HOME

On December 1st I arrived home to Alabama and was released from being a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How grateful I am to have served and to be a different and better person today. My testimony has grown stronger and more importantly my relationship with Christ is greater and more familiar. 

I want to thank my family for supporting me while I was gone. Also a big thank you for the many friends and connections that would reach out and send gifts and emails to me. A huge thank you to my mission president and his wife and to all the missionaries in Paraguay who are my family. Finally a even greater thank you to the people and members in Paraguay. A part of my heart will always belong to Paraguay. 

xoxo,

back to normal as, LYDS 

Week 75

Haupei Yall! 

SO this is a pretty crazy email...and the last one!!! Next week I will be traveling on Pday to Asuncion for my final interview and to leave...yikes. SO for that very reason this will be my last email on the mish! 

Happy Things from THIS WEEK¨

1. We had divisions with the hermana lideres! Hermana Cardenas and I are leaving together so it was WAY COOL to do our last division together and just talk about the whole mish and everything we have learned. 

2. We had pancakes in our district meeting this week that turned into a disaster...thats elders for ya! 

3. We had an awesome noche de cine! lots of people, lots of love, lots of popcorn. 

4. We have a new church schedule here! We start with the sacrament now at 830 in the morning and to all of our surprise a TON of people were there! The branch is also super pumped because we have a new branch president sooo lots of changes down here! 

Happy things COMING UP this week! 

1. 17 months and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

2. They announced it all official that the branch is having my despedida this week...its all anyone says hahaha not making me trunky at all.

3. I have my final interview coming up with Presidente then next week I am traveling home so si o si going to make every last second count! 

Yall. The mission has been the biggest blessing for my life. I know that the gospel of jesus christ has been restored and is true! It is the best message to share with everyone because really and truly Jesus Christ is the fix! He has carried me every step of the way and I am so grateful that with him I can keep changing and growing! I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that we have a prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. I am so grateful for living prophets that are a HUGE blessing to us in this crazy world we live in. I know the Book of Mormon is SO true. It has changed my life and a ton of others that I have met down here. I have loved the mission and I wouldnt change anything for the world. Thank you for all yalls support and love while I have been down here! Paraguay will always have my heart. 

xoxoxo,

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 74

Haupei  Yall! 

Happy Things! 

1. In noche de rama we did a SWEET book of mormon activity where everyone wrote their testimonies and wrapped them up in christmas paper and now a lot of them are being gifted out! we love our branch and all our great member missionaries! 

2. We had zone conference this week and it was incredible. It was my last one...yikes! But everything we learned I am so excited to apply! 

3. We also had district conference and it was all so inspired. All the messages were about the Sabbath Day, Self Sufficiency, Temple and family history work, and repentance. 

4. LIZ. okay this is actually the coolest story. apparently while I was in Aratiri I met her with one of our converts we had out there, Rosa! She is the niece of Rosa and when she found out I was in PJC, she found the elders and asked for me. We finally saw each other at the conference this weekend and she remembered me and I didnt remember her! kinda bad of me BUT she was just visiting and we passed the reference and didnt think twice....but NOW SHES GETTING BAPTIZED! its the most crazy thing. but I am so grateful Aratiri to PJC the work is always moving even when we dont feel like we are contributing a whole lot! 

ILUMINA EL MUNDO!!! mormon.org check it out. im in love. 

xoxoxo, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 73

Haupei Yall!

Happy things!

1. We actually celebrated Halloween this week in Paraguay! We found a super cute menos activo pinterest mommy who went all out for her childs month mark. It was way fun to see that. I couldnt believe we were in paraguay!

2. Dionisio recieved the aaronic priesthood on sunday! WOOHOO! Im so proud of him . He knows how to read now, talk more in spanish, and is remembering everything we taught him! He is incredible.

3. We had a super rainy sunday, with super devoted members who went out on rescue visits with us. I LOVE RAMA 1! They blow my mind how devoted they are to missionary work.

Okay, so in Paraguay Thanksgiving is not a thing, BUT just one I had forgotten about the holiday, I was going through all the talks I have in my binder and found this incredible one by our Prophet! I love this talk because it not only talks about being grateful but living with gratitude. Something to remember this month!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

xoxo,

Hermana Vergara
3 Nephi 5:13

Week 72

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things!

1. Arnaldo is progressing so amazingly!! He is so full of questions, truly wants to learn, and says that even though he has received the missionary lessons a billion times, this time he feels different! He is ready. Keep him in yalls prayers! 

2. We were walking around an area we knew we were supposed to be working in but after a full week of contacting and meeting the people, NONE of them were progressing...so we said okay, one more house. And just like in the stories that was the house! Her name is Alvina and she is SO prepared. 

3. It has been raining like CRAZY! and they say its going to be like this the rest of the year! So we are avoiding a super hot normal summer...hashtag blessed. 

4. HECTOR AND VANIA GOT SEALED THIS WEEKEND!!! I had the honor of doing some wedding shots here in PJC. I know I am an amateur BUTTT it was the highlight of my week photographing a couple that is SO in love. 

All my love and more, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 70

 Haupei Yall! 

HBD TO MY HERMANA GONZALEZ!!!

Happy things! 

1. We had noche de cine this past week in rama 1! We watched meet the mormons, ate TONS of popcorn, and had a great time. We were very happy with the turn out! 

2. WE GOT SUBWAY! thats right. on the brazilian side there is subway, and our branch president loves us and bought it for us. it tasted the exact same! 

3. WE HAVE CHANGES TODAY!! yikes. you read that right. TODAY! My new companion is Hermana Sterling and we had back to PJC in like one hour...more to come next week! 

xoxo,

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 71

Haupei Yall!

Happy 18th Birthday to my super grown up sister elayna!!!

Happy Things!
1. 16 months on the mish now! yikes.

2. My new companion, Hermana Stirling, has 7 months on the mish, from PG utah and is SO HIGH ENERGY! its great. I need it for sure! She is so ready to work and is loving every moment in PJC!

3. We got to help do family history this week. cool story- the consultant has been working on one name for a few months now and asked for help trying to print it because she couldnt figure it out. we had a cool general conference moment where we found out the name was doubled and they looked the same, but we had to decided if it was a match! needless to say, the name is now printed and is being taken to the temple this weekend! miracles.

4. We taught in english this week. I never thought that would happen! Our investigator Arnaldo is trying to learn english and wants to learn about the gospel. So we teach him in english and I have never been more awkward in my life...just a heads up haha it was the best experience I never thought I would have in a city where we speak spanish, guarani, and portuguese.

xoxo,
Hermana Vergara
3 Nephi 5:13

Week 69

Haupei Yall!

Happy Things! 

1. We had divisions with the hermana lideres this week! I love my cute lil Hermana Slade...long lost best friend that I am so grateful will be back at BYU with me next year! 

2. For our district meeting this -week the elders made us pancakes with real maple syrup!!! SO YUMMY! I love our little family.

3. We have a super sweet investigator, Ovidio, who came to conference last week with members, is reading the BOM, AND came to church yesterday in a SUIT AND TIE! We are so proud and excited for this future missionary :)

4. DIONISIO GOT BAPTIZED!!! cutest story. he showed up for his baptism and confirmation the next day AN HOUR EARLY. He was so ready. And our district leader told us coming out of his interview that this man wants nothing to do with sin, he wants to be as far away as possible. It was the best feeling in the world seeing a true convert be baptized! 

5. Now this one is not so happy, but with the plan of salvation there is hope. My convert, Elias, his mom was found murdered this past week. It is a very, very sad situation as she was a single mom and the kids are all still so young, but I will never forget her love, her devotion to her children and the church, and for being one of the people I will always remember as an angel in my life. Please pray for this family! 

One of my favorite talks from conference: I love the idea of patient covenant keeping! 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-truth-of-all-things?lang=eng 

xoxo,

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13

Week 68

Haupei Yall! 

Happy Things! 

1. We had zone conference this week! Pres Evans and the APs drove out to us *8 hours* and we spent the whole day with them! Highlight> ¨*The act of faith is to put and follow through with plans to achieve your goal* 

2. Pres Evans while he was here met with Dionisio! Its official! He is getting baptized this saturday! keep him in your prayers. 

3. We teach our lessons with translators...its actually way cool. We know some guarani, but to help our investigators have a complete understanding we HAVE to rely on the members and their help! 

4. GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS BOMB! It was so uplifiting and I cannot wait to have more time to study and listen to all of it. My favorites were definitely Jeffery R Holland, David Bednar, and W Christopher Waddell talks. Go look them up on lds.org! I will be downloading as much as I can to keep listening at home, that is for sure. 

All my love and condolences to the Hainsworth family. Chris was a light in my life and always treated me as one of his own. I will miss him a lot, but know that he has returned back to our Heavenly Father. 

xoxo, 

Hermana Vergara

3 Nephi 5:13 

Week 67

Haupei Yall ! 

Happy Things! 

1. 15 months this past week...wow.

2. YALL PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! We got a phone call this week from Presidente Evans saying that Dionisio has received permission to be baptized from the First Presidency!!! WE ARE SO HAPPY! He is literally and physically so happy and feeling a lot lighter and less stressed. We are so excited for him. 

3. Reina and Patricio, a wonderful couple we are teaching moved this week :( to a different area...BUT came to church on Sunday! we love them SO MUCH. 

4. We had a baptism this week of our sweet little Danilo! CRAZIEST DAY EVER. no water in the chapel...so buckets were filled, tears were shed, and finally in the end the president of our branch decided to come home early from his trip and just happened to arrive to bring us a hose that worked...MIRACLES. and it was a fab baptism. 

life is good in Paraguay and its going to get even better for the whole world THIS WEEKEND! Its General Conference again! This weekend Saturday and Sunday! Watch live at lds.org! 

xoxo,