WEEK 2

Hola! ¿Como estan?

So the week has been really good. I´m glad you actually got my letter last week. I sent it and right about then the Internet cut out on me. Had to get it all transferred to a flash drive and onto a computer that was working. It was messy but it apparently worked. Thank goodness. Elder Lee was kinda shocked by how much I wrote, but I plan on outdoing that today since I have a like 10 more minutes than last time.

Yup. I´m in Asuncion. Its pretty chill here. I can never really remember what I said last time and I can´t be bothered to look it back up, but yah. According to Elder Lee, this area isn´t at all like any other area in the mission. A lot of the people actually have a fair bit of money (not if they were to change it into Dollars maybe, but with things being cheaper and compared to others here they have a lot.). It seems to actually be somewhat of a problem. It makes it harder for us to get into peoples houses for sure for a couple of reasons: The people aren´t as humble it seems, the people usually just have maids there during the day that we can´t really talk to cuz they´re supposed to be working, and because they all have huge fences and gates that are easier to hide behind than a piece of plywood that makes us the houses in the poor area. The other problem of sorts is that some of the richer and poorer people dont really talk that much. After church everyone just files out and its over. So we´re trying to think of ways to break down social barriers and get the people more united. Then hopefully they´ll be more helpful in the missionary work.

We get fed by members almost every day. They invite us over to their houses and give us a meal. Some of them are deffinately better than others, but so far I havent had anything too bad. The same people feed us the same days every week and so they all have enough money to provide a meal. So I haven´t had to worry about really overeating or anything either. I just clear off my plate and its good. One lady (actually american and doing a mission herself) even fed me a salad full of onions. I ate them all. Bit them in half and swallowed them in big long strips without chewing. lol

The heat is ridiculous. It hasnt even gotten all that bad apparently, but I´m constantly wiping off my face/forehead. Its sick. I´ll let you know its doing wonders for my complexion too. haha. But yeah. I´m just dealing with it. It looks like by the second summer it wont be a big deal really. And it looks like it actually will get a little chilly here. We sleep with the window open and my feet will get cold enough to wake me up if they aren´t well covered. So come winter I´ll probably want a thicker blanket. Elder Lee says occasionally you even wear gloves, but we´ll see if I ever go that far.

Haven't really gotten sunburned though... I wore sunscreen a day or two, but I basically don´t bother. I´d just sweat it off anyways. lol. I´m starting to get a tan for sure, but its not all that great yet. It seems like its hot here, but the sun isn´t as brutally powerful as in other places I´ve been. I really wish I was coming home in like February or something tho. It´d be so sick to have the most ridiculous tan ever, as well as step off the plane into -30 degree weather. But oh well. I´m sure I´ll have a descent tan anyways.

The housing is descent. Its just me and Elder Lee in our little house thing. We live on the floor above this Catholic family that we aren´t allowed to share the gospel with really. But they´re really nice. We have a small kitchen that we only really use to wash out our cereal bowls. Is kinda got this problem with little cockroach things, but I´m working on cleaning it all out and debugging it with this super bug-spray stuff they give us. The rest of the house consists of a small living room kinda area, a room with 2 desks and a huge dresser thing for me. The other room has two matresses on the floor, 2 chairs and Elder Lee´s dresser. A bathroom with a beday (I don´t know how to spell that. A bum washer thing). We don´t use it. Its filthy. lol. But besides the kitchen there aren´t really any bugs or problems like that. I don´t know if its cuz we´re in the city or what, but Elder Lee said that its more like March or so when the Tarantulas come out. Not excited for that. lol

I haven´t really thought all that much about Christmas yet. If it can wait then I´ll let you know of a couple things that I´ve thought of that we can´t get here that I´d love. But nothing comes to mind right now. I´m sure anything would be great. I realized that I could email some pics back if you want and transfer them to a flash drive too. So I´ll do that next week.

Other things I thought of that are kinda interesting about Paraguay that I thought I´d share: Our clothes are washed by a lady in our ward. BY HAND. lol. Kinda shocked me the first time I realized that. She scrubs them all with a big old brush and hangs them up to dry. Pretty crasy. Its kinda rough on the clothes I guess, but thats pretty much how its going to be for the rest of the mission so hopefully they make it. If not, I guess I´ll send off a Mr. Mac´s order or something...
Taps here consist of a single temperature and on/off handle thing. The temperature it gives is what you get. The showers have little electric heaters on them so you can have a decently warm shower, but thats it. Elder Lee was excited when he remembered that theres a warm and cold option on the water back home. haha.
People have a heck of a time saying my name. I don´t know what I´m going to do about that... I´ve tried saying it regular, I´ve tried pronouncing it in spanish. Both ways, nobody can do it and they basically just give up. Elder Lee said that I can change it to being Elder Colton or Elder Ross maybe even but I don´t know. For now I just basically mumble it out and hope they don´t care.

Anyways, I should probably talk about the week. Apparently we need to leave a little early so I´ll try and do it quick...

Made my first stellar contact this week. She immediately let us in and listened intently to everything. Looked golden. Well we went back the next time and she told us that she never wants to see us again. Wow. Stab in the heart. Her excuse was that she was really offended when Elder Lee wouldn´t let her mom pull the kiss each cheek trick on him. But I think it was more just family pressure to not talk to us. Depressing cuz she looked so promising. But there was no talking sense into her. Maybe some other time..

Our main investigator is a guy named Daniel. Just lost his job and was looking for a change in his life. He´s been to church twice now, has had a 2 hour talk with the bishop, and says he wants to be baptized. We´ve even showed him the font. It looks right now that if anyone is going to get baptized its him. Theres a very interesting lady in our ward that tried to tell us that if we had any sense at all that we´d baptize him right away, without even teaching him the lessons or anything before we missed our chance. haha. Funny lady. But I think we have a pretty good idea of what we´re doing. lol

There are a couple other people we´ve been teaching regularly, but mostly we´re just trying to meet people and start sharing the gospel with those who have shown interest. The area is pretty old apparently and I think in the last year they´ve gotten a total of 6 baptisms. So its not as abundent as the rest of the mission but we´re trying our best, working with what we´ve got. Havening a good time and not letting ourselves get discouraged.

I don´t know if I metnioned last time, but everyone here drinks one of two drinks all the time Mate, and Terede (spelling?). You see people sittin around just drinking the stuff at all times of the day. Have nothing else better to do. lol. Its basically just like grass that you pour either hot or cold water on and drink. Pour, pass and drink. For hours. haha. We´re not supposed to drink it cuz a) you waste hours, and b) i think it doesnt do too well with missionary stomaches. But yesterday I got to have something similar. Made with hot sugarized milk over coconut. Pretty good stuff. Fortunately we checked and its legit. lol

Anyways, I´m sure there is lots I´d love to tell you more about but no more time. Things are great. I got a good attitude, trying my best and being as obedient as I can. Its great being a missionary and I´m loving seeing people progressing. The language is comeing slow and steady, but at least I´m starting to understand the accent and such. But I gotta run. Keep being missionaries back at home!

Love you lots, miss you tonnes!

Elder Humphreys