Week 69 - Paraguay - Concepcion

Dearest Familia,

For all you Utahns who would like to meet my awesome companion, Hna. Tua´one, here is the information for her Homecoming:

Cell phone of Hna. Tua´one (her mom, I mean) in case you get lost:  801-381-4527.

Granger 6^th Ward

3276 South Hillsdale Drive

West Valley City, UT 84119

Church 9 -12 (sacrament last @ 10:30am)

I can't believe she's leaving THIS WEEK. I already miss her. :( We did a bunch of shopping for souvenires today and she's finally telling the gente that she's leaving. We're all really sad. She's trying not to be sad by not focusing on the fact that she'll miss Paraguay so much, but then at the same time she's trying not to be trunky by thinking of how cool home will be, so... she's a little emotional. :) I don't think I'm going to tell anyone that I'm leaving soon, either. It's a lot nicer this way. I just tell everyone that I have over a year in Paraguay, but don't specify the months. It's not fun to have everyone sad about you. 

So Hna. Tua´one heard from her old companion who was told by an office Elder that some other office Elders said that Hna. Greer is coming after all and I'm training her these last three months! Normally I don't depend much on rumors, but I'm feeling 99.9% sure that it's true. Which is crazy, but would also help me a lot to focus hard on the work to end the mission and not be trunky at all. I don't want to let on that I'm about to "die." I've already got most of my souvenires now, anyways, so it should be smooth sailing from now on. I hope it wasn't just a rumor. I'll find out tonight. I'm a little nervous. Training is fun, though.

And I will seriously be fine staying here in Concepcion until the end of my mission. This is a great area and the branch is doing so well. I've always known that they're better at their callings in church and a lot more sociable and friendly and all that, but then yesterday they really proved to us just how much they worry about each other. There's a recent convert family in the branch named the Flia. Garcete who have had problem after problem ever since they joined the church. They're dirt poor and the Hermana just had another baby, her fourth child under the age of five. They haven't been to church in a while and Hna. Tua'one and I were really worried about them. We weren't able to find them at home and we were afraid that they were angry at the Church.

Then yesterday we were heading to their house to see how they were, and we ran into a group of Relief Soceity sisters already on their way to visit them! We were so impressed--it was seriously the very first time I've ever seen visiting teachers actually visiting people here in Paraguay. We went with them to visit the Garcetes, and it was all perfect. They fawned over the baby and brought a gift bag of diapers and milk and stuff. They talked with the Hermano about the difficulties he's having with his chipa business and took note of what they can do to help. 

Then ANOTHER family from the other side of town showed up. They'd just felt impressed to come visit this struggling family, even though they have their hands full with their own kids. Hna. Tua'one and I just sat back and watched happily as they all socialized and expressed their concern and showed their friendship and Christianity to this little family. We barely said two words to them, and I'm happy about that because it feels to me like these recent converts are learning to lean on their ward family rather than depend on the missionaries. It's always so hard when we can't help people temporally, but so happy when we see the branch taking care of that while we take care of the spiritual needs. It should always be like that.

This week our zone did a "Miracle Fast." Due to some lack of animo in the mission and a lower number of baptisms than usual, our president told us that the Lord expects 80 baptisms from us this month and 100 next month. Each companionship needs two in April, then, and this zone of Concepcion always has the lowest numbers. So we fasted for a miracle and...it's happening! We had SEVEN investigators in church this week. Two are scheduled to be baptized this next Saturday (just in time!), and the others are set to go in May! One of them is Mariano, who I mentioned a while ago (the one who got a blessing from his Branch President brother). He'd been having problems with his girlfriend but now she's out of the picture so he's back to learning and coming to church. I never could have imagined things turning out so perfectly! Fasting DOES work, and all it takes is faith to work a miracle.

Well I don't have a lot of time today. Sorry for the shortness. Im sure Ill have a lot more to say with a new companion next week. I LOVE YOU ALL!! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Springer, Goompa and Nana, Sarah, Ashley, Blairs, Mom, Dad, and Amanda for your letters this week!

---Hna. Springer

1-Rainy puddles in front of our house
2-A pretty park we visit sometimes
3-Another gorgoues Paraguayan sunset over the river
4-Our lovely chapel