week 59.... its 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well everybody! it's officially 2015! Happy New Year! :DD

haha I've had this email open for over an hour and I'm not sure what to say. All I know is that lots of things will be, and are happening this year and I'm happy that I'm here to see them. 

First and foremost, the year in Spanish now resembles my name just a bit.... dos mil quince...... dos mil Quincie.... two thousand Quincies!!!!!!! I'm taking over the world!

Just Kidding 

So for New Years, since we all like sleeping, we didn't celebrate at midnight in Paraguay, we celebrated midnight in Hawaii. so, 7am here. It was fun. I did crunches (because it was during our exercise) and counted down to the hour and then we sort of shouted happy new year! And then I got ready for the day haha. the night before we spent with a family in our ward until 9:30 and then went home and got ready for bed. But not really anything exciting happened. So I'm sorry haha.

Then on the 2nd, Hermana Dunagan made a year in the mission so I made her a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. and we've been eating it all week. It looks like I've been cooking lots this week, because we came home hungry Friday night, and I had a sore throat. So I decided I'd try to make egg drop soup (my favorite Chinese food soup) and it turned out super good. Turns out its super easy to cook food. And then Saturday I made tomato soup and grilled cheese. It was all super yummy. and it's nice to eat food that is different for a change. So in 2015 I've added new foods to the list of things I can cook. yay! Maybe I won't starve when I have to be an independent adult. haha 

Also, I had to fix my watch, so now there are some parts that are probably more thread than watch band, but it won't be falling off any time soon I hope. 

Haha anyway, I just hope all of you had a fun New Years, and maybe next year we will have a fun party, seeing as I'll officially be home this year! With all of that exciting stuff and all the things to do there I'll leave you all to ponder! I hope your week is lovely and I'll talk to you soon! :))

Week 58 New Years... *BOOM*

Hello and welcome to another episode of summer in Paraguay, where it gets really hot, then rains, and then you leave your umbrella at a contact's house.... to maybe never be seen again.

So it's been a fun week, Monday we ran around all day trying to get a nap and not achieving. Tuesday we had an activity for Christmas with our branch, and we did a living nativity with the youth and primary children in our branch. It was very cute. Wednesday was Christmas Eve, so I got to talk to my lovely parents. It was nice to see them, and hear their voices. I love them and I'm happy to see them and know that they're doing well. Sad I didn't get to see Ryker and Tay too, but it's ok.  I'll see them again one day. 

We spent the 24th with the Pereira family, and it was fun as well. Thanks to them, and the Ojeda family, I can now add 3 new things to my list of food I've eaten. goat, cow tongue, and blood sausage. Am not sure any of them were very tasty. and I've informed Ryker that he has been given rights to my former goats. I don't want them anymore. haha. yuck. 

Christmas day was just like any other normal day, because here in Paraguay people celebrate Christmas just like new years, they wait till 12am, blow up fire works, and then go pray, wish their neighbors merry Christmas, and then go to bed. It's exciting. So anyway, the 25th was normal and hot haha, just like last year. 

And the rest of our week has been normal haha. 

Today I FINALLY got my nap and it was suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper nice. I feel soooo much better. It was great. 

Now we just have the new year, and then hopefully the explosives will end... cuz they're kinda scary. But it's all good. haha Nobody I know has gotten hurt. Also! this week we got to paint a house and mow a lawn it was fun! 

But anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a happy new year! and I'll talk to you all in January!

Feliz Navidad

Week 57 ......... Christmas number two!!!!!!!

Well the time has come. It's once again the Monday before Christmas and we are preparing to skype with our families, my last time in the mission, and to share lots of cookies with all our friends here in Ysapy.

We sang Christmas carols in the community center here in Capiata, and the program was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful. the director read the nativity story from the bible in between songs, and before our last song, Come all ye Faithful, he played the video on christmas.mormon.org and the we sang and it was sooooo beautiful. Then on Saturday we went to a local hospital and sang to the children and their families, and then talked to them a little bit. It was fun. At the end, our whole zone got together in the lobby, and started singing from there, so we started singing and one of the nurses came around and took us to the nativity scene, and then a bunch of nurses and people came and sang with us. It was really cool. and we could feel the spirit with these people. It was a very good experience. 

This week were going to bake cookies, and give them out, and spend the evening on Christmas Eve with a part member family in our branch. It should be fun. 

This Christmas, I want to invite all of you to remember why we have Christmas. It's not to celebrate winter, or give gifts, or to have parties or drink hot cocoa, or to hope Santa will come or any other typical traditions such as these. We have Christmas, because we have a savior Jesus Christ. who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, and because he was born we have the hope of having an eternal life with our families and our father in heaven, even, God. I am so thankful for the simple yet loving gift of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives, I know he came to earth, and I know he paid the price of our sins so that we can all repent and live again for eternity. 

I invite you all to watch the above listed video, and ponder what it means, and ask God if you have a savior and if he is Jesus Christ. And then do something with that knowledge. 

I love each one of you, and hope you all have a very wonderful Christmas. 

Much love, 

Hermana Quincie Minks

 

tambien queria decirles feliz navidad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 56

I can't wait for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week, we are preparing to sing in a Christmas choir again, (we sang last year too). Our zone is going to go visit a Children's hospital or something like that, and were gunna spend Christmas with a less active/nonmember/superactiveamazingrm family, it'll be fun. 

I honestly don't know what else to say, it's been a pretty uneventful week, except that we helped the above named family prepare a wedding on Saturday.  We decorated the car, we made sopa paraguaya, we took pictures with the decorations with the super amazing RM. Her name is Andrea, and she's seriously AMAZING. She reminds me of Kahala haha.

 It's also been super hot this week, so I've been carrying around an umbrella and a sweat rag. It's GROSSSSSSSSS.  I hate sweating. 

Also, we found a huge beetle in our house, which we took pictures of and then smashed with the broom. It was great. And we just keep praying they give us ac soon, so we can sleep mosquito free. 

And now I'm not sure what else to say haha- 

solo que les amo, y les quiero. y que estoy orando por ustedes. y espero que tengan una semana muy linda. :]]

Week 55 .......

"Sister Minks, you have been called to the Paraguay Asuncion North Mission, with special assignments to stay in the Capiata stake for at least 10 and a half months."

Just kidding, my call letter doesn't say that, but that's what looks like is happening. So let's just have a little recap on my mission so far. Area number one... technically speaking was the Argentina MTC for 6 weeks, or 1.5months. Area two, Ward, Del Maestro, Stake, Capiata. in the which I was there for 3 months, and from there they sent me to Piro y, or other wise known as Capiata, the Stake center to be exact. and I was there, for 6 months. Then from there they sent me to Loma Pyta.... technically not in Capiata, no. and I was there 4.5 months. and now.... dun dun dun.... Hermana Minks returns to the lovely Stake of Capiata in the ward Ysapy!!!!!!!!!

So....... yea. in total, at least 10.5 months in the same Stake. Therefore my mission is now officially Paraguay Asuncion North, Capiata Mission. 

Haha but its cool. I'm in a new area and it means I'll get to go see most of my families and converts while I'm here which is super lucky. and I'm glad I get to see all the people here, and meet a new branch in Ysapy.... it sounds like "eeeesapuuuuu" kinda. I'll teach you all how to say all these places someday. 

And my companion is Hermana Dunagan. she's super cute and wonderful. She has the same amount of time in the mission as Hermana Argyle, and she is from California. and were having lots of fun out here. Our area is kinda out in the boonies. so we have to take a bus to get our food or go to email. It's crazy. It's my first area outside of the city, and it's weird. I feel so far away from everything. also, I miss being close to the office, it means packages and letters will take longer to get to me, and that we'll have to travel at least an hour and a half to get anything in Asuncion. but its all good. I'm off on another adventure in Paraguay.

And I'm really sorry I don't have new pictures, it's just that my memory card is full, and I can't take pictures, so when I can, I'll buy a new one and send pictures of all the mangoes were eating, and our pretty new house, and my comp and I and it'll be fun. but you have to be patient. So I can send you pictures. One day. 

les quiero tanto!

week 54!...........turkey hunt...

Well well well, it's December first........

So, last week was sooooooooooo long, and also suuuuuuuuuuuper fast!

So I guess the craziest thing that happened to us this week is the weather, and the fact that when it gets over 95 degrees our ac stops working. so basically all week we've been melting, and then not sleeping, and then melting again. It's been fun, and then last night, there was a crazy thunder storm, and I swear I saw the lightning hit the street in front of our house, and then it was the loudest cracking sound right after, and it shook the whole house, it was terrifying. I don't like crazy storms, and more when I can't go hide in my comps bed for safety, and! it hit and the street lights turned off, and car alarms went off. It was crazy!

Also, we went a hunt for a turkey for Thanksgiving. and when we found one and saw how much it was, we just about died inside. It was sad. Turkeys cost almost as much as our monthly allowance here. So we settled for a rotisserie chicken, and made mashed potatoes, and an apple pie. But, our propane ran out again, and on top of that our oven doesn't work, so we cooked in the landlords house below ours. and we ended up eating lunch at like 5 in the afternoon. It was a long day of baking. but it was fun, and Hermana Argyle made a Thanksgiving ball that we passed around and said things we're thankful for. It was a good day, and it even kinda felt like Thanksgiving, especially because our pie was AMAZING! haha

Also, a family we've been working with for 4.5 months now is getting ready to get married, and the wife is going to get baptized, and after a really good lesson on Friday, they came to church on Sunday! yay! Which means that Maribel will be able to get baptized on the 20th! Iwas so happy to see them on Sunday I almost cried haha.

But anyway, it's been a long week, with lots of walking and crushed turkey hopes but a happy Sunday, so all is well that ends well.

I hope you all know that I love you, and that I think of you, and that I appreciate everything you do for me. So thank you! and happy late Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!