Until He Comes

This week was seriously one of the most wildest weeks of the mish.  We prayed for a new house and found a new one!  We´re moving! Again. :) 

Angels are literally protecting us.  It was as if I felt their protection this week. Nights are cold, silent, and dark in our area and so we are switching to the new schedule of working in the morning instead of at night. 

I had an incredible contact this week in the colectivo (bus).  My comp and I hopped on and headed to Luque for divisiones. The bus was full but I spotted one seat open by the window.  I asked if I could take the seat. The older lady that sat on the outside gladly let me pass, although I was hoping she would just scoot over but whatever, couldn´t reject at this point.  The thought rolled through my mind, ¨This is gonna be a long contact.¨  I usually like to stand up and go sit by a new person...we contact a lot of people in the colectivo because they can´t go anywhere and it´s an easy way to get a lot of contacts and often really good ones. Anyway, I figured I wouldn´t be moving because I had my bags for divisions and was now cornered at the window.  So I started to talk.  Made a relation with the gospel about not sure what and gave her an invitation to come to church.  Something nudged me to say more. There is something more to her I´m sure. ¨What´s her story,¨ I wondered. So I brought up something again about the Plan of Salvation and suddenly she started to open up saying she had just come from chemo therapy. She has cancer.  Not only that, but a year or two ago her brother passed away, leaving behind only a daughter who now suffers emotionally because of her father´s death.  I sat there in awe at what had just happened, almost with tears in my eyes.  Then suddenly she asked, ¨What advice of comfort or council could I give my niece?¨  ...she had just asked ME, a young 20 year old missionary from the U.S. who´s second language is spanish, for advice!  

I was absolutely honored and grabbed an extra Book of Mormon from my backpack. Flipped open to Alma 40, and other verses I love, marked them, and gave her the copy to share with her niece.   She was overwhelmed with excitement, wonder, and gratitude.  It was one of those moments you sit and ask yourself, ¨what if I hadn´t opened my mouth?¨ ¨what if I hadn´t said something more?¨ ¨what if I hadn´t asked for the seat by the window?¨ The Lord has a plan for us.  On that bus ride, I wasn´t supposed to contact 5 people, just her.  His plan is perfect, perfectly planned.  He loves us and desires so much for all to have this gospel.  I read an incredible verse this week from Doctrine and Covenants 27:18... ¨Be faithful until I come and ye shall be caught up, that where I am ye shall be also.¨  

Taught and heard an atheist pray.  He is an 18 year old young man who told hermana Gutierrez a few months back he didn´t believe if God, or at least doesn´t want to.  We arrived and instead of jumping into doctrine, we started the lesson on Geneology.  That actually sparked an interest and that´s when we introduced the Book of Mormon and taught of how it is a Geneology from the ancient Americas. He was impressed and surprisingly took interest. You could tell the young man has faith and part of him, si o si, believes in God.  To finish the lesson, we usually write the steps of prayer in the back of their books of Mormon and let the investigator pray.  We showed him the steps and he got all nervous, looking up at Hermana Gutierrez like, ¨You didn´t tell your companion that I DON´T believe in God !?!¨  She had a little smirk on her face but folded her arms and said, “ya like my companion said, now we´ll fold our arms and listen to you.”  She then folded her arms, shut her eyes, and bowed her head, haha, so I did the same.  There was a few seconds of awkward silence. You could tell he was still sitting their like, ¨I am not going to pray...¨  BUT... little do ya know he began saying, ¨Dear Heavenly Father...¨ and went on to give such a sincere and real prayer.  He knew he was talking to God. He asked as well for things, showing faith.  Afterward we thanked him and quietly left him and his family.  I am not kidding, hearts were changed that night.  I felt like we left someone different than who we began giving the lesson to.  Prayer is such a small but powerful tool in our lives that really brings us closer to our Father in Heaven.

Let us all be faithful, even with the little things, until He comes.  xoxo

Con Cariño, 

Hermana Owen

the photo is with the one and only Hermana Coronel... my hero! :)  I just adore her!  She had us over for caldo and mbeyu again! :)

Hermana Owen y Hermana Francois from Haiti -  She is amazing
Her story is incredible

El Templo

ALSO... ate cow stomach soup!  So good! With the same family who sent the pic of me eating chicken hearts. They eat THE weirdest yet most delicious things, haha.

In Argentina se llaman “Gizo” or "Sopa de Mondongo"  (soup)

        A perfect shot!! This is Hna Flor and her darling little boy they call ¨Gordo¨, haha It´s like calling your little boy ¨Chubbs¨or something. They were filled with the most incredible joy. It´s the greatest desire I have, to one day be sealed to someone I love and my own children. 

Shoes are thin and wonderful haha but got the insoles. Only thing is, they are stretched so much that the insole takes up the hole wear my foot lays and so they fly off.  I need to try them in the other shoes.  SAW ELDER and brother alder!! Just now, in the office. He left some money for me to get new shoes. haha i told him no, but he insisted, I told him you´d pay him back.  They are awesome. It was so exciting to see them!  So, I am planning on getting some shoes from Hermana Mcmullin, if not i´ll go to the crock shop one of these days.  Thank you for fasting for Marcelo. :)  The week was INCREDIBLE.  There are NO words to describe.  My comp is WONDERFUL.  Seriously we are always laughing and just having the greatest time together! WE HAD 50 PEOPLE IN CHURCH !!! Our reading of first Nephi has been a huge strength! An entire less active family came !!! Familia Vasquez!  And almost all bore their testimonies. It was especially touching to hear the father bear his testimony.  Not much time at all today because we had a concilio with pte. and zone leaders until 3 this afternoon.  But it is always fun because Hna Mcmullin takes us out to lunch afterward! :)  

Okay miracles!!! Got to go to the temple!!  One of Hermana Gutierrez´s recent converts from her old area went to get sealed this week. It was seriously a tender mercy of the Lord I think because I am missing two of my best friends´weddings: Brianne and Michelle.  It was amazing.  I will write home about it or next week.  We had 50 people in church so exciting! Today I saw Elder Shumway (old asistant), Elder Alder, and his dad and brother.

Amazing  week really but we have to go, work starts in an hour and 15!  Love you all and know that my heart is FILLED with joy!  I love this work so so much!   Thank you for your letters, love, and support.

xoxo LOVE YOU ALL!

xoxo

Con Cariño,

Hermana Owen

     ¨An invitation that is born of our love for others and for the                                        Lord Jesus Christ... will never be seen as offensive or judgmental.¨  

                                                                  -Elder Holland

I made guacamole!!! and we made lentil soup and bean soup! I´m learing to cook here!

This week was full of surprises.  One of the BIGGEST surprises was the cold. Holy smokes you guys will not believe HOW cold it is here!!! I am back to wearing practically every layer I have!  
  

The ward is moving along great with first Nephi.  Tuesday we went to share with Marcelo.  Our bishop is awesome and went by to visit him this week.  He called to tell us how impressed he was at how prepared Marcelo is.  

THE greatest surprise this week was last night... we taught an ENTIRE FAMILY!!! Usually it´s just the mom and the kids, or a single dad, etc. but we taught an entire family. We were teaching their daughter and last night when we went to visit we felt impressed to have her invite her family.  We listened and heard the dad in the other room say, ¨Alright everyone let´s go!¨  They ALL came.  It was absolutely incredible. You guys!! And we have a lesson set for next Sunday with everyone.  They are so interested.  And speak English.  Lived in Florida for a good 7 years or so.  Oh things are going great here.  Love you all so so much!  

A big CONGRATS Katie on your graduation! You looked beautiful!! xoxo

Con Cariño,

Hermana Owen

...didn´t have time to write all the surprises, but the Lord was so good to us this week.  Found an awesome scripture this week about our callings, whether we´re missionaries, members, etc.  Know that the calling you hold is important to the Lord and needs us all.

Hermana Gutierez y Hermana Owen
Beautiful Sister of God

Extra Large Grapefruits 

We celebrated Paraguay´s Día de Independencia!  It was Wednesday, and President asked my companion, me, and a few other sisters to go to the parade down town to do some contacting and get some good references. We used some giant, fun Mormon.org posters.  I think we had some success.  TONS of people!!! Tons of  chipa and hamburguesas, haha.  It was beautiful though because it was alongside the river!

This week was wonderful.  So many little miracles. We have a tough part of our area called, ¨La Piedad,¨   because La Piedad, a giant catholic church, sits right in the middle and everyone is a member!  ¨Recatolicos¨ we call them, meaning super catholic.   However, I think the area is ready to explode- with investigators that is- because we found 3 new ones over there this week!  Plus that is where Marcelo lives.  By the way, he was not able to get baptized.  oh you guys he has the greatest testimony ever. Si o si he will get baptized.  He turns 18 this coming January.  The ward treats him like a member now, it is THE greatest!  

Speaking of the ward, they are starting to pick up pace. Well after a little probing and expressing to Bishop the importance of these meetings to us, WE FINALLY HAD WARD COUNCIL!! Which, will now be held every second and fourth week of the month at 7 am before church.  Plus people came!  AND we had chipa afterward! What more could you ask for?  Oh and after the branch, all the leaders (presidents and or councelors) gather and we chat for algunos 3 minutos about who didn´t come, we split, and go visit.  I am so stoked!  He announced the goal of the month (well starting yesterday until the 22 of June) to read the First Book of Nephi.  We are going to do family nights everyweek to read parts of First Nephi together and do a really neat activity we have planned at the end.   I am so happy because EVERYONE knows about it now!  Things are going great!

Love you all! Keep being missionaries and remember the Lord´s hand that is constantly stretched out to all of us.  1 Nephi 1:14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! 

and 20:But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.¨ 

I am reading the Book of Mormon again but focusing in ONE thing, the mercies of the Lord and his invitation to Come Unto Him.  It is really neat.  You should all try it.   Pick a topic and highlight things only about this topic.  Makes reading so much more beneficial than just reading to read.  I am seeing it from a different view now.

Wish you all a wonderful week! xoxo

Con cariño,

Hermana Owen 

Our House

With Banana Trees

Mi y Hermana Rios

Stunning Bella Vista

At the parade down town.

GIANT ANTS

Eating one of my favorites Mbeyu

If you want to know how to make this yummy bread here it is...

Mmmbeyu timeagain!!!  Hermana Gimenez taught us today!  She is makes it just right. If you want to try and make it here is the recipe:

1 Kilo of Almirón (this is flour from mandioca, it is really white)  DO NOT USE FLOUR.

1/3 cup oil

2-3 cups milk or more

2/3 cup or more of butter (softened) if you don´t have butter you can substitute with oil

2 tbsp salt (to your liking really)

and... queso!  You can put how ever much you want in.  We put about 1/3 or more of a kilo.

How to:  Mix in order, crumbling it all up in your hands until the flour and everything is moist. It should be a batter at all.  Only like a moist flour.  You want to be able to break it all up (not stick together) but also not to dry. You can also add more milk if it is to dry.  Put a little oil in a pan and pour about 1 1/2 cups of the flour in the pan, then press down on the sides.  Cook about 1 minute on each side.  It is still white in the end, but don´t worry I think it´s cooked!  Enjoy!

The Future Is As Bright As Your Faith

She taught me how to read. She taught me how to love.  She taught me how to cook.  She taught me how to clean. She taught me how to dance.  She taught me how to draw.  She taught me how to keep going when all is lost.  She taught me to look past the falts.  She taught me to see the good in all.  She taught me to be a friend.   She taught me help.  She taught me to sacrifice.   She taught me to pray.   She taught me to sing.  She taught me how to paint my nails.  She taught me to go to church. And there is one thing she taught me most of all, that is of my Savior Jesus Christ.   

Like we read in 2 Nephi, ¨ Y hablamos de Cristo, nos regocijamos en Cristo, predicamos de Cristo, profetizamos de Cristo y escribimos según nuestras profecías, para que nuestros hijos sepan a qué fuente han de acudir para la remisión de sus pecados.¨    I love you, Mom.  Happy Mother´s Day.  Thank you for all you have taught;  I hope to one day be more like you.   So fun to see you and the family on Saturday.  Everyone looks so good!  So excited for Michelle and Jake!  As well excited for JUNIOR!!! Keep reading the Book of Mormon my friend, it is the key! 

How wonderful is modern technology - To be able to SEE and hear Hillary 
was the best Mother's Day gift.

THIS WEEK: 

¨ I want to be baptized so bad.  I pray everyday that she will soften her heart.¨  You guys, Marcelo wants to get to baptized so bad!  These were his exact words yesterday!  Oh he is one incredible young man.  We are striving to get him baptized.  His mother has said no but we aren´t losing faith.  The Lord has a plan for him.   He is going to do incredible things in the church.  I know the Lord has big plans for him.  I have never met someone with such a strong testimony and NEVER deny it.  He is so sure he knows it's true.  That is my hope that we can ALL learn to be a little more grounded, a little more sure, a little more faithful.  It is the first principle of the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ.  President Thomas S. Monson said, ¨Our future is as bright as our faith. ¨  So we are keeping the faith even though the future's not looking to bright right now.   We had a wonderful week.  I want to thank you all for your prayers and love.  We are really seeing the blessings of prayer and fasting this week.  Our bishop said (yesterday) we are now going to have Consejo de Barrio (ward council) TWICE A MONTH!!! YAY!!! Hermana Gutierrez and I are getting everyone reading the Book of Mormon more and are planning an awesome activity.  So excited.  Such a blessing to see the fruits of our labors.  Look for the Lord´s hand in your life, it´s there everyday.  

Con mucho cariño,

Hermana Owen

Lots of Pics

This one's name is Walle.  Isn't he cute !

First,  Marcelo is progressing like crazy!!!  He has a date for the 17th!!   He is soooo excited!  Yesterday he came to church and when we double checked to see if he had been praying about the date, he started to frantically nod and say ¨I want to!¨  The Lord blessed us with various opportunities to bond with his mom this past week.  It was awesome!  She is darling and now a ton more open to the idea of Marcelo getting baptized.  He is so curious and learns so fast.  He is already thinking about a mission and wondering who he wants to be baptized.  Yesterday, when we shared with him we  talked about the Book of Mormon and he was stoked to find out that the Savior actually came to the Americas.  He said, ¨Oh ya like it says in la Biblia... other sheep I have which are not of this fold.¨  (John 10:6)  We then opened to 3 Nephi 15: 17.  I cannot describe the joy that you saw running through his face.   Something clicked.  It hit him.  He said, ¨I can´t believe how many things are unfolding.  It´s like the Book of Mormon and Bible testify of one another.¨  Oh it was a priceless moment.  Also during sacrament he tells us, ¨It´s unbelievable how incredible I feel in this church.¨   He loves it so much!  I opened to D&C 11: 12-14 and let him read.  He smiled shaking his head in agreement.  He is going to change the future of the church in Paraguay. I want you all to meet him!

Dinner's with familia Rios are the best !!

We also had another neat experience.  Elder Wilhelm, from the 70, was here this week with his darling wife. They gave a power house conference to our mission, and then a special fireside for menos activos y ivestigators.  We brought a couple menos activos and a darling investigator named Maria Elena.  She loved it!  They talked about the opportunity each one of us has to meditate and pray to know if these things are true. She said, ¨I´m gonna go do that.¨  ha yes!  Afterward we went and walked around the temple, even entered the doors into the first little room (waiting parlor i think). A darling temple worker approached us named Hermano Decoud.  Wrinkles swallowed his eyes in a darling grin.  He asked Maria Elena what she thought and when she was planning on getting baptized. :) She said, ¨I love it!  and hopefully soon!¨   

Look who got baptized... Our little Raquel !!!

 Hopefully soon!! We are pressing on and working hard.  

Didn´t sweat as much this week.  Temperature is cooling down! SO happy!    

I love you all so much!  3 Nephi 18: 24 and 32.   

con mucho cariño,

Hermana Owen

Precious right.  An awesome day seeing Raquel make covenants with her Heavenly Father

Our Zone
And a special visit from one of the 70 Elder Wilhem and his cute wife

Look what I found in the road
(the face is actually saying, "ahhh, i wish i had a whole bag to myself")

It is so green here

I got two packages this week THANK YOU !!
I think these were orange blossoms... Haha
We had a good laugh and they smelt awesome!

Our breakfast.  I found little smokies dad and couldn't resist.

Maria Elena after the Conference with Elder Wilhelm.  She is darling.  We adore her!  She told a member of the ward, ¨I want to be mormon, how can I talk to the missionaries? ¨ Ahhhahaha what!?!?   we got on that fast! She is darling and loved how in the conference they talked about meditating and praying to find an answer to know if this is true and says ¨I am going to do that.¨ :)

These are my little angels !!  Jade (pronounced Hady)  she is just precious and so sweet.  tiny tiny... reminds me a bit of greta goose :)  Abigail (grandaughter of my hero Hna Coronel)

this our cute investigator Hayda.  She is due in 2 months!  Our goal for her and her husband is:  WEDDING IN THE TEMPLE!!!  they are darling and she is reading the book of mormon!!

The Fruit of the Lord

HEY HEY HEY!!!! DID YOU KNOW WE CAN TALK IN ONE WEEEEEEEK!!!! what the waht the life! okay so let me know when is best for you all!!! maybe we do tuesday and onward probably not lunes because it will be a little crazy.  also next week are changes on wednesday and tuesday we´ll be a little busy, but really just let me know when is good for you guys :)  SOOOOOO Excited to see and talk to you guys!

Oranges are all over the ground. It smells like a fall/winter  in Arizona. I love it. We drink fresh squeezed grapefruit juice almost everyday and everyone is always giving us bags.  The bananas outside are getting bigger, hopefully ready to eat in the next month or so, I can´t wait!   

This week was an adventure!  Hermana Gutierrez and I traveled far.  We went to the one and only YBY YAU!!! I returned!! It was THE sweetest to see everyone again.   So many familiar faces.  Oh I love Yby Yay. It is a beautiful place.  We only stayed one day and then got up at 4 in the morning to travel to the border of Brazil to a small town called, ¨Pedro Juan.¨  We had a blast.  We spent the 24th there, which marks my one year mark in the mission.  It was an absolute PERFECT day.  We completed our goals, it wasn´t to hot, and there was a cool breeze.  I can´t belive how time has flown.  I somewhat feel like I have had some time in the mission but then again I still feel like I got here yesterday.  One thing I have always wished is to actually see the fruits of my labors, and I´m telling you what, the Lord let me see them yesterday.

 

YBY YAU

Yesterday was Stake Conference.   Just an FYI, I have been in the same stake my entire mission.  It is really such a blessing. I see converts, members, etc. every so often from my old areas.  We were singing in the choir yesterday when people started to enter... Dilce Barrios, Hermana Ana Acosta and Cesi, Familia Avalos, Sofi and Alejandro Rivarola, FAMILIA SUARREZ!, Elizabeth and Ceci, Bishop Portillo and his family, Jessica and Paul, and KRISTIAN y CELIA! Oh the chapel was filled with SO many familiar faces.  The conference began and they started anouncing those being ordained to the Melchesidek priesthood. I turned around to see Kristian Durate standing tall with the biggest grin on his face.  The greatest joy sprung from my heart and seriously if it would have been any stronger I swear I could have taken off flying!  I started to cry. Tears of joy ran down my cheeks. The Lord has shown me, not my fruits, but ¨ours.¨ By him I have been priviledged to be a toold amongst these wonderful people in Paraguay.  By him they have come to know their Savior and that His church is in its fullest today upon the earth. 

I love you all so much. Thank you for letting be here. Thank you for all you do for me.  

Con mucho cariño,

Hermana Owen

(asking Hillary about learning how to speak spanish)

esta is more formal (how us missionaries speak) or as sisters we can use estas (it´s a for of refering to ¨you¨ but with someone you are close to)

 (asking Hillary the best way to mark your Book of Mormon)

Ummm... I have tons of fun ways i am marking them now. You could tie it in with Preach My Gospel mark anything from lesson one in green (restoration), lesson 2 (plan of salvation) blue, and lesson 3 (gospel of Jesus Christ) purple

That is a lot of material though.  Three ideas I have hear of are:   Going through and reading the Book of Mormon, marking all the times that it says ¨Give ear or give heed¨ and there was a promise made by some mission pte. that  if they did that, their ability to recognize and work with the spirit would better. :)  Also I love looking for all the times the Lord invites us to ¨Come Unto Him¨ like I mentioned last week in my email. That is the message of the book of mormon and the bible :)  Third, is to Mark in Red anything about Christ (you could narrow it down to repentance, the atonement etc... whatever you want to focus on.) 

Oh I know what katie was talking about... GRANDPA DOUGIE CALL HIM. :)  He gave me (which I have and could send you guys)  a paper that goes through and highlights all that is KEY to know in the book of mormon it is a great method and way of marking to then hand out books of mormon.  YEs it is awesome. I don´t have it in memory but call grandpa dougie.  It is great. 

the dream team!! this is hna tomco and i with one of our favorite people in the world!!! Hermana Homer!!!! We were all 3 in the ccm together.  She is AMAZING and one of the greatest I´ve ever met.