A Week of Miracles

In the jungle, the mighty jungle..

These leaves are so huge!!! I am going to try to bring one home with me.  haha

Making tortillas. They told me I am ready to be a wife now that I can make tortillas.  haha

Hermana Mercado and her daughter... Anyone want some fish?  They caught
all these and they caught them with that stick she is holding...
Paraguayans have talent!

My daughter likes to take lots of selfies....

It’s so fun training! It really is like being a mom. Training a Latina is a little different then I know it was to train me because I really knew nothing. At least my hija (daughter) knows the gospel really well. It’s just things about the mission that have become second nature to me that I have to stop and remember to explain. But she is a quick learner and I’m surprised at how much more patient I have become this time around.

We saw a lot of miracles this week. We spent much of our week visiting the sick and afflicted…. one of them came in the form of a reference from the elders. We found the house really easy, which normally doesn’t happen. We went inside and found the woman we were looking for. All the elders told us was that she was sick, so asked the woman who answered the door if we could talk to Concepcion. She took us to a room where there was a woman lying on the bed… she was literally skin and bones. We began to share with her and it was such a humbling experience. I really felt like we were doing what the Savior would have done if he had been there. We sang to her and testified of the love the Lord had for her and that he was aware of her even if she felt all alone. She was so happy to have our visit and wanted to know when we would come back. When we went back the next time she was really dirty in her little bed. The girl who takes care of her hadn’t come to give her a bath. It hurt my heart to see her like this. Being a CNA I know how to do all that stuff, but I knew that wasn’t my job right now. We talked to her and prayed and helped her calm down and we stayed with her until the girl showed up. I know there is little hope that she is going to get better and be able to be baptized in this life…. but I know that what we did was prepare her to receive the gospel. Walking away I just felt such a peace in my heart.

The elders also called us one night and told us that a woman from their branch had dengue and was in a clinic in our area. They asked if we could go with some priesthood and give her a blessing because no one from their branch was willing to go. We got a brother in our ward to come with us and we went to visit her. She was really sick too, we shared with her our love for her and some scriptures. Leaving her I thought about how it doesn’t matter what branch we are in, we are all part of the church. She was so grateful for our visit and the blessing.

It’s scary. There is so much dengue all over Caaguazú. I’m just trying to protect my daughter. I lather her in bug spray every time we leave the house. There are currently 4 elders in Caaguazú that have dengue. Good thing I got it first and out of the way.

So another miracle. We got a reference from the office this week and it came just when all our plans were falling through. We decided to go that minute and look for the house. We found a nice woman that let us in. She started talking to us and said that she had spoken to the elders two times before in the past. She said she loved what they said but she always told them she didn’t have much time. Then she got all choked up and told us that 6 months ago her oldest son died and that she has been really upset with God. But that she is now beginning to understand. She told us that she isn’t going to put the excuse that she doesn’t have time this time around. She told us to come back today and she said that she is going to try and get all her sons to sit down and listen to us together. So pray that everything with her goes well. Her name is Isabel.

As for the family Mercado, they are still progressing like crazy. The mom, Marta, has been helping us find new people to teach. We started teaching her daughter in law. So we are going to start having some miracles soon I can feel it. Lorenzo, we found out this week, has a smoking problem so we are going to have to push his baptism back. But we are going to try and convince his dad to go ahead and be baptized. We will see how that goes. But pray for Lorenzo that he can quit.

Also, I don’t know if I have told you about the familia Akuña. It’s the family we spent Christmas with, and where I skyped. We have been trying to reactivate this family like crazy. So this week was EFY and all the youth were going. Last Sunday I knew it was too late to ask if the Akuña kids could go but I just did it and I asked if Eugenio Mercado could go too. The leader was like “How did we forget about them? I will see what I can do.” He worked some magic and they were all three able to go!!! So after 2 months of calling this family every Sunday and visiting them the two kids and the dad came to church Sunday!!! I was crying like the whole meeting because not only did they come but President Vera asked all the youth that went to bear their testimony and Marco, the son, was the first to go up! His testimony was so powerful. Then President Vera saw the dad crying in the audience and he called the dad up to bear his testimony on his kids….. it was so powerful!!!!!!! 

So ya, miracles exist! People come back to church after years. I hope you all have a great week! 

xoxooxox

Hermana Ball