May 16, 2016

Wow! What a week it has been. Sometimes the days are slow.. and then all the sudden it's monday again.

This week we were able to do divisions with some hermanas in the zone. And guess what?! I got to be with Hermana Lopez again!! It was so fun to be with her.. and like also totally weird to have her as my comp again! We have both grown and changed so much on our missions.. and it was so cool for me to see how much she has grown and developed since her training. We are both better now.. like I only had 4.5 months when I was with her.. and she was brand new. I think day to day.. it's really hard to see how we have progressed.. and how we have been changed and molded more into how our heavenly father wants us to be. It's hard to see changes and progression in ourselves.. but I was lucky enough to spend the day with hermana Lopez.. and to see a little bit of the amazing missionary she has become!! It was so fun.. and to be with someone who is my height again! We laughed and laughed.. and the day just flew by! 

Ignacio and Leticia continue to progress.. but definitely not at the pace that I would choose for them. But I just have to keep doing my best.. and trusting in the Lord's timing for them. Stay tuned.

This morning I was studying.. and last transfer I started over the book of mormon. Every time I read it.. it is confirmed to me the truth and divinity of that book. But I am in Ether right now.. when the people of Jared have to cross the sea. At this point the brother of jared and his people have already made all of their preperations.. and everything they needed to do.. and they just set off. With no way to stear.. or see.. or anything. Just trusting in the Lord. wow. I was stunned and impressed by their faith. They quickly find out.. that this isn't just a quick voyage where they are able to read a nice book.. and they arrive. It describes the enormous waves that engulfed them.. and the  relentless wind. They were tossed and tumbled and turned for 344 days. It says " And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land. And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord." I was thinking.. it would have been VERY easy to complain and say "God.. I have done everything that you have asked me to do.. we built and prepared EXACTLY how you told us to.. and this is the WORST most uncomforrtable ride that there ever was." But as I also sat thinking about how I might react and complain.. it occurred to me.. that they NEEDED the wind and waves to be able to MOVE.. to be able to arrive where the Lord wanted them to be. And without the rain and the wind and the waves.. they wouldn't have been able to progress or move at all. And even more impressive.. they didn't just endure these terrible and more than uncomfrotable circumstances.. but they gave thanks to to the Lord all of their days. Even in the midst of their turmiol.. and with the storm raging on outside.. they coudl find peace and happiness.. and I imagine especially comfort as they gave thanks. I loved that. 

It was a pretty normal week here in Minga.  Oh man.. yesterday.. we had a lesson with Lucy.. and we were running behind.. so we were RUNNING home. Like full sprint.. to get home on time.. and we were about 2 blocks from our house.. and BOOM. down I go. Shoot. I quickly gathered myself together.. and quickly do the quick scan to make sure no one was watching. Thankfully there was just an old man in a nearby house that saw.. and he yelled to see if I was okay. haha.. I´m sure I was just the picture of grace. We continued home.. this time not running.. but kind of limping as I left my pride behind. I just rolled by ankle.. and nothing too bad.. just a few scraped knees.. and some hands. but not to worry.. all is well. Benson and I really just need to learn to stay on our feet. yikes. haha.

 But man.. can I just say how much I LOVE this area. It is so great. In the language Guarani.. to say "I love...." You say "Ro Hay Hu".. and I RO HAY HU Minga Guazu.

I love you all!! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK.

xoxox

Hermana Ehlert

ps. I really hope that this email makes sense.. because my poor computer is struggling so bad. 

haha. 

PEACE AND BLESSINGS!

a women from our branch.. Ana de Jesus! 

We went and visited her this week.. and was so happy with our visit.. she ran over to the corner store to by us cookies and pop! I love her. 

leticia and her son!

one of my favorite people here in Minga. Teresa!!! This was us yesterday. She is the newly reactivated member. Basically like my mom here. I love her!

May 11, 2016

HI fam :)

So.. yes today is not pday. BUT it has been the first time I have been able to write this week.

Pday.. we were just crazy busy.. and some things happened with some other hermanas in the zone.. so we didn't get a chance to write on pday.. and then yesterday.. we passed by the cyber to write and it was CLOSED! So danger.

BUT YAY. I am here now.. so no need to worrryy!!

This week.. the days just all seem to be blending together. But things I do remember..

-Ignacio and Leticia: we were able to have two amazing lessons with them last week. And they truly are progressing. Something amazing that I loved this week that he said.. "before you started coming to our house.. I don't think I really believed in God. And now, for the first time in my life, I am truly started to believe in him.". ah. my heart was just bursting. How amazing it is, that I get the chance to help normal people.. on the earth.. to start believing and coming to know our father in heaven. wow. I just felt so humbe. As I said last week.. baptisms and everything are amazing.. but little moments like that are where I know I am doing my job. helping other come closer to our savior and father in heaven. 

They aren't married.. so that will be the first big obstacle that they need to overcome.. and getting married legally in paraguay is actually quite the process.. and can be really expensive. so we will continue praying for them and working with them. It is amazing to see how the spirit is changing and working with them in their lives.. and in their home. They are different and have more light every time we go  by.

-funny story. So wednesday morning after I showered I decided I needed my hair trimmed.. so I asked my comp.. and although she told me that she has only cut hair twice in her life.. she happily agreed and we both thought it was just a great idea. So forward we went with that.. and long story short.. it ended up being basically terrible. I quickly got over the shock of having a very bad haircut and after a silent prayer to not react TOO bad to not make my companion feel worse than she already did.. we decided it was pretty necessary to go find a hairdresser to fix the problem. We were able to find a VERY nice guy who didn't charge us very much.. and just did a FAB job. His name is Ramon.. and I will definitely be recommending all future hermanas to go see him. needless to say.. my hair is about 5 inches shorter now.. but it is very healthy.. and my comp even got her hair trimmed I think to make me feel better!!!  haha.. it's all funny now.. and really not a giant deal as I thought about it more. :)

-We continue on with peace in our hearts and every day feeling and seeing the hand of the lord in lives and in this work.

if there is anything I know.. I know he loves us. and he is aware of us. is a real being who wants us to be happy and notices us.. even the small things. 

just a shorter one this week.. but I love you all so much. 

HAPPIEST MOTHERS DAY TO ALL YOU OUT THERE.

It was the happiest thing to see my sweet mom and family. also.. it was the last skype call before I go home. and it all just made it even more real.. when my comp and I recieved our "trunky papers" this pday. so weird.

I love you! 

till next weeeek. :)

xoxox

Hermana Ehlert

cute kids of investigators

one of my fave members. 

waiting for the bus in a chipa stand

we had our district meeting outside. YAY :)

walking in the mud and rain

lucy and her cute fam that we visited this week

rain!

                                         trunky papers. 

definitely mixed feelings.

                                   MUD!

Glorious.

HEY FAM :)

If I had to pick a word for this week it would be "glorious".. and a really close second would be "fast".

So to start off.. the cold definitely hit paraguay this week. Last Monday was okay.. but then after that.. it was just plain freezing. The beginning of the week was rainy.. and then the cold just stuck. We live in a pretty good pension.. but at night.. there is a slight but definite draft coming in from the holes in our roof and walls... haha. but it's okay. Hermana Cannon and I battled through with MANY layers of clothes.. and then blankets on top... and lots of herbal tea. We have two blankets each.. and on Wednesday night Hermana Cannon decided that she was still too cold at night.. so she put on blanket on top of her.. then put ALL OF HER CLOTHES from her dresser on top of that... and then her other blanket. It was really funny... and she continued to sleep like that the rest of the week. hahhaa.

I can not even tell you how much I LOVE these people in this branch. It is one the most amazing branches ever. Their love for the gospel and their dedication and love for the savior is amazing. They were able to travel 6 hours together as a branch this weekend and go to the temple. And they came back on Sunday just beaming and full of strength and the spirit. Fast and testimony meeting was so spiritual for everyone as they bore testimonies of the blessings fo the temple. It was glorious.

Umm.. Leticia and Ignacio.. it was just a week full of miracles with them. Last week to be honest.. we had just a really weird lesson with them. Hermana and I just felt pretty lost.. and we were all over the place as we tried to guide the lesson and at the same time answer their questions and at the same time teach them with the spirit and look for their needs. It was just a crazy lesson.. So this week.. when we went by for the first time.. we went in solely with the purpose to feel the spirit.. and find their needs. It was one of the particularily colder days this week.. and as he huddled in their small house.. we just started talking. I was praying and praying for the spirit to be there.. and slowly they started to open up and ask us their real doubts and questions about the church. They had come to church twice now.. and their best friends are LDS.. so they now know quite a bit about the church. Their main doubts were about the Book of Mormon.. and as we taught as simply as we could.. and promised that they could know it was true through prayer and reading the spirit was strong. Up until this point as well.. they would never pray or try to pray with us.. but at the end of the lesson.. I invited Ignacio to say the prayer.. and we waited in silence for a few seconds as he hesitated.. he said yes. And I have never heard a more sincere heart felt prayer in my mission from an investigator. It was so sincere... and the spirit was so strong.. I kid you not.. I could not keep tears from coming to my eyes. He finished the prayer and we all just sat in silence for a few moments. Uh... you can not describe these little moments. It was amazing to see the change in them and seeing the spirit working in their eyes and hearts. 

We were actuallly able to see Ignacio the next day at our lunch appointment with his best friend who is a member. We were able to have another lesson with him after lunch and he told us of his feelings.. and how he is seeing a feeling changes in his life and for his family. We asked him to be baptized.. and he accepted.. and they both came to church yesterday. Which was glorious... BUT... as I mentioned before... the testimony meeting was mainly focused on baptisms for the dead... and we definitely have not touched that point of doctrine with them yet... sooooo.. I just prayed the entire time that they would feel the spirit.. and not let their questions or misunderstandings make them doubt. We will have a lesson with them tomorrow.. and we will have to see what they thought.. and where they are at. We will be praying.. but man.. they are so amazing. 

Another moment of the week that was glorious.. and maybe my favorite. So we were waiting on the side of the road for the bus to come by... (in paraguay.. "bus stops" don't exist.. but you basically just wait on the side of the road for one to pass.. and hope that it stops for you when you flag it down).. so we were waiting for a bus.. and there is usually always people walking around selling little trinkets like sunglasses.. and makeup.. little keychains.. stuff like that.. and one older guy with shaggy hair and red eyes came up and saw our name tags.. and said "mormons!! I am a mormon!! And I was a missionary too!!!" To be honest.. I didn't give him the time of day. We get crazy people claiming they are mormon all the time.. and precisely at that moment.. the bus came.. so I shook his hand and went to flag down the bus... and just as I was about to step on.. my companion grabbed me and told me that we needed to go back and talk to him. We had already been waiting for a bus for about 20 minutes.. and I didn't want to waste any more time.. but I followed her back to track him down. We asked him if we could sit down with him on a nearby bench.. and he said yes. As we began to talk to him.. he started telling us of how he was baptized and how he served a mission in brazil.. and was zone leader.. and helped many to be baptized.. and the him coming back.. he started living with a girl and she got pregant.. and after that he was too ashamed to go back to church.. and hasn't gone back since. His name is Hugo.. and now he lives with his daughter.. and he makes his living selling makeup and cell phone charges on the side of the road. The spirit was there.. and as we bore simple testimony of the saviors love and his grace and how much he wants him back.. tears sprang to his eyes. We said a prayer with him.. and then we parted ways as he promised that that night he would start reading the book of mormon and go back to church that weekend. 

Baptisms in the mission are amazing.. and seeing investigators in church.. and having lots of investigators.. but moments like this... are the jewels that embellish my mission I think. a 20 minute conversation with a stranger on the side of the road.. and helping him feel God's love for him.. is really what Christ did and would do. Helping those wandering sheep find their shepard again. Hugo doesn't even live in our area.. and we will probably never see him again.. but he is glorious. And that moment was glorious. 

I am grateful for an inspired, glorious companion.. who wasn't too busy to pass up an opportunity to help one of God's children that he put in our path. I am grateful for the glorious spirit that guided us this week and that gave us peace and comfort on the cold and rainy days. 

I am grateful to be a missionary in this glorious work.. and see changes and miracles in people.

Today was warmer.. and I am so grateful to know that my savior lives.. and that he loves us. And that there is a glorious, perfect father in heaven that loves us, and knows us. And we mean everything to him. His love is infinite and glorious. 

I hope you all have the greatest week. 

lots of loves!! especially to all you moms out there!! 

xoxo

Hermana Ehlert

 two pairs of tights... two pairs of sweats.. two hoodies.. and socks.. and a beanie. and mint tea of course!!!  

this is a member.. and his monkey that gave us lunch on sunday. I love him. the monkey's name is Enrique and just THE COOLEST PET EVER. I will definitely be looking into getting a pet monkey when I get home.

Our lunch on sunday. Talapia with vegetables soup.. and mandioca. It was actually really really good fish. :)

Just some amazing members of the branch.

working this morning. 

selfies waiting for the bus. :) 

HAVE A GLORIOUS WEEK!

April 25, 2016

So heeyy fam :)

I hope that you all had the greatest week! 

This week was crazy. I said bye to Hermana Martinez and now she is home! And now I am with Hermana Cannon.. and what a JOY it is. We are both so similar and are just so ready to work and have fun and basically conquer the world. I got back to my area late Wednesday night.. so we were able to start working on Thursday. We have high expectations for this transfer. 

Not too many exciting things happened this week.. but I just feel peace and feel happy. 

A really cool experience that happened this week though. Thursday night we at a branch activity and as we left and were walking to the bus stop (it's actually not a bus stop.. it's a place on the side of the road that you have to wave down the bus and hope that it will stop for you) and we saw the bus that we needed to take passed! They are supposed to pass every 15 minutes but after 6 it's sketchy at best.. and is super unreliable. We were more than 10 km away from our house.. and we needed to be back before 9. We just decided to wait and hope another would pass.. and if it didn't pass in 15 more minutes.. we would just have to take a taxi.. which is way more expensive.. but we wouldn't have a choice. As we got closer to the hour.. I was getting more and more nervous.. and literally as we were about to walk over to a taxi... two ladies came up to us.. and introduced themselves as members.. and they were just from a different ward. It was a daughter and a mom.. and they offerred to drive us home! So we happily accepted and got in their VERY nice car and we zipped off towards our house. They ended up just being the nicest people ever and actually gave us a referral!! It was so awesome.. and just another small miracle that shows me how aware our heavenly father is of us. Hermana Cannon and I entered our apartment literally not a minute too late.. and offerred a prayer of gratitude. 

I am so grateful of how aware my heavenly father is of two of his missionaries in the middle of paraguay. Little things like this just happen over and over again. 

Lucy is just fabulous and happy and amazing as ever. We had a charla with her before church.. and she basically just taught US. I love her. She is amazing and is now inviting all the rest of her siblings to church. 

Well... sorry. kind of boring this week.

I love you alllll. 

xoxoxoxo

Hermana Ehlert

A bridge is Posadas that I just adore

TRANSFERS

HI SWEET FAMILYYY :)

I can´t believe that another transfer has come and gone. It´s unreal for me. 

So my sweet hermana Martinez is off to Mexico!!! WOW. She is great.. and I am excited for her. 

Next.. for transfers.. I am staying in the same area MINGA. Which I was expecting and am totally happy about. Another shock.. my comp!! Her name is Hermana Cannon and she came with ME!! We were in the MTC together.. but in different districts. SHE IS AMAZING. So it´s actually so funny.. last transfer.. she wasn´t in my area.. but we shared the same branch. Our pensions are like one block from eachother.. so she is going to be just moving over to my pension.. and switching areas.. but she is still going to be in the same branch. Does that make sense?! I´m actually like super excited abou it. She is darling. In the pictures that I sent last week.. she was in one of them!! She is the asain looking one.. from Park City Utah.. and actually was on the BYU gymnastics team. Love her. It should be a great transfer!! YAY. I am so happy to be staying in my area as well.

SO THIS WEEK. Wow.. kind of a blur. It went by SO fast. BUT.. Saturday was just the greatest day. Lucy got baptized!! And everything went amazing. She got confirmed the next day.. and it was just beautiful! And so spiritual. She got out of the water and just gave me and hermana martinez the BIGGEST hug.. and she was soaking wet.. and then we were all soaking wet.. but it didn´t matter. she just couldn´t stop smiling. I love that her brother also got to baptize her... it just made me so happy to see their family and testimonies growing in the gospel. Then after she got confirmed.. I asked her how she felt.. and she said.. like no other sensation she had ever had.. like she was flying. I just loved this weekend. 

ALSO.. a member here that I just absolutely LOVE. Her name is Teresa. And she was baptized when she was 21.. waited a year and then went on a mission. When she got back she went inactive.. and has been inactive for more than 30 years. Her husband died 9 months ago.. and in december.. she saw the sister missionaries walk by her house.. and she called to them and she told them that she was a missionary too a long time ago!! Well.. anyways... she is amazing.. and is now active. It has been a little bit of a process with her.. but this week was the first week that she was able to take the sacrament.. and I was sitting next to her in sacrament.. and as she took the sacrament she had tears in her eyes. Me and her just sat there enveloped in the spirit.. and just so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ.. and his sacrifice. I love him. I am so grateful for him and his love enough for me.. to sacrifice himself. 

We also had another awesome experience this week.. we went to an area that we had never been to.. to track down a less active member that just moved. Well we were walking along the street.. and we just decided to ask this girl that was walking with a little girl. It looked like she was on the phone.. so I almost didn´t ask her.. but I just decided to anyways. Well we ended up talking.. and she invited us to sit down with her at the park while her neice played. We ended up having a great talk.. and she is AWESOME. She is actually an ex-nun.. I think you could call it? haha.. she was in like nun-training.. for 8 and half months. But she decided that it wasn´t for her. She told us that she didn´t feel it was right.. and ever since then she hasn´t gone back to the catholic church because she didn´t feel it was right. We had a great talk with her.. and invited her to church.. but she couldn´t come because she lives like really far. But I am totally excited to visit her again and to see what happens!! Her name is Rosana.

Anyways.. it was just a great week.. and just happy as can be. :)

I hope you all have the greattteessttt week!!! 

xoxoxoxo 

Hermana Ehlert

PS. 
Just want to say to Cassidy Ferrell.. that your wedding was STUNNING.. and you looked beautiful.. and I am seriously SO sad that I wasn´t there.

The zone when president is there.... :)

The zone when president isn´t there.... ;)

Lucy!!!! Isn´t she darling?!?! And her daughter.

Lucy and her brother who baptized her.. and her mom. They are converts of a few months. Aren´t they adorable?!

April 11, 2016

mi querida familia :)

I hope you all just had a FANTASTIC week. Things are going great here in Minga Guazu!! This branch is just SO fun. I loved my little branches that I have been apart of in my mission.. but it is just SO fun to have like 90 people in church.. and so many members. 

Not too many exciting things happened this week to be honest.. but it was a happy one. :)

This week we are trying SO hard to work better with members. We are trying to help them and excite them to do missionary work. It truly is so much more effective when we work together with members.

We have been able to find a few solid investigators from referrals from members.. and we had 4 investigators come to church this week!!! One of my favorite family's here are the familia delvalle... and he invited his cousin and his wife a few weeks ago to listen to our message.. they accepted.. and then they came to conference.. and this week came to church. They are darling.. Ignacio and Leticia. Stay tuned :) Lucy also came.. and she had her baptismal interview!!! She got over dengue.. and is doing much better.. and really was just GLOWING. She is so excited for this Saturday.. and SO AM I. It should be a great last week of the transfer. 

I wasn't feeling super well this week.. and at night i was just praying to feel a little better... and the spirit just hit me so strong. I just felt Him so near and close.. and it really made me think... how crazy is it that we claim and believe that we can directly talk to God. That is amazing. It amazes me. He truly is God almighty.. and all powerful.. who created all the stars and all things in the universe.. but first and firmost.. is my father.. and your father. And the reality of that just really hit me while I was kneeling by my bed this week. I love how my prayers have changed in my mission. I am so grateful for a loving heavenly father. Who wants more than anything for us to return to him. 

I love you all!! I hope you have an amazing week. :)

sorry it's a short one! 

xoxo

Hermana Ehlert

AMAZING waterfalls that we went to today for P-day!!

Classic jumping pic of course :)

comp and me :)

Cute comps at church yesterday :)

April 4, 2016

HEY FAM JAM :)

Wow! Fastest week EVER for me. But it was a good one.. filled with the spirit. 

We were able to do divisions this week.. with two companionships of hermanas. The first one.. I was with a newer hermana named Hermana Alvarez.. she is from Peru... and I just LOVE her. She is so great. She is a convert.. and one of the only members in her family. Her spirit is strong.. and when she bares her testimony.. it is just so simple and powerful. I loved it.  We were working in my area that day.. and we had a lesson with Lucy scheduled.. but not in the chapel like normal after church.. but in her boyfriends house.. which is like REALLY far. So we got directions from her over the phone.. and then ventured out. One hour, two city buses later and a lot of asking.. we got to her house!!! It was awesome. We had a great lesson with her about the temple and eternal families. She already knew much about it from what she has already learned and what her brother who is recently baptized has told her.. but the spirit was sweet and strong. She is just so amazing. After the lesson.. we got on a bus that she told us to get on.. and were headed back to our area..... or so we thought. We actually got on the wrong bus.. and it ended up taking us through a part of town that I do not know.. and then to centro.. like the middle of the big city. It was fine.. because once we were in centro I knew what bus to take and where to go.. but it was getting late and dark.. and after 7 the buses don't pass quite as often. We were waiting on the sidewalk for almost 40 minutes.. and by this point it was dark.. and there weren't many people out. If the bus didn't pass within 5 more minutes.. we would actually be late getting back to our pension. I was getting more and more nervous and poor Hermana Alvarez was as well... and we both jsut really wanted to be on a bus heading back to our own area. I decided we should say a prayer.. because bus after bus passed.. but not the one that we needed. We quickly stood close together on the sidewalk and I offered a quick prayer.. and the moment I opened my eyes to look down the road.. it was our bus that we needed. The relief and spirit overwhelmed me... and we hugged eachother and quickly jumped on the bus... arriving back in our pension.. exactly.. like to the minute.. on time. hahahaha.. it seems kind of dumb now.. but in that moment of a little bit of fear and anxiousness.. I knew our Heavenly Father was watching out for us. He cared about us two there that night... and it was a strong testimony to me of His love for us. 

His love was also shown personally to me this weekend during conference.. as the spirit whipered to me and helped me resolve and find answers to questions and the peace I was seeking. I hope you all had the chance to watch it. It's kind of funny.. but it's like the superbowl for us missionaries. I was able to watch it in English.. and felt so humble and lucky to be able to hear the direct words of our prophet and apostles.

SO.. lucy.. she actually got DENGUE! LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! She sent us a text Sunday morning and told us she coudln't get out of bed.. so we wasn't able to have her baptismal interview. As we prayed as companions.. and me individually.. I just felt that everything would work out exactly how God wanted it.. even though I didn't quite understand.. and it would turn out for the best of everyone. 

I love Him. I loved the talk on Saturday about recognizing who we really are.. and what our first reactions are to challenges or trials. 

I love you ALL.. SO SO much. 

xoxoxoxo from Paraguay 

Hermana Ehlert

is the place i serve even real?! 

I bought a succulent this week for 3 dollars. and named it Hai pei... in gaurani. :)