Pope in Paraguay

family y friends,

      I had no idea that this calling would be so dang stressful. It seems like there is no rest. I am constantly receiving calls from missionaries about random things that they want fixed, people clamming that we owe them money and angry landlords. There is constantly something going on in the office!!

Office Elders

My Zone!

      This week was pretty crazy for me. I'm still in the learning process of being the new Fichero of the mission, by the way, that makes things so much more difficult. 

To start out, you need to know a little bit more about what is happening in our mission. We had 230 missionaries about 2 weeks ago but then about 32 of them "died", or finished their missions, but only 15 newbies showed up. So, what that means is that we have to close 7 different areas because there are not enough missionaries to occupy all of the areas. That mans we have to close all the houses that they have been living in and take all the things out of those houses. We have to make sure that all of the paper work is done properly so that we don't get some angry landlord saying that we still owe them money. And to be 100% honest, that's not even half of what I do.

      We have been running all over town this past week trying to make it so that this mission will run smoothly. Its a great thing that the Lord is on our side because without his help here in the office, there is no possible way that we could have done some of the things that we have had to do.

      Just in the last couple of days we have had to move 3 different houses in complete opposite sides of Paraguay. And this next week is just going to get better. We have a trip planned out to go to Concepcion this next week which is about 8 hours away, just to do another move.

      Oh and just so you guys know, the Pope is here in Paraguay this week so everyone is going crazy. Everyone is wearing the same yellow and white t shirt that has his face on it. The streets are lined with Catholic flags, shirts, and souvenirs. We actually saw a cardboard cutout of him and we wanted to take a picture with it but as we pulled out our cameras, a family came by a started worshiping this cardboard cutout of the Pope. Some of the people actually started crying. Its funny to be here during Easter weekend and comparing it to when the Pope comes to town. It seems to me that they like the Pope more than they do Jesus!! Not judging just observing.

      As well, about 30 minutes ago we were walking down the streets of Asuncion and we some a really nice car collection so we stopped by to ask if we could go take a look around. Luckily they said yes. Unfortunately they said no Photos. We saw Porches, Ferrari s, a Corvette Stingray, an Audi R8, a Shelby Mustang, a Roles Royce and a Wiesman. It was really cool!! I have never heard of a Wiesman before so i asked the guy what it was. He told me that it was a German made car but it was only made if it was asked for. He also told me that it was the only one of its kind in all of South America! So that was very neat!!

     I'm sorry i don't have a whole lot of field work stories but that makes sense being that I'm not in the field anymore! I truly havnt been able to do a whole lot of missionary work lately but it sure does make me miss the field! Im working just as hard or harder than I ever have just in a different way!!!

     I love this Gospel. This truly is the work of Salvation and we should take every opportunity we can to be a part of it!!

     I love you all so much and i hope you have a fantastic week!! 

Love Elder Petersen

Oh, and I got my Paraguayan Drivers license!  

Conversation with Jeffrey:

Hey bud!  How was your week?

It was one heck of a week!! Very stressful

Busy stressful or other stressful? 

Very very very busy stressful!! Statistics, housing, moving, contracts, angry landlords, zone conference, etc.

Wanna go back and hide in the jungle?  Lol.  

Please!

Dad said...welcome to the high counsel!  Everybody wants something from you and you have to be Christlike when you answer. : ) 

AMEN!!!

Good training for Bishop, HC, stake presidency...

I sure hope not!! jaja!! but how are you guys doing!! i heard we are getting a boat!! 

before you say no! just think of how cute lil O-man would look in a little life jacket while I'm wake boarding behind it!!

Ha-ha!!!  So, dad threw me under the bus huh?  That sneaky snake, he gets all you kids and plots against me!  Lol. Ya, we'll get one after the dead grass on the side is replaced with pavers or concert, after the deck is fixed, etc.
Oh come on how often do we use the deck!! jajaj i would use that boat every weekend if not more! jajaa.  nah im just kitten!! 

And then, he had to go to the airport...