Pay Day

I remember when I was in seminary, I bore testimony of the "pay days" we have from God for the things we do. The sacrifice we put in, will all lead up eventually to a pay day.

This semana (week) en Paso Yobai was such a blessing.  Such an awesome, awesome week. One I loved and one where many, many blessings were able to be counted. 

First of all, there's a fire started. No, we`re not going to burn--the members got a fire in 'em started. We focused a lot on training them and helping this band of converts with really nothing more than gannas, focused on how to build Zion here. We picked up three new families, purete families, all due to member references and the activities that we have been able to implement during my time here. Super cool to have a ward council and hear people arguing over who was going to visit who, and in whose house was going to be the family home evening. There is a fire started, and it's an awesome, directed fire that is going to swallow up all of PASO YOBAI.

 

This Saturday was a beautiful day. We had the baptism of 3 people. LA, our investigator and 2 mitais G y F, kids of two awesome families. We had like 25 people at the baptism and some sweet cake. The best part was hearing Luis bear his testimony of how me knows "sin duda que este es la iglasia de dios y su reino aqui en la tierra" (without doubt that this is the church of God and His kingdom here on earth) Heck yea it is, big guy. I'll never forget being dressed in complete white and walking with 30 other people for about 10 minutes through.....Paraguay.  Fields of mandioca y yerba, and down a HUGE BRIGHT green field to one of the most beautiful little streams I've ever seen. The spirit was so strong, which was awesome because we were able to get investigators there. It was really beautiful and simple, and even a little funny as Luis (due to the shock of how cold it was) fell almost completely in and almost pulled me down with him as I was trying to help him out. It was a baptism without the prayer almost.

 

 

The next day was Sunday, and one of the most awesome Sundays that I have had here. In the morning in San Antonio was a really beautiful fast and testimony meeting, and we were able to confirm G y F, and afterward during a stagnant part of the service, I looked over at Elder C and he gave me the nod. I knew what I needed to do. I got up and for the first time bore my testimony completely in Guarani. Nothing fancy, but the biggest smiles from the crowd and afterward, 2 hermanas--Hermana L and Hermana P, who are basically my Moms out here, broke down into tears giving thanks for the missionaries, and for what it meant to them that we would come down here and work so hard to learn a whole other language to communicate better with them. I could really feel the gift of tongues (it's almost like there are people back home praying for me....thank you guys, seriously).

Then in the meeting in Paso Yobai, we didn't have space to hold everyone and ran out of chairs.  We are having a lot of success in getting menos activos, recent converts, and investigators there.  But we were able to confirm L and hear him bear a really beautiful testimony.

It was super funny.  We watched a 20 min video on temples with everyone, and afterward talked a little about how awesome temples are, and L raises his hand....."Well if we all pay our tithing, we can help build more in the world right?"

I laughed to myself. Yes, L, exactly. I love that guy.

Super grateful for this last week. 

In Alma 26 it talks about the sons of Mosiah, who went out and endured all things that "maybe there was a chance" that they could save "some soul"--one soul, no mas. 

I'm here to testify that all the patience and suffering for that "maybe." All that working for "some soul" is worth it. 

 

I love the mission, and I love my God.

 

Praying for all of you.

Elder Parker John Yocum