Hey there peeps,
It was great to hear from you on Christmas. I realized today while I was thinking about it, I’ve been blessed to talk to the whole family every time that I’ve gotten to call home. There’s a lot of missionaries who only get to talk to a part of their family because the others are in college or have already moved out of the house. But now that you guys have made me officially trunky, I still gotta go out and work hard this last couple weeks. To me its just incredible that my time as a missionary is coming to an end, I still feel like I just got started, but truth is my group is the oldest in the mission right now, because those going home at the end of this change are getting sent home a week early to make it home for school.
But some more good news, I’ll be getting my New Years package this week, and I’m excited to see what my “gift” is... dad mentioned that I’ll be getting a cool little photo in the package. But I got a call from Elder Curtis, who is one of my buddies, who’s the assistant right now, and told me how a got a tiny little package from one James Fiala that includes just one can of Mountain Dew... So I’m super stoked for that little taste of heaven as well. Being deprived of good foods you know and love is definitely the worst part about being on the mission... that and family, of course...
But I’m glad to hear that the family was able to come to a conclusion as to what’s going down this March and April, and I’m perfectly fine with just chilling during March, and getting ready to head out come April. Plus I think it’d be nice to have you come out with us to Utah, I mean, I’m all grown up and everything, and I’ve been living on my own for two years, but let’s face it: I’ve been doing that all in spanish! There’s no way I could do that in english anymore! So Mom can ride with me if Dad’s not gonna go too.
But enough trunky talk, we’re working pretty hard in our area, but it was kind of tough with Christmas this past week, plus it rained on Sunday, which made for a poor church attendance, with only 5 people who made it to church other than us. But we got two investigators there, so that was cool, but then I just felt bad for them the whole time. I’ve heard that a lot of missionaries get home, and they find themselves searching for their investigators in the crowd at church, or feeling that protectiveness over making sure that the new people there feel comfortable, just to find out that they don’t have anyone there and that they don’t do that anymore. I’m not sure if I’ll feel that or not, but one things for sure, I will probably always listen to the things that members say and just cringe at the things that come out of their mouths as if an investigator who doesn’t understand completely the lingo or the doctrine enough to not take something offensive or downright weird. Like how I’ve heard a couple times in testimony meeting in Paraguay... “Joseph Smith died so that we can be here today.” Now I know that those people mean well, and that they’re refering to how he died for his testimony and how if it weren’t for his efforts we wouldn’t have the restored gospel today, but just think about what an investigator would think about us if they heard that statement without any background information! No wonder so many people think we worship Joseph Smith.
I love this work though, I’ve learned so much on my mission, I’m a completely different person since when I left... but don’t you worry, you’ll still be hearing my saweet guitar riffs and playing video games with me when I get home... I’m pretty sure those things are going to be in Heaven.... So Cole, you just get ready to bust out the Zelda games when I get home! And I call first dibbs on the Medal of Honor!!!
Love ya all,
Elder Dennis
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Dec 21, 2009
Merry Christmas!!!
Santa Claus is rolling in a little late to Pedro Juan this year for Elder Dennis hahaha, no packages made it here on time. But I got a card from Grandma and Grandpa Dennis this past week. But to me it doesn’t really matter, I didn’t want anything anyway, because I’ll be getting home in less than two months now. You should have the flight itinerary already and everything. Elder Reid’s mom was nice enough coughcough to forward him the information already, but he goes out west, so once we land in the states I don’t know how long it will take for me to get home. The only thing I’m looking forward to is the last phone call. Its so hard to believe its actually coming this week, because I’ve always thought of that as the start to the end. But while we’re talking about the phone call, I’ll finalize the details with you...
So Elder Adamson’s family wants to do it a little later, because more of his family will be there, so if you guys could call at 3.30 pm my time, that way he’ll talk to his parents starting at 5.00 our time, leaving that little space for the common errors and bugs and whatnot that always happens. We’ll probably be there like 10-15 mins early too, so if you get scared its not gonna work you can start trying just a little early. So be there, or be square.
We’re planning a Christmas dinner for the branch for tomorrow, and right now we have to go finalize on a house in our area... well, not really a house, just a little one room apartment like in Saltos, because it is soooo expensive here. Well not really to us Americans, but for the Paraguayans, its like trying to live in downtown Manhattan. But the mission didn’t get us money on time to buy stuff to move in there with, so we’ll still live with the ZL’s in Rama 1 for another week or so until that gets to us.
It doesn’t feel like Christmas, but we’re doing our best here to set the mood, listening to Christmas music and always singing one of like the 6 holiday hymns that are in Spanish when we visit people. We usually start off singing a hymn to invite the spirit when we teach. The work is really tough right now mom, it’s really pushing me, but I'm trying to find new people that are excited about what we have to offer. Elder Adamson is great though, he really wants to do his best, and is really excited to be here. But we don’t have like any progressing investigators, and we only had 11 people in the church on Sunday, including an investigator and two little girls younger than 8. It is so sad here, and we’re trying so hard to fix all the petty little problems that the less active members have about “so and so” or “what’s his name” and solve their little excuses for why they don’t go to church. I love this work, I love this season to remember our Savior, and I’m trying to give him it all this last little bit that I still have. I’m almost done with the Book of Mormon again, we started October 1st as a mission, with the goal to finish on Christmas. I’m passing through Ether right now, and I absolutely love that book. I know it is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Thanks for your love and support always, I can’t wait to talk to yins on Friday.
Love,
Elder Dennis
Santa Claus is rolling in a little late to Pedro Juan this year for Elder Dennis hahaha, no packages made it here on time. But I got a card from Grandma and Grandpa Dennis this past week. But to me it doesn’t really matter, I didn’t want anything anyway, because I’ll be getting home in less than two months now. You should have the flight itinerary already and everything. Elder Reid’s mom was nice enough coughcough to forward him the information already, but he goes out west, so once we land in the states I don’t know how long it will take for me to get home. The only thing I’m looking forward to is the last phone call. Its so hard to believe its actually coming this week, because I’ve always thought of that as the start to the end. But while we’re talking about the phone call, I’ll finalize the details with you...
So Elder Adamson’s family wants to do it a little later, because more of his family will be there, so if you guys could call at 3.30 pm my time, that way he’ll talk to his parents starting at 5.00 our time, leaving that little space for the common errors and bugs and whatnot that always happens. We’ll probably be there like 10-15 mins early too, so if you get scared its not gonna work you can start trying just a little early. So be there, or be square.
We’re planning a Christmas dinner for the branch for tomorrow, and right now we have to go finalize on a house in our area... well, not really a house, just a little one room apartment like in Saltos, because it is soooo expensive here. Well not really to us Americans, but for the Paraguayans, its like trying to live in downtown Manhattan. But the mission didn’t get us money on time to buy stuff to move in there with, so we’ll still live with the ZL’s in Rama 1 for another week or so until that gets to us.
It doesn’t feel like Christmas, but we’re doing our best here to set the mood, listening to Christmas music and always singing one of like the 6 holiday hymns that are in Spanish when we visit people. We usually start off singing a hymn to invite the spirit when we teach. The work is really tough right now mom, it’s really pushing me, but I'm trying to find new people that are excited about what we have to offer. Elder Adamson is great though, he really wants to do his best, and is really excited to be here. But we don’t have like any progressing investigators, and we only had 11 people in the church on Sunday, including an investigator and two little girls younger than 8. It is so sad here, and we’re trying so hard to fix all the petty little problems that the less active members have about “so and so” or “what’s his name” and solve their little excuses for why they don’t go to church. I love this work, I love this season to remember our Savior, and I’m trying to give him it all this last little bit that I still have. I’m almost done with the Book of Mormon again, we started October 1st as a mission, with the goal to finish on Christmas. I’m passing through Ether right now, and I absolutely love that book. I know it is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Thanks for your love and support always, I can’t wait to talk to yins on Friday.
Love,
Elder Dennis
Monday, December 14, 2009
Dec 14, 2009
One more week til Christmas!
It's just absolutely crazy how fast the time flies. I remember trying to think of what it would be like to be at my last Christmas of the mission, and it always seemed so far away! But next week we'll be talking, and then a month and a half later I'll get to walk bare foot on carpet! I'm getting excited... It's not too hot here in Pedro Juan, so that's pretty lucky, but right now the work is pretty tough. We had these awesome girls, five sisters, who we were teaching, but this past week they really fell in excitement for what we teach. I think the main thing was that this past week in Paraguay it was the "Virgin's" birthday, so everyone is hardcore into their idols and images, saints and virgins right now. That and I think that they are getting a lot of flak from their family, who are pretty hard core Catholic.
That's basically the story with everyone right now. Our area is pretty Catholic, and we're having a lot of trouble trying to find good investigators right now, and even less success trying to find a house to live in. The walk to our area isn't bothering me that much anymore, I'm getting used to it, and we usually just eat with the members during the week. If we don't have a lunch appointment, we usually just stay in the house to eat, and don't go out in the morning, because we're supposed to leave at 11.00 in the morning, and so that would mean we'd get about 20-30 mins to work before lunch, and its not even worth it, so we just eat a little earlier and then head out to get to the area the time we would normally start anyway. I'm in Branch 2, which is literally one block from Brazil, and its like 4 blocks north of Shopping China, this HUGE shopping store place that´s really big and fancy. It's also right next to this place called the Aduana. Good luck trying to find it. But no, we don't go into Brazil this time, there's missionaries over there, we met them today at Shopping China, even though its on our side, but whatevs.
It sounds like the ward is having a bunch of success in baptizing youth, they really are amazing, aren't they? Their testimonies are just so strong and simple. Our branch is definitely NOT functional, I don't know where you came up with that idea. There's only one priesthood holder that goes to church, the branch president, and there's a relief society class that usually has four sisters in it, and this week we had 13 people at church in total. There's no primary, no young mens or young womens or elders quorom or anything. There's no activities during the week, and I'm embarrassed to invite people to church. We don't hold leadership positions, but I think I might talk to president Wade about that, because we're the only other priesthood holders, and there are some areas here where the missionaries are counselors or whatever.
Pedro Juan is a decently sized place, but right now it doesn't need the 5 branches, but back in the day it was pretty successful, so we run in to a TON of inactive members while we´re going around contacting the people. I got the envelope and Cole's pictures of his Bionicles and stuff. Way cool little man! When is Cole's baptism going to be? Have you guys planned it at all yet? Any word on my BYU admission? Well it doesn't feel like Christmas at all, but I hope my package gets here on Saturday (thats when we get mail) or I'll have a presentless Christmas haha.
Love ya lots,
Elder Dennis
It's just absolutely crazy how fast the time flies. I remember trying to think of what it would be like to be at my last Christmas of the mission, and it always seemed so far away! But next week we'll be talking, and then a month and a half later I'll get to walk bare foot on carpet! I'm getting excited... It's not too hot here in Pedro Juan, so that's pretty lucky, but right now the work is pretty tough. We had these awesome girls, five sisters, who we were teaching, but this past week they really fell in excitement for what we teach. I think the main thing was that this past week in Paraguay it was the "Virgin's" birthday, so everyone is hardcore into their idols and images, saints and virgins right now. That and I think that they are getting a lot of flak from their family, who are pretty hard core Catholic.
That's basically the story with everyone right now. Our area is pretty Catholic, and we're having a lot of trouble trying to find good investigators right now, and even less success trying to find a house to live in. The walk to our area isn't bothering me that much anymore, I'm getting used to it, and we usually just eat with the members during the week. If we don't have a lunch appointment, we usually just stay in the house to eat, and don't go out in the morning, because we're supposed to leave at 11.00 in the morning, and so that would mean we'd get about 20-30 mins to work before lunch, and its not even worth it, so we just eat a little earlier and then head out to get to the area the time we would normally start anyway. I'm in Branch 2, which is literally one block from Brazil, and its like 4 blocks north of Shopping China, this HUGE shopping store place that´s really big and fancy. It's also right next to this place called the Aduana. Good luck trying to find it. But no, we don't go into Brazil this time, there's missionaries over there, we met them today at Shopping China, even though its on our side, but whatevs.
It sounds like the ward is having a bunch of success in baptizing youth, they really are amazing, aren't they? Their testimonies are just so strong and simple. Our branch is definitely NOT functional, I don't know where you came up with that idea. There's only one priesthood holder that goes to church, the branch president, and there's a relief society class that usually has four sisters in it, and this week we had 13 people at church in total. There's no primary, no young mens or young womens or elders quorom or anything. There's no activities during the week, and I'm embarrassed to invite people to church. We don't hold leadership positions, but I think I might talk to president Wade about that, because we're the only other priesthood holders, and there are some areas here where the missionaries are counselors or whatever.
Pedro Juan is a decently sized place, but right now it doesn't need the 5 branches, but back in the day it was pretty successful, so we run in to a TON of inactive members while we´re going around contacting the people. I got the envelope and Cole's pictures of his Bionicles and stuff. Way cool little man! When is Cole's baptism going to be? Have you guys planned it at all yet? Any word on my BYU admission? Well it doesn't feel like Christmas at all, but I hope my package gets here on Saturday (thats when we get mail) or I'll have a presentless Christmas haha.
Love ya lots,
Elder Dennis
Monday, December 7, 2009
Dec 7, 2009
Hey there again,
How are preparations for the Christmas season coming? It does not feel like Christmas here in Paraguay, but people are putting up lights and all the stores have Santa Clauses and posters of snow and stuff... it´s kind of weird, not gonna lie. But yeah, Elder Adamson is a good kid, his spanish is way awesome, and he really wants to work hard. Who would've thunk that the two New Yorkers would be together. It makes it easy though, because everyone asks us where we´re from, and we just have to say New York.
Pedro Juan is a pretty cool place, but there´s a lot of Portuguese, as you can imagine, since like you said, there is absolutely no border control whatsoever. The city is literally divided in half, the Brazilian side is called Ponta Porã. As far as describing where my area is though, it´s right up on the border of Brazil, the church building is literally 2 blocks from the border. The only difference is the visible difference, because Brazil is so much nicer than Paraguay. On one side there is the cobble stone streets of Paraguay, and on the other it´s nice pavement, and its just a whole lot more organized. Anyway, my area, I have no clue how to describe where to find it. Does it have names of building on google earth? Or you could just hop on the church website and look for Pedro Juan Caballero 2, that´s the branch I'm in. I think it should have maps.
Our area is a good 40 minute walk everyday, there and back, from Branch 1, where the ZLs are, and so we're looking hard for a place, but it is so expensive out here that nothing we can find is in our price range, which is up to about 800 mil guaranies, or like $150 a month. I mean, it´s so cheap, but out here that price, if you're in a normal area, can get you premium living. Most places in Asuncion are only 400-500 mil a month, and they're nice big houses. But no luck so far out here.
But we're working hard, we're getting soaked quite a bit in the rain too, because it likes to rain out here, and its a long 40 minute walk home and we usually aren't prepared because in the morning its all nice a clear, and then we get to walk home in the rain. Last week we were fording the flash flooding rivers of streets that were caused by all the rain, and that was awesome. Don´t worry, the lighting hasn't hit us yet :)
We had a baptism and wedding on Saturday, so that was awesome. We´re working hard, and having a good time. I'm doing my best to stay focused, but it's super hard on P-Day hahaha. I love this work though, it really is the most important work on the face of the earth. I love you all,
Elder Dennis
How are preparations for the Christmas season coming? It does not feel like Christmas here in Paraguay, but people are putting up lights and all the stores have Santa Clauses and posters of snow and stuff... it´s kind of weird, not gonna lie. But yeah, Elder Adamson is a good kid, his spanish is way awesome, and he really wants to work hard. Who would've thunk that the two New Yorkers would be together. It makes it easy though, because everyone asks us where we´re from, and we just have to say New York.
Pedro Juan is a pretty cool place, but there´s a lot of Portuguese, as you can imagine, since like you said, there is absolutely no border control whatsoever. The city is literally divided in half, the Brazilian side is called Ponta Porã. As far as describing where my area is though, it´s right up on the border of Brazil, the church building is literally 2 blocks from the border. The only difference is the visible difference, because Brazil is so much nicer than Paraguay. On one side there is the cobble stone streets of Paraguay, and on the other it´s nice pavement, and its just a whole lot more organized. Anyway, my area, I have no clue how to describe where to find it. Does it have names of building on google earth? Or you could just hop on the church website and look for Pedro Juan Caballero 2, that´s the branch I'm in. I think it should have maps.
Our area is a good 40 minute walk everyday, there and back, from Branch 1, where the ZLs are, and so we're looking hard for a place, but it is so expensive out here that nothing we can find is in our price range, which is up to about 800 mil guaranies, or like $150 a month. I mean, it´s so cheap, but out here that price, if you're in a normal area, can get you premium living. Most places in Asuncion are only 400-500 mil a month, and they're nice big houses. But no luck so far out here.
But we're working hard, we're getting soaked quite a bit in the rain too, because it likes to rain out here, and its a long 40 minute walk home and we usually aren't prepared because in the morning its all nice a clear, and then we get to walk home in the rain. Last week we were fording the flash flooding rivers of streets that were caused by all the rain, and that was awesome. Don´t worry, the lighting hasn't hit us yet :)
We had a baptism and wedding on Saturday, so that was awesome. We´re working hard, and having a good time. I'm doing my best to stay focused, but it's super hard on P-Day hahaha. I love this work though, it really is the most important work on the face of the earth. I love you all,
Elder Dennis
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