Elder Jonathan Turley: May 26, 2014

Hi family, this is my email about what I did this week.

Monday we played soccer and some football and then that was sick. Then we went home and taught a couple lessons and one was super sick because one of the kids, Ronald, said that he was interested and that he kinda wants to receive an answer to everything now, so that was pretty sick. It has gotten super cold lately and that is a struggle haha but its all good. :)

Tuesday we had one lesson in the morning with a lady, and halfway through the lesson her daughter came home and said they needed to go pick up her kids from collegio and they bailed on us. Then we went and had lunch and then we had to go and contact a little, but didn't have much time because we had a Zone meeting and that was pretty sick. The AP's were talking about how we can plan better for our investigators. Then they said that at my last Zone meeting it was Elder Gummersall and I who were the only one taking notes and paying the most attention, and that we were having the most success because we were paying attention and applying it in our lessons and we had mucho excito (much success) because of this. :). Then we had an interview with President McMullin, and it was about planning and working better with the list of members and less actives and he was asking us with what can we do to make it better, and I said that we should make lists of people who have incomplete families, and he was like "I didn't think of that, I like the way you think". :) Then we were in our personal interview and he asked how I am doing and stuff and then said that we have a bunch of really good missionaries in this mission, and I on my way to being one of those really good missionaries, so that was pretty sick ;) Then we went home and did some planning, but nothing too cool.

Wednesday was super cold and contacting was not fun, but we worked hard. We contacted a house and taught a guy named Jose and that was pretty cool because the way I explain the Apostacy is this ... "We have a bible which has scriptures in it, and I can read a scripture and say that this is what God wants because the scripture says so, but then another person can read the same scripture and say that I am lying because he thinks the scripture means something else, and so now there are two churches working from the same Bible saying different things. But this just didn't happen once, it happened multiple times and now we have millions of churches and every church has their way of doing things and every different church thinks they are the right church, the true church of God, because they are using the Bible. But who knows what church is right, God knows, and that is why Joseph Smith went to Him. It is really sick because as I told this to the investigator, he was like "I never really thought if it like that and it's true every church says that they are the only church of God, and that's super interesting that all the churches claim that".

Then we talked to Guierlmo, who is the recent convert of my comp, and he is super chill but super poor and said he couldn't go to church because he didn't have a shirt and tie (and so of course I gave him one of my shirts and ties), but we got him to commit to going to church because it is super important to go to the church.

Then we shared a scripture about faith with Ronald later that night and it was chill, and we feel like he could progress he is just going to be a little difficult because he isn't too sure if he believes in God that much. Super difficult, but not impossible Thursday we had our district meeting and that was pretty cool, then we went to the other side of our area and had to take like 2 busses to get there, that's how big our area is. We talked to Guierlmo again and that was pretty cool. Then we were walking and contacted a meno activo (less active) and that was super sick because she was like "I have been teaching everyone in my neighborhood about the church, but you guys stopped coming by so I can't get them baptized." Haha. So we had a couple lessons with her referencias and they were pretty sick. One was a daughter and her mom, and the daughter is 16 and the mom is 30, so crazy. The mom's husband is 40. Relationships down here are crazy, but they accepted the invitation to listen to us, so that was sick. Then we talked to a couple random people.

Friday we only had a couple lessons. We talked to Ronald, and that was pretty chill. Then we had a reference lesson and that was pretty cool because she was a new contact. Because it is so cold down here, we aren't meeting many people on the streets because nobody wants to leave their warm houses. Haha

Saturday we saw Guierlmo again and I gave him the shirt and tie, so that was pretty cool. Then we contacted a ton and we ran into a guy who said that he is from the Tribe of Levi, and that was interesting. Then we had a lesson with Ronald and tried to get him to go to church. Then we had a lesson with the a Chukaro family and that was pretty sick because we played Jenga, and I always won because I am super good at Jenga (Gracias Austin for giving me Jenga), then we ate brownies. :)

Sunday was church and it was raining so we only had 23 people, usually it is around 70. Paraguayans are scared of the rain. LOL. (Laugh out loud). I blessed the Sacrament in Spanish so that was pretty cool. After church we taught the kids of a menos activo (less active) and they both accepted so that was super sick. Then we taught a quick lessons to another family, and that is pretty much it for the week..

Monday, today, we went and we went shopping and played ultimate frisby and ate empanadas and now i am here emailing you.

The time is going by really fast. I can't believe I have been gone for five months already. It's going quickly because we stay super busy.

Questions of the Week from Mom:

1. How many investigators do you currently have? What are their names? We don't really have many progressing, Ronald and his mom, a guy named Christian, and another guy named Edgar.

2. Who is your favorite person this week and why? The 1st counselor in my Branch, Jimmy, because he is super funny and does super random things.

3. What is your favorite thing about your new area? It is giant and I have a lot more places where I can eat without leaving my Zone. Haha

4. What was your favorite spiritual moment from this week? Monday when we taught Ronald. (I should have asked him why.) :)

5. What was your biggest success this week? We were able to teach pretty good and more in unity ;)

6. What was your biggest challenge this week? The cold and not getting many lessons

7. What can we pray about for you? That we can get more people that actually want to talk to us. Haha

8. What is your favorite time of the day and why? Before my mission, like 2 or 3 in the morning -- I just like to be up later ;)

9. What chore do you absolutely hate doing and why? I hate taking down and putting up Christmas stuff with a passion, we all know mom went crazy with Christmas and I was the one who was always in charge of the boxes. Haha

10. What is your favorite sound? Babies crying. ;) Just kidding, probably rain, I am not sure.

Well, I've got to go. I love you all. Stay safe and unstressed. One thing my comp says is that if we are trying to accomplish something, if we think about what good it will do for the church, we are able to better accomplish it. This is the reason that we, as missionaries, learn the language so well. It's because it is to help the church and not ourselves. Dad, I know you have a lot going on and a lot to do, but I have faith in you.

Love y'all -- Elder Turley