Ok well I have finally seen monkeys!! They make this weird loud growls in the trees in the mornings. But is so cute when they climb with their babies on their backs...And speaking of monkeys, my companion (bless her heart-she is so great) has been picking lice out of my hair for about a week. So we look like monkeys about every night trying to kill all the jumpy creatures. My head itches so bad! Even this moment I am still scratching! Its super embarrassing! There are a ton of people here with them but we have no idea who has them or where I got them from...but they dont want to leave. I have used shampoo and the special comb, but now we are moving on to plan B...the flea powder. Wow I never in my life thought that I would be the one caught having lice!!
We have also noticed the blessings of ferverent prayer. We were able to find a a lady named Mariela who desperately needs the Lords help in her life. She has been through some super tough circumstances. First of all, she is a single mother raising 2 kids on her own. Her crazy boyfriend who has treated her like crap is trying to move back in with her but has another girlfriend who he brings to the house of Mariela to sleep with because he is paying the rent. She says that it doesnt even bug her anymore because she hates him so much. Luckily he moved out but we have been talking to her about forgiveness because she holds a huge grudge for him...and to be honest I dont blame her. She also has been abused sexually by her brother and hardly has confidence in herself. I felt the spirit so strong when I told her how important she is to God. Compared to God we are nothing, but according to God, we are everything.
She committed to changing her life and being baptized. She also said she would do anything to go to church on Sunday. Sunday came and we waited and the gates but she never came. We called and she didnt answer. I was SUPER sad. I wanted more than ever that she could come. Thankfully, the smiles of our other investigator Lorenzo cheered me up. He has such faith and patience. Although he cant understand everything, we has such endurance and tells us no its ok poco a poco voy aprendiendo. El es un alma muy valioso para al senor. I hope the members can look to his example. After church we went to visit Mariela to see why she couldnt make it to church. She told us that her x came over again to tell her that she wouldnt be able to make it without him because she doesnt even have one guarani (penny) to pay the rent and will die of hunger. She said that she prayed to God that she wouldnt grab the knife again and cut herself or kill him. And she didnt. After he left she grabbed her motorcycle and left for the church. But about a block away from her house she ran out of gas and walked her bike back to her house. She didnt find any money to buy gas and so she ended up staying home.
I am extremely impressed by how hard Satan works on people. Just when they are about to do something good, they are faced with the adversary or more trials and they use their agency which is a gift from God to choose to follow Satan instead of their loving God who created them. Many other investigators committed to go to church but didnt come because they used their agency to choose not to.
In spite of the sadness of other peoples choices, my companion and I are trying to stay enthusiastic and we are extremely grateful for Lorenzo and his progress and for the love that people like the Hermana Valvina show us....here is a cute little picture of her. She is the 86 year missionary! When she is the street she testifies to everyone making contacts in every street corner and always shows so much love for everyone she meets! She is my example of the type of enthusiasm a missionary and member of the church should have. Well I sent some pictures of monkey...you can barely see it I couldnt get a good one... and the Sister Valvina.
Love you all and I hope you had a great Easter! Easter here is La Semana Santa. Everyone supposedly celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ but in reality they all just celebrate. No one wanted to listen to us when we tried to speak to them about Christ...yet they lit their candles in the night and gave praises to God and their Santos. Sometimes it is hard to understand these people but I love them anyways.
Hermana Gunter
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