedence if you wanted. I don’t know if they’d like them or not.

029 We found an open door to this soccer stadium on Pday and went in to explore. It felt pretty cool, like professionals down on the field. We even grabbed an old soccer ball and shot some goals.

31 Here we all are inside an old broken down train. It was pretty cool.

The Rolla Holla, Saturday, October 03, 2009

Tears of Joy
Rejection. Here in downtown Asunción we get a lot of different kinds of rejection. Fancy, rich person rejection; opened and then slammed door rejection; through the speaker looking into the lens of a camera rejection; and just normal, Paraguayan, “another day” rejection. This week I experienced my first English rejection. We decided to contact the American family that lives in our area. We went to their house and I spoke through their speaker to a little American girl, a lot like my nieces back home. She called the Paraguayan maid and they told me the father wasn’t home. Several minutes later he pulled up, and we spoke through the window of his Landrover.
I explained to him our message and why I left my family to be here so far away. As I testified of the powerful affect of our message, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I was almost brought to tears and I realized that those scripts I memorized so long ago in the MTC to learn Spanish, are actually EXACTLY how I really feel. Somehow things just hit me on a deeper level in my own language. Truth be told, after feeling those truths so deeply, the cold rejection hit me on a deeper level than it ever had before as well. But since that moment, I have testified more powerfully and recognized once again, in a cycle of ever-deepening sincerity, that I KNOW what I know, and I want everyone else to know and be blessed by that knowledge.
Last Thursday we heard a knock here at the office door at 10 in the morning. We welcomed Cristian and his Brazilian girlfriend, Lisa, into the waiting room and sat them down on the couch. It was the day of the interview. Most baptismal candidates don’t come to you, but the mall in which Cristian is opening his restaurant is situated about 4 blocks from our office. Elder Vail, who speaks Spanish excellenty, but with a heavy American accent that makes him seem even MORE authoritative to the Paraguayans, greeted him and invited him up to President’s office to do the interview.
They were up there for a while, almost an hour, and I honestly started to get worried, even though we had taught and retaught and verified and re-verified all of the baptismal questions. When they came down, Cristian’s eyes were puffy from weeping. He went straight to Lisa who stood up with a somewhat worried look on her face and stretched his arms around her. They stood there in a tight embrace for several minutes, both of them crying. Elder Vail and I stood by, feeling the importance of the situation and the spirit touched our hearts: this man is converted.
This morning was his baptism. After the service and the talks, he himself stood to bear solemn testimony that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. Even more unexpectedly, his father who we had never before met stood to bear testimony, even though, in his own words, he is “not a member—At least not yet.” I felt the spirit deeply as I saw all of the moistened cheeks in the room, and testified of the deep spiritual importance and undeniable truth of what we were doing there. We wept together, and then laughed together as we ate the brownies that I attempted to prepare at 6 am this morning and the juice we had bought last night.
It was a great experience. I hope you SEARCH for moments like those in your own life. I love you with all my heart!
Elder McCarty

Pics
005: Elder Rodriguez and Cristian and I. The son was shining brightly in our eyes. A beautiful morning for a baptism, as one Hermana from our ward said in her testimony.

003: Here’s Elder Vail, our District Leader, the financiero, but more than anything, a great friend.
002: We had a huge ward activity and played soccer and ate Sausages (Chorizo). It was delicious. 2 investigators came and we even managed to have a spiritual experience as well!

001: We got to go to the temple 2 weeks ago. Here I am with Elder Vail and the old Financiero, also a great friend, Elder Guest. 004: Here is Cristian with Lisa, his girlfriend, far left, and both of their families. The man in the blue is Cristian’s dad who bore his testimony.