Hermana Owen ~ Paraguay Asuncion North: Serious Joy !

Week 25 Serious Joy October 13, 2013

It´s a rainy day and the weather is perfect. I love rainy days. I want to play some oldies music like Frank Sinatra oh por favor and curl up with a good movie... ha who am i kidding. Life couldn´t get better. I´m todavía en Loma Pyta, Paraguay. I´m enjoy my usual caramels as I write my weekly email :) I´m TRAINING! the cutest Bolivian sister. I am living with 3 latinas... ya I am stoked my spanish is going to sky rocket! (I hope) I´m preaching the gospel EVERYDAY. I am bringing the world his truth. :)

This week has been a little crazy but we are getting a handle on things. Shout out to Faith Goimarac!!! Hope you returned and hope safely as well wonderful Hermana Homer!! So Monday and Tuesday I was a little uptight/worried just of what was comin (a few tears were shed), so Tuesday I asked my zone leader (Elder Oharra-awesome, just finished his mission with elder bredsguard) for a blessing (my first one recieved in Spanish!) and seriously I haven´t been stressed or sad or worried since. I seriously am loving this change so far.

My comp is awesome. She is from Cochabamba Bolivia! Hermana Silva se llama. She is beautiful... looks almost hawaiian or polynesian. She is wonderful!!! A little timid, a sweet heart, super chillax, and patient :) We have had a rough start (as in our part of the area the people never let you in their houses) but we are praying a lot together and we set some awesome goals this week in weekly planning I have no doubt in my mind the work is gonna pick up.

My favorite part of this week was probably our lesson with Kristian and Celia Duarte. We taught them about baptism and confirmacion. It was probably one of the neatest lessons. I was studying a ton for them cuz seriously they are SOOO close to baptism and I didn´t want one lesson to go wrong just cuz I am a weak teacher or can´t speak spanish very well. All I can say, is that the spirit took over. Hermana Silva and I were workin like gold. The spirit was so strong. We had Celia read Mosiah 18:8-10, and then I asked Kristian to read verses 12-14 putting his name where Alma´s is and Celia´s or Jasmine´s (his daughter) where Helam´s is. It was so powerful!! I have never seen bigger smiles on their faces, especially Celia´s. They were practically begging us to get baptized at that point. So Kristian will be getting baptized the 26th of this month (A DAY BEFORE HOMECOMING TALK, FAITH!!) and wants to then receive the priesthood to baptize Celia and Jasmine!!!!!! Ahhhhh I just wanted to just for joy as they couldn’t back smiling and looked at each other serious joy my friends. Oh I love this work. It is truth. It is freedom. It is joy. It is life. Hermana Silva gave each other the biggest hug (where hna Goimarac and i always would) by the big tree down their street.

It has been a little tough otherwise to be accepted into homes and teach. We split our are down the transchaco and the side we have I hardly ever visited before. Although, it is a tougher area it´s kinda like startin a new area because I haven´t really work that much over there. Maybe I´ll send ya a map fam so you can see what a monster of an area I have bee working in. It´s huge, such a blessing we have 4 hermanas now. It is super exciting!

Anyway that´s about it. Oh and this Saturday is my comps birthday!! I am going to attempt to make mountains or pancakes and buttermilk syrup! :) If you want send some letters for her. She would love that!! I would love that (family :) love you ALL so so much!!!! Go to work!

Some good words of wisdom from Elder Bednar this week in the Liahona, ¨You can do this! The Lord you represent and serve knows you can do this. I know you can do this.¨ It´s true, if the Lord trusts me, I will put my trust in him. :)

xoxo,

con cariño,

Hermana Owen

P.S. didn´t see kenzie freeman´s sister at stake conference slash didn´t have much time to look but hopefully i will one day.

P.S.S. THE MANGOS ARE BLOOMING!!!! AND They are THE best mangos I have every eaten in my life!!!! creamy and super juicy!

yaya"!! can´t wait i love you mom!!!! :) it´s hna silva´s birthday THIS WEEK!