From: Elder Joshua Freeman
Subject: Still here
Date: 21 February 2005 10:51:18 AM EST

ÁHola!

This past week was pretty good. We did get a change, Elder OŐBrien went to It‡ YbatŽ; itŐs in Zona 2. My new companion is Elder Gunter. HeŐs from Oregon and he goes home this change. So itŐll be interesting to see how much longer I stay here. Anyway, about the weather. ItŐs been a while since it rained, and itŐs been pretty hot and is supposed to get hotter this week. Que cosa. 

Monday wasnŐt too great. We got fallar-ed to start, so we went to try and talk to Raquel, but she wasnŐt home, so we just shared a little with her aunt and then left. Then we went to CasimiroŐs and had to wait a little while for him to take a bath after going fishing. Then when we talked to him, he told us that he teaches the youth that are studying for their confirmation in the neighborhood Catholic church and his leaders told him that he couldnŐt participate with us. So that was kinda sad because theyŐre really nice people. Then we got fallar-ed again. After that, we went by JavierŐs and took him with us to the Flia. MarecosŐ, because we had seen them earlier in the day and I had thought that I had told them weŐd come by tonight if we had time, but it turns out that I had said tomorrow night. So they couldnŐt talk to us and we just came home. 

On Tuesday morning, we had the last Zone Meetings of the change. The APs came and talked to us a little about our numbers. That was interesting. In the afternoon, we went to the Flia. G—mezŐ and talked with the Hna. About faith and works and stuff like that. Then the next couple of people werenŐt home, but as we were going down the street, a lady stopped us and gave us one of Elder OŐBrienŐs name tags that he lost a month ago. So that was neat. We went and did a verification with come people we met last week, and we read with them a little. Then we went by RaquelŐs and she was sitting outside, so we stopped and answered a few questions that she had. Then we got fallar-ed a couple more times, and then talked with a couple more people that we have found recently. Then we ended the day with the Flia. Mattesich. So that was a really good day.

On Wednesday morning, we tried visiting 8 different people without any luck at all, so we decided to go help the Hna. Garrido clean the capilla. While we were there, we got the call about the changes. So that was interesting. We had lunch with Martina, and she made us beans with cow hoof. The beans were pretty good. The hoof was interesting. They boil it for three hours until itŐs good and soft, then eat it. I only tried a little though. In the afternoon, we made brownies because CatalinaŐs daughter Carmen turned 12. Then we went to the fire station to talk with them and tell them about Elder OŐBrien going. Then we did the same thing with the Quintanas, G—mezŐ, Largostas and Fern‡ndezŐ. Then we went to the capilla for Consejo de Rama and then Noche de Rama. Those were pretty normal except for when they threw water, flour and eggs on Elder OŐBrien. He took a long shower when we went home.

On Thursday morning, we went to the Flia Ayala and Clides y Milciades, then passed by BlasŐ, the TaboadaŐs and the L—pezŐ. Then we came home and gathered all of his stuff and went to Asunci—n. When we got there, we went and bought a few things from Hiper6, a big supermarket close to the office, then went to change meeting. That was pretty normal. Then Elder Gunter and I came home and he unpacked. Then we went and talked with the Flia. Mart’nez, and then Javier came with us to talk with the MarecosŐ. We taught them the lesson 3 and invited them to be baptized on the 26Ľ and they agreed. So that was good. Then we came home. 

On Friday, we went to the Flia. G—mezŐ for them to meet Elder Gunter and shared a little with them. Then we went to CatalinaŐs and talked with her. The people she live with really donŐt like anything that she likes, but thereŐs not really much that we can do about it. It makes things a little difficult, though. After that, we went and had lunch with the Flia. Largosta and then came home and studied. In the afternoon, we got fallar-ed a few times, so we went and taught a lesson 1 to a reference that Federico gave us a couple of weeks ago. It went pretty well. After that, we went and talked with Victor a little. Then we went to RaquelŐs and started to teach her the lesson 2. ItŐs interesting because she talks a lot and not always about stuff related to what weŐre talking about. Then we went to MartinaŐs, but she wasnŐt there, so we just talked with Javer and Pte. Silvero. Then we went to the Flia. L—pezŐ and had a little charla with them for the first time in a really long time. Then we came home.

On Saturday morning, we went and visited Hna. Ortega. Then we went to the capilla and had correlation meeting with Javier. Then we went to MartinaŐs and talked about the temple with her and Francisco. Then we had lunch like normal with the Flia. Fern‡ndez. In the afternoon, we went by the CaballeroŐs, and Antonio was home, so we stopped to talk with him. Then we went and actually found Santiago and talked with him about the Sabbath and also some about faith. That went pretty well. Then we went to the Flia. VegaŐs and shared a little with them. Then we dropped off the bikes at home and went to Las Piedras. We tried going by çngelaŐs, but she was busy. So we went to the Hno. AmarillaŐs and shared a little with him, then went to meet the Silveros. And then we came home.
	
Yesterday, we didnŐt have as many people or investigators in church as last week, but it still went pretty well. Pte. Gavarret and his wife and son came at the end of the meetings, to talk with Pte. Silvero and the District President about the capilla. But we didnŐt stay for that. We came home and ate and planned. In the afternoon, we did divisions with Javier and Federico. Javier and I went to the Fern‡ndezŐ house to talk with Edgar. He just got called to be the branch employment specialist, so we were helping him make up a resumŽ and stuff to have people fill out. Then we went to visit the Flia. Taboada and shared a little with them. Then we met back up at the church and the Flia. Garrido came and so did their reference family to watch ŇThe Lamb of GodÓ. Ut they were late, so Javier and I had to go to the MarecosŐ, where I taught them the lesson 4. Then we met the others and came home. They said that everything went well, but the family doesnŐt have a lot of time to talk with us right now. Oh well.

That was it. Tomorrow, Elder Lynn G. Robbins, the 1Ľ counselor in the Area presidency, is coming to talk with the entire mission all at once. IŐve never heard of anybody doing that before. And on Wednesday we have Concilio, and on Saturday, we should have the baptisms of the Flia. Quintana and the Flia. Marecos, so we hope everything goes well with that. A pretty crazy week!! WeŐll talk to you later.


I Love You All!!!

Love,
Josh