El Gran Comedor

I am finally getting around to writing about what has been happening to me the past couple of weeks. It's been nonstop since my birthday. 

The night before my birthday Elder Cartwright and I were walking home for one of the last times. We had both received the news that we were going to be transferred and that some Hermanas were going to be "pink washing" the area. "White washing" is when they call 2 new Elders to go into a new area without any introduction. It's called a "pink wash" if it's Hermanas because pink is for girls or something. I don't really know. So, we had a ton of stuff to do when we got home, including calling one of the sisters who was going to be coming in. It's kind of nice to get the run down so you are not completely stranded. We had to do that and then start cleaning our apartment because President told us it had to look like the Celestial Kingdom before we left.

Just as we sat down, we got a call from the Zone Leaders. They said that there was some member waiting outside our apartment with a cake for me. But actually it wasn't a member with a cake at all. It was the ZLs and the Elders from Ita Paso. My first surprise party! The funny thing was they just showed up--I ended up being in charge of hosting my own party.

We stayed up talking super late and then ordered food (after 12). I sort of got thrown under the bus for this later that day but I am not going to get into that. If you're interested in knowing how you're just gonna have to ask me. 

Anyway, the next day we were going to meet up with some other Elders and play tennis for p-day. Before we left, they all came up to the flat and it was so dirty at that point. And then someone tracked in some dog poop so..... Eventually we did get to the tennis court which was in a super cool place. The elders from Encarnacion Rama 5 gave me this really sweet handmade tie and they put it in a hand drawn airpods box. Honestly one of the best presents I have ever received. After playing tennis for a bit we ran to our favorite American diner here called Gosh and everyone got Philly Cheese steaks. I'm usually not a fan but I gotta say, it was pretty dang good. 

As we were leaving, Eliezer walks by and greets me and Elder Cartwright. He says he's got something for my birthday. Apparently one of his buddies works at the tallest building in Encarnacion. (I had tried to take the elevator one time but the receptionist stopped me). We got to go to the top and the view was awesome. It was kind of sad too because that was the last time I saw him. I love that guy! I hope and pray every day that the Sisters can do what it takes to get him baptized.

After coming down a really sketchy elevator we sort of get back into reality. Sort of. (The main reason we actually threw a giant illegal missionary slumber party was because two elders needed to go to Asuncion to sign some forms that say they are still alive and then immediately come back. It's safer to spend the night in the centro so you don't miss your train). Elder Vanwagenen, the elder that got me the sick tie, and I decided to hit up our favorite Nike outlet. Some of the stuff might be a little fake, but man it is so nice in there. It's called Deport Center. I wonder if they know what that means in English. Anyway, while we were in there you will never guess who we ran into. Our crazy, smoker friend Pablo. As if the day could get any better.

We talk with Pablo for a while in the store and as we are walking back to the flat an Elder  mentions that he needs a haircut. Well of course Pablo has the exact place, some Uruguayan barbershop. It turns out to be crazy expensive so I just wait there writing some emails with the other Elders. It's actually a pretty chill moment because they ask us to play some American music and so we put on some 2021 Youth Album and some hymns. Before we leave, I look up a how to cook revito video. Revito is stove cooked flower water. Some people call it a delicacy, others call it trash. I wanted to see how it was properly done. I don't mean to brag but my revito (trash) has been called riquisimo by a Paragyuan. 

Pablo says that we are all invited to come over to his house to celebrate my birthday. The only thing I really wanted to do was pick up a drawing from a 14 year old. She drew a picture of her dog for my birthday. We run to the Terminal first because I have to grab my ticket for the next day at 9 am. I almost forgot, I was heading to Ayolas the next day. So we head to the apartment for like 20 minutes and I listen to a voice recording my friend sent me. She was nice enough to put my favorite song on in the background and I listened to it as I watched the sunset on my last day in Encarnacion Rama 1.

But wait, there's more.

We head over to pick up my drawing and the 14 year old girl isn't there, but her mom is. It was a really sad moment because this is the Delgado family. They have been there for me since day one. My first appointment was a noche de hogar at their house. I ate my first empanada in Paraguay there. It was a good moment. I would honestly return to this country just to see them. It was kind of marred because the ZL that was hanging around wanted to turn it into a regular lesson but it was a lot more than that. It was the end of an era.

I didn't realize it until now but their crazy dog Polo had jumped on me for the last time. 

And then we were off to Pablo's house.

Pablo literally threw us a feast. I mean it was hot dogs but still, that's pretty good. (The food is the most underwhelming thing about this place). It was really sort of a blur but somehow we made it home. Since 4 in the morning to nearly 10 at night, that was my birthday. Still not over. I called my family, which was really the only thing I wanted to do all day but I was told to "wrap it up" at 10:15 because it was "getting late" as if we didn't stay up till the crack of dawn the night before. He was right though, I really had to pack which took a lot longer than I thought it would. Eventually I cram everything into my bags. It's sooo heavy now with the dumbbells I bought, but the dumb thing was I also packed away my blanket and pillow in too. I slept on a sheet with no pillow and the a/c was blasting. Not the best way to spend my last night in the only queen sized bed in the mission. I somehow get a couple of zs in. 

That morning we had some leftover cake from our neighbors downstairs. The only thing he told us was that it was really "pesado" (that means heavy). More on that later. I get to the terminal and mentally say goodbye to the streets that used to be in my domain. The "quarter of land" that I used to be in charge of maintaining faithfully. 3 months of preparation all to be given to 2 sisters I have never met. 

I hugged Elder Cartwright and the other Elders goodbye (I was in a quad for like a night) and off I went on the bus. I didn't really have time to think about all the good memories because after I took one sip of water, I immediately felt something horrible in my stomach. That cake or whatever I ate wasn't just a little pesado, it was muy pesado. I wanted to puke the whole time on the bus. I knew that if I stood up it was going to happen so I developed a plan. if I end up puking, I'll just throw a shirt over it and pretend like it didn't happen. Just walk away. 

My first bus is supposed to take me to San Ignacio where I would meet Elder Chamorro (my first comp here and about to go home in a few weeks) and Elder Jordan who I came in with. Well the bus guy told me to get off the bus after he saw my ticket and dumped me and all of my stuff in the middle of the street and drove off. The stress, the cake, the cold night, the even colder bus (I mean I have never complained about being cold in this country but I swear I almost had hypothermia) and the bumpy ride all led up to me puking in front of this guy's milk store all over his decorative plants.

He told me I needed to drink something and that his milk was only 5 mil. I probably would have shoved him to get the heck away from me if I wasn't so confused. I was like in the middle of the street, the Elders or any sort of bus stop are nowhere in sight, and I don't even know if I am in the right city. The first time in my mission where I have been all alone. The milk guy actually helped me haul my bags to the tiny little "rioparagauy" bus office and I sit.

and wait

and wait

It's really only 5 minutes but I tell myself I'm going to wait 5 more minutes before I ask the guy next to me to use his phone. Eventually I see my long lost companion Elder Chamorro and I feel a lot better. Apparently he was chilling at the other bus station for the "encarnecena" but got a prompting to check here. We hauled my bags like a kilometer to their apartment. One of the wheels broke which is going to affect the rest of my mission in a lot of ways. He says he's hungry and so does Elder Jordan. I am a no. We walk to one of the typical Paraguayan restaurants here called "comedores" but this one is more than just a regular comedor. No sir, this is EL GRAN COMEDOR. I order a bottle of water. And that is where I wiped the puke off of my boots with a napkin. And where I will end this week's entry. I did make it to Ayolas, my new city. It's been a great week and I am not sick anymore. But that is the story of my 19th surprise birthday party--I really didn't think anything could top the year before, but this is one for the books.