Dallin's Blog (Paraguay Asuncion North Mission): Week 3 in Concepcion

Dear Friends and Family,

Elder Brito and I had another super eventful week here in Paraguay! We walked tons, taught tons, ate tons (of weird food...Alligator, anyone?) and all sorts of other great stuff!

We started the week off with another division (we seem to be having a lot of those here in Concepcion...) I was with my Brazilian District Leader, Elder Barreto, in my own area this time. I really enjoy working with Elder Barreto. He has a strong, sort of demanding personality, but we get along really well! We spent a pretty large portion of the day "practicing our English," which means that I spoke 5 times slower than normal and he tried to understand me. I wanted to practice my Portuguese, but Elder Barreto told me that after the mission he wants to study in BYU and marry a "Gringa" (American girl). So he has to learn English as soon as possible. If there are any single American girls out there that want a Brazilian pen-pal... I've got one more than willing to write! haha.

"My handsome Brazilian district leader, Elder Barreto."

We didn't just goof off and try to exchange languages all day, though! We worked hard and had some great lessons. One of the most notable lessons we had was with a young man we contacted for the first time that day named A. His mother is in a wheelchair and he's taking care of her. The cool part? Her wheelchair was provided by the church! When we walked in, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" logo was impossible to miss! A was really great and super willing to listen to us. In his case, I think the church's service of providing medical aid to his mother really opened the door for us. We should never undervalue service opportunities!

I don't think I've mentioned much about our investigators here in Concepcion yet... But this week, we worked super hard to baptize three of them! Their names are, E and M.E., and J. I've been super impressed with how intelligent they all are for being younger children of less active members. They really understand everything we teach and ask; especially E. That kid is only 13, but he can explain things as well as a lot of missionaries I know!

Anyways, Elder Brito and I had to do a lot of work this week to prepare for their baptisms. On Friday morning, we had to walk all the way to the center of Concepcion to get into a house that currently doesn't have any missionaries in it in order to take out the baptismal records we needed to do the baptism. In the process, we also found a box full of copies of the Book of Mormon and about a three-year supply of bug spray. So mosquitos won't really be a problem for us here in Concepcion for a while! haha.

"I wasn't kidding about the mosquito repellant."

Saturday became a day of service for us missionaries of Concepcion. In the morning, we helped level out the back yard of some members. Afterwards, they gave us the most delicious mashed potato type dealio ever with cheese, ground beef, and all sorts of other goodies. In the afternoon, we went to the house of a recent convert of the other missionaries in rama 3 (3rd branch -- my branch here in Concepcion) to help clean things up and fix their roof. That service really opened my eyes. The family lives in really sad conditions. They live next to a stream where all the sewage water drains out of the neighborhood, and their house is basically just a crudely constructed plywood fort. We cleaned the house up as best as we could and patched up the roof a little, but hopefully we'll be able to get the branch excited about helping this family out. They need a lot more help than just one afternoon of service.

At night, we had the baptismal service for E, M and R (their little sister--a baptism of the branch) and J. Everything turned out great and the sister missionaries of Concepcion even showed up with some signs they prepared to add some color to the baptism. It was a really great experience, especially because the familia E, some of the first members here in Concepcion, have been inactive for 11 years! The baptisms of their children officially mark their reactivation in the church!

These experiences I've had this week have really got me thinking a lot about my own quest to receive the "remission of my sins." I can't be baptized again, but like Elder Bednar taught in this last General Conference, I can, and should, still feel the same cleansing that the investigators we baptized this week felt when they were baptized. As I studied this week, I came across the verses Alma 4:13-14, which say: "Now (the pride of the nation) was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor... and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ’s sake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy; looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death."

As I strive each week as a missionary to "succor those who stand in need of succor" and "suffer all manner of afflictions for Christ's sake," preparing myself to partake of the sacrament to renew the same covenants with God that I teach people to make every day, I can feel the same purity, cleanliness, and freedom from guilt and sorrow that all of us can feel if we repent and act on our faith in Jesus Christ.

I love you all! Thanks for the emails and everything you do for me!

Elder Fairbanks

"E & M.E., our recent converts--ready for their interviews!"

"The E family--ready for their baptisms!"

"Us missionaries and everyone that was going to be baptized and their families (Elder Brito is holding up the sign because his mother's birthday is tomorrow)."