The Rolla Holla! 6-7-09

Last Sunday night I packed my bags, cleaned up, and cooked a pound of bacon to celebrate the end of an excellent, enjoyable, and effective companionship. As we waited for the office Elders to come pick me up and take me back again, the familiar feeling of going back to somewhere I´d been before came over me. Elder Hansen, my ex-companion and now trainer and predecessor as secretary, took me to the large, though still Paraguayan, office-Elder house, where there are now living 7 Elders for various reasons—Life there is crazy. Ever since I have been enjoying, adjusting, learning and preparing to serve in the best way I know how.

This week was exciting. We started off the week preparing everything for the personal interviews President gives to all the Stake Presidents in Paraguay. Preparing and printing reports, confirming appointments, and arranging schedules so that the work can go on, coordinated between member and missionary, Ward and area, stake and zone.

On our Pday, Saturday, we went to the house of recent converts Derlis, Ceferina and their 5 kids. Remember the family we found and started teaching last time I was here? Well, all 7 of them got baptized and now they are one of the most solid families in the ward! We did a service activity and then they cooked up the pig head that we brought so that we could see for ourselves if it really was the delicacy they promised. It was actually pretty good. While I didn´t venture to eat the eyes or the ears, some of the other Elders here did. We laughed and had fun and took lots of pictures for you all to see.

President is supervising the opening of new branches and districts out in the desert of Paraguay and we arranged this week for a new District President to take the 8 hour bus ride here and back, participate in training meetings all day, and upon finding that he had never entered the temple, arranging for him to take out his endowments and be sealed for time and all eternity to his wife. Wow, what great experiences I am being blessed to have.
Thank you all for your love and support that makes it possible.

I love you!
Elder McCarty

Pictures (Hint: Click on them to open up big then click back on your browser to get back to this page)

3 Derlis and his family mentioned they liked Pig head (as a delicacy) and so we planned a service activity last Saturday and brought it along with us so they could teach us how to eat it. My 2nd companion, Elder Williamson about to kiss it.

4 Elder Hansen about to cut a huge tree that we cut down to make fire wood.

5 and 1 Here we are, before the blessing and the feast. It was actually pretty delicious.

8 Derlis wanted us to save all of these leaves from the tree we cut down to use them as medicine…the guy is as Indian as it gets.

9 Me cutting up firewood too, with a machete and an angry look on my face.

2 Elder Vail the financier putting the pig tongue in his mouth. Wow, yeah, gross. I ate some of the other head´s tongue.

6 The bones after we ate it all

7 Us four missionaries and the whole family!

928 Hangin out with my peeps. The Hermana Aurelia, Ana (who we baptized, 13 years old), and her little brother Fernando.

947 Luis and Jorgelina before their marriage. The best marriage and family baptized of my mission!

952 A jumping baptism. Edgar, 17 years old, and his best friend, Milka, a 3 month convert and one of the most solid youths in that ward.

953 Catalina, the miracle baptism, and her Mom, Blasida.

956 The first night of my second turn at the office.