Monday, March 30, 2015

New Area and New Companion

Hey Everyone,

It's been a great week.  I am in a whole new area and it's a whole new world here.  I have a new companion too.  My new area is called centro and it's really crazy.  It's located in downtown Asunción.  It is so different than Yaguarón.  I actually have to ring doorbells now and the people are much different.  They are much more educated.  There are no dirt roads and everyone has cars.  There are restaurants here like a Hard Rock Café, burger restaurants, Pizza Hut and Mcdonalds which is where we are headed after we are done here.  Right now I'm in a really nice mall.  So different than where I have been living.  I'm also really close to the river too.  I'm sure you can look up this whole area on google maps.  All of the streets have names and everything. :)  It is just so different than my last area.  I have spoken so much English this past week.  The people here are more educated and their houses are really nice.  It was quite shocking to come here.  I actually even taught my first lesson in English...CRAZY!  Most of the members here know English and use it in their jobs.

There is however a part of my area that is really scary called the chacaritas where we can't enter.  We can only go in with a member and we went in yesterday and it's crazy.  I saw a knife fight in there...pretty scary.

I am loving it here.  It's just so different.  All of the houses are smashed together and there are so many different roads and alleys to get lost in.  I actually prefer the ghetto areas the most.  The more wealthy people are the more unfriendly and accepting they are.  They haven't had a baptism in my area in over a year.  I am hoping to break this! :)

I'm glad that Romina messaged you.  She is awesome and I'm glad to hear they liked me there. ;) I do miss Yaguarón.  Especially since I left behind 2 baptisms.

My new companion is Elder Jensen.  He is from Utah and he is at least 6'5" or 6'6"...not exactly sure but he's tall! He is an awesome guy and a good cook so that is a bonus.  We get along really well.

Sounds like things are pretty boring and  the same at home.  I need some more stories!  Pac Man is a scary game Mom so you will have to watch out. hahaha

All is well with me.  I'm trying to get the camera to work so I will try and send a few photos if I can.  It can be tricky and sometimes takes a while to connect but I will do my best.

Today we are going to head out to a whole bunch of the tourist spots here because this is one of the best tourist spots in Paraguay so I will send some good ones next week too.

Oh and I still want you to come pick me up.  I have promised a few people that I will for sure come back and visit.  Can't let them down. ;)

Love you all,
Drew

 Our Mission Calendar with everyones pictures and all of the transfer dates marked. :) 
 My Old district when I served in Yaguarón.  
 Saying goodbye to Ana and her family.  Ana was my first investigator when I got to Yaguarón.
The Olmeda family.  The couple that was married and baptized that I taught but wasn't able to go to since my transfer.  

March 23...Really Sick

Hey Everyone,

Glad to hear everyone is doing good.  I can't believe Tyler is already home from his mission.  Time flies by quick for sure!

How awesome you got to meet someone from my mission.  I don't have any clue who she is, I'm not always good with names.  She would have come home almost 6 weeks ago, that is when the last changes were.  I will look for her on our missionary calendar and see if I recognize her.

I'm glad she filled you in on some of the ins and outs of Paraguay.  I am definitely not in the rich area but I know all bout the motorcycles.  They're called moto churros and they are a real pain.  I'm pretty good at avoiding them.  You just have to know where to be and where not to be.

I'm also glad that someone from Paraguay contacted you.  Yesterday at church I got a lot of the members Facebook info and emails etc... since transfers are this week.  The girl that found you on Instagram is one of the members and she recently served her mission in Uruguay.  She is pretty awesome, her name is Romina.  Glad you got a little glimpse of Paraguay.  The members here are pretty funny.

I'm gearing up for the move tomorrow.  I'm almost 100 percent sure that I'm going to be moved.  I get the call at about 9:30 P.M. to let me know if I go or not. I am ready to see another part of Paraguay even though I really like it here.  I'm excited to see another area.  Having running water will definitely be nice. Tomorrow I'm going to go around saying my goodbyes so that should be fun.

This past week was really good and we had a lot of success even though for the first 3 days of the week we didn't leave the house.  I was really sick with some messed up stomach problems but I am good now so no worries.  I didn't go to the doctor or anything but Hermana Agazanni cured me with some Paraguayan tea so all is well again.  Seriously though...I was dying!

I did finally get my package.  Thanks for everything.  I have almost eaten it all already because if I am being transferred I don't want to leave anything good behind. hahaha

This Saturday we have a couple being baptized and married in the same day.  They are awesome.  Their names are Arnaldo and Suse and they are great.  I was able to teach them all of the discussions but I won't be able to see the baptism and marriage.  That is the hard part of leaving an area but at least they are still doing it.

I'm glad I won't be missing the Heugly family easter party this year.  Looks like I will only have to miss one.

O.K. so funny question...is Christian getting fat or is it just me? Seriously get that kid outside doing something. hahaha  Just kidding...love you Christian. ;)
Until next week,
Love you all. Drew



 My companion and one of the young men from our ward at the Yaguarón rock

 Me and my companion at the Yaguarón rock






The  Yaguaron rock. Yagua means dog in Guarni so that is why the dog is on there. 

Monday, March 16, 2015

Birthday Celebration

Hey Everyone,

I sure hope Dad is having a great birthday today.  I just sent him his birthday email and hope he likes it.  Thanks Mom for the reminders.  I did remember Dad's today but I am sure I will forget someone else's.

My birthday was good.  I didn't end up getting your package yet (UGH!! It's been sitting at the mission home for 2 weeks now!) but hopefully this week I will...who knows.

I did get to do something fun for my birthday.  My companion tricked me outside at 6:30 in the morning on my birthday and dumped water on me.  :) Later we went for lunch at a members house.  His name is Gustavo Nunez and he served us chicken, steak and churizo.   He also made me a cake and sang Happy Birthday in Guarni.  After that we just had a normal day.

Last week was pretty rough.  We just got rejected a lot more than usual but this week we have done well.  Things are going to be good.  I will be leaving Yaguarón on the 25th of March.  I am sad to leave.  I will be leaving behind a lot of people I have grown to love and will be missing 2 marriages and 3 baptisms. I will be getting a new companion as well.  Changes are hard.  I like it here but it will be nice to get to know another part of Paraguay.

The zone conference was good.  We learned a lot and they changed a couple of things and added some more rules, as if we didn't already have enough.  hahaha  While we were there we got to watch a movie called Meet the Mormons.  I guess it is going to be in theaters and so that was cool.  I think we saw it before anyone else.  It was a good movie.  (Do I dare tell him it has already been in theaters here and is already on DVD ;))   My zone sang la luz de la verdad.  Not exactly what that would mean in English but it was awesome and I have to say we sounded pretty good.

Thanks for letting me know about Chase (his cousin) I will definitely keep him in my prayers and will write him and let him know how much I love him.

Love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder Heugly








Me and Gustavo Nunez, the member who fed me lunch for my birthday


The lunch that Gustavo fed me...chicken, steak and chorizo 


 The cake that Gustavo made me

 Just me modeling for the camera :) 

March 9, 2015

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the birthday wishes.  Don't worry about me.  My companion knows it is my birthday this week and so does a member.  He is going to make me a nice lunch for my birthday so no worries.  I will enjoy my birthday. :)

I haven't gotten your package yet but no worries, I got the one from Laken last Tuesday and hopefully will get yours tomorrow.  I am traveling to Asuncioón for a zone conference so I should get it then since I will be at the mission office.

Tomorrow my zone is singing in front of the mission, haha.  Should be pretty funny.  We have parts and everything and have been practicing all week.  We are pretty dang good.

My week last week was alright.  It kind of crashed towards the end.  A lot of people we were visiting don't want to talk but it's alright.  We are going to pick it up again this next week and make it better.  Not every week is going to be successful.

Last week we went to Paraguari for our district activity.  We played soccer and then we went to a buffet and ate like kings.  That is why I was so rushed last week...so sorry.  I attached a photo of what I ate.  It was different but I thought it tasted good.

I don't see Elder Diaz anymore.  He goes home in June but hopefully I will be able to see him in a couple of weeks.  We will all be meeting up in the same spot for changes.  I will have a new area in 2 weeks no matter what because 6 months is the longest you can be in an area and I am almost at 6 months.

The lady that does my laundry is still working on sending you a message.  She is having someone translate her message so I will check and see how it is coming.  Maybe I can get her to hurry up a little.  I hope it is funny. ;)

Don't worry about me on my birthday.  I am excited to have lunch with the member and then for dinner we are going to have lomeitos delivered.  I also bought a candle today haha...no worries  I know I will enjoy my first birthday away from home.

Love all of you.  Until next week.
Elder Heugly
 The lunch I ate last week.  Not my favorite but it wasn't too bad.

My District activity

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

6 months down...

Hey Everyone,

6 months has officially gone by and it has definitely gone by quick.  I am loving my mission.  It can get hard at times but I still love it.  All the hard times are replaced when I am able to share the gospel with someone.

I did participate in the Stake Book of Mormon challenge.  I wanted to give my Book of Mormon to someone I knew would love and appreciate it so that I would have a great story to share with the primary children.  I shared mine with Graciella (who was my first baptism) and her children.  We shared the testimony with her and her children since she only speaks Spanish.  Her children had already been baptized but had quit coming to church.  They now don't ever miss a Sunday.  Her oldest just received the priesthood and went through the temple and Graciella is now preparing to go herself as well.

The family I mentioned in last weeks email is doing great.  They are the family Gonzales.  They just had a baby on Sunday so they weren't able to come to church but for a good reason. :)  They still want to come and we are working with all 7 of them.  4 of them are old enough to be baptized.

Things are great with my companion.  We get a long really well.  He is the youngest of 4 and both of his older brothers served missions.  Everyone in his family are members and he is the youngest.  He has been a member his whole life.  I love serving with him and it has been nice having the whole area to ourselves but it is definitely exhausting.

Things didn't go too well with the little girls Dad again this week.  He is still being difficult.  Maybe it is just not their time right now but hopefully someday it will all work out with them.  We are still trying our best.

Thanks for the pictures and video of Bridger.  I love that kid.  I am headed to another city today so I am short on time but next week I will for sure attach some pictures.

Oh I almost forgot.  I ate fish this week.  It was weird but good.  Also a member in our branch has your facebook info and said she is going to use her son's Facebook to write you.  She is the Sister who washes my clothes and sometimes cooks for us.  Let me know what she has to say.  She told me she is going to say the good and the bad. hahahaha

Dad mentioned that he would like to share my testimony with the family on Easter Sunday.  I think that would be awesome. Here it is...

I know with all of my heart that the church is true.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet called of God.  I know that I am in the work of the Lord and I don't want to be anywhere else.  I know that Joseph Smith restored the church and that the Book of Mormon is True.  I know that we are the only true church in the world and that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again after this life.  I know that families can be together forever and if we do all that we can in this life we can live with them again.  The work of the Lord is true.  Stay faithful and endure to the end.  I love you all.

Elder Heugly

Love you all. Until next week.