The first picture is of a huge bug I found in the street.
The second one is when we had transportation for our branch for General Conference.
I loved conference. I studied my notes this morning ( and wrote a comentary with them). What a great thing, to have living Prophet and Apostles.
-Today we get to go to the waterfall of Monday (mun-da-oo). I´m excited to go and take pictures. I just hope that I my batteries don´t die. (the batteries here are crap).
It´s possible that I will be leaving Hernandarias this change. I don´t know, but I want one more change here. This area is growing right now, I just don´t an Elder to be disobedient here. It´s also possible that I could stay here too. I don´t know but I´ll be fine with where I go. I will do as much as I can this change, while I´m still here.
Wow, that´s crazy that 38 houses are going to be removed. I think that our house is part of that will be removed. How weird is that? And, Dad, that´s good that things are in order for your surgery. You´ll be as good as new when I return. From your letters, you sound more patient and humble (& More calm).
-Did Spencer get pajama pants for his birthday? or stuff for his new house?
-This week was really good for me. I am understanding more than ever. I am becoming better at teaching and with the language. I still make mistakes, alot but the Holy Ghost makes up for my faults. -Yesterday, Me and my companion (he has 11 months here in Paraguay) taught a lesson with a couple by the name of Danny and Monica. We taught the Restoration of the Gospel. I taught simply and with at a lot of gramatical errors but we brought tears to their eyes. That we the first time I have seen that here in Paraguay. It was one of the most powerful lessons that I taught (so far). We are going to put a baptismal date for Monica this Tuesday. Danny (less active member) never heard about the Restoration before. But now he knows, more so than he has ever known before.
Well I need to go now, Love all of you. Good luck with whatever you need to do this week!

Sometimes I like to write words of inpiration... Below for example

We are being guided. When we know it or not. We are to be strong, to be a strength to others. We are in the world but not of the world. The light in darkness. To bring hope to those who think all is hopeless. To Clarify that which is in obscurity. To Be who the Lord requires of us and knows what we can do, when we don´t have the slightest idea. We are to be the Saints of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Hey!
General Conference was awsome. It was the first time I paid full attention to conference. Now I will directly apply what I learned to use here. I feel like I can be 10 times a better a missionary.
Sorry for not writing hand written letters for awhile. I didn´t have the money. I recieve 750,000 guarani´s which is about 300 (US) dollars a month and I was out about 250,000. But I survived just fine.
Sorry if I don´t respond well with the letters that you sent. (emails and hand written letters). I am keeping busy, but I want to more. I want to work harder than I am now. I´m not lazy not by a long shot, but I feel that I can do more. I feel this is a week that I start to give my all. That I start the path of being who the Lord wants me to be, My Best.
The weather here is getting hotter and hotter. I don´t mind. I´m quite good at staying calm when there is chaos all around me. And I´m just fine with just having basic things that I need. Right now I like that I am "living humbly" or in other words I like that I don´t have the distractions of the world with me. Like having a phone or computer or things that would not help me here right now. I love that I don´t have unresolved issues or problems. I guess I was more ready to be here than I thought. I think that Elders who miss home alot, didn´t resolve all that they had to do. Yes, I do miss home but I would miss this opportunity of eternity if I stayed home. -This is becoming the best 2 years for my life. I feel that I can devote all my time here. No doubt I won´t want to leave but it would be time to go. But I am sooo happy that I still get to be here for 18 1/2 months still. Time is going by too fast and yet everyday is a challenge. Everyday is a better day, even when it´s crappy. Because its one more day that I get to pronounce this, " Yo se que jesucristo vive. Èl es su Redentor y Salvador. Usted sabe eso? Con todo Cortazón, Alma... sin duda? Estamos dando usted el manera para seguir Jesucristo completamente. Usted quiere saber?"
Sorry Dad, I didn´t have time last time to write in email. It sounds like you´ve changed. Like you became a stronger in spirit and in health. You were always strong spiritually in my eyes. Even in times you did not feel strong, you were. I know and God knows. That is why you were always being tested, tried and "attacked " by the adversary. Because You Are Strong. Your love for our family is the strongest attribute you posess. For all the love you have for us, I can´t even imagine how much our Heavenly Father Loves us. In the same way you do, I suppose. A wanting eveything for his Children. Yesterday, I actually shared what you do for our family. And that is that you give us fathers blessings when we struggle, need extra guidance or simply want/ need comfort. I shared that I will always be grateful for your help and example. And how I want to the same. Thanks you for this. My patriacrhal blessing said that you and Mom would be a help to me in my life. Yes, the both of you are a blessing in my life. You and Mom are part of my testimony. A testimony of loving parents who are a example of what I want to be like. I also shared how I want a blessing when I get home. For guidance in seeking what I need to do when I return to work for people and no longer the Lord. But I want to make movies for the church. That way I can be close to what I love. Both The Lord and videos. Because the real world is more dangerous than this third world country.
Bye my Family!
-Thanks for your letter Jolene and yours too Jackie (:
p.s. Happy Birthday Spencer, this Sunday! What did you get me? jk

Pictures

Thanks for the package. The M&Ms are now gone and so are the Werthers. And I found a member that put the music on my flash draive but the flash drive doesn´t work with my tiny radio.- My radio only plays mp3 music. I need a new flash drive. I´m thinking I can buy one for cheap here. The music is awsome though. If you want (with my Christmas package) put another flash drive in the package with more music. I need it to be specifically mp3 songs (there is a program on the IMac to change the type of file) and not on a sandisk flashdrive. Just directly put the music on the flashdrive, because I might not have the same oppurtunity to transfer music from a cd to a flashdrive. Sorry for not being more direct about this.
Thank you so much for the package, I love it. Oh and with recipes, Mom, you can just write them in a dearElder letter.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures I sent. It took up most of my time.
Chau! Besos!

I didn´t recieve my package last week. The encomienda (mail delivery) was sent to a different city (encarnación) by accident. I hope that it I recieve it tomorrow.
Well, I´m glad to hear that Dad will have heart surgery with the best surgeons. I don´t doubt that he´ll be fine. I won´t even recognize Dad by the time I get home, will I? The same with Jackie, Eli, Layla, Spencer´s baby ;).
My new companion is awesome he wants to learn more English. I talk to him all the time so that I can learn as I can. I am learning faster now. Before I didn´t talk much en español. solamente con miembros y investigadores. pero ahora yo hablo más. cada día y cada hora. Y cuando yo quiero expresar un historia o algo. I just try to said it, without fear. And when I can´t express all, I do my best to try to expound on it.

Sorry about this short letter. I´ll try to write a handwritten letter in an hour.
Chau! Enjoy your week :)

-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 (: