WOW YOU GUYS SO MUCH STUFF!
I don't know where to start or what to expound on. I want to get all the big picture things out yes, but it's the details that are so, so sweet.
Reminds me of the quote we heard this week from Sister Bednar. "If only you could understand how badly mothers wish they could be a fly on the wall and watch your doings." I know my mom has to be DYING right now.
So, what I'm going to do is mentally throw up in the email, and if there's anything that you want details on, you'll just have to ask me.
It all goes back to last Monday (I cant believe its only been a week) to where we had to wait 3 hours for collective, and had a tearful goodbye with Elder F, Elder V, and Elder G. Then I left for Ita where we had the last night with our ZL, two guys I really respect, and said goodbye to Elder G with a good tearful goodbye. He's going to make a great zone leader. The next morning, it was my turn to leave for the 3 hour long bus ride to Villarica, a place I thought before was this little pueblo out in the boonies, but is actually the country club, rich, nice city that all the wealthy people go who want to get out of the big city. A really big and cool place. It's actually relatively clean and well built. I met up with my comp, Elder P from Sacramento. He is a really great guy, who did a year at BYU at the same time as me, but lived in May hall (HA), but we had never met each other before. We kicked it in Villarica for the night because the next day we had district meeting and a satellite training. As I found out that Paso Yobái was still a 2 hour bus ride away that move made a lot of sense. So we did divisions with Elder S (District Leader) and Elder M (same group as Elder Fisher). This is Elder S's last transfer before he goes home.
In the morning, we took a 40 min ride to another city to meet with the zone for the satellite training with Elder Bednar. YEAH, THAT ELDER BEDNAR FROM THE QUORUM OF THE 12. He was in Buenos Aires and leading an historic training that was all missionaries of Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile? and it was awesome! The big focus is on bringing the Holy Ghost into a home to teach and then getting out of the way. He lead the coolest discussion based training ever. It was super powerful. He's a great guy and we learned a lot. Shout out to Evan Starr who always makes an appearance. Great comment man.
Oh yeah, did I mention I forgot my razor in my big suitcases, and was going on day 2 without shaving? I don't think there's been a missionary with that much facial hair since the days of Brigham Young.
On the way out we saw the most incredible thing. It was yellow, red and blue. THEY HAD A BURGER KING! I ATE BURGER KING! It was like a normal gas station Burger King thing! I was freaking out! The other elders just kind of laughed. I guess what they say about Paraguarí is true. It's kind of the last of the untouched, traditional parts of Paraguay. A delicious BBQ bacon burger was eaten that day.
So, that night we finally got into Paso Yobái. The story is that it's a huge gold mining town. Like, it's 2 hours by dirt road and then all of a sudden in the middle of nowhere pops up the little pueblo. I mean the area is gorgeous, Mom. Imagine the drive through 79 South Parkway heading to Idyllwild but it's GREEN GREEN GREEN and the roads are like the deepest red dirt ever.
But its crazy, this tiny pueblo that is there cuz there's gold in them hills. We pull up to the house and......wow. Pretty on the outside, but on the inside--I am so sorry, Mom, but it is painfully obvious there has been 2 19/20 year olds living there. Disastre! Also, super cool at the same time, but wow.
So then I learned what makes Paso Yobái so unique with missionary work the next day. The chapel we meet in on Sundays is a 45 min. uphill bike ride into a barrio Antonio, and we live in the pueblo. BUT president just recently opened our house for sacrament meetings which is going to let us work more where there's more people. The only problem is there's no members who live there.
So, we are basically opening up a new area!?!?! OH YEAH BABY.
The first day, because Elder P's bike was already broken, it had to get fixed, so we straight contacted the whole day in the pueblo. It's going to be a crazy ride!
SATURDAY WE HIT THE TEMPLE! Yes, all 12 of us in the branch. OK, so the great news is there's like 4 families who are members. But they are STRONG and man they want to work, and work with us to share this gospel. They are truly a group of people who love their Savior. The mission paid a TON of money to pay for a private collectivo to take us so we could do a session and baptisms. For most, it was their 1st, second, or third time in the temple. A huge miracle and big day.
So funny, we met up with the office elders who gave us the money to pay the driver, and you know who paid me? Elder C (from his district in the CCM in Argentina), in his fourth transfer has been called to be the financiero!! So crazy, I was cracking up.
Sunday was also an amazing day but I took a pic of the journal entry so you can read that or Mom you can type it out.
(Journal Entry)
How cool are Sundays in Paso Yobái? Wake up and roll out. Church starts at 9:00 AM in San Antonio. So we headed out around 8:15 (in short sleeve white shirts because we don’t have to wear jackets!) and biked the 45 minutes on a dirt road. It rained all day yesterday and it was crazy! The mud was so deep that it stuck to our tires, caught and collected he mud in the frame of the bike, totally stopping the tires. We had to pick up the bikes and walk them off the ground until we got to a drier part. I was covered in mud before I even got to church, shoes completely caked in mud, so awesome—huge grin on my face. We got into the church and waited till like 9:35 for someone to finally get there and roll in. All in all, there were about 17 people who came. Soooooo cool! We started up with an opening prayer and the sacrament. Super surreal and humbling to be in this really cool little special church and partake of the sacrament I hold so dear with such incredible people. Two young men blessed the sacrament. One is a very special convert who can’t hear at all, from birth. An amazing 20 year old guy, who can read like champ, was converted, remained strong and now blesses the sacrament every week. How does he do it? Without hearing, without knowing what words actually sound like, and without fear and out of a deep love for his Savior, blesses the bread speaking the words he best thinks they might sound. The President of the branch accepts the prayer, and words that can’t be understood by my ears, burn with understanding in my heart. Truly humbling to receive the Sacrament from someone so incredible. After the Sacrament, it was a testimony meeting on the temple trip we had the other day. I could not wipe the biggest grin off my face as it was a meeting totally in Jopara! Soooo much Guarani! So awesome to hear prayers spoken and testimonies born in such an interesting language. It’s a tight knit family here. These people are real Saints, and they truly love their Savior. There is such an excited spirit of missionary work here. Not only are they talking about it, but all are so excited to go out and help us bring light to their neighbors and be part of that gift.
Then after a long bike back (downhill fortunately), we made
it back for our 3:30 Sacrament session at our house with a group of people in
the Pueblo we are working with.
Beautiful day. Beautiful
people. Beautiful work. (End Journal Entry)
Wow! I am so incredibly humbled and blessed. I am so excited for this area and my companion. I feel honored that president would put two gringos in such a cool, special area with so much potential to be amazing. Yeah, my rear and legs are sore, yeah, there's no where to buy groceries or email (we go to Villarica on Monday to do all that and stay for Tuesday district meetings). But I'm so, so excited and so, so grateful.
So, the Guarani in Paraguari was child's play compared to this place. Before, it was "He's this white guy who can say a few words in Guarani! How cool!" To Sunday meetings, prayers, testimonies, talking with people, is completely in Jopara (80% Guarani 20% Spanish). I was cracking up as I ask, 'Hermana, what's something you want to accomplish in life?" "I want to learn to speak Spanish better." Wow, yeah, me too. Or hearing, "I'm really sorry Elder, but I don't speak or understand much Spanish." LOCO ITE. I've realized that Spanish is as much of a second language for them as it is for me. Si o si, I'm going to be learning some cool stuff!
Love you all so much. So grateful for the prayers and love.
Elder Yocum
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