January 30, 2011

Dear Family and Friends, January January 30, 2011

This week we attended a district meeting in Ytororo. Elder Nichols is the district leader and he is leading well. We enjoyed doing some practices with Elder Nichols and Falapapalangi. We learn so much about the teaching abilities of our missionaries when we go out and practice with them. They both did well in listening to us (as the investigators) and our concerns and worries and addressing them in their teaching. We try to go to district meetings every Tuesday that we can. Wednesday we had Sister Sapuyes here in the mission home overnight so she could have her last interview and then she flew out on Thursday. She was leaving a bit after her group so we had to make an extra trip to the airport. It’s times like these that we are glad the airport is only 15 minutes from the mission home. Mark had Presidency meeting that night while I worked on some messages I needed to prepare for upcoming meetings.

Friday our helper, Lidu’s daughter Cristy was married. Here in Paraguay they are required to have a civil ceremony before the temple sealing. They are the only members in their family so Friday night’s ceremony was for the larger group of family and friends. It was held at an event center an hour from our home in Itagua. We left with plenty of time to arrive but ran into some traffic problems. A wreck on the main road caused everyone to detour through neighborhoods. There also was a lot of Friday night traffic as people head to their country homes for the weekend (it is summer here). Anyway we arrived an hour and 15 minutes late. My children know how much I do not like to be late! Anyway the wedding was over but we arrived in time for the couple to dance and have dinner with everyone. We felt so bad to miss the wedding but we tried! It took us just as long to get back home so it was an interesting night.

Saturday morning we were up at 4am to drive 2 hours to Coronel Oviedo to speak to a youth conference there. There were about 40 youth from the district along with their leaders and district president. It was held at a place that was an old rock quarry that a family developed into a camping area. There were huge rocks on both sides of the area with a lake/pond in the place where the rock had been removed. There were some interesting things there like a Swiss looking cabin and a huge rock that had been divided into sort of a slot canyon type place you could walk through. There was also a river the kids were tubing in. It was a place unlike any other we have seen here yet. Driving out to it we were driving on sand half of the time and rock the rest. It kind of reminded me of St. George or Snow Canyon a bit. There were also some boy scouts camping there. The church here does not use the scouting program but it was interesting to know that there are scouts here in Paraguay.

We zoomed back and went to the temple for Cristy and Joel’s sealing . There were about 10 of us there for the sealing. It was sweet to see the second generation of Lidu’s family to enter the temple. They were all so happy! It was a wonderful day and we felt blessed to be able to share that day with them.

Saturday night we went teaching with the elders from our ward. The couple I met last week, Anna and Luis are progressing nicely. The elders found out that Luis had been baptized many years ago but has not participated in church for a long time. Anna is 23 year old and very interested and is so happy and excited to learn everything she can. They have set a date for marriage and baptism in February. Mark likes to go out teaching with the missionaries whenever he can, mainly so he can observe their teaching and evaluate with them how they can improve. We always enjoy being out where the actual teaching is happening. There is a real push for Mark to be out as much as he can so he is trying real hard to get out every chance he can.

Mark is in San Ignacio for his final District priesthood training for this round. The last five weeks he has put a lot of miles on the car and spent a lot of time with the local leaders. We are grateful for the good people here who are trying to learn their duties as priesthood leaders. We are also grateful for the good missionaries who are trying to support the local leaders as they hold their ward and branch councils. There is so much to do in the church here in not only sharing the gospel with investigators but fortifying the members, many of whom are new members themselves. The district president we were with at the youth conference has only been a member 11 years and it’s a similar story for many people here. The work is moving forward and the Lord is blessing the people here and the missionaries. We hope you all have a great week. We love and miss you all! Love, Mark and Sandy

Pictures January 16, 2011

Elders Reveron, Clanton,Phelps, Buhidar and Ramirez made some

beautiful music as they spent some time together!

Elders Tyler, Vasquez and Parker outside President's office.

Elders Boydston ,Fowers and Vasquez in the conference room.

Hermana Cozzens, Lavaka, Gonzales and Quartino catching up while

waiting for interviews.

Pictures January 30, 2011

Luis, Lidu , Cristy and Joel at the temple.

The Galeanos with their new son in law

Cristy and her dad Luis Galeano dancing at her civil wedding.

Cristy and Joel after their sealing

Paraguayan cowboy, his buddy helping him didn't have a whip but

shook a machete at the cows and they took off running!

Road to the campground.

Man made slot in very large rock wall.

Young women in the river.

Cabin on property.

Camp ground in Coronel Oviedo.

Pond under rock quarry at camp ground.

Presidente Callan with the youth conference in Coronel Oviedo.

Hermana Callan with the youth conference in Coronel Oviedo.

Pictures January 23, 2011

Beautiful countryside between Encarnacion and Ciudad Del Este

Elder Woodruff and Snow with President outside Church in Santa Rita

I loved these floors in the church in Santa Rita, along with the

paint colors it reminded me of Nauvoo.

The shop owner in Coronel Oviedo looking at items available in cart.

The cart owner in pink selling produce to shop owner.

Elders Zeballos,Sueldo,Richards and Harwell in Ca'auazu.

Hermanas Lozano and Plummer in Coronel Oviedo.

Juliana,Mathias and Laura Aguilera, the district President's

children in Coronel Oviedo.

Georgina,Daria Aguilera,Juliana,Hayde(Jade),Hermana and Celia at

Relief Society meeting in Coronel Oviedo.

The huge plate of food they fed President. They love to give LOTS

of food to the missionaries here!

Afternoon thunderstorm back in Asuncion.

Sunset after a long week of interviews. Beautiful end to a great week!

January 23, 2011

Dear Family and Friends, January 23, 2011

This week Mark completed interviewing the rest of the missionaries except for two who were sick and a couple of the office missionaries. He completed 185 interviews in 10 days along with driving through the whole mission. The thing I love about interview time is that it is like taking the pulse or temperature of all the missionaries within a short period of time. It gives us a good sense of where the missionaries are with regards to the work and also personally. We began our interviews in San Ignacio a small town about 2 ½ hours from Asuncion. We started there at 8 am so we were up early that day. We met with eight missionaries there and then drove on to Encarnacion for interviews with a couple districts there. That night Mark had interviews with members for temple recommends. The next day he finished the interviews in Encarnacion and we headed for Santa Rita. There we met in the rented church building with the four elders who are serving there. I had a good conversation with the elders while we waited for their interviews. One Elder is fairly young in the mission but very mature and capable. I had read some of a blog his family puts his letters on and I was so impressed with the letters he writes home and the way he responds to the questions and comments his family makes. It is such a great combination for the kind of support missionaries need. His letters home are about the work here and he shares the experiences he is having and how he is learning and growing. The family asks questions about the work and shares their spiritual experiences with him. This elder is focused on the work and always seems happy! It is such a joy to see!! Another elder is almost to the end of his mission. He has been a happy hardworking elder also. He was telling me about his plans for after the mission and I was surprised to learn he had a girlfriend hopefully waiting for him. We have worked closely with this elder and he has never spoken of the friend. He told me he purposely didn’t speak of her much because he needed to focus on the work. It is no surprise that he has done so well during his mission. We spend a lot of time helping missionaries to know and understand their purpose as missionaries, which is to find and teach and baptized people. It is so wonderful when we see missionaries who are so devoted to the work and so happy all of the time. This elder has spread his sunshine to every elder he works with.

After the interviews in Santa Rita we drove on to Ciudad del Este. The next day Mark interviewed all the elders there and then had a meeting with the high councilor whose responsibilities include missionary work. As we drove between Encarnacion and Ciudad del Este we again enjoyed the country side which always reminds us of the midwest. Lots of land planted in soybeans, wheat, corn and sunflowers. The mixture of evergreens and palm trees is always interesting as we drive through the mission. The weather is hot but everything is very green and beautiful! At each stop it has been good to see missionaries being taught by district leaders and doing practices as they wait their turn for interviews. I gave my water encouragement and easy food idea printout and Mark encouraged everyone to work harder and more efficiently. We know as a mission we can improve and we need to! I didn’t have many health complaints from missionaries which is good. There are always a few things going on with some but as a mission we feel that most of the missionaries are doing well and are up to the work they need to do here.

The last day we were up early and stopped first in Ca’auazu where Mark interviewed 8 elders. Across the street from the church was a little market. I watched as a cart pulled by a horse pulled up and a woman hoped out of the cart and spoke to the woman at the shop. The woman with the cart grabbed a bunch of mandioca, which is a potato like root and a staple here in the diet, along with a hand scale, weighed the mandioca and sold it to the woman. A bit later a little van drove up to deliver some other items. The mix of old and new here is interesting to me, but somehow it works. Elder Richards from Washington is serving in Ca’auazu and I told him that his parents told me in their Christmas card that they had spoken to my brother who attends church in their same building in Everett. Small world!! We left Ca’auazu and drove to Coronel Oviedo for our last stop. There Mark had 12 more interviews. Our only sisters outside of Asuncion area are in Coronel Oviedo. Sister Lozano and Plummer were the first interviews and then we had a good visit. Sister Plummer who is new was thrilled to be able to speak English with me. She is doing well and learning a lot from her Spanish speaking companion.

While the interviews continued I joined with some women and children who were having a relief society meeting. They had a small group of women attend so they saved some leftover food for Mark after his interviews. We spent a couple hours just visiting and talking about families and other things .We were talking about names of children and one of them told me she got her daughter’s name from the TV show called Animal Kingdom . They had fun teaching me how to say I love you in guarani. The children were waiting for Mark to come out of his interview so I could say I love you to him. When I did they all giggled. Ro hai hu means I love you. It was such a fun day for me to spend time with a group of women instead of the usual me and a bunch of elders. (Not that spending most of my time with mainly elders is bad!) There is a real truth to the need we all have to feel connected to each other in the church, especially as women. I could have been sitting with my friends from home and had the same good feelings, but I’m in Paraguay speaking Spanish with my sisters in the gospel here. Life is good! One thing that would really help hold people in the church here just like everywhere is improved home and visiting teaching! I’m grateful my sweet visiting teachers Linda and Joan Stewart email me every month from Farmington!

Another week has flown by. Mark is in Coronel Oviedo with priesthood training this week. I meet a really nice couple the missionaries in our ward found this week. The man lived in Chicago for a while and was using his English with all of the missionaries. We hope things will go well for them as they continue to study with the missionaries. Elder Rockwood taught the Gospel Principles class today and did such a beautiful job. I am so impressed with the depth of many of our missionaries. They are truly a force for good in this world!! Have a wonderful week! Love, Mark and Sandy

January 16, 2011

Dear Family and Friends, January 16,2011

As I write this Mark is on his third week of priesthood training meetings out in one of the districts in Coronel Oviedo, about 3 hours away. By the time he drives out holds the meetings and interviews and drives home it makes for a very long day. He has been happy each week though as he knows he is working hard to help the local leaders understand their callings and responsibilities better. I’ve been to our home ward three weeks in a row now and that is the first time that has happened since we have been here. Usually we try to visit as many wards and branches as we can but when Mark is gone I have to rely on the missionaries in the office to give me a ride to church so I attend church here where they also attend.

This week was spent in interviews for all the missionaries in zones one through five. They are all close enough to Asuncion that they all come into the office for their interviews. There were 106 interviews this week and the rest will be done next week as we drive out to them, interviewing in five different towns. The interviews take place every three months so it is really good to see everyone when we come together. Mark was focusing on encouraging everyone to push themselves a bit harder to accomplish what the Lord needs them to here in the mission. We had a poster made for all of their apartments of the inside back cover of Preach My Gospel to go along with the one we gave them at Christmas of the front cover. It is entitled “Remember This”. It has a list of 22 points to remember as missionaries, basically a quick list of everything missionaries should always be doing. We spend time teaching constantly about everything but there is so much and everyone comes with different preparation levels that it is never ending. And then just when we feel like they are getting their missionary skills up to their very best levels…it’s time for them to go home!! Every six weeks we get a new group to begin teaching and helping. We have many wonderful missionaries who are working very hard and seeing great successes. We also have a few who are working very hard at not working very hard!! I never will understand why some people fight the very things that will bring peace and joy into their lives. I read the other day that if you want the time to go quickly then just work real hard and it will fly by. I don’t want our time here to go quickly but I know as we work hard it is flying by!

I usually chat with the missionaries as they are waiting for their interviews and this time I had prepared some copies of some easy cooking ideas and also a recipe for a Gatorade type drink to help with hydration now that it is so hot. I also heard a few nice experiences that some missionaries shared with me. We had a companionship of sisters that needed to find a new apartment to rent. They had been searching and couldn’t find one. They went about their work and went to visit one of their investigators. When they went to the investigator’s apartment the investigator had moved. They were sad they had moved but the happy ending to the story is that the apartment was available and it was exactly what the sisters needed. A lesson for missionaries…as you go about the work , the Lord will help you with everything related to the work. The key word is WORK! The Lord is always looking out for his missionaries! Hopefully the investigators will be found again wherever they moved!

An elder told me of a woman who came up to him in church and said she had a son who had not been baptized yet. His father would not give permission for the ordinance for a long time. The father had changed his mind and granted permission. They went to teach the young man a few days later and while they were there the phone rang and the sister began to cry. The father of the family had been killed in an accident. The missionaries excused themselves and left the family and said they would call them later. They fully expected the baptism would be put off for a while as the family dealt with this hard situation. The mother of the family said, ”We want the baptism to go forward as planned. That is what my husband wanted.” The baptism was held after church the very next Sunday and 70 of the ward members stayed to support this young man and his family by attending the baptism. The gospel and its ordinances are real and they bring peace and comfort to us in our times of need. How grateful we are to be here watching people learn about these wonderful truths!

We are so grateful for the wonderful missionaries that have been called to serve in this mission. We learn much from each one of them. We are happy with them when they are happy and we are sad with them when they are sad. We want each of them to learn the lessons they need to learn while they are serving the people here. We know that through this mission experience each one has the opportunity to be better prepared for their future role of spouse and parent. We are so grateful for our own children and their spouses and our grandchildren and also all of these missionaries who will be a part of our lives forever! Have a wonderful week! Love, Mark and Sandy

Picture January 8, 2011

Zone leaders after lunch at the mission home.

January 8, 2011

Dear Family and Friends, January 8,2011

We are in the midst of summer here in Paraguay. The weather is hot and humid and we have had afternoon thunderstorms almost all week. We also have seen a rise in the health related phone calls we are receiving. When missionaries are out working hard it is so vital that they drink lots of water. It also means if they are not careful of the water they drink we see the results of that in the way they feel. We try to teach and remind but sometimes missionaries just have to experience the ill effects of unfiltered water before they become more careful about what they drink. When they eat in members’ homes they always need to have their filter bottle with them so they can have good water to drink. Many times they drink the juice offered which is made with unfiltered water and there is the problem. Keeping the missionaries healthy is so important so they can enjoy the work more and accomplish what the Lord needs them to here while they are on their missions. Anyway most missionaries figure out how to do the things that will keep them healthy and full of the energy they need to do the work here.

This week we had a Zone leaders council held here at the mission home quincho. We enjoy seeing the zone leaders each month and helping them learn how to better lead their zones. We have some good leaders who are trying hard to help the other missionaries in their zones. Each month there is an accounting made for how their zones are doing and then a sharing of ideas of how to improve. We are still working on implementing the fundamental principles from Preach My Gospel. There really is so much to always be teaching and practicing that we feel like there is never enough time to do all we want to. One of our the new assistants ,Elder J. Roberts from Weston , Idaho was especially impressive. It was his first time to teach during the council as an assistant and he showed a knowledge of the gospel and teaching abilities that were very wonderful! There is great power and strength in the missionary force around the world. The Lord has prepared great young men and women to do his work!

Lidu and I prepared a lunch of barbeque chicken and baked beans and scalloped potatoes. We tried a new recipe I found for sugar cookie bars that everyone loved. There is never one crumb left of anything we serve. Missionaries love to eat!

We also had a few missionaries in the office to take the English test. The latins have some English books given then in the MTC in Argentina and if they complete them they can take an English test that will show their competency and they can receive a certificate from BYU that can help in job placement after the mission. It is a good program if the missionaries take advantage of it!

This month Mark has priesthood leadership meetings every Sunday in all the districts. He goes out with his councilors and they hold the meetings and have interviews while they are out in the areas. Tomorrow he will leave at 4 am and return around 10 or 11pm because the meeting is in Encarnacion which is 5 hours away. It makes for long weeks when he does this every weekend all month. His responsibilities overwhelm me often when I think of the 188 missionaries and all of the district responsibilities that he has. He is really trying to help teach and train the leaders in the district . There is such a need for that here. Oh what he would give to have his Farmington high council and presidency here to help him! I think he is doing a great job but he never feels like he is doing all he wants to be able to do.

Well , it is a new year and the second full year we will spend in Paraguay. We know this missionary work is important here and all over the world. We are happy to be involved in the work of sharing the gospel with the people of the world! We love and miss you all! Mark and Sandy

Pictures January 1, 2011

The Young women of Barrio Herrera.

Elder Sellers our new administrador.

Elder Heniquez from Chile, Hermana Paipa from Colombia,Elder Ponce

from Honduras at the airport after arrival.

Elder Dance , our administrador is leaving the office after serving

well as well as Elder Centurion who served as an assistant.

Elder Roberts is the new assistant- He's from Weston, Idaho.

Elder Rockwood is being trained by Elder Steren as the new financiero.

Hermana Lavaca from Nevada, Hermana Gonzales from California,

Hermana Plummer from Utah,Elder Holmgren from Utah, Elder Hatch from

Idaho and Elder Shaw from Idaho.

New missionaries eating dinner on first night in Paraguay!

All the new missionaries with their trainers.

The sisters love to see each other when we have change day!

Happy Sisters!!

More happy sisters!

Elder Holmgren and Elder Skinner ready to go to work!

The returning missionaries after testimony meeting at the mission home.

Hermana Sapuyes and Machuca, Elders Laughter,

Lopez,Reynolds,Salanoa,Vance and Thompson. They were a faithful group!

Elders Vance, Salanoa, Laughter,Reynolds and Thompson at the

airport ready to go spread their goodness with their families!

January 1, 2011

Dear Friends and Family, January 1, 2011

Wow the last two weeks flew by! We are so grateful for the Christmas season in the mission. It really allows us to focus on the Savior’s birth and not be too caught up in the busy –ness that sometimes it is so easy for us to do at home. We enjoyed a nice Christmas eve by attending the baptism for Ryan Pierce . The Pierce family lives here in Asuncion while working at the US embassy. Ryan’s grandparents are Bert and Linda Margetts ,our friends from Farmington. It was so fun to see the family and be there as Ryan was baptized. An added treat was the musical number where Ryan and his two brothers along with Sarah their Mom played a Christmas hymn on their violins. They did a beautiful job and we felt blessed to spend a little time with them that day.

We enjoyed speaking with all of our children on Christmas day. It was good to hear their voices and see them on skype. It is always fun to see the grandchildren and see that they still recognize us! We also learned that day that we will be receiving our fourteenth grandbaby in July. That will be Brian and Jenny , our oldest daughter’s, sixth child. We are happy for the good things that are happening in the lives of our children.

The missionaries were all happy that they were given permission this year to use skype for their phone calls to their families. We received word from Salt Lake only a few days before Christmas that they could use skype, so some had to scramble to get set up for the calls. There were a few problems connecting but I think everyone eventually made contact with their families, if not by skype at least by phone. The phone calls are always a mixed blessing. It is so nice for everyone to be able to speak with their families but sometimes it increases the homesickness for some for a bit.

We attended church in our home ward on Sunday and the Young Women sang a Christmas hymn in Sacrament meeting. They also brought gifts into Relief Society for all of the women.

Monday we jumped right into preparations for change week , getting ready to receive 9 new missionaries. Elders Hatch, Henriquez , Holmgren, Ponce and Shaw and Hermanas Gonzales ,Lavaka , Paipa and Plummer arrived on Tuesday . They are a good group who are ready to work! We oriented them and then Wednesday they had some training and then they met their trainers and were off! We were excited to receive 4 hermanas and will receive 4 more next change. We only have 13 sisters so whenever we receive new ones the sisters are excited! It also means our percentage of new sisters is high right now so there is a lot of teaching and training to be done.The Sisters’ missions go by so quickly that they really need to go to work fast to get their language quickly so they can communicate. Once the new missionaries were off we went to lunch and the temple with the 9 missionaries who had completed their missions. Every change I love to see the growth that happens to the missionaries during their time in the mission. We had sweet testimony meetings with new missionaries on Tuesday and Wednesday with the returning missionaries. It is probably my favorite part of change week! I love to see the new missionaries speaking their new language as they bear their testimonies. For those finishing their missions, I love to think of each of them taking their strengths with them back home and continuing to grow and also helping build the kingdom in their home wards and branches.

We are grateful for our experiences here in the mission. There are many wonderful things that we enjoy and there are also hard, sad things we experience as we work with our missionaries. We really feel the love of the Lord for all of his children as we try to help these young missionaries reach their potential as missionaries and as children of God and future husbands, wives, and fathers and mothers. We truly do love our missionaries and want the be instruments in helping each of them progress. The Plan of Happiness is wonderful in the way we are given opportunities to learn and grow and progress as we work hard to do what the Lord asks of us. We hope you all enjoy a wonderful New Year of Hope, Peace and Joy! We love and miss you all!! Mark and Sandy