Email Feb. 13, 2012

Hello Mom,

How are you? Your son is doing great. He is a little tired. Just got back from Saltos where we played some soccer and ate some Burger King. I love Burger King. I liked it before... But it is really good. So anyway I am a bit sun burned because I forgot sunscreen and I am super tired, but that is ok. No I haven't gotten your letter with the mp3 in it. I got the Christmas letter from the stake presidency this last week. Post marked in the states the 17 of December. Not sure when you sent your letter. Haha so I got to read a nice Christmas letter a few weeks late. Also got to read a letter from my boy Mikey T in Taiwan!! Pretty cool to get that one. He is a good kid. I will be writing him back soon.

So I am sending some pictures this week. That would be me in a hammock.... Best purchase ever..... There isn't a place in La Paloma that sells them, but there finally was a guy going around on a motorcycle selling them so Gardner and I picked 2 up. FANTASTIC! I designed a system so that we can take them down and put them up in 5 seconds flat, so we can enjoy some good time at nights when we come home and the days when we don't have lunch appointments.

But... As great as that is.... Not the best news of the week.... So anyway. This week we really focused on Isaías so that we could help him gain that solid testimony. We were asking him about his testimony, and he told us that he believed the Book of Mormon to be true, but he had never asked about Joseph Smith in a prayer. So we committed him to pray that night to ask God specifically about Joseph Smith, the Church, and the Book of Mormon. When we went back the next day he told us that he still hadn't received an answer, but the way he was describing it kinda made it sound like he was looking for something very specific. We explained how the Spirit works, and how God will answer us in His way and His time. We committed him to ask again in prayer. When we went back... Well... His smile was priceless. So big he couldn't help but smile. I asked him if he had something to say, he said, yeah I have something to say, I prayed, and I got my answer. I don't have anymore doubts. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

Oh yeah!!! One of the happiest moments of my mission so far. it was a cool moment for me. Like Isaías, I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ.

So, the baptism of Isaías is lined up for this Friday. I am super happy for him. Also for La Paloma. It has a been a while for La Paloma.

Yesterday, as a cool little side note, I officially invited the oldest person to baptism I ever have. Born in 1926... And she accepted! Not all the old Paraguayas are stubborn!!! Haha she is super cool, but she can't see very well anymore. Her eyes are really starting to go. And she fell a few years ago. And broke her bum... Her words, not mine... Haha but she is a great lady. She may not be able to go to church in this life, but she has the desires to change. She said that she didn't feel right in her old church, and that is why she left years and years ago. So, we will see what happens.

Anyway. The other pictures are of my comp. Of the grapefruit that is coming along nicely in our yard, and some other fruit that I have no idea what it is... Maybe you could tell me? Yes it is edible, but it isn't ripe yet. So I sent you a picture of some honey that I got from the step dad of a member. He is a crazy Brazilian guy, that lives in Spain with the member's mom, but has a farm here and comes to sell his grapes from Spain here. Anyway, he asked me on Sunday if I wanted some honey. He never wears a shirt and is a bit goofy, so I wasn't quite sure what he meant.... haha but he literally meant honey. It is really good. Anyway. Love you all. Have a great week this week.

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Feb. 6, 2012

Hello Mother,

How are you? Your son is doing pretty good here in Paraguay. Well we got transfers.... And... Both of us stayed. As you will listen to in my voice recording, our entire zone stayed. Can you believe it? I cant. Haha that just means that next transfers are going to be crazy. But it is good. I think Elder Gardner was a little bummed he doesnt get to see Asunción for another change, but other than that he was pretty good about it. It would be hard to stay here in Paloma for 4 changes, although I feel there is a good chance that is what I will be doing.

So anyway. Life is pretty good here in Paloma. I am sending 2 voice recordings again this week. I hope the second one is small enough to send. When I go to attach them they get a little bigger than what they say, so we will see. Anyway. It is still really hot here, but I am dealing with it just fine. I am getting used to it, plus the beauty of La Paloma is that it cools down a bit at night, so sleeping with a fan isnt a big deal at all.

Alright. For the week. Monday for P day we went to this restaurant called Costillon here in Paloma. It is pretty famous here in Paraguay actually. It is like Tucanos or Rodizio grill, except they dont have grilled pineapple. They raise and slaughter all of their own animals. Let us just say that it is close to the best 45 mil guaranies I have spent here in Paraguay. That is like 10 bucks.

Tuesday I got a question about the Book of Mormon I have never gotten before. The kid said, I learned about the Aztecs in school, and they didnt believe or know about Christ. It was pretty cool. It is always fun to get doubts other than, I am catholic, or, I have already been baptized. Hahaa

Right now we are teaching a lady named Maria, who moved here to Paloma 30 years ago from Brazil. She is 72 years old! Yeah!!! She is awesome. She speaks only in Portuguese, but she understands Spanish. So sometimes we dont understand everything she says, but I am going to tell you about the testimony I am gaining about the language of the Spirit. In those lessons I dont understand everything she says, but I understand the feelings. She has really started to open up to us. I asked her if she had prayed about the Church, to which she responded. Yes. He told me to go to your church. Hahaha I love this woman. She is so awesome. She didnt come to church because she wasnt feeling well, but I hope she can make it next week. It will be a challenge to get her to church, but I hope she can make it in the coming weeks.

Sunday our branch president was gone to Asuncion, picking up his daughter who is getting home from the mission. The guy who was supposed to be there to conduct didnt show up, so naturally I was volunteered. That same guy, as it turns out, had the turn to teach in Priesthood and he teaches sunday school... Hahaha so I picked those up too. So after teaching two classes, we had a short fast and testimony mtg, and that was all she wrote. Not bad if I might say so myself. But the best part about it, Isaías came. He is still going strong. His baptism is scheduled for the 17 of February. I am super excited for him.

Well I havent had any funny stories lately, so I will finish with one today. Finally I had something happen to me in Paloma. Yesterday, my comp and I were standing in the road figuring out where we were going to go, when I drunk guy waddled past us. 10 feet past us, he turned around, starting coming back. As he passed my comp, he lifts up his shirt, when he gets to me he pulls out a knife! Now.... If I was a missionary who wasnt looking for a funny experience, I would have just walked away, but... Well.... Hahaha being who I am... Raised my voice a little bit at Mr. Drunk, and said. Tranquilo! Haha as he realized that I was a whole lot bigger than him he started walking away waving the knife in the air and yelling naughty things in Guaraní. Haha it was great. Hope you get a good chuckle out of that. Cause I sure did.

Anyway. Love you all. Have a good week.

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Jan 30, 2012

Hello Mom,

As far as my shoulder bag I asked for? Not sure if you are sending a package soon? And as far as the letter with the MP3 card goes, well my letters have been getting opened, so it probably was stolen, but I still have some hope. Transfers are this week. We will find out tonight. I explained in one of my voice recordings, sending 2 this week. But we find out transfers on Monday night. Pretty sure my comp will be leaving, but we don't know for sure.

My armpit is all good now. It went away. I bought an umbrella, don't worry about that. it also broke the same day... hahah but it still works. Isaias is almost 15 years old, turns 15 in March.

That is way cool for Coulter, I am way happy for him. He will be a good missionary. Tell him good luck from me. I am sorry to hear about Marie's brother. Their family is in my prayers.

Well don't know if that is everything from your email, but I tried. As far as my week goes, nothing too exciting. But it was still a good week. Monday night we were able to teach Isaias the Word of Wisdom and it went very well. He accepted and committed to live it. He is progressing very well, but didn't go to church yesterday..... A little frustrating... We haven't been able to talk to him yet to figure out why, but that is ok. He is an awesome investigator. I have never seen a 15 year old kid progress like he is.

Wednesday we went down to Santani for a training and interviews from President Madariaga. I explain more in the voice recording, so I am not going to spend much time explaining here, sorry about that. But, as always, I came away from the experience learning a lot and knowing the President Madariaga was called of God. He is a great man.

Friday we were in a really nice ice cream place in my area, and the guy had some regular American music going. I mean regular, cause it wasn't Black Eyed Peas, "Dirty Bit". If I hear that song one more time....... Hahahaha but I heard some Taylor Swift and others, and well it made me darn right trunky for some good music hahaha.

Sunday we didn't have any investigators in church, but we did have a less active guy and his family for the second week in a row. His name is Cesar. He served in the same mission as Nate in 2004 2005 or so. He came back, married a girl and baptized her. They moved to Argentina for work. He was a second counselor there in the bishopric, then they moved to Buenos Aires and didn't know where the church was and got lazy and stopped going. Now they are back in La Paloma, and we are helping them reactivate. He is a way cool guy. Super blunt about why he hasn't been going to church, and is starting to come back. So awesome.

Well. This is the true Church of Jesus Christ. I know it. I want everyone else to know it too. I hope you have a good week. Chau!

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Jan. 23, 2012

Hello Mom,

So I just spent 120 bucks on a pair of shoes... Hope you dont mind!! Hahaha I figure it is my money anyway. They are some catepillars. Pretty nice, heavy duty church shoes, like my eccos. Cheaper than you sending me another pair, and now I will make it through my whole mission no sweat. I did it so early because I might not be able to find my size anywhere else but in Saltos. I put it on my credit card, so if you could watch for that please, that would be great. Alright. So thanks for the news of the week. Sorry I wont be responding to much to it today, but know that I appreciate it and it sounds like everything is going well at home. Coulter is going where again? I cant remember where, sorry I am losing my memory a little bit. As well as some of my hair... and gaining a gut... Haha but I am keeping the gut in check for now.

So anyway. I am attaching some pictures. The first is of me making pancakes. That is right, I made some pancakes after church yesterday. Delicious. The next is of Brazil from across the river. The next is in between Saltos and La Paloma, a whole lot of nothing. The last... Well you dont see that kind of car here in Paraguay very often. That was out in Saltos today.

As far as my week goes, well it was a pretty good one. Tough at times, really tough. But we saw some good results as well. That is missionary work in a nut shell for you.

So the week started off with our investigator Liz telling us that she thinks her church is true. That church being the Catholic Church. This was a real bummer for me. I asked her if she felt like she had done her part to know if what we have is true, she said no. Well there you go.... If you want an answer, you gotta do your part. We have done our best with her, but she hasnt done her part. I am really really sad, especially because her boyfriend is a less active and it was a good situation. He is really cool, but he isnt helping a whole lot though.

But, with this rough news... Comes the good news... Isaías, came to church this Sunday! Yes! Finally it feels like my efforts in La Paloma are starting to pay off. I have worked hard here and it is pretty tough when you dont have people in church, but we finally did it. This week we had some awesome lessons with Isaías. He has really taken off with the Book of Mormon. He always reads what we give him to read and he loves it. But what really did it, was Thursday night. We got the Branch here to do an activity. We had an awesome lesson with him before the activity in front of the baptismal font, and after we had the activity with the branch. He got to know everyone and he had a blast with President Zalema shooting hoops for a minute. After when we were with him he told us that before he didnt come to church because he had vergüenza, or shame, but that now he didnt anymore. Oh yeah!!!! Awesome. This is why the work with the members is so important. He came to church. He had a good experience there. All because of an activity. I love missionary work.

Saturday night we witnessed some more amazing lightning. Utah just doesnt know what lightning is. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen here. Friday I saw the La Paloma landfill. Made me miss the dump back at home. The dump has a distinct smell and I miss it. Paraguay smells bad and I have gotten use to it, but I have always liked the smell of the dump. Let us just say I enjoyed walking past the La Paloma landfill. Plus there was a monster pig in there. HUGE. This thing could kill you easy. Not kidding. It has got a mane on it like you cant believe...

Anyway. Gotta run. Love you so much Mom and everyone else. Have a great week.

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Jan. 16, 2012

Hello Mom,

How are you? Sounds like another busy week like usual. Sounds like you are keeping up pretty well though. I am glad to hear you are reading Jesus the Christ. I am loving every single word in that amazing book. I am learning so much about my Savior. Well I am sending another voice recording. Hope you like them. Pretty boring I know, but I enjoy sending them. Sorry no pictures. I havent really had much to take pictures of. So alright, now for my week.

Well last Monday night was a rough one. We had the boyfriend of our investigator Liz, who is a member, tell us that she doesnt want anything to do with marriage or baptism. Turns out he was having a rough day, and was venting a little bit, but still it is tough because I am thinking some of it is true. We are struggling with her. I want her to see the truth so bad I cant even describe it, but well, everyone has their agency.

Tuesday night was a fun one. Staker came down from Saltos because there was a nurse from Asuncion that his comp had to about his ingrown toenail. The nurse ended up doing the surgery right there in our branch presidents house, Staker has the whole thing on film. Pretty funny. Late night though. Wednesday I did another exchange in Puente, but this time I went with Elder Bennett. It was a good exchange and we found some cool investigators.

Thursday the rain came.... Friday it continued to rain... But I had one of my favorite lessons in my entire mission on Friday. It was with our investigator Isaías. We were talking about the importance of the Book of Mormon, and I felt prompted to show him a list of questions of the soul, that the BOM answers. He wanted to look one up. We ended up looking at like 4 or 5 of the questions. The Spirit was so strong in the lesson. We were answering his questions. His countenance changed. It was a really awesome lesson.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It has so much power. I love reading its pages in my personal study in the morning, but I love even more when I see the people of Paraguay let the book change their lives. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I feel the Spirit so strong every single time that I bear my testimony of that great man. I am so grateful for my calling.

Hope you have a great week everyone! Love you Mom!!! Paraguay is great!

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Jan. 9, 2012

Hello Mom,

Ok to answer some of your questions. Our attendance in the ward is usually about 20 to 30 people. During my first 2 sundays we had 14 people there, but that is only to be expected with the holidays. The members don't help us too much with the work, but we are trying to get them to help us more. It is a struggle in all of Paraguay. My comp brought back some dearelders for me, but that is all I had. Haven't gotten my other letter yet. Hope it comes soon. Hope I answered all of your questions, sorry I am a bit short on time today, we went out to Saltos to hear from one of our zone leaders, he missed his bus... So we had to wait a bit longer for him out there... He was coming from Santani. He is a Paraguayan. Great kid, but that would be tough to be serving in your own stinking country haha.

So anyway. Yeah we went to Saltos today. That place is booming. There is anything you want to buy as far as electronics or watches or sunglasses and stuff. It is pretty cool. Growing like crazy out there. Ate at Burger King. I am really start to appreciate Burger King now that I am in La Paloma.

Ok so as far as the news for the week goes. Well last P-Day we had a sweet grill session in my back yard. Made me want to buy a hammock really bad. It was a great day. Plus I found out that I have a avocado tree and a bunch of banana trees and they should be ready here in a month or two. So I got that going for me. I hope I don't move for a while. I can live with rats and roaches for a few more months, cause my house is pimpin!

Wednesday was my comp's birthday. So of course I informed our members so that we could have a good evening. They love birthdays down here. Our branch president's wife set up this little party for him and she was all secretative about it, it was hilarious. But she invited one of our investigators which was really awesome. Needless to say, Wednesday night was incredible. When it comes to giving us great food and cake, the members here in La Paloma got it down.

Thursday I did an exchange with Elder Wyatt in Puente Kyhja. It was a pretty good exchange. He has a bunch of taco seasoning, so we made tacos and it was delicious. Friday we had a sweet lesson with our investigator Isaías, and also with a less active guy named Maulio.

Saturday we were getting Lomitos, this arab thing that they eat here in Paraguay, and an American country song came on. Something about being cooler online. Don't know what it is called, but it was a great 3 minutes let me tell you. Haha I like hearing some good American music. We hear hip hop and stuff, but never country. It was great. I was never a huge country fan, but now I am starting to be. Must be the water....

Well sorry this email wasn't very exciting and all over the place. My mind is kinda scattered right now. It was a pretty tough week for me and made tougher when we didn't have our investigators in church. But I want everyone to know that I know that Jesus is the Christ. He knows how I feel when I am sweating from head to toe and no one will let me in. He knows how I feel when our investigators don't come to church. This gives me comfort. I love my Savior. I love being His missionary.

Love, Elder Naegle

Email Jan. 2, 2012

Hello Mom,

Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a good one. The a key is sticking on this keyboard so you might be getting a few more a than normal. But anyway. My new year was pretty good.Yes I was fast asleep at midnight. Fireworks went off like crazy at midnight apparently, but it didn´t wake me up, just my comp. Hahaha I am way to tired to be woken up by firecrackers big enough to kill someone. So yep.

Old Benny as assistant. I have been waiting for that email. He is a stud. I figured it was only a matter of time. I miss that kid. He is tearing it up in Colombia. Good for him. Congratulations to Jess and Dallin. I am excited for them. Wish I could have been there for it, but the Lord needs me to have the runs here in La Paloma.... hahah but seriously. Not sure why, I have never eaten so well in my entire mission.

But Anyway. I will give you a rundown of the week. Monday I had a good chat with Elder Bennett from Cardston. He is a good kid. He worked up on an oil rig 6 hours north of fort mac so we had a good chat about all that stuff. Tuesday we had an awesome lesson with our main progressing investigator. Her name is Liz. She is the boyfriend of a less active member. She had started to fall, and this was the first time I had really talked to her, but it was an awesome lesson. We explained how the Spirit works and how her answer of the BOM would be. She started to realize that she was receiving an answer to her prayers. It was a sweet lesson.

Wednesday my comp had to go to Asunción to sign some stuff like I had to last transfer, so he got on a bus with a kid from Saltos late the night before and Elder Staker hopped off. Staker has 1 more change than I do in the mission. It was a sweet division. He lived out at the sand dunes before the mission, so ofcourse we hit it off right from the bat. He loves to snowmobile too, and he loves that we have a huge excursion hahah. He has a big old truck that he has restored. Him and his dad have a body shop in Riverton. He likes riding quads though, so I am going to have to convert him to dirt bikes when I get home... Hahaha it was a way fun exchange though.

Friday it rained super hard, which is always fun... But I dont mind. And Saturday/Sunday we had a cool experience. My comp and I were in the street figuring out where we were going to go next because everything had fallen through, when this lady came up to us. She was from Brazil, but she could speak some Spanish. She had her son with her that couldnt speak because he has some disabilities. She was just visiting her family here in La Paloma. She had been baptized in Brazil 14 years ago and she goes to church every Sunday. She asked us when church was, but then she didnt come so we went to visit her. She told us her son was having some health issues in the morning so she couldnt come, but we shared with her a little bit. None of her family is member, and they didnt want anything to do with us, but she was so humble and the coolest lady ever. It was really cool.

Sunday. Well let me just tell you about my lunch on sunday.... It was incredible. I could have been eating it at home and the only thing I would have noticed was that it wasnt as good as my moms cooking! Seriously though, I was blown away. I even had to take my shoes off to go inside this members house. Actually a few members houses here in La Paloma. Lets just say I didnt have to do that in old Trinidad... Haha I am loving it. She made this dessert that you will have to try mom. She put Mburcuya, which is passion fruit I believe, and condensed milk and a cream of something. I dont know, someone interupted her, but she put it in the blender and then in the fridge and it makes like a mousse type dessert, then put it on green jello. It was delicious. thought I was in Utah with the green jello hahaha. But we will have to try it. It was way good.

Quick fun/weird thing of the week. I was in a little despensa talking to some less active members yesterday, and they had a pair of fox shoes. A pair of fox shoes. I couldnt believe it. I was blown away. Hahahah what are the odds?

Anyway. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. I am so happy to be a missionary in 2012. I enjoy singing El fin se acerca, the end is near, Dont know what the hymn is called in english,a but anyway I enjoy singing it to mess with people a little bit because everyone in Paraguay is worried about the end of the world haha I dont do it very often dont worry. But I love then sharing the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so amazing. I hope everyone has a great new year and a great 2012. See you in 2013!!! Haha

Love, Elder Naegle