Monday, July 28, 2014

Week 36!! (Transfers)

Hello family and friends! It has been another week, and more, it has been a whole transfer cycle already! How ridiculously fast time flies! and well I have some news!!!!!!
I have changes! SAD FACE  After 6 months in Capiatá they are sending me to Asuncion! I'm going to Loma Pytá and I'll be with Hermana Welch, who I'm assuming is new, becuase I dont know her - haha. And well now I have to say good bye to all the amazing people here in Capiatá. But its ok, because honestly I felt like if I stayed I wouldnt be able to progress, and after 6 months, I've had 5 baptisms and its been quite lovely. Which leads me to more news! After 2 months of teaching the word of wisdom and the law of chastity and all the fun stuff Carlos was baptized this saturday! woohoo! 



And I'm not totally lame today, I remembered my camera! Wee and my card reader, so you guys just won yourselves some pictures! haha 

I made my birthday cake, with the ingredients that my lovely mom sent me for the baptism and everybody wanted to try the green cake (it was pistachio) and everybody loved it.

2nd Email of the Day:
I forgot to tell you all a funny story!

So this week I have been a little sick with a cold, and in a lesson with an investigator he gave me some grass to boil and make tea, that is supposed to be refreshing and help you breathe and all that good stuff, so me, being stupid and forgetful and willing to do anything to get rid of an obnoxious cold I made myself some grass tea and it was tasty and I drank 2 cups before I went to bed the other night. And then, on Thursday morning, because I'm allergic to grass, I obviously woke up worse than I was the day before - haha - sore throat and all the fun stuff. haha So the lesson I've learned this week is that I should not drink grass tea, because it will certainly give me an allergic reaction and the mission nurse will scold me sternly for drinking herbs from strangers haha. But don't worry, I'm fine now, I took a benedryl and all is well.

NOTE from Mom:  I acquired a few pics from her days at the CCM in Buenos Aires, Argentina from another missionary mom today.  Thank you for sharing!!






Monday, July 21, 2014

Week 35

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! It's been a good week, and a very happy Sunday with 4 investigators in church and 9 less active members, which was awesome!

This week I made tacos from "scratch" as in without a seasoning packet, haha, and they turned out pretty good. But its not the same without corn tortillas which don't exist here. Also when you say tortillas the people think you're talking about what is basically a funnel cake without sugar or a funnel. So, the idea of tacos with corn tortillas pretty much confuses them haha.  But it turned out pretty good. I took pictures, but you know me, I forgot my camera again. 

And well, yea, haha, were pretty excited, because Carlos is getting baptized this Saturday and he's been telling all his friends about the church and the Book of Mormon and he's super adorable and excited to be changing his life, and wanted to surprise his mom by telling her hes not smoking anymore and that he's getting baptized. (In the pictures, he's the one with long curly hair.) 

And thanks to Carlos, we met his friend last Saturday, and Carlos, his friend the girlfriend and their 2 daughters came to church yesterday, and aren't drinking anymore. So weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guys the true and the  restored gospel changes lives and helps people get their lives back on track. I know that this church is true and that our Father in Heaven is with these people helping them leave their addictions and heal their families. 

It's been an interesting week as far as the weather has gone, because for 4 or 5 days it felt like spring time in Hawaii and then one day of rain and cool, yesterday it was chilly, and then today it's back to Hawaii. so yea... winter disappeared haha.

Also, I've had headaches and been super tired lately, and couldn't think what could be my problem, but then I had a "Pedro moment" (Napoleon Dynamite) and I cut my hair. But don't worry, I didn't shave my head. or chop it crazy short. But I think it was the weight of my hair making my head hurt haha.

Anyway, that's all I have for you guys this week. I hope you are happy and healthy and that all you guys have a wonderful week. 

I love you!!! 

<3 hna. Minks

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Week 34 !!!!! (1/2 Way & Birthday 21)


Ok, well, this week has been an interesting week. First of all my companion and I made 9 months together, and we baked a cake.







To be honest this week has been kinda hard.  We were supposed to have 2 baptisms this Saturday, but it looks like they're gunna have to wait. But on the bright side, it looks like we have a new family that were going to teach on Wednesday, and it should be pretty good.
We also had the attendance pretty high for Paraguay yesterday, 104 people in sacrament meeting. 
Today my old district leader and his old comp wanted to throw me a birthday party, so we went to Marcela's house and had cake and empanadas. It was quite fun.
Marcela
I'm gunna have to send a bunch of picture emails again, because I can't send very many in one email. But yea.  It's been a crazy week. and I took some super fun pictures!


Thursday, July 10, 2014

It's 1/2 Way

Her Call Arrived!

Today marks 9 months since Hermana Minks entered the Buenos Aries CCM. She has 9 months left to serve in the Paraguay Asuncion North Mission.

So far she has had 3 companions (+1 in the CCM) and has served in 2 areas.

Tuesday, 7/15/14, she turns 21.  I am sure she would love to get an email from all of you on Monday (pday) wishing her a Happy Birthday! (quincie.minks@myldsmail.net)

Setting Apart
Her group at the CCM
Buenos Aires Temple with her CCM companion
Arrived in Paraguay - with her Mission President, his wife and her 1st companion
In her 2nd area with companion #2

Monday, July 7, 2014

Week 33!!!!!!!!!

Hello and welcome to the next installment of "Adventures in South America!" This week's episode will cover accessing my inner woman (in other words, touching raw chicken), "mists of darkness", street rivers, Argentinians, awesome investigators, and members. Basically all my pictures I haven't sent. It's gunna take a billion years, so yea, stay posted.





























Ok, so you're gunna have to post this so that everybody can read. I just got so focused in the pictures that I didn't write much about my week. so it being my 9 month, "hump" week, I've been thinking a lot about the last 9 months, and realized how much I have grown.
Physically I think I've gotten fatter haha and taller.. Haha I'm almost always hitting my knees on my desk. And spiritually I can't even begin to explain. Socially you have no idea, and you'll just have to wait and see haha. And well my testimony.... lets just say that I've grown a lot. And I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the love and support from all of you, and for the amazing opportunity to be here in Paraguay. It is a beautiful experience to say the least. 

El otro dia estaba pensando mucho en que aqui aprendi olvidar a mi mismo. En serio. hay dias en que no my doy cuenta de mas que cuando necesito el bano o cuando tengo sueno en la noche. pero mis preocupaciones son para mis investigadores, mi barrio, y mi companera. y hay momentos en cuando reconozco que estoy hablando y nunca me di cuenta de las cosas que digo. y bueno, ye que dios vive. se que nos ama. se que el cambia las vidas y blanda los corazones, y se que el tiene un plan maravillosa para cada uno de nosotros. y comparto estas cosas con ustedes amorosamente en el nombre de Jesucristo. amen.

con mucho amor, Hermana Quincie E. Minks