Letter #14

Hola familia!! 

como estan? so things are really good here. we've had good things and bad things happen, but thats usually how it is!  :) but this week was full of new experiences. first i was pretty much deathly ill for monday night and all of tuesday.  we left for part of the day tuesday and  it was not good. i seriously looked like HECK!!!! i just want to vomit the whole day and was seriously doubled over in pain of my stomach because i had to drink the paraguayan water... so yeah i almost died. that same day we got a text while we were walking... well i looked more like a zombie... and the text was from norma... she informed us that she would no longer be able to participate in baptism or go to church for "personal reasons" so we lost 4 of our investigators that were going to be baptized. . . that was a hard day :'(  but we just put it in the lords hands and kept moving forward. we had a lesson that was completely in guarani and of course, we didn't understand anything. but it was really cool... but ended up sad because the lady we did it for, miriam, who can feel the spirit so strong and loves when we sing and wants to go to church and be baptized, has a crazy A husband who is evil and won't allow her to do any of it or talk to us anymore. as mallory and weezy would say... "you are evil and you must be destroyed!" ;) haha, but we pray for her and heavenly father knows her heart!! okay,  it is HOTTER than i thought was possible! we pretty much die everyday! but then it randomly starts pouring! all of saturday night we walked in a DOWN POUR! it was crazy! but because we said we´ll do whatever it takes, we were led to hermana gadoy who is an awesome member and has a 14 year old son who is great... but right now he's struggling and into not good things. she's a single mom and doesn't know what to do to help him and has been praying for help... Heavenly father really does answer prayers through other people! okay, so we also have a baptism registry... idk if that's what it's called because i only know all this stuff in spanish, but we had one with only a girls name and the permission signature of her mom... but she was never baptized. we had no idea who she was.. she didn't have an address which means she lives in yukyty.. which means we were NEVER going to find her. . . but after we got rejected from miriam i said we need to go drop stuff off at hermana carmens.. and guess what.. MY CONVERT WAS BACK!!!! sofia was back and was visiting her mom for the weekend and shes just so cute and came to church with us and knew all the answers and is just amazing and has a chance at a safer better life with her dad in a different city, and she wanted the little picture of the logan temple i had that i told her mom and dad and grandpa and grandma were married in because she wanted to have it as a memory of me. i just love her! anways i got side tracked.. :) while we were visiting sofia, there were of course tons of other little children running amuck, and after we taught them, we were asking all their names and who did we find.... YANINA!!! the baptismal registro!!!! and we were talking to her mom and she's going to be baptized this saturday!! if all goes well. it was a miracle! a lot more awesome lessons happened this week, we made fancy sandwhiches for a baptism with karen after the yws activity. and today we are going to go learn how to make empanadas with karen too! she's serioiusly the best! i just pray all day everyday that i will be able to see her baptism!! its for the 7th of feb. probably my last sat here in this area. we also had the miracle if teaching her mom as well... we never thought that was going to happen. but karen is like my little sister here!! it's amazing how when you want the best for people and are serving them and helping them, you really have the true love of christ and love them with your whole heart. when you forget yourself and only worry and serve others.. that's when you really find the most happiness in your life. yeah things in life stink sometimes and are super hard and i cant even imagine the things that people have to deal with, because i've had more than a blessed life... but one thing i do know and it doesn't matter what your circumstances are... serve other people, do good to those that hate you and despitefully use you, pray for your enemies, and literally pray for charity and just concentrate on helping others, and you will see the most happiness and peace in your life. the savior said.. i will not leave you comfortless.. i will come to you.... and he really will!!!! when we say we are trying to be like jesus.. it's not that we're trying to be perfect.. it's that were trying to serve people and love them with our whole hearts. i love the mission and i've learned sooo much in just 5 short months! :) i wouldn't trade paraguay or the mission for anything!!!! i love you all so much!!  I miss you like crazy!!! thank you for all the prayers!! Always keep the faith!!! :) 

love, Hermana McDougal