New Letter!

Our last Sunday together.
I love this picture because we can finally use some of our winter clothes

This week was labor day here in Paraguay and they do labor day big!
Everyone is home with blasting music and they all eat meat!!!

I just love this picture!

Ugh, the pictures never turn out so good, but it doesn't matter.
The baptism was very pretty.

So first off I can’t remember if I have been fully telling you how amazing our Family Home Evenings have been! I always forget because it feels like I would have told you but we always have it the same day we write in the night. haha Anyway we have been having it at the house of Maria for the past few weeks and we have so many people that come. We always watch movies and read scriptures but this week we decided to change it up and have it at the house of a recent convert. She lives way close. They all live in the same street practically. Anyway, before, her family never wanted anything to do with us, but little by little they are warming up. This last Monday her daughter, Jessica, who is grown up and has kids, participated with her kids!! We had her, Eli, Maria, her son, Cristobal, Rocio, her son, the Relief Society President, Hermana Mercedes and us! and man, you guys, it was so spiritual!! We wanted to share a story, so after we read the story from the Ensign we asked if anyone had a comment. Maria was like “Ok chicas, I have something to say.” She then began to blow away any doubt Rocio may have had on being baptized. She said, “I think you have some doubts, Rocio, but don’t. This is going to change your life.” Then everyone started talking about how people had told them not to let us in or that they never thought they would one day be a Mormon but the peace they have found in the church is indescribable!!! It was so amazing. I love Maria so much. She has such a desire to serve and help others. The whole thing just went soo great. There are so many miracles here in Villa Elisa! Tuesday we were with Maria talking and we told her we were going to visit Rocio. She decided to come with us. We were doing a little mini-interview to prepare her for the real thing and it was so great having Maria there. She was so funny, but sincere. She told Rocio, who was a little unsure if she could give up coffee (she only drinks like a sip every once and a while that’s why we didn’t know she needed help with this) “It’s not a maybe, it’s yes or no. You’re going to do this. I promise it will change your life, Heavenly Father is going to bless you so much.” Maria is just such a powerful teacher. She is going to be such a leader in the church! She also was telling Rocio she needs to read the Book of Mormon. She never has really put much interest in the Book of Mormon but lately she has been reading where Nephi quotes Isaiah and she is beginning to understand and her testimony of the Book of Mormon is growing. It was so cool hearing her teach the very things that I thought she still had doubts about.

Then, guess what, we had exchanges with the Sister Leaders. Exchanges in Coronel are different than here because we were so far from everything. The sisters would come and we would separate but all would be working in our area. Here, one of the sets leaves for the sister leader’s area and it was my TURN!! I got to leave Villa Elisa for a day. It’s not that I don’t like it here, but it was so fun to go somewhere else. It’s like a little sleep-over party. haha and I love Hermana Cheney. I learned so much from her! She helped me realize problems that I have that I didn’t even know I have! It was truly a great day! hahah During one of the lessons a little kid put a cat on my back and the cat pooped all over me, diarrhea poop. Oh man, it was gross but Hermana Cheney, with her Christ-like love, cleaned me up and we had a good laugh. haha Interesting things always happen when I am with the sister leaders. 

So once upon a time Jenny Ball, the person, was clumsy and then she became a missionary in Paraguay and Hermana Ball, the missionary, is more clumsy than Jenny, the person! The roads here are just rocks so literally all day I am tripping and almost falling on my face. The other day I was just walking along talking and bam, I ran into a cactus that was hanging over the path. If you thought there aren’t cacti here, think again. hahaha Also, the other day I was walking and I tripped and all the dogs in the world erupted in loud barking. It was so scary, hahah. If you pictured Hermana Ball, the missionary, as a graceful being, think again... it’s a daily struggle. hahah 

All week we were working with Cristobal and Rocio so there would be no problems. They both passed their interviews beautifully and were just so stoked for their baptisms! Friday we filled the font, ugh that’s always a struggle, but we did it! Saturday we got everything ready. I don’t know how to tell you the joy that I felt seeing them in the water! Maria said the opening prayer and a miracle happened. For the first time she said “in the name of Jesus Christ, amen” (I would like to say something about this. I know that the name of Christ doesn’t matter. What matters is accepting what he did for us. Maria truly does, she has such a testimony. The reason I had a problem with what Maria was saying about the name of Christ was she asked me what is his name in English. I said Jesus Christ and she said and do you think he hears you? Of course, that’s the thing. It doesn’t matter what name we use or what language we use. haha I use Spanglish with Gurani in my prayers and I know that he hears me and understands perfectly. But Maria didn’t understand this. Then yesterday she told us, “I’m beginning to see that when I use Jesjua people don’t understand. So she used Jesuscristo in church and then when she prayed with us she used Jesjua. For me it was just proof of her growing testimony and that she is opening up and she is beginning to understand that no matter what name we use, God hears us) Anyway, the baptism just went perfectly.

Saturday night it began to rain and it rained and rained. I don’t know if you guys know this but when it rains here people do not leave their house for work, for school, or for CHURCH! and Rocio and Cristobal needed to be confirmed! Oh man, it was a mess! And guess what, it wasn’t even that they didn’t want to go, they were all ready to go, they just needed someone to come pick them up. You guys know the river that I sent that passes literally in front of Maria’s house when it rains, so it was loco, but we got them there and they were both confirmed and Maria and Rocio both bore their testimony. It was so beautiful. Maria said “I am still new here but I want to say that I know our Father is with us and that I feel proud to call you all my brothers and sisters.” She just kept saying how happy she was, the same with Rocio. She was just saying her gratitude for all that everyone has done and her gratitude with Heavenly Father. There were only 45 people at church and a big group of that 45 where converts, and Rocio and Cristobal and their family. We were just so proud of them. It was literally such a great week.

I love you. xoxooxoxoxxo

I hope you all have a great week!

I can’t believe it’s May!!!!!

Hermana Ball