Saturday, September 24, 2011

Goodbye Aregua, Hello Salto Del Guaira

Hello to all!
Well....I know all weeks are crazy....but I think I might be able to top most of the times I have said that it has been a crazy week. So after the fun Pday, we did some visits, and then a Family Home Evening game, where the zone leaders came over and showed us the new way that the Area Presidency wants us to ask for references, and by the way, please help your local missionaries in finding! It's the best when members help. After the activity we went home and were talking with the ZLs, when one of them got a phone call and went in the other room to talk. We didn't really notice. He came back and said...Elder Babcock, you need to pack your bags, because you are going on Wed. It was a special change, just came out of nowhere. And a little FYI, I had only been in there for 4 weeks. It was a big surprise, nobody would have expected it. So on Tues. I went around and said goodbye to the strong but short friendships I had aquired, it was really really sad. In my short time here I met some people that I will never forget. I took a bunch of pics, taught lessons, said goodbye, did a lot of packing, and Wed morning I was off to Asuncion to go to the office. It was also sad to say goodbye to Elder Patterson, who has been an excellent companion, and incredible friend.
In the office I met up with a local missionary, who was going out to be with Elder Colligan until the normal changes in 2 weeks. We went to the Terminal in Asuncion, and got on a double-decker bus headed out to one of the furthest areas of the mission, if not the furthest. It took about 8 hrs, things got interesting on the way out when a bunch of farmers had a strike for the land, and all stood in the road, delaying our trip about 30 minutes. It was awesome when we dropped of the local missionary to be with Elder Colligan, and I got to see him for 30 seconds of the side of the bus, we were both beyond excited and yelling and what not. He is great.
Once I got there, I was greeted by my two new comps and they are both awesome. I have been getting to know the area little by little, its hard but cool, because our area was recently opened. Its green and pretty, you can see Brazil from our house, its right across the river. Everyone here speaks Spanish, Guarani, and Portuguese...its insanely cool.
We had a baptism on Friday night of a guy named Marcelo, who is a strong convert. The missionaries had been working with him for a while, and he was baptized. This area has had quite a bit of success recently, so its been a good opportunity to come to an area with good history.
All in all, I am trying to settle in, but to be honest its been a very scary experience. Leaving the city to go really far, being in a Trio where its hard to teach unified, getting to know an area, when we are almost positive both of them are leaving, and I will be going up to senior companion, maybe even training because 30 new people are coming in 2 weeks...all these changes are new for me, so I would greatly appreciate the prayers from home for me, my companions, and the people here. I love the mission, sometimes changes are hard, but they are always for a reason, and whatever the Lord has in store for me, I will do it.
Love you guys!
Elder Babcock

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