Little Miracles

Hola familia!

This week has been a super good one, we had lots of little miracles sent down from heaven to help us out this week for sure. Me and my comp Elder Cisternas are working really great. The wierd part is we don't have a ton of things in common but we get along super well. The work here in Kokuere is coming along great! Everyday more here is really the best. 

So a couple cool things that happened this week,,,, ahhh yeah so like a month ago I contacted a lady named Veronica that lives in a super humble house in a pretty ghetto part of the city. She spoke little spanish and LOTS of guarani. We taught her a little bit of the restoracion of the gospel and it was a special lesson trying our best to teach in guarani. She was really nice but didn't show a lot of interest or anything like that. Since then we've tried several times to follow up and no one has been home and the cell phone number she gave us wouldn't work. So this Saturday getting ready for Sunday I decided to give her a call just to invite her to church on Sunday. I called 4 times in the morning and the phone wouldn't ring or anything just like it had been before. I don't know why -haha but that night I was thinking about her and tryed one more time to call just for the heak of it. I was super suprised when I heard the ringing and a voice on the other end. I said we were the missionaries and we were looking to talk to Veronica. The first thing she yelled in the phone with her mixed guarani and spanish was ¨When are you guys coming to look for me to take me to church?!?!¨ haha. I said we could pass by the next morning and we would all go to church together. When we got there to our suprise we found veronica all ready with her best pair of pants and T-shirt on without any holes in them and her Libro de Mormon in her hand. We went. And she loved it. 

Another was Lionia and her familia. Lionia and her kids went to church this Sunday and they are loving it so much. Lionia is so prepared for babtism its crazy! it's her husband that is accepting things a little more slowly. But things are going to work out with them for sure.

I visited a inactive family this week that got babtised like 4 years ago. they are called the familia Garay. first off they haven't been recieving the missionarys for about 6 months now. We got in and It was a crazy first lesson with them for sure. Once I walked in the mom of the family kept looking at me all funny and it was super alkward not gonna lie -haha. then we got talking and she said I was for sure the same as the Elder that babtised them named Elder Davis. She was so conviced that I was him -haha it was crazy, anyway one thing led to another and they were remembering all the good times of her babtism and this Elder Davis that I've never met and you could just tell how close they were to this Elder. Anyways once we left the house, they committed to coming back to the church and even invited us over to eat dinner with them after church the next Sunday.

Fun expierence on Sunday too. haha 5 min. before sacrament meeting starts the branch pres. comes up to me and says ¨hey elder nyberg, I need you to give a talk and fill up the last 15 minutes of the meeting, okay?¨ haha I thought he was just messin with me but nope! I gave a 15 min talk and it was sweet. that promise in D&C that says if we always treasure up the words of the scriptures it will be givin us the words we need to speak in the exact moment we need them is totally true. 

Last cool expierence. I was asked to give 2 blessings of health on sunday too by two different hermanas. The power of the priesthood real. And just another reminder to all you priesthood holders out there. We never know when God needs us to use the priesthood to bless others, so ALWAYS be worthy of it. 

Anways love you all and hope things are going good!

Elder Nyberg

Staying in cocuere W/ Elder Cisternas

Hola familia!

Today were all going to Asuncion as a zone to go bowling! So I have like 30min. haha but its all good. I don't know if you remember when I was in my training we went bowling in asuncion and it was super sick so I talked to my zone leaders and helped them plan it out and looks like we all get to go again! It should be super sweet. haha your probably thinking it's wierd that were all this stoked just to go bowling but from what I know this is the only legit bowling alley in all of Paraguay haha so its a pretty big deal;) 

But for changes!.................. My comp Elder carrillo ended up getting shipped out to luque and I'm staying here in cocuere.  But..... there is a little twist. in the other area Elder rada got shipped out too so I'm going to be with his comp Elder Cisternas and we're going to be in charge of both of the areas! Both the areas are huge and I still don't  know how it's all going to work but it will all work out in the end because it always does! haha, Mann two elders in charge of a whole rama, this should be fun! My district got a little mixed up too, I'm still district leader but now there only hermana missionarys in my district. Its going to be pretty wierd switching from pure elders to pure hermanas, but I'm sure it will be good. I was afraid to get changes because it means that I would have to pack all my bags.... I was stoked to hear I was staying so I didn't have to pack but we ended up changing to the other elders house which meant packing:/ ha but this change looks like it's going to be a good one, Elder cisternas is my first argintine comp but my 4th latin in a row, he is a pretty chill dude and I think things are going to be super rad here this change. 

Sorry i dont have a ton of time but i wanted to share a couple of the people we are working with right now. we just found a sick familia of 4 the moms name is lionia and they look super promising. the husband goes to church EVERY sunday at another church, but thats super super wierd to see here in paraguay that someone is that devoted to church, so we´ll see how that goes. In this rama there are tons of menos activos so ive been working with some different familias trying to get them back in church. some are familia Lopez, Familia Martinez, Familia Gonzalez and the familia Coronel. Things are going good here, lots of work to do and im for sure gonna be really busy this change which is awesome. anyway love you guys tons! and hope this week is a good one!

Elder Nyberg

The Priesthood at work...

Hola familia!

 This week was super rad, working a ton and having fun! This week I did a division with Elder Walters and we had a pretty cool day and a cool expierence I'm gonna share. I can't believe that school is almost starting back home! so crazy. But I have changes tomorrow! so we´ll see if I get shipped out to the chaco again or if I stay! Changes are always fun and I always have those butterflys in my stomach the day before.... but I will finally find out tomorrow so we´ll see! 

Okay so the division with Elder Walters. He is a super rad missionary such a hard worker, he's from idaho tho and just loveeeees it when I bug about their potatos haha;) But we had a legit division, by the end of the day we found two complete new familias to teach! But in the middle of the day we got a random phone call from some menos activo to run over there and give a blessing to her mom that was really sick, she just turned 83 years old. We got there and the whole family was there, but only a couple were miembros. So we taught a bit about the priesthood and authority, and just how a blessing works and stuff like that. We gave the blessing and the spirit was really cool, it was like really nice and peaceful vibe. In the blessing just going by the spirit we blessed her just to be ready to go see her father in heaven again and that she could have a peaceful heart when she leaves this world. The family was all crying and thanked us a ton for coming. Early the next day when i was back in my area, i got a call from Elder Walters saying that she had passed away that night and that the funeral was today. It was kinda sad but it was cool to know that was her time to go back to see her father in heaven. In these kinds of times im really greatful to know that familys can be together forever, because there are sooo many people in this world that dont have that knowledge. 

Sorry i dont have  that much more time but love you guys! y siempre recuerdan que las familias son eternas. les amo mucho!

Elder Nyberg

Fallin in the groove in San Lorenzo

Hola familia!

Hope you guys all had a great week, cuz I sure had a good one. Not a ton of new stuff going on this week, I've just been really busy and fallin in the groove of mission work! 

This Tuesday I had my second successful district meeting as a district leader. It was legit. This time it was alot easier to give the class and fill up the 1 1/2 hours. I'm sure with more time things willl become even easier. We ended up doing a super cool practice I planned out. We had a table with two missionaries on each end with their scriptures, and a squirt gun in the middle.  It was knda like a old western showndown type of deal, the first perosn to find the scripture got to shoot the other one -haha it was rad and everyone loved it. My district is super sick too, were killin it out here. Annnddd... for the rest of the day we ended up doing service! and by that I mean we dug a well that ended up almost being as tall as me! My body got like destroyed -haha I was so dead after but it was way worth it. We did it for a member named Sauddy who lives in a really humble part of the town.

Yesterday was a really great Sunday. Idon't  know why it was so great, I mean the classes were good, the talks were good, it was just an all around awesome Sunday. Today the priesthood class really stuck out to me. It was all based off of a talk givin in the last conf. by Gerold Caussè. It was about things in our lives that are often really close to us, that we can sometimes take them for granted and forget their true worth. He talked about living in Paris for 22 years with his family and they never once went and visited the Effiel tower because they just took it for granted, when there are people that travel across the whole world just to see it. This talk just seemed to fit my life really well. Growing up in the gospel, having a temple of God in walking distance from my house, having the chapel a block away, always having the scriptures around, awesome parents and nothing but good examples all around me. In my life so far I've had it all, I've really been so blessed. I still to this day remember when I came to know that the church was true and the eye-opening feeling I got like ¨Wow, like all this stuff is actually REAL.¨ And to this day I still remember how bad I really felt once I knew it was true just looking back on how many missed opportunities I had lost. Such as taking seminary class serious, actually reading my scriptures, going to an actual temple of God whenever I had a chance, not paying attention to general conference etc. 

Just looking back on life, I guess I've learned a lot more now to appreciate the gifts God has blessed me with.

Anyway I hope you guys are all doing great, Love you all tons!

Saludos a todos!

Elder Nyberg

Birthday Week!

Hola familia!

Okay for real I seriously can't believe it's been another full week since I sat down at a computer to write to you guys again. I've had so much stuff going on lately, its been crazy but time is flying by so fast! This week was a good one though! Can't believe I'm offically 19 years old!

The birthday was a really good one! I had lots of my friends in the mish call and sing me happy birthday -haha, you guys si o si need to hear the birthday song in guarani its like the funniest sounding thing I've ever heard. But overall not much else changed, we had a good day of working. Had some pretty cool lessons and visited a lot of people. In the afternoon we went with the other elders across from my area to go eat Lomitos for dinner in that sick resturante that has the monkey and tucans! I gotta hold Tucan Sam again it was great. It was a little different not to have my family with me to celebrate but the best thing about the church and the members here is they love me and treat me like their family. I got mi mama monzón and hermana Berna that are legit my mission moms as they call them -haha I love it. That's one of the things I love most about the church and the latter day saints, Anywhere you go, walk into one of our churches and they treat you like family. I know the members here care about us and worry about us all the time. In the end the thing that matters most es La Familia.

Sorry I don't have more time, I have to catch a collectivo and head out to Asuncion to the office today, but even though it was short, hope you guys know how much i love all of you! 

Have a great week!

Elder Nyberg

The Pope is in Paraguay..

Hola familia!

This week has past by soo fast! it really seems like it was just yesterday I was sitting down to write you guys. I guess time really does fly by when your having fun;) I dont have lots of time cuz I have a ton more stuff I have to get done today but I'll give you guys a couple of cool things that went on this week in the life of Elder Nyberg -haha.

This Wednesday and Thursday I ended up doing 2 back to back divisions in two different areas really far apart with Elder Harris and Elder Alavarez. The first day I was with my zone leader Elder Alavarez and man we worked so hard it was legit. Committed 3 new people to babtism and in the process of reactivating a menos activo family. More than anything I'm learning so much more here in San lorenzo. The next morning we woke up super early and traveled to the other area to switch and I got to be with Elder Harris. He has like 4 more weeks untill he goes home and finishes his mission, so I took advantage of the day and asked and learned anything and everything I could from him. Again we worked so hard and walked really far -haha. When I finally got home to my house the day after I had two big nasty blood blisters from walking so far and my eyelids kept wanting to fall down on me and sleep haha. But all in all I don't think I can put to words how much I learned in these two little days, it was the best!

On Thursday I got to do another baptism interview for an investagator of Elder harris. Man it's one of the coolest things to be District leader and get to interview these people before baptism. The change that comes from the gospel is unlike anything else. This guy I interviewed was named Ismael Rameriz and one of the most solid guys I've ever seen. Man this guy has completely pulled a 180 degree turn in his life, quit smoking, quit drugs, quit drinking and now he is like a completely new person! He really wants to go on a mission and is so stoked to get out and share the gospel with others. 

Cool story.... so Saturday we didn't have a lunch cita with anyone, so we decided to get up and go to the mcdonalds that's in my area with the other elders in my rama.  We had just gotten our food and were getting to sit down. A couple minutes into eating, the people in the mcdonalds just started randomly getting up and running out of the place at a full sprint! It scared me pretty bad at first cuz my first thought was there is probably someone robbing the store with a gun or something. It was so wierd, I was looking around all expecting to find some guy with a gun or something like that but I couldn't see anything?! We ended up just getting up and walking out anyway cuz we didnt know what was going on -haha. That's right when we see a massive mob of people coming down the street in front of mcdonalds, and who was right in the middle of the road coming down? Yep, the Catholic Pope. hahaha. I mean I almost went up and contacted him to teach him about the restored gospel ya kno? but there was a bit too many people there to get to talk to him;) But for real it was insane! there were people crying, people screaming, all just to see el Papa. I wish I would have had my camera but I didn't have it on me... it was cool tho, now me and the pope are homies cuz he waved to me.

But hope you guys are doing good! Love you tons! 

Elder Nyberg

District Leader in San Lorenzo

Hola familia!

Sooo ..... this Tuesday we had changes and...... Im staying! here in San lorenzo with my same comp. Elder Carrillo from Guatamala. But I did get one change even though I'm staying in my same area, looks like I will be staying as the new District Leader! I'll be in charge of about 8 elders in my district and I'm  super stoked to get to serve more and put in more work to the Lord. I'm just a little nervous to be district leader, give classes every tuesday and other responsibilities but I'm really grateful for the opportunity to better myself and serve more. This really looks like it's going to be a fun change here. I'm beginning to start to know my area now just after the 2 weeks I've been here. Our area here is practically a white wash still because no one worked in it until I got here butI'm  hoping to get things up and running real quick. Yeah so life is good! Realllll good;)  But a few cool things that happened these past few days and today. I saw a Monkey(and got pictures). I taught a lady that has legit crocodiles in her front yard!  Paraguay scored a goal in the copa america and the whole entire city went crazy at the same time screaming ¨GOLLLLLLLLLL´ haha it was so loud it made me jump cuz it caught me off guard. My dad(trainer) Elder Hathaway is offically chillin at his house back in the states now. yah... I feel old in the mish. time goes by way too fast.

I hope you guys all had the best 4th of July! I actually forgot it was the 4th until my latin comp. reminded me saying ¨hey isn't  it like an important day or somthing in your country today?¨ haha. But for the 4th it was a super fun day here in paraguay and definitly an adventure. So we went to the hospital to try and find a hermana thats a member that needed a visit. Yeahh emphasis on TRIED.... we got completely lost! haha. Man the hospitals here are nothing like a hospital in the states. I felt like zombies were si o si going to come out of some abandoned room and eat us. Then there was the constant sounds of people screaming-crying and it is just not a fun place to be at. In the end the hermana wasn't there and were going to go back there on Tuesday. Another cool thing that happened this night was I got to do a babtism interview for an investigator of Elder Walters named Hector. It was such a cool expierence to get to see the change the gospel had in his life. Every day I am becoming to love the gospel more and more. the change that comes from the gospel is unlike anything else. I love it.

p.s I don't know if you guys remember the Investagator I found in Concepcion a couple weeks ago named Rocky? I got the good news that he's getting baptized! super grateful to be a part of helping another person come unto Christ.  

Hope you guys are doing great! love and miss you all!

Elder Nyberg