From: Elder Joshua Freeman
Subject: Whew!
Date: 19 January 2004 2:52:45 PM EST

ÁHola!

So basically, it was pretty hot this week too. It's not too fun, but we keep on going. And things are still going well. So yeah, on to the week.

On Monday night, we had a Family Home Evening with a family and continued on with the Red de Contactos. And we gave them a few things that they can give to their friends. So that went pretty well.

On Tuesday, we had our Zone Meetings like normal. In the afternoon, we had a charla with Luiz and Juan Antonio (Eugenia's two kids of 12 and 9 years that wanted to get baptized) and it went pretty well. We also visited a couple of members and another investigator. It turns out we're going to have another baptism soon, because one of the members' divorce came through after 6 years, and so now he can get married to the lady he lives with now, and she can get baptized. She's already been active for about 5 years. So talk about one just falling into your lap. That was nice to find out.

On Wednesday morning, We went looking for a reference and couldn't find him (we found out later we were one street off) so we'll have to go talk to him this week. After a while we just went and visited a couple inactives and another member family. In the afternoon, we had another few charlas before going to Noche de Rama. And that is all.

On Thursday morning, we cleaned the house a little. We also had a couple of little charlas with a member family and a friend of another inactive family. During study time, Elder Merritt and Elder Payne came over, and while I went with Elder Merritt to do the baptism interviews for Luiz and Juan Antonio, E. Urling and E. Payne went and taught a charla. The interviews went fine, and afterwards Elders Payne and Merritt went home, and Elder Urling and I went out and got a couple more good charlas in.

On Friday, we went out and planned Luiz and Juan Antonio's baptism with them, the baptism being about to take place on Saturday. That was the highlight of the morning. We had our normal Friday lunch cita and then came home and studied. In the afternoon, we visited a few members, got fallar-ed on a couple of citas, and then visited some more members.

On Saturday, our district had breakfast together in Thompson, which is about 15 minutes away. And it was darn good. After that, we came back and got in a good charla before lunch. We (meaning Elder Urling), made cake for the baptism, then went to the church to clean. After we did that for a while, we went home and got everything all ready for the baptism and went to the church. There weren't too many people there, but it was a really good service. And the cake was good. And everything turned out just right. It was nice.

On Sunday, we went to Eugenia's house to make sure all her kids were coming, and the only ones that weren't ready yet (we passed most of them on the way) were the ones that aren't members. Yet. Anyway, church was pretty normal, and we did the confirmations and everything, and everything was good. After church, we had Correlation meeting with the branch mission leader. One of the hermanos invited us over to his house for lunch because he said that the Elders haven't been there for like 2 years. And we found out why. First, he lives in Ypane's area, but  more than that, there aren't many buses that go close to his house. Like, not a single one passed us in the 1 hour 20 minute walk there. With shortcuts. But hey, it's a free lunch and a visited member. Anyway, lunch wasn't too bad and we met his inactive family and talked for a little while, and then came back to Ytororo. We just visited a few members and got fallar-ed on a cita and then came home and studied and had dinner with the other Elders.

Today, we had a Zone Activity. We went to a place called Yacht Club, where you can golf and play whichever sport (well, normal sports) and we don't have to pay because we're Americans and the owner is too and he likes us. It's a pretty fancy place. Zone 1 also showed up in the meantime. We that didn't play golf played soccer and basketball and volleyball and I played ping pong too. It was fun. And they had really good food when we had lunch. So it was a good trip.

And that's the week. Everything's going, and we've got at least one baptism coming up this Saturday, Claudelino. Have I mentioned him much? He's a really cool guy that Elder Bybee and I found. He's about 30 and lives with his aunt and just drinks up everything wee teach him. He's cool. So yeah.

Mom, it would be best, I think, if you sent me Spanish copies of the Book of Mormon and have Joe translate them in Spanish. I think that would work. Oh yeah, Jere, Ytororo is a little ways south of Asunci—n, right along the river that's the border with Argentina. Yeah.

So, that's it. Hope everything's going well up there in the frozen land of the north. Tune in next week for the thrilling continuation.

Thanks for everything.

I Love You all!!!

Love,
Josh