News from Over the Border in Argentina

Weather was beautiful this week in Paradise. Stress was high, with lots of unmet expectations and anxiety about our trip out of the country for the first time with an overdue tourist visa and no papers to drive a church car across the border yet. Again, did they know we were coming? Really the travel guy says he didn't. Or at least didn't know we were a different kind of missionary that covered three missions in two countries. Yay for being the guinea pigs! Interestingly enough, rental companies like Hertz don't let you cross the border with their cars either, so we had to hire a driver and that was helpful going across the border. We did have to pay a fine which we knew about (but forgot to get the receipt, oops) and now we just have to get out of Paraguay every 90 days to restart the tourist visa that we have. Waiting in line and finally crossing took about 45 minutes. Pictures below are of us crossing the border.

 Learning when we've had enough and it is time to get out of the office and do something different no matter what time it is has been helpful. On Thursday we went home relaxed and then got back to work there a little more productive.

But being in the temple on Wednesday night and remembering that family is most important changed the trajectory of the week.

English Connect class doubled and hopefully this week it will double again. We are getting better at what we are supposed to do and how to do it on Zoom.

More work is happening on our corner of the building. They cleaned out all the things we don't use anymore. We also saw this guy with electric hedge clippers half on, half off a ladder and prayed there would not be an accident.

A new thing on our list of responsibilities we didn't know we had is helping to find service opportunities for the service missionaries through the non-profits we work with. We try and put ourselves in the shoes of the missionaries parents and support them like we would like to be supported.

After a month of sleeping on the couch because Ken's machine makes a loud whistling noise that we don't know how to fix, we purchased earplugs and Chris moved back into the bedroom

  
This is a specialty clinic we visited that asked us for a new ultrasound machine. We think that this is the type of machine used on Chris during her first ultrasound when she was pregnant with Kensington 36 years ago. We are hopeful we can help. It has been our experience that everyone asks for so very little of what they need here so as to not take advantage and are so grateful for any help. Ken is with the administrator and technician who with the help of the community made the cement wheelchair ramp. We love how so many people do so much with so little and make it work with a smile.

Last week of PJF. We will miss the friends we've met there but we see them at the temple which makes us feel much like Alma and the sons of Mosiah when they met up after their mission, joyous, because they were still brothers in the Lord.

This is Ruth(below) and it is her last year at PJF and she saved all her nametags and bracelets and buttons from the past 5 years and was a bit sad this was her last year.

This is a family on a motorcycle. Can you see the kids? One is in front of the driver and one is in between the two adults. It is a common sight here and just the way many families get around. The families don't ride fast but it makes us nervous

Northern Argentina takes its futbol serious. Here is the futbol stadium in a city of about 447,000 people.

This is the green Argentinean Chaco. And below is a plant that is related to the banana (the one with the big leaves) and bears fruit but our driver wasn't sure what it was called.

Here we are at lunch with the Dominguezes. They are kind and are taking good care of us on our trip to Argentina.

Spiritual thought for the week comes from Doctrine and Covenants 3

3 Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

4 For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.

So keep working and praying to understand God's will in how, when, where and how it needs to get done and it will in his timing remembering he thinks celestial. And his vengence is leaving us in our own strength and be separated from Him.

Have a great week and we are grateful for the love we feel from all of you with your comments, texts and emails.

 

Just Another Week in Paradise!

It is always great to have preparation day to rest from the pace of our mission. In actuality it is hard to just stop and rest and not worry about all there is to get done. After waiting for so long to have our project numbers updated to 2024(so we could do anything with them), and waiting for official approval we have a few projects to move ahead on and lots to do. We also have projects to finish up that were started long before we got here. It is a bit trickier with those as we aren't familiar with the people or what has and hasn't been done. Again we need to remember we set our own pace and the Lord is never frantic. Saturday and Sunday combined gives us time to regroup, refocus and walk back from the ledge.

Here is the large avacados they have here. We weren't sure what they were for the last few months. Glad we figured it out.

Last Sunday they asked us to say prayers in Sacrament meeting and Ken taught the priesthood lesson at the last minute. So last minute he thought they were joking. He did great!

Chris was able to join our Minnesota ward Relief Society Zoom meeting. In Minnesota it was -43°F with a ground blizzard so church was cancelled. It was nice for her to be able hear the gospel in her native tongue and comment with the correct words. 

This week's meal with the missionaries included the two interns Noah Mortimer and Ben Smith. They are here for the semester from BYU and helping in the Welfare and Self-reliance office so they come with us on visits sometimes. For dinner we had this amazing cheesy garlic bread, chili and brownies. Chris is finally getting a bit better with the temperature and times of this oven.
We also started our English Connect 2 class. We only had 4 students show up on Zoom but we are hoping to bring the others along in the next few weeks. There is a real need for teachers, for those of you who would like to volunteer to teach let us know and we will connect you with a director.

One of the projects we are trying to help with is a part of town were a man is helping the poor. Last year the church purchased some containers for classrooms(top two pictures below). This year they would like more containers as some of the older containers that housed their health clinic were destroyed and they now have the health clinic in the school classrooms around the compound(school is not in session now during their summer break). 

The cement pylons are ready for two new containers and we are hoping to be able to move them soon.

Wednesday for lunch we learned how and were treated to Caldo de Porotos from the building guard and cleaning lady. In a previous blog post we mentioned Paraguayan soup broth is vegetable based with carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic and bell pepper. The vegetables are minced so they sort of melt into the broth. After soaking the beans for at least 6 hours they are cooked in the broth for about 25 minutes along with adding cubed squash (kind of like butternut), linguini noodles and at the very end, paraguayan cheese cubes. Delicioso! and Juan and Claudia are so kind. We get most of our Paraguay cultural learning from them.

Chris was also able to spend some time on the sewing machine this week and get it working. We also purchased a thread stand so they can use the size of thread spools they sell here without overworking the tension disks. Today she hopes to get our mending done so we can return it to the church for others to use.

Thursday's visit was to another hospital needing their mammography machine digitilized. Right now it is just literally gathering dust because they can't find film to make images anymore. Hopefully this will help the women of Paraguay.

We have been trying to organize getting to the temple with one of the young women who was willing to do some temple work for some of our ancestors. We had mentioned on Sunday doing it this week but we hadn't heard from her. We left the office at about 4 pm on Thursday, completely exhausted. When we arrived home we got a cute little message that they had just found out our temple appointment was tonight and they were on the way to the temple. Luck for us we are two blocks from the temple so we just grabbed our stuff and went. It was a beautiful oasis from the pressures of getting projects done and changed the whole feeling of the day.

There was a group from Brazil there so many of the ordinances were in Portuguese. The picture below is with a family who had to leave Venezuela about 6 years ago and immigrated to Brazil. It was a boost to be among them.

We took our temple helpers out to our favorite ice cream place after the temple session.

Friday morning came and Ken had to stop and get his empanadas and Sprite. In the States it was McDonalds. Here in Paraguay it is the AutoServicio.

This week before heading out to For the Strength of Youth we stopped at an non-profit eye clinic. What amazing work they do. Not only do they consult and perform surgery here but it is a teaching hospital as well. The church has helped in the past. Some of the donated equipment is shown in what they call the "fishbowl."

Here we are with most of the equipment that the Church is donating with this project. It doesn't look like much sizewise but it will help premature babies to not loose their sight which at this time is a big problem in Paraguay. The directors were such kind and enjoyable people and they love the work they do.

Below we are at For the Strength of Youth (PFJ) with all the directors who consecrate so much for the youth of Paraguay. This week Emily from the main office in Salt Lake was there. She is the Director of Operation over For the Strength of Youth under the Priesthood and Family Committee. It was fun to talk to her and see how happy she was with how PFJ is run in Paraguay.

It was a great week. We have made many connections with people who are working hard to help the people of Paraguay and we hope to be able to help them, not because we have all the answers but because of generous people who give to the Humanitarian Fund. We really try and listen to what they want.
We were shown part of this video in the MTC. The principles are amazing and the story of the hippos memorable. You only need to listen til minute 6:09 to get the point and after that at some point there is a swear word. Impressive principles.

Lastly Chris investigated the new app from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints called GOSPEL STREAM. You can stream all audio and video that is on churchofjesuschrist.org but it also has a live 24/7 radio stream with Christian music. Great for a pick me up.

Spiritual thought this week:
Many times while reading the scriptures and words of the prophets this week, it has been made abundantly clear that our choice from the beginning has been and always will be either to be separated from God (death, spiritually or physically) or to be in His presence (eternal life). Every story, every principle and every doctrine is to help us understand that choice for ourselves and others. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said,"Joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of God." We have felt that in our lives here in Paraguay and at the death of our daughter, Sarah. We know that even if at this time we can not be in His literal presence we can have His Spirit with us. We know we don't have to be perfect to feel his presence but we must have our heart, might and mind turned toward Him. Choose Him every moment of every day and if you forget choose Him again tomorrow.

We say this every week but we love the notes of encouragement and all the love and prayers sent our way. They really help us make it through the times we are stretched.

The Power of His Name

It is great to feel the love people have for the calling of missionary and carrying His name on our tags. Many times this week we were asked to be in pictures just because we were missionaries. Even when Chris bought temple garments at the distribution center she didn't need to show her temple recommend, the cashier said the badge was enough.

This first picture was when we did get to the Bishop's Storehouse to drop off the supplies we bought and they stopped everything because they wanted to get a picture with us. Everyone in this picture is a consecrated servant. They volunteer on Tuesdays and Thursday from 5:30-9 AM to help fill food orders for those in need. We may be physically taller but their hearts and service are as large and influencial as ours.

It was Hermana Gray's birthday on Sunday and she was still recovering from Dengue. We still tried to make it a good day for her. Check out that homemade HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign.

Monday and Tuesday sped by with lots of computer work and organizing. Does it seem like that is much of what we do? It is. 

Wednesday night we had bad storms and the power was off and on from about 9pm-1am and then off until after we left for work. Normally it isn't a big deal to be without power when you sleep unless you have a CPAP like we both do. Needless to say Thursday we were sleepy and couldn't take showers but pressed on.

Actually Thursday was a dream day for Chris. First, we visited a small health clinic. 

We are excited to hear from the doctor he is 90% sure he is getting a new building a kilometer down the road. Three of four times in the last few years they have been broken into for drugs. Last time the robbers cut a hole in the roof. Second, we finally found an open fabric store where some of the fabric you buy by the kilo. Third, we tried paraguayan Pizza Hut. It was amazing, as good if not better than the ones at home.

Fourth after some more computer work and contacting we may have a meeting with the Senator over the Ministry of Education and finally a temple date to do sealings. Just that morning we read Elder Christofferson's talk on Sealing where he teaches that sealing is part of every ordinance. Interesting because if you listen to the words of a sealing of husband to wife it mentions "all covenants and ordinances." When an ordinance is sealed it means it is of God. He gave his authority. Interesting that this ordinance of sealing allows us to proclaim to Him that we want to be part of His family and do things He asks us to do and receive the blessings He wants us to have.
Friday we spent the day with the 13-14 year old church members from all over Paraguay at For the Strength of Youth Conference (PFJ in spanish). They are amazing and so kind to us, we kind of felt like celebrities but we know it was again because of His name on our badge. Because there has not been Humanitarian Service missionaries in Paraguay for a long time and really there is only one senior couple in each of the two missions of Paraguay I think some of the youth didn't realize how average we are but requested our picture and wanted us to sign their books just like their friends.

We are also grateful for the young single adult counselors and adult couples that organized the service activity so well and really only left us to take pictures and visit with the youth.

Some beautiful and new things we've found in Paraguay this week are a beautiful yellow blossoming tree and a fruit that grows on a vine that looks like a green apple. Tried to google it but didn't find anything.

News from home: our basement stairs were finally carpeted right before Christmas!

Looking forward to P-day cleaning and rest to prepare to worship on Sunday. Sunday is our first  crack at teaching English Connect 2 class.

Spiritual Thought is about the Power of Christ's name. It comes from Hymn #335 Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;

Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,

Trying now to make the harbor,

In the darkness may be lost.

Let the lower lights be burning;

Send a gleam across the wave.

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save.

      We feel quite feeble but it is us trying to reflect Christ's light to others that can help rescue and save them. When we align our lower light with His and do the things He and our Father ask of us like He did, we reflect his light and truth. It isn't us, it is Him, given to us by the Father if we believe and act in faith to be like Him. Taking His name upon us means we want to be like Him. What have you seen this week that shows His power, love, grace or goodness in your life? Recognize it and use that power of remembering that moment to move forward.

Have a great week, stay safe wherever you are in the world.