We Will Never Forget!

Hey Family

I didn´t forget yesterday either. It wasn´t big here at all... no one mentioned anything about it to us. But we won´t forget, and it is another day to reflect on how great being an American really is and how many blessings we are afforded living there, being the government, schooling, work, life style, anything. It really is a big blessing to live there. It sounds like you had a rather nice week without too much going on, if I read it right. That´s great! I am bummed to hear that the other Elder Watson got a change, but at least he is CLOSER! I like that! Being moved from area to area isn´t fun, but that´s what I will probably be doing in a month. Maybe I will stay here, but I don´t know. I would like to, to a point, but really the Lord`s will is what matters, not mine. So whatever happens happens.

This week was pretty awesome! We had 3 investigators in church this week - progression! We are finding lots of great people and the area is starting to move forward! We have a baptism planned for the 1st, so EXCITED! It´s a 20-year-old young woman with her little brother that came to church yesterday. They loved it, and the members did an awesome job helping them feel welcome. It is such a big difference. We also had another family come to church where the wife is not a member yet, and it put the biggest smile on my face. We have been working with them for a month or so, and seeing them there in church made me so happy. Seeing the dad, the mom, and their two little girls sitting there in Sacrament Meeting just made my day. Like my friend Elder Abe Wilson (he´s in the Toronto Canada mission) said, I never really cared before who came to church as in investigators, to a degree, but now the simple fact that a loved brother or sister came to church just completely makes me happy. IT´S awesome. They are so awesome! She works almost all day, and goes to night school to finish high school, but seeing her face brighten with the gospel of Jesus Christ and her understanding of the plan of Salvation is better than anything else. You can literally see a difference in the faces of the people who want to learn and grow closer to our Father in Heaven. It is awesome!! I love it. We have been working a lot with a couple of less active members and it is amazing seeing the testimonies grow and see them share the blessings they have received in their life with everyone around them. It is jaw dropping to feel the love of our Heavenly Father in my life and to see how it really does affect every aspect of the lives of our investigators and those we teach the restored gospel to. There really is nothing better than feeling the Holy Ghost testify of the truth, and feeling life´s burdens and weight being lifted from our shoulders. There is nothing like receiving an answer from our Father in Heaven that this is the path we need to take, and that what we are learning is the truth. It is amazing to share the gospel with others and feel the Holy Ghost testify of the truths that I have known all of my life and see how those truths shape the lives of the people. The Plan of Salvation really is perfect and there is nothing that could replace it. There is no other way someone can more perfectly describe the purpose of our life here, why things happen, what we are supposed to do with our lives while we are here, and all for what end. The Plan of Salvation fits better than putting puzzles pieces together. There is just nothing that can really replace it. We have a purpose, and God loves us, and he allows to progress, learn, and to become better. Everyone falls, but he who doesn´t fall can´t learn to pick himself back up. And if he doesn´t pick himself up, he can´t feel the exhilaration of being able to run. It´s so true, just take a minute to look at life. God exists, and He has given us a Way to walk. Just take it!

Well, I have got to go. I love you all so much. Take care of yourselves. I´ve got to use these last few precious months to the fullest! I love being a missionary!! :D

Elder David Watson

Ciudad del Este

Hey Family!

Well oh well... what a week!  I am glad to hear that she (Sister Mink) is resting from her pains and troubles. I have seen too many people suffering from illnesses and pains that I can imagine how nice it will be to finally rest from all of our cares and worries in the Spirit World, well, that is if ya go to Paradise. :)

Ray and Erin? Yeah!!! That is so awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could have been there to see the smiles on their faces. TOO COOL!

And Sister Vero Martinez!! Muito legal! Eu falou muito poco portugues, quero aprender mais pra falar melhor. Happy day!

News from changes - nothing! I get to stay another change! Woo hoo! I love it here in Ciudad del Este. The ward here is great! There are so many families here that are awesome! The members here have some strong testimonies and it is such a relief to see a ward that functions well here in Paraguay! We are starting to work better with the members and we are finding some great investigators. We are teaching the mom of Javier Melgarejo, who we were able to reactivate and she has made so much progress! It is amazing to see the difference that the gospel is making in her life. She is going through lots of sicknesses and pains, but it is such a joy to see the hope that the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives to people. We are also teaching some nice little families and we are super excited to see their progress. It has been a little hard starting up this area from nothing, but we are starting to see the fruits of our efforts. It is so different working here in Downtown and the areas round about. It is a different lifestyle, but the Gospel is still so important that everyone needs to hear it! There are lots and lots of Middle Easterners, Asians, and Brazilians here, but the diversity makes it fun. Slowly we are finding the less active families and it is so cool to see them start to make changes in their lives. We found a little family here downtown, where the husband is a less active and his wife isn´t a member, but they are awesome! We are going to be working really hard with them to get them to come back to church (she knows a ton about the church and knows the missionaries VERY well) so that she can be baptized. I really enjoy working here with Elder Eddy, we are working in a different manner than I have in my whole mission, but we are seeing better results. He`s helping me a lot to keep progressing and growing. We are super excited to keep working together here in CdE and edify the Church! :)

I am super happy to hear that everything is going great back home. Don`t get into too much trouble... although I believe I would have liked taking apart the laptop too. Hahaha. Tell everyone I say HI and give them a GREAT BIG HUG! I miss you all, but I am so so glad to be a servant of the Lord and preaching the restored Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It saddens me that time is starting to come to an end, but I am going to make to most out of it and bring back some stray sheep to the fold!

Love you tons!!! CHAU!!!!

Elder D. Watson

Another Crazy Week!

Hey Family!

Well, that was the reason I didn’t get the email last week! Pictures make the email slow. Oh well.  I still got to read it! You are absolutely right - I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation! It really gives us a peace and strength to know what we need to do in this life in order to prepare for what happens after death. It helps us to know that families can be forever, and that the death does not separate the family - what a blessing it is to know that.

This week has been awesome and super busy! We were getting things ready for this week and for the conference with President Arnold! It was an amazing conference! I felt the spirit so much!!! We learned a lot about having the spirit always with us, becoming more like Jesus Christ and working with the members. I had the privilege of having an interview with President Arnold - I know personally that he has been called of God and that he does have the authority to be one of Christ`s witnesses as a seventy.  It was an amazing and spiritual experience.  I learned a ton and I know I have to keep making changes in my life and as a missionary. It was awesome to see that everything Elder Eddy and I have been trying to do in our area is exactly what we learned about in the conference! It helps me to know that I have the authority of our Lord and Savior to be a missionary here and to help the people of Paraguay come closer to our Redeemer and to make the changes in their lives and to become spiritually clean through baptism. I love being a missionary!!! I am growing to love the people and see in them what our Heavenly Father sees in them!

I am sorry for the short letter! I promise to send a much better letter next week! Love you tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take care of yourself!!!!

Elder D. Watson

Thanks for the email address! Is there anything I can do for you all? Let me know! LOVE YOU!!!

I Can't Think of Anything Catchy

Hey Family

Well, what´s new? Life here is going fine. I guess the email system is acting up again because I didn´t get the weekly email, but that´s all right. I`ll get over it.

This week was a little nutty... we finally got moved into our new apartment. It´s not the best apartment in the world, but it works. We are living in downtown right now, which makes things nice because we are close to everything. Logistically speaking. If that´s the right word. Anyway. It´s been pretty cold lately (I know not as cold as down south) with lots and lots and lots of rain. Puts a damper on things. The work`s been picking up little by little. We are trying to focus on working with the members instead of by ourselves. We can teach teach teach all we want, but if the members aren´t in on the teaching and the fellowshipping, it´s not worth it. For the longest time, things have been divided - the members and the missionaries. It`s a big problem because many of the converts fall away when the missionary who baptized them gets a transfer. Rather sad too. But if the members are the main focus in the lessons, and all we do is help them teach their friends and loved ones, the church will watch out for the welfare of one another´s souls. Instead of the missionaries taking care of things. It`s rather daunting trying to start something like this, but the excitement of the members as many of them are learning how to share the gospel helps out a lot. Things would be so much better if the members had their converts instead of every missionary. Sure, the limelight and importance will placed on the members instead of the missionaries, but that is all right. I don`t need anymore pride - I`m trying to get rid of it. I`d much rather that each convert has a strong relationship with the members than with me. Although it is rather important to love those you teach and charity for them, I’d rather slip out of the picture on the back end after everything is said and done after a baptism. I have much more confidence that a new member, with lots of members looking out for him, will stay active rather than trusting in the missionaries to keep him active. Which isn`t the job of the missionaries anyway. It`s rather inspiring to see the members get excited when they see the vision of how the Lord`s work should be run and the many blessings that are waiting them and their loved ones who are ready to accept the gospel in their lives. It`s also pretty cool to see the testimonies of the members themselves grow and develop as we help them learn how to share the gospel. It is a huge process, but a process that is worth it.

We`ve been teaching the mom of a member we activated (who would rather speak English with us while we are with him and Spanish to his mother). It`s been amazing being able to teach the Plan of Salvation and helping people get the whole picture of what this life is about. She`s been rather sick these past few years, but as she grows to understand the purpose of life, why we go through trials and difficulties, and what`s the purpose of bettering our life here rather than eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Life is so much more than living in the moment. There is a goal so much more divine than living to make a fortune. There is a purpose so much more pure than wander around until we find a place to be comfortable in our lives. The purpose of life is to be happy - to prepare ourselves to meet our Divine Maker. The goal is to live with our Father in Heaven after this life - with Him and where no unclean thing can dwell. Life is about becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Great Jehovah. He is the Perfect Example. He is the Divine Role Model. It is Him who we should pattern our lives after. Big whoop how much money we have when we die - how big our house is - how nice a car we have. Have a higher vision, look beyond the moment, see what God wants you to see. We can take nothing with us in this life - only who we are, what we`ve done, the desires of our hearts, and if we have followed the Lord and kept His commandments, and have been sealed in the Holy Temple by the divine power and authority of the Almighty, we can live with our families forever. It`s amazing when you think about it like that. The Gospel of Jesus Christ solves any family problem - solves any personal problem - it just takes the desire and the will to take that first step in the footsteps of Him who blazed the trial. May the Lord bless you all with this desire to follow Him in the straight and narrow path that leads to Eternal Life and Salvation.

I love you all. Time is up. Say hi to everyone.

Elder D. Watson

We helped translate for visitors, in English!

Dear family!

I am sorry for the loss in the family... I didn´t know Greg but I can imagine that is rather hard for you. I am sad to hear about the loss of Ed as well. Please send my best wishes to everyone.

Wow! It sounds like you had a nice trip home! That is excellent! I am glad you got home safe and everything. I remember taking those car trips and it being a good time. Although, most of the time was spent sleeping or on the gameboy hahaha. Oh the joys of being a child hahaha.

Stake Conference! I love Stake Conference!!! Thanks to the family, ward, and stake for their support and prayers - they mean a lot! :).

Well well well. This week. We had a baptism in the ward! One of the families we are preparing are getting closer to their goals. Their 16 year old son decided to be baptized so Elder King and Elder Henriquez prepared him! It was nice going back to see the family and their progression. I hadn´t seen them for a couple of weeks besides Sundays so it was nice to be able to teach them once again and see how everyone was. The dad is so great - he is helping the missionaries teach his neighbors! Those missionaries are going to be super busy! :). Elder Eddy and I have been working hard getting to know the members and less actives, and teaching their families and friends. We have found some excellent people and we are excited to activate members, strengthen the testimonies of the members (all of them) and finding the prepared people the Lord has put in our path. It´s amazing seeing the testimonies and the faith of the Paraguayan people, even if half the ward isn´t Paraguayan... :). Well, not half but a good portion. This Sunday we had many people from the US, a good chunk being from Utah. What happened? A service medical group (Hope Alliance?) came to Ciudad del Este to visit the hospitals and health centers. They gave us a call to ask to help translate, being as they are all from Utah, members, and very few speak in Spanish. So we have been talking, helping and translating. It´s been a blast, as well as we have been receiving many references to go and teach. It is awesome. But it has helped me to know, that being a DOCTOR or anything of the sort is not for me. Sorry! No can do. ;). But we are excited to keep helping until Thursday and finding more teaching opportunities! They are amazingly awesome people too, so loving and willing to help. They came to the baptism Saturday and Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. Such great people! :). We have a zone conference this next week with Pte Arnold who is coming on tour of the mission next week. It will be really intense. I am so excited. I have never met him, but talking with the other Zone Leaders has given an idea. Also, the zone leaders will have an interview with him... AHH! I am so excited and ready to become a better missionary! So cool! :)

That´s about it for now. We are moving into a new apartment, and it isn´t fun moving. But that is life! I love being a missionary. I love you all so much! Take care of yourselves! Say hi to all for me!!! :)

Lots of love

Elder D. Watson

PS Please don´t send too many more packages... they are asking us to reduce the number, for several reasons which you will be reading about in a letter from President Callan, and any packages we do receive we will have to pay extra to receive them. I feel it would be better to save the money and use it towards a better cause after the mission. Thank you so much.

Teaching with Members is Awesome!

Hey Family!

Wow... wow... wow... my cousins are all getting married. Crazy stuff. That´s awesome though! Send them my love and congratulations. Wow! Kyoko! How is she? And all the family??? It sounds like everything is going awesomely great!

This week was rather interesting - we gave up our investigators to the new missionaries and started working in the side of the area where the missionaries have not been in years! A funny side note - we are teaching more people that speak English than in Spanish... hahahaha. Cool jacks. Anyway, it is amazing to see how the Lord works and puts people in our path. It´s amazing to be a missionary! We are having so much success working with the members, teaching in their houses. The Spirit is so STRONG there. It´s such a difference. When we teach the members´ friends and family in their own homes, the missionary work is such much more effective. The Spirit can testify even more through the testimonies and experiences of the members. All of the success we are seeing in our area is because of the members and their inspired help. It is absolutely amazing. I can´t wait to help the missionaries when I get home because that´s where true success is in the missionary work. IT´s helping the members teach their loved ones the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am REALLY sorry for another short letter. I have been having to report more numbers of late and information being a Zone Leader. Not cool, but sacrifice is necessary. I love you all so much! Take care of yourselves! Say hi to all!

Elder D. Watson

P.S. Thanks to all for their letters and support! I love you all so much!!!

Busy Week!

Hey Family

Sorry this week is going to be a short letter too. We had our Zone Leader Meeting here in Asuncion and the bus leaves soon.

The work is going great. I get to play tour guide for 3 missionaries but this is the Lord´s work, so it is possible. We had 6 investigators come to church in the rain - what a blessing.

Elder Eddy is such a great Elder. I am going to be learning tons from him. Let´s just say I am learning that I can humble myself even more all of the time. There isn´t an end to pride, unfortunately.

We have a baptism this weekend if we prepare them really well! If not, next weekend. I am excited. They are the children of a family we are teaching, and the parents are doing paperwork so that they can prepare to be baptized as well. They are a really good family.

We have an investigator who has SO MUCH faith, but she is moving to the other zone, so we will pass the reference on so she can be baptized over there. She already says she is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Too cool.

Elder Eddy has had a lot of success working with members and I am excited to be able to work with him. Elder Flint came with his parents this Sunday to church - way weird. But cool.

I have to go now. I love you all. Never forget that.

Elder D. Watson