Dear family,

I am better.  I just had the flu for a couple days.  I got the pic for you, mom. 



Sorry it took so long...I was sick and then we had changes.  If you don't like it, I can take some more, just let me know.  

I gave a talk in church about reverence. All through the talk the president's daughter was screaming and crying and dumped her water bottle all over the floor.  It was a little awkward as I tried to talk about reverence over a screaming girl.  Elder Hatch has 19 months in the mission and is a really funny missionary.  He went to BYU-I, too - the semester before me so we know some of the same people.  He has a pet alligator at his house named Derrell who just sits at the bottom of his pool. 

 Right now we are looking for investigators a ton.  But the set investigator we are trying to teach right now is a lady named Isabell, and also a guy named "Wilt the Stilt Wilter".  He is 16 and just over 4 ft tall and really skinny. He looks like he is 10.   Both of them have just gotten lesson 1 since I've been here (about the Restoration) and we are going to try really hard to get them to church this coming Sunday.  

The only bad thing about Arroyos is that we are an hour away from district meeting and 2 hours our of the mission office so we do a ton of collectivo riding and hitch hiking.  And the collectivos are extremely unreliable so we end up hitch hiking a lot.  Which is fun.  The drive in between here and Caucupe is super beautiful.  I will try and get some pictures today.  We had zone conference this week, too and we found out who the new president is going to be. There is also a ton of changes happening to the mission.  I think with the changes that will happen in June or July, if I am still in Arroyos I will be in the south mission.  We will see what happens.  I am still pretty confused about what changes are going to happen, but I sent you guys the email about it.  (See below)

I think the best lesson we had this week was with a lady named Limpia who is inactive due to having to work on Sundays.  So we talked about Mosiah 5: 9-13 and also how Christ wants to make us His and wants to write His name on our hearts to make our desires and actions His own.   It's when we are baptized and when we renew our covenants through the sacrament that He writes His name deeper and deeper into our hearts.  It was pretty spiritual, but she didn't want to change anything in her life and so we'll be going back again this week on Wednesday to talk about how when we put our lives in the hands of God that He will  deliver us from our burdens and worries of the world.  We will see how it goes with her.   

That's awesome about your home teachee, dad and Aaron! That is a tough situation that I have thought a lot about too.  Let me know how it turns out with her.  

What is aaron going to talk about?  Good luck buddy!  

I got a letter from Barb and the ladies club at Parc Provence! (Elder Neifert worked at an assisted living home before his mission and became great friends with many of his co-workers and the residents)  It was awesome!   I shared with all of my friends about each and every one of those ladies  and how many great times I had with them.  THANK YOU for the Letters!   

Here is a picture of Elder Hatch.

Love,

 Elder Neifert

The Mission President's Email mentioned above (translated):

Dear Elders and Sisters,

As you know Sister Madariaga and I finish our service in Paraguay in late June of this year. The First Presidency has called to our successors, to be the

President H. Garn and Sister. Pam McMullin (see brief biography attached)

who begin their service in early July 2013. would ask you keep them in your prayers from now on.

Additionally, the First Presidency has announced the creation of a new mission with head in the city of Posadas, Argentina, but that will impact both missions in Paraguay.

• Mision Posadas Argentina take some districts and a stake in the current Paraguay Asuncion Mission.
• Paraguay Asuncion Mission San Lorenzo take Stake and Districts Caacupé and La Paloma currently belong to our mission.
• Paraguay Asuncion North Mission left with four stakes (Asuncion North Luque Luque Capiatá South) and four districts (Mariano Roque Alonso, Boqueron, Concepcion and Pedro Juan Caballero)

All these changes will take place on July 1 of this year. This means that the missionaries, to July 1, 2013, are found serving in the Stake or District San Lorenzo or La Paloma Caacupé will belong to the Paraguay Asuncion Mission (our dear sister "South Mission")

The Lord's work is accelerated, especially after the announcement of Pte Monson, on the age of the missionaries. This is a testimony that the play is directed by our Lord through his prophet. What a blessing to serve in this time with you. May the Lord bless us to persevere together until the end!

With sincere love,

President and Sister Madariaga 

New Mission President's Biography