Week 97

Well, it’s now official.

1. I am in my last change.
2. I will end my mission with 3 areas.

That’s right.  This past week we had changes, and we got the news that I am staying here in Yuquyry for a 7th change. I got here in March.  I will also stay district leader, and Elder Singer will be my comp. Elder Turley and Elder Garner are staying as well.   In fact, only Elder Martinez left the district, and he was replaced by Elder Smith.

Monday was an interesting day as well.  I got both my flight plans and my final interview packet.  One of those is more exciting than the other.  I’ll let you guys guess which, ha ha.  I like my flight plans; although, the long layover in Miami will suck.  It means more time for me to eat Cubans, yum.  (Note:  A Cuban is a sandwich made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread).   And then I just hope I can get out of Minnesota with good weather.  Keep your fingers crossed.  The packet is pretty standard stuff. 

Then we had a bit of a recuerdo buying day.  We went shopping in Asuncion where we bought a whole personal pizza for 25 mil or like 5 bucks.  The best deal I’ve seen for pizza since the States.  Then we found a shop that sells like all the arts and craft stuff I’ve been looking for my whole mission.  Another thing I’ve come to realize is I didn’t budget enough money for my souvenirs, and I should have spread it out over my whole mission instead of mass buying at the end.  Lessons for the future I suppose.  That just means I’ll have to make that return Peru/Paraguay trip with my dad. 

Then we wandered around Asuncion looking at stuff.  We found a shop with a drawbridge (it was sweet), a legit Mexican restaurant that we might go to for my goodbye party, and then my gelato place from PJC.  It was soooo good.  I’ve missed gelato.

The next day was changes.  The zone leaders asked us district leaders to speak for 15 minutes on a topic then they’d talk and then they would finally give us changes news.  Well, I was complaining about how nobody actually pays attention, since they just want to hear changes news.  So I joked that I was just going to go up there, say a couple sentences, and sit down.  Well, Elder Luke heard me and called me on it.  And you all know Elder Frost isn’t gonna back down from a challenge or a bet, Ha ha.   So I went up, told them that the zone leaders wanted me to talk about doing visits with members but nobody was gonna pay attention anyway, so I’d keep it short.  I told them doing those visits will help.   I wished them luck about changes and then sat down.  Not my finest moment, but I drove a couple points home and the look on Elder Luke’s face was worth it, especially since when changes did come Elder Luke got the death penalty.  In other words, he got sent out to Filadelfia.  Now, I wouldn’t mind visiting Filly, but to go there as a missionary, in the middle of summer, is brutal.  So everyone offered him their condolences.  Then we ate a final meal with him at the patio.  Then we said goodbye and realized it would most likely be the last time I saw him until the States next summer. 

Then we had a week of service.  On Thursday, we painted the Herman Adrianas house.  It needed it.  Sadly Paraguayan painting is terrible.  It’s always way too watery, and this time was no exception.  It was quite frustrating.

Then on Friday, service was canceled as we had to have marriage counseling with the Fernandez family.  That basically amounted to terrible news.  They were supposed to get married and baptized this weekend.  Well, now that is off.  They had a fight last Thursday night.  He called her a “p” word, and she has gone ballistic about it.  She swears she won’t marry him.  We believe it is an issue with cold feet and Satan working his hardest to stop this, but we are optimistic that we can fix it.  Pray for us and for them.

Then on Saturday, we had a sick day.  Nothing is worse than having a fever in a Paraguayan summer and then losing power and air. Horrible.

Sunday became a recovery day, and now we are here.

I love you guys and have a great week.   Soon I will see you face-to-face.

Love ya!

Elder Frost