WEEK 68

Dear family,

Well, this week was pretty good! Kinda uneventful tho, ngl. We´re just doing our best out in Itaugua, but things have slowed down a bit the last week or two. Like, there´s still so much potential, so we´re just trying to do what we can to help people progress #agencyprobz.

Anyway, I´ve been reading the conference ensign again, and true story is that there was kinda a lot that got past me the first time. I guess it´s always that way/ x2 when it´s in a foreign language, but either way it´s been really good to read the talks again. And one specifically that got a lot of hype that I was able to re read was the one that Elder Holland gave in the Sunday afternoon sesh. It was actually really not overrated, and I loved it A LOT. 

He says, "Realizing that we all have to come down from peak experiences to deal with the regular vicissitudes of life, may I offer this encouragement... With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the stength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don´t always succeed... "Verily I say unto you, the gifts of God are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep my commandments, and for them that seeketh so to do." Boy, aren´t we all thankful for that added provision, "and seeketh so to do!" That has been a lifesaver because sometimes that is all we can offer! We take some solace in the fact that if God were to reward only the perfectly faithful, He wouldn´t have much of a distribution list. 

Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, "O Jesus... have mercy on me." He will help you get back up. He will help you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough you will have the success you seek...

With the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can escape the consequences of both sin and stupidity - our own or that of others - in whatever form they may come to us in the course of daily living. If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow - and every other day - is ultimately going to be magnificent, even if we don´t always recognize it as such. Why? Because our Heavenly Father wants it to be! He wants to bless us! A rewarding, abundant, and eternal life is the very object of His merciful plan for His children! It is a plan predicated on the truth "that all things work together for the good to them that love God." So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." 

I just REALLYYYYYY love all of that #puredoctrine. Sometimes I honestly just feel like I just can´t do all the stuff I have to do in the way I need to do it in the time I have to do it, etc. And this was legit the reminder I needed that OBVIOUSLY I´m not perfect and that´s actually part of the plan. 

Anyway, I love you all lots and lots! I´m still doing super well  and getting HYPED for Colin.

Hearts and stars,

Hermana Ross

1. Mia, the cutest baby EVER. Seriously, such a happy baby

2. Me and my comp

3. Turns out this road was like miles long #2little2late

4. When your comp says "This is what you'll look like when you're a grandma!"
5. My former companion wearing the BYU the shirt I gave her 

Week 67

New change, same me.

Hey-o! Welp, looks like I´m staying here in Itaugua with Hna Torres for another six weeks! Hype!!! Honestly I was kinda surprised just because I felt like she might be leaving, but I´m pretty stoked we´re staying together! We work really well together and things are just super chill. But we have lots of good work going on RN in our area, so I´m glad we *should* be able to see it through together.

This week we´ve been working a lot with an investigator named Ramona Pavon. She´s a mom of two and is way cool and really with it. She has been coming to church for a while, but hasn´t been able to be baptized because her boyfriend doesn´t want to commit to marriage #paraguayprobz. Anyway, we set a couple of goals with her, so hopefully things there will be moving forward! 

In terms of other things, I´ve been reading Doctrine and Covenants the past few weeks, and I forgot how much I love it! Just kidding, I never forgot. Anyway, something that I´ve noted is that like almost every section of DyC was given as revelation in response to someone asking a question. Like every section heading says "yada yada happened and then someone had a question and Joseph Smith asked the Lord and receieved the following revelation." But really, look it up. So pretty much I was just reminded the important lesson of "ask and ye shall receive." But rly tho, I should ask more specific questions to the Lord. We all should. 

Well, I love you so much!!! I´m doing supes well and hope you all are as well. Can´t believe my baby C-dawg went through the temple. Crayzee. It´s going down for real.

See you soon! #tranquinotrunky

<3 Hermana Ross

Thx 4 da luv

 (I sent a birthday package to Holly that her first companion, Libertee Valenzuela hand delivered as she returned to Paraguay for a visit after being home for almost a year.  They were able to connect and feel the love!)

 Hna Torres was like "Ohmygosh, Hna Ross! It´s LITERALLY your twin. LIT-RALLY." Nunca tanto, nunca tanto. 

#terrifying

The Garden of Eden

Adorable kids

With Ramona!

Eating my hand

Cool Cat Photoshoot

Moar adorable kids

Week 66

Dear family,

Wait, is it Labor Day? I`m just now thinking about this. Anyway, true sad story is actually that freaking today we came back to Anahi and it was awesome and #worthit, but also I had to sacrifice my email time for it. Soo i`m sry, but I gotta go in like 10 minutes :`( 

But we have changes tomorrow, so that`s crazy #pray4Holly. The most likely thing to happen would be me staying with Hna Torres on account of the white wash, but also I feel like she`s leaving, so we`ll see about that. Stay tuned.

Love you tons and tons! Things are good and I am good and life is good!

Love, 

Hermana Ross

Week 65

Family! Hellooo. How are yoou? *Canadian accent* *jk it`s just my normal voice* *single tear*

Anyway, this week was so good! We had like the chillest zone conference I`ve ever had (learned about charity and repentance and stuff), followed by the super great baptisms of Sara and Ruth Baez. Seriously, so good. The branch really came through for us this time. There was cake and everything. And for some reason like all of our zone showed up as well, so there was lots of support. Just a really good time.

And yesterday I had one of the best contacts I`ve had on the whole mission. We were just walking around semi-lost in one hecka field-ish part of our area when we were like, "well, I guess we`ll just head back to the main road?" And then we were like, "Well, we`ll contact one more house I guess." So we clap at this house and this 20somethingyear girl walks out and I just contact her pretty typically, but I notice she has a thick Argentine accent, so we start talking about that (obvs I talked about Colin #typical), and she starts opening up to us a bit. And she starts saying how much she`s been searching for the truth, but she just can`t seem to find it. And she almost literally quoted the Bible the way she was talking about how she just couldn`t seem to find the spiritual food to satisfy her spiritual hunger. I seriously just felt the spirit so strongly. Anyway, we are going back tomorrow, so wish us luck! 

Seriously this has just been such a good change. Like all in all probably my best. I can`t believe it`s already the last week before changes. I just feel way happy and balanced and supes blessed. So grateful.

Anyway, I had a #LDSconf quote I was going to include, but I left my notebook at home!          :( Next week, next week.

Love you sooo much!!!

Hermana Ross

 

With Familia Baez

Ruth y Sara

Pre baptism

Post Baptism

#partyininitugua

The zone knew

WEEK 64

Family!!

It was soooo good to talk to you. Rly tho, the best. Worth the wait #familiesareforever. Anyway, this week was really good! I was doing much better health-wise, and the area is looking way up now that we don´t get lost every .5 seconds. Even though we did get lost today for like three hours trying to get to lunch in Asunción haha. But that´s in the past.

I just want to share with you three tender mercies the Lord has given me in regards to contacting this past week. Contacting has honestly become something I´ve grown to love, but not gonna lie, it was an uphill battle. "140 a week" has been drilled into my head from day one, but I´m finally starting to actually understand it #betterlatethannever. Anyway, these are them:

1. We were walking past these two ladies on the way to district meeting (in a bit of a hurry) and the thought crossed my mind to talk to them, but I was like "naw, we´re in a rush and they don´t look interested" but then I was like "naw, I gotta do it anyway." So we talked to them for a bit (they turned out to be sisters) and they weren´t really interested, but we shared a bit of the plan of salvation and I said something super basic, like "I know families can be eternal" or something like that, and one of the ladies just starts crying and is like, "Today is actually the 11th anniversary of our mom´s death. I´ve been missing her a lot lately and especially today, and I just really want to thank you for stopping to talk to us." So my non-inspiration turned out to be inspiration after all #thewillofGod

2. It was pretty late one night and we were going to head home, but we still had a few minutes left until it was time to go in, so we were like "uhh, I guess we´ll contact." TBH, there´s not a lot to do close to our apartment. So we go and talk to this lady waiting for a collectivo, and she is way nice and stuff, even though she´s obviously not interested. So we talk to her for a bit, and her collectivo isn´t coming, and it´s getting pretty late. And then this drunk guy comes and starts harassing her/us for like 10 minutes, so we just walk her down the street and wait until her collectivo comes. And as she got on she was like, "Thank you girls so much. The Lord sent you as my angels tonight to watch over me." <3 2 presh

3. So we have these pass along cards that have the questions of the soul on them (ex: How can I find peace and happiness? How can I have a family that is happy and united? How can I become a better person? Why am I here on the earth? etc.) So we pass out a lottttt of these, and we hardly ever know if the people visit the website/actually think about the questions, etc. But there was this lady we contacted named Nadia, and we gave her one of the cards that said, "How can I learn from the trials of life?" And then we went back a few days later to over by where she lived, a lesson fell through, and we decided to see if she was home. When we clapped at her door, she proceeded to invite us into her house and tell her literally her whole life story. And she was crying and told us "I´ve been thinking about that card you guys left with me for days. I just looked and looked at the question and really want to learn more." WOAH. So we had a boss lesson with her and SHE WENT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY! Seriously, miracle.

So pretty much I have a testimony of contacting big time, and I know there are people prepared to receive the gospel.

This Saturday Ruth and Sara are going to get baptized, and I´m so stoked! They are so pure and humble and honestly just really prepared. I´ll send the pictures next week.

Love you soooo much!! I´m doing so dang well and am enjoying life big time. I just feel so happy all the time, f´realz #blessed

Have a super awesome week. Wish me luck with #zoneconference this week

Con amor,

Hermana Ross

Holly post hospital visit, feeling so much better!

7

SKYPEEEEE <3 Let´s do it again real soon lolz

awwwwwww

w/ a stuffed animal. Jk, it´s a real dog

last week´s Itaugau missionary krew

partay

Elder Pickering´s birthday. We went to TGIFridays, and I haven´t felt so American in months

Week 63

Note:  We waited to hear from Holly for our semi-annual phone call with bated breath, and it was even more anticipated as Mother's Day was doubly exciting for us as it was also Colin's 18th birthday.  But alas, after waiting around for a long while, with no call coming in...we finally heard from a former companion of hers who kindly let us know that Holly was in the hospital and unable to call.  She had another bad bout with kidney stone pain  last week and had to be hospitalized, but apparently she was released and we've scheduled our make up call for tomorrow.  So at least we got a note today, as I wasn't expecting one.

Dearest Family,

Well, as we are skyping tomorrow and also you pretty much already know what`s been happening, this email will be V short. Also on account of the fact that I can`t think super well. Post IV lyfe.

Alright, summary: So this week is pretty well summed up by my #kidneystone. Hurt like a mother, wasn`t passing, had to go to the hospital, got admitted to the hospital, they gave me IVs and it was traumatic but I didn`t cry (much mature. so adult.) Then the pain passed after like 24 hrs of that, but then they wanted more blood tests, yada yada, I went back to the hospital today, but now it`s looking like I`m free. Although I still have two more kidney stones, wtfreak. But it`s been interesting to deal with a physical health trial, on account of I`ve never really had one of those. And it`s a whole other kind of hard. But I`m grateful that Heavenly Father is giving me SO MANY WAYS to understand the atonement better. See Alma 7:11-12:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Like, he suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of EVERY kind. So I guess at some point we all, in our personal Gethsemanes, need to pass through a large variety of those same pains and afflictions and temptations. To grow closer to the Savior and to tie our hearts to His on a more personal and need-based level.

In other news, we have a family we are teaching, Family Baez, who are going to be baptized on May 21. They are by far the most prepared family I have ever found on the mission, and they sit and listen attentively and answer perfectly and are just so ready to join the church. So more to come on them next week. We weren`t able to go to church yesterday on account of we were in the hospital, but the elders called us to let us know the whole family went :´) 

Ok, love you so much!!! 2 stoked to talk to you tomorrow! 4 realz this time #knockonwood

Love, Hermana Ross

She still has 2 more stones to pass...maybe in Paraguay, maybe not.

Week 62

Family!!!

Well, this week was really quality! So good! Now that I´m not quite as stressed out by the NEWNESS of the white wash, I´ve been able to enjoy the area/my comp/the mission in general more. I couldn´t tell you why it´s taken me so long to reach this point of #tranquility, but either way, I´m there now!! Just 2 chill. I feel like I could be a missionary forever. 

There were lots of good moments, good people, and feeling of the spirit. Sry this is dang short, but we had to go to the office today to change our phone (every time anyone calls it says "unknown number", so we always answer and are like "Hola! Con quien hablo?") So we got sick of that and went to go change our phone and it took ALL DAY. And we still freaking have the old phone #officeprobz. But hopefully in the next week or two they´ll resolve that... 

But yeah, I´m doing well. We had the baptisms of Juan Gabriel and Mia this past Saturday, so that was great as well. Like all of the recent converts in this rama are kids. So that´s been interesting, but a good time #momskillz #lyfeskillz

Love you so much!! Stoked to talk with you on Sunday!!!!!!!

HBD, ColinBoo! "I´m an adult!"

Heartz,

Hermana Ross

Hna Torres and I adopted #whenthemonkeybecomesfamily

FRIO!

Lolz, so the office elders tried to guilt trip Hermana Pisco about contact cards and was like, "Hermana, these are the tithes of the widows." And we left and she was feeling all guilt-tripped, and I was like, "Listen Hermana, there´s a significantly greater chance that these are the tithes of Brandon Flower. Just keep on contacting." So she put this on her wall to keep up her animos hahaha

Sol

#dinnerdate #rooftopparties #missionarylyfe

moar funz