October 23, 2010

Dear Friends and Family, October 23, 2010

This was another week of interviewing as we travel out to Encarnacion and Ciudad del Este to finish up the rest of the missionary interviews for this cycle. We really enjoyed the week as the missionaries were all busy with training by watching the DVD’s on improving teaching and discussing them or doing practices. One district had some training by the zone leaders and another zone used the time to do their weekly planning while they were waiting for their turn for interviews. Again my favorite part is spending a little time visiting with those waiting. Elder Alexander shared with me his scripture for when the week seems hard. Mosiah 23:21,22 speaks of our patience and faith being tried but if we trust in the Lord we will be lifted up in the last day. He is a positive elder who is working hard and doing well.

I also enjoy participating in the practices. It’s a real insight into how the missionaries really are doing as they teach. The thing that I especially love is the way the spirit helps and teaches during the practices. More often than not we all have wonderful spiritual insights as we do our practices, not only about our teaching methods but about the lessons we are teaching and their personal application and how we can help others to understand the message. It also helps me to know the missionaries better. I did a practice with Elder McShinsky and Elder Villalba. It really helped me to know their personalities and them better . Some missionaries are more reserved than others so it’s nice to hear them teach and see who they are more clearly. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have to spend time here with these wonderful missionaries. We learn so much as we watch them work hard and learn personal lessons through their challenges. The life of the missionary is difficult at times but the wonderful part is watching young men and women learn how to grow through their struggles and become more prepared for their futures. Really that is what life is about for all of us each day, trying to be better and better in all that we do.

We are in spring now and the drive was beautiful as we went around the mission. It really is a beautiful place that we are living in right now! We were also able to visit two apartments we had not yet visited in San Ignacio and Santa Rita and also a new chapel we are renting in Santa Rita. The weather has been perfect temperature with a bit of rain thrown in so everything is green and growing. One thing we find interesting is the way road crews along the route we drive on use only machetes or gas powered weed wackers to trim the sides of the roads. It seems an awful slow way to accomplish the task!

We spent a lot of time while driving thinking about what we see going on in the mission with our teaching abilities. It really is true that if you want someone to learn something well they need to hear it seven times seven ways. We just keep trying to help everyone learn what they need to so we can teach our wonderful message more clearly and with the spirit so that more people will be brought to the Savior and his gospel.

Well, we hope you all have a great week! Love, Mark and Sandy

Pictures October 17, 2010

Hermana Edwards with Hermana Farias ,one of our members who is

serving as a local missionary. What a great team!

Missionaries come in all sizes as Elder Centurion and Evans show.

Elders watching The District 2 DVD's while waiting for interviews

.

Elders Ariste, Falepaplangi and Sorensen doing practices.

Elders Richards,Padilla and Taylor doing practices.

Elders Skinner, Dexter,Vaca and Vinces work on teaching methods.

.Elders Zambrano,Bigham and Centurion doing practices.

Elder Nelson prepares for his interviews

October 17, 2010

Dear Friends and Family, October 17, 2010

This week was one full of interviews. Interviews are now held every three month and are to last around 10 minutes. Elder Stearman our secretary had a nice schedule for the week and tried to keep President on time. It is very difficult though when many missionaries need a bit more time. From Friday a week ago to this past Friday , Mark interviewed 126 missionaries. We will go outside of Asuncion this next week to complete the rest of the interviews. He loves the time with the missionaries and seems to have more energy at the end of the days full of interviews. I enjoy the chance I have to visit with missionaries who are waiting for their turn also. Sister Quartino and Troesh both shared with me blessings that are coming to their families as they serve here. Elder Sellers always gives me a little chocolate!Some have health questions but mostly it is good to just connect with them all a bit more. I love hearing a bit more about the lives of our missionaries and their joys and challenges. It is also a time when we can see the newer missionaries and see how they are doing. The miracle of the language learning continues as many tell me the progress they are making. Some improve more quickly than others but every missionary can have the help they need to learn the language as they spend the time and effort they need to. The newer Elders we saw this week are working hard and doing well.

During the time the missionaries are waiting for their interviews they spend their time in practices and also watching some of the DVDs “The District 2” which focus on teaching skills for missionaries. The missionaries tell us they are enjoying learning and using the 8 simplified lessons from Preach My Gospel. Again they focus the doctrine of Christ, the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion, the process of revelation through prayer, Book of Mormon and church attendance, teaching people not lessons and how to help people make and keep commitments. All of these things not only make better missionaries when learned and applied but everyone benefits from their study and application.

Friday President interviewed a couple preparing to be sealed in the temple. He is a returned missionary and they are excited to make those sacred covenants in the temple. Those are especially sweet times when we see people making the right kinds of choices that lead them to the temple.

Saturday we went with Hermana Cozzens and Troesh as they taught a young man in Lambare. Part of the focus on improving the teaching abilities of the missionaries is for President to go out with the missionaries when he can to observe their teaching. It was a nice experience and we enjoy it every time we can go. The hard part is to be a support and observers and not jump in too much! We wait to be invited by the missionaries who are teaching and then after the lesson we have a visit with the missionaries to have a little post evaluation so we can all see how we might be able to improve. It really helps us know how the teaching is going throughout the mission.

Today we attended sacrament meeting in San Isidro. Elders Rodriguez, Eddy, Nelson and Nolet are serving there. We try to attend a different ward or branch each week so we can see the missionaries and meet the people around the mission. I love the way the Lord works in that we are often blessed to hear exactly what we personally need in these sacrament meetings through the talks the members give. Today we heard some messages by two sisters about keeping our covenants and the important role we have as parents to teach firmly but with love. I know Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us and is so willing to help us as we try to fulfill our responsibilities. I know the Lord is here to help all of us as missionaries as we try to help others find and know the Savior and He is also here to help us personally in our lives. We are grateful for the things we are learning, the wonderful missionaries we are serving with and growing to love more each day and for our family who supports us in so many ways!! Have a great week! Love, Mark and Sandy

Pictures October 9, 2010

Elders Faas, Snow,Dexter, Clanton, Wray,Durrant,Harwell and Stewart

at the airport after a very long trip!

Elder Bazan, Perez and Vasquez at the airport.

All the new missionaries outside the mission office. What a great group!

All the new missionaries and their trainers.

Leaving missionaries at the temple. Elders Wall , Goodwin,

Freeman, Reed, Urmston,Carleton, Bowers, Wilkes and Hermanas Valente

and Casteneda.

Wonderful faithful group of leaving missionaries. Elders Reed,

Wall, Carleton, Freeman, Wilkes, Goodwin, Bowers, Urmston and Hermanas

Casteneda and Valente.

Elders Wilkes,Goodwin,Wall, Urmston and Freeman at the airport

before flying . Powerful group!!!!

October 9, 2010

October 9, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was change week. It’s always filled with many activities and the week flies by. Monday the office staff was busy with last minute preparations. This was the first time we had all the new missionaries and the leaving missionaries stay overnight in the room next to the office. Elder Dance, our office administrator, has overseen the adding of a doorway between two rooms, the installation of the tile floor,and generally everything else that needed to happen so we could accommodate the elders there. We think it worked okay but we might change a few things to improve for next time. That’s one thing that is a constant here in the mission….change! We are always trying to improve the things we do.

Tuesday we were excited to receive our new missionaries . An hour before they were to arrive we found out that the north American elders missed their flight in Buenos Aires, Argentina and instead of arriving at 11:30am they would be arriving at 11:30 pm. We picked up the three latin elders and went ahead with the plans for the day of lunch , orientation, and interviews with President. Elders Perez and Vasquez from El Salvador and Elder Bazan from Peru went out to teach and make contacts with the office elders in the evening. The rest of the elders, Elders Clanton, Dexter, Durrant , Faas , Harwell , Snow, Stewart and Wray arrived later that night and went straight to bed.

Wednesday was spent orienting and interviewing the late arriving elders and holding a training meeting for the trainers of the new missionaries. Companionships were introduced and off they went to their new areas. In the meantime President is interviewing the returning elders and hermanas . We took the returning missionaries to lunch and then to a session at the temple. After the temple we came to the mission home for dessert and testimony meeting. Elders Carleton, Freeman, Goodwin, Reed, Urmston, Wall, Wilkes and Bowers,and Hermanas Valente and Casteneda were great missionaries. It is always wonderful to hear their strong testimonies at the end of their missions.

Thursday we said goodbye at the airport. It’s always a tender time as they say goodbye to the country they have come to love.

Friday we drove 2 ½ hours to Ca’aguazu and Coronel Oviedo for President to interview 22 missionaries. With the new schedule the interviews come every three months. It’s nice to meet one on one for President and I enjoy seeing all the missionaries in smaller groups where we can chat and I can remind them of important things like cleaning their apartments! We also passed out batteries for their carbon monoxide detectors in their apartments. I was talking to Elder Richards from Mukilteo, Washington and he was telling me that he worked real hard to get his apartment clean and then he was transferred. He said the new apartment wasn’t as clean so he just got busy getting that one cleaner too. I love to hear that from missionaries! It really makes a difference when we have missionaries who have been taught to clean and work.

We loved conference last weekend and it seemed to us there were many mentions of missionary work. We really see the need for members to be involved to help the work go forward. We need many more strong members here but with time hopefully things will improve in that area here. Elder Arnold who spoke is our new area president, so that was nice to hear him speak along with all the others we heard. The missionaries were excited to be able to share conference with their investigators too. We hope you all had a good week! Love, Mark and Sandy

MTC Day

MTC activity put on by a couple stakes. They had around 300 youth show up!

Such a great group of youth!

Dad teaching the youth

Pictures October 3, 2010

Zone leaders enjoying lasagne at zone council.

Zone council lunch

Zone leaders and assistants

President Callan and Zone leaders at zone council.

Elders Evans, Vasquez and Lau practicing.

Elders Gustafson, Guenther, Rodriguez and Nolet practicing.

President observing practices.

Elders Evans,Johnson,Reed,Blake,Rodriguez,Gustafson,Guenther,Parke,Vasquez

and Reveron, sang a beautiful musical number.

Elders Silva, Nolet and Aris.

All the zone leaders, district leaders and traiiners.

Driving range? Distance Markers?

Club House?