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.

 

HAPPY NEW YEARS! December 29, 2014

Highlight of the Week: Seeing Hna Zuñiga and Hna Lino

My compañera and I are now colectivo EXPERTS. Well, almost. At least we got plenty of practice when we went to Ita and back for the Christmas activity. I love colectivos. But they`re better when they pass by when you want them to. 

We went to bed at 9 for Christmas. And then woke up to all the fireworks at midnight.  It`s gonna be the same this week. 

HAPPY NEW YEARS! 

Our CCM district, almost 18 months later :) 

Hna Zuñiga!!! Love that hermana

Paraguayan nativity

Our district

Pan dulce

Mangos



 Elias decorating the Christmas tree. . . so much fun :)

The gingerbread Christmas tree in all it`s glory

Just Pictures from Rachel on 12/22/14

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!

Highlight of the Week: BAPTIZING ELIAS

YES. We pulled it off.

With a whole lot of help from the Lord, and a lot of calling all the members of Amambay

 who have cars. And miraculously our saldo (minutes?) didn`t run out until just before

church on Sunday :) 

 

But Elias is great.

He`s so ready to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints :) 

Elias and family (they`re members)

Us and Elias

 

Other than pulling off a baptism we just saw a whole ton of mangoes this week.

They make the streets dangerously slippery and yellow.

And I made mango jam the other week. A lot of it.

And today I`m going to try my hand at mango bread.

Like zucchini bread, but a bit more tropical :) 

Well, FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!! hay que recordar de Cristo siempre :)

 

Our Christmas tree (made out of the wrapping paper from my comp`s presents. . . she couldn`t wait. . . :)

 

the . . . Palacio? I dunno. A big important building in Downtown Asuncion. . . where the president of Paraguay works I think.

 

 

Christmas plans

Everybody keeps asking us what we`re going to do Christmas

and we tell them we`re going to sleep :) hehehe.

Paraguayans stay up till 12.

We`re going to be in bed, with the air conditioner blasting at that hour.