HUMP DAY

I regret to inform the public that I have a picture of me in a hump day t-shirt (a sacred hand-me-down in the mission which was betrothed to me by Elder C). But, because I have ZERO confidence in these virus riddled computers, I will not stick my memory anywhere near it. Looks like ya gotta wait, idk.

Well, this week was really good.  It's getting really hot, but also there's a lot of rain. So basically, the Paraguayans are freaking out and don't know what to do.

Things were pretty normal this week. One stand out is I was able to do my first baptism interview as a leader and it was in Paso Yobai. There is a guy that Elder C and I contacted the last day I was there and they just had his baptism on Saturday. It was a really cool, spiritual experience to do the interview, but I was nervous! One, it was in pure Guarani and the other was it was my first time. But it was cool!  The zone is doing really well and I'm really enjoying my role as a leader. I'll paste in here an excerpt that I wrote to a friend about what I've learned in my 3 weeks as a leader. 

"You've asked a lot about the whole zone leader thing and really it's nothing too different. The hardest part prob is not letting excuses enter in. We have the same work and more. We are in charge of more things and so there's a lot of potentially distracting things. But, we have to overcome those and be better than the norm.

The part where I've learned the most is actually exactly what you just talked about, little acts of service. The thing of a leader is all the problems of all the other areas become my problems too.  We work and stress with those other missionaries to help find solutions or just help them. I've learned because I have my own area, investigators, etc, that BIG and dedicated acts of service are really hard to do all the time for others, but the little and constant things tend to make a difference. We can do big and grand things and they're appreciated, but even with us, over time we tend to forget or the sacrifice looses meaning.  But the little constant things keep a feeling of love and gratitude between the two parties. 

Just think of it, the greatest manifestation of love and sacrifice is remembered through constant and weekly eating of a broken piece of bread, and a tiny glass of water, and through soft confirming feelings of love. Nothing HUGE but something constant. I've learned a lot about my own relationship with my Savior through these 3 weeks as a leader."

Elder N and I are so pumped to be together at this time, too. Yesterday, Sunday was our official HUMP DAY. And from now on, every day is a day closer to white shirts without tags (how trunky right?).  The truth is, I'm really happy and content with the mission and love it. It's so weird to think a year has flown by and it just makes me want to go off this next year, si o si. 

Another cool experience from this week starts like all good missionary stories. It was a Saturday night and ALL of our plans had fallen through. I was tired of walking all over the place on cobble stone, uneven roads and I was HUNGRY. BUT with the desire to find something productive to do with our last hour and a half on the street, we started for a house of a member. Familia V is a really cool family. Ex branch president who is less active for being offended, but they have 5 sons.  One who just got back from his full-time mission in Brazil, and another who is 19 and waiting for his mission call.  As we roll up, we find I (the one waiting for the call) outside with three friends. 

So, we sit down and are talking with everyone and these guys are PUMPED to talk to us. They asked us where we were from, what we did, if we had facebook, instagram, or twitter.  Looked us up, talked to us about all the new movies--the new Batman with the new joker, the rules about the mission. . .I don't know, it was just really cool, 3 friends and Is.  After a while, they told us that Isaias had shown them the video of the restoration, and one commented, "Yeah, afterward we talked about it, because while I watched it, I felt this peace that I'd never felt before." WHAT? So, we dove into a SUPER cool lesson on the Restoration. And the spirit was so strong and it was just so cool to have the ex missionary and future missionary, and their best friends, there for the lesson too. I remember bearing my testimony at the end and talking about how there wasn't much difference between us, how if I wasn't a missionary, I'm sure I'd be best friends with these guys. And it hit me. I understood why I felt so comfortable with these guys. It was exactly like I was sharing with S, or with G, or T or any one of my high school friends. I felt such a love for these guys! And although it was in Spanish, I couldn't stop thinking of that. It was such a cool lesson! But afterward I was a little sad. I thought about my high school friends, and thought how badly I wished I would have done something like that with the missionaries. I wish I could have gone back and shared more with them, to have been a better example for them.

It made me think about how important it is to share the gospel with those we love, and that what I felt, the pain will only be magnified when the time comes, and it is officially "too late." I hope all of you who can there at home, do all you can to help those you love have all, as well.

I love and miss you all.

See ya in a year. (but it's not like I'm counting) 

Elder Yocum