Catching Collectivos....435 miles walked in Paraguay

This week was really awesome, and very hot. This week, for church, we went to a small group in our branch called Naranjajai. It is about 25 miles away from our house. The office elders were in our area so they drove us there on their way back to Asuncion. But we had to catch a collectivo on the way back! So sitting in the middle of nowhere basically, on the side of the road under a small thing of shade, we waited. It seemed like we were waiting forever just for a car to pass by. I checked my watch and noticed how long it had been. Almost 8 minutes. The time was going by so slow haha. Then a van was driving and flashing his lights while coming up the road. I turned to my companion and said, "Paraguayan technology. Those lights don't work that's funny." Well then he passed and we realized it was small collectivo (a bus) and he was intenionally flashing his lights to see if we needed a ride but we did not move so he kept on going. I immediately started laughing at how dumb we were. So we waited about 30 more minutes and finally another bus came by and we got on that one. After the first one passed though, I became worried because one of the office elders told me how he waited 8 hours for a bus to pass by one sunday while he was in our area...Luckily we didn't wait that long though!

This week, we taught a new investigator of ours 3 times. The first lesson was amazing. We taught the Restoration of the Gospel. At the end of the lesson, she knew this was the path the God wanted for her. (The lesson before she did not know if God existed.) On Friday we planned on teaching the Plan of Salvation, but were prompted to talk about the Holy Ghost with her. She wanted to know how to receive an answer because at that point she thought it had to be through a dream (many people receive answers to their prayers through simple dreams, from what I have noticed and heard, and it is amazing to see that!). We talked to her that God will also answer her prayers through the Holy Ghost and through her thoughts and feelings. We set a baptism date with her in October. Yesterday, we met with her again and she confirmed that she wants to be baptized and knows this is the true church and right path from God. 

I love seeing the change in faith from the people here. In one week, she went from not believing in God to knowing that he exists and has a plan for her. I love being able to help people recognize their Heavenly Father in their life. I know that I am not the actual teacher, but that we learn through the Holy Ghost-through our feelings and thoughts. I love helping others recognize and learn how our Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I chanllenge you all, if you have a question about God, or about anything-ask in prayer to your Heavenly Father and seek for the feelings of peace and joy that the Holy Ghost will bring!

Love you all!

Elder Zaugg

PICS

1. Naranjajai

2. helped dig a well this week ha

Step STATS!!
monday- 26524   14.6

tuesday- 19886   11.0

wed-       21623   11.9

thursday-24417   13.4

friday-    13161    7.2

sat-       21824    12.0

sunday- 12980    7.1

totals-140,415 steps 77.2miles

 Service Project...Painting the Fence at the School....Missionaries and Members working together

 A book that he remembers us reading when he was little.....Funny he found it at the school and that he definitely needs to get in the TUB!

 Package that Danielle sent him with his favorite protein!  She knows the way to his heart!!!!

 The branch that he visited.  The church is built on the back of a member's home.

Semana 11.....NO SHAME......358 miles walked in Paraguay

NO SHAME
This week was crazy weather wise. Earlier in the week it was really hot, about 105 and then this weekend it was pouring rain and about 50 degrees! I learned something interesting about the people here..they are terrified of the rain and of the cold. It is really funny actually. They do not go to work, or even leave their houses when it is raining! 

Ok so I have a story to tell you guys, that I thought was pretty hilarious. Last Sunday we were walking along the highway and a little girl just pulled down her pants and started peeing, with the help of her mother, right along the edge of the road! I just laughed and my companion said, "Well at least it is not a grown woman!" Well then on Monday, we were walking along the same busy one lane highway, just a bit further up the road and a grown woman pulled down her pants and started peeing just off the road! It was so ironic we instantly started laughing!

If there was only one thing I had learned so far(which there is a lot more) but one thing that really sticks out is patience! I have learned how important it is to have patience with so many things, with the language, with the people, with personal trials! Patience really goes hand in hand with Faith and Hope. I want to focus about being patient with our trials. In order to be patient, we need to have faith in the Lord. We need to have the faith and trust in him to know that with time, we will understand why we are going through a specific trial. We should trust that whatever we are going through, will eventually benefit us in the long run. Our Heavenly Father knows everything, and everything that is best for us. There is a reason we are going through the difficult time, we just need to trust in him that it is for our benefit! Also, we need to have the hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When I hurt my back, I really struggled with being patient! I just wanted to be healed and get back to my normal life. Looking back at that experience, I have learned that there was definitely a reason I went through that, and I learned so much from that experience!

I know that our Heavenly Father is always guiding our lives. He knows us, he loves us, and he wants us to learn and grow. And what better way to grow by having experiences? Even if they are not our favorite, we will learn, and become better people! I am so grateful to know that there is a plan for me and that I am always being watched over and protected. I promise to all of you, that no matter what hardship you have or are going through right now, there is a reason for it. I challenge you to face it head on, with patience, knowing that one day, you will understand why, and that there will be an end to the trial some day. I love you all, hope you have the best week possible!

Elder Zaugg

So the pics, my camera memory card has a bug(pretty sure) so I send pictures to my mom through the wifi and she puts them on my blog! But here are two pictures! One of me loving the skittles my mom sent, and the other a casual selfie.

Step Stats!

monday   20744   11.4

tuesday   16154   8.8

wed        20557   11.3

thursday 15911    8.7

friday      12244    7.0

saturday 17195    9.3

sunday   15925    8.7

totals     118,230 steps and 65.2 miles

The totals are right but i couldn't really read my handwriting so I hope the numbers are right haha

WEEK 10.......292.8 Miles walked in Paraguay

It is crazy to think I have been in Paraguay for a month now! I am loving it here! The weather is starting to heat up, like getting really hot. So I bought a hat and I look like a Chinese farmer when I wear it. Hopefully I can send the pictures to show you guys! 

It was a pretty normal week in Paraguay..not much too exciting happened! Actually, crazy story. (Hopefully you all are ok with this story haha) So Sunday we were walking to church and my comp says "Is this blood?" I respond with "It is probably just alcohol". We keep walking and he keeps saying he thinks it is blood. Then at the end of the 15 ft streak of dried "blood" we see something, and it definitely looked like an organ of some kind..So I say "oh a dog must have gotten hit" Well later that night, we were at a members house and he tells us how a man got hit the night before by a bus. He was drunk and walked in front of the bus and get very very messed up to say the least...Then he told us where it happened and we instantly knew what we were walking in earlier that day...Ya...

On a brighter note....we had an investigator agree to get married and baptized!!! However, the date is December 19, but hey, as long as they are working for that!

As I was studying this week, I was looking up an attribute of Christ---charity. But I did not know-what is charity exactly? In Moroni 7, verse 45 it explains a couple things of what charity is. For me, to have the attribute of charity means to be kind, does not get frustrated easily, thinks positively about everyone, and realizes that everyone is a child of God. In verse 47, it says charity is the pure love of Christ. Christ loves us so much he gave his life for us, so that we might be able to return and live with our Heavenly Father, Him, and our families forever. When we realize these attributes of charity, we will realize that everyone needs to know that they are loved. No matter where they are at in their life, there is always at least 2 people that love them--God, our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for this knowledge! I hope you all try to develop charity for everyone. It is not too difficult to start! Just be kind to everyone you see!

Love you all!

Elder Zaugg

Pics again are not working, I am hoping I can find a place that I can hook my camera up to their wifi later today and my mom will load the pics to my blog!

Step Stats for the Week!

monday       27380  15miles

tuesday       13652  7.4

wednesday  17161  9.4

thursday      20376  11.2

friday          14520   8

saturday     13527   7.4

sunday       16864   9.3

with a total of 123485 steps and 67.7miles!

WEEK 9......225.1 miles walked Paraguay

Hey everyone! Hope everything is going great in the states! And I hope you guys all have power!!! (We just got power after almost 24 hours without it. We were told it was because the EPP a Paraguay terrorist group bombed a power station but I have no access to valid news so I cannot be 100% sure)

(..........YES it is true :(  )

Yes, the awkward chair story. So we were walking to lunch this week. We saw one of less active members that we have been teaching with her sister in law carrying chairs. So we offered to carry them for them. Well, they were each only carrying one plastic chair. It was like 2 pounds but we just wanted to help them out! So I offered the sister in law to carry it for her and she said yes but only wanted for me to carry half of it. So, we walked for about 5 minutes each carrying one arm of a 2 pound chair. Meanwhile, my comp just walked behind us laughing and about 5 people were yelling from a factory shouting and laughing. It was pretty embarrassing but I am looking back on it now and laughing so hard.

This week while I was reading the Book of Mormon I came across 2 Nephi 9 talking about the Plan of Salvation. Christ suffered for us and overcame death so that we might be forgiven of our sins. So why don´t we take advantage of his Atonement and repent of the wrong decisions we all make every day. God loves us so much so he gave us a way to return and live with him after death and the way is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A lot of us may think that we are going through something really difficult but I want to testify to you that there is one person who has been through exactly what you are going through. Christ knows you perfectly and if you let him, He will relieve you from the pain! I am so grateful for his sacrifice for me and for the opportunity I have to be forgiven of my sins through the Atonement of Christ. I love serving a mission in Paraguay, and hopefully I can bring this message to some of the people here!

Thank you all for your support and emails!

I would send pictures but the computers aren´t working well today, maybe because of the power outage situation! But there are more pics on my blog, thanks to my wonderful parents! Check them out!

Elder Zaugg

Question and Answer

1.  Does the toilet work?  What are you doing if not???

yes, it does now. We had to go to the church and use that one...

2 Do you find that it is hard to budget your $?

So far it hasn´t been.

3.  What type of groceries do you buy?

honestly don´t really know..I buy apples and rice and beans (I need some recipes on how to cook beans and rice haha) and oatmeal and some potatoes (also a recipe for diced potatoes or something like that)

4.  Are you eating enough?

yes so far I am eating enough! I love when members feed us but it does not happen too often

5.  How is Spanish coming along, do you feel like you can converse with people yet?  How about the other two languages?

I am finally starting to be able to understand more people. I love talking to the 8 to 10 year olds because I can actually have a conversation with them, and some of them remind me of Buddy!

6.  What are you studying on your personal study time?

I am reading the Book of Mormon in spanish and also studying the attributes of christ in PMG,  (Preach My Gospel) which are awesome. I passed page 100 in my libro de mormon the other day so I am making progress.

7.  How often do you teach English classes?  How many people do you typically get to come?

just once a week and about 10

8.  What service have you been able to perform for the people there?

not much yet, but we have 2 or 3 this week and a district one in 2 weeks! A new service program in our district(basically a stake) just got started yesterday.

9.  Have you been bothered by the bugs?

Yes and no...the ones in my house yes. The ones outside not really. The mosquitoes are not bad in Pedro Juan!

10.  Have you liked your shoes?

yeah the shoes are great!

11.  What is your typical breakfast?

yogurt (not normal yogurt, like a milk basically) and an apple..and usually the protein but I am out of it now!

12.  What is something you have loved about Pedro Juan?

The weather has been great, the members are aweseome in our branch, and I love the food because it is very normal 😁

13.  How many wards or branches are there in your area?

 5 ramas! (branches)

Step STATS for the Week!

Monday 22217   12.2 miles

Tuesday 14707   8.0

Wed.     17535    9.4

Thursday 18841  10.4

Friday     18957   10.4

Sat.        19399   10.6

Sunday   19266   10.6

If my math is correct again (I assume it was last time because Grampy did not send an email correcting me) I had 130,922 steps this week and 71.6 miles!