01 April 2013

Mon 4/1/2013 2:49 PM

 

Mr. Roboto

 

Hey there familia. You got lucky because I almost pulled a really mean April fool’s joke on you, but I decided not too because I had a lot to tell you!

This week went really well. Easter was good... It wasn’t really Easter at all. Let’s see, yesterday Elder Hatch and I.... didn’t really do anything special, actually. It was just a normal Sunday. But let me explain the week. So in Paraguay, since almost everyone is Catholic, they celebrate the whole week and more of Christ’s sacrifice and death, rather than his life. Holy Friday is the big holiday. Anyway, I will start from the beginning of the week. It’s easier to organize my thoughts that way.

 

So on Wednesday, it was an awesome day, because we got to go do a session at the temple! Woohoo. We get to go once every year. It was such an amazing experience! I love it so much. I was so nervous before though, because I knew I would have to do it all in Spanish. But it was really cool. We got there early and I had the opportunity to help with baptisms and confirmations. That was really cool. I felt official being an Elder and what not. It was cool. Then we did the session and I loved it. It had been so long since I had last been, it was really nice to go again and remember everything. The first room was so beautiful. They had a painting of Iguazu Falls all around the whole room! I couldn’t stop looking at it. But anyway, I had no probably with the Spanish. I understood everything so clearly, like it was in English. Since it was in Spanish, different words stood out too. That helped me learn a lot of different things. It was wonderful. I just loved the feeling in the temple. It was so peaceful and wonderful to be there. I love that place. So after, we went and got lomitos as a zone, and then after that we were waiting for a bus, right, and we were close to McDonalds.  And well.. I was craving ice cream. So we went to get an ice cream cone inside, and guess what I see when I walk in? Probably the most unlikely thing to see in Paraguay. I saw, with my own eyes, on TV, a live broadcast of the Bulls vs. Heat game. I almost died. It was the best ever! And the Bulls won too! I was so happy. But the reality of Derrick Rose being injured hit me when I didn’t see him on the court.

So Thursday, we got up early and went to a member’s house to make chipa! It was so fun! We cooked it in a brick oven they made outside. Fresh chipa is really, really good. It was really fun to make with them and then we made lunch there too. It was really funny. So Elder Hatch is a really, deep sleeper and while we were waiting for the food to cook, he fell asleep inside their house. The family all decided to draw on his face and take pictures with him. He didn’t wake up! So I wake him up to come eat and he gets up and doesn’t even notice. So we took pictures and then the members showed him his reflection in a mirror. He was a good sport and just laughed. It was really funny. Then, that night, we had probably the most amazing dinner from a member I have ever had. The best part was the salad and ribs. Oh my. I loved it.

 

Saturday, we had our baptism. It went better than I could have imagined. I was nervous for it before but we had a great baptism and the spirit was so strong. President Madariaga and his wife came also. It was great. She was so happy and emotional. She told me after that she just feels like she is flying right now and free from all sin. It was a really great experience for her. I was really happy for her when she bore her testimony. It was a good day. 

 

Well that’s all I can remember from this week. I hope you all enjoy General Conference! I can’t believe it has come up so fast! This time I will get to watch it all in English. I’m really excited for that. I can’t wait to hear the counsel. My bet is they announce the opening of China! haha. Well, I love you all! 

Love, Elder Rigby