The Rolla Holla! Monday 1.5.09 A Father who KNOWS You

A new year! Heavenly Father decided to start it off for us here in San Jorge with a miracle. I don´t know if it was from your prayers, or from the goal we set to pray individually for every investigator every day, but this week we were blessed to see some bountiful fruits from our labors. As far as I can tell, we worked the same, and we committed the loving, yet sometimes a little TOO relaxed people in our area to attend church this week. Most of all, we prayed for them, and when all was said and done, the 3 or 4 that we had been picking up from their houses to take them to church (sometimes having to wake them up), turned into 10 that showed up willingly and enjoyed a powerful meeting of many spirit-filled member testimonies. Our Heavenly Father knows EXACTLY what he´s doing in this work. We just have to do our part, and sit back in our Paraguayan rocking chairs (figuratively, of course, although they have some of the most comfortable rocking chairs I´ve EVER sat in in my life) waiting for his will to be brought to pass!
This Saturday, although we still have a few doubts to resolve and hurdles to jump, we hope to have 3 baptisms. Cynthia, who´s father goes back and forth between ¨I´m the law of this house and she´s not going to be baptized,¨ to ¨She has to make her own decisions.¨ We hope the day of the baptismal service falls on the latter. Lucy, who, while 14 years old, takes care of her family, and everything in the house, despite the pressure of drunk brothers and a demanding father. She was able to get permission and to attend church this week (although she´s gone MANY times before, a while ago). Finally, Blasida, the mother of the 2 daughters who we are also teaching. She has a rough past, a CLEAR testimony and and indominable excitement to start over fresh, cleansed by the power of Jesus Christ´s atonement. Thank you all for your prayers. They aren´t in vain. I know that they work and that Heavenly Father smiles as we combine our efforts and our time on our knees for this great cause!
This week, as we set out on the front porch near Poerto Fenix (or, Phoenix Port, a huge port where giant ships drop off containers in our area), loud trucks barreled by carrying their heavy, usually unsecured load (a little scary and dangerous). A gentle, yet hot breeze gave slight relief from the oppressive heat. My companion and I talked with Catalina, Blasida´s daughter, who was also going to be baptized this Saturday, but didn´t feel like she had a strong enough answer. As we taught her, I remembered an experience I had years back where some friends invited me to pray with them, each of them offering a prayer, and then offering one myself to get the answer I was so sincerely seeking. I remembered the FIRE that overwhelmed my body and the momentous knowledge that flooded my mind.
The spirit had brought me this memory, in the subtle way that I´ve come to recognize as a prompting to help somebody else. I suggested that we do this. And as we explained the feelings she could feel and the way she could know (using scriptures and testimony) she interjected that she was afraid - that she had a fear that she couldn´t explain. We explained that the Adversary also tried to stop that Prophet Joseph Smith, back in 1820, and that whenever we are on the verge of doing something important, obstacles come. So we prayed, each of us. Then came her turn. As she prayed, her voice cracked. Trucks passed, and a rooster next door began to crow...distractions through which we still felt that SIMPLE, penetrating peace. As she finished, she explained that the fear had passed COMPLETELY, and that she felt she had her answer.
WHAT A BLESSING TO BE HERE AND NOW IN THE WORK OF MY GOD! I don´t know why it is that I like so much to personalize it. He is your God as much as He is mine, but every day I realize that he is giving me, personally, experiences that ONLY Him, who knows all, could know I need. Seek out those experiences! They are there, whether you recognize them or not. Whether you are choosing the right...or not. Heavenly Father loves you and knows exactly what will bless your life.

I love you all! Thank you so much for all your support and love.
Elder McCarty



14.1 Here I climbed a latter of the HUGE stove (Tatacua in Guarani) where they cook the bricks at the brickyard.
14.2 Another classic, beautiful, Paraguayan sunset!
14.3 (with lady & baby) Elder in training.
14.4 (flip) Working on the tricks so I can keep up with my 2 flippin (haha, a pun, because they actually DO flips) brothers.
14.5 Had to put this in (even though I came out looking kind of goofy) with Elder Silvia, a member of the 70. (finally a normal smile)
14.6 We cleaned up the yard of the Bishop´s Mom´s house, and I find this SWEET old war hat in the shed.
14.7 And, this super old printer where you actually put in the letters. Yeah, it´s cool.
14.8 If you are from Paraguay, you have to drink Tedede, ALWAYS be relaxed, and cook some Sopa Paraguaya for Christmas, NO MATTER WHAT. Here is an Amigo doing the last of those three. (picture with the fire)
14.9 How you all love me! I got the package from my Mom and from Barb and am told one is on the way from my Dad. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
14.10 I finally broke down and actually ate some McDonalds. I know. The funny thing is, here it is a fancy restaurant and is EXPENSIVE! But, it was really good, I´ll be honest.

And there were SO many more but don´t have time. Next week, 10 more! I love you all!
(text in red from Kyler's mom- Becky)