Tyler's Companion Elder Richards ~ Adios Elder Richards :(

Alright so I'll start with whats up here in Paraguay, my comp Elder Richards got special changed, now I have Elder Stokes from Syracuse Utah. He is a great Elder and we´ll get lots done. It's kinda funny the way its worked out. I have 3 months in Paraguay and 4 companions. Funny how that works haha. It seems like every special change I need to be involved in. President just really likes to talk with me I guess haha. We are getting a lot done here. Our goal for baptisms this month is 6 people. We really think we can get it. I'm excited to see what we can do here. We hope to get Junior's mom baptized. We have our semi crazy investigator that has a fecha for the 7th so we are hoping to make our own white Christmas. We have a bunch of other investigators who aren't quite as close to being baptized, but we will see what we can do.

We still haven't celebrated Thanksgiving. We are doing that today, and right after... up go the Christmas lights wohoo. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!! I'm glad you guys got to go celebrate with Grandma Brown. We really are lucky with the family we have. I'm glad you guys got to go over to Gma Ts house too. Grandma T was super happy that you guys came. And as far as the diet, you just need to come to Paraguay. I've been here three months and I've lost 10 kilos (about 25 pounds.) I think it's more than that, but yeah.

I'd never thought of the mission that way, when you talked about how missionaries play the role of saviors to the people they teach because they provide a way for them to return to our Father in Heaven. It makes me think of one of Elder Holland's MTC talks. He posed the question, "Why does the mission have to be hard, why can't the investigators line up at our doors and the only real danger is getting hypothermia cause you cant get dry?" He then answered the question saying, "This is what has spoken peace to me, it can't be easy because it wasn´t easy for the Savior, and if it was hard for him, how dare I ask that it be easy." There is more than a little truth in that statement, how can I ask that the work of saving a soul be easy when he suffered so much for that soul. How can I say I will not drink a drop of that bitter cup, it isn´t easy for us because it wasn´t easy for him. Make sure Heather knows that before she goes into the MTC Wednesday, she needs to know that it won't be easy, but she also needs to know that it will be worth it.

You used the word frightful to describe the weather, haha. That's a chuchi word haha. I'm sorry that the weather is bad there. I hope it gets better for you. Well that's really about all I have. Thanks for helping me in all the ways you do, and know that I love you and miss you and look forward to talking to you soon.

Love Elder Brown

Questions:

1. What kind of Christmas decorations do people have there or are they up yet?
Pretty much the same as home, Christmas lights, yep

2. Have you used your boots much? Does it rain much?
I have. It does sometimes. Usually about once a week.

3. How many lessons a week do you usually teach?
Around 30 including menos activos.

4. How is your Spanish coming?
It's going really good now, all a sudden I started understanding everyone really well.

Hey Mommy,
Everything is good here. Really not much has happened since Thursday, but thats the danger we run when theres only 4 days between writing, but yeah, as I said the administrator said the packages will get here igual so I don't think there's a difference bettween the 2 addresses, I'll ask. Yeah really nothing is new, but yeah.

Really, I am super grateful for the relationship we have. I really don't know what I would be like with out the help you've always given to me. I'm such a mama´s boy, haha. Just like the strippling warriors, haha, but en verdad que si. I miss home now more than ever. The Christmas time just kinda does that I guess. I bought some Christmas lights and strung them around my room. My room in Paraguay is more decorated than our house, haha. Isn't that funny the way that works out. I'm super excited for Christmas, and to get my Christmas packages. What sheet music did you put in? Where is the buckle store? I have never heard of that place in my life.

That's great about Heathers farewell. When does she go into the MTC? You know the funny thing, she enters 5 months after me but she will get home before me. Not by much but still. She will be a great
missionary. It's great she is going.

I'm grateful for you. I miss you tons and look forward to talking to you. Hopefully I have more to say next week but know I love you.

Love
Elder Brown

Questions:
1. When you lead the singing in your branch do you sing the melody and do you sing loud?
I do my best, and I have to sing the melody because no one knows how to sing.

2. How many people come to church in your ward on Sundays?
This week we had 57 people.

3. How did Junior become interested in the church?
He found out about mutual which is basically football every week, and then he started coming to church and got a testimony.

4. Is your area poor people or are there wealthy areas in the city?
I'm not really sure. The people seem pretty well off for the most part, but the houses are still smaller than in the states.

The Streets of San Antonio
Hey Dad, Everything is going well here. I'm still in San Antonio, and I'm still with Elder Richards for one more change. I'm glad I get to stay here because we have the familia Arana to spend Christmas with. They are super great. They are my Paraguayan family. They are recentish converts. They are almost at the year mark which technically means recent converts. You're classified as a recent convert until the year mark, but they are such a great family. They are always so happy to see us.

This week we made quite a bit of progress with a few of our investigators. Junior, our recent convert's, mom is starting to get a
testimony, and his brother is starting to open up to us. Dina, Hermana Arana´s sister, is really showing a lot of interest. One of our old investigators who we had to drop because her work didn't let her go to church quit so we are starting up with her again. So lots is going really well now.

Dad I wanted to thank you for all that you did for me. I was listening to conference talks from October 2008. Elder Holland's talk "The Ministry of Angels" about angels around us got me thinking, and when he shared the story I started to cry as I realized how much you've done for me and how much you would be willing to do. Really you are an angel in my life, I'm grateful for you and I would like to have a much stronger relationship with you when I get back. I love you dad.

Love Elder Brown

Hey Mom,

I miss snow mama. I miss it a lot, and I miss Christmas lights too. Can you send a picture of snow, or maybe our house covered with snow. (I'd say our house with Christmas lights but surely we don't have lights. haha;) Does that box have sheet music in it as well? Because I need songs to sing. I won't be sending a Christmas package this year because I don't know what to send.... but next Christmas, when I get the country, language and all that figured out, there will be a ginormous package with Christmas´s birthdays and everything. It will be the Super Package Of Paraguay. (SPOP) and I´ll put that on the outside so that you know that SPOP has arrived.

As you read in Dad's letter everything is the same here, no changes. Yahoo. I'm super excited to spend Christmas with my Paraguayan Madre y Padre. They are such a great family. I've been thinking about the whole come pick your child up thing and I'm pretty sure at the end of my mission I will just want to come home, but we will see how it is when we get closer to the end.

I'm sure by this time you've already read Dad's letter, and you've probably read the Holland talk I alluded to, if not you should it's a great talk, but I want to let you know how much I'm grateful for you. You have always been there for me. You've been my best friend for all of my life. You've always been the one I talked to and you've helped me through so much. You've been the biggest angel in my life and I'm so grateful for you and love you so much.

Love Elder Brown

p.s. Is there sheet music in my package? I need music.
p.p.s. sorry I can't send pictures. my computer really doesn't have usb.

QUESTIONS:
1. I got your credit card bills this week and saw McDonald's and Burger King on them. How was it?
Yeah sorry ´bout that, I saw Burger King and really wanted it. It's not nearly as good as the states, but a burger is a burger, same with McD´s I'm glad I did it and if i go to Asuncion I'll do it again ;)
2. Are there restaurants/stores in your area or do you have to go to a bigger city to shop and go to McDonald's & BK?
We have to go to ñemby which is about 15 minutes away.
3. Are there paved roads in this area? 1 main paved road and then dirt? Any addresses or street signs?
We have 1 paved road and then empedrau i think its called, rocks with dirt mixed in, and a few dirt roads.
4. Do you know what you will be doing for Thanksgiving? Will there by any dinners or celebrations? I know Thanksgiving is an American Holiday so I wondered if you would be doing anything. Thanksgiving here is next Thursday.
I honestly have no idea what we will do for Thanksgiving.

Downtown SanAntonio (from the internet)
Everything is good here, Saturday Junior baptized his two little sisters, I confirmed one of them as well. They are a great family.
So, a ward choir. I don't think is going to work in Paraguay. All of the people are tone deaf. Bishop wants me to lead every Sunday so that we can at least try to sound good, and I don't think we have enough time to be doing a ward choir. I'll see if I can find a ward that could work but I don't know. That's all I gots to say bout that. haha. My area is great. Transfers are next week. so we will see what happens. I hope I can stay here and Elder Richards does too, but I have no control over that. But everything is good. I want you to know that I miss you guys and love you all.
Love, Elder Brown

Questions:
1. Do you want us to send any toys for you to give to kids for Christmas or candy for them or anything? Do you do service projects for Christmas there?
I don't think so, but you're welcome to send candy for the kids and American potato chips for my comp and I if you think theyll make it.
2. When are transfers? Are they coming soon?
Transfers are next week, the 17th, so p-day will be Thursday the 18th.
3. Is the church building in the boundaries of your area? or how far is it away from your house?
Yes it is, it's like 2 blocks away from my house it's pretty close.
4. Do the people in your area have jobs? What do most of them do for work?
I think so, I'm not really sure. I know Anibal mi Paraguayan padre works repairing cars at his house, but other than that I have no idea.
5. What do you (as missionaries) do at church on Sundays?
We teach the gospel principals class.

Everything is great here. We baptized Junior and we are going to baptize his sisters Saturday, so that should be good. He is 17 he is a great kid, and will be a great addition to the ward. My companion baptized him and I confirmed him a member. It was a great opportunity. The language is coming just not as quickly as I would like, but yeah it's all good, and dont worry about your letters being long. I miss talking to you too and this is the closest we can get to talking so that's what we´ll go with.

We have progressing investigators that will turn to baptisms but other than that it's just work as usual, but I'm sooo happy to be here. I love the people here so much, I want so badly to help them. but I know that it's their choice to accept the gospel.

Thats really all I have for this week. but know that I love you and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love,
Elder Brown

p.s. Tell Tracy thanks for the letter and tell her I'm sorry for not writing back, I'm super busy.

p.p.s. Bambino is Italian, and I don't know what it means.

p.p.p.s. Love you tons.

Questions:
1. What is typical Paraguay as you mentioned in your letter?
Really it just means roads that are dirt with rocks mixed in not sure how to say it, small houses, tranquilo people, they just sit around and drink tededei all day.

2. How is your Spanish? Are you able to understand the people well yet? Are there other languages spoken in this area?
It's coming. I'm still working on it. I understand people pretty well... when they use consonants. Here it's just Spanish.

3. What is your church like in this area? A rented building or church built? How far from your apartment/area? How do the people get to church, walk, bus, car, motorcycle?
It's a big church. at least big for Paraguay. My apartment is in my area. It's weird to be outside your area. People usually walk or take a bus.

4. Did you have an interview with Pres. Callan while you were in Asuncion?
I had my interview Friday, and it was really great. It's amazing, I've talked with President for maybe an hour total but I can tell the love he has for me and he knows so much about my personality. its amazing to see the gifts of the spirit he has.

5. Since you're on the river are you eating fish?
I haven't yet but occasionally on p-day we apparently go fishing.

6. Do you have everything you need? Are you clothes OK? Do we need to send anything with your Christmas package? What do you want in your package?
i have everything I need, my clothes are good, I need to get the hems repaired on a few pairs of pants but thats ok. Really I would like chips... American chips. but really thats all.