Wet Package

Hey, well I got my package this week.... and it appears that the Paraguayan mail system sent it here by the rivir.... Half the box was just soaked, and a lot of the stuff in it was ruined. I'm actually not quite sure what happened, but it apparently happened to a couple other packages as well. I had to go through it to try and find the things that weren't ruined, and saved a little more than half of it. The pictures, and the cards from the primary children were still good luckily. I didn't do the whole scripture things on it, because A) a lot were ruined, and B) to be completely honest I didn't really have time to look for them all. Anyway, I got most of the better things that you sent, it was mainly just a bunch of the little candies that went bad. Well, we still haven't been able to find a house this week, and so lucky us, we get to go look for it on P-day. The asistants are coming to do divisions with us, and we have to go look for 3-4 hours to see if we can find something. Pretty much all we have time to do today is email, and a couple other things like shopping quickly. I am kind of frustrated that first they put in in a house with 6 people, and then act like it's our fault that we are stuck like this and so we have to use our P-day to look more.... anyway, I am just trying to stay patient with the whole thing, which is hard because my companion is more frustrated than I am, and wants to just take a P-day later in the week. Anyway besides that, this has been a really good week. On Friday we had interviews with the president. He asked me what my goals are, trying to be sincere I told him that I haven't set any goals for baptisms, but set a goal to keep a higher retention of the people. He apparently didn't really like my answer, because he kind of dropped the cane on me, but helped me to realize that we can increase the amount of baptisms at the same time as retaining them better. The whole interview really helped me to change my view on the mission a little bit, since I've been stuck with a companion that is completely anti-numbers. This week wse found 20 new investigators, most of which are promising ones. We also did better on getting more lessons than the past coule of weeks. Ramon attended church again yesterday, making it his third and last required asistance. He still has a baptismal date for the 22 or this Saturday. He still has some doubts that we need to help him resolve, and he still doesn't feel like he has had an answer to his prayers. We are trying to figure out how to help him either recieve an answer, or recognize it if he has already had it. He has a great desire to know, and I know that with the help of the spirit we can help him be prepared for his baptism this Saturday. We found a new investigator this week named Fernando. He is 17, and met with the missionaries before for a time, and attended church a couple of times. We talked with him, and had left him with moroni 10:3-5 to read. The next time we returned to teach him again, he had not only read that part, but read a part of every book, and part in the front. We set a baptismal date with him for the 5th of February, and left him with the compromise to read and pray. ON sunday, he didn't come to church because he had a problem with his health. We went to teach him, and he told us that he had prayed, and that he felt that it was true. He told us he loves reading the Book of Mormon, and that it is addicting. We left his baptismal date even though he didn't attend, because he had attended before with the other missionaries. We had a lesson with a catholic family as well this week. After we started with a prayer, the wife told us that they are having a difficult time right now, becuase her brother died a couple days ago. We talked to them about the atonement, and read Alma 7:11-12 with them, and while we were talking, she started crying. It was so awesome being able to feel the spirit so stong, and to be able to help somebody through a difficulty in their lives. We have had 2 lessons like that in the past two weeks, and it really is awesome to feel the power of the spirit testifying to the people. This week we went to a place in Asuncion called Super6 to shop. It had American products like peanuts, and barbeque A1 sauce, and mac and cheese but it is way expensive here. Also we have had to drink water like crazy this week. The heat is getting worse and worse, and so we are at the point that we have to drink water in every house that we go to. A lot of times there is just random stuff floating in the water, and so now i'm at the point that I try not to look in it, but i can still feel it going down my throat. Well, now i have to go look for an apartment, so I'll talk to you guys next week, Chao. Elder Ryan Griffin