Nov 7, 2009

November 7, 2009

We are sitting in the dark on a Saturday morning in the mission home waiting for the city works people to finish repairing a transformer outside that must have been hit by lightening last night during a powerful storm. I am hoping the lights come on soon ! We’ve had the power go out a few times now. We need to figure out if the electric sliding door in the wall around our house has a manual way to open. There is a door we can open with a key but we can’t get the car out with the sliding doors shut. The mission home is very comfortable and we feel very safe here but it is a little complicated to get out once we are safely inside. There is a government leader that lives across the street who has a guard for his home. He also watches out for us. We pay him a bit and also take banana bread or cookies occasionally. The other morning I walked out into the living room and saw cars driving by in the street. That was odd because when the sliding doors are closed you can’t see out. The wall is about 20 feet tall. Anyway we quickly realized the gate had been left open all night long. We remembered that the night before the car lights had flashed and we could see the relflexion in the window. Any way Mark had his keys in his pocket and when the car lights were flashing he was also opening the gate . So we closed the gate . A bit later we left and the guard flagged us down and was all upset because we left our gate open. He tried to ring our bell but we don’t hear it when we are in the back of the house. He cautioned us to always lock our gate. We assured him that it was an accident and we would be more careful. We both felt like we were being scolded but it’s nice to know he’s looking out for us. He got extra chocolates that day and Mark takes his keys out of his pockets when he’s home now!

So last weekend we went to a District conference in Paraguari with Elder Avila a visiting authority from Buenos Aires. He was a wonderful man and taught the people so well. Saturday night there were 60 people or so. On Sunday morning there were almost 500. It is so difficult to travel for many people here that they can only come to one meeting. Anyway before the meeting one of the families came up to Mark and told them that the father of the family was planning to be baptized the next week. It was the same family that we ate lunch with our first week here. The little boys in the family sang to us when we had lunch and they always come say hello to us when we visit their branch. The little boys, who are about 4 and 6 told Mark that they knew the second verse of the song that they sang to us last time. So they sang it for us. As they were singing Elder Avila came up and listened also. During the Sunday morning session Elder Avila had the boys come up and sing for everyone. It was so sweet and everyone was quiet as could be as they sang. They were so cute in their white shirts and ties. It’s so great to see that sweet family with their dad being baptized now and they can move toward preparing for the temple.

Monday brought a day of interviews for Mark and preparations for receiving 16 new missionaries. This time the missionaries arrived in two groups. The South American group of 7 arrived Tuesday at 10:20am and we took them to the office for lunch and training. At 4:30 we headed back to the airport to pick up the second group who were all North Americans. Back to the office for training and dinner for everyone. Mark interviewed all 16 and then we brought the hermanas here to sleep and the elders went to a hotel. The next day we met with the trainers of the new missionaries at 8am and then introduced the new companionships at 9am and sent them out to their areas. It’s quite a process getting everyone where they need to be. The trainers come to the office and all the other missionaries who are changing assignments go to the bus terminal. There is an army of taxis waiting to take all the new missionaries with their luggage and companions either to their area if it’s not far or to the terminal if they need to catch a bus. Sometimes the office elders are quite creative. There was one group that needed to go where to a certain city and for some reason they had arranged for a delivery truck to take them. It was a mini van but smaller. Anyway I went out to watch everyone take off and there were 6 elders getting into to back of the van with all of their luggage. There were no seats, just one lawn chair. All the luggage was piled high blocking all air flow- from the windows. The elders were smashed in the back facing backwards. As they started to leave the office parking I could see their faces looking at me like they were saying ”Help us!” I couldn’t stand it so I told the elders to find a better way for them to travel. They were so grateful! The office elders carry a big responsibility and many times they do things because it’s always been done that way. They were able to get them all to where they needed to go using buses and taxis that they thought wouldn’t work and it did. The mission in many ways for the office elders is like running a company. It’s is amazing to watch them rise to the occasion and solve problems and accomplish so much and still get out the door by 4:30 pm to teach the gospel.

Wednesday we took the missionaries who were leaving out to lunch and to the temple. After the endowment session the temple president likes to let all the missionaries experience the sealing ordinance to help them prepare for the future lives. He likes to do it in the native language so they can hear the words in their own language. First he did a sealing in English and then he did one in Spanish. As he started the Spanish one I leaned over to Mark and told him the sealer forgot to switch to Spanish. Mark looked at me and said “It is in Spanish.” Spanish is becoming more and more natural for me.

Thursday we took the departing missionaries to the airport in two different shifts . In between we were invited to have lunch with the Asuncion North mission president and his wife, temple president and wife, Area president and wife, and Sister Julie Beck and Sister Matsumori , of the General Relief Society and Primary. It was nice to visit with them. I have always loved Sister Beck. She teaches so well. It was so nice to have a bit of time away from the missionaries. We returned to the office to be greeted by the news that the office elders had been in an accident with the mission van! So much for a keeping the nice peaceful feeling from lunch with us for long. No one was injured but now we get to deal with having the van in the shop for I don’t know how long. Life is never dull around here! In the evening I went to a training meeting for Relief Society leaders and Priesthood leaders. It was wonderful to see so many people there to learn how to better serve in their callings.

Friday we left at 6am and drove 2 ½ hours to finish some interviews and then back to Asuncion. Mark also met with a district president while we were there. We went by the office on the way home and bought groceries and got home at 8pm. Now we’re back to Saturday when the lights went out. Mark had a coordinating council meeting today and then we said goodbye to another missionary. It’s time to go to bed now so I can sleep some before the alarm rings at 4am. The pace is amazing here, but what is more amazing is how much there is to do every single day. And even more amazing is that the Lord gives us the strength and energy to do it. There are so many people who still need to hear this wonderful gospel message. What a blessing that we can be hear doing our little part. We love you all. Until next week…Mark and Sandy