#pleaseread

Sometimes, life goes by so fast you just can't possibly keep up. Everything passes by in a blur and you can't remember what you ate for breakfast or why you walked up the stairs. Sometimes, you try to keep up; you run really really fast, but everything keeps passing you. Like this past week for instance...

It started off at 6am (last Thursday actually) as we were running in el parque Ña Guasu. Elder Ticeran and I were running on the terribly-paved windy gravel track, ahead of Elder Parada and Hunsaker to where they couldn't actually see us. I'm a soccer player, so naturally I like to run more with a ball at my feet so that's what I did. We were running at a good speed, really pushing ourselves to keep up with life (or all the calories we eat up in the office). Like I mentioned, it is hard to keep up with life. One second you feel like you're ahead and the next your somehow tearing up your hands and stomach on the gravel track...which is what happened to me. Elder Ticeran was nice enough not to laugh (out-loud at least) and made sure I was ok. But life doesn't stop, oh no. I had gotten up by now, crouched over staring at the blood dripping from my hands wondering how I could be so clumsy. My mom always asked me how I played soccer because I could never stop tripping over the couches, chairs, counter tops...Then, slowly but surely Elder Hunsaker comes around the bend, sees I'm on the ground and asks if I'm ok. I don't really give him a response and he keeps on going without stopping his step not having a clue what happened. Then Elder Parada comes sprinting by(he was doing intervals) gives me one glance and a smile like Usain Bolt in the Olympics and keeps going. Elder Ticeran proceeds to give me my water bottle, expecting me to somehow hold it with my fingertips and jogs off. Just like that, life has passed on, not slowing down for anything. Now I'm sitting there a little angry, not at my comps but at myself for falling. (Ok, maybe a little annoyed that I have to somehow carry this water bottle with 3 fingertips, but hey, that's life and you gotta get back up and keep on going.) It doesn't matter how hard you fall, it only matters how epic the fall was. And folks, my fall was so lame. Luckily Hna Evans was there later that morning to take out all the rocks and pebbles buried in the craters in my hands. 

Continuing with the "life flies by as fast as a cheetah runs" theme. This week was change week. it started off bright and early at 2:30AM Monday morning to pick up some elders coming down from the Chaco. At 3:10am, they informed us they would be late so we waited in the no parking zone with our hazards on. I was so scared to get a ticket I had a hard time sleeping. Finally after watching 50 taxis come and go, I feel asleep only to be woken up at 4:30am to someone knocking on my window. Well crap-instantly I knew. I actually debated pretending to be knocked out to try and get out of the ticket. I gradually opened my eyes to be pleasantly surprised by Elder Vela.

Every night after that, sleep was cut to a max of 4 hours, sometimes 2. Now come Thursday morning at 4:30am at the airport, I was feeling just a little tired. One leaving hermana had me write my email and social media stuff in here journal...I fell asleep 2 different times before I even wrote "brodyzaugg". I got back to the house for 1 hour of sleep to then drive back to the airport. I was so tired that when I went to pay for the hermana's bag, he told me "$82". So I tried giving him 820.000gs...which is like $150. 

I was stoked that day because I knew that night I would get a full night's rest. Then, at 5pm, I got a call from the church center in Asuncion that the auditor from SLC wanted to do a surprise mini audit with me the next day before he headed back to the U.S. Awesome...My sugarplum dreams were literally snatched up by the Grinch.

Now it truly is amazing I was able to give you as many details as I did because honestly, it flew by faster than Lighting McQueen. But, after looking back at the week last night, it made me realize and appreciate all the small and simple blessings God has given me every day. 

• For instance, that historic wipe out I had--I scraped up my right elbow pretty bad, but I missed the 2 screws by 1/4 inch. Direct impact with that and I would have broken it again for sure. 
• The knock on the winder..it turned out to be Elder Vela and not a grumpy old police cop. 
• Then there´s the airport. Somehow I couldn't stay awake to sign my name but yet driving to and from...I had not an ounce of sleep. Anyone that knows me knows that I was pretty bad at falling asleep while driving..I'm sure Bre could give you some funny stories.
• Then there's the bag checker. He gave me back my money. That's a big blessing.
• And then for the audit, luckily I learned from my soccer coaches to not skip corners(learned the hard way) and so when I received the call, I really didn't have much to do, just organize and recheck a couple things including my brain. 

Life hit me hard this week, but I guess what I'm trying to get across is that even in our trials, God is blessing us. Sometimes, it takes us awhile to see it, we let out a few yells, get a little frustrated, but then suddenly, we see how merciful He is. I somehow found time to look back at the week and it instantly made me so grateful to my loving Heavenly Father. He loves me and is always watching over me, and I know He is doing the same for you. life doesn't slow down, take a moment to look at the scenery(your blessings) every once in awhile and you'll be amazed how beautiful your life really is.

Elder Zaugg

Quick shot outs to The UVU soccer team for the stellar win last night against Washington!!!!

Also to Buxty for the fight he's putting on. Love you man, you're in my prayers!!