Monday August 8, 2016

 

Fotos:

1- Toothbrush holder at a member’s house (tree with cord wrapped around it)

2- The Cranneys with Daisy Duarte at the Asuncion Temple. Daisy will be serving in the Brasil Belo Horizonte Mission for 18 months, speaking Portugues.

3- Our landlord and his girlfriend painting the awning of their gym. Note the ladder she is using and who is doing the painting.

4- An updated photo of our garden. We are nearly ready to eat green beans.

Hello to all.

We have had a marvelous week here in Paraguay. On Wednesday morning early we left for Asuncion to attend the temple with Daisy Duarte. She had traveled via bus on Tuesday so that she could complete her passport application and have her temple recommend interview with President Evans. We drove with Pte Duarte, Hna Duarte, and their 12 year old daughter Aurora. We had a good and uneventful trip and arrived at the mission office early afternoon. We dropped off all the stuff from the missionaries, and went to pick up our package from Angela. Surprise. The Zone Leaders had been there earlier in the week and had picked up our package since they did not know we would be in Asuncion. So we were in Asuncion and our package was in Santani, a out 3.5 hours away from Horqueta. We then drove to the temple hostal and the couple in charge was taking a siesta so we had to wait about 2 hours for our room. Cheryl and I went downstairs to the Distribution Center and purchased things we needed for the branch in Horqueta, the Group in Tacuati, and for us. We then went up and got our room. The rooms are so very nice there - a hotel in Asuncion with accommodations like these would charge $150 - $225 per night. We paid 10.000GS or $2.00 USD per person, or $4.00 for the night. We ate food that the Hna Duarte had brought with her and then prepared to go to the temple. We arrived about 45 min early for the session and ran into Hilda, the housekeeper for Pte Evans and his family. What a neat surprise. The session was only about 1/2 full, but it was wonderful. The film was in Spanish on one screen, Portugues subtitles on a smaller screen, and Cheryl used English headsets. Daisy looked so wonderful and so happy to be there. We so much appreciated the invitation to participate with her.

We left for home early Thursday morning and stopped at Rio Verde to buy Peanut Butter from the German store. We bought 5 jars because it is so good, and so inexpensive. We arrived home about 2:30, cleared out the truck, cleaned out our clothes, and then drove to Concepcion for Presidency meeting. I informed President Escobar that we had about 100 days left in the mission and he might want to start looking for another counselor. He looked stunned!

Sunday was a wonderful Sabbath day of fasting. We had not as many members attend due to rain and cold, but those that came were there because they wanted to be. Most of the active members in the Horqueta branch are youth and single adults. They bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, the power of prayer, their desire to serve missions, and their love of God and their Savior. It was a powerful meeting. We have truly grown to love these wonderful people.

We are doing well. Relatively healthy, comfortable except when it is freezing cold here (lower than 60 degrees), and we are enjoying the food - especially the fruit.

We miss and love you all.

Jerry and Cheryl

Horqueta - 1 de Agosto 2016

 

Fotos:

1- part of our garden. It is growing really well, we hope it produces fruit soon.

2- The Anniversary cake from the Duartes. A month late but truly appreciated.

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Greetings to all. The time has come to turn the calendar one more time. We cannot believe how the time is now flying by.

Today was a great Preparation Day. All of the missionaries from Concepcion joined us here in Horqueta and we all went out to the Branch President’s ranch for games and lunch. They played volleyball and futbol, and we had a lunch of chicken(cooked in Hna Duartes tatacua - brick oven), rice salad, fried mandioca, soda, and two kinds of cake. Cheryl made her famous carrot cake and hna Duarte made a very large three layer sheet cake. We took some of our hot chiles that are growing in our garden. Some of the Elders were brave enough to try them, and then spent the next several minutes with cold water running from the faucet into their mouths. They are hot chiles!

We received word today that we can accompany the Daisy Duarte and her family to the temple this week. It will be a great experience and we are honored and humbled that they would invite us. We will be on the road two days - Wednesday and Thursday.

Yesterday we went to Tacuati for church, for training, and to visit the members. It was a good day at the group - we taught about the importance of callings and of fulfilling them. We showed them the video “Only a Stonecutter” and it was powerful. We had a good lunch with Mauricio and his wife Fatima, and then we had training on Home and Visiting Teaching. We visited a bit and then returned home to attend a Family Home Evening / Birthday Party at the Martinez home. It was a good day. We also had great attendance at our meetings - 30 in Tacuati and 52 in Horqueta. Probably one of the highest attendance numbers we have seen in some time.

On the 26th (Tuesday) the Duartes invited us to come to lunch. We gladly accepted - and when we arrived everyone said “Congratulations”. The thanked them but asked why. They said that it was our wedding anniversary. The 26th was correct but in June, not July. 😂 We all had a good laugh.

Our garden is doing well. We have plants, but no fruit from, green beans, peas, hot peppers, tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries, spinach, and we have eaten all of our leaf lettuce. We are excited.

We are doing well. We fasted for the branch in Horqueta and the group in Tacuati and we believe that our prayers have been heard. We love the good people here, and pray for their success.

It is getting hot again, nearly 90 degrees today. Much too hot for me.

We love you all and appreciate all that you do.

Jerry and Cheryl

More fotos: 25 Julio 2016

 

 

1- At lunch with the Hermanas in Concepcion. Hermana Cordova de Peru and Hermana Rolim from Brasil.

2- Egg delivery at the supermarket where we shop - they don't refrigerate their eggs.

3- Other view of the egg delivery. They had already delivered about half of them to the store.

4- A foto of the parking lot at Shopping China in Pedro Juan. If you zoom in or look closely you can see the scooters and motorcycles all lined up.

5- A temple wall hanging of leather made by our branch president, Pte Duarte. We love how it turned out as a gift for a family here.

Love you all.

Jerry and Cheryl

25 Julio 2016

 

Fotos:

1- Pablo Isaias Perez - 1 day old. Son of some good members from Tacuati- Hna Cranney got to hold him!

2- Feeding the missionaries - always an fun experience.

3- Daisy and Hna Cranney with Daisy’s mission call.

4- Daisy reading her call.

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Hello and belated happy Pioneer Day.

This week we had the opportunity to be at the Duarte home when Daisy opened her mission call. She has been preparing for some time and we were able to help her with her online application, vaccinations, etc. Daisy is 24 years old, has already completed her college studies, and is well founded in the gospel. She had invited two of her close non-members friends to be there along with her family. We all guessed where she might be going - the guesses included Mexico, Germany, Chile, Brasil, and Texas. She opened her call and read it for all to hear. She is going to serve in the Brasil Belo Horizonte mission and enters the Sao Paulo MTC on November 9. She is so excited and ready to go. She already understands Portugues and speaks it some. She also speaks a little English and is fully fluent (clearly) in Spanish and Guarani. She will be a great blessing to the people and missionaries in her mission.

We are trying to figure out what to do to help the members here in Horqueta and in other branches in the area to be more faithful in their attendance to Sacrament meetings. It is almost as if they all take turns attending one Sunday or another. Our attendance hovers around 35-40 here in Horqueta and 20-25 in Tacuati. Rarely do we have all of the same people in attendance two weeks in a row. We are trying to teach the doctrine of why it is so important but we are constrained to teach very basic principles so that all can understand it clearly. Slow but steady.

We had interviews with our mission president this week. He wanted to meet all of the missionaries personally and to see how everyone is doing. He once again asked (in jest) if we could extend for another 12-18 months, but we told him we would be ready to return home in November. After the interviews we took the President and his family along with the Assistants to the President to Lometeria San Lucas for hamburgers of lomitos. They enjoyed the meal but Travis, the Evan’s son, could not figure out why anyone would put a fried egg and corn on a hamburger. Everyone better be prepared for our first hamburger event when we return!

We received a wonderful package from Lori and Don this week - full of freeze dried peas and beans. We really miss good green vegetables. Everyone here sells and eats mandioca - a root vegetable without much flavor or nutritional value. She also sent some yummy treats!

Friday we went to Pedro Juan for car maintenance. They changed the oil and filters, and finally (under warranty) fixed our gas gauge. It had not worked from the very start. We spent much of the day at the dealer where we studied, we went shopping and also went to lunch with the Sister missionaries - Hermana Martinez and Hermana Ocampo. Hermana Martinez served here in Horqueta and it was such a treat to see her again. Hermana Ocampo is fairly new and from Paraguay. Her parents are serving as mission presidents in Bolivia so she departed from Bolivia on her mission. We had to get permission for the Sisters to join us because the missionaries have been banned from Shopping China - due to bad behavior in the food court by some of the Elders. But we had a great time eating yummy pasta dishes. On the way home from Pedro Juan, we were stopped at 4 police checkpoints. No problems at all, but a rare treat for us. It appears that there was a kidnapping a few days ago so the police activity is very high.

Yesterday we left the house early to attend meetings at the Rama 1 in Concepcion. President Escobar, the District President was in a different branch with President Evans. So I spoke in Sacrament meeting. We came home for a quick lunch and a Priesthood Prep class, returned to Concepcion for a Branch Presidency training meeting and later a District Council meeting. We got home in time to visit with Justin and his family for a bit via Skype and we crashed for the night.

We are grateful to be here in the Lord’s service. We love and appreciate you all.

Jerry and Cheryl

I forgot one funny story. We planted a hot chile pepper plant in our garden and we how have 30-40 chiles on the plant. Even the Mexican missionary says they are too hot to eat very often. We all tried the chiles when the Elders came to dinner - I agree with Elder Amaro that they are too hot!

Cranney Update 18 July 2016

 

Fotos:

1 - Handwarming over a charcoal fire at our Home Evening on Sunday.

2- With our visitors Dallin and Camille in front of the Virgin on Concepcion.

3- I bought a cover for my machete - many say it is cheesy - but I like it.

4- At a going away party for Elder Kincheloe - the Hermana Cranney borrowed a poncho. It is winter here still.

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Hello to everyone.

We have had a very good week here in the Paraguay Asuncion North Mission. We are truly blessed to be here and to be serving in such a wonderful cause. Last evening at a Family Home Evening (with 24 people in attendance) we were so humbled when Sebastiana said, “how did we get to be so lucky to be born in Paraguay instead of someplace like Syria. At least here we are peaceful, we have the gospel, and have what we need to be happy”. This really put things in perspective for us.

Last Tuesday we had changes / transfers in the mission. One of the big jokes is wondering if the Cranneys will be transferred, or if one of us will get a new companion. We were blessed that there were no changes here in Horqueta and we are grateful because right now we have great, hard-working missionaries that love the people. Everyone who comes here says it is very different from other parts of the mission, and it takes a while to grow into working in Horqueta. But we love it here and are so grateful to serve. We did have three missionaries from nearby Concepcion return home after three years of service. We have grown to know and love many of these good young Elders and Sisters.

On Wednesday we taught the lesson in Branch Activity night. We always teach the day after transfers in case our Elders or Sisters are traveling on that day. We showed a video about Capitan Moroni from the Book of Mormon and how is was a true hero. We encouraged all of our young people to choose their heroes wisely - as many of today’s heroes really are not that after all. They seemed to enjoy it and hopefully we all learned from it.

Earlier in the week we learned that the son / brother of one of the long-time member families in Concepcion died on Tuesday. He was a police investigator and was out in the brush with a team looking for marijuana farms. They found one and were returning to their station when the farmers and their guards opened fire. Ismael Franco, the policeman, and one of the marijuana guards were killed in the gunfire. He was inactive for many years but this was a huge impact on his family, many of whom are very active. We attended the funeral which was packed with probably 200 people. Five minutes prior to the start of the funeral, the District President asked if I would represent the District and speak for a few minutes. So I put together a few thoughts about God’s plan for each of us, and how we can find peace through the comfort of the Holy Ghost. The first speaker used most of the scriptures I was going to use, so my comments were brief. After the funeral there was a huge funeral procession from the chapel to the cemetery with two buses, many cars, hundreds of scooters, and 7 or 8 police vehicles. It was quite a sight.

On Saturday afternoon we received a phone call from an American who said she was the wife of a member who lives and works here in Paraguay with a company that helps businesses to grow and to become profitable. The couple was recently married and she just joined her husband a few months ago here in Paraguay. They asked if we would like to join them in Concepcion for dinner. We had an open calendar so we agreed. We really enjoyed a hamburger and fries with them as we shared our mission experiences (they are both returned missionaries) and they shared more about their business and experiences here in Paraguay. It was a good evening.

Sunday was quite a day for us.

We left the house early to arrive in Concepcion for the Branch Conference of the Rama 3. I provided the combined Sunday School lesson / discussion on their branch mission plan and then I spoke in Sacrament Meeting on the importance of the scriptures and daily scripture study. There were about 100 people in attendance for Sacrament meeting; they are one of our larger branches. We then zoomed home, picked up our branch President Duarte and the missionaries and drove 40 km to Tacuati. It seems that every time we go the road to Tacuati gets worse. We had a special meeting on the importance of callings and service in the church, conducted interviews to call people to positions, sustained them in a group meeting, and then set them apart. It has been some time since many of the members there had any responsibility so we are hopeful that this will help them and the group to grow. It was a good visit and we are looking forward to our next visit in a few weeks to train them on Home and Visiting teaching.

We returned from Tacuati in time to meet the Elders at the church and to take chairs to the Vega home for Home Evening. It was really cold so she brought out her carbon / charcoal cooker and everyone tried to gather around it to stay warm. We had a great discussion as a group on 1 Nefi 11, with nearly everyone participating. We really felt good about the evening

We miss and love you all. Thank you for your ongoing support. We really appreciate it.

Love,

Jerry and Cheryl