Rhett

Hola Familia y amigos,

I hope it's going good over there. Mannn this week was a little crazy not gonna lie. It was transfers so we had to help out a lot with that. Something cool that happened, there are now 4 missionaries in Obligado and two elders that are now in Trinidad. Pretty awesome. I feel the work will have a lot of success over there now that there can be missionaries there full time. Me and my comp can now just focus on Capitan Miranda now which is good. We now will be able to have a lot more time and be able to visit the people here a lot more and help them progress.

The family home evenings have been going great. We are basically like family now with Familia Guetterez. They love when we come and always ask us when we can come back. Yesterday we had a family home evening with a recent convert and his family. His whole family are members except for his 14 year old son Fransisco who basically hasn't wanted anything to do with the missionaries or the church. When we got there, he wouldn't come outside so me and my comp went in and basically dragged him out and told him we were gonna play a game super capo. So we shared the story in 3rd Nephi 4 about how Heavenly Father protected the Nephites who were small against an army way bigger than them and how they were able to overtake them. Afterwards we played a game and the whole family just all had a great time together. Fransisco liked it so much he even went over to the neighbors house with us and his dad to go teach them the gospel! Pretty awesome!

I'll just end off by sharing 3rd Nephi 4. I know we all have battles in life we have to overcome. Sometimes it seems like something hugeee like a big army of blood covered, skin headed gadianton robbers. But if we turn to the Lord for help and have confidence in him, he will make us strong and help us overcome them. I love the opportunity I have to share this great message. Love you all!

Elder Reilly

So theres a pretty funny story with this picture. We went back home this night in a bus like always and I have gotten pretty good at jumping on and off. Well that night I decided to test my skills and jump off when the clectivo was still moving a bit. I jumped off and didnt realize it rained there earlier in the day and the ground was all muddy and slippery. So yeahh I pretty much face planted straight into the mudd. Haha my arms cut up pretty bad too. I also just had given cards to go to the church website to people on the bus before I jumped out and Im pretty sure they all saw me faceplant... Hahah that was a fun one.. We had a lesson right after with my pants like thaT. hAHA great way to end off the day!

Trent

Hola Everyone!

Another week has passed in the beautiful San Martín! Love you and miss you all. I hope all is well at home :)

This week was actually a pretty difficult one. We had a lot of trouble finding people this week but thats ok because we are going to baptize two people this weekend: Darci and Leo. They both came to church with their dad too who is a member. Darci is really excited to be baptized but Leo still isn't 100% sure that he wants to do it so pray for him please! I Love working with families! Its the best thing to see the happiness the gospel brings to a family. Darci and Leo were actually some of my first investigators when I came to the mission in San Martín. They lived in my old area and now they moved to my new area and are ready to be baptized. And they remembered me! Haha but they told me that I am very different because now I can speak haha.

Man I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel and the plan God has for us. It comforts me so much! I know that I can just work as hard as I can and give all I have to God and he will bless my family and me and he'll make everything ok! This scripture in Ether 12:4 is so true, " 4Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. " The hope of a better world with my family makes an anchor to my soul and makes me sure and steadfast! I love you all! I hope all is well! Have a good week! 

Elder Reilly

Trent

(Parts of his parents emails combined)

This week was great. Elder Johansson and I are working well together. We are getting along great and are already great friends. We teach well together and we have the spirit and we have the same vision. This is the official start of the new transfer, so now we have 6 more weeks to work hard! The ward is actually struggling here! A lot of people have gone inactive and it's sad. But, it has been really fun seeing the members again. They all remembered how I couldn't speak at all and they are all so surprised that I can understand them and speak so well now...hah it's funny! 

The work is going great here though. It's looking like were gonna baptize a couple investigators named Darci and Leo this week or the next so that will be great! 

Wow that is so crazy about mom! We will be so obedient! I will do everything I can to serve the Lord with EVERYTHING I have so that Mom can be strong and make it through and so that everything turns out ok! I know she'll be ok. God's got our back! LOVE you! Ciao

Rhett

Hola Family!

Espero que todo este bien ahi! The mission is the best, I'm loving it over here. This week was transfers, and I found out that me and Prina are staying here for one more transfer! I'm super pumped about that. We are working super well right now and have a lot of investigators progressing. One thing we are trying to do is just have a lot more quality lessons with our investigators and really show our love for them. We have been doing a lot of family home evenings and stuff to get them fired up to go to church and get them started on the best path there is!

We have been working with the Guetirrez Family a lot. The parents are both less active and their 3 kids aren't baptized. This week we had a lesson with them and invited their neighbors to come and join as well. We talked to them about how Heavenly Father really does have a plan for each and every one of us and our families. We just have to sacrifice a little here on Earth and we can have a life of happiness in eternity after. Where we will be able to rest from all the labors and challenges of this life. It was really great for them and they could all really see the importance of making commitments like coming to church. The daughter of familia Guetirrez and all the neighbors said they would try to come to church and accepted a baptismal date for next month. They are so great. Yesterday we had a family home evening with them and played some games and talked about the restoration. I also brought my Ukeleli and we sang some hymns! Hahah the kids are so funny, they loved it! 

One thing I have been studying this week and the last is a lot about our eternal duties and sacrifices in this life for the Lord. One thing I really liked from a talk from Elder Holland is about the parable of the debtor in the Bible. There was a man in debt that owed another man a lot of money, I'll just say a million dollars. The debtor couldn't pay it, so the man forgave him and let him go free without paying anything. But a little bit down the road the man that forgave, saw the man who he had forgiven trying to charge another man a debt of 100 dollars. Elder Holland explained how in this life Jesus suffered everything for us, more than we can imagine. He invites us to come and be perfect as He is. We may not be perfect but we at least have to follow His example and be willing to forgive others as he did. It seems so little compared to what he forgave us. This life may be hard, but we have to be willing to experience hardships and try to follow the Savior even when it's a sacrifice. If we do so, we will be able to be perfected in Him. I know Jesus Christ loves us and feel Him there forgiving us always when we come unto Him! Love you all!

Elder Reilly

Rhett - Gringos and Tomoatoes

Heyy Fam!

Woww this week we had lots of stuff to do. It was a little crazy but with it all we were able to work and see with miracles with some investigators. Our area is pretty close to the border of Argentina and we are zone leaders so have all of the passports and documents of the missionaries in Paraguay, so we always have to do stuff with that. So we lost some time doing some of that stuff this week but still managed to be able to work. We have been seeing a lot of progression with the area here!

We have an investigator named Alicia who lives with her husband and grandaughter. We have been teaching her for about 2 weeks now and she loves it. She hasn't been able to go to church yet because of some things she had to do but the last Sunday she sent her granddughter to church with a member family that lives close by. It was super awesome! She knows that its a good thing and wants it in her life and in her family's life. She has a baptismal date for March. She has been struggling to quit smoking for awhile now and has the faith that she can quit. We promised her that if she read the Book of Mormon everyday she would be able to quit smoking. She took the challenge and now is trying to read everyday with her granddaughter. They are doing super awesome, and I know the gospel will truly bless their lives!

Another Investigator named Leonarda is probably one of the most faithful people I have ever met. She has a super strong desire to get baptized and live the gospel. The missionaries have been teaching their family for a long time and almost all of her kids are members of the church now. She just has to get divorced and the get remarried with her boyfriend named Lalo. She already sent in her papers to get divorced and they should be coming in any day now. She wants to get married with Lalo and then get baptized. Lalo also is planning on getting baptized. They are so greattt. Leonardo was telling us the other day that she just knows that she needs to get baptized. If Lalo doesnt want to get married she said she will kick him out of the house so that she can be baptized and live the gospel in her life. She has such a strong testimony, it is amazing. We are now trying to help Lalo so that he can gain a testimony and have the faith as well! 

I just want to end off saying that I know the gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to change and be better. Everyday we have problems and experience hardships but Jesus Christ felt it and went through it and through him we can be ovewrcome them and become better. Love you guys, have a great week!

Elder Reilly

Trent - Emergency Transfer

Hey Everyone!

So this week I got emergency transferred to San Martin as Zone Leader right after P Day last week. A little crazy. I'm sad that I had to leave two baptisms behind in Confluencia but it will be fun returning to San Martin the most beautiful place in the mission! The weather is perfect and I'm ready to work! I have a new companion named Elder Johannson from Gilbert, Arizona. He's aweomse. I'm training him as a Zone Leader and he's super pumped!

The assistants told us that the San Martin zone has been dead for a while and that we need to get it back moving again. We came in with hardly any investigators so we're getting to know the area and just working hard and finding new people. It should be fun! 

Love you and miss you all! See you in a few!

Trent - Hicimos Empanadas Papá

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I haven't written in a while! They don't give us very much time:) This week was AWESOME! I had some really cool experiences.

We have two baptisms coming up soon. This Saturday, Martin will be baptized. He had listened to missionaries before when he lived in Choele Choel. The first missionaries that taught him were Elder Clayton (Bannon's friend) and Elder Lopez. Now he lives here in Confluencia and he's

ready to be baptized. He always fufills the committments we give him so he progressed really fast and came to know that all that we taught was true. He's a beast. 

The next Saturday we will baptize an old man named José. We found him last week. He's 74 and he lives by himself in a house a little smaller than my room at home. He has an infirmity, basically he can't use his arms. So he pretty much can't do anything. He can't clean his house, or himself, or anything, so his house was SUPER dirty. No one had come to help him for more than a few months so just imagine. We felt so much compassion for this man and we just started cleaning his entire house. Believe me, it was disgusting. Tori, you wouldn't have entered. We cleaned everything for about an hour and a half until it looked brand new. Then we went and brought some stuff from the apartment to clean up José. We cut his nails which were about an inch long literally, we cut his hair and his foot long beard and then I bathed him. He was very dirty. And no one else would do it haha so I did. I felt like I was bathing my Savior. I couldn't help but get emotional as I bathed this poor old man. When you serve others you serve God. Fue una experiencia muy linda. I very thankful to be on the mission. I love my God and I love serving these people! 

Love you and miss you all! I'll let you know if I bathe any more dirty old dudes! Ciao!!

Rhett - Rest or a tion !

Hey!

The rain finally stopped this week letss goo! Because of the rain it's been a little difficult getting our investigators to come to church. But this week it was all super clear outside. We were able to have 4 investigators at church. We have been working with a family of 4 with the parents being less active. They got baptized when they were really young and then after left the church and started living together. They never even got married. They have a 12 year old daughter that isn't a member and lots of family members of the parents that aren't members. We found them about 2 weeks ago and they have been trying to get them to come back to church. And this week they came! It was super awesome and they felt super good to be back. They sang the hymns in Sacrament meeting and came and participated in all of the classes. We have also been teaching a sister of the mom of the family and she has been progressing a lot too. We found her this week, and she says she wants to go to church and be baptized. We have been seeing a lot of miracles this week.

I have seen so many times how Heavenly Father puts people in the way that are prepared, we just have to be willing to open our mouths and talk to them.

I did divisions this week with an Elder in his area and we basically just went out and contacted all day to find new investigators in the area. We arrived at a man's house who in just that moment needed the message of the restoration. We clapped at his gate, cuz thats how they do it here haha, and a young guy with a 15 day recent born baby came and let us in right away as if he was waiting for us. We taught him the restoration and he started telling us about his life about how his mom died about 1 year ago which was super hard for him and he has been searching for the truth ever since, something that could help him in his life. When we got finished talking about the church being restored he just started crying and told us, "It has been super hard and difficult, and I have been searching...but now I have this", with the lesson 1 pamphlet in the air. We set a baptisimal date with him and he is ready to change his life.

We contacted two girls walking on the street last week and yesterday we were walking by in that same neighborhood and decided to pass by their house. We stopped by and the two sisters were there about 20 years old, a 20 year old guy and a 9 year old kid. We got talking to them, and long story short, we taught them the Restoration. When we started I could see they were pretty strong Catholics and were a little reserved on wanting to believe what we had to say. But we shared, bore our testimonies and asked questions, and when we got to the part of the restoration it just got all silent. The spirit was super strong and we all could feel that it was true. We invited them to pray and to be baptized if they knew it was true and they said yes. Afterwards we asked them if they had any doubts or questions and they just sat there with a face of amazement and one said, "It seems all super clear to me." How powerful is the restoration! I know that it is true and that Heavenly Father has His church on the Earth. I can't deny it. There has been so many instances where I have seen the power of this message have an impact on the people here. I invite you all to learn more about it, and if you can talk to the missionaries, and then pray to know if it's true. I know you will be able to feel that same power. And that will change your life! Love you all! 

Elder Reilly

Rhett - Volando Rapido ite

Hola Familia!

Espero que todo este bien y que tuvieron un semana muy bueno. Estoy muy agradacido por su apoyo! Ko semana haekue Ipora Terreri! This week flew by super fasttt. I cant believe its already PDAY again. Pretty crazy. Elder Prina and I worked hard this week. We saw some miracles and are seeing changes in a lot of people.

Sandra did a fast last week with us so that her boyfriend would get married with her and let her get baptized. She lives in Obligado and we are in Capitan Miranda so its been kinda crazy trying to go visit her. When we visited her a few days later she told us she did a fast all by herself and that she really wants to go to church and has the faith that things will change. She is so awesome. Her baptisimal date is this Saturday. We will see what happens. Please pray for her, that she can get married so she can can be baptized. That would be awesome.

In Capitan Miranda we have been teaching a family, the familia Lopez. They are a family of 4 and are actually married!!! Haha that is so hard to find here in Paraguay. The missionaries before had been teaching them a while back before I got here and they love it! The dad has been reading the Book of Mormon and even general conference talks from the Liahona. They have been wanting to get baptized, but just haven't been able to go to church because the mom always works on Sunday. We talked to her about putting her faith in God and how if you put God first He will help you go to church. I shared with her Ether 12:6 about how we don't receive any testimony or "blessing" until after the trial of our faith . If you have the faith and talk to your boss about having Sundays off Heavenly Father will make it possible to come to church. She told us she will try and work it out with her boss. I'm super excited to see the change in their lives when they can make it to church.. They are so ready and want to have the gospel in their lives they just have to take that first step of faith. We have a lesson planned with them today so we will see what happens.

I just want to end off saying that I love this work. I feel like I have changed so much as I have put my faith forth and trusted in His help. I know that with the faith and with our personal effort and action, we can see miracles and we can be the means of great things. Love you all!

Elder Reilly

Trent

It was another sweet week. We set 2 baptismal dates and found some sweet new people. Haha President called and just told us that we're gonna be babysitting another new problem elder for two weeks! Que Tal! I hope we can help him. It should be interesting. He's way worse than the first one haha! But we'll just work hard and drag him along. 

That's awesome about Regan and Dan! I'm so happy for them! That will be so fun! I'll stay faithful out here so everything goes well haha. That's so sweet about Trevor. A little sad that he's practice squad but sick that he'll get the bank and the ring! Is he rocking a mohawk or something?

Sorry for the short response! I have so little time this week! I love you very much! I won't stop till I drop dead in the street! I'm working so hard. Harder than ever! I committed to God that I would study better work harder and pray more fervently and it is tiring me so much but I can feel the difference! I'm so happy! I hope all is well! Till next week!