A new week!

 

Thanks family for all of your love and support. I'm OK! I love the work! We are trying our best to help those people in this area. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you guys that I met Elder Walsch the day that Elder Christofferson came! He seemed to be doing good! Family I didn't know that my area is "hard" until people in the mission started telling me that. I wish they wouldn't have told me that! I have 6 people that I love so much that have been baptized in this area. I didn't know that that was a lot. I thought that was little. But I'm only here to try and do my best. I didn't know that it was thanksgiving this week! REALLY? Mom are you preparing to do  some black Friday shopping. 

So Silvio is as good as ever. Remember our dear sister that we baptized? She is struggling with her husband and isn't able to come to the church. It breaks my heart. I didn't have the opportunity to visit our latest baptism this week because he and his mom were sick with the flu. This week!!! Ismael came to church yesterday in a white shirt and blue pants all by himself. Lucia isn't in her house very much right now. She is living with her grandmother that lives in a different area. I am so grateful for this gospel! I cant believe that I'm here and that I only have a year left. This time next year I will be with you guys. I don't know how I feel about that. 

My companion seems to be doing a lot better this week. I long to do the work like normal. I feel a little spiritually drained. It was a hard week. I feel like president is going to be super sad with the work that I did. Or in other words the work that I didn't get to do. I feel so lost. I read Jesus the Christ this week. I know that He is my Savior and redeemer. I am so so so so grateful for his opportunity I have to serve the people in Paraguay! I cant even believe that I'm here. 

Sorry family I don't have a whole lot to write this week. But know that I love you tons and am so very grateful for everything that you all do for me. I'm ready for a new week to do the will of the lord.  I love you all tons and tons and tons.

 

Love Hermana Ross.

 

The Words of an Apostle are so Powerful!

 

Hello family,

So I'm perfectly fine! Our 11 year friend was baptized Saturday. His mom doesn't want to be baptized yet but today we found out why. She has a lot of hurtful feelings for her ex husband that left her. She doesn't want to be baptized when she is feeling like this. So we are working with her. But she told me that she is going to be baptized before I leave the area. And at his baptism she told me that she doesn't want many people to be at  her baptism. ha ha. 

So when we are able to hear the words from the prophet it was so powerful! He promised us that our families are going to be blessed and reading your email today was like a confirmation of that. It truly is a great blessing. I love you all so so so much.

 

Other than that I'm good. We´re good.  I also know that I will be leaving this area the next cambio. So 18th of December I will have a new area. I love you all so much!! 

 

Love always,

 Hermana Ross

Our newest member!!:)

 

QUE CALOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola familia, ?como estan?

Everything here is super good. Were working like nothing else! Today we are going to the offices to practice singing! Tomorrow Elder Christopherson is coming to speak to us. Its practically going to be a whole day of craziness! And this past week were Cambios! My new companion is from Bolivia. She is from Chucabumba. Its where the temple is in Bolivia. She has been in the mission for three months. So I'm the senior companion. She just ended her training.   She is 19 years old, super sweet! She can speak English! She comes from a pretty well off family in Bolivia! Her father is the stake president there. She only has one sister that is four years old.

Our 11 year old friend is going to be baptized this week. YAY!!! Everything is planned and ready to go. All he needs in the interview! His mom told us that she knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet of god!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first time that we taught her she didn't even want to see the Book of Mormon or "The book that Joseph smith wrote" and want to know how she said that she knows he is a prophet of God? She said that she came to realize this when she read DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS!!!! Normally we don't give investigators this book! She told me that she will be baptized before I leave the area! AHHH!!! WHY NOT NOW? I really have to work on my patience. She is super difficult but super amazing also. She came to church the past Sunday with Joshua! They are super amazing! 

Here they don't celebrate thanksgiving. It doesn't exist here. I cant believe its November. It feels like July with the way the weather is here. I left our apartment with a water bottle that was pure ice. In 5 minutes outside it was water and it was luke warm. Its insane!!!! We are trying so hard to find people!!!! Its difficult! Its definitely out of my comfort zone! But its a lot of paying real close attention to the spirit! I'm learning things that I know I couldn't learn with my previous companions. I love you all so much! I hope you guys will get my letter soon. I can hardly believe that in one week I have six months in the mission and in one year I will be home! But I know that this is where I need to be! Everything here is super amazing in the mission. I feel super close to my heavenly father! I look forward to hearing how things are from all of you.... hint hint!!! I love you all tons!

Love Hermana Tiffany Ross

This is a photo of my new companion. She is the one in the middle. The other is from Chile. She was the second trainer . 

All good things come to an end........But the work still goes on!

Wow my last p day with Hermana Rojas. It's sad really. But she is amazing and the best part about it is that her house is only two hours away from this area. She has it in her plans to come to the baptism on the 16th. So many things are happening in the mission. Its so crazy! Thank you for buying the bug spray. It really will help me! Have you guys received the letter I sent you guys with my pictures of my first day here? And Jared did you receive your letter yet? Let me know.

Well where to start....Last Monday we went to the offices to practice in a choir. Hermana Rojas has a beautiful voice! GORGEOUS!!! So those assistants called us to be in this choir... Well this performance is going to be the 13th of November. She wont be here. So I'm going to be in the choir and my new companion, whoever she is. But the part that is super cool is the part of why we have this choir. Elder D. Todd Christopherson is coming to speak to us. We are going to sing Santos avanzad. Super super cool! I'm super excited. And just so you guys know it is super hard for me to speak in English. I never thought that this day would come! HALLELUJAH!!!! 

So we are seeing miracles in this area. Really life is just crazy right now because Hermana Rojas is going to be ending her mission. The ward threw a farewell party for her. I had no idea that this was going to happen. Those elders in our area are the ones that planned it. It was Friday in the night. Those elders told us that they had a reference for us that was going to meet us in the church Friday at 8. She wanted a tour of the chapel. Well I believed them because I had actually found some one like this before. Well we showed up about 30 minutes early because we didn't want to miss this girl that was supposed to come. Well we showed up 30 minutes early for this surprise party!!! HAHAHA Elder Castro was super mad! But oh well it's that thought that counts and we were super surprised! 

Another miracle of the week. We were doing contacts in the street and this girl started to walk by us. She looked to be Gothic. Well we started talking to her. We told her that we were missionaries and the first thing she told us is that she doesn't believe in God. Well this girl is not Gothic. And she is drop dead gorgeous. She is practically Mormon in her living standards and she doesn't believe in God because of the way that her family, who are catholic, live their lives. She is 20 years old and after we talked a little bit standing there. She asked if she could walk with us and talk. Well we walked and talked for a good 2 hours. It takes someone special to walk with two missionaries for two hours. She is so super special. And she lives like right next to the chapel. She is super amazing. Even if she is atheist. We are definitely going to try to work with her. 

Today is not a p day. We are going to be going to the mission home of the North Paraguay mission. Because where Hermana Rojas lives it is a district. So the mission president is the one that does her interviews. So today that's where we are going. Tomorrow we will know what is going to happen to me.
I only have to pay for the package if it is super big. For example I only had to pay for the package with the quotes the package with my birthday cake I didn't have to pay for. 

Sorry guys my mind is in a whole lot of different places. Today is a little crazy! I love you all tons! I will let you know the next week what's new in my life as a missionary. In one month i only have one year left int eh mission. Crazy! 

 OH I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH!!! 

Love Hermana Ross.

My zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is my zone, and the missionaries in our ward.

You know it's hot when the cockroaches come out!

Sent:	Mon 10/28/13 8:20 AM

I think we´ve killed a good five cockroaches in our apartment. But they aren't that big! Hermana Rojas is the one that is willing to kill the suckers. I don't want to even be near the things. I thought I hated spiders..............NO I HATE COCKROACHES!!!!!  The mosquitos here are terrible!!!!!! And the spray that i use doesn't work. And here they don't have anything other than spray. I need to find some type of lotion or liquid that is for mosquitoes. My legs have a reaction to the mosquito spray. Luckily a missionary here that left this area left her bug spray so I've been using that but the bug spray that I bought is not exactly working really well. So if you could find something that would be great. The shirts are only if you could find them. Its super hot here and iI didn't come prepared with just cotton T-shirts that I can wear without anything else here. Its crazy! But don't worry too much about the package! And just so you all know I really am super happy in the mission! For diarrhea I took the medicine that I brought and Gatorade, sprite, and I stayed away from the fruit.

OK so I think that I'm ready for a new area! Where are my investigators? Super super frustrating! And its a little difficult that Hermana Rojas only has one week left. This last week with her we are going to be working our tales off! And we will be in the offices a lot. Today we are going to the offices to be a part of a choir for some devotional in the future that is supposed to happen. Well we don't know anything more than that! President Agazzani is super good at keeping secrets. Nobody knows what is going to happen until we find out. Its crazy. She is super amazing. Some difficult things have happened to her in the mission and she is crazy strong! 

I'm super blessed that nothing has happened to me in the mission. So miracles of the week. Our dear sweet sister and her son!!!!!! We may not have other investigators but we have her and son. Want to know how you can tell if the person is going to be super strong in the gospel? When Satan is working with them harder than any other investigator in the world. She had a job interview this week where the boss is a pastor of a church. A church that absolutely hates our church. Well she got into some serious discussion with him. He literally tried to convince her that she would go to Hell if she listened to our message. That the Book of Mormon is just a bible that was rewritten. There are many different things that he told her. Well when we taught her the next day she told us these things. And that now when she reads the Book of Mormon these comments come into her mind. She seemed to be a little surprised to see that we weren't worried that this man was telling her these things. And that all we wanted her to do was pray and ask god. That's the only thing she hasn't done yet. JUST PRAY ALREADY!!! HAHAHA She is so prepared! But we were working throughout the week and we got a text message from her. In this text message she told us that her son wants to be baptized and she wanted to know what she needed to do to help us with the baptism!!!! WHAT?!? We went to her house and taught her son and he really wants to be baptized! But She doesn't want to accept a baptismal date yet. He will be baptized the 15th of November. We are hoping and praying that she too will have the desire to be baptized with her son. They are so prepared! Sunday the two of them came to church with us! We walked up to their house and her son was waiting outside for us. He reminds me a lot of Jared. a tough exterior but a soft heart. When he saw us he was smiling so big! We found out after the sacrament meeting that he knows Silvio. And Silvio being the little missionary he is helped him to his classes. EVERY SINGLE TALK IN THE REUNION WAS ON BAPTISM!!!!! HELLO!! I can hardly believe that Silvio has only been coming to church for 3 months. Later on this Sunday we passed by her house to because we needed a bathroom and water. We were so exhausted! So she let us in and she was a little surprised to see that we were so tired. She gave us water and we went on our way but as we were leaving her house she told us. You know I have been thinking a lot and I think that I need to do more thinking with prayers and my Heavenly Father!! MIRACLES!!!! 

Things in the mission are good! I cant believe that I have five months here! I love this gospel with all my heart! I know that this is the true church! Last month in Paraguay 182 people were baptized! The work is hastening on.
Have a happy Halloween everyone and enjoy the snow! haha I don't know how it will be to be dying of heat for Christmas! But i look forward to it! 

Gracias familia por todo!

Hermana Ross.

 

This man is a miracle. His family are members. His wife is the president of the relief society in our ward. He has a son in the mission field. And he never felt the need to be baptized. He was buddist. Well he was super sick. He had three different brain surgeries. After the third surgery he woke up and told his wife that he wanted to be baptized! He was baptized and he bore his testimony it is amazing the difference we see in him. He and his family are so happy. he was baptized by the stake president and his brother in law. He is still super sick but he is so happy! Oh and the two boys that are in front of us are two sons of a member that is inactive. They are not baptized but we are teaching them too. one is deaf and we are learning sign language to teach him and we are using lots of photos. Its super spiritual. They came and watched the baptism of this brother. The one with the jean shorts is deaf.

 

The "Son" is shining bright in Paraguay!

This week is by far the worst week with our numbers. We don't have anyone with baptismal date. Never in my mission have I had this. But...... We did see the miracles. So life in the mission is a little crazy... A LOT CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! I am always tired, I'm sun burnt, I'm walking all day looking for new people to teach, mosquitoes think that my blood is the sweetest thing around, and people are rejecting the gospel left and right so in other words..... I AM SO HAPPY!!! Isn't that really weird. You guys know that I really don't like being rejected. I take it to heart, literally. And I thought being rejected in normal life is hard. Its hard when they are rejecting you in the mission because they are rejecting their savior Jesus Christ. But its not important. We have to see the opposition in all things to see the blessings. And this week we did see blessings.

So the first thing that happened is we found this new family that we thought for sure were golden. We invited them to be baptized and............................... they are members. Inactives that are working to be baptized in another church. Crazy right? We taught them all of lesson 1 and they didn't tell us anything. When we  invited them to be baptized they didn't know what to say. Well after a long silence the sister, told us that the lord doesn't forget his children. It is no coincidence that we found them. The lord works in mysterious ways. We are working a lot with the inactives in the ward right now and the part family members. We have a lot. And our ward is getting smaller and smaller because people aren't assisting. Yesterday we had 39 people in the chapel. Those members aren't helping us a whole lot right now. And we have to ask the members for lunch if we want it. I don't know why... Darn it all. But anyways back to this family. After the awkward silence they showed us the pictures of their baptisms. It really was interesting. And they asked us if we would write the elders that taught them. That they would love to hear from them. So if I have time after I write this I will be writing elders that served here in Paraguay 5 years ago. 

Saturday we had the opportunity to do service. We got to help with the Project Operation Sunrise. The group that work to do surgery for those kids that have cleft pallets.   So we helped them set up and we gave the families water because they were all sitting outside in the heat waiting for the nurses to talk to them. Every single one of the doctors were speaking English. My companion didn't know what to do. And I actually did a lot of translating for different people. We met two ladies that are from Primary Children in Utah. They were talking to us a lot. It was cool. I felt  a little piece of home. And it really is the best feeling to do service. Everyone in this project knew us because in all over the world we are helping with this program. 

My companion only has two weeks left in the mission. Its crazy! She doesn't know if she is sad or happy. Haha. But ready for the miracle of the week....

An old investigator wants to be baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But she doesn't want to accept a date. She is a very spiritual person. Has had many experiences in her life that are super super spiritual. And she told us of a dream that she had. In this dream she was alone and it was dark. And She was super sad. She didn't know what to do and she asked a question out loud. "Why am I here on the earth?" after this she told us that a soft voice responded.... " To be happy" The next day after she had this dream she said that we taught her the plan of salvation and she asked us the same question that she had asked in her dream. I responded to her question... To be happy. She said that she knew in that moment that it wasn't a coincidence that she came in contact with the church again. But she feels like she wants to keep assisting the church meetings and get a better feel before she accepts a date for baptism. She says she doesn't want to be a hypocrite. And right now her problem is her son. He doesn't want to come to church. Please pray for a miracle! Go to the temple  and put her name and her son's. We are praying for a miracle with her. But it really is a miracle. She is the investigator that told us that she didn't want to be baptized and told us she never wanted to see us again. Crazy!

NEVER IN THE MISSION DO THE MIRACLES  CEASE TO OCCUR!!! It is super hard for me to be here and do a lot of this work. Its out of my comfort zone to talk to people in the street or ask people if I can have lunch with them. But it is the work of the lord. I know that this church is true and the the Son of God never ceases to shine in Paraguay. Thank you for your letters. I love you all so much. I love hearing all of your stories.  Mom I would love some more of the ped socks for my shoes. Walking a lot and they don't last very long. And they don't exist in Paraguay.  I love you all, And yes they do celebrate Halloween here. But it sounds like it is a little different. I don't know I guess we´ll see. I have five months in the mission in two days!! CRAZY!

love you all,

Hermana Ross

P.S. This picture is of me and my companion in the hospital with the fun hats that they had to entertain the kids. 

Don't judge a house by the virgin Maria that is staring at you from the window!

Hola familia, como estas? Todo bien? Estoy muy agradecida por la oportunidad yo tengo a hablar con ustedes esta "p day". Como esta su español?

Hello family how is everyone?

I'm really not perfect with my Spanish but its coming. I really am so so so grateful that I have my companion Hermana Rojas to help me more and more. I'm so so so grateful I'm not training right now. This week was good. Its hot and humid here. How is the weather at home? We are walking a whole lot! AWHOLE LOT!!!!!!!!!!! We are looking for the people who are prepared to hear the gospel and be baptized. Monday was p day and we had a reunion with our district and played football and basketball and then went to a super mall that was more like a Wal-Mart and had lunch. It was fun but we were so so so tired after. It was hard to leave and preach after doing all of that. Our district is really great. I liked what you said mom about the goal of three thousand baptisms in Utah. President Agazzani has a goal for this year and our mission. 2,000. In 2010 this mission had about 700 baptisms, 2011= 700, 2012= 700, and from the beginning of 2013 to right now, in the mission of Paraguay about 1,200. We are so close. And look at that increase of number for the year 2013! Crazy right. I know that the Lord is really hastening his work. We are looking for new people to teach and knocking on millions of doors, in the heat, and probably 4 out of 5 people have had the lessons from the missionaries before. Its really rare that we ever talk to someone that hasn't ever heard from the missionaries. CRAZY!!! The mission is not easy!!! AT ALL!!! But it is so worth it. Saturdays and Sundays are the days that we can really find those people. Our area is a little rich. Some houses are bigger than the houses in Utah. Like Park City, rich looking. Yeah crazy! I don't know what we did with Hermana Cortez to find those people that were ready to be baptized but we´re trying to do all we can to find more people to teach. Silvio is really good. Yesterday was the primary program and he spoke his part really well. He is so special. And ready for the miracle of the week.......... you guys remember that we were teaching that sister with an 11 year old son? Well, we have been teaching her again. And she told us that she understands how important it is to have a church. She doesn't want to be baptized yet but she came to church yesterday!!!!!! This is really a miracle. She's reading the Book of Mormon, And She's coming to church. Two months ago she didn't even want to talk to us. She was so angry. We found out that her neighbor is anti-Mormon and had been talking to her about the church. About pologamy and how much money we spend on temples and things like this. Well its really a miracle. Satan is working just as hard to bring people down but don't worry he's not working as hard as the Lord is to bring people up.  Did you know that the catholic church is talking about sending out missionaries into the world now. And we are always running into the missionaries from the Jehovah witnesses. And almost all of the other Christian churches have missionaries. Crazy. Well another interesting story of the week. We knocked on this door, and we knew that they were catholic because it had a miniature catholic church outside of the house with Maria inside. Well this older woman came out and was ready to like pound us down. HAHAHA Well we asked her if we could come inside her house and share a small message with her. She said, " You guys want to share a message with me?" haha we said yes and then she let us pass. We entered this house and I have never been in a house so catholic in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crosses all over the wall, pictures of Jesus as a baby. Maria!!! And then we entered the kitchen. There was the table for eating, and then there was the round table in the corner with a 3 ft. Maria in a pink dress and Jesus in her arms standing and staring at us. There were pictures of those people who had died around her feet. Well we began teaching her about the doctrine of Christ. Faith, Repentance and baptism. you guys want to know how fast the work is hastening? The first lesson we teach here is lesson three and we invite them to be baptized the first time we teach. They either accept, or they don't. And we know their problems and they know why we are out and about teaching. We are specific with the authority and why the our church has the power. Its really crazy. We also talk about how it is a commandment to be baptized. Well we did this with this woman. HAHAHA She didn't accept or say anything. She just told us thank you and we left. It was interesting. I will never forget Maria staring at me from across the table. I wonder what Mary thinks of all these Catholics that have statues of her in clothing that didn't exist in her time with crowns on her head? HAHAH one day I hope to find out.

 

 I do talk to one sister who was babtized while ago. She is struggling, only because her husband doesn't like the church at all!!! He told her that if she goes to the church those Sundays that she will need to got to the catholic church with him. She hasn't come to our church for one month. We are working with her. She works a lot so it is a little difficult. Keep praying for her please. I cant believe that I almost have 5 months in the mission. And I have 5 baptisms. The work is so perfect! 

For Christmas......... pictures of you guys, A cotton shirt that is cute to wear in the heat. I don't know. Send what you want really. Have fun! Love you all so so so much. In two months I will be talking to you guys. Do you guys have skype or will we be talking for phone? Love you all tons!

Our district eating lunch at a supermarket on our P Day.

Hermana Rojas and Hermana Ross

 

Hermana Ross