The Rolla Holla! Monday, December 1st

(Also Lots of new pictures in the post below)

Every time I fill my lungs with another breath of the heavy Paraguayan air, I´m reminded of what a blessing it is to be living, and HERE of all places! Serving a mission here in San Jorge where the members love the missionaries and feed us a FAT, heavy lunch every day, complete with Mandioca almost always, or the sweeter, still potato like Vatata if you´re lucky. I´m learning to eat less so that I don´t have to wage war on sleep in the appointments that follow.In fact, with my first companion, he was accustomed to eating JUST lunch, and so every day was as if it were a fast. My body didn´t like that, and it let me know. So now, I eat the delicioius, soft, Paraguayan bread that comes in the form of rolls, and can be carried by the dozen in my bag.
All of my comps so far (ok, there´ve only been 2), laugh and criticize and joke with members about the size of my bag, but I gotta have my bread, lol.

We take Collectivos (busses) almost EVERYWHERE. The drivers are crazy and I´m amazed I haven´t been in an accident yet. But if I ever do, don´t worry, because they´re armored like tanks.My Companion now, thought he had street smarts and could pay half the fare for a shorter bus ride. After 3 or 4 arguments with different bus Driver´s, I suggested that maybe it wasn´t worth the pain. Now when he tells me ¨Hay que darme un mil and subir no mas,¨ (or, just give me 1 thousand Guarani and get on) I kindly let him know that I´ll be paying my own fare. It kills me.

And the work is wonderful! This week we baptized Viviana, a 16 year old girl who´s mother is a member. I hope and pray that we taught her enough to keep her strong in the church, but I´m communicating often with the Bishop to assure that she gets fellowshipped and home teachers, and nourishment by the good word of God (the GB Hinckley big 3).Isidora, an elderly woman who lives far away in the interior, or the Chaco as they call it (somewhat ominously, and I´m not quite sure why, yet) but visits here often with her daughter, who is a member. She had a burning desire to get baptized but the timing was never quite right. She is very sweet and kind and LOVES the gospel: she just happens to do it all in Guarani, so we had to use a translator to help her understand what we couldn´t communicate.

Bianca is 11 years old and has gone to church for 1 year with her neighbors. I don´t know why other missionaries never found her and taught her, but I felt impressed to talk with her one day on the collectivo coming home from church, learned her name (and among the blatant miracles I´ve seen so far, my ability to remember names, not to mention DIFFICULT because they are Latin, has been a GREAT blessing from God), and we began teaching her everything she already knew.As missionaries, we are nothing...nothing but blessed by God.

Though my ability with the language and in teaching is coming along, there is NO way I could have found, brought, and prepared these 3 souls for such an important and life changing covenant and commitment. For that, I thank you for your prayers, but most of all my Heavenly Father for his love and assistence. It is a priveledge to be a tool in his hand.I hope you are all well and enjoy the pictures that I sent. I love you all very much. Today is my day to remember that, and how easily the rememberance comes, almost to the point of overwhelming me. I feel blessed to know each of you and have you in my life!

Your Elder,Elder McCarty

Here´s a quote that always inspires me. I got it from my good friend Russ Condie and I´m sure it´s not perfect. ¨I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze, than be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy but permanant planet. Mans function is to live, not just to exist. I will not WASTE my days trying to prolong them. I will use my time.¨ Jack London.