Week 2 of Ettiene

This week it rained. I sent pictures of a flood last week, but this week it was way worse and we are looking for a new house, so I happened to have my camera with me because I have to take pictures of houses. Yeah anyways HI. I'm doing great here from Paraguay. I'm on a computer here in a Cyber place and there are 2 kids next to me listening to country music.... It is really weird. I'm going to tell you all what happened this week now.

Rain: Yea so it rained for three days straight and the roads flooded. It was quite the experience. A lot of the cars got stuck and we did too. That day we taught 1 lesson to a girl named Lorena. It stopped raining for 30 minutes so she let us in haha. We were pretty wet, but we did a lot of things and we found a lot of people knocking on houses. A lot of the houses here have big giant gates and have speaker boxes, so you can walk up on a house that has one of these and they don't even leave the house. They just say "Que dicen". We found a nice trick that keeps us healthy and gets the people to leave their house. WE ASK FOR WATER!! Here in Paraguay it is really hot and the people feel bad, so sometimes when the people don't leave the house right away to talk to us, we ask for water and they come out and we talk to them. In my other areas that wasn't a problem, but here asking for water has worked great! In the rain it doesn't because know one wants to leave in the rain, but it works when it is not raining. 

FRANCISO VIñas: This last Wednesday a 70 came to talk to us name Francisco Viñas. He is a leader of the church here in South America and he talked to us a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what we have to do to accept him into our lives so we can be better missionaries. It was a great conference and it really helped me remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ did for me. He died for me and through him I can be saved if I do my part. He has already done his, it's just up to me and everyone of us to do our own part.

LUNCH: Elder Arrington and I cooked on Wednesday too before the conference and we made an egg thing. He washed the potatoes and chopped them and cooked them. I cut the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and hot dogs and cooked them all and then we mixed the potatoes with the other stuff and it was a great lunch that we might do again this week.

Everything is going great here. We are working with 4 investigators right now named Lorena, Jorge, Arnaldo and Elizabeth. Jorge went to church Sunday, Lorena is going to get baptized and Arnaldo and Elizabeth want to live according to the laws of God. I will let you know more about them next week.

I love you all and I hope that you all have great weeks filled with laughter. Always gotta laugh sometimes.

Elder Jessop

I Got Changed!!

Hello everyone!! I got some good news! I got changed!! I moved to Asuncion. I'm like in the city and it is giant. Cars everywhere, the houses are giant, it is chuchi(rich) land. I'll tell you about the week now.

Ettiene: I got moved to a place called Ettiene and I am a district leader again, fourth change in a row. In my district there are 3 companionship's of sisters & my companion, and I. My whole district is filled of sister missionaries. I cant do divisions, but I have the Sister Leader Trainers in my district, so they do divisions for me. I also have a new companion named Elder Arrington and he has 3 months less than me in the mission and is from Utah. I'm really excited to be here and I will let you all know about the miracles that happen here in Ettiene. We are looking for a house to move into, we don't have water here and I have been bucket bathing for the last 5 days which has been really fun. We literally fill up a bucket, get a bowl, and dump water over our heads. The amazing life of being in South America.

Dog: I sent pictures of a dog because my dog bandit looks exactly like the dog I met here in Paraguay, so I took a picture of it and sent it. It made me really happy. :D

Flood: It has rained 3 times this week and I guess when it rains the streets flood here too, even though we are in the city. It is really funny to see the crazy drivers drive in the rain. The drivers here are nuts and in the rain it is even worse with pot holes everywhere and stuff.

Scripture Covers: I also got some really COOL scripture covers for my Spanish scriptures. There is a guy here named Gustavo who makes scripture covers for the missionaries in all of Paraguay and he made mine too and they are sweet. I took and sent pictures so you can all see how cool they are. They were expensive too (for Paraguay), but way worth it. 

Soccer: We had our last district activity in my district in Paraguari and we played a lot of soccer and my team lost. (See photo of our team) There really isn't winning and losing but we lost.... Soccer here is like more important than everything. When your team loses it is like the end of the world and the World Cup in Brazil is coming up, so things are about the get crazy, but luckily Paraguay didn't get in, but I feel really bad for the missionaries in Brazil. They are not going to be able to leave for days.

Things are going great here in Paraguay. Time is flying really fast. I haven't been here that long, but it has been a long time. I'm loving every second and learning everyday. I learned a really good lesson about listening to the Spirit and the importance of having it always with you. We need to invite good things into our lives so that we can have the spirit, if not we will loose it. It is a blessing to have the gift of the Holy ghost in my life. I just did my shopping for the week and it is time to finish. I have been on for 59 minutes, so that means that it is time to get out of here. Love your guts! Have a great week & please and stay safe :D

Elder Jessop

Misionary Life !!

I couldn't think of a good title to put on this email, so I just put Missionary Life. I'm going to tell you all about that. Missionary Life.

Missionary Life: I wake up and then I exercise. We have stairs so I run up and down the stairs. EVERY DAY. I asked my parents to send me a jump rope because there's not any here and I need to mix it up a bit. The stairs are getting pretty boring. At 7:30 AM I eat the best breakfast in the entire world. Fruit and yogurt. Yea it is really good. Then from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon we study. I study personally for an hour, then with my companion for two and we study Spanish for an hour because Elder Evans is new. We just finished training though, so we will not have to study as long anymore. I'm stoked. Then at 12:00 noon we eat lunch. Usually with a member or at our house. If we eat at home we have to cook. Woo hooo!! I love cooking. Cut up a tomato, a pepper and some onion throw it in a pan with some meat and let it cook and make the pasta or eggs and mix it all up. Every day at lunch I eat an orange. Then from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM we leave and preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We invite people to come to Christ and be baptized in his name, so they can be cleaned from sin. That is the best part of the day. I love being a missionary. 

Capacitación de Zona: We had a Zone Conference in Ita and we talked about the decisions that we make and how those decisiones bring to pass consequences. I learned about the importance of making a decision based on the teachings of Christ so I can have Christ like consequences. I don't remember how to spell consequences. In this Zone Conference two elders gave their last testimonies because they go home in 3 days. One is our Zone Leader and the other is a District Leader in the other district. 

Talk in church: I gave a talk in church yesterday about repentance. I read from Alma 5 in the Book of Mormon about how important it is to repent, so that we can be prepared to meet God when we are judged by him. I talked about how we need to do our part by repenting so that he can do his. When we repent of the things that we have done wrong we should have a change of heart and have the desires to change ourselves so that we can be more like our Savior. I shared a couple repentance experiences that I have had and the blessings that I have received by making repentance a daily habit. I also shared with the congregation about how repentance is not a bad thing. When we repent we should be happy and joyful for the opportunity we have to repent and have a God that accepts us for who we are. I then proceeded to invite the congregation to repent and the people who were there that were not members I invited to repent and be baptized. Alma 5:62 talks about the same invitation that Alma did, I did to the members and investigators here in Paraguarí. 

Sometimes we get discouraged. Sometimes we feel like we are not good enough. Sometimes we feel like we can't change. I promise everyone who is reading these words right now that as we accept the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and accept the Atonement in our lives, we can be healed of our burdens and cleaned of our sins. I know that is true with all of my heart because it happened to me. I have been cleaned by the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love each and every one of you. I appreciate your support, prayers, and love. I hope you all have an amazing week.

Elder Jessop

March

Hello everyone, I hope you're all having a great day and week. I wrote stuff down today of things I wanted to write you all, so I'll start with the first thing on my list.

Division with Elder Lyon: This week I went to one of the areas in my district and did a division with an Elder from Utah named Elder Lyon. He is on his third change and he began his mission when I just got here in Paraguarí. We did this division and we walked to a part of his area and we invited a couple people to get baptized and four people accepted the invitation and it was great. One of the people looked at us both, and we are blonde hair blue eyes North Americans together, which is a rare site here in Paraguay. The girl told me the I looked like a was 40. This girl was like 60 and she kept touching my hand and looking at my eyes, so we left. BUT SHE THOUGHT I WAS 40!! I'm not even 20 yet, that girl was crazy. In this same division we talked to some other family and they guessed that I was from Argentina. I told them that I was from Argentina and then I began to talk with an Argentinian accent and they believed me. Yea my Spanish must be pretty good or they think that Argentine's talk horrible Spanish... That division was great and full of miracles.

Fast and Testimony Meeting: Yesterday was the first Sunday of the month and every first Sunday of the month are the days when any person in the church can go up and share their testimony. I was sitting there listening to the testimonies and then a girl name Eva Rodriguez went up to share her testimony. If you all remember, Eva Rodriguez is the women that I baptized in January. She went up and shared the most beautiful testimony I had probably ever heard. She talked about how we came up to her house really randomly and she explained how it was a time in her life when she needed the most help ever and I cried. We were guided to her house that day. We were literally knocking on doors and we walked up to her house and her nephew received us, who is a member and it was a great day. She got baptized a month later and I love her. I had the blessing to be a part of the change in her life and it is something that I will never forget. Also, another girl gave her testimony on Sunday named Ana Maria, who is a different girl that I baptized in January and she shared about how many people rejected her but the members of the church never did. She is epileptic and gets attacks sometimes, so people were always afraid of her, but she found happiness and peace in the church. She shared that she knew that the church is true. It was a great Fast and Testimony Meeting to say the least. I'm coming up on the changes and I think my time here in Paraguari is about over, but I'm grateful that I could hear the testimonies of Eva and Ana Maria.

Ultima Semana: I'm coming up on the last week of the change and I might be leaving Paraguari. I have been here since November and I'm about to finish training Elder Evans and he will be staying here and I will be leaving unless my mission President does something crazy, which could happen. I will know my new area, companion, and assignment in the coming weeks just so you all know.

OK, I love you all very much. I sent pictures of some baptisms that were held Saturday in an area in my district. I went and it was a great experience. They got baptized in a river which was pretty awesome. Elder Brito and Elder Goodell are two elders in my district and they are doing great work. I love you all very much and I hope you all have a great week filled with awesome things.

Con Cariño

Elder Jessop

Another Week of Miracles!!

Hi Everyone, I'm doing great just so you all know. Some great things happened this week and I'll tell you about them right now.

Ant Lion: On Tuesday I did a division with a guy from the states and we saw something called an Ant Lion. If you've ever seen Star Wars number 6 you'll know what I am talking about... What this Ant Lion does is it eats ants. It is a big old hole and when an ant falls in it gets eaten and it reminds me of a Sarlaac Pit in Star Wars 6. A Sarlaac Pit is what eats people for a thousand years. Han Solo and Lando Calrisian almost got thrown into it, but R2D2 came to the rescue and gave Luke his light saber and Boba Fett fell into the hole of the Sarlaac Pit. Now imagine that but at a smaller degree and compare Boba Fett to an ant and the hole to the Sarlaac Pit. Those are the referencias for you and it was awesome.

Service: This week on Saturday we went to a members house to go do service. All we did was break rocks. I had to kill like 50 spiders in the process I carried big old rocks to a part of the house and we broke the rocks into little rocks to make a base for the floor that they're trying to build, it was sweet. Nice good work for a Saturday morning. Then they gave us meatballs and rice for lunch!! Man was that an awesome lunch! I also saw a bunch of horses so I took some pictures of those and I'm sending them to you all.

Baptism: This week we had the privilege to see two more souls get baptized. Even though they were little ones they are still souls to my eyes and the eyes of God. This family is less active and we have been teaching them for two months and they wanted their other kids to get baptized that never did. This is the Frete Family that I have mentioned before and finally they decided that they were going to pick a day for the baptism and Maria Lujan and Jose Maria got baptized Friday and confirmed Sunday. It was a real miracle to see this family come back to church. The father has some testimony issues but that is why we teach with the Spirit and the scriptures to help people gain testimonies or help people regain testimonies that have been lost. We will be teaching them a lot.

Consejo  de Lideres: Today we had a consejo de lidereres in Asuncion. Every end of the month the Zone Leaders and Asistentes and Sister Leader Trainers go to Asunicion for a meeting. This month the district leaders were invited so I went. The Mission President talked to us and I told the numbers of the month to the missionaries and it was awesome! I also saw my trainer there!!! Elder Morgan goes home soon and it was nice to see him there! I also saw a lot of Elders that came with me here in the mission and they are all doing great too. It was very spiritual and enlightening.

I want to tell you all thank you and also something I learned this week. Never try to do more than the Lord expects of you. Sometimes I feel like no matter what I do it will never be enough to pay back what the Lord has done for us, but he doesn't want us to pay him back. He wants us to keep his commandments and try our best to follow his example. If you ever feel like you are not good enough like I felt, remember the healing factor of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Satan wants us to feel like we are nothing and Jesus wants us to feel like we are something because we are. We are his brothers and sisters. We are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. I am something and every single one of you are something too. I love you all I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Jessop

Baptism!!

Hi everyone, What a great week I had and quite the turn around from the last week! We had a baptism!!! We baptized a guy named Mauro Gonzalez Gonzales, he is 54 and he wants to be a missionary. Seriously though, he asked us for one of our agendas so he can be a missionary. He is awesome.

English: I talked in English to a Paraguayo the other day named Juan Carlos. He has been to Miami twice and his daughter played in a golf tournament there and he talks English, about as good as Elder Evans Spanish haha. It was pouring rain and we were hitchhiking from a place in our area and he stopped and picked us up. It was quite the miracle because we were literally soaking wet. That was a great day.

I also helped build a house. I broke rock for 1 hour and a half. I took a mallet and broke rock. That was literally all I did. I broke rock. They were using it to make a floor or something. They told us to do it and we did it. The most boring thing I have probably ever done, but hey service is service. 

I don't have a lot to say. I am working a lot. Today we did an emergency evacuation plan if there is ever a disaster here in Paraguay. I had to call my district and tell them the secret code and they had to walk 4 hours to the church here in Paraguari. The reason they had to walk is so that I know how long is the longest it would take for them to get here to Paraguari. I'm the district leader so they came to me. It was like as if we were in high school doing a practice evacuation drill. It was great.

I love you all. I'm grateful for your support. I know the church is true. What I am doing here isn't by accident. I has gone by fast. Ive still got a lot to go, but every second matters and every second is worth it. Be happy and have a great week!

Elder Jessop

The Week of the Carnival

Hello my fellow family and friends, 

Today is Monday, everyday Monday I do my e-mailing and that is all. My English is starting to get really bad and when I think of a word to say in English sometimes I have to look it up. I'm also training a North American and his Spanish is coming along, but it is hard to talk to him in English and it is hard for him to talk to me in Spanish. That is the life and it is awesome.

This week I ate and did a couple of weird things. I ate cow tongue this last Thursday. Yep, COW TONGUE! The members would not tell us know what it was before hand and they said that we had to eat it before they could tell us what it was and so we listened and ate. I kind of scarfed it down, but my companion was really scared and didn't want to eat it, but I made him and then when we finished they finally told us that it was cow tongue. Not going to lie though, it was actually really good and at least it wasn't cow stomach. I hear that cow stomach is really hard to eat. I'm not saying that we should all go around eating cow tongue, but the way they prepared it was really good. 

This week was a special week here in Paraguarí. This week was the week of the annual carnival that they do and might I say it was loud and long. What happens is the Paraguayans drop everything to go and prepare this carnival for a week and they had the carnival Friday and Saturday and it was really bad. There was trash everywhere and alcohol bags and I can only imagine what happened. People slept on the streets and we saw them walking in the morning like Zombies with glitter all over them and just smelly and it was gross. I guess that is an annual thing here. SO yeah that happened.

I also set a goal to drink 10 liters, about 3 gallons, of water everyday. It got up to 110 the other day and all the extra water really helps. I have little boxes in my agenda and when I drink a liter of water I color in the box. 

There are three new missionaries in my district. Elder Chancahuana, Elder Castillo, and Elder Brito. One is from Spain, the other from Ecuador, and the other from Peru. I was with elder Chancahuna in Caguazu and it was nice to see a familiar face. 

We also met a kid the other day named Christian. He isn't actually a kid. He is 16 and already going to college, and he really wants to be a Mormon because he loves the principles that we teach and he loves the church. We told him that he could get baptized on March 2nd and then he said that he wanted to get baptized before that so I will let you guys know what happens with him. Also, Cesar went to church again, he is the guy that smokes 50 cigarettes a day, but he is only smoking about 6 now which is great improvement. He is progressing tremendously. 

I love you all and I don't have pictures this week, but next week I should. Have a great week and thank you for the support.

Elder Jessop