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

 

Hola!!!

Hey!! Hows everyone in Idaho doing? Is the weather warmin up cuz here its getting colder and colder and the houses here don't have insulation or heating. Fun right? haha only once will I have the chance to live like this so I'm enjoying it while I can! I hope you are all doing SOO well! For the people here in Paraguay its going especially here in Sajonia.. One, the river is flooding and some houses are completely under water! Tons of people don't have a place to live and many animals are dieing cuz they were left in the houses. Its super sad and they sad that its most likely that the flooding will keep growing until August and then it should start to go down! I wish I could help them all but I cant. But we carry the most important message as missionaries and that's how we are helping these people. Also yesterday was rough. We had a feeling that we needed to visit a less active family. So we went to their house and found the wife in tears with their only daughter. The dad had left them in the morning. On fathers day. The daughter had already bought her dad a gift and he left before she even got up. It was so hard and I didn't even know what to say. We read the scriptures with her and I gave her a huge hug. I went to bed that night so sad for everything that is happening here. But I know that with Heavenly Fathers help I can help lift them all up.

But some good news! Nilda, the mom of the kids, finally got baptized BUT not confirmed.....her dad called in the night with a health emergency of her mom and had to go to her house..ugh. a liiiiil stressful but we talked to her that night and she felt super bad. Next week I guess!

My comp is awesome! She is way cool and cooks yummy guatamanteca food! :) She didn't talk much at first but knows shes really opened up! :) We get along very well and she loves to clean as well so we are in heaven here! haha And shes a beast of a missionary! She only has 6 months in the mission so I feel old being with here! woah.

The temple was awesome!! I loved going and enjoying the peacefulness that's always inside! Then we climbed up to the roof and took picks and I got that nice bruise that's in the pic! Awesome right?? haha 

I hope you all have an awesome week and always remember that I love you tons!!!!! Stay strong always! Jacob 3:2-3 or 1-2 I don't remember! Love you guys!

Hermana McIntyre

Lots of Changes!

Well transfers were these week. I'm still hangin out here in Sajonia but I'm with another comp. It was sad to leave Hermana Kekoolani cuz we had a blast together and got  along so well but my new comp is pretty awesome as well. I am so blessed with my comp so far. Her name is Hermana Argueta. Shes from Guatemala! She is helping me out a ton with my Spanish. The members are already telling me that my Spanish is much better and that I'm losing weight with her! hah she doesn't eat much..But she doesn't talk hardly at all and that's kinda hard but I just ask her LOTS of questions to try to get her to talk! haha its a struggle but that's the worst of it. Besides that shes awesome! She is an awesome missionary and I'm excited to see what we will accomplish together!

 

We got a reference from some members in another ward about a girl that lives in our area and she is so awesome! We taught her 2 times this week and then she came to church yesterday! She seemed super interested! :) She is super prepared and I cant weight to keep working with her! Nilda is preparing for her baptism this Saturday and is very excited! She had to go out of town for her work this last weekend so we moved her baptism to this week and she is VERY prepared!! We went over the interview questions yesterday and she knows everything and is reading the BoM a lot! I cant wait for her to be able to be baptized after waiting for a long time! 

 

Not too much exciting or huge happened this week but it was a good one! My toe is healing like a champ and it still doesn't hurt at all. Just looks a lil funny cuz I only have half a nail...haha today we are going to the temple to clean it again!! I am so blessed and have been able to clean the temple 3 times now and some people have never been able to clean it once! Heavenly Father knows how much I love the temple I guess! :) And then on Tuesday we have a huge conference with 4 of the zones from 7:30 to 2:30...but its gonna be great!

 

I love you all and hope you enjoy the pic of my district in our last meeting before transfers! Have an amazing week and don't forget how much I love you!!

 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

Ingrown Toenails!

So this week was an interesting one! haha we didn't get much done with the missionary work but I have good excuses! First as you can see by the pics...I got a really bad ingrown toe nail that was hurting me super bad so I was sent to get it taken out! But luckily the doctor was American so it was pretty safe but now I just half a toenail! cute right?? haha but it surprisingly didn't hurt at all! I was up and walking up and down the hills here with close toed shoes after 2 days of rest doin nothing in the house...that was the worst! Who knew that in the mission bein stuck in the house is super painful!! cuz it is! And the other reason is that it was stake conference this week and so Saturday was cut in half cuz we went to the adults session. I LOVE conference! and this Gospel! :) WE had Nilda in the conference with us. (shes the mom of the two little boys that got baptized!) and if everything goes well she should get baptized this weekend! :) The work is really pickin up here is Sajonia! :)

Transfers are this week and I'm sad to have to leave Hermana Kekoolani cuz its more likely that its her time to go...but I know that I will learn a ton from my next comp! So next week you will all know that outcome! :)

Last Monday we were able to go to a HUGE farmers market!! Its sooo fun and I loved every minute of it! We went with the other elders and Mirian and Eduardo! (one of the elders is going home this week to Utah!) But it was super fun and I got some fun Paraguayin stuff!:) 

We also bought TGI Fridays this week and it was so yummy! Man do I miss american food! Especially sour cream. They dont have that here. But it was soo expesive. It turned out to be 149.000 guaranies! SUPER expensive but worth it! 

Funny story: This week as we were waiting for a bus to go to my doctors appointment, I saw a little boy walking in the sidewalk. I made a weird face at him cuz he was starin at me. He then pulled his beanie over his head, turned around and started walking back to hit mom blindfolded and ran right into a tree!!!! hahaha I tried so hard not to laugh but I just couldn't help it! It was super funny! Poor kid!

I love you guys tons and hope that you enjoy the pics! :) haha have an awesome week and always remember that someone is Paraguay misses and loves you all lots! 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

D&C 45:3-5

The best week ever!! Minus the cold...

The bride & groom!

Marian right before her baptism!!

Bernardo & Thiago before their baptism!!

At the Stake Baptism; all the new members with the missionaries that baptized them!

Man was this week awesome!! 

 

So first with the wedding. I was so stinkin stressed out! First what happened was that right after I wrote you guys Mirian called us and said that the wedding was off cuz they didn't have enough money and that she couldn't find a dress. I was freakin out but was not gonna let Satan get away with it! So we went to their house that night and solutioned everything out. So from then on everything went really well besides that her daughter didn't want to get baptized in the end. But the wedding was so pretty and the ward helped so much! And her baptism was SO awesome! She was so excited to get baptized after having to wait for 2 months. They asked to do a special number. I sang I know that my Redeemer lives and it went really well. :) She was so prepared from the beginning! And now that she is confirmed and is able to participate in the sacrament she shines. She and her now husband Eduardo are so happy!

 

Then the big news! So we found a family with 4 kids and a mom. Only 2 of the kids are above 8 and able to get baptized. Bernardo and Thiago. We found them about 2 weeks ago and they got baptized as well this weekend!!! We had a stake activity where everyone who was getting baptized this last Saturday all went to the stake center and everyone got baptized together!! it was so awesome!! Then afterwards there was a talent show! It was such an amazing and fun night!! :) Bernardo and Thiago were so excited to get baptized! Bernard even fell into the font after coming back up! haha it was super funny!! This week was just so awesome! And full of blessings!

 

It is SOOO cold here right now!! Man. These houses are not built for this kinda weather! I sleep with 2 of everything and im still cold! But the sun is finally out today so that's an answer to prayers!!

A funny and gross thing that happened was that one morning we woke up to cat poop in our house....yeah. A cat got in through the door, looked through the trash and then did his thing on out floor! It was nasty but super funny! Good thing Hermana Kekoolani is so nice and cleaned it up! haha
 

Well that's what I got for this week! I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers and knows our circumstances! I love you all tons! Have an amazing week!!

 

Love

Hermana McIntyre

Happy Happy Happy!

At a soccer stadium with Hermana Kekoolani & our zone leader!

I love getting mail!!

Our pet lizard (:

Man am I so excited this week! I'm only going to tell you guys part of the reason so that the other one can be a surprise! ha! ha!

 

Can I just say that I loved talking to all of you and missed the faces that weren't there! But I know that if not at Christmas time I will be seeing you all soon! kinda..haha but yeah! You are so awesome and have changed a ton! I always feel the many prayers for me and know that they help me a ton!

 

So this week is gonna be a stressful one with the wedding! Who knew that wedding planning is stressful! If the pics that I send next week show me without hair, you'll know why. Stress. But hey that's the life of a missionary right? Mirian is doing awesome but a little bit stressed out as well! But its all good! BUT, her daughter is now getting baptized with her this Friday! They'll be getting married on Friday at about 5:30 and then the baptism of her and her daughter will follow! We have all waited so long for this and are all very excited for her and her soon to be completed family! 

 

I had a humbling experience this week that just hurt my heart so much! We are teaching a mom and her 4 little boys and they are really struggling money wise. They live in a one room house and only have 3 beds for the five people and her rent is getting higher and higher and so the other day we were sharing with them and she got all nervous in the end and started to cry and said that she had no food for her kids to eat and they hadn't eaten all day. So me and Hermana Kekoolani were able to buy her some food. It was so humbling to see her circumstances. It was an amazing experience!

 

The pics is of me and Hermana Kekoolani in the stadium for soccer here and the other one is of our pet lizard! haha 

 

Thats all I have for today but I will have much more for the next week!! I love you all!! :)

 

Love,

Hermana McIntyre

No email this week but a picture (:

This is my awesome zone, they are so great! I loved being able to talk to you all! I have the best family!

The good & the bad.

Celebrating the 9 month mark (:

 Well this week was a rough one and it was all by one phone call that we got.

 

The week was goin so well. We were finding TONS of people and had 15 people that had a baptismal date. Our investigators were progressing so much and everyone was excited to come to church on Sunday. Then on Friday we got a call from Mirian and she told us that they are moving....it hit me really hard. We have spent sooo much tie with them and i love their family so much its hard to accept that they have to move. It will still be in the ward but just on the other side of our limit. And I don't care about the numbers, just that I wont be able to talk to them  after I leave this area. That's what makes me the saddest. So I was super sad about that and it just kinda killed our energy that we had left for the week. I went into Sunday looking for some help and I for sure got it! A ton of people bore their testimonies about trials and how they are for our benefit. I knew that Heavenly Father listens to my prayers and that it will all work out in the end! So Im still a little sad but at least I will still be able to see them get married and Mirian get baptized. :)

 

I had interchanges with the sister leaders this week and it was AMAZING!! I learned so much and loved every second of it! I hope that I will be able to teach like them one day! I was with Hermana Cevallos and shes so awesome! We both have the same time in the mission and for that we have this picture of us reaching our 9 month mark!! hahaha I hope you all enjoy the pic! 

 

I cannot believe that I only have 9 months left. The time has flown and its going faster and faster every day! I am taking in every second so that I wont regret any of it! Like last night when our shower exploded! That's always something to remember right? haha 

 

So the temple was soooooo good! I loved every second of it. Minus the getting their part. I just seem to have bad luck with the city buses here.. We had to take 2 buses and then run a lil bit and then a taxi to get there! We got there an hour late but they waited for us! I was soo happy! I left the temple so ready to face 9 more months! :) 

 

I love you all so much and thanks for all of the letters! :) haha Have an awesome week and remember that I pray for you all every day! 

 

Love

Hermana McIntyre

Still the same!!

We didnt change!! Woohoo! We were so excited to be able to stay together and see Mirian and Eduardo get married and we are finally finding lots of new people! But our distrist leader did a mean joke and told us that we would be changing...that was rude. But in the end he told us what really was going to happen! So this week was an interesting one but fun like always with Hermana Kekoolani here in Paraguay. First we met a BYU Rugby player!! It was so random but awesome! We were just walking down the street and he yelled out Sisters!! So we stopped and tlaked to him for a while! I felt famous! haha 

 

We had 2 people in church this week! But Mirian wasn't able to come because her brother almost died Saturday night so she was with him in the morning on Sunday. But the other 2 that we had were Maria Mercedes and Blas. We have been teaching Maria Merceded FOREVER and she has never come to church but this week she said that she would come for sure! And she did. I don't know how it went for her cuz she had to leave really fast afterwards so well see what happens this week. Then Blas is 25 and super interesting. He just has problems with drinkin with his friends on the weekends. But he said that he liked it a lot. Its just kinds hard cuz there are SO many little kids and their parents don't do anything to calm them down so its super hard to hear anything in Sacrament meeting..but that's okay! Well see what happens!

 

Now my really excited news is that I get to go to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :):):) I am sooo excited! :) I have waiting SO long to go and tomorrow is the day! :) I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and tell you guys all about it! 

 

Well that's all Ive got for this week! I love you guys a ton! :)

 

Love,

Hermana McIntyre

P.S. I hate to say this but you guys are really slacking at writing me.....just sayin...

Last Week!

Happy Easter!

After being drenched in the rain!!

Drinking Mate Dulce! SO YUMMY!

 This week flew by and it was the last week before changes! We are really hoping that we can stay for Mirian and to be able to be comps for a little bit more. But we just have to do what the Lord has in store for us and press on. So we find out tomorrow our fate! Well this week was the dreaded Semana Santa or Holy Week...haha its when all the "Catholics" become Catholics. They don't want to listen to anyone unless you're catholic.But we still found Miracles and had a fun week. But we were able to eat a lot of Chipa, Chipa Wasu, and Sopa Paraguaya! Which are the best types of food here!!! SOO good, but really fattening! I will be sure to learn so that I can cook it for you guys! But it was good. Then we had good intentions of dying eggs. We boiled the eggs and everything but then forget to paint them...whoops! But now we have a bunch of boiled eggs that we can eat for breakfast for the least right? haha

So this week was SUPER rainy! It rained almost every day! And the days that it wasn't raining it was SUPER humid. Which means lots of sweating! haha yuck. But that's all good. But on Thursday we were at a members house when a huge rain and lightening storm hit. But we had a dinner appointment that we had to get to so we had to leave and head there. Well we got going and it was pouring. The only things we had to cover us was a little plastic bag...so as we were walking lightening hit a telephone pole right in front of us and sparks went shooting off!! it was so scary! But as we headed on we passed this house with a really slippery drive way. And yes...I fell and brought Hermana Kekoolani down with me..haha it was super funny. We just gave up and sat on the ground and laughed while our plastic bags floated off in the river/road...haha

Okay so my knee. He finally figured out, hopefully, whats wrong. He said that whats happening is that when I bend my knee, my knee caps doesn't stay in place and falls to the side and that's why it hurts. I have to take pills, powder, do more physical Therapy and got to a gym.. I really hope that this helps me out! If not, I'm just gonna give up and deal with it.

I hope that all of you have a great week with lots of hidden blessings! I love you guys lots! :)

Love,

Hermana McIntyre

Conference is a missionaries Superbowl!

Wow. That's all Ive got to say. Conference was amazing and the best part was that I got to watch it all in English!!!! That's one of the preps of living in the city! I'm not sure if the next one ill be able to do the same. Conference really is like the super bowl for missionaries but even better cuz we get it twice a year! All of us white kids were in a small room with lots of snacks and treats! haha But yeah. It talked a lot about obedience, the atonement and the second coming so we best get prepared..if ya know what I mean! But it was amazing and I cant wait until the Liahona gets to us so that I can read all of the talks again!

 

This week we finally had investigators in the church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2! One was Jorge who a member brought. So that was a nice surprise and miracle for us! And then Mirian came with her boyfriend! Mirian is progressing like crazy and is getting excited for their WEDDING!!! That's right! They committed to get married. Its a ways off cuz they have to wait for some money to come in so its gonna be on May 24! I'm so stinkin excited as well as Hermana Kekoolani. WE decided that this is a gift from God because we both have to miss weddings of loved ones! :) She even said that we can go dress shopping with her! Woohoo!! 

 

Did you guys do anything fun for April Fools! Cuz we completely forgot until the morning of so we didn't have time to plan anything funny. Sad huh?

 

We still haven't caught the mouse that we have in the house but we bought a heavy duty trap that I'm hoping with do the trick cuz I'm starting to have bad dreams about that thing! 

 

And I went to the doctor this week and he was much nicer than the others. He asked me what was going on and then did some tests on my knee. He then proceeded to say that I need to have an MRI.....yeah. So I have the MRI Thursday and we will finally be able to see whats wrong. Heavenly Father knows whats Hes doing and I have complete faith in him.

 

I love you all so much and hope that this week is full of happiness and lots of sunshine! (its back to being SUPER hot here again..) 

 

Love

HErmana McIntyre

P.S. the photo is of Mirian and her boyfriend Eduardo! Doesnt she already look like a member?? :)

Another Week Down!

From my district activity. I love them!! They are awesome!

Well I can't believe it but tomorrow is April! Isn't that nuts! Time is flying and getin away from me! I am in the middle of this transfer with Hermana Kekoolani and it has gone by so fast! She is way awesome and we are getting along really well! Every day is n adventure with her cuz I never know whats going to happen! But I was able to see lots of miracles this week which were really needed! I had an interview with President Agazzani and it went very well. It was just a check up interview that happens every 3 months. He told me that my Spanish is almost perfect! Isn't that so awesome! Its still so weird to me that I can speak Spanish fluently. After 6 months I still cant believe it. It is for sure a blessing of the Lord. Pres told me that I'm doing really well and that he knows that in this area I am going to have a lot more success than I did in Lambare. (he knows its a hard area as well..) Well I left a lot more excited to go to work and that night we found Maria. She is so awesome. WE taught her about the Book of Mormon and she was so excited to read it! Then we found this little boy named Pablo and he has everything he needs to be baptized besides being baptized..haha but the problem is that we are waiting to find out if he can be an investigator or if he is a convert for the ward because hes 8 and his dad is a member but passed away but his mom is not a member. And the rule is that if one parent is a member the person isn't an investigator until they are 9. So we are waiting to find out the answer! But yeah, this week was much better and I am excited to see what the next week holds!

 

My knee is, sadly, getting worse. And the other knee is starting to hurt pretty bad as well...it stinks. This area is super hard on my knees because its all hills. But I will have an appointment this week to see a new doctor to see whats up and how he can make it better! I really hope he can figure it out! 

 

In our apartment we have something living inside...haha the other day we came home and the trash was on the other side of the room. And another time when we put meat in the trash the next morning the meat was all of the floor. Nasty right? Wish us luck! haha its just part of the beauty of living in a 3rd world country.

 

The weather is cooling down a lot but it has been pouring! Its kinda awesome but makes the work hard cuz no one wants to open their doors...lame.

 

I love you all so much and am glad that the reunion went so well! Have an awesome week and don't forget that I miss you all TONS! :)

 

Con Amor

HErmana McIntyre (or mackchutepee as one child said..hahaha)

 

Alma 30:39-44 God exists

The Cold is Setting In!!

Its finally cooling down here in Paraguay and man do I love it!!!!!! But the bad thing is that I'm already cold at night and that's a bad sign cuz the freezing hasn't even started yet. Its still hot during the day when the suns out but when the sun isn't shining its chilly and I love it so much!

 

This area is pretty much the same as my other one. Not very many people are humble so its hard to enter into houses because everyone is so busy and rich..but we keep looking everyday for the people that the Lord is preparing for us. We do have one that is awesome though! Her name is Mirium and she is with a member that isn't active. They aren't married and she has 4 kids. We talked to her and have a couple lessons and she wants to get baptized really bad. The thing that is stopping her is that she needs to get married first. She told us that she would love to get married but its up to her husband. So we have a lesson with her tonight and well find out what he said! I really hope that they can get married so that she can be baptized. She is so nice and awesome! We have some others as well ( one that gives us free food as well!) but they aren't progressing much..Its kinds hard but I know that this is the Lords will and that I just have to depend on Him.

 

This week we got to listen to Elder Vinas from the 70 and he talked a lot of the Atonement of Christ and how it helps us be better missionaries. It was really awesome and I left with my spirits high! :) I love Zone Conferences and other special meeting that we have! I always learn so much and can feel the spirit so strongly. 

 

I officially have the name of Hermana Macintosh here...haha one of the counselors gave me the nickname. So on Sunday when the bishop wanted to announce that I was a new missionary in the ward, he could remember my name, so his counselor told him Macintosh...yeah, :) its better than the other missionary or Hermana difficult..Ill take it!

 

Well thats all I have for this week! I hope you all have a great time in the Family Reuinion! I wish I could be there to spend some time with you all! 

 

Rohayhu! (Guarani for I love you :)

The photo is of me and Hermana Kekoolani (who has a year in the mission) one night we played uno and ate popcorn! It was way fun and reminded me of Sunday nights! She is way awesome and we are good friends! The Lord has really blessed me with great companions! :)

 

The view I have from my new apartment! We have a roof that we can go on and do exercises in the morning! Its awesome!

TRANSFERS!!!!!

Man am I one happy missionary! I am finally out of Lambare!! After 6 months of the same streets and houses I was ready for some change and I got it! Well not tons but still! I am now in an area called Sajonia and its only like 30 minutes form my other area but hey! Its all good! Its way chuchi (full of rich people) but theres one up side to that! The streets arent made of rock so I'm thinking itll help me with my knees! But....we have 7 massive hills so...yeah, Ive been praying a lot and taking pain medicine to help me out a little. But I dont want to complain cuz I love this area so far! The members are crazy here but so fun and funny! This ward is much bigger than my other and everyoine is so loving! Especially with the food! We get SO much food!! It's ridiculous! But, I did figure out that Im allergic to choclate. After eating many brownies one day I woke up again with massive lips and an itchy face...haha not very funny but really funny in the same time. So no more chocolate for this girl!

My comp is named Hermana Kekoolani! Finally someone with a hard last name! haha shes from Georgia and shes way cool! Shes talks a lot like me so we get  a long really well! We already are comfortable with each other because thats what usually takes the longest! But hey, Im good with it! The only thing tht wasnt so awesome is that the apartment was really messy when I got there! Food all over the stove with dirty dishes piled up and the floor...yikes. Jen...you woulda died! haha but that night I cleaned a lil and then today we deap cleaned! woohoo! I feel much better! Now I just gotta unpack and Ill be set to go to work!

I don't know much about the area of the investigators yet but Ill tell you more about them the next week when I know a lil bit more! Thanks for all you guys do and for you love that I can feel alllll the way down here in Paraguay! I love you all TONS! God be with you til we meet again. :)

 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

POR FIN!!! (English: finally :)

Man was this week great!! I am so happy with how this transfer has ended!! I was praying and praying and praying that I could see some miracles this week and I did! This transfer has been really hard on me but I know that everything is on the Lords time and He is in control. We just have to have faith and keep pressing forward! So that's what I did! And what was the result! 5 PEOPLE IN CHURCH!!! 5!!! It was a lil stressful to make sure that everyone was comfortable and that they all had a friend but in the end it all turned out great!!

The Cooke Family is doing awesome and they have a date for the 29th of this month to be baptized! They are reading and now assisting and I am sooo happy! Then 2 members both brought 2 people that we have been looking for for months now and I found out that one already had all of his asistencias to church and the other has 2 now! So they can be baptized very soon! 

This week we had dinner with the Cooke family and it was so fun! Shes eaten with kings before so she set up the table so pretty and I loved it all!!! :) They are an amazing family but with lots of hardship in their lives! Please keep them in your prayers! (the picture is us with them)

Shout out to Bentley and Jill!! Happy Birthday!!!!!! :) I love you both tons and hope that this will be the best birthday ever!! :) 

Also this week we had Zone Conference and it was so awesome!!! I always leave to uplifted and ready to work with everything I have! I love this zone so much and if I leave on Wednesday I will for sure miss them! 

So that brings me to the point. Transfers are on Tuesday!! I'm freakin out cuz I have NO idea if I'm gonna leave or stay. I would really like to get to know another part of Paraguay but if the Lord needs me here...well I got no choice! haha Wish me luck and Ill be letting you know next week where I'm at!

Thanks for all of your prayers!! I pray for you all every day and Heavenly Father always lets me know how much I am loved my you all!! Love you tons and have an amazing week!!!!!

Con mucho carino

Hermana McIntyre

Me & Hermana Thacker at Zone Conference. I love her!

March Madness.

Me and two little kids in the ward, Brenda and Toby. They are my favorites!

A pink dog I saw on the street. Oh Paraguay!

 

Can you believe that its March already? Cuz I cant! Time is flying! Also its crazy that this is the last week of training Hermana Rivera! She is really awesome and I will miss her. Im kinda scared to see what changes will bring. I really hope I will be put in a new area but who knows with President Agazzani! And Im hopeing that my next comp will be as awesome as my first two!

 

Well this week we were able to visit with the Cook Family 2 times. The mom is reading the book of mormon and praying and she said that she believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet! Shes doing awesome! Now we just gotta have the girls listen! She is still having tons of problems but is stronger and stronger every day! Please keep this family in your prayers! Thanks a ton!! I know that Heavenly Father listens to each and every one of us!! 

 

We didnt have anyone in church again...the two daughter of the Cook Family got sick on Saturday...but a good thing is that we had a bunch of less actives! So that made me feel better!

My knee is having problems...again. I went to the doctor and he gave me some powder stuff that is soo nasty that I have to drink every morning for a month and then if its not better in a month I have to get an injection! What is this? haha but I keep walkin and keep praying and I know that what ever the Lords will is will be completed!

 

We had a ward activity on Saturday and it was a blast! We played games and laughed and sang and had a blast! Tons of people were there and I loved it so much! I really will miss this ward.

Then a funny thing that happened is that we were knocking doors (or clàpping) and this dog, who had recently rolled in trash, started follwing us! It smelt SOOO bad! Like dead fish! It remided me of when Shelby would go roll in dead fish and then come back home! Oh nasty! haha but it followed us for like half an hour! haha we failed at contacting because we were laughing so hard! It kept following us until another dog chased it away! I was so grateful!!

 

The weather is cooling down and I love it! Ive gone 2 days without sweating and its a miracle!! I really hope this keeps up because it is so much better!

 

Thanks for all the emails! I love you all so much and hope you all enjoy the wedding! Im sad to miss it but I know this is the best thing I can be doing for you guys! Have an awesome week! 

 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

This week flew by!!

Well this week was pretty great and flew by!! The week before dragged on for eons but this one sure didn't!! So I only have 2 weeks left in this change and I'm hoping in this area because I have been here all of my mission! Goodness. haha So I'm really hoping I will get the chance to explore another part of Paraguay!! Hermana Rivera is still doing awesome! We are getting to be better friends every day! Its crazy to me that I can understand her! haha I still freak myself out sometimes when I can understand and talk to the people here. My Spanish is basically fluent and I know that this is only possible with the help of the Lord and the gifts of the Spirit!

 

This week we found a family!! The mom is awesome! She has lived in 28 different counties and grew up in Africa!! How cool is that?? We have a lesson with them tomorrow and they already said that they want to come to church this Sunday!! Woohoo!! She has 2 daughters as well. She also lived in America for 6 years and so she knows all about Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew!! Man, I sure do miss Dr Pepper... But we had to leave 2 of our inv. because they weren't progressing. Its hard to do but you have to if you want to find more people that are more prepared! I really hope that we can find tons of people this week! I know that with faith in Christ, anything is possible!

 

So...we met this woman this week and she told me something that I never knew before. Woman supposedly can gives blessings....haha she was all upset when we told her that she didn't have the authority to do that but hey! Someones gotta break the news to her!

 

Its not been too hot, but not as fresh as the week before. But I can tell that winter is working its way in! Wooooohooooo!! I will be happy to see the day when Im not sweating as soon as I step out of the shower. 

 

I finally received an answer to many prayers! Ive been wanting  to know how to work with the members more here and how to get references from them. Yesterday we were eating with the Prez family and they invited us to their FHE the next Sunday and told us that they are all going to give us people to teach!! So what we are going to do now is visit the members and share a scripture about missionary work and them give them a week to look for references for us! I am excited to try it out this week!!

 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and keep the work moving forward! :) I love you all with ALL my heart!!! 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

Watch out for Catholic Priests!

  Well I didnt get too many letters from you all this week but I will just tell myself that you were all too excited to write me that you fainted and had to be taken to the hospital! Thank you to the faithful ones! haha Well this week a titch harder...we are struggling so bad with getting people to come to church. They all say that its too hot and that its too far away..yeah. Well I know that everything is on the Lords time and if its their time, He will push them out of their beds and into church. Lorena is SO hard to find. She's studying right now and had tests all this week. Then she was sick this weekend and so she couldnt come to church or the baptism for the other missionaries in our ward. And Arturo was sick also. Its very strange how they all seem to get sick on the same day....but I know that I need to have faith and believe in them! We are trying real hard to find more people that are ready and prepared to listen to us.

 

  This Saturday was a baptism of a girl named Coral and I was invited to sing I Love to Look for Rainbows! It was way fun and the baptism was awesome. Shes 10 years old and was so excited to be baptized.

 

  We were invited to a meeting with all of the YM and YW in the ward for missionary work and it was way fun and awesome! They are way awesome and excited about the work!

 

  Oh..random thought. We were contacting this old man and he started going off about the Catholic Church and how amazing it is and then he paused and said to me, You gotta be careful cuz you look like the Virgen Mary and the priests are gonna snatch you up! hahaha Ive never been told that before but ... thank you..haha Oh the people here are so awesome!

 

  I GOT ALL OF YOUR LETTERS!!!!!!! And I loved them all!! :) I smiled so big while I was reading them ALL! I love you all so much and THANK YOU!! Even though my district was pretty jealous! :)

 

  Happy Birthday Dad and Luke!!! Have an amazing week and I will be thinking of you both on your birthday! I love you tons and wish I could be there to celebrate!

 

  Please keep my investigators in your prayers! They need lots of strength!! I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!

 

Con Amor

Hermana McIntyre

We bought ourselves a treat for Valentines Day! It was a good day.

All the YM & YW from the ward.

Angelica on splits with us!

 

A week of burnt lips & keeping the faith.

Well this week was definitely better than the last! And I finally finished Physical Therapy!! Now I just have one more appointment to get another x ray and then the doctor will say if im good to go or not! :) It really feels much better! But then I woke up on Thursday to huge red blistery lips!!! Yeah...not the cutest thing. I was thinkin that I got a sunburn but one of the members told me that I had an internal fever..seriously I have one problem after then next. I take it that great things are in store and that Satan is tryin his best to get me down! But its not gonna work!

 

This week was great for the work. We are able to teach lots of lessons every day and found 13 new people this week. One including Lorena! She is THE BEST!! Shes 19. One day I had to go to the bathroom soo bad and no body was letting us in their house..I was getting really frustrated. Then someone that we contacted popped into my mind. She lived kinda far away but we decided to head for her house. She wasn't there but her sister was and we just started talking and getting to know her. After it all she told us that she wanted to learn about our church and go to church with us!! We were so excited because we have been having problems with getting people to church. Don't they know that its their salvation on the line?? Well on Sunday as we were walking to her house she called us to tell us that her boss called her in to work and that she couldn't come with us. I was so frustrated!! I know that this is a trial of my faith and that I wont be able to see miracles until AFTER the trial of my faith! So I'm gonna keep pushing strong and wait for the miracle. If you guys could keep Lorena in your prayers that would be awesome!! :)

 

I gave my first talk here in Paraguay! I was so nervous but I got a lot of compliments so I think that liked it. I talked about the importance of Missionary Work! Who coulda guessed?? haha But really, its SO important. I don't know why I didn't realize it when I was younger. But I sure know it now! 

 

I love you all so much and pray for you all every day! I am so happy that you received tons of snow and I hope it keeps up! :) Enjoy it!! Have an awesome week and remember that a missionary here in Paraguay loves you tons!!

 

-Hermana McIntyre