Back on the Beat

Week 2 here in Caaguazú (it means yerba grande or "giant weed") was a great week. Soooo much Guarani. I love it so much! I don't know how to really explain it. I miss Libertad so much. The perks of being a good friend with Elder Call is that I still get updates on the members there. Looks like there were 2 more baptisms there of people we were helping teach, so things sound really good. But the differences here and Libertad are noticeable. The closer you get to the city the more educated and better controlled the people are, but they are harder to get to and more hard hearted.  And the further away, the easier it is to get in and share with people, but with lack of education, ignorance is a big factor in helping people put aside things like addictions or traditions. Either way, it's been a lot of fun. Here, the branch is so awesome and all the members are so focused on the mission work. Almost all of our investigators are part families and it's such an incredible help because the members do their part as well and open their homes and give their testimonies to help all the family come to know the truth.

Yesterday, I was able to give a talk on the importance of member-missionary relationships and exactly what is the members role in finding investigators and backing up teaching. I thought it went over really well. 

On Friday, Elder C and Elder H (the new AP that you were asking about. An INCREDIBLE guy. I couldn't have picked anyone better. He will do great!) came and we were able to do divisions. It really surprised me when Elder H put the two dead guys together for the day, but I was SO PUMPED to be with Elder C one time more. It was such a great division and it just made me realize how much I miss the guy.  Such a great missionary and such a good friend. 

It's so hard to fight against the trunky. I'm staying focused right, there are so many things to do here in the zone, we had 4 baptisms this week and 8 more programmed before the month ends, BUT I CAN'T CONTROL MY DREAMS. Every dream this week was something SUPER TRUNKY. One was reuniting with my family at Lake Powell, one was with my friends at BYU, and the other was all the old missionaries came back to Paraguay and hit me up. Hahaha and on top of that I got my "trunky papers" today. It's the paperwork and talks I have to read for my last 4 weeks in the mission and fill out. Life is moving fast (and I want it to move just a little faster) but in my heart I know as soon as I'm home, I'll want to come straight back to Paraguay, so I remind myself to just stay calm, take a breath, read my scriptures, and just keep baptizing converts. 

What a ride. 

Elder Yocum