nm`beachepa'a

EY sent this picture last week and Olivia had some
fun with it and made it into this meme. haha

 

Welcome to Paraguay!

Nm`beachepa'a

 

Yeah, that's an actual phrase in Guarani (the indigenous language of people in Paraguay, spoken mainly in more rural areas). It equals como esta, but a lot more fun to say. 

Welp, today wraps up my first week in Paraguay. Crazy to think of all the stuff that has happened and how fun it all is. It's a good thing they make us wait until we have about 10 days in before we email home, because if I did around day 2 or 3 this email would have sounded a whole lot different. I have never been more exhausted, frustrated, angry, and confused. And on the flip side, I've never laughed more, smiled more, felt more, and been more at peace. I love this work. It's hard, it's definitely work--but I love it, and every day I get better at it, and that's all that matters.

 

 

 

EY with President and Sister Wilson--new mission president

 

 

Eleven new missionaries!

 

SO THERE WE WERE.... N, B, W, C, and I sitting there in the chapel peeing our pants. We just got a hyped up speech from a guy leaving about how awesome Paraguay is. We know our trainers are in the building having a meeting and it's just us--anticipating what the next 12 weeks in a new country is going to look like. Bam, here comes the trainers, and our hearts sank a little when we saw all but one trainer was Latino. The majority of us would be with Latino trainers who knew zero ZERO English and most places that were training were heavily influenced with Guarani, which is nothing like Spanish. They call us out, and soon I am paired with my trainer, a one, Elder B, the only North American, from the mean streets of Chi town, is my trainer (Did not see that coming, I really thought I'd get a Latino).

 

With their new trainers.  Parker and his trainer are smack dab in the middle

 

So, after a quick powerpoint we're in a taxi and off to the bus station where we head out on a 4 hour ride to our area of Paraguarí (accent over the i). So, I'm hyped. I guess Paraguarí is one of the really nice places to train. It's somewhat small town, but it's like the only area of the mission with mountains and forests and huge tracts of land, but still has all the things cities have. The language here is super cool. The closer you get to the city the more Spanish, the more distance the more Guarani. Here in Paraguarí, it's a healthy, fun mix of both. We got to the apartment (I guess one of the nicest in the mission because we actually have a toilet, is what I'm told), throw my stuff down and get to work. It's a lot of walking, a lot of talking, and just a lot of really good stuff. There is like one 1/2 paved road, the rest are just cobblestone or red dirt, like if you were to make a fine powder from Lake Powell red rock. There hasn't been a house I've been to where chickens don't freely roam into houses.  But, the people are amazing--always very hospitable and very patient with my Spanish. Mom, your prayers were answered.  Although he's only been out 5-ish months, I have an amazing trainer. He's a great guy and already teaching me a lot. We have a plan for Paraguarí and are both excited to execute it. We are teaching a lot of people who are progressing.  We have a baptism scheduled for next Saturday with this awesome Mom, who is so cool!  We have a lot of goals set and we are excited to see our hard work pay off. 

Love you all, thanks so much for the prayers.

Elder Yocum