Dear Family and Friends,
Last Sunday we attended a nice stake conference for the Asuncion Stake. It is probably the largest stake and has the best attendance of those in the mission. There was even a choir and also a children’s choir that sang a mother’s day song. It was a nice meeting and we loved seeing two zones of missionaries who serve in that stake.
Monday
Mark interviewed ten missionaries who finished their missions. Tuesday
we welcomed 17 new missionaries who arrived on three separate flights.
We had a real international group this time. 17 missionaries came from
Costa Rica, Paraguay(2), Uruguay,
Argentina,Brazil,Guatemala,Nicaragua,Utah (6),Massachusetts,California
and Texas. It was a great group and we expect great things from them. We still have 5 visa waiters also. We
now have 207 missionaries in the mission. It was the normal fun energy
filled day with all the activities of welcoming new missionaries and
getting them oriented and ready to go out with their companions. The
next day after a training meeting with their companions they were in the
taxis and off to their areas. We then focused on those finishing their
missions with a lunch and temple session and testimony meeting at the
mission home. We love our missionaries and are grateful for the good
things they do here during their missions. It is always wonderful to see
the growth that happens during their time here.
Sister
Plummer’s parents came to travel home with her so we met with them on
Thursday morning . It is always sweet to see the reunions of parents and
their children. We went to the airport two times to say good bye to the
rest of the group also on Thursday.
Friday
Mark met with a couple future missionaries from district here and also
met with a member and his wife was preparing for baptism. Victor
joined the church almost two years ago and has patiently waited for his
wife to be ready. She decided it was time for her to join him so
Saturday we attended a sweet baptism for Rosanna .Victor baptized her
and they spoke of their goal to be sealed in one year in the temple. That is what this work is all about- families making covenants of baptism and then continuing to prepare to enter the temple. We
are so happy for Victor . He has been so valiant. He received his
endowment in April and is serving as the elders’quorum president in his
ward. Victor and Rosanna were so happy and it was so good to see the joy
they had!
Sunday
we attended church in Ita Enramada and enjoyed a meeting that was
totally focused on missionary work. One young man who just returned from
his mission in Uruguay spoke along with two of our missionaries. Mark
and I ended up speaking also. We are seeing more and more missionaries
from Paraguay returning from their missions. That is such a blessing for
this county. Priesthood leadership is so needed here. We are happy that
we have seen a great increase in missionaries leaving from Paraguay
over the last couple years. We also have seen an increase in the number
of men who are joining the church here in the mission. That is a great
blessing for the church here. Our missionaries try to focus on finding
families and men to teach.
This
week of changes also brought changes in the office and with our
assistants. We still have four assistants so two can be out of the
Asuncion area on divisions and the other two in the Asuncion area. Our
assistants have done a great job. Elders Durrant and Love have finished
their assignments as assistants and will go out to other areas to serve
now. Elders Dexter and King have become the new assistants to join with
Elder Clement and Henriquez. These young men are all amazing and are
doing and have done such and good job in helping others become better
missionaries. Elder Hair finished training Elder
Nielsen as secretary. Elder Hair worked so hard to fulfill all the many
things he is called upon to do to keep things running well in the
mission. He keeps everyone legal here, keeps the cell phones working,
schedules interviews and meetings for president among the thousand other
things he does. Elder Hill joined the office as
administrador. He is being trained by Elder Calvert. His
responsibilities include keeping the mission supplied with Book of
Mormons and pamphlets, maintenance of the office and cars, sending and
receiving of all mail and packages. They do all of these things and
baptize too!! We love them all!
Wow , that letter went really long ! Sorry but it was a full week! Have a great week!
Love, Mark and Sandy
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