Paradise

Well, the only thing I have to complain about is the cold weather here. Brrrrrrrrr. Hahaha. I bet you guys think that i am a baby, but 40 degrees farenheit here in Paraguay is very very cold, especially with 100 percent humidity. It has just recently got cold. And i guess the rumor is true, when it is cold, it really is cold here, and when it is hot, it really is hot.

But besides this, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. I am literally in the best area right now, with jungle and rivers and city and waterfalls, and a rockin awesome view of Brazil and the skyscrapers there. Everynight, we walk down a pretty big hill from our area to our pension. The area is awesome

I also have a super awesome companion. His name is Elder Hewitt from South Jordan, he doesnt have that much time left, so he is always dreaming of home. It makes me a little trunky and home sick also. But he is super awesome, he is so chillax with everything. He has an awesome personality, and things arent awkward between us. I can actually talk with him about stuff that were awkward when i talked to my first companion with. Like hunting and guns and girls. Hahah

But he is a stud and he definently has lived a little before his mish, so he has a lot of stories to tell. They have helped me alot I love it. Then, we live right next to Elder Merrill from Utah, and Elder Palma from Mexico. They are soooo purete. I love it. We are hanging out every night and always chilling and chatting. They are sooo cool.

Today for Pday, we are planning on going to the centro of Ciudad del Este and eating some pizza hut of Burger king. I am so excited. but, then we are going to buy some stuff, like winter clothes. and then make our weekly food purchases, and then chill out at home. I am so excited.

The work here isnt anything like tres bocas. But i really cant focus on the numbers, just the people. The numbers here arent nearly as good, but the people are so awesome. And plus, the area here is sooooo much bigger than tres bocas, so we are walking our bums off alot. I love it, reminds me of hunting, with out the bow and the animals.

Well, i love u guys and hope everything is going great.

Con amor de Presidente Franco (paraguay)

Elder Stewart

P.S

Pictures

Number 1 me with a bannana tree right by our house

2 me enjoying sight of the river that seperates paraguay and brazil

3 me and 2 bananna plants that we cut sown to eat

4 bannanas and I

5 us four elders and the banannas and our rocking shades

6 us again

7 the view of brazil and its scyscrapers, and us walking down from the chapel to our house

Oh what a week!

Well I first want to apolagize for not emailing you guys yesterday, this week has literally been the craziest week of my life. And also I want to say happy late fathers day to the best dad in the world, and happy 21st birthday to one of the three most caring and sweet sisters in the world, and also happy birthday Grandma.

So sorry sorry I have a little explaining to do. So i am going to explain what happened in the last week, but I am going to start with right now and work backwards.
So right now, we are right by the mission offices in Asuncion writing emails. Before this, we had a sweet lunch at this one place, they are almost like burritos, but they have carne and pollo and tomatoes in them. They were freaking good. Before that, we were in the distribution center buying some stuff we need.

And before this we were in the Asuncion Paraguay temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was sooooooo sweet. It was definently different, because everything is in castellano (spanish). But almost all the temple workers there are American old people that speak spanish. It was soo sick though. Usually as a mission we go to the temple like every 6 months, but I guess it has been like 8 or 9 months since they went last. And also, there were so many missionaries there. We did a session, and normally there is enough chairs for 38 people. We somehow managed to fit 8 woman and 60 men in there. But it was sweet none the less.

Before this we spent like 2 hoursa getting from the terminal to the temple. All of the buses were packed, and alos the office elders didnt plan very well. But we finally got to the Temple, only an hour or so late but it is ok.

Before that, we arrived at the bus terminal in Asuncion at 6 oclock this morning. Before that we were on a big huge choochy buses for 5 or 6 hours. Before that, we left Ciudad Del Este at one oclock to come to the temple. Before that we left Presidente Franco at 12:15 in the morning in a taxi so we could get the terminal by one. And before that we preached all of yesterday.

Well anyway, to make along story short. Last week after i emailed you guys, I found out that I was leaving Tres Bocas. But I didnt know where i was going. So i said some goodbyes and. Then on tuesday for district meeting, I found out that I was heading off to Prsidente Franco with Elder Hewitt. So that day I said goodbye to everyone, and all our converts, it was a saddd saddd day. But anyways on wednesday morning, i went to the terminal to make the long bus trip to Presidente Franco.

Just to let all of you guys know, Presidente Franco is the sweetest area in the mission. It is just south of Ciudad del Este which is the complete opposite side of the country as Asuncion. Every missionary and their dog wants to come to Ciudad del este. It is to legit to quit. My companion is Elder Hewitt from south Jordan. It is a stud. The only problem, is that he only has 3 changes leftm so he is kind of dying on me. He is a little trunky, but it is all ok. His companion before me, absolutely did nothing. They just sat at the house all day doing nothing. SO we have had alot of work to do lately.

But Presidente Franco is a ward, and we split the area and the ward with two other missionaries. So their is four of us in this area, and we live right next to eachother which is really really sweet. But anywaysthe other two elders are Elder Merrill our district leader, and Elder Palma from mexico. They are so sweet, and we spend alot of time hanging out.

But presidente franco is a very special area because of alot of things. It is half city half jungle. The city part is awesome, but the jungle part is alos awesome. We actually have two rivers in our area, and a giant waterfall, I havent took pictures yet, but it is soooo sick. Also we are right on the border of brazil, so when we are walking down this big old mountain at night to our pension, we can see the scyscrapers of Brazil. SO also, we have like alot of portugese in this area. So, I just want you all to know that I am doing awesome, I have an awesome area, and I am happy as ever. I hope that you are all doing great. Dont worry about me, I love you guys, and just know that I am chilling on the opposite side of Paraguay now, doing the Lords work!!!

Con Amor de Presidente FrancoElder Stewart

p.s the photos

1 me and my companion at the temple

2 me and my buddy fromn the mtc at the temple

3 giant moth

4 Family home evening in the jungle with a bunch of sweet little kids and the sound of the giant waterfalls in the back

Oh what a week

CHANGES!!!!!!

Hahahaha, it was so funny to read all of your guys emails about changes. So I am going to start off talking about changes.

RESULTS OF THE CHANGE- I have no idea whatsoever.

Hahaha. We still have heard nothing about the changes. Usually we would learn of the changes on Tuesday at district meeting, but this week we are thinking that we might learn today. They changed Pday to monday this week instead of thursday, because they want us to be better prepared for changes. So we were thinking they would tell us today, because it is most likely that either me or my comp will go, because we have been together for 2 changes. So today for pday we dont know who needs to buy food for a week, and who needs to buy food for the next two days no mas. Entonces, we are hoping that we learn of the cambios today, but as of this second, we dont know. So sorry for you guys, but it looks like you wont know til next week.

It sounds like all of you guys are doing pretty great though. It sounds like quite a busy week for all of us. I have my changes this week, you guys are coming home from Monterey, Grandma has her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA. Dad has fathers day. HAPPY FATHERS DAY. And stephanie has her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE. And also I guess that I complete 5 months on my mission on the 19th. Crazy how fast everything has gone. And according to Stephanies Email, she says that time is flying by for her. I was only slightly offended because she said that my mission is going by faster than Bens mission. So we can obviously see who she cares about more. BEN :( Hahahhahahaha jk. But really :(

But anyways, sorry that I dont have presents for all of you guys and your special days, but I promise you that i will be thinking about you all day on your special day.

So this last week here in Tres Bocas has been a roller coaster ride. I have literally hit my lowest low here on my mission, but at the same time I have had some of the most spiritual experiences tambien. I dont want to really talk about that bad stuff because ya....... I just dont want to. But as for all the good things that have happened, i will tell you guys.

First off we have been having a little trouble with one of our converts, with him not wanting to come to church, and not wanting to pray or read. But then we talked to his mom (Estela, she is my mom here is Paraguay). A couple weeks before, Estela said that she wanted to get baptized, but then she changed her mind and said she didnt want to come to church. But Estela started seeing a change in her son Elias. He wasnt himself. He was happy before his baptism, and he was happy after his baptism, but then he just started to change. But anyways one day when Elias went to school, we went and talked to Estela about her son. She was very worried about her son. But to make a long story short, she said that her son had changed for her. She knew that with her son changing, this was God talking to her and saying that she needed to go to church, and she needed to be baptized for her son, and to have a eternal family. I remember promising her blessings that didnt come from me. I remember saying things that werent from my own mouth. I remember promising her a change in her son and in her families lives, and eternal happiness if they prayed everyday as a family, if they read from the book of mormon everyday as a family, if they attended church every sunday as a family, and if she was baptized in the true church. It is amazing how the lord works through us. If we live worthily to have his spirit, we can do his work and say what he wants us to say. She gained a huge testimony that day, I gained a huge testimony that day, we all cried together as the Lord bore witness of this marvelous work and glory. Since that day that we talked with Estela, her son has changed, and he is himself again. And this same promise that the Lord gave Estela through my mouth applies to everyone of you guys. If you live worthily and do these simple things, these blessings will be yours too.

The second other spiritual expereince that was tan purete ( so awesome). Entonces, we are teaching a friend of our convert. His name is Jorge (George in english). He is like 21 years old. We taught him the 1st lesson and he expressed with us his desire to be baptized and stop smoking. Jorge smokes like a chimney, como alot of packs each day. But we promised him help and assurance that he could do it. A couple days later when we taught him again, he said that as soon as we taught him, he went from smoking packs of cigarettes aday, to like one or two cigarettes a day. That day I gained a huge testimony on three things. 1. the book of mormon, and the change of life we can have if we read it, 2. The power of a converts testimony. and 3. We are on the lords errand, never be afraid to use his hel`p. This sentence was one of many important things that i learned in the MTC. The other huge thing I learnde in the MTC during my last day there was to not tbe afraid to promise blessings. And in these two instances, I have the hand of God at work at giving these blessings that we promised.

Well I have so many more cool stories to tell you, but I dont have time. So next week I will tell you these cool stories along with the results of the change.

Love ya guys

Con Amor de Paraguay

Elder Stewart

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

So hows it going every one.

I love to hear from you guys like always. And it also sounds like the Heat are doing awesome!!!!!!!!! GO HEAT!!!!!!!!!! AND RED SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!! But anyways, I think winter has finally arrived here in Paraguay. It snowed for the first time in 93 years!!! Just kidding, I dont think it has ever snowed here. But it has been really cold here lately. Like 50 degrees farenheit. Burrrr...... I know that it doesnt sound cold, but trust me it is. I have been wearing my rain coat or suit coat lately. But it is bearable right now. I have heard that it gets alot colder. FUN FUN

Well with the tempature dropping, I think that our work and our attitudes have dropped too. Our numbers arent that high, and my companion has almost just stopped working. I think we are both ready for changes. I know that I am for sure. I need a change of companion or area or something. But until changes in one and a half weeks, we are planning to work hard together.

So we had one baptism this week, Hernan Federico Acosta Santacruz. It is an eleven year old boy, and he is the nieto( grandkid of a member). I got the oppurtunity to baptize him. It was pretty sweet. The sad thing is that now, we dont have any investigators with a baptismal date. Our numbers have really suffered. But on the bright side, me and my companion have had 12 converts together. The Lord has helped this area grow so much, I love it. And wether I stay here or go, I have been greatful for this chance to help this area, and also I am greatful for this area for helping me.

So like i said, we have changes in a week and a half. And usually we wouldnt have PDay until thursday on the week of a change, but they just changed it, and we have PDay on monday. So that will be nice.

So I hope you are all enjoying sunny Monterey California. I sure am jealous, and I miss you guys sooooo much. But this 2 years will be short compared to the eternity that I get to spend with you guys.

I love you all and am praying for you.

Con amor de Paraguay

Elder Chase Coy Stewart

p.s sorry this is so short, i just dont know what else to write about

p.p.s. I was going to send pictures with this but my camera and the computer are being stupid. next week

p.p.p.s. When we talked for mothers day, Grandma summers said that she has sent me a couple letters. I havent received any of them, so you should make sure she is sending them to the right address.

p.p.p.p.s I sent a bunch of letters out last week, sorry I am such a horrible writer