another week

1. I ate cow tongue this week 

2. We taught a catholic priest this week. 

3. I have NEVER been so tired in my life.

1. False. BUT.. we were served it. A member in our ward gave it to us for lunch.. but she was really really cool about it and told me that I didn't have to eat it if I didn't want to. I wanted to try it.. but I literally could not make myself do it.. dangit. My comp ate it like a champ though. hahah.. I love her. She is seriously so great. And eats SO much.. and is like a stick. seriously. I don't know how. She has to have a hollow leg or something.. because seriously eats like double me. haha.. it's so fun.

2. True. kind of. haha.. so we were contacting last tuesday. and we clapped and a 18 year old boy came out.. and we started talking. I could immediately tell that he was super intelligent. and not to be rude.. but the majority of the people here we teach.. let's just say.. and a less than average education. But he was different. We asked if we could share a message with him.. and he said yes! So we started talking a little bit about his religious life and his background with religion. He told us that he actually was "training" or whatever they do to be a catholic priest. He was in training for a year and a half and would study with all of the other "trainees?" and they would go on mini missions for like a week long all over paraguay. super cool actually. and yeah.. he told us he decided to drop out. He didnt tell us the details.. but he stopped for some reason. we started talking about the restoration.. and he was really listening and truly thinking about our message. I loved it. A lot of the time we teach and talk to people that are hearing us but aren't really listening. Does that make sense? But it wasn't the case with him. he was really truly listening. He asked questions and had his doubts about how the authority was lost after the death of christ.. but we just bore as powerful testimony as we could.. and asked him to pray about it.. and think about it.. and that we would come back again and see how it went. We haven't been able to find him in his house again after that.. but we are going to try again tonight. I'm hoping we'll be able to find him again. he's super cool. and his name is enrique.. which is just AWESOME. so yeah. hahah.

3. TRUE. TRUE. so true. I'm so tired. I have not known tired until my mission. I'm trying to eat healthy and excercise in the mornings.. but yeah. tired.

Other than those things.. we are contacting lots. we actually have found some really cool people that I'm excited to follow up with this week! I'm having a fear of talking to people that I haven't had yet on my mission.. so this week coming I have a goal to just talk to everything that I feel promted to. And just be brave and trust the spirit. 

Hmm.. what more. We have consejo de rama this week. I don't know what's its called in english. like a meeting? With all the leaders in the branch. and we talked and stuff. it was kind of discouraging actually. we actually had a lot planned to say and stuff to talk about.. and they didn't really give us time to talk. We also found out.. GET THIS. You are going to die. We found out that in our area.. which is actually pretty big.. but still. In our area.. there is 421 baptized members of the church.. and we have an average asistance of 45. wow. right? I couldn't believe it. SO SO sad. I could't believe it. It was overwhelming. we don't even know WHERE to start our work. so yeah.. we are praying and trying to work with the members as much as we can. 

Something else I kind of struggled with this week. I have these like awesome experieces where I just get so excited and fired up about the work and I'm just so ready to work and yeah.. and then I get out and we start talking to people and getting rejected by the thousands of catholics that live here.. and then I love my drive or that fire that I had in me.. and I get lazy. So this week too.. I'm going to try my hardest to just work hard and diligently.. and not forget that these children of god NEED what we have to offer. And I just want to love them more. because if I love them more.. I will have more desire for them to know what I know and have. Does that make sense? 

So yeah.. lots to work on. :) But it's all good.

Hermana Lopez is still great. She is a delight.

The mission is flying.. and slow.. ALL at the same time. Tomorrow I hit 6 months. how weird. 

I hope you are all doing well. I think of you all often and draw strength from your prayers and words of encouragement.

I love you all so so much.

xoxoxo 

Hermana Ehlert