Like even the hardest parts of the mission are so cool. For ejemplo, we lost all of Wednesday this week. Why? Because we had to take a bus an hour and a half away from our house (still in our area) and go to this tiny pueblo with only a name to find, the Mom of an investigator of the hermanas in Villarica, who needed her signature to get baptized. So, we roll up, into this tiny pueblo with one school. (We knew to go to this school because our branch president, who works in the municipalidad, looked up her name and the records show she votes from this school during elections.) So, we walk around for a while and ask people, and of course no one knows jack. Then we get a call telling us they got the number of the sister of the person we're looking for, who only speaks Guarani (what else is new in my life) and after a quick call we find out that even though we are in the right city, she lives by the school, Niño Jesus. So we tell her we`ll meet her there and she will take us to the mom. So we start asking people, where is Niño Jesus......AMO IT. Just far in that direction. Follow this street and you'll find it....how many miles is it?....No idea, just "kinda far." Long story short, we walk over 20 km up and down mountains, through farms, and eventually into an alley where there are 4 houses and the only way to get there was on foot. WHAT? Such a crazy, beautiful place. We were cracking up the whole time. We showed up with only a name and ended up finding the Mom in the most obscure place. The Spirit really is the best missionary. It was a full day of walking and seeing the pretty parts of Paragauy.
The other really good day was Sunday. The branch is really figuring things out, which is cool. People are learning how to be accountable for their responsibilities and they are actually keeping their commitments! We felt like we were away from our area a lot this week and weren't able to do much, but Sunday was just such a testimony builder of how far this branch has come in my time here. Even though we weren't able to do much this week, the members were working, and because of it, we saw miracles.
In Paso Yobai this week, in the afternoon, our little house didn't have enough room for all the people who showed up to church. We didn't have enough chairs. It was so cool. We are used to a solid 7 people showing up in the past, and Sunday we had close to 20 just in Paso Yobai. This week in both branches we had people show up who we have never even met, who wanted to come to the church and learn more. We had 5 investigators this week in church.
We taught one of them this last week. The other miracle is EVERY ACTIVE FAMILY came to us this week with names and references. People and friends they have who they want to help know the truth, and told us what day they were going to visit them, who they were, and when they were going to invite them to meet the missionaries. Everyone is excited and there's a real feeling of missionary work that is taking place here.
I was so full of gratitude and almost wanted to cry yesterday as I have seen this little part of Zion called Paso Yobai get more and more self sufficient.
I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father and his guiding hand I see every day. All days are hard, but they are so worth it and I take so much joy from them.
Especially missing my Mom this week, want to give a little shout out to her and let her know how much I love you.
I'm grateful for all of you. Know that God is with you during your trials and hard times. He wants to take part of that burden, but you have to let him. Turn to the light.
All my love,
Elder Yocum
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