Pictures June 24, 2012

Elder Clark tring to complete his work amidst the work being done
in the office in preparation for the new president.

 New missionaries at the airport. Elder Brimley,Sister Michael, Elder
Maxwell,Sister Stewart,Elder Seethaler and Elder Naef.

 Trainers with new missionaries at the mission office. Elders Shaw, Maxwell, White, Naef, Seethaler, Hugie, Ashcroft, Brimley, Sister Lefler, Stewart, Michael and Ramos.

 .Elders Maxwell, Naef, Seethaler, Brimley, Sisters Stewart and Michael.

 Lunch with the missionaries completing their missions.

 Elders Tyler, Davis, Brown, Beckett, Nelson, McGee, Madsen, Obray, Butcher, Sievers, Griffin, Sister Knapp, Elder VanMondfrans, Sister Little, Elder Larsen, Sister Paipa, Elder Richards, Sister Lewis outside the temple

 At the mission home with the missionaries who are completing their missions.

 With Elder Richards and family.

 With Elder Seivers and family.

Baptism with Elders Wilson,Schone,Enriquez and Clement in the
Ka'aguy Rory ward.

June 24, 2012

                                                                                                                                         June 24,2012

Dear Family and Friends,

    This feels strange as we write our last letter from Paraguay! We thought three years would be a long time but it doesn’t feel like it has been so long now. Our week was filled with our last change week as we received 6 new missionaries from the U.S .and said goodbye to 18 more. We will receive three more new missionaries from the Argentina MTC this week also. It was our last time to go to lunch with those missionaries leaving the mission. It was the last time we will attend the temple in Asuncion.  What a blessing we have had to be able to attend the temple each six weeks with our leaving missionaries. Having a temple here is a great blessing for the missionaries and for the people of Paraguay.

    We had our last testimony meeting with our sweet missionaries at the end of their missions. Seeing the growth of our missionaries has been a wonderful thing to watch! Our feelings have been tender as we have experienced so many wonderful parts of this mission for the last time.  We are so grateful for the wonderful missionaries who have come and gone during our time here. We have been blessed to have around 480 missionaries here during our time in Paraguay. They are all now a part of our lives forever. We always want to know what is happening in their lives and see the great things they will accomplish. We know our lives are so much better because we have been able to spend time serving here with all of them.

    The parents of two of our missionaries came to pick them up so we had fun meeting Elder Richard’s parents and Elder Siever’s parents and brother. They were both excited to introduce their families to the people they had taught in their different areas.

   Friday we spent a good amount of time watching as the president of Paraguay President Lugo was impeached. The formal proceedings began around noon and by 6:30pm they had sworn in the new president who was the vice president before- Federico Franco. We were asked to have all missionaries stay in their apartments for the evening that night because of some hints of violence but we were grateful that there were no more problems and we all went back  to our normal schedules and work on Saturday.  Some people have kind of joked that the people get more upset about losing a soccer game than a president being impeached.  Hopefully things will remain calm as the changes in the government are put into place.

    Saturday we went to a nice baptism in Ka’aguy Rory. A family of four and also a young girl were baptized. It was a nice service and the parents of the young girl are planning to be baptized in the future. Sunday we attended our home ward in Barrio Herrera. It was a tender time saying goodbye to some sweet people we have come to love. We were both asked to bear our testimonies one last time.  We have seen what a wonderful change can come into people’s lives when they learn and accept the gospel and live it! These people will be in our hearts forever! They have blessed our lives so much.

     We know this is the work of the Lord and are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to serve here in Paraguay. We are eternally grateful for the wonderful missionaries we have served with and for the preparations they made before they arrived in the mission and for the work they accomplished while they were here. We are grateful for all of their parents for teaching them and for supporting them while they have served. We are grateful for our family who has supported us in so many ways. We have mixed feelings as we leave this country and people and missionaries that we love so much. But we are excited to see what life will bring as we return to our family and friends at home. We know we will always be connected to our missionaries and that brings us much joy. We will write one more letter after our arrival home and that will conclude the report of our mission.  We hope the things we have written have helped share a bit of the life in the Mision Paraguay Asuncion. A life we have loved so much!   Have a great week!                                       Love, Mark and Sandy

Pictures June 17, 2012

 With the Vidals, Cellas, Villalbas,

Ocampos, Jaras at the Graus' home
for and Asado (BBQ)

 

  With President Mervyn Arnold outside the temple after our exit interview.

 With General YM President David Beck.

  Loading up the van for the move!

 Hermanas Ramos, Cintas, Knapp, Andino,

Little, Callan, Lewis and Andrade
after interviews.

 

  Old companions reunited! Hermanas Andino and Lefler.

At President Perez' home in Encarnacion for a goodbye dinner.

 After the dedication of the newly remodeled and enlarged chapel in
Natalio Diez.

 With Leticia,Rebekah,Belen and Mario Jara in Natalio Diez.

 With Elder Facer , a missionary who served in Paraguay and
returned for a visit.

With Elder Facer and Robert ,our friend and waiter,who was taught
by Elder Facer.

June 17, 2012

                                                                                                                                     June  17,2012

Dear Family and Friends,

      Another week full of great experiences has passed. Monday we were invited to an asado (BBQ) at the home of the Grau family. We had a fun night of eating and visiting with most of the wives and  members of the mission presidencies we served with here. The Cellas, Vidals, Jaras, Ocampos, Graus are all wonderful people and we learned a lot from them.  We shared scriptures that related to our experiences in our service together and it was a sweet evening.  We love so many of the people we have gotten to know here so much!

   Tuesday we went to lunch with President Beck, the General YM President ,President Osguthorpe, the General Sunday School President and President Arnold(Area President). They were in Paraguay to hold some meetings with the leaders and youth. After lunch we had our Exit Interview for the mission with President Arnold. We can´t believe we are at that point already! Mark spent the rest of the day driving President Beck to his meetings and attending them also.

    Wednesday the packers came and packed and took away our clothes, books and other items that are heading back home. The house looks bare without our photos and personal items in it. As the van was being loaded our sweet helper Lidu was out on the patio crying. We will miss her so much ! She has been a sweet friend and help to us and the mission! She has worked for 5 mission presidents now and knows way more than we do!

   Thursday and Friday some of the 18 missionaries who will be finishing their missions next week came into the office for their interviews. It was fun to see them and their companions! The office was being painted all week and recarpeted so everything was a bit crazy but it´s time to get it ready for the new president!

     Saturday we drove to Encarnacion for another interview and then went to President Perez´s home for dinner. It was a nice evening eating and saying our goodbyes to them.

   Sunday we drove to Natalio Diez where a chapel had recently been remodeled. Mark had been asked to dedicate the building so we enjoyed the block of meetings ending with the dedicatory prayer. We saw Elder Hopkins and Stewart who had helped with the open house there the day before.  We again said final goodbyes to sweet friends there and then drove to Ciudad del Este for more interviews.

    We are planning to meet a former missionary and his father for dinner tonight which will be fun. Elder Facer  taught one of the waiters at the hotel and he is excited to see him again and see if we can get him ready to receive the missionaries again. Robert has become a good friend of ours over the last few years, we hope someday he will be ready to accept the gospel and bless his family.

   Today is Father´s Day and We are grateful for the wonderful fathers that we both have. I am grateful for the great father Mark is to our children and we are grateful for the way our sons and sons in laws are raising our grandchildren. We have been greatly blessed!

   We love the mission! We love this work! We love the things we have learned. We love our missionaries! We love the Lord! We love Heavenly Father! We are so grateful for all we have experienced over the past three years. We will never forget it and will never  be able to give enough thanks to our Heavenly Father for what we have experienced here in Paraguay.                                              Love, Mark and Sandy

     

Post Mission Speaking in Church

We just thought we'd post when President and Sister Callan are speaking in church after they return home this summer! They will be speaking in the Farmington 13th Ward at 9 AM on July 8th, 2012. The address is 347 South 200 West Farmington, Utah 84025. You can click on the link below for a map of the church's location. Thanks!

Map to Church

June 9, 2012 Pictures

 Elders Stewart,Hair,Dyches and Soria at lunch during zone and
district leaders training.

  Elders Althoff,Dexter,Gleason,Wray and Knudsen.

  Elders Ramos,Faas,Guizada and Althoff.

  Elders Love,Hager,White and Hauser.

 Elders Mower,Clark,Lamb and Love.

 Elders Snow, Neves and Graham.

 Elders Hatch, Richards, Beatty and Marple.

 Elders Griffin,Van Mondfrans and Bowers.

 Elders Wilson and Mairena.

 Elders Kiing and Griffin.

 Elders Dyches, Chatterley and Henriquez.

  Elders Shaw, Kartchner and Holmgren.

  Elders Ponce ,Tilleman and Schouten.

 Elders Pastul,Sievers,Clement,Durrant and Schone.

Elders Durrant,Schone,Stewart and Coggins.

 

All of the district leaders.

 All of the zone leaders and assistants.

 Sajonia district meeting- Backrow Elders Rodeback ,Martin,
President,Sevy.Horton,Reyes, Front row- Van Mondfrans,Izurieta and
Varney.

 Mercado cuatro - a market area we drive through occasionally
but don't shop in- kind of interesting area.

 The Perez family from Encarnation after Hermana Perez was set apart
for her mission to Argentina.

  The mission presidency. President Jara and wife on left and
President Ocampos and wife on the right.

 With the Horvath family after they were sealed in the temple.

The Horvath family with their son Saul.