Beloved Family,I love you guys so much! This week has come and gone! The missionary work here is a little slow but were learning a ton! I refuse to blame the people or the area or anything. I know that I need to be a better missionary and representative of Jesus Christ! I have a TON to learn. I have a bunch of time!
It sounds like you've had a great week! From Tatums baptism to hearing Bro Wilcox! I love Bro Wilcox! I knew you guys would love him. His analogies are so amazing. And I totally agree with everything he said. I'm so proud to be a MORMON! haha we are so so so lucky!
This week we had interviews with the mission president (love him!) and what I got out of it is that, I am seriously SO BLESSED. From being ok in spanish, to having a loving family, to having a great companion, I am so blessed. We are so blessed! When we can recognize this, we want to share the gospel! I know for a fact that the best way to do missionary work is through members and their friends and family! We need to share our happiness. Because it's not just pleasure. I found this amazing quote in Jesus the Christ by James Talmadge. ¨Mere pleasure is at best but fleeting; Happiness is abiding, for in the recollection thereof is the joy renewed.¨ I LOVE THIS! Every week we get to go to church and renew our Joy through the sacrament!
So, 2 days ago I got to be part of a miracle! In the morning in personal study, I thought that I should probably study how to give a priesthood blessing in spanish, just incase someone would need one. I realized later that It wasnt just a thought but a prompting. And fortunately, I followed it and studied the vocab and later that night we stopped by a members house and little did we know that he was counting on us to give him a blessing! It felt so cool to be an instrument in the Lord´s hands! It strengthened my testimony that as long as were doing everything that were supposed to, the Lord will direct us without us even knowing! It was definately a special experience.
So my favorite tree here is called the Jazmin Paraguayo. Thanks mom and dad. Im turning into you. haha
My struggle in my mission so far has been giving my heart to Heavenly Father and completely giving all my thoughts and efforts to the work. I don't want to waste the Lords time. I'm here to help people come unto Christ and I want to give it everything I've got! I realized this week, that I'm never going to be perfect but I'm really going to try to be. I don't want to have any regrets or anything to blame.
So the culture section of this letter is as follws: haha
-It is totally normal to walk by a person, say hola, and they say adios. haha yup. like HI!, BYE! It took me some time to get used to!
-Next, Everybody drinks MATE! Look it up. It's crazy but everybody drinks it! haha
-Lastly, I always say "Aycurumba" and NOBODY says it here. My comp said that it's my word. I like it. ;)
The heat is pickin up here and so are the number of mosquitos! I spray my arms, ankles, and neck every day. And I still have about 15 bites. I'm going to die in the summer. ahhhhhhhh I definately wil use the mosquito net some time.
So, Diego is doin good! We talked to his wife about getting married and they just dont have the money but were going to try and set some goals with them so they can get married! He wants to take it real slow, so were trying to go his speed. He's a work in progress but we just need to be patient.
The only things that I can think of that I want are some pics of me playing polo and maybe some pics of my baptism! I want to send pics home really bad but all the computers we use are really slow! It's annoying cuz theres some great pics.
Another cool thing this week was that we got scripture covers! It's hard to describe but they're leather covers and you can ask this guy to draw stuff on them! I got the strippling warriors and Christ coming to the Americas on my BOM and 2 paintings of Christ on my bible. They're pretty dang sweet! OH and I just saw a mini cockroach on Elder Hulls computer. Cool. haha
So..Til next week! I love you all so much and never stop thinking about you and praying for you. Thank you for praying that I can be able to speak the language. It's coming! Little by little!
I love you so so much! Miss you tons!
3 Nephi 18:21.
LOVE YOU!
Elder Hjelmstad
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