The Last Email Home

Well it sounds like you all know whats goin down. I am actually pretty sad to have to end early this life changing experience but SO excited to get help and to see all of you guys! This last week has been a rough one with my knee so I am getting ready to be able to not have to walk so much. I did push it a lil too far cuz I wanted to end well. and it did!! This past week was amazing! We found so many people that are prepared and interested in the Gospel. :) We also had 3 people in church!

 

Church was an amazing way to end it all with bearing my testimony and then and investigator got up and told everyone that it was his first time in church and that he had only been listening to the missionaries for 1 week but that he felt the love of Christ in church and knows that this is the true church!! One of our investigators was so impressed! It was so awesome! The people in the ward here are so awesome this area is amazing and I am so glad that Hermana Hampton is my last comp. :) Shes been so good and nice to me. Shes also very excited for me to get some help seeing as I'm going on 8 days of not sleeping through the night.. yuck! But all is well, Ill be home in no time. :)

 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all of the support that you have all given me. "I have fought a good fight. Ive finished the race. Ive kept the faith." :) 2 Timothy 4:6 or 7 I love that scripture cuz I really feel like ive given my all. I prayed so much for guidance and comfort and I know this is what I gotta do. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and is happy and grateful for the service I've given. :) I love you all and see you all soon!!!

 

Love,

one last time..Hermana McIntyre

Short Week.

Me at physical therapy!

The view from our apartment!

A really big tree in our area!

This week has flown! The work has been short with all the resting but were still staying strong. I really hope we can get going soon so that the people here can get lots of help that this message has to offer.

 

The stories I have for this week are just kinda random and weird. We spent a lot of time on city buses and walkin around for short periods of time. But one day this week we went to interviews with President that went well (just talking about my health problems) and then on our way back to the house we found with a guy that came on the bus and started rapping! it was so awesome and funny! He started talking about us that we are the sisters of the church of Joseph Smith and that hes also read the Book of Mormon! haha it was so awesome! I turned so red! Then the other time we were on our way back from physical therapy and the bus got SO full and we just happened to be in the front! What is a 20 minute bus ride turned into 1.5 hours!! It was nuts and then to get off the bus we had to squeeze through so many people! We were laughing soo hard and the people were given us weird looks! haha man...good times.

 

Yesterday a girl from BYU came to church named Mary. Shell be living here for a month. She was so awesome and then offered to come on splits with us! We were walking trying to find some less active members and we found a whole case of pop (not opened) in a trash can! It was so awesome. Well you know my love of pop! me and Hermana Hampton both took one to drink today! haha don't worry! Ill wash it first! Mary thought we were nuts but was laughing really hard!

 

So sorry that this letter wasn't too spiritual, I promise the next one will be! We can just barely got out cuz my knee hurts to walk and sit so its a problem..but we'll get it figured out!

 

Thanks for all of the love and prayers! Have an awesome week!!!  Love you all!!

 

Love

Hermana McIntyre

Transfers!

I got transferred! I am now in a place called Ettiene!! Its so awesome and is soo flat! My other area was a rough one with all of the hills! Man. But I this area so far was well as my comp! Sister Hampton. Shes from Utah! haha we call a lot of attention. 2 blondes. People just aren't used to it! haha but yeah! Shes awesome. I still have been so lucky with my comps and how good they have been to me. :)

I'm still head on in Physical Therapy which is really keepin us back from working...its so hard to just sit in the house. I feel like I'm really holding the work back..but its the will of the Lord right now so I just gotta rely on Him. :) 

 

We started doing a diet so to start it off well, we bought chocolate and pop! haha no but really! We are doing really well. Hermana Hampton goes home is 2 changes so in mission terms I will kill her(Ill be her last comp) So the 12 week diet has started! its rough but we got it!

 

This ward is soo much smaller than the other 2 I've been in. There was only 4 people in Relief Society! It was so sad but there are tons of young kids so that's awesome! 

 

Well we weren't able to do much this week so I don't have much more to say. I love you all tons and hope the best week for you all!! :)

 

Love lots!

Hermana McIntyre

Down Time.

My district after an activity. They're awesome!

Well...I don't know why my body hates me and doesn't want me to work, but that's what its done! This week started off much better with lots of lessons and people wanting to listen to us! It was awesome!! 

 

The weather was great and we were on a roll. Then everything changed when I went to physical therapy on Thursday and the doc told me that I should avoid standing and sitting for long periods of time...well and a missionary in a walking mission that's impossible to avoid...So I called the mish presidents wife and she told me that she would talk to pres and get back to me. Well they decided that it would be best to stay down until after physical therapy to see if it will heal in this time! I'm really hoping so! But all I know is that imma be really bored for the next 2 weeks or so! I have to stay inside resting and leave for one appointment, come back and rest, then leave for another one. So we're only working about 4 hours a day....it sounds like a good thing, rest in the mission. But its not! I feel guilty that I'm not doing anything. But 2 weeks of rest is better than having to end. Sometimes we don't understand that trials that we have in our lives but in the end they always makes sense and we always leave them uplifted and with more knowledge. So I just have to endure and have patience.

 

Our investigators are doing good. Their only problem is that they are wanting an answer from God in a sign! We have tried and tried to explain to them that answers usually don't come in signs but in feelings and promptings. They haven't seemed to understand yet. We have a lesson with Fatima tonight so well see how shes doing and what happened cuz she didn't come to church yesterday (so she wont be getting baptized this Saturday).

 

WE found 2 women that are awesome! They both accepted to be baptized in the first lesson! They said that they are sick of feeling confused about the Catholic church. Because they've read in the Bible that we should be baptized like Jesus was and that's not how they do it in their church! They are reading the Book of Mormon are promised to come to church this next Sunday! They are great!! Their names are Ersilia and Mirta. :)

 

I don't know whats gonna happen with changes because of what I have to do with my knee right now...its probable that I'm gonna stay but I don't know! You'll all know the next week!

I love you all and hope that this week will be one to remember! :)

Love

Hermana McIntyre

Always speedy fast!

Time is flying in every aspect! This week flew by! I feel like I just was here sitting at the computer writing you guys! My mission is flying by as well cuz I am almost down to 7 months left! Isn't that crazy?? Also, transfers are in 1 week and that's the craziest thing. I feel like I just got put with Hermana Argueta! And now I might have to leave with 3 baptisms planned for the week after I leave...sad right? but maybe Ill stay! I hope that this week was great for you guys and that you all enjoyed the 4th. I have to tell you that it was quite sad to be out of the country on Independence day where nobody knows how awesome the day should be! But luckily the Bishops wife is awesome and called me and said, Happy 4th of July! Even in English!! :) It made me happy. Shes ( and her family) are awesome and way funny. Bishop is a talk show radio host for sports and sleeps all during the meetings! haha its quite funny!

This week was a rough one with the work. WE just could seem to find many lessons. The people here with the cold just don't know how to handle it and lock themselves up with all the clothes they have put on their bodies and their trusty crocs! :) So nobody like to open doors and only come to the window to tell you to come back another day when its not so cold....well that'll be in like September so....haha they're funny. But even though this week was rough we got through and we able to see our efforts pull through with 3 people in church! :) So all in all, it was rough, but worth it! 

 

We were able to do service for a family that their house in beneath water, (like most of the houses) As you can see everything is built with super thin wood and nails...not too sturdy but its all they have and it was fun!!

 This week was also filled with doctors and hospitals. My knee problem came back worse and now I have this super weird spot on my hand thats growing and hurts..Ill see what it is tomorrow.haha ohhhh Paraguay! :) The doctor said that with my knee its the same thing but my knee is rebellious and doesn't want to heal so I have to do MORE physical therapy and take more medicine....man.

We were able to have 2 activities this week with the YM and YW this week and they loved it! For one I made this cake(see pic) and they all loved it! :) It has kit-kats on tops!! :) SOO yummy! 

I taught Mirian and Eduardo how to make Gorilla Poops and they loved them! They were amazed about the no bake part and now want to make them and sell them! haha :) They're the best! I will for sure miss them!

 

I love you guys tons and hope that this next week is an awesome one!! Always look for the blessings in every part of your lives. :)

 

Love

Hermana McIntyre

A wet, cold, rainy, soggy but good week!

Sometimes I don't know why I'm so happy...haha I mean. I'm tired all the time and especially this week we were wet every day and I get up so early but still, every day, I'm happy! :) I know its because I'm doing the work of the Lord.

Well as the title shows, this week was a wet one! It started raining on Tuesday and didn't stop until Saturday! It was the pits especially for Missionary work. NO ONE leaves their house when its cold and especially when its cold and rainy. So we didn't have too many lessons but we still saw miracles! WE started teaching one of Mirian's daughters! Fatima is her name and she is 18. Shes super fun and funny. But she is way interested in learning and getting baptized, We ended up staying a long time in their house this week because we had no where else to go! I taught Fatima how to do pushups and sit ups! haha it was fun. But then she came to church with her mom and Eduardo and Dahiana (her sister who we've taught before) came as well! She was saying that she doesn't want to get baptized and stuff like that but after church she came up to me and told me that she wanted to be baptized!!!! SO well see what happens with that! Fatima is planned for the 19th of July and Dahiana's the 12th! 

We also taught a sister of a member and shes SUPER quiet but every time we visit shes more and more open with us! She also came to church and really liked it! :) 3 people in church even after a real slow week!!

One embarrassing thing that happened this week with the rain is that we were walking in the street and had to cross. But the fact that there was a HUGE river in the street was makin it a liiil harder for us. So I decided that I would use my ditch jumping skills and jump right over that river. So I was gettin all ready, hiked my skirt up, stepped back to get a good running start and then...I saw that there was a guy on the other side of the street on his porch....that had been there the whole time..yeah, I walked away with my head hung down in shame...hahaha but it was sure funny! 

Well a big problem with rain here is that it dominates the houses! As you can see on the picture our room. Humidity is making our walls black...its real cute! But the owner of the house said that shes gonna have someone come in and paint it! And we woke up this morning to the paint on our ceiling falling down..haha oh the problems we face as missionaries in Paraguay. :)

I found a quote today from the talk that President Monson gave in this past conference! It says that that saddest words that can ever be said are it could have been. So my word to the wise this week is to do everything in your lives so that you wont ever have to say that phrase! I love you guys tons!! Have an awesome week!

Love,

Hermana McIntyre

P.S. the other pic is of all the food that we were given in 2 hours one day! yeah...haha

Another week gone by!

Hey!! How was your weeks? I hope you all made the best of what Heavenly Father through at you. I know that He does everything with love and perfect knowing. I learned yesterday in Relief Society on a lesson about faith, that when we feel comfortable with life, we better be looking out because something is headed our way. We are on this earth to grow and so if we feel comfortable we aren't able to grow. Growing is good! :) And end.

 

So this week was a super normal one for me...nothing really too exciting to share. haha sorry! Ill be sure to do somethin crazy this next week to make sure my next letter is a funnier one! But we just worked and taught and had a normal missionary week. :) Emily told me last week that I should tell you guys more about the lessons we have so here goes it:

 

Ivana is our investigator that is progressing a ton!! She recognizes that this church is something different and good and its where she wants her daughter to be! She reads that Book of Mormon a TON and says that it helps her be happy! :) She came to church this Sunday and loved it. Her baptismal date is for the 5th of July! (one day after the 4th, Happy 4th of July!!) But yeah, shes great!

 

Then there's Doroteo! haha he about 65 years old and wants to get baptized and can at any moment the only problem is is that he likes to drink with his friends...yeah 65 years old..haha but if everything goes as planned he should also get baptized on the 5th.

 

We had divisions this week with the sister leaders and it was super fun!! I learned that I need to be more direct with the people and just straight up tell them that if they don't get baptized in the church of Jesus Christ, they wont be able to live with God. And that's that! We also went to the ward in her area and they were having a party for San Juan and I ate cow head!!!!! It was so yummy!! But I made sure that they didn't tell me what it was until AFTER I ate it! haha

 

The world cup really makes it rough for Missionaries is South America....cuz EVERYONE watches it and EVERYONE drinks while doing it or don't want to come to their door....yeah. haha soccer. Its big.

 

Its already the middle of transfers! Isn't that nuts? Time is going by soo fast!! Hermana Argueta is great! One pic shows me makes tortillas how she taught me! yeah! Im a cookin fool! The other pic is of my hair one morning....nuts! haha I have no clue what happened. You just sleep so hard in the mission! 

 

I love you guys tons and hope that you have awesome weeks! And always remember that I love and miss you all! Chau!

 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre