Week 27/ Dec 19

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things:

1. I think everyone knows that doughnuts and ice cream are two of my favorite things and I forget if I already mentioned this (if I have yall already know it just makes me SO happy) but Familia Ramirez (my little Leis) has a soft serve ice cream machine that her dad just MADE! He is the coolest. And this week when we were DYING of heat (whatever 40 degrees celsius is and then some...pretty sure its over 100 by now) we just happened to plan to visit them and they had just happened to plan to make mango ice cream! (those suckers are on the ground EVERYWHERE) hashtag tender mercies. 

2. MORE FOOD MORE HAPPY. but really. we learned how to make CHIPA! and in a TATAKUA! or a mud oven haha. it was HARD WORK. and we made so so much. but it was totally worth it. and it may not taste the best but it was made with our sweat and tears. haha we have a ton...but get ready USA I will be making chipa left and right. it is the best. 

3. Familia Brites...Carla and Emilio... they are a younger couple that got baptized a little bit ago and well they went inactive and then moved to Mariano! Hermana Taylor and I found them a while back but not until recent have they completely reactived AND set a date for their sealing in March! and YES I got invited. They are truly the sweetest, funniest, most awesome parents ever. I want to bring their daughters home. I love them so so much and I just feel so grateful to be a part of their family. 

4. This week Hermana Montaño and I had a lunch appt that was a million miles away and super close to the river so we decided hey we are going to try and get a little closer! We never got there but en route we were just walking and talking and saw a younger woman pulling a bunch of branches away from her yard and sad to say we kept walking... but after not even 1 metro we both looked at each other and said...we need to turn around! We went up to her and said hey we are gonna help. Then after she offered us water (which you ALWAYS accept here haha) and we got to sit down and start talking with her. We start telling her about the church and what we do and she just smiled and looked at us. Then she said "I hate to interupt but I need to tell yall something. I am catholic...but I have been praying this week for help. I asked God for a sign and then yall came walking by and missionaries never come walking all the way out here and then yall helped me with the tree and the neighbors dont even help me but as soon as we sat down I knew that yall were my sign. Tell me everything about your church." We just about died... We are hopeful that we will get to tell yall more about Maria!

5. So with this awesome Christmas season there is this awesome video (mormon.org) called Ilumina al Mundo and our zone has not had the little pass along cards until this past week. such a bummer. BUT as soon as we got our hands on them we got hopping. Something different about Paraguay is not everyone has a smart phone and even if they do most of the time they havent paid for 4G. BUT we still asked. I love looking back on the little moments we have had this week with the Spirit of this video. On the side of the road with loud motos and colectivos passing by, through an unopened gate, in the shack of a house with a dirt ground, and in the quiet of a member home. Every single time the Spirit was there to testify of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his miraculous birth. And even more than that his miraculous acts of service! El vino al mundo al servir no a ser servido! It truly is incredible that we as his servants, as his children, can also light up the world with HIS light as we serve and love. 

Less than a week until Christmas and I know that we can light up the world and do more this Christmas season then focus on the gifts (or down here eat your guts out and light up tons of fireworks) I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and that there are still miracles. I know that his birth is the BEST gift that we have ever received. 

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

xoxo, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

PS Chipa with Familia Arzamendia, ROLL TIDE, and Familia Brites! 

Week 28 /Dec 26, 2016

Haupei Yall!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!! It sure has been a super blessed one and I hope that yall have felt the same. 

This week of happy things IN PICTURES:

1. Apple pie paraguay style

2. Our Zone played a little bit of White Elephant! two lucky elders took home a frame picture of me and comp eating Mcdonalds! 

3. 6 months on the mish = 6 alfajores! 

4. Mariano put on a Christmas program and we made the most of it :) 

5. FAMILIA BRITES! CENA 1! super yummy :)

6. FAMILIA PAVON! CENA 2! not as yummy cause super full. but worth it!  

7. Hermana Evans is an ANGEL! and Presidente even made the fudge!

8. AND last but definitely not least...the BEST Christmas present I could ask for! MY CUTE FAMILY ON SKYPE! best hour of my life. 

​​​​Crazy thing is that not all my happy photos even fit in this email. It truly was an incredible week! I am so grateful for my family, for the families that take care of me out here in Paraguay, and for my Savior who keeps on pouring out the blessings! 

​​ 

I love the Light up the World campaign the church is doing for this past Christmas season BUT IT DOES NOT STOP THERE! Spreading the light of Christ, serving, and loving should not ever stop! I want to invite each of yall this upcoming new year to pray EVERYDAY for an opportunity to serve. Put your heart and soul into it and it will change your life. I am a walking testimony of that truth! 

ALL MY LOVE AND MORE!!! 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 26

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things! 

1. We had a multi zone conference this week for NAVIDAD! We were paired up with Luque Sur zone and had the BEST devotional and training from President Evans. We focused a lot on being and doing the best of our best and how it even comes down to what we wear. If we want to be the Lords servants we need to look and act like it! always. We ate the best food by Hermana Evans herself. Im talking barbeque and carrot cake. I just about died. Then  we got to do our fun service activity which has a pretty cool story added to it as well. Our service project this year was to do little baby blankets (the ones where you cut and tie) and then we found out we get to take it to our areas and donate it at the local hospital. Hermana Montaño and I went and searched out a newborn yesterday (they just let us in the hospitals here...power of the placa!) and the sweet newborn boy is a new addition to a family of 7 who really needs Jesus right now. Sadly, they live in the asistentes area, BUT its the same chapel so we are hoping to see her on Sunday!

2. The Primary did their Primary Program this past Sunday! It is always so humbling and such a testimony builder to hear those sweet kids singing and bearing testimony of Jesus Christ. 

3. We had a wicked awesome zone activity today! We are the only hermanas in our zone so usually the elders just leave us out BUT today they did something we could participate in! We were tested on our book of mormon knowledge and lets just say my team was not on top of our game. Punishment was being egged and floured...but luckily in the end we found a way to get a hold of the flour and eggs and everyone got dirty :)

4. TOBIAS GOT BAPTIZED! woohoo! Our sweet Tobias is from a huge less active family where all the youngins are active and the parents are just a little lazy...BUT they are huge supporters and they are all slowly reactivating! And a baptism always helps them get back up on their feet and remember the sacred covenant they made with the Lord. It was a rainy day, but they always say rain is good luck so we enjoyed dancing in it. 

Something I absolutey adore that the church is doing for Christmas are the 25 days of service that go along with the gorgeous video Ilumina el Mundo that you can find on mormon.org. Each day there is something little, that is a little bit more, that we can do, study, or pray for. We are loving it on the missionary end because the members are even more willing to participate in the service of our Lord, but even more than that is that we as missionaries are reminded daily what we can do to become better instruments in the hands of God! Our main goal in life should truly be to become more like Jesus Christ, and as learn charity and serve I know that we grow closer and closer to him. I encourage each of yall to pray each day in the morning for an opportunity to serve and remember the reason for the season! 

Con todo mi amor, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

PS our cute christmas tree :) Blanca, our convert, opened her business! It was Hermana Montaños first ever lomito! 

Week 25

Haupei Yall!

First things first= FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS to the best dad ever!!! I hope Sri Lanka treats ya real well:)

Happy Things!

1. We had more splits with the hermana lideres! I got to go out in Mariano with my trainer! Hermana Taylor and I back together again and with ice cream! just like old times :) It was very different walking the paths that Hermana Montaño and I walk with my mama, but I still learn so so much from her each time and I am so grateful she is my leader and I get to continue to learn from her! 

2. We are working real hard and being real patient with my good, basically little brother, Tobias and we have arrived! He will get baptized this next weekend! Shoot up some prayers for him this week as he prepares for this big step! 

3. We were so blessed and so siked to have two more of our investigators at church this weekend! Juan- is an older man who is making huge changes in his life. After our first lesson he stopped drinking. Just like that without even talking about the Word of Wisdom yet! He wants change and he wants to start new and truly I know that he will make it there! Also, Marley came to church- He is a young man whose entire family is super catholic. As in the first time we found him he couldn't come to church because he had to do his confirmation on Sunday, but one of his close friends, Johana (the sweet girl that gave me the yellow dress) has been reaching out to him and he is progressing really well! On Sunday he was really happy to meet so many people and the branch here truly reaches out to everyone person that steps in the building. We are hoping we can continue to teach him with the support of his family and we plan to take that step this week! Prayers prayers prayers! 

4. We are loving summer and all the mango trees! There are HUNDREDS of mango's EVERYWHERE. We asked a sweet older man in a contact for just one and he went inside his house and brought us a bag of 20... Hermana Montaño was way happy! 

Quick thought: https://www.mormon.org PRESS PLAY AND WATCH THE VIDEO. that is all :)

Con todo mi amor de Paraguay, 

ROHAYHU!

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 24

Haupei Yall!

Grateful things!

1. We moved into a new house this week! It is superrr chuchi and we are loving it! We are so grateful for all the helped we received with moving! 

2. We went to the temple today to clean! I am so grateful for the House of the Lord and the peace that it brings to my spirit. It truly is the best place to reflect and pray even when it is not technically opened.

3. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! As you will see below, and shoutout to Lauren Layton, I got to make an Apple Pie! with empanada shells but hey it worked! We ate our thanksgiving meal with our wonderful Thursday lunch and Viviani was so excited to eat "American Food" and I was just excited to cook the meat without bones and fat! 

4. After a month of struggles, Yanina and Nicol came to church on Sunday! I just about cried when I saw them walk in to the chapel. It truly was such a blessing to see their sweet smiling faces and feel how uplifted and tranquila church had made them feel! It truly was a sweet moment.

5. Shoutout to my cousin Halla and her rockin mission call! No puedo esperar el dia cuando nosotras vamos a hablar completamente en espanol juntas! Thats right she is going spanish speaking! so proud of her :)

I am so grateful for every single blessing I have recieved and continue to receive. I know that each blessing comes from our diligence and obedience to the Lord and his commandments. My scripture for the week has been Alma 57:27 which says, "They are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually." I am so grateful for every chance I get to put my trust in the Lord and I am so grateful for loving parents that have taught me how to do that. 

All my love, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

PS Apple Pie with our new dog :) Our Thanksgiving meal, and the Temple! (in pants. yup. its that time officially for us)

Send A Christmas Card!

 here are a few helpful tips: (1) Do not declare any food in the packages when sending, (2) Do not declare the price greater than $50,  and (3) Keep the weight under 4 lbs. 

Paraguay address will is:

Hermana Lydia Vergara

Av. Santísima Trinidad N° 1280
c/Julio Correa
Casilla de Correo 1871
Asuncion, Paraguay

The same rules for packages apply, but they do say to also send packages through the US postal services and that packages usually take 3 to 4 weeks to arrive. The address for packages is: 

Hermana Lydia Vergara

Av. Santísima Trinidad N° 1280
c/Julio Correa
Asuncion 1831
Paraguay

Finally, there is also pouch mail to my mission! It leaves Salt Lake City on Fridays. Also be sure when you tape the letter shut long ways do not also tape the ends. Anything that does not follow pouch mail rules will not be sent!

Hermana Lydia Vergara 

Paraguay Asuncion North Mission

POB 30150 

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

Week 23

Haupei Yall!!! 

Happy Things:

1. NO CHANGES!!! I get to finish training with Hermana Montaño and have Christmas in Mariano! SO SIKED. 

2. LEIS GOT BAPTIZED!! It truly was the sweetest thing. Well, after the whole craziness of not having water in the whole city...so we called the firefighters and they helped us out! It truly was the sweetest scene. Her whole family has been reactivating for this baptism and her dad got to baptize and confirm her! Such a blessing to be a part of this family and this big step in their lives! 

3. Elder Rasband, one of the Twelve Apostles, came to visit and we had a special missionary conference! The day before I was called by Presidente Evans to be the photographer too! haha he heard I have skills? shoutout to my friends in the office...BUT it was truly an amazing experience. I was so grateful to be so close to a servant of the Lord and could truly feel a testimony of his divine calling as an apostle. More thoughts to come below...

4. After 5 months (THATS RIGHT 5 MONTHS TODAY...) my branch asked me to give a talk! in spanish. wow. afterwards I had to ask to make sure I was speaking spanish the whole time. It was based on Elder Mervyn B. Arnolds talk To the Rescue: We can do it! It truly increased my testimony of the importance of missionary work, but not only by the people with the tags. Lets put in some work y'all and get inviting and rescuing. 

5. So we were walking along the road and a little puppy came out of some grass. Of course I just about started crying and loving this puppy and then another one and another one and well there were 5! We picked them all up and as we starting gifting them out we got to do some good ole contacting! One of the most fun maneras of contacting I have done on the mish! 

6. This is going to blow your mind. That is why it is at  the end. But seriously listen. We have an incredible investigator and her name is Lourdes. She is the mom of two little girls and her husband, we haven't met yet, but is studying to be a doctor. SO we taught the Restoration and we asked her to pray to know if it is true. The next day we had lunch with her and she told us after lunch that she had a dream...She saw beautiful, crystal, blue water and then a tall, blonde man gave her a beautiful white flower. And thats that. Everything we have been teaching she accepts and she even attended the baptism this past weekend. SO keep her in your prayers because we have a wedding to plan too! 

Quick thought: Mostly about what Elder Rasband taught us. Basically he said, "We need you to do your VERY best. We need you to do MORE." He read with us the dedicatory prayer of Paraguay and testified to us that the work we are doing here is only just beginning. But this work and this consejo does not only apply to us down in Paraguay, truly we must all gain a testimony of this work and do our VERY best to invite others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, and more importantly baptism so that they can enter in at the gate and follow the example of Jesus Christ. I have a strong testimony that we have a living prophet on the earth today with Twelve apostles and that they hold the sacred authority and power of God. I know this because I have prayed and I have felt the spirit testify to me time and time again that these men are his servants to guide us to salvation. I invite each of y'all to ask yourself what can you do this week to do your VERY best. There is always something more we can do to build up the Lords kingdom!

All my love, all my gratitude for each of you and for my Savior, and a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 22

Week 22

Haupei Yall!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: HUGE shoutout to the Activity Day Girls from Byrd Springs and Monte Sano! I was SO happy to get your card! I am so proud of yall for being a part of Activity Day Girls! I wish you all the best and send all my love!

Happy Things!

1. We had divisions! like 3! With awesome returned missionaries from the ward and the Hermana Lideres! I love our little family we have created here in Mariano. We also got together with the Hermana Lideres AGAIN for lunch today :)

2. That beautiful yellow dress is from my beautiful friend Johanna! She has completely reactivated and she is so strong she is working on reactivating her mom and wants us to teach her best friend! Member missionary to the max. We are so so proud of her! 

3. We had a super fun Noche De Hogar with Familia Pavon this week! We focused on the importance of reading the Book of Mormon everyday as family. It is so so important and really brings us closer together. So much so that Hermana Montaño and I read together every night! Each family, little or huge, needs the unity and strength that brings a daily study of the scriptures TOGETHER!

4. YALL Leis is getting baptized this weekend! AND even better! HER DAD IS GOING TO BAPTIZE HER! thats right. they are all active! and they are working so so hard to be getting to church earlier so that the girls can even go to Primary! Their situation is really hard, but they truly are getting back on their feet and we can see and feel their joy in their eyes and in their home. Big prayers for this family this week! 

Quick thought :)

Today, justamente, I was reading in Alma chapters 13 to 15. There is this really awful guy, Zeezrom, who what do you know is just bashing on the church and on these really awesome missionaries, Alma and Amulek. But the power of God is incredible and Zeezrom recognizes his mistakes and feels horrible. But even though he basically got a whole pueblo killed, Alma and Amulek rush to his side when Zeezrom asks them too, and Zeezrom it says was "healed according to his faith in Christ" and he turned around and went out to teach the gospel of Christ. I love this story. Too often we make the judgement about who is ready for Christ or who can make changes in their lives. We cannot hold people hostage to their pasts! We never know who a person can become if we never invite. So get out there and invite my friends! This world surely needs the light of Christ more than ever before. 

XOXOXO,

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 21

Week 21

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things!

1. This week we had divisions with the Hermana Lideres! And I got so lucky to be with my MOM again! Hermana Taylor! We had so much fun catching up and learning from the other on what we are doing in our areas, what we need help with, and just how to be better missionaries. She is a BOMB hermana lider. 

2. This weekend we had District Conference! The WHOLE district came all the way from the chaco to our chapel! We go to hear from the district presidency and Presidente Evans and his wife! A lot of the talks were about action. How we can be better members, better serve, and stay active in the church. Key principles that everyone talked about was daily scripture reading, prayer, and frequent visits to the temple. Definitely things I am ready to apply to the rest of my life. 

3. We had a rockin Noche de Hogar with Yanina, Erica, and Nicol with a sweet family from the ward. We have been struggling with them because their mom did a complete 180 and was not liking us anymore, BUT with the help of another sweet mom with a strong testimony, their mom is more open to letting the girls go to church again. We are so grateful for the members constantly. The work cannot get done without them! AKA YALL!

4. Our convert Adrian is on a mini mission for the next two weeks! We are super siked to hear how it goes. 

5. Our sweet Leis from the less active family we have been working with is getting baptized in two weeks! The family has been against having a baptismal date with her, but they have been attending for the past month and sweet Leis has a HUGE desire to get baptized and play a part in the church. Her example is truly pulling the parents back in to activity and I am so impressed by their progress. Keep this family in your prayers! 

One of my favorite songs to rock out to by MoTab is How Firm a Foundation. But the song isn't kickin until we get to verse 7. 

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

The mission has never been easy. All hell truly is fighting each one of us everyday when we get up and get out on the streets, but there is something that we have that Satan can never take away and that is our hope and faith in the Lord. He is going to try and shake that, but we must always remember and declare that we will never forsake what we know and what we have felt to be true. I find so much strength in the Lord each day. Without him I could not continue forward. I add my testimony to the words of this hymn that I will NEVER forsake this gospel. I know and hope that each one of yall will also add to this declaration. I promise you that you will never regret this decision. 

All my love and more!

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13