What a fabulous week!  We got, I don´t no how many doors slammed in our faces and dealings with the sisters but seriously nothing shook the smiles on Hna Tomco´s and my face.  We just found the joy and blessings in the work this week!!  For example, ayer fuimos con la Hermana Mcmullin (Si!!! la esposa del presidente Mcmullin!  big stuff)  para visitar nuestra investigadora Martha.  Llegamos a su casa y nos dijo que si, iba a escuchar pero quería volver el Libro de  Mormon porque no querían mas.  Bueno, we asked if we could just share a little bit and she said that was fine.  It was unreal.  The spirit is seriously incredible.  It is our secret ingredient!  By the end of the lesson she was agreeing with us and practically telling us that there needed to be a restoration and promised to really read and pray about the Book of Mormon this time.  She then began to thank her Heavenly Father in prayer for all that we had taught her, clarified for her, and helped her see. It was unreal.   Hermana Mcmullin was awesome in the lesson.   She brought a mother´s point of view to the lesson and helped her a a more personal level grasp our message.  There is something magical about having lessons with members as well. It makes every lesson 50x better!  

Good news... we have a baptism in two weeks!!! Not this coming Sunday, but the next.  Her name is Analía.  She is absolutely darling!   She grew up in the Chacho (outskirts of paraguay).  Her father was always drunk and didn´t really care for her or her siblings and neither her mother.  None of their kids live with them anyway and Analia was growing up have the time in a near by orphanage.  So she recently moved into the bishop´s house, who adopt like everyone and anyone.  I love their house!  It is always filled with random people.  We´ll ask them, ¨Is that your uncle?¨ and they´ll say, ¨No he just lives with us.¨ They are the best.   Anyway little Analía is precious.  She was and still is a little bit quiet but she has this fire about her.  She surprised us this Sunday when she said she has been reading the Book of Mormon ever night since we taught her about it.  Her life situation has not only become substantially better, but there is just a light beaming from her eyes now and every time she sees us she is happier than can be!  The way she greets us and hugs... you can just feel her gratitude beeming.  Heavenly Father has really blessed us with her.  She was so prepared and is a really smart cookie.  She is in love with young womens and they all welcomed her in, I was so happy!   The other day we were teaching her she tells us she wants to be a missionary! I just love seeing this work bring a new life and new door to one´s life.  If they´re willing to take the key and unlock it they´ll find something that will change their life ever more.  

With ups and downs, I couldn´t be happier than I am right now.  My companion is absolutely amazing!! She is so dedicated (reminds me of Katie a ton!!!), so wise, so willing to do and achieve more, so fun (we laught a ton!), so charitable, and just one stellar missionary.  She makes me want to be better every day.  We are having a blast together, especially being able to help these Hermanas.  I am loving this calling and it really does catch me by surprise that they really do look up to Hna Tomco and I.  We are really blessed though to have such a strong group of Hermanas.  They are all incredible workers.  We are seeing numbers rise every week, slowly but surely, in the wards.   I love this work.  I love this gospel. I love my Savior.  ¨Oh let all that is in me, adore Him.¨ -From my newest favorite hymn ¨Praise to the Lord, the Almighty¨ Hermana Tomco and I sang it yesterday and just fell in love with it. 

xoxo Con Cariño,

Hermana Owen

P.S. Weather is still hotter than ever and I´m afraid only getting hotter but people give us ice cold water where ever we go.  The Lord has his hand in the work... we reap the blessings every day.

On the bus, hot chipa and writing letters

View from bus ride to Yby Yau

Cute family in ward.  I am in love with these kids !!!!!

The Ward in Yby Yau

Monkey Business

          Buenos Días!   This week was awesome!  Hna Tomco is absolutely a trooper... at everything.  You could ask this girl to move a mountian and she could.  We are getting along great and making tons of memories.  Friday we were out working and we had this prompting to clap at this one house who´s door was open. As we walked past I felt this ¨family spirit¨ just radiating from this house.  Well lo and behold, we got a new family who are super open and interested in the gospel.  It was probably one of the best lessons Hna Tomco and I have taught yet.  It just flowed by the spirit.  I love being with someone who knows the language and lesson material.  It is amazing how the spirit works.

   

Last week, I forgot to mention a neat experience we had.   We were out teaching an investigator (Heri pronounced Eddy)  with Araseli (18 yr old from the ward who i seriously want to be best friends with the rest of my life) and he was in serious need of help. We were trying so hard to teach him lesson one but he was just wanted to unload his sad life/ story to us and tell us how aweful his life is and that he has faith but God isn´t doing anything.  Well a conference talk popped in my head from Pte. Monson (didn´t have it on me then) about having faith through trials... from this last conference. He seemed so helpless. The elders were teaching him at first and I think he has kinda of adopted us more as therapy.  We have listened to him a ton and we really feel he needs to listen to us, or at least recieve lesson one about Joseph Smith.  It would help clear up a lot of things.  We finished the lesson and he then called the elders to see if they could come the next morning to visit.   He told them that we were over and how awful he was doing.  As we were walking to the gate to leave, it being 9:30 or so, the office elders pulled up infront of Heri´s house. A sudden wave of the spirit, as if crashing right at Heri´s front gate just hit us.  I am not kidding.  I have never felt the presence of the Priesthood so strong. It was unreal.  I am so grateful for worthy priesthood holders and the blessing they are to us.  

The mission is incredible.  I think I kind of got overwhelmed though with the new year and thinking i need to be perfect.  I found a great quote in my little book for missionaries from Elder John A. Widtsoe.  He said, ¨Expect perfection in no man.¨  He is so right.  We are all here to progress, all here to learn, and find the path the Lord prepared.  It said, ¨look for the virtures in man, not the faults.¨ I really liked that because it is so easy to get caught up about something someone doesn´t do, or doesn´t do good, and just faults in general. I am striving to have a better outlook, not only on others but on myself, learning to see myself as my Father in Heaven does.  

Love you all so much!

xoxo

Love Hermana Owen

Out first Big Meeting with Presidente

Merry Christmas with Hermana Buss

Darling uncle and his nephew in Yby Yau

Kisses for Clever, the monkey.  

Busy Busy Busy

HELLO!!! :) Me and my new comp!!!! Hna Tomco!!! From Springville Utah.  She knows JR Hansen and went to byu before the mission. We actaully were in the ccm together and I am more stoked than ever to be her comp!!! 

hey mom and dad we have had a crazy big day with pres. and all zone leaders and hna mcmullin (pres. wife)  so we didn´t really get time to write today.  Had a fabulous new years though and oh my life you should know this week was literally one of THE best yet in the mission!!!   I am not kidding.  It felt like  THE fastest yet THE longest at the exact same time.  Hna Tomco and I have got tons of New YEars resolutions... she reminds me of Katie :) in that aspect which I absolutely love.  We both bounce off one another and are both inspire/animar uno al otro. I love her!  I can tell this will be a great compship.  One thing I am really trying to master and focusing with Hna Tomco on is consecrating our lives to the Lord. We are doing 40 day fasts, speaking spanish only in the streets, and talking to EVERYONE.  That (talking with everyone) really impacted our week, turned it from a regular week to a golden week.  We each had over 100 contacts each (When the mission max goal is 75)  and we found seriously more than one or two golden investigators everyday.  Oh I couldn´t be happier this gospel is incredible.  Our Savior really will make us, ¨fishers of men.¨  I challenge you all to read Matthew 4.  amazing. I was admiring and studying the Savior´s characteristics during the 40 day fast and in vs. 18-19 when he says to the fishers  I will make you fishers of men.  I applied it to us in our regular lives doing our regular ¨fishing¨or things we like to do.  Maybe these things bring us joy and there not bad, but if we can have the strength to put those things aside and really learn to consecrate all thoughts, actions, desires, and time to the Lord he will make of us something we never imagined we could become.  He will show us a different type of ¨fishing¨ much richer, much greater, and gratifying than any other thing that occupies our life/time.  This Gospel is amazing.  The law of consecration really is the answer to not only a successful mission, but a successful life.  

Con mucho cariño,

 Hermana Owen

Hermana Owen and Hermana Tomco

Christmas In Paraguay 2013

Week 35                            Christmas in Paraguay                           Dec 29, 2013

I can´t believe how time flies!!! It is unreal!  But first off I must say it was so refreshing and exciting to see you all and hear every ones voices!!! Oh, I miss you all tons but seriously hearing you all just got me pumped to go work even more.  I can´t believe I am almost halfway done with my mission!! unreal.

We had Christmas Eve at Presidente´s house and his family.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and dessert by Hna Mcmullin.  It was so fun to spend it with them.  We went caroling at this hospital in our area and the bishop’s house.  It was definitely a different Christmas, but there was no denying the incredible love and spirit of our Savior Jesus Christ.  We played white elephant at pte´s house.  All the office elders were there and hermana Fuller (the nurse) and hermana Siddoway (who is here on a mission with the church perpetual fund i believe?).  And we got to ride around in the Presidents car and hang out with cute Erin (daughter) the whole time. That girl knows how to quote Brian Regan. Man, it was a stellar Christmas.  Plus a member gave my comp and I a plate full of Chipa Guasu which is this cornbread type stuff but made with fresh corn off the cobb instead of corn flour.  We were sick full.  

Half-way through the week we headed back to Yby Yaù. We put on a big fin de año cena with there tiny Rama (branch).  It was an absolute blast. So many came.  Non members and less actives!   We hung up the fabric tree mom, that you sent, all the decorations and we blew up balloons, and made silver stars to hang from string, cardboard, and tinfoil.  It was such a perfect little night. We helped the primary perform a Christmas song and some young woman performed a dance to ¨Feliz Navidad¨.

So, I did yep, I did... get to hold a monkey.  We named him Clever. I think I mentioned last week. He is so cute.  He´s not feisty if you just love him and don´t try to pull him away from anyone.  Hahaha

So mom you wanted to know how often I travel and do divisions with the sisters.  It depends, usually 2-3 times a week depending how far we are traveling.   Some places are up too 8 hours away so we travel all night on a big bus and then work all day and then jump on the bus the following night to come home and work the next day.  It can be tiring but it is just an absolute blast.  Especially when we get to buy hot chipa on the bus in the morning and you have crazy fun adventures like last night on the bus.  I had this crazy old lady behind me like freaking out yelling and nonstop talking for what seemed like 2 hours.  I was actually just laughing.  I was half asleep and did not understand a word she was saying I think she was just freaking out about when she had to get off.  I love Guarani and Spanish it is so cool understanding other languages. Well can´t really understand guarani quite yet but a few words.  

Changes tomorrow.  Got to give a devotional tonight and teach the trainers in the morning with my new comp, Hna TOMCO!!! We were in the ccm juntos!! so fun!!

xoxoxo Love HNA OWEN

Other replies to our emails:

I loved hearing your voice mom. I say we go (travel to Paraguay and Argentina) during the summer cuz it´s so hot here in Dec. but we´ll chat :)

Nick, so fun!!!! Oh it was so good to see you on skype!!  didin´t seem like it was really happening.  it felt like no time had past.  Sounds like Chirstmas was eventful and fun! miss you xoxo love hna owen  

(response to an email I sent to Hna McMullin thanking her for taking care of Hillary and watching out for her and allowing us the best Christmas ever…)

She is doing a fantastic job.  We are so looking forward to the time we will have together watching her serve as one of our sister training leaders.  She is very loved and respected by all the sisters here.  Has she always been such a happy person?  I have never seen anyone adjust so well to the stresses of missionary life.  She truly seems to focus on the Gospel and on the people around her and loses herself in the work.  She is a great example to us all.  Thank you for sharing her with us!

Hna. McMullin

When the call came in.  Pic on right was her first reaction (laughing and crying at the same time)
It actually froze right there on the big screen.
Then fixing computer so it works with the help of Elder Bayless (friend from home)

                       

Singing Silent Night in Guarani

Most of her facial expressions through out our Skype time.  Gosh we miss her.
What a blessing to see her live and hear her voice

I Held a Monkey

Week 34½                                                                              Dec 23-29, 2013

   So yes it´s true.  I held a monkey. He was absolutely darling.  I was feeding him Mburucuya juice in a bottle and he kept shoving the bottle out and spitting it out on me.  Then he decided he didn´t want anymore and curled up in my arms to sleep.  Oh and the family let me name him.  I sugessted Billy at first but they weren´t too big of fans so I named him ¨Clever.¨  Then my comp Hna Buss was holding him and he got mad when Yesica (12 yr old member in Yby Yaú)  tried to take him away so he furiously crawls up to Hna Buss´ear and bites it!! AHHH hahaha serious and then starts pulling furiously at her hair and biting it.  We were laughing so hard tears were running down my cheeks. 

    Goodness, the weeks really do just get better and better here!! The only sad part to this week was saying goodbye to my wonderful Hermana Wood.  She is now home and spending Christmas with her family.  Love you Hermana Wood.  Miss you dearly and thanks for the note.  I will miss you this Christmas.  Hermana Buss and I have had a great week in Yby Yaú.  I LOVE IT THERE!!!  It is so sad I only get 3 more days there.  Hopefully I will go there again some day.  It is amazing with the rich smell of mangos as they begin to fall, Chickens are outside (we throw them our left overs), electric buzz of giant locust, plains of trees that run out to the horizon and you can see in every direction, a chapel the size of a small american house, 20 members in church (it was a good day), monkeys to hold, small town,  Guarani (I ka tu Pura´hé... I am learning to speak one of the coolest languages),  kids everywhere...that follow you everywhere, and hilarious old people that laugh and speak guarani to you... in a nutshell heaven!  

    We found a golden investigator THROUGH A MEMBER!!!  yippee!!! 

I have been reading ¨How to be a Consecrated Missionary¨ by D. Tadd Callister.  All of you need to read it. Off the charts.  Anyway I have been focusing on really learning to give my all to my Heavenly FAther. I have been trying to just focus on the investigator and what my comp says and just loving them with all my heart and learning to see them through the eyes of my Savior. Oh you should have been in that lesson.  So her name is Teresita.  She is 16 and just darling.  As we taught her about the restoration or the Gospel, a light seemed to turn on in her eyes.  The spirit was so thick.  She explained she had never heard of this and how she would be sure to pray and ask if it were true. We are so excited to work with her.  

xoxo con cariño, Hna Owen

P.s. i forgot to bring my camera hook up so no pictures.  You´ll just have to trust me on the monkey story.

TWO DAYS

WEEK  34                             It’s Christmas Time                          Dec 23, 2013

This was last night in Pedro Juan, which is literally on the border with brazil (lots of portuguese) and we did a christmas concert with the ramas in this fun park!  SO fun!! It´s CHRISTMAS TIME!!!! the girl in the red is named Camila and is 16 and is traveling to the US. (san Fransisco) Jan 17th with a group of 13 smart kids from paraguay to do service and other sorts of stuff and return and apply what they learned in paraguay.  you guys should be friends with her on facebook.  love you all tons! xoox love hill

 

"We'll be talking to you soon.."

AHHH IN LIKE TWO DAYS!!! And do you guys mind doing it at 7:30 in the morning?? or 8 ??? we are gonna go to the office and skype so it would work best schedule wise if we could do it at 11:30 or noon my time ?  :)

love hilly hna owen

I Saw A Monkey

                                                     Week 33

Well what a week.   First a little miracle in Campo Grande.  Hna Wood and I had plans for a certain part of our area one day but after being harshly rejected and no one being home we decided maybe we would head out to Neverland, one part of our area that we were kinda putting off because it is a good 30-40 walk away from everything.   We decided to go.  After walking two hours straight in the blistering sun, drenched in sweat, and descansada muchisimo, we decided to clap at this random house.  I remember there was no specific prompting but I had kept in mind something I heard the other day, that as long as we are giving our best and preparing all we can the Lord will provide.  I kept looking forward and as we clapped at this particular house, out walked a HUGE 15 year old kid.   Come to find out he has been assisting the church in a different area with some friends, glady accepted the baptismal question, and is already talking about serving a mission!  PURETTE!  (awesome in Guarani)

Speaking of Guarani- the native  language here in Paraguay.-  I will probably learning a lot this next week.  I am out in Yby Yaú with cute Hna Buss from Whyoming.  I think I failed to mention the tiny fact that Hermana Wood goes home this week and so does Hna Buss´s comp.  Changes aren´t until Jan 2 so I will finish Hna Buss´s training out here in Yby Yaú.  We will be working here for a week, then Campo Grande for Christmas and a week, and then return here for a bit before changes.  Yby Yaú is VERY different from Campo Grande.  The people are very poor here.  Not much civilization, lots of bugs, crazy crazy trees, chickens live with us, and their church building is smaller than our house it is adorable!  I am so excited to be here but definitely started crying this morning during comp study with Hna Wood.  I am gonna miss that girl so much.  We have grown so close especially in Christ.  Everyday we tell each other a ¨Que me hizo reír...¨  Something that made us laugh.  It has helped us keep a positive energy all the time in the work.  She amazes me.   

Today was Pday and we went and hiked up to this small mountian.  It is out here in the middle of nowhere land of Yby Yaú (pronounced like EE-vee-jaw-oo)  SAW three monkeys!  They were adorable but to far away.  I thought i could coax them over with cookies but no luck. Some day I will hold one.    Anyway,  I am so excited to spend Christmas here in Paraguay.  It´s so hot.  Mangos are falling.  And there are Christmas lights... but no Christmas music... still Guarani music (which sounds like polynesian music) and musica paraguayo.   I love this work so so much.  I have so many pics to send i think i will just wait till after the mish. But here is a couple from the hike today.   

Con Cariño,

Hna Owen

My Birthday celebration - a key lime pie cake - Yum
At our Thanksgiving Feast

Hermana Wood and I - On our way to the Mt. in the back ground

The beautiful view way out in Neverland

Hermana Wood and I made it to the mountain

Mangos are falling everywhere - It's getting hot and they are getting ripe

Merry Christmas from our Mission - Can you find me :)