Perspectives from Paraguay: ANND WE'RE BACK AT IT HERE IN THE CCM

As of today, we got a new group of 15 North Americans. Now, we are officially the old Americans, so that's really weird. Mom, I know this spelling and grammar must be killing you. I'm on a time crunch like no other, and the key boards here are messed up, so feel free to edit these bad boys. (You are welcome, everyone ;)) Also, I'm not reading your emails until after I email. I print them out and then read so I can spend the whole time typing, so any specific questions I'll get them answered next week.

So like I said, the old Americans left a few days ago which was hard to see--as well as my favorite Latinos, so the CCM was pretty empty for a few days. I really looked up to a lot of those guys. But, I know they're going to do so well. Just a lot of the time I wish Pontelli or Romero was here to laugh with. Those guys were the best!.

Corinne Downs--you'd better be reading these because I have an Elder Magana here who saw a picture of you and almost fainted and said, "Thank you for showing me my exaltation, Elder Yocum." So, I told him I'd get him your email.

The noobs showed up today it was HILARIOUS because they were seriously in so much shock like mouths open. I went into a room and told the Latinos they needed to talk slowly in Spanish, so the Americans could learn in Spanish and the new guys looked at me and asked if I was fluent. HA!

This Saturday is a BIG day. It's officially our first day of prosilitismo which means we get to go out of the CCM for the first time in 3 weeks and teach the people of Buenos Aires!! Our first real deal! But good old Wells and I are going to attack it.

Like i kinda hinted, the language is coming along super well and I feel like I know so much and can speak really well......then I talk to a Latino, and I realize I know nothing. haha. So, story time. Last Thursday night we did a thing where we posed as investigators with other districts and we teach each other. So me being the big shot I am, told the DL (district leader--missionaries are put in groups or "districts" of about 10-12 missionaries. One of the missionaries in the district is assigned to be the leader of the group) that I wanted to be paired with Latinos and oh, was my wish granted. Wells and I got down there and they're like, oh you are with Hermana L and her companion. No problem, right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong. Hermana L and her companion are from Brazil, so not only are they true Latina women, but they speak just barely more Spanish than I do, because they speak Portuguese. So, Wells and I are teaching and going slow and steady and this Hermana just starts busting up laughing at us randomly and saying "no enteno," meaning she doesn't understand and then starts nailing us in rapid Portuguese. We were like, woah girl slow down, we don't understand anything. AND SHE LOOKS AT US LIKE WE'RE IDIOTS--I KID YOU NOT. After 5 min of babbling the same nonsense, and us STILL not understanding, she starts laughing and tells us very slow so we understand how bad we are at Spanish. Duh! We know sister. It was only day 7 in the CCM. So, we go on and share a scripture with her, THEN SHE GOES OFF ON HOW THE SCRIPTURE WE GAVE HER DID NOTHING FOR HER AND DID NOT HELP HER. And of course, that took us another 20 mins. to understand. She then talked in Spanish the way you would talk to a 2 year old in Spanish and I was so livid. She was straight trying to bruise my pride at every opening. Now I'm getting worked up and ticked off and shooting stuff back at her in broken Spanish. Then she goes on a rant about how what the problem is that the North Americans only sit together and don't talk to Latinos or speak or write in Spanish. She kept saying how we needed to start only doing things in Spanish. So I yell in English with a fire red finger pointed at her, "YOU LEARN ENGLISH IN 7 DAYS THEN TEACH ME, OKAY SISTA?" By now people are looking at us as she's laughing. At that point the old American hermana had to come over and mediate and calm everyone down. It was truly hilarious! And that was the night I faced who we call "The Dragon Lady." The best part was at the end she was asked to say the closing prayer and she argued for 5 mins about how she couldn't give it because she can only speak Portuguese and is still only learning Spanish. Yeah, me too sister.

So, after that I was pretty mad and upset at how slow my Spanish was coming. I talked to some of the Latino elders and they said I was doing really well but if I wanted more help, to pray and fast. So the next day I did a 24 hour fast. I wasn't able to speak perfect Spanish after, but I did notice phrases get a lot clearer and I understood more. Plus, it made me realize how many people were rooting for me and I could really feel everyone's prayers and I appreciate them so much. Please keep them coming!! Not only do I need them, but they're really for the people of Paraguay.

One last spiritual story. In LdM (Libro de Mormón or Book of Mormon) class, we had a lecture on faith. My teacher had us pray that we would be able to have a question impressed on us and be able to find the answer in the LdM. I said the prayer and after had a question come to my mind about the pioneers. I wondered why, if they showed so much faith, why was there so much suffering? Why wasn't God there more? My teacher asked me if I had faith, and I responded that I did. She asked me if i would hold my scriptures and let them fall open to a section in the BOM. I let that BOM sit there and did not touch it as the pages opened and it fell to 2 Nephi, back end of chapter 4 and beginning of 5..... and there could not have been a more perfect explanation than the words I read to the class. At first I thought, "Wow, how lucky," then repented immediately. I truly felt that God was there that night. Christ says where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there will I be also. I promise you guys the Lord cares about you and the problems and questions you have. Get on your knees and pray. It was incredibly humbling to be there as a servant of the Lord, and have him answer the question so specifically. He is there, and He cares.

Te amo todos.

Elder Yocum