Ambayapo Chakrape

It was a really country week. 

 

We worked in 3 different farms this week and it was actually a lot of fun. The weather has been nice and the service has helped a lot of the investigators progress, too. Between the Guaraní, my love for Paraguayan food, and working in the farms, I have won "the hearts and minds of the people" but at the same time it has caused me to go "full Paraguayan."

I have forgotten all table manners and what a dinner table looks like without mandioca.  I drink hot cosido (Moms equivalent of Postum) every day. Music polka paraguaya doesn't make me want to rip my ears off like it used to. And i just talk about the weather all the time. 

I remember at my setting apart, President Ham said that these people would become my people, and their culture mine. It's funny to see how true that is getting. I love Paso Yobai. 

A quick, funny story.  We had our first Sunday in the new house that we rented just across the soccer field from where we stay. With 25 people in the meeting, it wasn't until President announced the hymn for the sacrament, I decided to look under the sacrament cloth and THERE WAS NO BREAD. In a freaking out whisper to President I asked,"REREKO PETAI PAN SACRAMENTALHAGUA?" (Do you have the bread for the sacrament?) No, of course he didn't. So, Elder C and I hop up and leave everyone, mid meeting, and run to our house. The only problem was there was a huge soccer tournament going on and so with the stadium full and with the game stopped for whatever reason, two missionaries in long sleeve white shirts, sprinting down the other side of the field really sticks out. There was a lot of whistling and laughing and asking us where our bikes were. We got home, ran in and grabbed some bread and started sprinting back the same way.  But this time, slowly at first and softly, then with growing force and speed we hear, "mormon mormon morMON MORMON MORMON" from the fans in the crowd. As I'm running, I throw up a triumphant fist pump as the crowd breaks into cheers. 

Then back in the church, the meeting continued and not able to sing because of being so out of breath, I broke the sacrament bread--all the time breaking into the kind of sweat I inherited from my Dad. I had to misdirect the drops of sweat running down my nose and trying to land in the bread I was breaking. Only a few got through.

It was a good week. We are expecting some crazy changes coming up. 

Talk to you guys next week! 

Elder Yocum