11 de Junio 2012

Dear Family, (Mom, Dad, Nick, Spencer and Caden) :)
I cannot believe how fast time flies. As a missionary, we often do not realize how much has happened in just one day and it feels like something happened five days ago when it really happened that very morning because our days are so jammed packed! I seriously come home every day amazed by everything that Heavenly Father helped us do and 100% exhausted but happy! So the days seem long and good, but the weeks fly by so fast and we are already winding down for transfers again...yikes! I have been in Nemby for seven months now and am hoping I get to continue serving here. (President Monson wants the missionaries in their areas for longer amounts of time so they can know the members better and work more with them.) :)

We are going to Asuncion again today. We went last week to see dr. Spencer about Hermana Arnell's feet. She probably wouldn't want me to tell all of you because she is really "tough" and doesn't like to cry (yes, she crys more now because she is my companion...jaja) I know that makes sense to you! But, it takes us about an hour to walk to different areas that only took us fiftenn munites in the past. The pain is so bad in her feet that she literally coannot take another step or she will fall over. She has had seven surgeries in her life and the doctor thinks that her nerves in her feet are surrounded by scar tissue from the surgeries. so to walk SO much and not really be able to rest causes the nerves to act up because with the scar tissue they can't "move" correctly with the muscles in her feet...and so all of that is causing incredible pain. hermana Arnell doesn't complain about pain or feeling sick either...she just wants to work hard. President Callen asked for an interview before he left so I hope that by some miracle her feet are healed.

One quick thought/story....Noelia, 13 anos and Marcos, 10 anos, came to church yesterday and they love it! Their younger brother, Elias, (8 anos), who we were teaching also...we have not been able to help him read in the Book of Mormon...and he doesn't want to come to church sometimes, so we are focusing on helping Neolia and marcos get baptized and then hopefully with their example, Elias will follow. :) Anyways, we had a lesson with the family and Noelia told us she didn't want to go to church but she was too embarrassed to tell us why. She finally whispered in my ear, "I can't read and I don't like it when they as me to read!" She can read, but it is really hard for her, so we told her we would as her teacher to not call on her in class to read and she agreed to come to church.

Well, they came and in the end as we were leaving the chapel she said, "I read a lot in class today!"...I started praying a lot and then I was able to read!!" her teacher is Hermana Ojeda's older sister, Hermana Rolon, and they had a combined class with the young men and Hermana Rolon said that everyone gave her a lot of suport and love. AFterwards, Noelia was so excited about "La forteleza para la Juvenud" (Strength for Youth) booklet that they gave her that she told us, she would be reading all of it this week! Noelia tals a lot and marcos is really serious and silent so we didn't get a whole lot our of him, but he told us he had to get home to read his Book of Mormon!

Nick and Spencer (and Caden :))...you are going to make AMAZING missionaries...and are going to love the mission. I have heard of brothers and sisters serving in the same missions and even the same area as their older brothers and sisters, so who knows! I think that would be so neat!!
Ho to prepare for a mission? Just keep doing what you are doing-read and love the scriptures and do all that you can to show your family and friends that you love them. :)
Les quiero cada uno de uds.
Love, Su Hermana Jones