Week 8

I had the craziest week.

So right after I wrote the e-mail last week, we went back to our house to make brownies for our Family Home Evening appointment. When we got to the family’s house, a girl (Liz) got all weird and lost control of her body movements.  Then she passed out.  Oh, and the family acted like it was nothing.  Then she told us she wanted to get married Friday and then baptized on Saturday.  So, we spent all week running back and forth into the city to take care of the paperwork for the wedding and then the baptism.

Then Rafa and Paola decided to go ahead and do their baptisms on Saturday as well.  So, we were going to have 5 people get baptized on Saturday.  The branch president was freaking out saying nobody had ever baptized 5 people at once and stuff like that.  It was sweet! 

I actually got in the water and baptized 2 of them: Giovani and Liz.  Also Liz passed out again, right before the baptism.  So, on top of me freaking out about saying the baptismal prayer right in Spanish and not drowning her, there was now a chance she might pass out again.  So, ya, my first baptism in country was stressful – lucky for me, she didn’t pass out.

 L-R: Anthony, Rafa, Blanca, Giovani, Paola, Liz, Elder Anderson

It was so weird.  Three months ago, I was throwing a PS2 controller because I lost a game of NCAA to Trace.  And now, I’m helping people get married, and I baptized two people.  So weird.

Let’s see what else happened this week.  We really spent most of the week just prepping these five for wedding and baptism, but it was sweet!  

We also met some new, sweet investigators.  They should get baptized after they’ve been to church three times. Two of them are Edison and Javier.  They live with a member named Adilson, along with 9 other guys.  Adilson has been teaching them, so we talked to them and took pictures with them and stuff; it was sick.  We listened to some 50 cent and Eminem and translated it for them.   It was sick! Adilson also bought me a bracelet that says “friendship” in Portuguese, which is tight. 

They also invited us to come play soccer with them sometime.  So, as a great teaching opportunity I will probably be playing soccer with a bunch of Paraguayans/Brazilians sometime.  I am so stoked. I dominate our district games on Mondays, as the other North Americans are pretty terrible.  

We also met a girl named Andrea.  She was a reference.   She is awesome.  She already has said she wants to be baptized. Oh, ya, Javier said the same thing. Javier and Andrea both came to the baptism. So stoked!   

We had another 2 investigators come to church for the 3rd time.  So they can be baptized whenever now.   And, another 3 investigators have either been coming to activities or said they want to be baptized.  This is a sweet area!

Oh ya, on Wednesday night we had a karaoke night.  Of course all the Latinos want the missionaries to go sing.  So, I rocked some country.  I sang Brad Paisleys’ song “She’s Everything.”  They loved it!  It sounds like this is gonna be a twice a month thing.  So, who knows -- maybe American Idol is in my future. Haha.  Just kidding.  But, if you have any song suggestions, send them my way.

 

Also, I had to present our weekly mission work report all in Spanish.  But, it was surprisingly ok.  Next up, I have to teach an hour class on chastity next Sunday.  Ya me.  But, I’m excited.   Spanish is coming along good.

I even asked one of our Brazilian investigators to, if she would like to, pray in Portuguese because she was giving me crap that she can never understand my Spanish.   Her family freaked out when I asked. It was so funny.

Also, we had so much “bomb” food this week.   First off, Elder Anderson and I made brownies twice and banana bread once.  Then our Brazilian families feed us so well. I love freciao.   I probably spelled that wrong. But it’s so good.

I don’t know - what else?  We had some cockroaches in the house, but we got rid of them.   

We ate some chicken that the family killed in their yard, right before we got there.   

It still rains a ton. My pants and shoes are always muddy.  But hey, it’s a mission – right?  Only blessings.  My wife is gonna be so hot after all this. Haha

I love our rama (church branch) too.  The branch president is so awesome and funny.  He did the craziest dancing/singing karaoke to a Brazilian techno song.  It was sooooo funny.   The members of the branch give us lots of help and a lot of references.  It is just so sweet. (NOTE:  Before going to Paraguay, Anthony talked to a friend – Jake Gertsch -- who had also served in Paraguay on his mission.  The branch president of Branch 5in Pedro Juan Cabellero is Salmar Soares Sadim – who served with Jake in Paraguay.)

 Elder Anderson and I get along great.  He’s legit.  We have so much fun, but work hard too.

Oh ya, I have some big news.  My district leader said anybody can e-mail me, even friends.  So, now there is no excuse to not here from you.

I still want written letters, since I only have a limited time on the computer.  And, hard letters are better.  But if you haven’t sent me anything yet, e-mail me this week.  My missionary e-mail is  afrost@myldsmail.net.   

I think I’m gonna wrap this up, cuz not much else happened - as we spent so much time dealing with wedding and baptism stuff.  But if I remember anything, I’ll add it next time. 

As always, love you guys, and contact me somehow.

 

Elder Frost or From (because nobody can pronounce my name)