I've really got to work on my Guarani now that you and all the members here in Concepcion think that I can actually speak it. :)
I'm still in Concepcion! I'm SO GLAD I didn't have to move again. I think I may stay here until the very end of the mission, which is a really weird thought. It adds extra pressure to make my time here in this area extra wonderful, A) because there's no hope of a "better" area after this one, and B) because I need gente who will miss me when I'm gone. :)
Last week, we lost our cell phone. It fell out of Hna. Van Dusen's bag, and by the time we realized and went back to look for it, someone had taken it and probably sold it. It was very hard not being able to call our investigators or our leaders or anybody. We had to go borrow a member's phone for very important matters. I didn't think I depended on technology so much until it was taken away from me. :) But because we were phone-less, we learned about Changes later than the rest of the zone. When we finally did hear, though, we couldn't believe our ears.
Hna. Van Dusen se fue. She is now in Villa Hayes (yay!) with Hna. Brittner, who was her companion in the MTC. She was very surprised that after all that time, they'd be companions again. And guess who my companion is now? Hna. Tua'one! Again!! I didn't even know that was possible to be paired up with an old companion, but because there are so few Hermanas coming into the mission lately (there are only three Junior companions out of the 14 of us), we're all repeating companions! It's so weird. True, we're not in Mariano anymore, but it was such a blast from the past to wake up and find Hna. Tua'one as my roommate again with her same bedding, same rice pudding breakfast, and same CDs playing. It's been such a blast, though. Even though I pretty much whitewashed an area AGAIN, it's been so nice being with a companion who I already love and trust.
This is Hna. Tua'one's last Change of her mission. It's very weird. That means I'm for sure getting ANOTHER companion next Change, and in the meantime we're both trying not to be "trunky." I have a lot more time left than her, but since she's all figuring out her flight plans and everything, it makes me think about my own.
I have no idea what's going to happen next Change. I don't know if more Hermanas are coming in or what. I've now been companions with all but like three Hermanas currently in the mission, and I've seen every Hermana area except one. I feel so old. :) I can definitely say that I've seen almost all that Paraguay has to offer. On the bus ride to Asuncion to drop off Hna. Van Dusen and pick up Hna. Tua'one, we left at night so I slept the whole ride. But on the way back, we drove in the middle of the day. You know how usually when you go on road trips, you look up every now and then and the scenery around you is different? Not so here in Paraguay. I fell asleep after we passed Villa Hayes, and when I woke up two hours later, you'd think we were still just barely leaving Villa Hayes. The campo around us was identical. No hills or different plants or anything.
But being out there in the chaco, I saw so many little villages that I'm sure aren't in any missionary zones. It's so sad to think how many people are completely isolated from the gospel. All we can hope for is that some member or investigator relative will share the gospel with them, or that they have internet and will find the Truth online. There are SO MANY people in the world. Here in Concepcion I'm sure that even after contacting every day for three Changes straight, I still won't have met everybody. And that's just a tiny little city in a tiny country in the huge world. Share the gospel with everyone!!
Our recent convert Manuel is doing a great job of that. He's brought a new family member with him to church every Sunday that I've been here. Yesterday was his sister, Inocencia, who said, "I really liked your church. There was no shouting or screaming. It was easy to feel close to God." She also liked the fact that we don't pay tithing in front of everyone else. She always felt pressured into giving up her money. She lives out in the chaco. Not too far away, though. If she comes back, we're going to teach her again. In the meantime, hopefully she reads her folleto and shares the gospel with some other people out there. :)
It's a little stressful having to take care of Concepcion practically alone. Thankfully Hna. Tua'one is amazing and has perfected befriending and teaching the people. She never just follows me around, either. From day 1 she was helping me with all the planning, even though she had no idea where anything was or who anyone was. We only got lost a LITTLE bit. :) Laurel asked me if I feel really trusted for being sent far away from other missionaries, and now being left to lead with only two weeks' worth of knowledge of the area. It is rather flattering, I must admit. I have no idea why President (and Heavenly Father) have so much confidence in me to give me a task like this. Trust me, I'm not letting it get to my head. I still feel so weak in so many ways.
But something I learned this week in my Doctrine and Covenants studies is that God really does let us help Him with His work if we're willing. He knows that we're not perfect, and He knows that He could do a better job, but he lets us try our best so that we'll learn and grow, and so that we can earn the blessings that He so wants to give to us. I love reading in Doctrine and Covenants so many revelations given to individual people, where the Lord shows them that He knows their hearts and is willing to answer their questions. I've been reading my own Patriarchal Blessing a lot this week as a result, and I've been trying to strengthen my testimony of prayer by making my prayers more specific and recognizing the answers throughout the day. I'll always remember the great spiritual moments in my life, but now I'm trying to see wonderful spiritual moments every day.
Thank you so much Grandma Springer, the Blairs, Brother Dorny, Chase, Amanda, Mom, Dad, Ashley, Goompa, and Laurel for your letters this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA AND GRANDMA!! I love you so much and hope you get thoroughly spoiled on your special days.
Take care everybody. And if you have time (and you should), check out Moroni 9:6. That's the Change scripture that Hna. Tua'one and I are reciting every morning of companionship study.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!
---Hna. Springer
1-A photo I took of someone's pet parrot. They all have the exact same kind of parrot, and they always just let them hang out in their trees in their yards.
2-Me and a ton of Hermanas who used to be my companions (except for Hna. Nestares on the right)
3-Some adorable lamanitas. :)
---Carly
2-Me and a ton of Hermanas who used to be my companions (except for Hna. Nestares on the right)
3-Some adorable lamanitas. :)
---Carly
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