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 

Week 20

Week 20

Haupei Yall! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy Things!

1.We had a multi-zone conference this past week with Elder Bragg, a seventy! I got to see my sweet mama and see other sisters I have not seen in forever! The capacitacion was also really great. We are as a mission focusing on Chapter 8 and 9 of PME and I have complete faith that we will continue to see success as we do so! 

2. We had a super fun and awesome Noche de Hogar with our investigator Tobias, his aunt Johanna, and his cousins Janet and Tami (janet is also a recent convert). They planned the whole thing! The food, the message, and the game! We love them so so much! 

3. Natalia, one of our investigators I am pretty sure I have mentioned, is progressing really nicely towards her baptism! She has opened up a ton to us and we have all the love in the world for her! We can also visit her like all the time when other plans fall through so that is SUPER nice...

4. This one is not so happy BUT I am happy to ask all my amazing family and friends who are praying for me out here to turn those prayers for our recent converts- Yanina, Erica, and Nicol. Like 3 weeks recent. Their mom is not having us anymore and they dont accept us for visits...I know and have complete faith in the power of prayer, so when you remember include their sweet names. They really need it! 

My quick thought today is from Mosiah 5:12 which says, "Remember to retain the name written always IN your hearts." Something I am definitely learning out here with my learning and with our teaching of investigators is that the Spirit can bring the message to our hearts, but WE have to be the ones to let it in! Like that sweet picture of Christ knocking on a door without a door handle? He is always knocking BUT we are the ones who have to let him in and KEEP him in. I love the visual and know that when we always remember him, Christ, in every action, word, and thought, that he will guide us to where we need to go and WHO we need to be! 

I love you all so so much! Eat some super yummy, only american branded, candy for me today!!

xoxoxo,

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 19

Week 19

Haupei Yall! 

FIRST HBD to my cute baby sis Elayna!!! wow. getting old. 

Happy things from the purete Paraguay! 

1. We had zone conference this week with Presidente and his sweet wife. I am so so grateful for both of them and know that they were divinely inspired to be MINE. Best part too was that she made chocolate chip cookies. Thats right. With the Crisco she brought from the states she sacrificed a little for us. LOVE HER.

2. Lomipizza. Yeah my hija has been bugging me for FOREVER, actually just 3 weeks, because its all we hear about and we finally did it! We couldnt even eat half and actually still have it in the fridge...

3. Tobias and Leys, two of our progressing investigators, both in part member families (see the next happy thing) are literally my siblings. Tobias is 11 and has so much energy and when he isnt outside playing he is inside causing a ruckus, BUT when we show up he sits right down and is ready to learn. He wants to get baptized so bad. The desire is incredible! and LEYS! Her family is in a really tough spot with family which makes it hard to come to church, BUT (oh wait they are also included in the point below) they have come to church 2 weeks in a row now! The goal is that her Dad will baptize her and her Mom wants them to be active again before they make this big commitment and promise with the Lord! They are a great family and I am so grateful for their testimonies. 

4. Okay, so most of our work here is with reactivation (see above). I swear just about 2 in every 5 contacts are menos activos and they give us a whole lot of references. We are enjoying this work and the new work that it brings for us. One of our sweet reactivation families (the family of Ema) brought a friend to come meet us and we cant wait to start teaching her! Her name is Maria and is the youngest in her family of 4. She is a sweetheart and even came to church on Sunday! We are so grateful when members step it up and participate in the work. 

5. And it is so incredibly hard to believe I hit 4 months on the mish this week. Time is flying by down here and every Monday I am shocked. I think its because I am having WAYYY to much fun down here! 

Quick thought! 

This past week with all the menos activos we have been finding, we have been teaching a lot of Dia de Reposo and the importance of the Santa Cena. Then justamente on Sunday, our principios class was about the Santa Cena too. AND THEN my sweet mama told me all about the best talk ever (PS I have been studying that too mama) called Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins by Elder Bednard, AND THEN in my Libro de Mormon study I hit the big King Benjamin discurso which is all about having a remission of your sins. Im pretty sure the Lord is guiding my study :) BUT the point is and what I want yall to ask yourselves right now is if you stopped talking the sacrament for the rest of your lives this week, what would happen? Well. Its super simple. You will not have joy, you will not be clean, and you could not live with God again. BUT WE WANT THOSE THINGS! so we take the sacrament. We remind ourselves each week the promise that we made with the Lord when we got baptized, to always remember him, be representatives of his name in word and in deed, and keep all his commandments. And I think his promise to us is even greater- that we will always have the spirit to be with us. Without this spirit we cannot retain a remission of our sins aka we cannot be clean. I know the the Holy Ghost guides us and comforts us, but more than that it SANCTIFIES us. Take a second and remind yourself this next sunday what exactly the sacrament means to you and truly prepare for this cleansing moment, this chictito bautismo. We need it and I know I WANT to take it worthily the rest of my life. 

Every ounce of love I can send from Paraguay!

xoxo, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

PS I know I have been slacking on my food pics. My camera was a little messed up for a bit, but here is a few :)

Week 18

Week 18

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things from Paraguay!

1. First things first--- Yanina got baptized this weekend!!! It was so precious to see how nervous she was for this big step in her life. The spirit is always strong in the baptismal services and even though the water was freezing cold you could see the difference and happiness on Yaninas face as she exited the font. She truly was prepared for this and I know that this step in her life is going to make all the difference for her future!

2. Not so happy thing, but a HUGE tender mercy for Familia Barrios! They moved :( BUT Gustavo got an amazing job and a fully paid for house. Not a pieza, a HOUSE. They are so blessed right now and are in an amazing WARD now. We all really miss them here in Mariano. 

3. Tuesday. Was the best day of my life. Amandau. AKA the most chuchi brand of ice cream BUT the best had FREE ICE CREAM all day tuesday! The line was super short too, so we went 3 times. We planned all our lessons around it :) Its the little things. 

4. Natalia is a young woman we have been working with for a while now who reads the Book of Mormon on her own, prays, and comes to church, but did not want to get baptized. We had a super powerful lesson with a member (they make all the difference man) and she finally accepted a fecha! AND she came to the baptism with us on Saturday and the whole time we were talking about and showing her this is exactly how her baptism is going to be and she was so TRANQUILA about it! We are so siked for her! 

5. We found another menos activo family with a sweet kid, Tobias, who is 11 years old, and is dyinggg to get baptized. We started teaching him this weekend and he is so prepared and ready! Now to get the family on the same track and we know this will be a huge blessing for all of them. 

Quick Thought :)

"And we talk of CHRIST, we rejoice in CHRIST, we preach of CHRIST, we prophesy of CHRIST, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26. That just about sums it up. And thats why I am out here! I know that Christ is our savior and redeemer and that only through him we can be saved. Lots of people only think or refer to us as "Mormons" and yes we are known by that, but what is the most important is that we are the Church of JESUS CHRIST. I know that he is the head of this church and has restored his same church he established his time in OUR DAY! We have the saving power that we need to live with him FOREVER. I am so grateful for this truth. 

All my love and prayers from Paraguay!

xoxo

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 17

Week 17

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things!!!

1. So this is a mixture. haha this past tuesday we found out we had transfers :( so as we were despediring everyone for Hermana Taylor we went to cena and got a LOMIPIZZA! like a hamburger with the pizza as the bread the lomito as the middle. so delicious. and a bitter sweet goodbye. BUT later that night we got a phone call...Hermana Taylor has been called as the new Hermana Lider andddd...

2. IM TRAINING. SOY MAMA! yeah. I could not believe it either. Lemme tell you I broke down and cried! I just finished my training! But wow. My sweet unigenita is an ANGEL! and SO PREPARED! Hermana Montaño is from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and is a rockstar. On her first day she went right to contacting and in lessons didnt hesitate to talk! She is 19 and is as sweet as can be. I LOVE MY BABY SO MUCH! 

3. Yup and other big news! Erica and Nicol got baptized!!! They are the sweet girls that have been excited about sharing with us, learning the gospel, and going to church since day one! They even got up on Sunday and BORE THEIR TESTIMONIES!!! My sweet sweet hermanitas are already super great and solid converts! Their other sister Yanina is getting baptized this Saturday! We are so grateful for the prepared children God has here in Mariano. 

Quick Thought: Being a trainer was super intimadating to me (hence why I cried) but justamente last week I read this talk by Stephen W. Owen from the April General Conference. He talks about leadership and how we can be better leaders. Yall know me pretty well and leadership is definitely something I am drawn to. But training? I have never felt more inadequate in my life, but something this talk taught me was that the greatest leaders are the greatest followers (the title btw) He says, "Jesus Christ is the greatest leader BECAUSE he was the greatest follwer" He followed the will of God in EVERYTHING and when we do the same the Lord qualifies us and we lead others to Christ simply by following him ourselves. I was super grateful for this simple reminder that I can train another missionary because I had a great trainer and because my ultimate trainer is Jesus Christ. 

I am so so grateful to be here in Paraguay serving and more happy than I have ever been before! Truly serving the Lord brings many if not ALL the blessings we could ask for! 

I love yall so so much! 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13