Bananas

So, the life of an office elder can be quite frustrating when your driving from place to place in Asuncion...more like waiting around because there is always terrible traffic....in a van that's AC is not working when its so stinking hot and humid. So, we drive with the windows down, doesn't help a bunch but hey, we gotta try something. This week, however, turned out to have a pretty funny experience. On every street light their are vendors walking up and down selling bananas, strawberries shaped into a pyramid, cauliflower (ewww) and lots of other things. Seriously some of the things they come up with is insane. So anyways, we get stopped at this light and this guy sees me in the drivers seat and yells, "RUBIO!" I'm pretty sure the whole intersection turned because it was so loud. Then he yelled, "MISIONERO!" He then came up into my window and put a bag of 15 bananas on my lap. "Look at this beautiful bananas. They are yours for 10 mil. You are a misionero and help people. Come on, help me out." Now if I said yes to every person that gave me bananas or fruits and stuff I would be flat broke....well more broke than I already am as a misionero. I said, "You know, I'm ok. i really don't need 15 bananas right now." He replied, "Come on. help me out, 10 mil." Then I remembered the money I had, honestly though I only had bills of cien mil. And so I told him, "I don't have sencillo." This guy, such a sly cat, "Oh don't worry I have some!" YES the light turned green. I pointed to it and said I had to go. Now this guy wass a real dedicated man. "Don't worry!" AND HE STARTS SPRINTING. He leaves the bananas on my lap and starts sprinting. We drive about 3 lonnnnng blocks before hitting a hault and he runs the entire way to sell me these bananas. How can I say no to that dedication? I gave him the bananas as he got there, and then said I'd buy them. After he gave me change he started walking away with the bananas I bought!!!! I called to him and he brought them back, but he was a very sneaky man and a good salesman. He reminds me of Cutter haha. 

Well, we wouldn't want a good story to stop there would we. So we'll continue to the end. We drive one more block and about 10 people are walking down the roads to wash windows. Another thing that happens at every corner. I tell the guy no. My windows are still down by the way because its too hot out. This guy passes by after I says no, then stops, leans his neck and head back and says, "pass me the bananas". hahahaha He was walking super fast and stopped dead in his tracks to slowly lean his head back, smile, and tell me to give him some bananas. So I gave him some bananas while Elder Parada and I were just laughing. It honestly was so funny. 

It was a busy week in the office, looking back at it I learned the service to anyone will improve our day. I havent been able to go out and teach everyday because we are in the process of changing the beds for the missionaries. So, while I couldn't get out every night to serve the people of Paraguay, I still had the time to serve some missionaries. It is super super awesome to get a call from a missionary thanking us for the new bed because now his back doesn't hurt! Service truly does bring joy! Even when you have to carry bad frames and mattresses up 3 stories in tiny staircases. Seriously, Elder Parada and I carried them up 4 apartment complexes to the 3rd and 4th stories about 15 times on Thursday. Now that was a workout. We were sweating a lot and went to turn on the AC in the car only to see that hot air was once again blowing out. They are not the best at fixing things here, just hiding the problem for a bit. It has always been funny to have a one area receiving just one mattress. Seriously, every time we see that, we laugh. We know without a doubt, one of the two missionaries will say, "Just one? Well where is the other one? We need 2." They say that because they know someone will not get the new one hahaha. We always explain that was what was ordered during the house inspections but that we can check their bed to see if they need a new one as well. 100% they always say they need a new one as well. But then, you have the missionaries that give us food for bringing them the beds. Those entregas are the ones we cherish:)

I hope everyone had a great week! #USA #olympics

Elder Zaugg

Pics

1. a lady making a bracelet. Shes actually from the Macaw tribe, they speak a narly language. 

2&3. went to the zoo with the Evans this morning!