October 26, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                                         October 26,2011

       Last week was our change week so we spent the week with all the fun activities relating to the welcoming of new missionaries and saying good bye to those finishing their missions. We received 16 missionaries on Tuesday, October 18. Thirteen elders and two hermanas arrived from the United States and one elder came from Argentina. He actually is from one of the cities Mark served in when he was a young elder so that was kind of fun!He also knows some of the people Mark taught way back when!!

    We spent the day in orientations for the new missionaries, having them sign the legal documents needed, they had their interviews with President and then we had a dinner and testimony meeting before they all went to bed. The elders stayed in the sleeping quarters in the mission office and the hermanas came to the mission home with us. The next morning we had meetings to get the trainers ready and then the new missionaries joined in for some more training and the companionships were introduced. By 11am they were off in taxis or buses to their areas.  We will see them all back at the mission offices the first week of November for some follow up training and to see how they are all doing with their twelve week training plan. They seemed like a great group and their language skills seemed pretty good in the testimony meeting.

    As soon as they were off we began to focus on the missionaries finishing their missions. We went to lunch and then to the temple for a session and then to the mission home for dessert and testimonies. There were some nice feelings expressed and some tender testimonies shared of the things these young men have learned while they have served here in Paraguay. It is hard for many to leave the mission- they really do come to love the people they have served and shared the gospel with. On Thursday we went to the airport two times to say good bye. We know there are great things ahead for these young men as they build on the things they have experienced and learned on the mission.

   Friday night Mark ran to the airport at midnight to pick up our visiting area seventy who presided over our District Conference in Ca’auazu.  Elder Juan Carlos Avila is a wonderful man and we always love spending time with him. Saturday morning we were up and on the road for our three hour drive to be in Ca’auazu by 9 am.  The leaders all went visiting while I spent time visiting with the wife of one of Mark’s counselors, Hermana Ocampo. In the afternoon while the men held Priesthood leadership meeting we held auxiliary training. We had a good meeting with some teaching and sharing of ideas . We pretty much focus on the basic leadership principles taught in  Administering the Church Manual 2. Many of the leaders have very little time in the church so we need to help them know how to use the handbook to learn their responsibilities so they can teach others.

   Saturday night we had the adult meeting and the chapel was full which was wonderful!  Before the session on Sunday we held a new member/investigator meeting. Our eight missionaries from Ca’auazu  were all there with people to hear the messages from President Duarte,the district president, Elder Avila and me.The elders there are working hard to share the gospel. We met some good people who are progressing well. Mark was interviewing five people from the district during that time. Sunday the general session was another good meeting  and then we drove straight to the airport so  Elder Avila  could catch his flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  Sunday night we ran over to a hotel to greet our friends the Harbertsons from Farmington. Rob and Mark met in the MTC a thousand years ago. Rob served in Uruguay and Paraguay and Mark went to Argentina.  After we were all married we ended up in a stake together in Farmington. Rob and Mark served together on a  high council, then both served as bishops and then both as stake presidents in neighboring stakes. It was so fun to see the good friends reunited. We had fun helping Rob see some of the sights of his mission for a couple days. It was fun for us to hear Rob tell us about the mission back in the mid seventies and see what has changed.  Well I better run. Until later!  Love, Mark and Sandy