Horqueta, Paraguay: 3 October 2016

Fotos:

1- Preparing food for the members from Tacuati who came to General Conference.

2- Rocio after her baptism.  She is soooooo sweet.

3- A tree called lapacho or tajy in full blossom.  They are so pretty.  Other colors, in other seasons, include lilac and white.

4-  The members at our branch for General Conference.  We had 68 in attendance for the Sunday morning session. 

 

 

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We are doing well here in Horqueta.  Another week passes, and we realize that we only have 6 weeks more to accomplish the things we have set out to do.  We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve, to know and love these good people, and to work with such faithful missionaries here in the Mision Paraguay Asuncion Norte.

We thoroughly enjoyed General Conference.  We were able to view all 6 sessions using the internet at the church, and last week we received a new TV and TV stand that made it possible for all to see and hear the conference.  Many have commented what a blessing it has been to bring General Conference to Horqueta - as in years past they had to charter a bus to travel to Concepcion and only were able to view 1 session.  We are grateful for the blessings of the internet and good partners that helped set everything up. 

It was wonderful to see and hear President Monson, as well as all of the other General Authorities who spoke at Conference.  So many of the messages seem to be spoken directly to me….I guess I had better start listening and acting. Cheryl listened to some of the sessions on the internet via my cell phone so she could listen in English.  It worked very well and with an earphone she did not need to worry about anyone else around her.

Saturday between session we had a baptism - an 8 year old convert named Rocio.  She is such a sweet little girl, and her cousin was able to baptize her.  It was great.  She was confirmed on Sunday by our new branch president.  We hope that she, and her aunt’s family, will stay active in the church. 

Also on Sunday, the group from Tacuati came down.  One of the families, Carlos and Rosalba Perez, have a 2 month old boy and they asked if they could have him blessed.  We offered a list of qualified brothers from Tacuati but she asked me to perform the ordinance.  It was so sweet - he slept through the entire thing.  His name is Pablo Isaias Perez Ysasi.  We didn’t get photos but I hope to take some next week when we are in Tacuati. 

The other day we went to the hospital to give a blessing to the Mom of Hermana de los Santa Vega.  Her mom is a member but I had never met her.  She had “stones” and the surgeon removed them.  During the surgery they nicked her stomach and so had to perform another surgery to repair that damage.  She is doing better now.  Hna de los Santa showed us a glass jar with the stones in water.  They looked like rocks you would pick up on the street, and there were about 6-9 of them 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in size.  Yuk!   The blessing was sweet and she is doing much better.

We have a popular hymn here that is not in the English hymnbook.  It is called “Oid el toque del Clarin” which interpreted is “Hear the call of the Trumpet or bugle”.  One of our American missionaries, when asked what it means said that a clarin is a clarinet.  I laughed all the way through the hymn thinking, Hear the call of the clarinet.  I envisioned someone like captain Moroni with his standard of liberty and his clarinet.  (At least I thought it was funny).

Earlier in the week we visited Elsa Sanchez and her family.  They wanted us to see their garden that they had planted using the seeds we distributed.   We expected a small garden.  Behind their house they have a large spot with at least 75 tomato plants, all of them about 4-5 feet tall.  They are going to have quite a harvest.  Hermana Elsa and her two daughters are the only members in the family.  The father and the sons have not accepted the Gospel thus far, but we have grown to love and appreciate them.  The father only speaks guarani so Noemi the daughter translates for us. 

We have found that here in Paraguay there are many types of needle work that are very popular.  We are trying to bring home some samples of Nanduti, Aopoi, and Encajeju.  All are very colorful and beautiful. 

Thanks to everyone for your love and support.

Love,
Jerry and Cheryl

ps:  The grandkids told us last night that we have 48 days to go.   Hard to imagine.