Week 36

Hello Family!!!

Elder Gleason and I are coming off of the most productive week in my mission! Santa Rita`s on Fire!!!! Elder Gleason is obedient and faithful, and the Lord has been blessing us greatly for it. We FINALLY got working a lot with the members this week. We passed by a few investigators on Friday night with Hermano Ugarte, and WOW. I`ll tell you what. There`s something special about a Paraguayan bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, to another Paraguayan, in Guaraní. It was one of the most spiritual nights that I`ve experienced in a long time.

Elder Gleason and I have been really excited about getting all of the members ready for a big temple trip that the stake announced will take place the end of May. WOOHOOO!!!!!! The temple is great. The members here still haven`t caught the whole vision of the church. They`re so young, so fresh, so new. Things like General Conference and the Temple, they`re huge for our members. I LOVE BEING IN SANTA RITA!!!!

I guess I never explained the whole adventure here in Santa Rita. Haha, no, no, no. We have no leaders here. Elder Gleason pass by the church on Saturday afternoon to clean it and get it all set up for Sunday. Sunday morning we are there bright and early with as many investigators as possible, to open up the doors and wait for the members. The asistencia at the church the last three weeks have been 13, 21, and 27. We`re increasing!!! We`ve got to keep increasing if we`re going to have a shot at becoming a branch. Right now we`re just a group. We`re not even officially recognized by the church. From our half of Santa Rita, we had 9 non-members and 1 member in church this week. ;_). And we have the VAST majority of the members in our half of the Area. We`re really focusing on the commandment of keeping the Sabbath Day holy this week with our member visits.

No, we don`t choose the member who`s going to be the leader here, but we recommend certain people to the Stake President, and give reports on their activity, etc.

Mother, yes we moved. It`s good. Very, very fun to live with other missionaries, but in all honesty it is a little bit distracting. You don`t get quite as much done at night as you do when you`re just in two. It helps to focus. President Arnold, our Area President, came to our mission, and made that very clear that we should be living separately, and so we`re just happy to do it. If you comply with a rule of an Area 70, it`s like a guarantee of 1000 blessings. And we`ve definitely received the blessings these last two weeks.

Yes! We got a fridge, and an oven, AND an air conditioner. ALL IN THE SAME DAY!!!!! So… don`t worry about my birthday present anymore. It got taken care of pretty well. We actually haven`t had time to get someone to install the air conditioner yet, but I think we might do it today.

Dad, I never told you. A few weeks ago, I was in a tight spot. I had used my money unwisely in the beginning of the month, and I was running short with a good two weeks to go. And guess what?! I LEARNED TO COOK!!!!!! ;_). Yes, one day, as I was lying on the floor, ribs poking through my white shirt, with the blank, “I`m starving” stare in my eyes, it all hit me. I had a choice. I could cook for myself, or die.

Gone were the days of buying something premade at the supermarket, or at a restaurant. My wallet was as empty as my stomach. In that day, I became a man. With just seven (7) U.S. Dollars, I bought my weekly groceries. Cereal? Milk? I think not. I buckled down, and threw some onions, peppers, rice, and pasta down on the counter for the lady to ring up. I looked her square in the eyes, and said, “Yes. This is everything for me today.”

That`s the story. What do you think? ;_). I lived. A week without buying milk. Bet you never dreamed about hearing that, huh Pop?

Yes, I know that I could have just gone to the cajero and pulled out some personal cash, but that would have been much less exciting. And I had to have an excuse to learn how to cook anyways. So, If you`d like, I`ll whip up some rice and veggies for you some day, pop. And I guarantee you`ll enjoy it.

Sorry, gotta run. Love you all!

Elder Stewart