Always pack extra socks

 Little puppies

 Elder Humphreys milks a cow. Fails.

 Scarecrow thing

 Motocross race

We got a little bit lost...

Howdy folks! Hope things are just swell back at home and you´re all getting pumped for a great summer! How exciting.

We had a pretty unusual week here too. I started out the week in a different area called Curuguaty. Kinda a different place than I´ve gotten used to. Going to the city always makes me freak out a little bit because I´m starting to get used to little town life. So many stores, people, traffic. It´ll be a shock to come home one day. lol

Curuguaty is a pretty cool little place though. I had fun. Elder Chatelain and Elder Sorensen were just having so much fun in my area that I had to/got to stay in Curuguaty for an extra day. Thankfully me and Elder Thomas got along just smashingly. He´s a good kid. Comes from Las Vegas. Tries really hard to be the best missionary he can, and it was cool to see how even though we aren´t all perfect missionaries that have the best language or teaching skills, that really the majority of what counts is your desires, how hard you´re willing to try, and really just relying on the spirit. Good stuff. As always, I learned a lot on the division and improved a lot personally too. The only thing that stinks about the divisions is that you miss your area, and are worried for your investigators, and you kinda want your own bed and some clean clothes and whatnot (i wasn´t planning on being there so long, and so I only brought one shirt - BAD idea. 4 days later it was pretty dirty. Extra socks would have been nice too. lol). And you get to know all these cool new people, and then you have to leave and you won´t ever see them again. Bummer, but I guess we´ll get to say hi again in the next life.

Elder Thomas is also working on learning guarani. I´ve had a really hard time getting started on learning myself, but now that I speak descent spanish, the time has come to start. He helped me out and even though I´m still a LONG ways away from being able to speak, at least Im getting going here.

Apparently I missed a lunar eclipse when I was out. I was kinda bummed about that. But I did see a super legit shooting star when I was talking with a member in the streets. Super cool. I don´t know why I´m mentioning this, but you know. I´ve never really seen one before, and this one was HUGE. Once in a lifetime experience?

Finished reading the book of Mormon this week. That always makes you feel good. Learned TONNES this time through. Goes to show how much more you absorb reading at a desk in the morning compared to reading in bed at 2 in the morning. I still think my favorite scripture is the one that I asked to be put on my plaque thing (did that ever turn out?). Helaman 5:12. I thought it applied back in the day, but I think I can see it applying even more now. There are trials that will come upon us, whether we be members, investigators, kids or adults. And those trials have the ability to crush us and bring us down if we aren´t prepared and we have a shaky foundation. But if we are built on the rock of Christ, nothing can stop us. Thats really what I´ve seen and felt in my life for sure, and the lives of every member and investigator who comes across trials. Christ will help us even when things are rough, and we are beat upon with all manner of trials and afflictions.

Saturday was pretty exciting. Had all sorts of picture worthy experiences, so thank goodness that Elder Chatelain always has his camera with him. Thus I´ve sent a bunch this week. Unfortunately he´s more concerned about getting pictures with him in them, and less about me, but he usually snaps one or two just to make me happy :). If you haven´t yet noticed, yes, I really do need a haircut. But I´m getting that done today. We´ve been out of town the last two P-days. Disaster. This week we´re cracking down, cleaning the house, and getting all this dumb hair off my head so I can look more like a missionary and less like a hipie. Fortunately I´ve been able to hide it not toooo bad and nobody here seems to have noticed. But yeah. The lost picture is from a while ago. Its still in my area, but we got a little far out. Those puppies are brand new and really cute. But I think the whole litter has died now because the mother dog has something wrong with her. Pretty sad, but its like living on a farm here. The owners are less attached to the dog than I´ve become while visiting it for like 3 minutes. lol. The other day Elder Chatelain told a member that the last time he cried was at the end of ¨Marley and Me¨, and she honestly laughed for 20 minutes that anyone would cry about a dead dog. Dogs just don´t get the same respect here. Thankfully she laughed before I mentioned that the last movie that may or may not have got me teary-eyed was with Sam in ¨I am Legend¨. haha. I tried milking a cow this week. It took me like 10 tries. Its harder than it looks. I finally got a couple drops or two, but then I got kicked out because the lady was worried that the cow was going to kick me for doing it so bad. haha. The next time I´m going to be pro. Its kinda gross, and I don´t think I like milk nearly as much any more, but it was a neat experience. The scarecrow. Yeah. The members don´t have cameras so they wanted a photo shoot with their new creation. And there was a huge motocross thing in town. Pretty crasy. We stopped in for just a couple of seconds. Kinda crasy because I don´t think they´d ever let you get that close back home. lol.

Oh. Big, not confused news this time. I REALLY DID EAT HORSE. It was in paste form spreaded on some bread. Tasted like meat paste with a lot of spices put in it. But I´m sure I´m not confused this time, so I´m pretty happy. And sad, becuase some horse died for that paste. But once again, once in a lifetime kinda thing. I keep thinking of how much fun it´ll be to feed Dad all these things when he gets here. Hopefully you got a strong stomache and don´t get sick in the short space of one week. haha. The hoof from last week was cow I think. Maybe I can get the members to make us that one day... not sure if I want it though.

Saw some members from my first area (Moroni) this weekend. They were out visiting for fathers day. It made me happy because somebody actually remembered the quiet kid that was only there for 6 weeks.

Glad to hear everything is swell at home. That grandma, grandma, and grandpa all enjoyed their trips. Came home safe. Liked the new car. I liked the quote that you sent on preaching and sharing the gospel always, and only sometimes using words. I think they used that in conference this time around too if I´m not mistaken.... sounds familiar. But yeah. Just emphasizes the importance of always being an example of the believers in everything we do. I also read a talk in the ensign from YW conf (yeah, i read ALL the talks. lol) where it talks about that too. You never know what kind of an influence you´ll make for people. But I´m glad to hear you´re all working on actively sharing it too. Keep up the good work!

Whats this on a mail strike? We don´t get news when you´re out so far.... If its true that mails not moving though, I guess I´m happy. Explains why I haven´t got many cards lately...lol. And you can all know that even though you haven´t got letters from me, they´re coming. Don´t worry. lol. As for our money.... I don´t really know how much we get a week. We get one lump at the beginning of the month. Then we have to pay for all sorts of monthly things. Then we travel, wait for money to come back to us. We mix our personal money into the mission money while we wait for the money to come back. Its all really messy. But I´m learning how to budget better. I could take out more personal stuff, but I´m trying not to unless its an emergancy so that I don´t spend more than I need to. Its good. We have enough to live no problem. Its more just that sometimes we want all the tasty stuff. Its good to live off of water, bread and simple stuff for a while....

But yeah. That was kinda my week. Really short. Oh. Me and Elder Chatelain did a musical number in church this Sunday. Lets just say that we didn´t get a single compliment after church.... we´ll see if we ever try that again. haha. Chruch was a little empty because people travel for fathers day and whatnot, but we should have more to come.

But whoah. Almost forgot. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! And Michael and Tara too! (if you guys read my letters). HOPE THEY ARE JUST FANTASTIC! I have presents (for dad... sorry Michael and Tara). I´ll try and send them next week. Fun stuff. Hope Fathers day was a blast and that the B-Days even better! Maybe we´ll eat a cake for you or something....

Anyways, gotta run. Love you lots. Thanks for the letters advice and support. Tell me if there is anything that I should put in my letters that I forget. Our investigators are doing well, but moving slowly. We´re practicing patience. Prayers are always much appreciated. But we´re doing what we can. Its great to serve a mission! Hope you all have a great week! Love you all tonnes!!

Elder Humphreys