Wonderful Fruit

I don't know if I told you, but there are Plumerias here right now
(white and yellow, deep purple, pink, yellow, and white)and there are
also poinsettias everywhere.
Hermana Jara and I are both still here in Amambay. We didn't end up
having changes yet. I really REALLY love this ward though and the
people here so I am ok with not changing for now :).
The heat was killer again. The other morning I drank 2 liters of water
by like 9:00 and kept drinking throughout the day. The heat is still
miserable but I am getting more used to it.  I guess.
 We found a really cool family this week! I was so excited.
We were walking and decided to knock on a random door. An older
single lady greeted us, let us in, gave us water, and told us that she
was Catholic but that her brother who had died 3 years earlier was
Mormon and had served a mission many years earlier in Uruguay.
She told us that the people from the church were really nice but
took us into a room where she had a shrine of Saints, Jesus,
incense and things like that and told us that she wasn't interested in
changing religions. It was really important to her and she was
so sweet to us. We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel
though and visited for a little bit. She gaves us a little bag
of cookies and a piece of candy as we left. It was adorable. She
then told us that her niece, the daughter of her brother who passed
away lives close and that we could visit her. We went to visit her
and her family and they are great! They were kind of busy when
we came but were going on Tuesday to visit with them. We stopped
by yesterday too and visited with the members son and granddaughter
and they were really receptive. I really think they are going to progress.
As it turns out, the man who died was inactive towards the end of his
life. But i truly believe that things dont happen because of coincidence,
and that perhaps there is a concerned father on the other side
trying to help his family. Once again, our Heavenly Father really
is in the details.
 This morning was fun. For our P-day we went to the city center with
one of the girls in the ward Vanessa Alvarez. We eat with her family
on Sundays and they are the best. Her dad is an artisan and does those
really cool scripture covers made out of leather. They're amazing.
Anyway, we took some fun pictures and went to a museum. We ate
the BEST empanadas that I've ever tasted. It was weird though. I felt
like a tourist kind of. It reminded me of being in London or Paris...all
big cities have the same kind of feel. It was fun though. Ill send you
pictures.

Guess what? My mouth and dry skin are cured. A sister in the ward told
me to boil guava leaves and put the juice on my skin and it cured me!
I couldn't believe it. A modern day miracle. There are natural remedies
here for everything. It seems like that principle of there being an
opposition in all things really is true. Where the sun burns your skin,
there grows aloe or guava leaves to cure them. Go figure.
   MY testimony is growing so much and I never want to forget the
experiences that I am having here.

Sometimes, many times, fulfilling our callings takes a lot of hard work.
I have seen many of the sacrifices that people here in Amabay have
made to fulfill their callings. I hope our ward and stake are doing well.
We really have such wonderful people in our ward and I love
them better and help the 27th ward in whatever way possible once I return.
   Please send my love to the family. I hope Aunt Lauren is feeling
 better! I am continuing to pray for her and for all of you every day.
I can't believe Ive been out 5 months. It has passed by so quickly
but I feel like I have been here forever. I really love it here.
 
Anyway, I'm out of time! love you love you love you!! BTW(by the way)
it's fruit season and I ate like half a watermelon the other day.
RRRIquisimo!!
All my love,
Rae