October 23, 2010

Dear Friends and Family, October 23, 2010

This was another week of interviewing as we travel out to Encarnacion and Ciudad del Este to finish up the rest of the missionary interviews for this cycle. We really enjoyed the week as the missionaries were all busy with training by watching the DVD’s on improving teaching and discussing them or doing practices. One district had some training by the zone leaders and another zone used the time to do their weekly planning while they were waiting for their turn for interviews. Again my favorite part is spending a little time visiting with those waiting. Elder Alexander shared with me his scripture for when the week seems hard. Mosiah 23:21,22 speaks of our patience and faith being tried but if we trust in the Lord we will be lifted up in the last day. He is a positive elder who is working hard and doing well.

I also enjoy participating in the practices. It’s a real insight into how the missionaries really are doing as they teach. The thing that I especially love is the way the spirit helps and teaches during the practices. More often than not we all have wonderful spiritual insights as we do our practices, not only about our teaching methods but about the lessons we are teaching and their personal application and how we can help others to understand the message. It also helps me to know the missionaries better. I did a practice with Elder McShinsky and Elder Villalba. It really helped me to know their personalities and them better . Some missionaries are more reserved than others so it’s nice to hear them teach and see who they are more clearly. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have to spend time here with these wonderful missionaries. We learn so much as we watch them work hard and learn personal lessons through their challenges. The life of the missionary is difficult at times but the wonderful part is watching young men and women learn how to grow through their struggles and become more prepared for their futures. Really that is what life is about for all of us each day, trying to be better and better in all that we do.

We are in spring now and the drive was beautiful as we went around the mission. It really is a beautiful place that we are living in right now! We were also able to visit two apartments we had not yet visited in San Ignacio and Santa Rita and also a new chapel we are renting in Santa Rita. The weather has been perfect temperature with a bit of rain thrown in so everything is green and growing. One thing we find interesting is the way road crews along the route we drive on use only machetes or gas powered weed wackers to trim the sides of the roads. It seems an awful slow way to accomplish the task!

We spent a lot of time while driving thinking about what we see going on in the mission with our teaching abilities. It really is true that if you want someone to learn something well they need to hear it seven times seven ways. We just keep trying to help everyone learn what they need to so we can teach our wonderful message more clearly and with the spirit so that more people will be brought to the Savior and his gospel.

Well, we hope you all have a great week! Love, Mark and Sandy