Well this is my first official email in the country of Paraguay. I wish that I had more time to try and write all that has happened to me in the last week. Ok first off. We arrived in Asuncion and met immediately President Callan and his wife. They were so cool and open to see all 19 of us missionaries come in off the plane ready to get to work. He told us later that he has never seen so many missionaries after 2 days of traveling be so pumped to be in the mission field. We went and ate some weird food that I had never even seen before in my life. It was like a scone but it was chicken. It was weird but good at the same time. We then went into the office and then they gave us some brief orientations about what was going down about mail and all that. It was crazy and then we all got to sleep in what they call the "cave" because they just stuffed all the missionaries in there. Then we woke up in the morning and went to sign our documents to let us stay here in Paraguay. We then went back and met our trainers.
My trainer is Elder Hewitt from South Jordan Utah. He has 3 months left so that means the time that he has left will be with me here in what we call Ciudad de Este or a different closer area of Presidente Franco. Yes that is the name of the place we are going to be living its a town thats a little smaller but still crazy. We spent all of Wednesday traveling on the bus across Paraguay so that was way cool that we got to see the whole country on the first day. Elder Marple and Elder Varney were traveling with their companions as well on the same bus so it was great to see them. Elder Varney got a native companion. hehehehehe He didn't want one because his Spanish was so bad. But hey its ok. Alright we arrived in Ciudad de Este and got a taxi to Presidente Franco. Then immediately Elder Hewitt told me that we had a appointment with 2 girls that just arrived from vaccion and had a baptismal date really close. So we walked quite a distance probably about 2 miles to their house and when we arrived they were there with their mom just chillin watchin tv. We went in and WOW........ I didn't understand anything they were saying........... Nothing at all............ I don't want to brag but I thought in the MTC my Spanish was probably one of the top in the class but out here... it was nothing. I just sat there and smiled and occasionaly nodded heheheheh like I even knew what was actually going on. Sad story. I guess they didn't feel so good about their baptismal date so we planned to come back tomorrow and talk about it more. Well we went back the 2 miles to our apartment. Thats what the pictures are by the way. And Elder Hewitt says that this is the nicest apartment he has been in so far. whooooooooooo party. I didn't sleep at all...... I had a dream that you guys (my family) were all speaking Spanish and I wasn't allowed to know what you said because I wasn't good enough to hear. Sad :D but its ok.
I semi woke up the next day and began the days work. We began by running. I told my comp that I didn't care if I had to drag him with me but we were going to run. Little did I know what I had asked for. There are ALLLL these hills everywhere. I couldn't believe it. I thought Paraguay was supposed to be flat. So me and my comp didn't make it that far but its ok. We finished up all our study and set out onto the road. We walked probably what was like 4 miles to our first appointment which went ok. It was alot better because I actually got to speak Spanish. I practiced the first lesson and it went well. I still have alot to learn obviously. Then we walked what was like another 4 miles to our next appointment. All in all we walked alot ok. I sure did ask for it... not being physically tired in the MTC, because I sure am tired all the time now. But its all good.
One quick story that I wanna share is that it is has been pretty rainy this whole week and we have been complaining alot about it because it is really hard to walk in and to get arouund to all our appointments. So we finally got a break one day as we were walking to the bishops house. We felt the sun come out and we could feel its bright glory and we were wanting to just lay out in the street and tan but nope we had to keep going. We walked about 10 minutes and the rain started coming down again. So we ran to the cover of a tree and started putting our raincoats on when a women way far back across the street who lived in this really really nice house that had an electric wire over the fence beckoned us to come as she opened up the electric gate. So we went in and 2 minutes later the sun was out again. ahhhhhhhhhhh stupid sun... we were just sitting there in this really nice house and my comp turns to me and says dude, This is the nicest house I have ever been in. I was like wow crazy stuff. ok.......... so as we were sitting there she made us this awesome delicious legit orange juice that was probably the best orange juice that I had ever had. We sat down, my comp and her started talking about her life and how its been a rollercoaster because she used to be way rebellous in her teenage years and then she got married and had a baby and her husband ran off and she wanted to kill him but realized that she had so much to be grateful for. She decided to change her life and become more spiritual. We pulled out the Book of Mormon and started talking about how things today we don't have any scriptures for and that the bible can't help us today with things like the internet or how to raise our kids because its so old. We told her that the Lord had called a prophet today and that he can give us the answers that we seek for our own day to raise our families the right way and to have the spirit of the Lord with us. She was totally open to it. She was very sincere about all the things that she said and stuff. We gave her 3 Nephi 11 and Moroni's promise to read and she said she would and we would follow up the next Wednesday. Wow.............. we thought about it and saw that it was the work of the Lord in our lives. If it hadn't of rained that exact time that woman would have never opened up her gate to let us in, let alone; we would have never even tried to get in. It is awesome to see how the Lord is preparing people to hear the gospel. I hope we can teach her more, that would be awesome.
So pretty much I'm pumped. I could get my first baptism this weekend...... whooooooooooo 2 weeks in and gettin my first. Thats pretty awesome. I just want to be able to tell Jake that when I get back, because I will have him beat. He got his in three...... :D But mostly the biggest problem people have here is keeping the committments. They are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo kickback.... they don't feel in a rush to do anything because it will always be here tomorrow. But its ok because I like a good challenge like that.
The thing that has most changed my life here was while I was sitting in sacrament meeting. These people travel through the rain by foot to get here. They live in wooden huts that barely have electricity and running water, water that won't be very clean. They rarely have beds. They usually sleep with their whole family clumped together so that they don't freeze at nights. They work to maybe even earn 2,000 dollars a year. They give everything for their family and for others. Hardly do they ever think of how they can make their lives better because they are content with what they have. It got me thinking. How great is it that I have a house. My own room. A vehicle. An education beyond highschool (partially). More than 3 shirts, 4 sets of shoes, a blanket. And numbers of countless blessings that I have to enjoy. These people are truly humble of heart. They see that if they turn their heart to the Lord they can feel at peace. Yes they sometimes go weeks without full stomaches without decent water but yet they push on because they have everything to live for. There families, and their God. Even though I don't understand all that these people are saying I feel a love for them as my brothers and sisters in the gospel because thats what they are. They are the same as me, a child of God. I have not been sufficiently humbled to be saved because I needed to come here and see how much more of my time and substance that I can give to the Lord just as these people do.
I hope you all can feel that love of the Lord in your lives this week as you turn your thoughts to your families and your blessings. For are we not all blessed to be members of this glorious gospel. I love you all and hope that the spirit of the Lord can be with you during all things and at all places. \
Amo a mi familia, para siempre. Dios nos ama y Jesucristo nos ama.
-Elder Beatty
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