A lot has been happening.....losing some and trying to wrap it up

We have had some incredible experiences visiting the wonderful people of the Nivacle.  This time we were able to take a new  treat they had never experienced before, an orange! It was really satisfying to share something with them that made them smile.
Elder Singer and Elder Hermansen have made more trips than anyone here in the mission.  With Elder Singer completing his mission and these Elders desire to make sure the Nivacle understood the significance of the temple trip, we made one more trip to the Chaco.  To see these Elders teach, sometimes in Nivacle and sometimes with the help of a translator, the love is palatable!  What a joy to know that these Elders really have served with all their heart.  It is hard for them to talk sometimes because the smile is so big under the words!  Thank you!!!

English in Paraguay?

One of the programs that is offered by the church is for our Latin missionaries to learn English.  The church knows that knowing  more than one language can increase the possibility of good employment in all countries.  Our North Americans here need to learn Spanish and they pick up some Guarani as well.  Our Latin missionaries are given books in the missionary training center to start learning English from the first days.  There are 3 books that they can learn from here in the mission and when they are ready they can take an English test through an International company.  The church pays for each Latin missionary to have the opportunity to take this test before they leave the mission.  What an accomplishment!  Some of our missionaries will leave with more that two languages.... incredible!

Two great Hermanas

Again we loose!  We have to remember the excitement on the other side with those families that have been waiting to see their missionary, to compensate for the sadness that we feel when one of our missionaries leave.  It is really hard to wonder if you will be able to see these people that have become a part of your heart and your life again.  It is the promises of eternity that we hold on too and the sweet reunion that can be ours there.

We haven't had a group like this in a long time!

We LOVE getting missionaries and this week we got 11!!!  We are so grateful to have each and every one of them.  We haven't had a group this big for months!  We feel very blessed to have them.  We also feel grateful that they came to us in normal hours :).  No trips to the airport in the middle of the night, thank you!  We like getting 5 straight hours of sleep.  You are so good to us already!!

Welcome to our mandatory blood test. What a way to start!!

Changing Assistants

With this change came a new assistant.  Elder Fairbanks has left us and we gained Elder Murphy who will serve with Elder Villacreses. These Elders are incredible!  They do so much to lead this mission, work hard themselves in their area and make all the trips back and forth to the airport and other places.  We are so grateful to have their dedication.

Multi country conference in the Chaco

We had the opportunity to view the multi country conference for South America in the Chaco.  New technology was used that for the first time ever we used a camera to watch the conference in Abundancia but it was sent from there to Mistolar.  This alieveates the very long trip for them to attend the conference.  All worked perfectly!  I wish I had taken a picture of the whole set up but I did get some pictures of those good Elders and the cute kids.

They love the ipad!  But we were able to work on some matching games and teach a little bit of double digit math.  It was great!

Taking a hit

Special changes this last week to send three awesome missionaries home to go to school.  Not enough words can be said about the great things that they have done here in the mission.

Elder Tveten, Elder Fairbanks and Elder Behrens Thank you!!!!  You have blessed our lives so much and the lives of many others!  

We know that you will accomplish many great things.