Hermana Owen ~ Paraguay Asuncion North: 39 Degrees

WEEK 16 Wild Winds~Psycho Cold Aug 12, 2013

I was saying a prayer today (personal) and I stopped, and was trying to think of a word, and i thought why on earth would i forget a word in English when I suddenly realized I had been praying the whole time in Spanish!! ahhh so I think that it a good sign haha :)

This week was wonderful. Man Sunday (yesterday) was spiritually intense. We had 3 investigators (Gloria, su hija Milagros, and Faviola (cousin of Milagros)) attend church and the ward made them feel so welcome, Hna Toctaquiza and I couldn´t have been happier. But it got better... 4 of our less active or recent converts attended!! One sister we have been very consistent and faithful with, passing by her house every week came with her kids; it was almost unreal, took our breath away when she walked into relief society. Wow. Then to top things off we decided to pay a visit to a less active man in the ward, Hno Flor (whose wife is a nonmember), and man the spirit was so thick in the room, especially as Hna Toctaquiza responded to Hna Flor´s question of, ¨what happens if we try to do our best in this life but just choose not to be part of an Iglesia or organization?¨ It was incredible. We were all crying as she testified of baptism and how families can be together forever. Hno Flor really opened up and expressed his desire to return and how he is beginning to recognize how he needs the strength of the members to retain his strong testimony. Something that I have really begun to recognize is, not only the mechanics of the missionary work, but the importance of the members. I never really recognized how important their role is, and I´m not sure I would have ever realized it without my mission. Seriously, the missionaries are like HUGE in south American countries. For example, my comp´s family fed the missionaries 3 times a week in their house. Everyone is involved. When the missionaries used to ask us for references I thought nah I don´t really know who would or wouldn´t want to listen... but seriously GIVE THE MISSIONARY REFERENCIES!! Please, for my sake! It is so much more effective when the investigators have friends. Serious though we are all missionaries and the Lord has called us all.

Also if you see the missionaries in the street offer them a snack, water, or buy them icecream... no just kidding this is what I wish people would do here for us. No just kidding people offer us water... and pop of course.

So wild part of our week was Friday. We left our house after planning around 2:30ish and after one of our lessons around 4 the wind started to pick up and dark clouds were rollin in. We thought for sure oh no rain!!! But no, no rain... WIND! PSYCHO COLD wind. It was unreal. Luckily I was wearing a skirt that doesn´t fly around in the wind, but we were in short sleeves and no stockings and man the wind was freezing. We walked around for hours cuz no one would let us in and we were COVERED in dust (that hit us at 90 mph no jk not really sure how fast but sometimes the grains of dirt stung as they hit our legs) SEriously our hair, in our teeth, and in our shoes... everywhere. I have a little gripe (cold) cuz of it but all is well... although I am running low on my alkazelter plus packets :(

so Friday in the crazy wind the best part was that the wind blew the smell of the orange blossoms into the air. I felt like I was home and it was easter! They have lots of citrus trees here. Not as many as they used to but it smells like Arizona´s spring right now I LOVE IT! and hna Toctaquiza does NOT like it haha she thinks it is a weird smell haha

Okay people to know: Hno Oscar Luke in our ward knows the UDALLS!!! He said that he worked with Bro. Udall all the time. We are teaching the brother of Hno Luke right now, although not sure how much longer cuz they aren´t progressing. Also, ask them if they remember Katerin Rios. She is a cute 18 yr old who goes on splits with us now and then and wants to serve a mission as well. When I asked her if she knew the Udall she was like OH I LOVE THEM! (in spanish of course) By the way Spanish is coming along a lot better. I am uderstanding so much now and I am getting more compliments yay! The power of prayer and fasting is real ... like the sons of Mosiah in ALma 17:3.

Anyway, I love you all so very very much! Please know that I think about you all and pray for you all (family, friends and missionaries :)

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo Love Hillary

HNA OWEN

Quote for the week: it´s in Spanish :)

¨La fe es el PODER, la obedencia es el PRECIO,

el amor es el MOTIVE, el espiritu es la CLAVE,

Cristo es la RAZON.¨

-Pres. Hinckley :)

we made chicken soup the other night cuz it was FREEZING!!!! like 4 degrees celcius (39’ F)!!! My face is red from the freakishly insane wind that came out of nowhere and hit us from 4 oclock on!