November 14, 2010

Dear Family and Friends, November 14,2010

We are enjoying visiting many wards and branches of the church here. Because there are about 85 units in the mission we try to go to different ones each week. Last week we went to Sajonia and this week to Monte Lindo. Both are older more established wards and both were wonderful. We usually just drop in and we enjoy seeing the missionaries at work in their areas. The Monte Lindo ward today was especially a nice experience. We felt a great love and welcome from the members there. We both were invited to share a testimony and were very impressed by the leaders of the ward and their messages. We found out that they have only been serving a couple weeks and we were even more impressed. They implemented some of the teachings that we received yesterday in the world wide training and were doing such a good job already. It’s so good to see the way the church is growing in some areas here.

Monday we had staff meeting and took care of final details for the plans for the mission tour this week with Elder and Sister Bradley Foster from our area presidency. Tuesday we picked up the Fosters at the airport and brought them to the mission home for lunch. We went to the office where our wonderful office elders had everything looking great. (They usually do!) We began our first zone conference for 3 of the zones in Asuncion and all the sisters in the mission. Immediately after the conference all of the zone leaders met with President Callan and Elder Foster and Sister Foster and I met with all the Hermanas in the mission. We have 14 sisters right now and it was nice to share some messages just for them and they also enjoyed seeing each other. Wednesday we had 3 more zones come for zone conference in Asuncion also. Immediately after we had lunch and then hopped into the already packed car and headed to Ciudad del Este. The big word for missionaries is flexibility. Elder Foster realized during the conference Wednesday morning that he needed to be in Encarnacion on Saturday morning for a presentation ceremony with the first lady of Paraguay. Since that was 5 hours away from where we were going to be we had to flip flop our conferences in our two outlying cities. Our amazing office elders had notified 85 missionaries, changed our hotel reservations and had everything set so that two hours later instead of heading to Encarnacion we went to Ciudad del Este. Amazingly everything went well with all of the things we had to change, including meetings with local leaders in each area. We arrived at our hotel in Ciudad del Este and had a nice dinner with the Fosters in a hotel we stay at each time we are there. The restaurant has a wonderful staff who takes very good care of us. The last time we were there one of the waiters had asked us if we could get him a Bible. We said we would love to and said we’d bring it this trip. We visited with him a bit and gave him the Bible along with a Book of Mormon and some more information about the church .He gave us his phone number said we could send our missionaries to talk with him. We are excited to see how his visit goes the next time we go to Ciudad del Este. We’ve had some good discussions with him over the last few months and he is a really good person who seems to be looking for more direction in his life.

We held zone conference in Cuidad del Este and then drove to Encarnacion . On the way there we took a little detour to some Jesuit ruins from the 1700’s. Elder Foster was interested in stopping to see them so we had a nice hour there walking around and talking about the history of the Catholic church. It was nice to have the time to show them some of the historical parts of Paraguay as we made our way to Encarnacion. The assistants joined us for dinner that night and we discussed the conferences so far.

Friday we held our last conference in Encarnacion and then the men had some meetings with local leaders. We had a nice dinner with the Fosters and discussed the things we had learned during the week.

The conferences for the week were focused on helping the missionaries know how to support and help the local leaders hold their ward councils focusing on the 15 people or families that each ward or branch should be reaching out to. We also focused on deepening our understanding and knowledge of the Savior so we can teach with more power and strength. As we do that we can help more people find the truth. Elder Foster is such a kind and loving man and he shared with us the importance of understanding who we are and what great worth we have in the Lord’s eyes. Once again I love the zone conference cycle and the very real way I can watch the spirit direct what happens. Each conference focused on the same things but each of us in our messages changed a few things according to the direction we received from the spirit. Elder Neil Andersen’s wife made a comment that I have thought a lot about since we were at our seminar a few weeks ago. She said that the changing messages in zone conferences that happen every cycle are a result of the prayers of parents for their missionary children. I hadn’t thought of that part of the equation before. But in reality we are all working together to help these missionaries receive what they need to progress in this time of their life. It’s the same thing for us as we pray for our children who need things that we can’t do for them because we are here. Through the spirit other people step in and help them where we can’t. What a wonderful part of the plan that we all can help each other because of the influence and guidance of the spirit.

Saturday morning we went to the ceremony in Encarnacion where the First Lady of Paraguay,Mercedes Lugo de Maidan received the 750 wheel chairs the church had given to Paraguay. Along with the 750 they received earlier this year that was quite a lot of help for the people here. The church does so many wonderful things to help people. The first lady was very gracious and gave a wonderful message saying that she just wants to follow the commandments and love and help everyone. Elder Foster spoke and then we listened to a few other speakers and recipients and some Paraguayan music. Mark and I had a nice visit with a young couple who were there because the husband was a doctor who directed one of the hospitals there. They just had a new baby and we had a good visit with them also about helping us with medical needs in that city. They invited us to dinner next time we are there and we received their information so we can contact them next visit there. The Lord leads us to good people all the time, he really does prepare the way for the work to be accomplished.

We are so grateful for the blessings of this week. We were taught by Elder Foster and spent time with him and his wife that we will cherish always. The church is true and we are happy to be here helping other people find the joy we feel in our lives because of the gospel! Have a nice week!

Love, Mark and Sandy