May 18, 2009

Hey there,

Sorry about last week, we didn’t get a chance to use internet cause we had a really busy P-Day... First off, we had council meeting with Pte Wade as ZLs on Monday so our P-Day got bumped to Tuesday, and then on Tuesday we went to San Lorenzo to play soccer with all of the other ZLs, because we didn’t want to be alone and everyone else had a normal P-Day, and had to spend like a total of 2.5 hours on the buses to get there and back, and that just ate up all of our day. So we figured we’d just talked to you the day before, so we figured it wasn’t a big deal to not get to write y’all. Anyways, this week went pretty good, we had 8 baptisms, with the wedding of Elvio and Eulalia, so that was exciting. And then this week we have 2 more families that are just awesome who are tying the knot and taking a bath haha. So yeah, we’re still working hard.

But this past week was the first week of cold, and wow, I forgot how cold Paraguay can get! It got down to about 50 F and I thought I was going to freeze to death on Friday night. And I’m being serious! I’m literally just going to shrivel up and die in a little frozen ball when I show up in NY in the middle of the winter next year... So I had to bust out all of the sweaters I accumulated last year: the two v-necks that you sent me and one that I bought here before I got the package of the v-necks haha... things I haven’t seen in a loooooong time. It was such a good feeling! Mentioning that, if you want to include in my birthday package another sweater or two that you can find in my room, I know I have like 2 or 3 good ones... a brown, a grey, and an orange one, that are all kind of turtle neck, those would work great down here.

But you can tell Aunt Audrey thanks for thinking about me, but I’m sure that book of 500 colleges is just way to big and expensive to send all the way down here... because it’d be cool to look at one, but I wouldn’t want to have to haul that thing around between areas and stuff like that.

In answer to your question: It’s not too bad trying to shrug off the ‘trunky’ feelings that come from talking with the family, but it was a little tougher this time because my comp E. Ramirez goes home in July, so he’s getting all ready already. But I’m thinking that the next call is going to be a little tough... I’ll only have like 6 weeks til I get home... so yeah, that’ll be pretty trunky. Anyways, talking about getting home. I was thinking about it, and if you guys want to come down to pick me up, that’s fine. Like yeah, it’ll lose kind of the umph of getting home and seeing the family, but like you said, I think it’ll probably be a lot easier to just stay in Paraguay than to try and come back a little later on, financially and mentally. Plus you guys could just bring down like extra empty suitcases to help me make it home with all of the junk that I’m acquiring right now and not have to leave it all behind hahaha. So it’s up to you guys with what you want to do. I’ll just go along with whatever plans you come up with.

But yeah, those broadcast conferences from Salt Lake are pretty cool. I got to see one last year, and they had people who were associated with this area of the world as well. So it’s interesting to hear that they’re doing that for state-side stakes as well.

But as a missionary, my relationship with Christ... umm... I’d say it’s grown in the fact that I’m not working and worrying about myself. I’m working with his brothers and sisters, and helping them find the joy of taking advantage of his sacrifice that he made for us, and by doing so, I’ve been able to feel the true joy of Christ by feeling what he must feel when he sees each and every one of us come closer to him, and the sadness that comes when he sees us reject him. So I think mostly I’ve just come closer to really know and understand our Savior and what the purpose this life holds for us.

The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost (it feels so weird to say ghost and not spirit) is a must in this line of work. I’ve really come to know that the ‘constant companionship’ that is always talked about isn’t like a constant feel good vibe that I remember getting when I was at EFY or whatever, but more like an enhanced conscionce (I really don’t know how to spell that, I hope you get what I’m saying) of thoughts that I have or decisions I make of what streets to take or what I need to say or things like that. I think it might be different as a missionary, because we grow so used to the compansionship that we usually don’t even know that it’s there, but yeah.

I think when I get home, I’ll just have to keep doing just the ‘basics’ of the gospel that you always hear in Primary, with slight variation: Study my scriptures daily, pray with real intent, and participate in church and church activities every week. Usually you hear: read, pray, and go to church. That’s good and all, but there is SUCH a big difference between going through the motions and actually doing. Not just reading, but STUDYING. Not just praying, but CONVERSING with the Lord. Not just going to church, but PARTICIPATING. It’s stuff so basic that we just ignore it, but it really is the foundation to everything.

Love you lots,

Elder Dennis