The Guarani Language: Ava Ñe'e

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Posted by Facebook on Friday, December 5, 2014

Post Mission P-Day

~Highlight of the Week: ROLANDO GOT BAPTIZED!!! ~

So. . . missionaries like Mondays a lot. 

And as I was nearing the end of my mission my companion and I realized that my Mondays were about to change (which is silly, because so much more than that changes :) and the number of Mondays I would really be able to enjoy were becoming fewer and fewer. . . 

Except I happened to get a job that gives me Mondays off :) 

Like a post-mission-p-day. 

I love it.

So this is what I did this post-mission-p-day:

We found a giant beehive!! I have never seen one open before. . . 

but apparently that's what wild beehives are like.
I just assumed they'd be like wasp nests and have a papery covering. . . 

This is a baby saguaro cactus 

I ran into one of these cacti THREE TIMES on this hike. I'm just not used to the flora fighting back. . . and I guess I don't keep my hands within the trail at all times :) 

I guess I like Arizona.

(when it's 80 degrees and everything's flowering :) 

Post Mission Post

~Highlight of the week: Sending letters to Paraguay. Hands down. ~

I will admit I've been avoiding this wrap-it-all-up post for longer than I should have. . . but only because it feels like writing a THIS IS THE END post makes it permanent. (less temporary :) And I've been under the impression that one of these days I'm going to wake up in Paraguay again. . . like going home is just a neat little vacation and then I get to continue with life as I've known it for a year and a half. . .

wouldn't that be nice :) 

BUT I started work today, and that makes real life seem all so much more REAL. 

So. I'll admit it. I'm home. 

And THIS is what I've done with my time :) 

• Ate Chinese food 
• Went to the brand new Gilbert Temple
• Gave my homecomming talk (ALMOST without the spanish slipping out)
• Road trip to California
• Cut down half an avocado tree
• Ran A LOT
• Caught up on Studio C
• Candied Kumquats
• Volunteered for Ragnar (en la madrugada)
• Watched FROZEN (Elsa stole my hairdo)
• Went to the singles ward. . . 
• Discovered a Spanish radio talkshow (that gives relationship advice ;)
• Rediscovered thrift shops :) 
• Got a job

But I still feel like I should kiss all the sister's cheeks at church. And refer to U.S. citizens as nortamericanos. And throw the toilet paper in the trash. And plan every hour of every day in my planner. . .

:) 

Missions are like telescopes.

(and I'm going to leave you all to think about that, because saying anything else starts sounding WAY to cheesy. . . :)

Last post from Paraguay

Highlight of the Week: WE HAD 3 PEOPLE IN CHURCH!!!! 

We haven`t had investigators in church for nearly 2 months. So it was a good way to end the mission. 

One of our investigators was a reference from one of the young men from another ward. He decided to attend our ward to `surprise` her (our investigator) and then Hna. Palombo and I were stuck in a very very third wheel-ish situation the whole way back to her house. . . I didn`t think that was possible on the mission. But it is. You`re just a bigger third wheel when you`ve got a companion :) 

One of our recent converts has decided to study. . . how do you say it? Painting nails? She painted our nails a really interesting clear-florescent color. And apparently if you put garlic in your nailpolish it makes your nails stronger. And so now our nails smell like garlic. :) Luckily not very many people get the chance to smell the fingernails of sister missionaries. So it`s all good ;) 

Second to Last Week in Paraguay

Highlight of the Week: 3 people with a baptism date. . . yay!

And breaking our fast with Italian pasta. . . only in the Rivarola Family`s house :) 

Well, the wife of our investigator Jorge finally told us yesterday (in the middle of the prayer) that his name is actually Rolando. Oops. I have no idea where Jorge came from.

But we`ve been calling him that for a good week now. :)

Good thing he doesn`t seem to mind, and still wants to get baptized. :) 

I think we finally conquered the ants in our apartment. we THINK.

But we stocked up on more ant killer just in case :)

But we have been so clean these days it`s not even funny. 

We were just talking the other day about how the worst of summer is probably behind us, because it hasn`t been so hot. . . and then yesterday it was 42 degrees Celsius. . . what is that? 107 F, or something? It was just stinking hot. And then it rained. And then it was even hotter :)

I love Paraguay. 

My favorite moments in the mission are when the people we`re teaching finish our lessons for us :) Like Suzy, when she told us that she needs to go to church even if her boyfriend tells her not to, because that`s just the devil trying to pull her down (Awe yeah. SHE UNDERSTANDS :) Love it.  

Chocolate, ants, yellow, and Café de Soja?

Highlight of the Week: Nutella Crepes. (bendiciones de la ciudad ;) 

We found Hersey's chocolate chips and nutella in Stock this past week. Really now there isn`t any reason to miss the states :) 

Friday was the blackest day in ant history here in Amambay. We came home to a swarm in our kitchen. After weeks of being meticulously clean. Hna. Palombo was so mad. But after using all the bleach and ant killer and Windex in the house we got it under control. I think they were moving their ant nest, actually. So it`s been better these days. Just a few scragglers now. 

I painted my toenails yellow. But unfortunately yellow is really ugly when your toes are really really white and the rest of you isn't. . . so I had to remove it. Thank goodness fingernail polish remover exists here in Paraguay :) 

One of our less active members gave us Café de Soja to try. We were so excited :) Actually it`s not that bad when it`s got sugar in it. 

Hna Palombo and I have discovered that really a lot of the sounds we make in English are really ugly. Spanish is so much easier. :) (just something you pick up on when you try to explain how to make the `th` sound. . . and why t with s makes ch sometimes. . . :) 

New Year's Eve

We made brownies. from a box. for new years eve.

It was exactly like Christmas. Fireworks at midnight.