-I now have a new companion, Elder Palma. And yes, he is a pure blood latin. He´s from south Mexico. He speaks a little English, but he speaks really good. He is actually one of the few latinos here that want to learn english. We are both learning.. It´s harder to write and speak in English. Because, for the past few days I´ve only been speaking Spanish. And this moring I gave my first (out loud) english pray since I was in the MTC. 3 months ago. That was really weird to do. He doesn´t have a Mexican accent. His Spanish is nearly perfect and his english is getting better.
I´m learning a bit of guarani. I don´t study the language. Only Spanish for me. And now my dreams have spanish in them.
I´m excited for Spencer. He is finally getting married :) And to Bergan too. They are perfect for each other. I know I´ll get there some day. I can wait. It´s really hard to do, but I can do it. There is someone worth waiting for over in the states. An American young woman. Yeah America, How I miss thee! But again, I can wait. My time is here and I love all my time here.
As for my package. I get it tomorrow! I´m really excited for what is inside. And as for extra money. I don´t need extra money. I have my own money with me if I wanted to send extra letters. The only thing I need, really... Is another pair of sheets (I only have one pair right now). And I can buy sheets here for real cheap.
Hank will be ok with his sickness. Which reminds me. I was able to go to the hospital Saturday. To give a blessing to a less active member and another man than was in the bed who watched me, my companion and a member give the blessing to the less active member. I know someones faith was strenghtened by this experience. I know mine has.
Well, for P-day today. We get to go to the Dam Itaipu. I get to walk through on the dam gates and see the dam water. And the Dam workers too. Next week I can send pictures of these!!! Your going to love them.
Well, I don´t have much more time to write (because the tour starts @ 1:15) And right now is 12:20 pm. I still need to write President Callan.
Les amo a ustedes mucho, más que... words could ever describe.

Dang! Summer has past over there. Summer hasn´t started here yet. It´s "Spring", but the weird thing is that the this same time last year, it was a lot warmer. p.s. It not vitamins that make me sweat here, Mom. Its just really hot and humid here. I only take them every monday. Once a week is all.
Cambios (changes) are this Tuesday/Wednesday. I don´t know what´s going to happen. I´m excited though. I think that Elder Butcher is going to leave (because he has 8 months here in Hernandarias 3) and I´ll stay. We finally strengthened our ward enough to have them retain recent converts. So they won´t fall away like all the others in this area. I am excited for this week. Because it will be different. A different approach on what we have been doing. Elder Butcher Strengthen this area for me and my new companion. Which I hope is a Latin. That would be really cool. I´ll tell you next week what happens.
Well, let me tell you what I´ve learned. I´ve learned that (silencio es oro) Silience is pray. And also actions are louder than words. Part of teaching is to not say anything at all. Because if you do sometimes, you get in the way of the Holy Ghost.- which reminds me of a quote," Teach others about the Gospel and if necessary use words."
Here is what I want to say to a Person who thought they knew what LDS missionaries are about... I walked on of my apartment everyday walk 5-7 miles a day on shear rocks in the road. I don´t recieve money nor other stuff from anyone. I got laughed at. People threw beer cans at me. You think that you know who I am. But you don´t. I am a man who, more than believes these things, I know why I am here on Earth. And how to be forgiven and be completely cleansed form all sin. Because I have felt it. I have felt a true remission os my sins. I feel the power of God when Thomas S. Monson, The True Living Prophet, speaks. No other man can do that unless it is pure truth and has authority behind it.
Well, time to go. Thanks for your letter Mom. I´m always happy to read your letters (:

The last few days have been really interesting. Especially last friday. It was amazing to hear Elder Arnold. And most of the Zone conference was in Español. I think the most I like out of what he said was, " I want all of you to think of one thing you want to change and we´ll write it on the board. I want you to write down everyone of these things... By the next time you meet with President Callan I want to all of you to have changed. The bar has been raised again... I hate sin, I don´t even want to be around it" Well, That possible for him, but not me or my companion or all the other missionaries here in Paraguay. -The last time I would like to share with you was part of his testimony, "I don´t have to see Christ to know him." I have never heard that before. It had made me want to be that strong in the Gospel. To be able to say that with complete truth behind it. It would have to be the hardest thing to do in this world.
And yesterday I did a division with one of the members and we taught a lesson on Hope. All the family said was that they hoped for a strong family. We taught them that it is only through the restored Gospel, that our families are the closest. I really enjoyed it. It was weird without Elder Butcher being there. I was the only one that spoke english. I was not afraid, I just couldn´t say more. But I don´t worry about that. And I don´t worry about not understanding all that was said to me. But, I won´t be held accountable for not knowing everything right now. I am still learning and will continually all 2 years.
I didn´t write a letter last week because I couldn´t send one last week. (We didn´t have district meeting). And I haven´t recieved 2 letters for 3 weeks now. But that´s alright, I´ll be patient. I have to wait anyways.
Well, my spanish gets better and better everyday. I can understand a conversation (not all...yet) and have a general concept of what is said. -Reading the Libro de Mormón everyday is helping alot. And I write in spanish (I have a journal specific for this), and I study grammer. But I didn´t bring my other grammer book here. I accidently left it in the MTC. But whenever I think of that, I remember the blessing I recieved from Dad. "You will have everything you´ll need" If I have to I´ll find a grammer book here. I have another grammer book that the MTC gave me. I think I´m alright.
It´s getting HOT here. It´s not even summer yet but I´m sweating really bad. It´s about as hot as is gets in Utah right now. The humidity is not fun. But whatever, I´ll just drink alot of water. It´s all part of the experience, right.
Time is up now, I´ll send a letter tomorrow. Bye for now.
-p.s. I sent Spencer a e-mail. Have him check his email. Thanks

The news about Dad is the best news I´ve heard here. It sounds crazy that Dad even needed a surgery. I´ve been thinking of how much has changed within the time I´ve been here. I hear of how the Lord blesses our family, 4 thousand miles away (approx.). I love p-days, because I get to hear how my family is doing. And it sounds like your all doing great. I love the emails I recieve from all of you. I can´t wait till I can send pictures through emails. I´ve been waiting for the opportunity to do that.
I´m starting to forget how America is like. I forgot what it´s like to just blend in with everyone else. There is no way to blend here. Where the quality of things are better. Like milk, candy, peanut butter and the roads. I miss real candy and real Milk. But I love it here, of course. It´s just very very different.
Right now it´s cold again. Real cold because of the humidity. It´s about 50 to 40 degrees right now and it´s raining. We are getting our haircuts in a half hour for a Zone Conference. President Arnold will be here Friday. Like I said this is the first time he´ll be in Paraguay south mission. He has no idea what it´s like here. He´ll be in for a shocker. I know Sister Callan doesn´t go out much of the mission home. They got into an accident in Ciudad del Este. And she said," I can´t believe they didn´t stop and fill out a accident report". Well... Welcome to Paraguay. But she is awesome, so is President Callan. They have been called here and set apart by an Apostle. President just barely raised the bar for lessons and goals. We are going to be working a lot harder now.
Love ELDER GRISHAM.

Che "I", Elder Grisham Aam really really happy for Dad. He sounds like he is doing awesome. I hope that there are no complications. It sounds like you still keep busy all the time, Dad. I miss working on the yard. You´ll have to have some hard labor for me to do when I get back. I forgot how much I like working. But as for here I have done some service. Like cutting branches grass and weeds with a machete. And helping some members move to a different house.
I am also glad to hear of Spencer and Bergan. Its weird that they´d had been married for 1 year and half (approx.) by the time I get home. Wow, that´s so crazy to think about. There might be a baby on the way, "wink, wink" when I return. I know one thing that is really cool is that we know the Hansens are an awesome family. I really like them. -So, their thinking of living in Jordan Landing or what? It will just be Jackie at the house now, huh? That will be weird for her.
-I still remember when all of our family was at home. That was years ago. But that is what happens. We grow up, we change, we find love and heartache. We make mistakes, we learn of how to live life on our own. We move forward because we cannot stay. But that doesn´t mean that we always want to, we will always want to return to a home righteousness. Because that is where we came from and where we will always belong. Home is the place where our values are built and fortified. And I am truly grateful for our home. I see more and more of how important it was and is to have a home of righteousness. For that, I will always be grateful for being in our family. I will forever be grateful for where God placed me, both when and where He placed me.
-I like a weekly email, but I like letters because, like I said before, they are physical. Dear Elders are Free, so they are the best way. But, Hand written letters are the best. Plus, you can sent pictures with it too. -It would be nice to get a little extra money, just for sending letters. I can send 7 letters with 20 dollars. I write to others here too. I wrote to Faith, Laine Bueno, My first companion Connor Phelps, and I´ll be sending letters to President Baer, my previous MTC Teachers. And I´ll write to anyone else that would like to write me. I only write my letters on P-day and I feel it is a great way to share more.
-I Gave a talk yesterday. It was about Faith and Hope. And how they go hand in hand. Here are some parts of what I said. "When you have faith, you have hope... I have hope for this area... when you exercise your faith you will have hope for the future and when you have that, you´ll realize that other things don´t really matter." and then I shared the scripture D&C 6: 33-36.
I really enjoyed hearing from all of you.
p.s. Thanks for your letter Jolene. You sent it about 5 minutes ago. Sounds Exciting :)
CHAO, mi familia y amigos y amigas y enemigos y otros personas.

Thanks for the pictures and letters. That is really good to hear that you were able to talk with Elder Butcher´s Padres. I hear that they are good people. I would like someday to meet them. -The pictures you sent (Jackie and Spencer) are awsome. I really enjoyed looking at the Jeeping pictures. It reminds me of when I would take the pictures for you and our friends. And as for you Jackie, you are getting good at taking pictures. Just practice alot and your pictures will be amazing. (a side note)- I remember when you played the piano. I now want to be as good as you. I never had much of a desire until now. I now have a drive to do things that are hard to do, but have a much desired outcome.
The things that I learned from being here that have changed me forever. The first is that the language is just a step. It is not the thing that makes a mission hard. Sure I am limited, but that is not the hardest thing here. The hardest thing that I understand to be is right now is, seeing others that fall away from the truth. Because they do know what is right, but they don´t take the courage or take action to do what is right, but I´m on my way to help them. One lesson at a time.
Wow, I understand more and more each day. Not only the Language, but the gospel and how much these people need the gospel here. I bore my testimony again. It was easier, even though I had a cold and my voice went down an octive. But I said what I wanted to say. I told everyone that the reason there are fallin miembros is because they never read the El Libro de Mormón. It is so easy to read people here. " ... It is with charity, you comfort their very soul. You let the spirit calm their heart with your words of tenderness. As if they were spoken by the same manner of the Savior." -Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall men KNOW that ye are my Discipules, IF ye have love one unto another.
One word of advice for all that are reaing this right now. Read Jesus The Christ and I promise you that you will have more of a respect and love for our Savior that will strengthen you more then you thought possible. I am finding my desire to teach more and to teach better. I Need to go now.
LOVE all of you, forever!

Spencers´ getting Married! It´s about time. And Dad got a new truck and is going to get work this Fall! Please send pictures through emailand mail. I want to see Dad´s new truck and the Wedding pictures. A lot has happened since I´ve been gone. I just realized that I´ve been gone since April 13 and it is now August 1. Time is going by rediculously fast. I still remember the last day I saw all you at the setting apart.
Well, I just got news that E´Butcher´s Mom is going to contact Mom and Dad. Because Sister Callan (President Callan´s wife) is in Farmington for her Daughter´s wedding. So if you want to meet her, there you go. Hopefully she contacts one of you.
Well I bought a card reader here, but it looks like it doesn´t work properly. I was hoping that it would work so that I could sent pictures through email but not today. So, I´ll need a real card reader or the cord from my nikon camera. Either one will work. I want to share what is going on more, but I need one of those to do that.
As for the package, you can just put alot of different stuff. I know I don´t need any razors. I only went through about 5 or 6 razors since the beginning of the MTC. And I have enough shaving cream to last till at least March. The somethings you can put in a package either now or in the future. Peanut butter, money, LDS music cds and a flashdrive (Just like I wrote before), chocolate (different kinds of candy is good), toothpaste. That is all I can think of right now. I know I´ll need more mulitivitamins in two months.
I guess it´s about time to tell you some things that I ate here since I´ve been here.
1. Cabeza de Vaca- Cow Head
2. Salads- containing onions, beets and tomatoes and that´s it
3. Mandioca- Boiled Tree Root, no joke
4. Pollo y Carne- Chicken and beef
5. Corn on the Cob- with no butter!
6. A lot of Rice
7. Fideos- Noodles
8. Pan- Bread. Lots and lots of bread
9. Beju- Flour that is mixed with milk and deep fried
10. Sopa- corn bread that doesn´t have flavor and has onions in it
-Saturday w are eating capibarra. Oh yeah!
Bye for now!