Semana de 5/30/16

Hey Mom! Thanks for the emails and pictures and updates! The P90x didn`t work but I will try to download it again and see if I can format it or something. The videos didn`t work for some reason either, but I`m sure the concert was awesome!

A normal week in the mission, we didn`t have any investigators and a lot of the members didn`t come either, it wasn`t raining or anything just cold. I also had a talk in sacrament meeting that went better than I thought it would. Speaking has gotten a lot easier for me now than before, I looked down at my watch at the end of my talk and I had been talking for 15 min too, when it felt like only 5 min. 

We have been working with 2 teenage girls that attended church with a member, and their Mom is also a member, less active. They weren`t able to attend church this week though because their Mom had her her baby, so hopefully everything went well, we haven`t been able to talk to them in a few days. We invited them to be baptized for the 18th of June, and they accepted, we just need to help them keep progressing and maintain the spirit that they have been feeling.

We have also been working with a man named Silvio who has attended church 2 times, and we have been teaching him very simply because he doesn`t understand much Spanish. The other night we were visiting another member who lives next door to Silvio, and we heard a dog barking so we went to look what he was barking at and we found Silvio passed out on his porch from drinking, so we went and woke him up and helped him into his bed. He told us he felt bad about not going to church that Sunday, and he remembered what we told him, that he needs to put in his part if he wants to work on his addictions. So we are going to work hard with him and help him. 

Not much else new, no worries about sending clothes Mom, I have 2 sweaters that I use, and a member helped us find some more white shirts with long sleeves. On Pday, we wear white shirts and ties like all the other days, the only time we really can change is if we are playing soccer or we have a service activity. Thanks for the email again Mom, hope you guys had fun camping and all the family is doing good too! Say hi to the Allbees for me! 

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

Cooler Weather 5/23/16

Sorry if my email is missing a few c´s because this keyboard is not very great. But its good to hear from you as always, and its crazy to see the pictures from Abby´s graduation! She looks so grown up haha. I had a good week, we had a zone training this week and I learned some good stuff, I was thinking a lot about the mission rules this week because they just gave us a new rule that we can only wear white shirts with long sleeves, and I was a little frustrated, but I learned that a lot of the times we need to be obedient even when we don`t know why or what the outcome will be, especially with the mission rules. We also had the mission president and his wife come to our house, because the mission president now does his interviews in our apartments, so that was kind of weird but cool. We cleaned a lot before they showed up so luckily there was no problems haha. 

We also had 3 investigators come to church this week, the little girl (Delci) that didn`t get baptized came to church again, but we decided that we are going to baptize her when she has a responsible adult to go to church with her, because we want to make sure she stays active. We are also working with the girl that wants to get married and baptized, but she lives really far from the church and they only can walk, and its a little cold and they have a young baby, so we are helping them to attend church and read the Book of Mormon and pray as a family. 

Everything is good, I enjoy the cold weather to be honest, so hopefully it stays this way for a while. To answer your question, sometimes we have to take a collectivo to attend church but we normally walk. Hopefully this week will be good too, thanks for all the emails you sent, I was only able to see the pictures though but I think the P90x works. Hope you have a great week and have fun camping! Can`t wait to hear from you soon!

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

Elder Spiro and another Elder in his zone (no name given!)

Zone Conference

Week of 5/16/16

¿como estas? Estoy bien y agradecido por escribir y escuchar de ustedes!

Thanks for all the pictures and emails you have sent, I got the letter from you guys for Abby's graduation. I was thinking if we made one for my graduation, could you send me a picture if you can find it? Thanks for the updates of the family, it's good to hear you are busy and it's crazy that Abby is graduating this week! In the pictures she looks a lot taller, and lots of scholarships to choose from haha. 

Another week in the field, not too much new, we had 1 investigator come to church, and the only problem with him has been that we can`t have too many lessons with him because he is always working during the week, and doesn`t have much time. We have asked him if he likes church and he said yes, but we`ll have to see what else we an do to help him progress.

We have been working with another Christian family that are willing to listen to our message. We went to visit them the other night, and the husband was a little drunk, so we planned another day, and he gave us a hug and kissed us too haha. 

Not much else new, we are helping another couple get married and baptized, but we need to have permission of the parents for the girl, because she is only 16, but they already live together and everything. A lot of work to do, and a lot of walking, but I have gotten used to that. The Guarani I sent with the picture means "Happy Mothers Day Mom" I`m going to write more phrases in Guarani from now on hehehe.... Hope you have a great week and can`t wait to hear from you!

Rohayhu,

Elder Spiro

With his sisters' high school graduation announcement.  It got to him in less than a week, which is a miracle.

Out one year!!!

Hola Mama! 

How are you? I`m doing great and it was so awesome talking to you and the family! Sorry that the internet got cut off at the end, but I`m glad you guys were able to see me on the computer and talk. It was a good week, and it made it all better to talk to you all. I hope you had a good mothers day and the family made you some good food :) It's crazy that Abby had her last concert, and she will be graduating in a week! I can`t believe how fast the time has gone by.

I wanted to answer Dad`s question about what I have learned so far in a year in the mission a little more in detail because I wasn`t able to remember the words in English when you asked me. Like I said, a lot about patience, mainly learning that things will happen in God`s timetable and not when I want it to happen or anyone else, and because of that it is important as a missionary to be diligent in finding the people that are prepared to hear and accept our message, because we can`t force anyone to accept what we say, or to listen, or read, etc. I`ve also learned that a lot of the times I get frustrated when people don`t want to accept is because as a missionary we develop a love for all the people we serve, and after I have learned to understand the love that Heavenly Father has for us, it makes me want to share this message with everyone, and its tough when they don`t want it. But the blessings I know people can receive not only through baptism but through the temple or keeping the commandments, makes me always have a hope for everyone, if not now, for their futures.

I also got the call from the district leader while writing this that I will be staying in the area another transfer with my same companion, so we`ll see what more work we can do. Thanks again for your email and all the pictures Mom, and I hope you guys have a good week, and can`t wait to hear from you all soon! Thank you for your examples and I always keep you in my prayers!

Rohayhu Mucho!!!!

Elder Spiro

His former companions, both Elders Lopez from Guatamala. I love this picture, they all look so happy.  I hope Alex keeps in contact with these sweet elders that become his brothers.

One year celebration pancakes!

Burning a dress shirt at the one year mark.

I wish I knew what this said, it's in Guarani and Google didn't even have the words, haha

4 days away from Hump Day!

Hola Mama,

Gracias por su carta and all the pictures, I got the package you guys sent so no worries, all the food that you sent will be eaten quickly haha, and I really enjoyed the journal entries from Grandpa. I was reading a lot and it's crazy how different the mission is now, I read in one of his journal entries that he had to search for places to sleep each night because they had opened up a new area and there were no members or anything. And all that work he had to do taking care of the missionaries when he was President! It makes me feel bad for my mission president haha. It was really interesting to see he had the same kind of feelings that I had when he started his mission, he had never read the Book of Mormon all the way through before his mission, and I hadn`t either. It's weird to see in those times, there were no lesson plans or anything like we have now. Thanks so much for all the stuff you sent, the foot insoles are very helpful.

It was a good week, the cold weather passed over Paraguay this week, so the nights and mornings were super cold, but I enjoy it a lot more than the heat to be honest. We also had 3 investigators come to church, and we are planning a baptism this Saturday, so prayers would really help! The 3 kids want to be baptized, but their dad had an argument with someone I think in the church and he doesn`t want anything to do with the church now.  We also had 2 new investigators come to church, and they are both interested in learning more, so we have been blessed with more people to visit.

We will be going to the temple tomorrow, so I am really excited for that too, and I will take some more pictures outside the temple so no worries [I will send more than this week]. They haven`t told us the date when we can call our families, but I think it will be this upcoming week, so tell me what day and time would be best for you all. Any day of the week is fine with me, just not Sunday or Monday. Thanks again for the email and the package! No worries about the P90x either, I have other exercises to do and I mainly just stretch in the mornings anyways. Can`t wait to hear from you! 

Te Amo!

Elder Spiro

The package we sent for his "hump day"-it was filled although this looks like we sent an empty box :)