THE ATONEMENT IS FOR EVERYONE!!!

But this week was a good week. Tuesday we had a zone conference where we were learning how the atonement is for everyone. They are really pushing the work so that we are inviting the people to be baptized in the contacts and are inviting everyone to accept the atonement in their lifes. It was pretty powerful. My companion and I decided that this week we were going to put the goal to invite every single person we came in contact with to be baptized members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Thursday as we were doing our contacts we felt the need to talk to a man that was walking towards us. When we started to talk to him we explained our purpose here as missionaries and that we were inviting all to repent and be baptized in the church of Jesus Christ. He looked at us in shock.....with tears in his eyes.....and said....I want to be bapitzed. I want to be clean, I had been praying for someone to invite me to do this.  I then asked him the question of all questions.....WILL YOU FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST BY BEING BAPTIZED THE 12TH OF JULY.............. he responded YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then he asked us what he needed to do to prepare to be baptized. This man lives in the area of the elders in our branch. We wrote down his direction and were planning on giving the direction to the elders that night in the branch night. We then gave the man a phamphlet of the gospel of Jesus Christ and we went to teach another lesson. That night when we found the elders in the church house, in the moment that we were about to give them the reference....They said....hey we got to know your friend today. WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Two hours after we had found him the elders found him waiting for them in front of his house. This man called them....telling them that the hermanas told him that they were going to pass by for him. The elders taught him the restoration. Sunday he went to church, all by himself, in a white shirt and slacks, and a nice pair of shined shoes. I cant even explain to you all how I felt to see this man in the church house. He was the only investigator in the church and we taught him doctrine principles. My mission president and his wife were in our branch yesterday.....President Agazzani had an interview with our branch president. I don't know what that means....its really rare that something like that happens.......but anyways back to this man. In gospel principles we taught the elders, us and the Hermana Agazzani about baptism. This man only had one question for us. How can I make sure that I stay strong after I'm baptized and I don't fall in sin.....WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIRACLE. It was also pretty cool that President Agazzani could get to know him. 

Another miracle... this week we found 4 different families that we are teaching. A family who will be baptized on 12 of july. They are family of members, had never heard of the gospel, and want to be baptized. They have a baby boy of about 11 months. Also another family , They are Jehovahs Witnesses who accepted a baptismal date......WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha we couldnt believe how strong the spirit was in this lesson. We are seeing miracles in the area. And it is because the atonement is for everyone. The 1st family I mentioned  seem to be the family with the most interest. We were so excited because they were a family that we contacted after finding our 1st man I mentioned. They accpted baptism and told us that they would be going to church on sunday. Sunday in the morning we went their house and nobody was there. Sunday night we went back and found the father distraught. His mom had passed away at the age of 52 the night before. We taught them the plan of salvation. they told us that they know it is true. that they read the Book of Mormon and that they are going to be baptzed. Its amazing.  But know that I love you all and that you are all in my prayers. 

Love, Hermana Ross

Crazy week!!

OK sorry for the last letter it was really short. So I'm going to try to give more details. My new companion is from El Salvador. She has a TON OF ENERGY!!!!!!!!!!! We are opposites, but she wants to work, I want to work so that's what it is. She is from the same stake as one of my previous companions. She is 19 and comes from humble circumstances. Her parents are converts and she has an older sister who is special needs. Her brother just returned from his mission in Nicaragua. She has 5 months here in the mission. We are working our butts off.

This week our district came to work in our area. Helping us find people that are ready to hear the gospel. We´re at a dead end. I feel like the second coming will happen in like an hour. There is so much wickedness in the world. We´re trying to find and help more people come to the church house, but its not easy here. In the mission it was never easy but right now it is really hard. We were the primary presidency again this week. 

Well the great thing is that our district is baptizing. There are 10 people who will be baptized the next week in areas around our area. The mission for just the month of June has baptized 96 people. I am grateful to say that one of those 96 is one of my converts. These last couple of days we have been freezing to death. The people here think we are crazies to leave in this type of weather. But we keep going. 

I love you guys so much. Looks like things there are pretty crazy. I cant believe that i will be seeing you guys in about 5 months. It is passing by really fast. And I don't want to come home. I'm working. I am not worried about the things that are happening there because I know that my sacrifices are giving you guys much needed blessings. 

so I don't know what else to write.....WE practically were swimming in mud to get to the homes of some of our investigators. Did I ever tell you guys that before coming on the mission I didn't think that the missionaries worked in this kind of weather? And that those Sundays they just stayed at home reading the scriptures....Well that's what I thought. But I was very wrong. I am very tired. I know that I have little time left. I'm reading the scriptures and trying to apply them in my life. 

Love you guys with all of my heart,

Hermana Ross

Transfers

Hey hows it all going at home,

This week we had transfers. My new companion is the from El Salvador. She has 4 months in the mission and more energy than she knows what do with. hahaha its exactly what Pribebuy needs. I'm finding that I'm so tired. This week has been a huge roller coaster for me and for my companion. We´re working hard though and i know that the lord will bless us.  I don't have any access to facebook. Here in Paraguay they are so far from opening the lines to face book for the missionaries. It has rained a lot. But out here we are not seeing a whole lot of flooding. Ive heard that my first area Yukytu is all covered in water. Here I'm not seeing a whole lot of that. It gets cold here. Literally I'm sleeping with what ever clothes i can put on. I'm sure that I'm used to the warm weather of Paraguay and that's why I'm dying in this cold. I don't have a whole lot to write you guys this week. Sorry. My mind is a lot tired and a little crazy.  Its hard work. ha ha but i keep going. We´ll be seeing miracles. I know it. Ive changed here in the mission. So many things have happened here in the mission field that its hard for me to believe how fast is going by the time. Its shocking really. 

Hope everything is good for you guys,

Hermana Ross

Miracles!!

Hey family. Wow sure sounds like you guys had a fun week. Me too! really it was great! Its amazing to see the blessings of the gospel in your lifes and in mine.

So I'm going to try to summarize everything that happened here this week and answer all of your questions. 

Monday we went to Esubio Ayala, an area that is a rented home for the church for our district activity.We ate Chipa and popcorn. And found out that the elders there were going to baptize a couple that they had been teaching. They would be coming to Piribebuy to be married and then be baptized on Saturday. So we were even more excited because The young man we had been teaching was still planning on being baptized this Saturday. 

Tuesday we went to the temple. We had to be there in the temple and 9. We left here at 5 45 in the morning. The new video was amazing! It really brings the spirit to the temple.  But the cool part was that every name that we did were from the family of President and Hermana Agazzani. And there is one amazing feeling of being in the celestial room with all those missionaries. After words we went to the church house next store (door. Yes she has forgotten her English) and had a testimony meeting. It was amazing. I had the opportunity to write down all those names that needed to and it was great. We went for zones to the temple. And after our district ate at Burger King, which is in front of the temple. We got back to our apartment and 8 30 in the night time. 

Wednesday was a normal day. Trying to help and teach our convert to keep strong for his baptism.

Thursday was TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It rained. And it was going to be the day that our friend had his baptismal interview. The zone leaders had to come to do the interview at 4. Well at three thirty our investigator called us and told us I have to go to work at  4 30 so we need to do this interview now. The elders hadn't left from their other area. It's more than an hour drive for them to get here. We called them and they told us they were hitch hiking to get here. They weren't going to get there in time and they didn't. Our investigator left to work. And he doesn't have a phone. Well the elders had to leave......And we had to help the elder and sister Keller, a couple missionaries here, look for less actives. Well we got a phone call from the elders about 1 hour after telling us that when they entered the bus they found our investigator. He works in the buses collecting the money. IT WAS A MIRACLE!!!!  Satan was working so dang hard to make sure that he wouldn't have his interview.The elders put a time for the next day to meet with him and he passed!!!!! 

So at the end the day Friday we found out that we were going to have a HUGE BAPTISMAL SERVICE HERE IN PIRIBEBUY, OF 4 PEOPLE BEING BAPTIZED. And just so you know........All of the elders called us asking if we could decorate the church for the wedding and make three cakes for the 35 people who would be coming to the baptism.....ELDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they´re crazies. 

I'm going to be sending pictures of the baptism. Our friend was so dang excited to get in that water. He changed his clothes so fast and he was the first one to be in the church on Sunday waiting to receive the gift of the holy ghost. It was amazing. He is a testimony to me that God is very aware of every single one of his children.

OK as for Erin.....YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE PARAGUAY!!!!! Don't worry about a coat with a double liner, it doesn't matter but make sure that the coat is water proof. that's the most important. Lots of socks. Bring good tights that are thick for the cold. Buy the garments in Utah but save some unopened for when they start to get bad.I would even recommend buying long garments. IT GETS COLD!!! especially when you will be coming. There is cold and there is HOT!!!! I loved my towel that stays cold for the heat. (She purchased a towel that you can get wet and it stays cold in the heat. I have seen them at sport stores and Hallmark) It helped me a lot. You will want a strong but durable umbrella that will withhold the wind and rain. Some things that maybe all missionaries would love to bring. DVDs from the church. The Testaments, Together Forever. I bought these here but we use them all the time to teach the people. Just make sure that they have the translations. Any DVD that is published by the church, no others. Music, we can only listen to music that is appropriate for the sacrament meeting. Cd's are great so you can change music with others. A nice strong flashlight but that is light weight and small. One that has a strong light. When your in the fields there are no lights and this is your best friend. I hadn't had to use mine until this transfer but its helped a lot. Well if I think of anything else I´ll let you know. You can share this with the Seffkers, too.

God is real and loves us so much,

Hermana Ross

p.s. For those that are going here on their missions, you don't need any books but maybe a nice set of scriptures in Spanish.  They give you everything in the MTC,  including dictionary and Spanish helps, Preach My Gospel, everything.  But I did like the small Preach My Gospel in English and Spanish.  You can buy them here but it was easier to get them at home.

Monday in the church house we had a great big family night with the branch

Me at the temple

These are the cakes we made for the baptism.

Decorations for the wedding.  We laughed and
said it was a dalmation wedding.  We couldn't find white balloons
anywhere in town, but we couldn't complain.

He is super HAPPY!

Those that were baptized.  A whole lot of white, Right?!

LUKE 15 VERSE 10 AND D&C 18 VERSE 13

MAY 19 , 2014

Hey family this week we were able to see some big miracles. I want to tell you about a young man who is 22 years old and he wants to be baptized this Saturday. He is a miracle, and now I'm going to tell you why. My companion started her mission here in Piribebuy in December and until now has not had one baptism in her mission. In her first month here she was able to contact this young man and get to know him. He was a young man with a whole lot of problems. (I don't know if i told you guys this but the first thing that we teach here is baptism. With the baptismal question we are able to get a feel of what they really want and need so they can understand that this is the only church that has a true baptism. It works great!!!!!) well this is what the missionaries taught. Well the missionaries didn't think that he was going to progress so they stopped passing by. Well the my companion passed by again with the her companion and they taught the concept repentance and baptism again. This time he paid attention and wanted to know more.....now I'm going to tell you why. He had some serious problems with the word of wisdom. . He has been through a whole heck of a lot in his life until now. He didn't have anywhere else to go. When two sister missionaries passed by his house. And taught him that Christ could take away his burden and forgive him of his sins. He asked how? REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM!!!!! He began coming to church. Stopped drinking, stopped taking drugs. When the missionaries started teaching him he was smoking 7 packs of cigarettes a day. After about a month of teaching he was only smoking. And its been hard for him. The missionaries bought him so much gum to help him that he was only smoking about 3 cigarettes a week. And now he has stopped. He wanted to be baptized. The members in the branch asked the missionaries "what kind of people are you teaching?" "Aren't you girls scared of what he is going to do you?" "HE WILL NEVER CHANGE WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR TIME....." Well those two missionaries, with a lot of  love, saw him how Christ saw him. And showed this young man that EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE WITH CHRIST. He had a lot of repenting to do, and when he came to have his first baptismal interview, didn't pass because of some other problems that he had with the law of chastity. The leaders told the sisters that they couldn't tell him when he would be baptized but he had to continue showing that he was repenting by going to church every single Sunday and trying to improve every single day. After about one month of assisting the church every single Sunday for a month, the elders called and said that he could be baptized 15 of April, 2014. He was so dang excited. He told the missionaries, Finally Christ can help me with all of these burdens that I carry. The day after he got a call from his boss calling him to move to Asuncion to work. He had to move. The sisters, sad and worried went to tell him goodbye, giving him a whole lot of gum so that he wouldn't be smoking like before, said goodbye. And he left them with the promise that he would come back for his baptism and that in Asuncion he would be going to church. These sister missionaries never heard from him again. Yesterday, he, moved back to Piribebuy. Found us, told us of every church that he had been attending, How he had been reading the Book of Mormon and that he wanted to know if he could be baptized this Saturday. He had been smoking, but only when he got really nervous. He can be baptized this Saturday if he doesn't smoke all week long. The reason I put in the subject these scriptures is because that is how god feels for this young man. HE WANTS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!! He has changed. I might not of known this young man before, but the young man that I got to know yesterday is more humble and ready for baptism than any other person I have met in the mission. He has worked his buttte off to get to this point.

God is so happy with one sinner that repents.

Don't ever judge a book by its cover,

Never judge someone that enters into the church of god, because one day he may be a leader in this church. That is how I saw him yesterday. 

We are seeing so many miracles. I think that when I started the mission I had my eyes only opened to teach those that were living as close to the gospel standards as is possible in this world. But this last week we began to teach those that were so far from the path of righteousness but have such a desire to be there that they are doing whatever is possible to be there. Its incredible. Ive seen the scriptures D&C 18 be applied in my life in the mission this week. My joy is without words, and I am so happy. I'm not worried about anything. I just want to do the will of the lord, keep going, and find people like him,. READY!!! 

I know that this week i will have one year in the mission. Next week i will be going to the temple.  I hope that you all enjoy the blessings of the gospel every single day. Keep going, stay strong..

Love you all,

Hermana Ross,

The slugs in the street are almost as big as my hand.

This is our next door neighbor named Juancho. He tells us Hola when we leave our house.
He loves our mango tree in front of our house.

Spider eggs from the window.

Pancake night with dulce de leche because we didn't have any syrup.

Nino Jesus bus

Taking the bus to stake conference with the branch.

This kid reminds me of my brother.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

It gets so freaking cold here, I just keep thinking....... I'm going to die when i go back home. I'm so dang used to the heat of Paraguay my body cant handle the cold. It was a cold week. The 22 year old young man we've been teaching wasn't baptized because he had smoked the week before. Really he is a miracle. He will be baptized this week if he keeps up the no smoking thing. He really has been through a whole lot in his life. But he is a whole heck of lot more ready than anybody else here.  Did you guys ever read about the virgin of Caaupè. Everyone here are Catholics and are dropping us like bombs. Its been a little discouraging. And I remember how it is in Utah. Everyone judges very easily. I sure hope that I've overcome that because I know that I was like that. But It doesn't matter when it all comes down to Christ. For every single catholic who has slammed a door in my face telling me where to go to, I will remember this young man, one of the people who had lots of sins and is willing to do anything to be clean. There are some nice and bad things about being in a small town. But there is gossip and it spreads like wildfire.  Its not very fun. Just learn that obedience is the key to EVERYTHING.

Funny story. So we were doing a division with the sister leaders in our area and as we were studying the Jehovah witnesses sister missionaries came knocking on our door. That was sure interesting. They are really scared of us. 

Tomorrow I'm going to the temple and I'm so dang excited. I haven't been in forever. 

This Sunday it rained all day long and we had an assistence of 26. When we got to the church at the hour it started there were four of us. And that wasn't even the branch president. Our district leader calls every Sunday to ask about the attendance in church and when he heard he just laughed and said that there were 5. Four elders and one investigator. This area has some serious work. 

Well we are coming to the end of the transfer. 

We`ll have to see what happens, how I hold out. 

Hermana Ross

One nice reason to have a face book account.  My mom found this picture with my previous companion and asked if I knew the young women that got baptized.    It is the sister that wanted to get baptized but her fiance had lost their marriage license for them to be married. She couldn't get baptized until they had their marriage license.
This made my day!!!  

We found this spider in our apartment.   It is about 3 inches wide.
The cold weather is bringing them in.

 My companion in the rain.

Me in a down pour.

It has been a year!!!! Time really does fly!

Just a little drenched!!

Welcome to the Jungle!!

My companion and I took some pictures this week and she is going to let me use her camera to send you all some. 

My companion was born in the gospel and her mom and dad served missions as well. I don't know much about her life but she is the oldest of 6 or 7 and she's serving here in Paraguay and her younger brother is now serving in Ecuador.  She came with only two pairs of shoes and now they are breaking. She is a very humble and loving person.   She will be leaving this area in 3 weeks when we have transfers again. She has 4 transfers here in Pirebebuy. 

I will never ever learn Guarani completely because not even the people here speak all pure guarani. I'm learning phrases and small things but really it is not easy. It sounds like Chinese or Japanese. I only know how to say "lets go to the church", yaja tupaope. Or greetings. It's almost impossible. But now I will be ordering a badge that is in Guarani. Monday we had a family night in the house of less actives with members that are active. It was completely in Guarani. I didn't understand anything. Absolutely nothing. 

we`ll see how that goes....... 

This week we did a lot of walking. When I send you all pictures you will know what I mean. There is a lot of walking and not a whole lot of teaching. We have a church house, its very small, and we have a branch president. Its our district leader who doesn't have one. This week we were able to see the family who is the Relief Society President and Elders Quorum President come back to church with their family. As a missionary its also our job to re activate those members. it was pretty powerful to see this family bear their testimonies in the reunion. when we had 42 people there. The most that there has been in a good long time. There are tons of families who have such strong testimonies and love the church but don't have the means to get to the church because of how far away it is. This is a big problem here. BIG PROBLEM. 

I've found some huge spiders here. I'm also so absolutely surprised at how green and how many hills are here in Pirebebuy. It is difficult. These members have a whole lot to learn, but were trying our best to help them learn. 

So this is what we are going to do for Mothers Day. We have the option to talk to you guys this Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. My companion and I want to try talking to you guys Sunday at 5 in the afternoon in the time of Paraguay. If I'm not able to find a computer of one member this day we will be talking to you guys Tuesday around 5 o'clock Paraguay time again. The problem is there is limited access to Internet and Sunday we cant use the cybers(cafe') because it is the Sabbath day. So I'm going to try with all my heart to talk to you guys this Sunday but if you don't hear anything. Monday i will be writing you guys to confirm my plans for Tuesday. Sorry it is the only thing that I can do. 

I'm without words. I'm working and don't have time to think about anything really. The day that all of the things at home will hit me hard is when I come home. I hate thinking about facing that day. t will be so hard and I don't want it to come. I will be like Jane and be about to leave and then decide to stay living in the jungle forever where I don't have to face the real life. ha ha, just kidding. I love you all so much.....

Hermana Ross

My sweet companion from Guatemala.

This was a small creek in our area. it rained buckets of water Wednesday.
This was what it looked like after.

Doesn't this look like a jungle?

These pigs belong to a member.  The mother pig is very protective.

This is the pathway to a member's home.