Clapping really works!

Querida Familia,
Ah cómo estamos esta semana? Gracias por sus e-mails! It has been a great week here in Amambay. A lot of drunks and partying, but we survived and found some great people to teach. We had a lot of investigators who made it to church so we were very happy about that! The ward here continues to help us a lot. Our new converts are struggling a little bit and have fallen back into a couple of bad habits, but we are working hard to help them adjust as new members. Just a lot of prayer, study, faith, and friend-shipping with new members to try and get them on the path.

We are teaching three sisters that we found this week. Perhaps the future Goedde sisters, except they are 8, 10 and 13 years old. We found them clapping doors. They are smarter than almost any investigator that I have taught on my mission. They understand everything we teach, they begged for a Book of Mormon the first time we explained it, they fight
over who gets to pray and we often have to say three prayers so they can all have a turn. They got all ready for church on their own and were ready to go at 7:30 AM. They are so enthusiastic for the gospel. I seriously love them. They live in a tough situation. There is literally no supervision in their house because there mom works until
9:00 PM Monday through Monday. She is both mom and dad, as many other women here in Paraguay. We have been talking with her on the phone though to ask her permission to teach the girls, take them to church, etc.
Yesterday, we went to their house and their mom had felt really sick and not gone to work, giving us the opportunity to talk with her about the Restoration. We taught her and she was really touched by what she heard and especially liked the testimony of the member who came with us. She said it would be impossible for her to make it to church because of work but that she would read and pray about our message. The whole time, the little girls were tapping my arm and whispering in my ear, "Did you ask her about our baptism yet? Did you ask her?" We talked to her about baptism and told her that her daughters had accepted the invitation to be baptized and asked her permission. She had no problem with it at all and said she loved what they were learning and were coming home ecstatic from church. I know these little girls will be able to be great members and touch the life of their mom so that someday she will be able to do the same. If they make it church these next three weeks, they will be baptized on the 29th. It was so cute because we were leaving their house and the 8-year-old ran up to me and gave me a toy and said, "This is for you." I looked down and it was a toy dolphin. I had never mentioned anything about loving dolphins to them, but it touched my heart. Children are so special.

I am almost done reading the Book of Mormon is Spanish for the second time. It has honestly touched my life so much and my testimony has grown exponentially. It is amazing how it has the same power in every language. Although I don’t understand all the words in the Isaiah chapters nor all the war vocabulary, it has helped my Spanish so much. I hope we are all continuing to read the Book of Mormon and will continue to read it throughout the year I love you so much! My mission is passing by like crazy and Sunday will mark 7 months. I can’t believe it. I really will see you all so soon! I love my mission though and am SO happy to be here. Have a wonderful week and good luck with everything!
Love, Rae