Obrero, Asuncion, Paraguay

PARAGUAY!!!!!

So, I am finally here in Paraguay and it is awesome!  I love it so much. The area I have been assigned to serve in is called Obrero Zone 1.  It is in the outskirts of the city and, as Justin told me, it has a ton of trash, but there are parts that are really quite nice.

I arrived in Asunción on Tuesday and President Agazzani was there to pick us up at the airport. He is a super nice guy and has learned a little bit of English.  He tried his best to talk to us.  It is probably the same difficulty and understanding as when I try to speak in Spanish.  We had orientation which was good and long and then on Wednesday we met our companions.  Mine is Elder Woodfield from LA, California, and is pretty interesting.  He tries to talk to me in as much Spanish as possible, so in all honesty I don’t really know him that well, but he does his best in doing the work. I can almost understand some people if they speak really slowly and clearly.  The old men are definitely the hardest to understand, I still have yet to be able to hear them correctly.  I do my best in trying to follow along with the lessons but they get to speaking so fast that I can’t understand and can only pick out a few of the words and usually they are wrong anyways.  Right now, other than a sweet miracle of rapid knowledge of the language, I need patience to give me and our investigators time to progress. 

We have four hours every day to study and nine to proselyte.  I have met many of the members and the new converts.  On Saturday, we taught an investigator named Sergio, who is actually reading the Book of Mormon, which I guess no one does here and he believes that it is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and pretty much everything we tell him.  But he works two jobs, one during the week fixing electronics, which I guess he makes close to nothing even for Paraguayans and one on Sunday, teaching about electricity in a Jewish Synagogue.  That is where he makes what he does to survive and so he hasn’t been able to come to church. Anyways the people are so great here.  I have been fed almost every day at someone else’s house and so far I have loved the food. It all has been so good.

Anyways, I love you all and invite those around you to come to church please!!!!

Member missionary work is what really works.

Love,

Elder Call 

Editors Note:

If you would like to write Dallin a letter you may go to DearElder.com and send him a letter through the pouch system for free by selecting his mission (Paraguay Asuncion Mission). Letters are printed every Sunday night and sent by the Church's Pouch System. Or you can write him a letter and mail it to:

Elder Dallin Dale Call

Paraguay Asuncion Mission

Casilla de Correo 818

Asuncion

Paraguay

Packages can be sent to:

Elder Dallin Dale Call

Paraguay Asuncion Mission

2881 Del Maestro c/ Caballero

Barrio Herrera

Asuncion

Paraguay

Here are a few guidelines in sending packages:  Keep the package small--the more it costs you to send the package the more it costs Dallin to get the package from customs. Also, putting packages in the padded envelopes seem to have the most success; do not send "new" items.  If "used" items are sent the chances of Dallin receiving the package is greatly increased.