New Companion and District Conference

Hey everyone!!

Ok, so much has happened and I do not have much time left to write this email. This past week has been bonkers, and crazy, and hilarious, and wonderful, but mostly nuts! We for to ear fish - entire fish: eyes and everything. It was not as gross as you would think it would be but the bones were weird as they were really crunchy. Also had Mondungo again but this time it really was just straight stomach!!!! YEAH!!! It was definitely different- but hey, food is food. 

Hermana Hall and a kitten

Mondungo?

Hermanas at District conference

We had changes and (drum roll please)..... I am still in Santani!!! My new companion is Hermana Mendoza and she is from Luqué, Paraguay. She is amazing and knows Guanrani - which is super cool!!! This also means it has been Spanish all the time, which is crazy considering I did not know any Español before my mission, but I can communicate fairly well. 

Taina's new companion, Hermana Mendoza de Paraguay

Blackberries

These last couple of days we have had some really fun times. We also ate blackberries, which stained out fingers for a good two days, but totally worth it!!! Yesterday we got to go to the district conference in Concepcion, which was a five hour bus ride!!! Whoop, good times. It was a really good conference, rained a ton, so there was a ton of mud. BUt it was nice to visit with some of the missionaries in our district. The elders that are left in Santani are the best. Santani C was closed so now it is only us two hermanas with these two elders and it has been a blast!! It is crazy that I have already been in Santani for 3 months... super weird. Time is flying!!! But I love this area. It will be weird to go somewhere new.

Hermanos from District Conference

Anyhow, things here are going really well. I love everything!!! Thanks for all the prayers and support. While it is amazing it is definitely work and all your love is greatly needed. THANKS A TON!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you guys!!!

Love, 

Hermana Douglas

Howdy Doodily

What up, what up what up!!!! One of the elders in my district is learning English and that is how he says hello on the phone, it is great! So yes, I am a day behind. The log in was not working yesterday, something about server problems so that is always fun :) This week was amazing!!!!! Because it is the last week before changes it was kinda sad, because we do not know what is going to happen. But we had a lot of fun, enjoying this last week we have together. For example, we made homemade pizza with a member family - they are the best!! We found water melon, too! SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

I hit four months yesterday, it is crazy how fast time is passing, crazy sauce!!! So many things are happening and the time is flying!! I love all the different variety of people that I get to meet. There is an elder in my district that can speak Quechua, it is so cool, he is from Peru. For example, Imaynalla Kachkanqui, which is Spanish is "Como estas?" or in English "How are you?" It is so fun!!! 

This week, I had a harder time walking without tripping. I fell a good three times this week...usually on flat surfaces. Yay!!! Lately it has been really hot and humid... it is bad, the start of summer was yesterday and it has already hit 104... it is a lot of fun. It feels like you are swimming as we walk. The downside is that I am always covered in sweat. Plus side, I could qualify for the Olympics once I get back - I was thinking the 400 meter backstroke? 

Looking forward to changes as I am officially finished with my training tomorrow!!!!!!! 12 weeks already!!!!! Not sure what is going to happen but it will be great! I love you guys a ton, thanks for all the support!!!

Love,

Hermana Douglas

"Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, your talents, money and so much of your work: I want you. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there, rather I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you myself. My will shall become your will, my heart shall become your heart." ~C. S. Lewis

Teancum

So crazy times, I only have one week of training left, which means I have passed all of my exámenes to become a full Jedi Master. I owe it all to Master (Hermana) Hall, she is pretty much Obi Wan, that cool. Again, it is bonkers how time is just flying by, some days we are just kinda like, but yesterday was Tuesday and now it is Sunday, what in the world happened to our week!!! 

Also fun fact, time does not stop for those living at home... although sometimes we wish it would. Life in the misión is going really well, every day is crazy, and yet we always have things that happen that top the previous. Right now, weather wise we are supposed to be starting summer, but the last couple of days have just been really chill, which I prefer over the hot, but that also means that when summer does really come it is going to sideswipe us like a semi. I am really excited to turn into a raisin!!!! (That is what happens from sun exposure, right?) 

I am really close to finishing Alma, which is bonkers, also why does no one really talk about how beast Teancum is? I know Moroni is really cool too but Teancum totally sneaks into the kings tent and just straight up kills him with a javalin to the heart (Alma 51)

Taina and Hermana Hall (Master Jedi)

 34 And it came to pass that Teancum stole privily into the tent of the king, and put a javelin to his heart; and he did cause the death of the king immediately that he did not awake his servants.

 35 And he returned again privily to his own camp, and behold, his men were asleep, and he awoke them and told them all the things that he had done.

And then after we goes back to his own camp and is like, hey guys this just happened...What in the world!! read that this morning and was like alrighty then! For all the people who say the scriptures are boring, do not understand how amazing it really is to even have these writings!! All of the things that had to work in order to preserve the plates, everything that Joseph Smith went through and experienced, all of these things just so that we could have the Bood of Mormon. Read it!!!!! and get into it, it is all for us, and if you really want it too, it will bless you life!!

Also Jesús the Christ is an amazing read I am on Chapter 17 now, and the descriptions of the disciples is really cool (chapter 16) I am really liking it.

Also Also, help the missionaries in your área, with references or food, anything. The work is really hard and it really is amazing how much members can help us with it!!!

Anyhow have a wonderful week!!!!!!!  I hope you are all well! Thanks for all the support!! Keep writing!

Love,
Hermana Douglas

4 Months and Chocolate Milk

Things that happened this week:

We went to Asuncion again...crazy times. But this time it was for Migrations...so I can officially stay in Paraguay for another three to four months (thirty-four months!!!! no three TO four months) So, pretty excited about that. 

Also I got to meet up with some of the other missionaries that were at the CCM with me, so that is always fun, and lots of good times just talking about how it seems the CCM never even happened, and the fact that it is crazy we have already been out three months in the actual mission (on the 23rd of Septiembre) Time is passing so quickly!! In November (the 21st) I hit my six month mark, which means I only have a year left...Wait what!!?? It is bonkers...

Other good times we found mac and cheese, not like legit Kraft brand, but a type of Mac that was American while we were in Asuncion. It was the best, we splurge and little and had chocolate milk with our dinner of Mac and cheese, it was amazing!!!! I was so excited, considering how much I love this stuff and the fact that I had not had it for 4 months was, unbelievable.

This change is almost over, so that is really crazy, I cannot believe that I am about to finish my training!!!

Saw another snake while we were cutting the grass of some members, now this was no ordinary grass cutting day, For starters it took us four hours, because we were using machetes and also there was a ton of it!! We even had the Elders come and help us, it was crazy. Now with this snake my companion may of accidently cut him in half while she was cutting the grass...oops. And that is my snake story for this week (does anyone else struggle with spelling snake, I always want to put snack, and then I am like, nope that is not right).

 Anyhow, this week was good, it is slowly getting hotter here, and at the rate we are going we will hit 45 C when it hits the peak of summer... (Wicked Witch of the West moment) I’m melting!!!!!!!!!! But it will be good, as crazy as it seems I am already getting a watch tan, and that has never happened to be before, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

I hope you have all had a wonderful week and wish you the best. Love you guys mostest, and always remember to read your scriptures, it will help you I promise! Thanks for everything, have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Hermana Douglas

Taina vs. The Snake

Hey guys,

Yes is email is coming a day late, we had an emergency trip down to Asuncion yesterday, never fear, we are both ok, just had to go to the doctor, and my companion is feeling much better because of it. Anyhow, this past week has been absolutely crazy!! Adventures of this past week:

Guava fruit

 - We killed a wasp’s nest that was living on our porch. At first I was trying to see if they were home and due to the fact they were lacking a doorbell the next best thing was to throw an empty tape roll at it. Wasps know how to swarm and are not afraid to do so, but my lovely companion was lying in wait with a spray to kill them, it was fun/scary.

-I came in contact with my first snake... we were helping a family clean their yard and we went to lift this big log thing, and all the sudden Hermana was yelling at us to back up. It was great fun, as we tried to kill this snake, (for those coming late to this party, I HATE snakes, very much so, not a fan) but we crushed its head with a rock, probably more times than we needed to but, it was great fun.

Taina and a Puppy from a member's house

-Same day as the snake, Paraguay decided to rain cats and dogs. We were at a family’s house at the time, but it eventually came time to leave and it was still going strong, and we were not wearing our boots, so we went a back way, and it was crazy, we were scaling muddy walls, to avoid puddles 

(totally felt like Nathan Drake) it was a ton of fun, despite being slightly terrifying at the same time.

-Today was happy rabbit day, so hopefully you celebrated!!!

Other news: the trip to Asuncion was good, I am really glad I started out in a tiny place like Santani, the city is crazy!!!!!! But I got to try Burger King for the first time...ever, who would’ve ever thought my first time would be in Paraguay. So good times...

More dogs at a members house

Right now I am reading in Alma, trying to finish it before the end of this change, but the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi people is a good one, go back and read it!! Thanks for all the support, have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Hermana Douglas