3-26-2012

Thanks for the letters

First off wow, mom dad you are getting way soft I can’t believe that you let them get a x box kenect thingy. I can’t believe that they can do that with the technology. Well go Braiden and Caleb. Congratulations Caleb for making the

A team! I couldn’t even do that.  I am here in Asuncion again so i probably will just write a letter fast.  This week was again very promising but we just are not having success in getting people in church. We found many people of gold that accepted baptism dates and everything but they just don’t want to come to church. My comp and I were talking about what we could do to better ourselves to find out why we are not able to get people in church. We came to the conclusion that the gospel is completely perfect it cant fail. For example to have success you just have to have all the faith in the world.  With faith everything is possible but if the faith doesn’t work then we just have to learn patience.  We continue trying to better ourselves. Today really helped me out though.

Today all of the leaders went to the botanic garden here in Paraguay.  p`resident callan did a very good job about bringing the spirit. He took us there to remind the reason for the missionary work and to explained to us that in that very spot about 60 years ago Paraguay mission was dedicated by Ezra Taft Benson for the preaching of the gospel and president invited all of us to rededicate ourselves to the holy calling that we have. I had a good amount of time to think about my mission and what i need to do better. I have a testimony of this work, and understand the importance. I wish i was a better missionary. I could always to better. I am very grateful our president.  He finish his mission in 3 months and it is really sad. I don’t want another president. I love my mission. I learned to today that there is a difference between the love for the work and the love for the people.  I feel i have done a very good job in my mission for developing a love for both of them!  This last week we had a lesson one of my converts in Pilar is named jorge. He had gone inactive it is really sad. He completely denied his testimony and the answer that he had gotten from God. NEVER LOSE YOUR TESTIMONIES, or better said, never forget the spiritual experiences that you have had and the answers to your prayers.  The miracle of the week is 2 weeks  ago i did divisions in Ayolas with the district leader, and they had a family of investigadors that were going to get baptized but said they didn’t want to get married and decided to stop following the church.  I had the chance to teach them with the district leader and had a great lesson the spirit was so strong and the family started crying and i invited them to get baptized the 24 of March.  They were baptized this last week and sent me a picture of there baptizm and marriage saying thanks.  It was a very great moment. They are great and not even my investigadors!

i love you and hope all is well

edler shaw

march-20-2012

Mba´e te copia che rogà gentegua
shaw family,


Sounded like a pretty tranquile (tanquilo, chill) week. Thanks for the letters. To answer some of the questions first off dad, so i don’t forget. 1) Yes we have a new mission president for this July. His name is Presidente Agasani or something like that. I am not sure how it is spelled. Presidente Callan is a man that i will never forget and has changed my life, I really believe that he is the greatest mission president that there is in the world. He did alot of things but one really important is made all the missionaries see the good side of the rules and not the restricting side (i think alot of young men could use that attribute).   2) When we travel to Asuncion, Elder Snow and I take off at 12 at night on a bus for 6 hours, long travel.  3) We usually have 55 to 60 people attending the branch. It’s a pretty good strong branch but over half the members our recent converts within the last 8 months.



The heat is starting to drop, from like 3 degree burns to 2 degree burns under the sun ha! It was a little bit cooler i think which makes it alot nicer to work. This week we started to finally see a little progress in some of the people we had found. We were really excited to have some new people in church finally. We really wanted some people in church cause this week was the district conference and President Callan came to speak at the conference and when he speaks, all are slapped in the face by the spirit. We worked very hard and had 6 very sure committed people attend. God continued to test our patience and not any of them were able to make it. It was a real heart breaker not going to lie. We wanted someone to meet Presidnet Callan. All of the missionaries in our zone came to our church and we had in attendance of about 150. I know there is a reason why the people didn’t come, maybe it wasn’t there time but we continue to work. When you don’t get blessed after being very obedient it doesn’t give you alot of incentive to keep working. It’s pretty discouraging. But then i think about the Europe missions and i count my very very many blessings! The family Servin were able to talk to president and they love him! We have many blessing and we will work even harder and be even more obedient now!  It’s not easy. I know God will bless us with some one this next week in church! Just you wait ill will write next week about a miracle that went to church!

Some good/funny things that happened this week, Tuesday night we were on the bikes and i went to talk to some young people to see if the were interested in hearing about God and as i got closer to them i heard a dog barking behind me and got close really fast. As i was about to get off my bike a dog came up and chomped on my leg gave me a bite, broke through the pants and made me bleed. I turned around really fast and kicked the dog very hard i think i had hurt it. All the kids started laughing. Next, dad you will be proud of me. a long time ago you had taught me how to say ``I am a beautiful woman`` in Japanese. We contacted a guy the spoke broken Spanish cause he just moved from Japan to Pilar. We struggled to speak to one another. I then remember the phrase and told him to listen. I said it and this busted up laughing. He then let us in his house and we taught him. They were Jehovah Witnesses and the lesson went really bad but i told him that i was a beautiful woman!! 
I understand and realize the importance of developing the attributes of Christ in my life and it can’t always come from being success full. Sometimes Christ has to throw curveballs at us to learn other lessons. I am grateful for the chance to better myself. I fail a lot. I’m trying to be obedient and work hard but i can always do better. I repent for my mistakes and continue. I know that this work is so important and love the chance i have to let these people know about this saving message. The gospel isn’t easy but it wouldn’t be any fun if it were easy. Its’ a live style not a hobby. The family Servin is my perfect example. 
I love you all
 elder shaw

3-12-2012

Whats up Fam.

Well this is the first p-day I have had this change, so it is really good to rest and be here in Pilar in this wicked heat!! I love it.  Thanks for your letters, I will try to write more back to all the kids to, just having lack of time.  Bbut today I have a lot of time.

Well first off I love being missionary, it's an amazing experience. you can learn lesson here that you can't learn anywhere else. In these last few weeks I am learning a lot about patience, diligence, and gratitude.  It's amazing how even though God wants this work to thrive and flourish that sometimes he has to humble the missionaries first. I can honestly say that I have put all of my might mind and strength into these last couple weeks trying to keep the work going here in Pilar! But sometimes God takes you down to your knees to lift you up. I know my Heavenly Father knows me perfectly, and my comp also. When we work and work and don't have much more in us He gives us a tiny miracle to lift the energy so we can keep working. Thursday was probably the hardest day of my entire mission... we didn't get in to one house and we probably talked to over 200 people. Many people swore at us and said bad things. There was one were we found someone who was a little interested but his brother came out and just blew up at us, I didn't know I could feel hurt in Spanish.  But it was really weird as his words got harsher and harsher I began to feel very good inside, very warm. I knew God was comforting me and helping.  I left feeling very good even after hearing his very inappropriate words.  I love God and trust him in 2 Nephi 26: (I don't remember the verse) and I don't know it in English but in Spanish it says something like God will do nothing unless it is for the benefit of his children. That's a really a deep scripture if you get to thinking about it.  But Friday and Saturday we found a couple of good people. That I am very grateful for.  Two of them live right next to the church. We didn't get anybody in the meeting again but I know that this week we will.

A couple of fun things this week. Friday we were riding our bikes to a appointment when a car came really close to us and I heard someone yell Elders in English. WHATS UP.  ha a missionary from 10 years ago came back to Pilar to visit the members. His name is Elder Holt. He is from Preston Idaho.  We talked for quite a while. He is a great guy and he had his wife with him! Another fun thing Saturday we were with the family Servin my favorite converts and the mom said "my mom is interested in our church she said she will get baptized but doesn't want to get married"  So turns out that the Sister Servin had invited her mom to get baptized and join the church! how cool is that!!!!!!!! they are to worlds best converts! all the kids talked to me in straight Guarani. Elder Snow has no idea what they said but I can understand a bit.  It is amazing how fast I lost my Guaraní here!  Another story, Thursday we came across a pastor he has the biggest church in Pilar they have about 500 member and they have meetings 5 times a week. This guy was loaded.  We sat down and taught him and a family of members in his church the people thought it would be funny for him to destroy us so they got the bible and this guy just read every scripture to prove or church wrong and we just sat there not wanting to bible bash. At the end he said something like we don't want to speak cause we lost.  My comp bore his testimony about living day prophets and then looked at me. I very basically told him that when he talks he has the spirit of contention and that all of the words that came from him gives contention, bore my testimony and when we were about the leave it was very quiet and you could feel the spirit he didn't argue or say anything just look at us.  We said thank you as we walked out the door. 
Study first and God will give us the portion that we need at the right time, we will not be confused by the wise
family I know that this is the true church of Christ and that he is the head of this work. I love you and look forward to your letters every week
elder shaw