Twelfth Letter

Hola Familia y Amigos!

¿Que tal? ¿Todo bien? ¡FANTASTICO! ¡Las cosas en Paraguay aqua son muy bien!

I think this week has been the best so far! Each week is goes faster and gets better than the last. We have our ups and downs but ups more than downs. I have a lot to talk about so hopefully I can get it all out!


First I want to talk a little more about the area I am in. I am in Zone 1, District 1, Area 1, called "Centro". We are at the heart of the Paraguay Asuncion mission right dead center in the city. We have buildings, apartments, parks, etc. BUT we also have slums and poverty worse than I have ever seen. It´s amazing to me to see such wealthy homes right next to them is a shack made of brick and tin. Interesting...

These are the things that we are working with in our area:

• The people in Centro are wealthier than most if not all the other places in Paraguay. The problem is when we try and contact people they either only are here for work, or we can´t get passed their maides who is a barrier for us. The wealthy feel like they don´t need us.
• A major area of growth that we had called the "Chaquarita" is now closed because it is unsafe. Elders and members have received death threats and have been held up to knife and gunpoint when they go down their. BUT that area was where we were seening the most improvement because the people were in poverty.
  
• Our branch needs to function on its own before we bring anyone new into it. If we start bringing new people into something that is broken or not working, we might as well not baptize them. So that is a major priority of ours right now.
• Currently we have about an average of 50-60 people showing up in our branch for sacrament
  

There is a lot of work, but it keeps us really busy! I love it! I love trying to be creative and think of new and different ways we can´t help these people out here. Its a different culture so some ideas don´t translate over quite the same but, we are slowly but surely making progress. :)

We have my first zone conference tomorrow with our Mission President and our Area President. Everyone is freaking out to make sure things work smoothly and that everything is under control for this new meeting tomorrow. We have been told that our Area Presidency likes to ¨drop-the-cane¨a lot and so every one is on edge for what might happend. I´m just enjoying the ride :)

Oh yeah this is our Area Presidency:

• President Mervyn B. Arnold
  
• President Adekaidis (EYE-DEE-KYE-DEES)
• President Foster

I think this week has been the first week where I feel I have my ¨groove¨or at least starting it. I have great relationships with all the members and my companion and I are able to teach people better. We had a great companionship inventory this past week and we fixed a lot of things that I think were clogging our gears to get us moving. He said something profound to me that I want to share with you.

We both talked about what we could do better with and how we could improve, but he said:
"From our time together, the one thing I want you to learn is this-

Be willing TO change, BUT, Don´t give in to change"

I love this because although it is something so simple, for me and for all of us it is something so true. We all should be willing to change, but not give in to the things that make us who we are for change. Very profound.

Anyways, I just want to let you know I love you and think about you every day! I love it here and I can´t believe how fast things go! This will be my first full month here in Paraguay! CRAZY! You´ll have a son who can actually speak the native language of our name :) HAHAHA Chiste!

I committed to myself that I will send you a bunch of pictures next week, so look forward to it. I PROMISE! Pictures of members, me, and much more. I promise, I promise, I promise!

Les amo muchismo!
-Elder Martinez

Eleventh Letter

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Well its been an interesting week and there is a lot to say so hopefully I can cover it all, but before I do I want to answer some questions.

Dad:

How do you like your companion?

He is good. There are a lot of things that make us different, but we get along. There have been a few times were we go to an investigators house and he just puts me on the spot and says ¨Okay...teach these people¨... completely like that. With no idea what to say, what to do, and most importantly not knowing how to say it. I don´t really like that and we have been working on better ways to include me in lessons. Another thing is he is an only child so I don´t really know if he realizes that there are other people besides himself that need to be taken care of. hahaha, that sounds bad, but its just he is very opinionated and stubborn and won´t take ¨no¨for an answer. For example we had an experience yesterday where one investigator (a 17 year old girl) didn´t want to come to church with us. He was absolutely determined, even if it meant dragging her out of her bed, literally, to the chapel... You know me, I´m more laid back and if they don´t want to go I´ll try to persuade them but I won´t go as far as march up to her room and start telling her what to do... He is funny...Different...But I have definately learned a lot from him.

Are you still eating good foods?

Oh YES! As you probably know, we eat with 3 families here in our branch, and one of them- The Maestre family- sends you pictures almost every week. They lived in California for a while and moved back here and they feed us well. There is also a really well-off retired man in our branch who takes us out to eat at ¨The Preferieda¨(a fancy restaurant here) and always gives us gifts (watches, chocolate candy bars, soap, cologne, chocolate cakes, etc). As far as food is concerned I am really blessed to be the place I am for that.

Are you in a ward or branch?

I am in a Branch. Area 1, District 1, Zone 1. Centro Branch. We have on a good day about 65 people including children.

I can´t believe school is already about to start! I have almost been gone for 3 months! Crazy the time here seems to go too fast!

Jackson:

Your schedule seems okay. Stick with it. Mr. Stevens and Mr. Coray are interesting people, but you will have fun. Hang in there and good job with working to get your Eagle. It is rough trying to keep up with all the merit badges- I know! But just keep reminding yourself.

1st - Sports Physcology (Parrish)

2nd - Chemistry (Stevens)

You´ll have fun with this guy... :)

3rd - Seminary

4th - Algebra 2 (Money)

5th - English 11 (Coray)

Same with this guy... :)

6th - Financial Literacy (Gladwell)

7th - Lifetime Activites (Salvo)

8th - US History (Harward).

Sunnie:

Thats funny about calling Alex! Do your chores and have fun with Jensen!

Autumn, Paisley, and Kye:

I love you! Keep on helping out mom! Have fun this next year with school! It will be fun!

Mom:

I loved that video you sent of Kye! That was sooo funny! It made me laugh soooo hard! I noticed your hair. Is it really that long??? I love you and thanks for sending that package. I love to read the letters you send me. Love you!

As for everyone else :) I love you too! The mission is going great! Each day is different and slowly but surely I am getting better in every aspect. I´m learning to love this place more and more, even though it is sooooo much different than home. The people are great! I really know that I am here for a specific reason and that our leaders are directed by inspiration. There are things that I would have never had learned if it wasn´t from the people I´ve met, the places I´ve served, and the ongoing change in setting. I learn more from myself here than any other experience I have had. It tests who you are, what you want to be, and where you are going. I love the mission. I love my family, friends, and the Church. Although the people are different, the Lord wants everyone to hear his word.

Les amo muchismo!
Elder Martinez

Tenth Letter

Hola Familia!

Wow there is so much to cover and to let you know what is happening!

First of all I want to answer some of the questions that you have been asking about:

• About sending packages, you can send them to the address on my blog. It should be something like Casilla de Correo or something like that, but for sure it is the one on the blog that isn´t my MTC address.
• I have not seen any black butterflies or the bugs that crawl into your feet. BUT, I have seen lizards and newts in our apartment that we have had to get out, a cockroach infestation, and death-worn dogs roaming the streets :) Its a very different way of life here, and each day I´m here I am more grateful for what I had at home (Yes, you all heard me, I may have not been sent to Africa, but I have been humbled here :)
• As far as sending the packages, you can put the ¨Virgin¨ on it and it shouldn´t be tampered with.
• As of right now I could go for some american candy. I don´t know food/candy/ anything really would be nice. Oh yeah and if you could please send me one of our Hymns made Simple book I´ll tell you why a little later. My companion says at best it could get here in 2-3 weeks because we live here in the city.
  
• Mom I loved to get your Dearelders! I did get the first one you sent but I figure it takes about 1-2 weeks when we get them at our district meetings. So you can send them and I will get them then.
• The language is difficult. I can understand about 80-90 % of what the people say but I can only speak the simplest of words to try and teach them. I wish I could just know it! Slowly but surely I hope to become fluent...
• I´m in Zone 1, District 1, Area 1, at the center of the city of Asuncion. There are many people who live here but there a lot who also live in an area called the ¨Chacarita¨ (CHA-KA-REE-TA). These people basically just live in stone homes built on top of each other, and they out of everyone in Asuncion are the poorest. We used to be able to go in to this area (a couple months ago), but after getting some death threats we were told to use our best judgement. So we haven´t been able to make HUGE progress in this area.
• So the picture you received is from an awesome family in our Branch.They are from here but have lived in California for about 20 years and then moved back here. They all have been members their whole lives, even the parents. They feed us every Sunday along with a few other families in our branch. The people are so giving!
• The picture they sent you was eating dinner at their home the other night with my companion Elder Larson. He really reminds me of Condie´s nephew that served in the North Mission. :)

It´s nice to here that everyone is doing well. I appreciate all of the emails letting me know how things are. Tell Jenny Borup thanks for sending me here email.

Yesterday we also had a great fast Sunday. My companion and I went to go pick up one of our investigators for church, brought here back, and we resumed the rest of our meetings. Just to let you know, I am not only a missionary in our branch but also the new pianist. Please send the hymns made easy book if you could :) Anyways we had fast and testimony meeting and I just started to slowy tear up. I could look at anyone, and luckily I was behind the piano so nobody could see how emotional I was, but I had never felt the Spirit so strong than in that meeting. I got up to bare my testimony very last, and the people in the congregation pointed to their watches hinting that it was already time to go and to go sit down. But, although my Spanish wasn´t so good, I said something like this:

¨Yo se que tener solomente un poco tiempo ahora, pero, yo quiero ustedes saber que yo sentio un espiritu especial aqua. Nunca en mi vida habo sentir esta sentimiento esta fuerza. Yo amo todos de ustedes. Se que este evangelio es verdadero. En el nombre de Jesucristo amen.

and what I tried to say was this...

I know that I have only a little bit of time now, but, I want you to know that I feel a special spirit here. Never in my life have I felt this feeling this strong. I love you all. I know that this gospel is true. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

I teared up a little bit, but I knew that they felt bad. Some people came up and apologized to me afterwards and it was fine. But I really felt something great yesterday. It was a good fast Sunday.

Anyways, I have never worked so hard before in my life! Now I know for you that might not seem like a lot :), but I have come home not just tired, but EXHAUSTED! I think I told you in my last email that I have never sweated so much before, and this is just winter...No but the people are just so relaxed down here, sometimes to a fault where some people just don´t want to do anything. But I would say the biggest trouble we have down here is this:

YES it is poor here which leads to them being

1. HUMBLE
2. RECEPTIVE

BUT

It is difficult to try and get them to do things because it is a challenge, or requires effort. Being too relaxed does have its downfalls.

It is a different culture, a different people, and a different part of the world BUT the gospel principles never change. The faithful members of the church down here are amazing. They never miss church or any of its activities, they pray every day and night, the gospel is their life nothing else. No other major distractions like we have in the United States like television, computers, video games, minigolf, lagoon, movies, restaurants really a lot of things we take for granted. They don´t have any of the luxuries we have, heck most people don´t have clean water or proper sanitation. But they make do with what they have- family, friends, the book of mormon, going to church, etc.It truly is amazing...

I have only been out here 1 1/2 weeks, almost completing my second. I still have so much time here to try and help these people the best I can. I know that I can make a difference down here.

I love you all and love to write you every P-Day! I love to get your emails and letters and here how you´re doing. I love each one of you -Dad, Mom, Jack, Sunnie, Autumn, Paisley, and Kye. I loved to hear from the experience you had yesterday. That truly made my day!

Anyways, hope to hear from you next week!

Amo les,
Elder Martinez

Ninth Letter

Hola Familia!

So it is my first ¨P-Day¨ here in Paraguay! I finally got to the Asuncion airport at 6:30 and we went to the mission home to have dinner and a kind of orientation meeting. I slept over at the mission home with a few other missionaries with the others went to a hotel. We met our companions the next day and took a taxi to our apartment!

My companion is Elder Larson from Salt Lake. He went to the University of Utah, is an only child and is our District Leader. He is so helpful and kind and has pushed me, but not to the point of total shutdown mode. He really is a great trainer and even though he is not Latino he sure does sound like it :).

I am in Area 1, District 1, and Zone 1, a.k.a. ¨Centro¨ or the heart of Asuncion- the city. It is amazing here. Complete poverty within a city. I wish I had more pictures of the streets and the people, but the Mission President and his wife said either not to or try and hide your camera when you do it because people will see that your ¨wealthy¨ and will follow you. So I´ll try to get more pictures of the city and members by next pday.

The Spanish is completely different here than in the MTC. The first few days were hard, but the Lord is blessing me with the language and for the most part I am able to understand the people and try to use what simple Spanish I know to help them. They are very kind and patient people, they will help when you don´t know how to say things. I love it here.

The members here too are all sooooo generous! They are great cooks and have fed us a ton here! Oh and the juice, fruit and basically everything here is made fresh! I almost died when I had the juice for our dinner the first night at the mission home! THe people will feed you even when they financially struggle. Another thing, our Branch President´s wife is Portugeuse and she made true Brazillian food- yes even better than Rodizollios and Tuscanos! They made chicken hearts and had steaks, sausage, hamburger. Everything even the hamburger was amazing and tasted better than any of the other meat I have had at any other restaurants! You would have died! They have churros with dulce de leche stuffed in the middle, things called alfahors which are like top quality chocolate cupcake things, oh I could go on and on and on! The food here is awesome!

Another thing I think you would love to know is that I have already had girls want to sell themselves to me. There are so many girls here and they all want to...well...you know...Anyways my companion told me about that and how to just ignore and not lead them on. It was funny because the other day there was a hooker and she was only 14! Not good! There are many girls here that just think that it is normal to sleep around. Nobody ever gets ¨Married¨and if you do its a struggle. But I have faith that people will find out why marriage is so important, as well as keeping the law of chastity.

Because we are south of the equator we have opposite seasons here. I have learned that even though I am in a humid usually hot climate area, when it gets cold in the winter, IT GETS COLD! It will be about 60 degrees and because of the humidity it feels like >30! There are also 3 types of rain that I have learned from my companion:

1. Normal Rain (Misty kind of rain)
2. Rain Rain (Which is like the rain we have in a bad storm in Utah)
3. Stay inside Rain (Rain that cause the streets to flood and if you stand out for 2 seconds its like you were in drenched in the shower for hours!)

Crazy huh!

The other thing is by the end of my mission I might be able to speak 3 new languages instead of just one. They use a lot of mixed Guarani and Portuguese with Spanish. My companion knows a lot of Portugeuse and Guarani and hes been out for only a year! Crazy!

About our apartment, they call it un ¨pension¨. We have a cockroach infestation and any water we drink has to be with our filter water bottles. The showers have a device that warms the water as it comes out, but just enough so its not freezing cold.:) We have to wear sandals always because of the bugs that will crawl into your feet. Its fun...

Anyways, a lot of changes and a lot of different experiences here! I am definately not in Utah any more :) It will be a great experience for me and I hope that I will be able to help the people here. They are awesome humble and hopeful people.

I love you all and hope everything is going well for you!

Les amo muchismo muchismo!
-Elder Martinez