Transferred. . . third area. . . Hernandarias

This week has been full of ups and downs. Crazy!

So I was transferred to Hernandarias, close to Cuidad del este which touches Brasil. I was pretty bummed to hear that I was getting transferred. Encarnacion was my home for only 4 months but I became so close to the members, my converts, and even my investigators. So my last day there I said good bye to some of the awesome members there, and visited all my converts. 

Fabio was doing great, he recieved the priesthood last week. He told us of some experiences he had sharing the gospel with a friend at work. He loves the spirit that he feels as he shares what he knows with his friends.

Victor, Graciella, and Mariella. I never got the baptism foto, but this will do

Victor, Graciela and their daughter Mariella are doing great, it's amazing to see how much happier they are now that they are a family and are all faithfull members of the church. My last visit with them we talked about preparing for the temple. They are reading the book of mormon together and praying every night together to prepare to enter the temple next July. Every time I come over, Victor takes the first 15 minutes to show me all the scriptures he liked. I am excited to see them again in the temple next year. 

Then I told Bernardino that I was leaving tomorrow, he was busy all day but cancelled a meeting so I could visit him at 8 that night. I'm not usually an emotional guy, but I cried like a baby saying goodbye to him. To be honest I still tear up a little thinking about his conversion process. He was the last person to visit that night, so we went home to pack up because I had to be on a bus at midnight. 

Luis Pá

Fernando wasn't in town all day but I told him to meet me at the terminal before my bus leaves. While packing at night, Luis came over and we talked for a while, he was baptized 2 months before I got to the area. Luis is 20 yrs old and about to send in his papers for the mission in a few months. He helped us out sooo much teaching our investigators. We became best friends for life real quick. He came over and we played the guitar for a lil bit, then took some pictures. He used to play rugby so he gave me his old Paraguay rugby shirt, and then he gave me a crocodile wallet which is super sweet. I packed up super fast because I spent too much time with Luis pá. I arrived at the terminal and Fernando still wasn't there. I called him and he was still a few miles away and he didn't have transportation. So I thought I wasn't going to see him again, then out of nowhere he comes running in 5 minutes before my bus left. I gave him a big ol bear hug and talked about the mission for a few minutes, he told me sí o sí he will prepare for the mission. Then I cried like a baby for the second time in Paraguay, in the same night. Fernando is basically my brother. Sometimes he does some stupid stuff like party till 4am on saturday night and sleeps through church, but I love that guy no matter what. He has a great testimony and teaches like a pro in our lessons. I'm hoping he gets called to the Tucson Arizona mission. But he needs to improve his English a little bit.

Gustavo Bobadillo . baptism date - August 18th

I also said goodbye to a lot of my investigadores. I dont think I have told you much about them, but Freddy, Ceasar, Jasel and Rosa were baptized the Saturday after I left. They are all brothers and sisters. Richard Ortiz and Gustavo Bobadilla are all set to get baptized this Saturday. That area was on fire when I left, Elder Schouten is going to baptize afull with his new trainee. Sad to leave, but life moves on and I am needed elsewhere. (desperately)
Now I am in Hernandarias with Elder Salinas from Idaho. When I got here this area was absolutely muerto (dead). There was a handfull of people they were teaching, half were kids. So we worked our butt off this week. I knew if I was going to baptize this change it would be a trial of faith. A few months ago in our mission, two missionaries got white washed into a new area, they baptized every week that change starting with week one. That is just pure faith and hard work.
fe y obras = milagros. never have I tried so hard to show my faith to the Lord and work hard every minute of the week in my mission. And man did God deliver. We found 5 new familias and over 20 new investigators. Fernando y Andrea are newly weds, they will be baptized sí o sí on the first of sept.
My comp is a stud, he just had a rough change with a local companion so they didnt see much success and he lost a bit of his animo. But now he is super excited to work and baptize so we are going to have a great cambio together.

much love y amor

Elder LaFaye
(la fe)

oh last minute news!!
Elder Bowers is my new zone leader!!! He told me that a month after I left, MIGUEL NUÑEZ GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure if you remember him, but he was the old drunk guy that smoked a lot from Guarambaré. You have no idea how happy this made me, I will talk more about him next week. I'm so feliz!

ok bye again