February 23, 2015

Feb 23, 2015

Ok, so just to clear things up.  I am not training, i am still a junior comp.  But I dont care because basically after training you are just a normal missionary and I have to lead the area . . .so basically I am just a normal missionary!  But its kind of nice being out of training.  I feel less like a newbie. And I learned Spanish pretty fast so everybody here thinks I have been out longer than 3 months in Paraguay.  

But, how fun that youguys went to del carman.  Haha, you get to experience some of the heat that I am experienceing.  Actaully, this summer has been really cool for Paraguay (i thionk this means that its like in the 80s 90s instead of the 100s and 110s.)  But this means that this winter is going to be really cold. But its still summer for like 3 more weeks I think.  But its back to school time!  Everyone started school today!  They all have cute little uniforms.  Its adorable.

About the packages,

whatever glowsticks you can find.  The kids dont care.  They think theyre magical.

as far as workout videos, nothing way skimpy.  Bueno,  I actually kind of want something like p90x.  Or something that is like 20 to 30 mintues long.  Normal expercise backround music is fine.  And p90x abs if you can find it.

Pocket translater, its a little electronic dictionary. Katie had one on her mission. Its like wallet sized.

photos . . . you should just send me pics of the wedding and the fam.  Everyone loves to look at pics of your fam, and I want one of Trent when he is actually a part of the family . . . like with Katie, becasue everyone thinks he is my novio.  Also pics of valentines day.  and katie as a bride.  You can send me little videos through email also.  So take a video of the wedding!!

I can listen to efy music as long as it is chill, but I dont love the overyly trukie I wept as I stood in the airport songs.  or the country stuff.  But instramental stuff is cool.  Like instamental hymns.

But I love you guys!

Hna Jarman

Hello everyone this week!

How are you all doing.

Shoot.  No time.

I am going to tell you the really cool story of the week.

There is this old hermano that we found and he is adorable and loves sharing with us.  And so we were teaching him and also sometimes his son too.  His son has a a son that is a member.  But anyway, we went to bring this old man to church, and the old hermano was really sick and so he couldnt go but we got his son to go with us.  And so we got there a little bit late (we had to wait for the person to have their car ready to take us because the old man cant walk very well, and then we had to wait for the son to change his clothes . . .) and so we walked in right after the first prayer.  And I look, and realize that the chorister wasnt there.  So the ward was a little bit lost without the piano and without the normal chorister. And then they announce some random sacrament hymn and everyone looks to see who came in late, see its me, and everyone is like  . . ..  go!  Go play the piano.  And so I sruccied up there, praying I knew the hymn they had just announced, also realizing that the stake president had come to visit.  All you little kids that are hating your piano lessons . . .take them seriously because you WILL play hymns on the mission.  And you better hope that you are prepared!

So that was my adventure.

But later that night we were sharing with this hermano and his son.  And his son drinks.  A lot.  Like 10 cans of beer a day.  And we were sharing with him about how much god loves him.  And we were sharing with him how drinking is damaging his body.  And he said Ï want to change.  But I cant.

And I dont know if many phrases have struck me as hard as that one.  Because I dont know how many times I have said that to myself in my life.  I want to be so good, I want to follow christ more fçperfectly, I want to be a better person, a better missionary, but I cant.  I dont know how, I dont have the energy, I am scared.  And in that moment I testified in I think pretty much perfect spanish that God loved him, that Christ suffered for him and that with Jesus Christ, he COULD.  And then I asked him to list the reasons why he wanted to stop drinking, making him think about every person he loved.  Why he wanted to change for them, why he wanted to stop drinking.  And I looked at him straight in the eyes and testified that he could.  For them, he could.  And then he started crying.  This huge man with a life of hard manual labor cried.  And his eyes softened, and for the first time, he had hope.

I dont have anymore time to write, but it sufficieth me to say that it was the most powerful moment that I have had on my mission.  And that everytime I have moments like this I understand the atonement a little bit more.  I hope to spend my life discovering this great gift of God.

Hna Jarman