Concepcion

Mi querido familia,

A lot of stuff happened.

I got pink washed (the sister missionaries took over the area) out of Arroyos y Esterros which I'm a little bummed about. Now I am in Concepcion,  which is pretty far out.  Once again, the first language here in Guarani.  My companion is Elder Glen Smith from Julian, California. He has just over a year in Paraguay and I am super happy to have him as a companion.  He knows a guy named Dustin Evenson who teaches 5th grade at P.G. elementary, maybe Grandma Whatcott knows him.  I think its his sister's husband. 

Our area is pretty chuchi (high class) for Paraguay standards. We have a grocery store called Yasy (yah soooo) which has been a huge change from living out of dispensas for two changes.  I honestly feel a little out of place with chuchi people.  Our house is a little apt, right in front of an ice cream store and over a hair cutting place, and its like a three minute walk from the chapel.

So this last week were the last days of Elder Lewis.  We spent a lot of time taking pics and visiting families. The Peruvian lady who cleans houses for the mission showed up and made us clean the house really well.  I got her to make us some Peruvian rice which she loaded up with fiambre(horse meat) yuuummmm!   I honestly didn't know I was eating horses until about a month ago.  So we cleaned the house really well and she made me let Gary Harold (the hairy caterpillar) loose.  

 I took a video with some members that I want to send but I don't know how.  I will upload pictures next week as well.  So we spent Monday and Tuesday packing bags and saying goodbye and cleaning up the house.  Wednesday: I got changes,  I sent Elder Lewis off to die in peace, and I spent the whole day in the office with a few other Elders going out to Concepcion and Pedro Juan until about 6 pm. Then we got taken to the bus terminal where the only bus would leave at 11:30 pm.  I found an awesome guy in the terminal who spoke English and was going out to Pedro Juan, we talked for like 3 hours about religion and I bore my testimony and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.  He promised to read it and also accepted the baptismal challenge.  We'll see where that goes.  I passed him off to the Pedro Juan Elders and he said he would email me if anything happens. Nothing has happened yet, I guess.
 

So I got to my area in Concepcion at like 5 in the morning and I did not sleep at all.  The rest of the week, Elder Smith and I spent a lot of time getting to know the area because he is a little new to the area as well.  We do have one investigator named Aurora, who I believe will get baptized on the 18th of May.  I presented myself to the ward Sunday and on the way up to the pulpit my dag-gone pocket caught the edge of the stand and ripped. That was awkward. I sewed it up later.  The branch here is super strong! We don't have to teach classes and Elder Smith said we don't give too many talks, or lead the music. It is going to be fun just focusing on missionary work, and finding people. 

On Sunday we got a call from the office that I had to sign some legal documents in Asuncion... so once again, we got on a collectivo at 11:30 pm in Concepcion and arrived in Asuncion at 5 am, and once again, I didn't sleep.  And we got stuck in the office again and there wasn't a cyber (I assume he means an internet cafe...?) that was close by so I couldn't write on Monday.  The good thing that happened: we found a restaurant that sold some good tacos.  So last night we got on another collectivo from Asuncion at 9:30 pm this time and got back to Concepcion at 4 am this morning.  I am tired as heck.  We did a few visits today and my brain was zonked. 

I am loving Concepcion. Elder Smith and I are going to have a lot of success.  He is the kind of companion I was praying for and I am sure we are going to work really hard together.
 

I love you, family! I already sent Rachel an email for her birthday.  She is old, and you guys are old, and I am old.  Good thing our spirits don't get old.

LOVE,

Elder Neifert