Dreaming of the family or home or not being a missionary most nights of the week. This week I dreamt that Dad moved to Paraguay and that it was time to go back to his house. I went, expecting a fancy, luxurious house, since everything is super cheap in Paraguay, and it was just a big empty Paraguayan house, with nothing but rickety Paraguayan chairs. So, my companion and I moved in and just had the time in our life talking and joking in this giant, empty, Paraguayan room.
Six week left. This Wednesday begins the last change of my mission. Pretty sure I’ll stay here in Pedro Juan Caballero and my companion will go. The Assistents should call us soon to give us the changes for the zone. It’s been interesting to see the different effect the end of the mission has on different Elders. Some of them get the attitude of “who cares, I’m out of here,” others spend the time searching for souvenirs and preparing and planning what they’ll do when they get home. This morning was the first real feeling of fear for the end. I guess fear is the opposite of faith, but it just seems like it’s coming to soon. I’ve kind of just felt quiet and thoughtful, but the feeling is welling up into a desire to put some goals and take advantage of these last few weeks to work with all I’ve got.
The branch continues to move forward. The Activities commitee (formed spontaneously over the last few weeks) had a fire lit in them, planned a June Party and invited all of the surrounding branches to participate. Looks like the members are getting excited for it.
President Nunez continues to work more with us and we are starting to see why he is how he is. He had been Bishop in Brasil for a LONG time and then came here, where the church is beginning and struggling and the culture is much more relaxed. He told us of his struggles to get people to go to church in shirt and tie, and to get organized and to enlist the members in service, but that nothing worked. We also had a sincere, frank conversation with his wife, who is bed-ridden and demands a lot of his time. She cried last night as she bore us her testimony and told us of her desires to serve in the church, but regret of not being able to. Now that she is the activities coordinator and makes invitations and plans activities, she is at least fulfilling a part of what she had always wanted. As we help her and get to know the family, it is incredible to see the way the PResident opens up to us. Last night we gave him a list of members we thought would work well in callings, and the most needed callings that are lacking in the branch. He humbly accepted it and promised to pray about them and fill the positions (mostly the Elders Quorum President and Ward Mission Leader). THings are looking up.
We got back in our area on Wednesday afternoon this week, tired, smelly, and feeling behind with our own investigators. It seems like the division did some good, though, because some of the Elders that were struggling to invite people to be baptized and help them get to church saw some serious progress this week. It is always a great blessing to work with missionaries that sincerely want to do this work in the Lord’s way and in the best possible way, but sometimes just need a little help to do it.
Pretty crazy experience yesterday doing contacts and a drunk man kindly received us. As he got to know us and began to speak slowly about things he had heard about the USA, he got caught up in his own story and eventually kicked us out of his house, calling us about every bad word we know in Spanish and Guarani and some we didn’t. We were on a division with a young man from the ward and tried to keep the situation cool. We didn’t respond really, just said, “ok, we came to talk about Jesus Christ and say a prayer, do you want us to or do you want us to leave?” At the end, he just wanted us to leave, I guess. Haha, one of those classic Paraguayan mission experiences.
Nine year old Monica, who’s mom is less active was baptized this week. At first we were hesitant since we didn’t know if she would be abe to continue attending church, but as she made friends with her neighbor who is an active and excited member, and she strived to say the prayer and read the Book of Mormon, she gained a strong testimony and real desires to follow Jesus Christ. One thing she had to do to follow Him was give up coffee, which her inactive mom gave her every morning. We helped her to understand the commandment, and ask her Heavenly Father for repentance and promise him not to do it again. I was able to confirm her yesterday and felt the spirit as I promised her the blessing of being a light to her family as she continues in the path she was beginning.
Tomorrow we have a big wedding and baptism planned. Miriam has saved up the money to be baptized several times and hasn’t been abe to make it. One time her baby boy got sick, another time she had to help her sister so her family could pay their bills, and another time they had to travel suddenly to Asunción. Well, they’ve been doing all they could to save up, and got a substantial part. But the members, seeing her testimony and consistency of coming to church every Sunday, and her love of the Book of Mormon, pitched in and paid enough for the entire wedding. We’re hoping they’ll be strong and committed to overcoming any obstacle to follow Jesus Christ.
Well, the work goes on. I’ll let you know how things turn out this week. I’m excited to have a new change and another new opportunity to define myself and become the best man I can be. Love you all,
Elder McCarty
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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