Feb 26, 2008

Hello again!

Well I haven't gotten your snail mail yet, so I can't comment on your crazy experience in Tampa, but it definitely doesn't sound like fun. I'm looking forward to the reportedly 20 hour flight down to Paraguay. That will be a fun experience I'm sure.

Has it really already been two weeks? The time is just flying by here. The days, like I said before, are the longest days of my life, but they go by pretty fast when you look back. But they're so long that each night when I sit down to write in my journal, I have to get out my planner and look over what we did that day.

We're learning so much its amazing! Its already hard for me to write in English, I have to sit and really think about each word, at least when it comes to words I know in spanigh, because if I'm not careful I start to write the spanish word. You won't notice it because of the backspace, but when I have to write with pen, my notes/letters are full of crossed out blotches.

Elder Legler and I (I tried to put up pictures, but I'm unable to connect a thumb drive to these computers) are doing great at teaching. On Saturdays we have our weekly "exam" on teaching, where people from the area come in and let us learning missionaries practice with them. We're only doing them in english these first couple weeks, but still, we're doing great. Our teacher/evaluator didn't have any negative feedback for us, so we got all pumped up after that experience. I absolutely love my teachers, Bro. Rasmussen, and especially Bro. Sanchez. I look up to him so much, and just pray that I can become the kind of person he is.

We also work in the Referral Center, the place where all the calls in North America for any TV ads or the pass along cards come in, and us missionaries are the employees for it. Yesterday was our first time really getting to use it, because the first time we went in it was all tutorial stuff. Anyways, you would never dream of how busy it gets... I had no idea just how many people responded to those things. They come in bursts, right after a commercial airs. And then the calls just back up so theres like 60-70 calls coming in at once. They have the option to hold or to leave their number and have us call back, so thats what most of them do. So we do a lot of out-calls, but those are fun too. We do most of our out-calls to make sure the people that called in 2-3 weeks ago got the free video or Bible or whatever it is they ordered got there and invite them to learn more. Its great experience because they're actual people and not just members pretending to be investigators.

The devotionals that are held every Sunday and Tuesday night are awesome. Each Sunday its someone from the higher up mission offices, and then on Tuesday its a General Authority of some sort, usually a member of the 70, but I hear Apostles come in fairly often as well. And Sunday nights are extra special, because they're "movie night." After the devotional we get to watch a choice of a number of church films, like "Mountain of the Lord," and what I watched this Sunday, which will make you quite jealous, "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration." Thats the one thats playing at the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center. Its a great film, and I like getting to see the beginning this time.

The temple trip each Tuesday is great too, the Provo Temple is beautiful, as are all of the Houses of the Lord. Its definitely the period of the week that recharges you for the next week... We are all sooooo tired here, but its amazing.

Yo se que Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios. Yo se que Dios vive, y es nuestro Padre Celestial. Yo se que Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador, y el profeta hoy es Thomas S. Monson. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero, y es la palabra de Dios. Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias es verdadera, y tiene el evengelio todo del Senor. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

I love you all and hope that you're doing well!

Elder Dennis

Feb 19, 2008

Hello from the MTC!

I didn't think I'd get the chance to get on the email system this week (Tuesdays are our P-days), so earlier this morning I sent out my second letter, you should get it in a couple days. I just have to say that mission life is awesome! While the days are sooo long... (each day is like the longest day of my life), but I look back and its crazy to think that I've actually been in Utah for a week now.

The spirit is so strong, and the learning is amazing. We're praying and bearing our testimonies in Spanish already, its incredible. Today was our first trip to go to the temple to do a session, so that was a great experience. We get to go on Temple Walks each Sunday, so I managed to take a bunch of pictures of us at the temple. Since this was my first time on the computer and I didn't know until about 5 mins ago that we would be able to get on the computer today, I didn't bring my memory card to see if I could send pictures home to you all.

The food is pretty good, you'll be amazed to learn that I've actually gained 5 pound so far! I'm being a lot less picky and just shoveling it in. I figure I gotta get used to doing that sometime. The gym periods are pretty good, I'm running for about 10 mins before going off and doing some excercises and ending in basketball or 4-Square (yes, they have 4-square, and yes, it is amazing.) or somethign like that, so Dad will be glad to know that I'm taking advantage of it.

Shaving everday is definitely the worst part about this entire experience, and the chairs aren't the most comfortable I've ever sat in, but its all good. Still, I wouldn't choose to be any other place than here right now.

I'm so glad I brought two suits. We have to wear a suit coat everywhere here, and wearing the same clothes each day gets kind of dull, not to mention the clothes definitely get dirty, and there's a three day turn around time for dry cleaning here. (I'm not going to use the dry cleaning packet things until I get to Paraguay unless I have to.) But the other Elders in my mission, Elder Legler, my companion, Elder Reid and Elder Bullcreek (my other roommates), only brought one suit as per instructions, and they can't even get it cleaned because they can't go three days without a suit coat. No bueno.

I hope everything is going well at home, I'm definitely doing well and having a great time so far... though 9 weeks is a long time to spend in one place like this. I can't wait to get down to South America!

I love you all,

Elder Dennis

I'm Headed to Paraguay!

Written Nov. 12, 2007

Well the letter came, I opened, and now I know! I’m going to be serving in the Paraguay Asuncion North Mission! I will be enter the MTC on Cole’s birthday, February 13th, 2008. It was the weirdest feeling when I opened the letter and read where the Lord would be sending me. It was just this feeling of “of course, Paraguay is perfect for me,” even though I’d never looked into Paraguay or knew hardly anything about it other than where it was on a map. But I have three whole months to kill before I get to go, so hopefully I will be plenty prepared when I finally get to leave. I will be learning, or refreshing my knowledge of the Spanish language. However, the Republic of Paraguay has two official languages.

The first is Spanish, which only about 75% of all Paraguayans can speak. The other language is the Guarani language, left by the indigenous tribe of Guarani Indians. About 95% of Paraguayans speak the Guarani language. About 80% of Paraguayans can speak both of the official languages, but naturally, a majority of the population speak a hybrid of the two, known as Jopara. So I’ll be learning Spanish in the MTC, but will probably be thrust into an environment where I’ll basically be learning a whole new language when I get there.

All the researching and reading about Paraguay I’ve been doing just cements the initial feelings I had when I found out where I would be going. I know with a certainty that Paraguay is the most perfect place for me to be going. Reading about the people and the culture and the foods that they eat, it all just goes with who I am and what I’m going to be doing there and I just have the feeling like it will make it the most comfortable for me to get thrust out of my comfort zone and grow as a person and as a son of God.

There are two missions in Paraguay: mine, and the Asuncion mission. The Asuncion mission deals with the large city of Asuncion, while the Asuncion North Mission basically takes up the rest of Paraguay, so I’ll be tracking the middle of nowhere while I’m there. I’m so excited, and just can’t wait to get out there and serve and teach and share the gospel with everyone I come in contact with! Thank you so much for supporting and reading up on me. Until next time,

Josh