First Week In Paraguay!

                    Hermana Santos, Elder Goss, Elder Whitaker, and I con Familia Ag

Hola!!!

I have survived my first week in Paraguay!!! Yay! My area is called Ysapy A. I believe that is in Guarani... Which is very difficult to understand and speak nothing like spanish! My spanish is improving

little by little and understanding the people here is so hard we are lucky if I catch a word because it is different than Spanish elsewhere. Their words are all slurred together! But it is beautiful here and I love it so much!!! There are trees everywhere and random animals all over (cows, horses, dogs, cats, and chickens)  When I got off the plane it just felt so right, I knew I was where the Lord needed me. The food here is pasta, rice, and meat.... So I will not be losing any weight haha, I love the food here! We eat lunch with the members.

My companion is Hermana Santos, She is from Guatemala!  Her spanish is much easier to understand, but still difficult! She is amazing, I have been so blessed to have her as a companion. She teaches me Spanish and I teach her English so the language barrier is starting to get smaller! We live with two other Hermanas. One of them is from Guatemala as well and the other is Ecuador( don't know how to spell that)

We have been giving lots of lessons, mainly Hermana Santos, with my little testimony and prayer.... But It is growing in Spanish. It is very humbling to not be able to say or understand anything... Hermana Santos and I went to go teach a young girl who is 12 and her brother who is 10. When we arrived I was shocked at there living conditions, I thought that some of the other circumstances I had seen were bad but this one was worse! we talked about the first vision with her and she listened with all her heart it was amazing! I was so amazed at this young girl and her testimony. It is difficult because her parents won't listen to us but she does. She had several little brothers so I gave them the pencils you gave me mom and I almost cried at how excited they were about receiving pencils.... It was just so touching!

We try and get references from investigators and members, and most of the time when we go and visit the references they are members who are less active.. I really want to help our branch become a ward here in Ysapy, The branch is already so amazing and strong! we have the best branch in the Mission ;)

One day we went and visited the branch mission leader and his family, Hermano Poli, and we ate budding, I think that is what it is called, and then we sang Joseph Smiths first prayer together, but before we began singing he sang the first verse by himself and no one was really paying attention, but while he was singing the spirit was so strong it was amazing I could feel his testimony and how strong it was in that moment!

I was studying this morning in the Liahona and I read a talk by Bishop Dean M Davies called a Sure Foundation. It was amazing! It was all about how we must build our spirits on our rock, the savior so that way in times of affliciones (afflictions) and trials we will not fall. I see that the people here need that message, because when difficult times come many of the people fall away from the church instead of leaning on it for strength and making their faith knowledge!

I was also reading in 2 Nephi 28 and wow is that a great chapter! specifically read verses 7-9 (Scripture Mastery), 22, 28-30,32! It is some powerful stuff that the scriptures have to tell us. We must never make excuse or justify things. When we do so it weakens our testimonies and prevents us from progressing and reaching our potential!!!

I love you all so much! And I am so grateful for all of your love and Support!!!

Till next week!

Hermana Dunagan!

Arrival of Hermana Dunagan to Paraguay!

Dear Family of Hermana Dunagan:

We are so happy that your daughter has joined us here in the Paraguay Asuncion North mission!  We know that as she commits to work hard and be obedient to mission rules, and continues to study and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost, she will have a great experience on her mission.  She will grow to love the people, she will be willing to pass through difficulties, and she will come to know and love her Savior in a more profound way than she has ever known.

We were able to give all the incoming missionaries some training on staying healthy, finances, mail, etc.  We were also able to learn about the history of the Church here in Paraguay.  Your daughter was interviewed and met her trainer, Hermana Santos, who was specially chosen for her.  She was trained to help your daughter in all the skills she will need to be a good missionary.  We hope you will enjoy these pictures that we are attaching as well.

Thank you for raising such a fine young woman who is so willing to serve her Father in Heaven and be a blessing to the people here and to her fellow missionaries.  We truly pray for them every day and are committed to working diligently to help them in whatever they need to be happy and successful.

May the Lord bless you, and your daughter, for the sacrifices, the faith, and the love that you are extending to the people here.  Thank you for all of your support.

With much love,

President and Hermana McMullin

Don't Cry For Me Argentina ~ Leaving for Paraguay

This is the last time you will hear from me in Argentina! We leave for Paraguay tomorrow at 4 am and our flight should take off at 7:35!I´m so excited! I wish you were hear to help me pack mom haha, but I am managing on my own! 

Our flight is AR1260 just so you know and it is going to Paraguay Asunción if you forgot! ;) 

My new P-day should be Monday´s so I will write to you soon!

Ok so I'm going to give you a quick little bit of what happened since the last time I wrote! We went proselyting and it was a long day, we had about an hour and a half left and we had handed out a few pamphlets, but hadn't had any success. Then we walked by this young man who was cleaning out his car and all of a sudden we decided that we needed to turn around and talk to him so we did and he accepted el Libro de Mormón!!!! And we got his contact information!!!! Ahhhh! coolest moment ever! His name was Jesus, Yep I gave a Book of Mormon to Jesus Haha! It doesn´t end there either we were walking down a couple streets over from where we had talked to Jesus and we had paused to take a little break and then a young woman walked by in her early twenties and we said hola and she said hello..... Yes hello in english, we freaked out and Hermana Sump called back to her and she came to talk to us. She has been learning english for the past two years and wants to be an english teacher here in Argentina! she talked to us about how she grew up catholic and is now a Buddhist. She was a blessing in our proselyting day! In that moment I just could feel the spirit strongly testify of the Lord´s work, We got her contact info! It was amazing ok I have to go finish packing, but I love you and will hopefully get to tell you if I got to Paraguay safely. We don't get to call at all, but I love you!!!! Keep me updated on Gabriel and Kelsey and AJ and there adorable little family! 

Love Hermana Dunagan!!!!!  

On My Way!

Hola!!!!

So nothing crazy has happened this week! We had the opportunity to go proselyting on Saturday in the rain.... And get eaten alive by mosquitoes. I think there was about 45 bites on just my leg.... That wasn't super fun, and I had the opportunity to clap at several gates and get rejected. It has been very interesting to talk to people on the streets and at there houses. I have learned interesting things. Specifically that courage doesnt come before faith. We must first act in Faith and then the courage will come. I was not excited and was nervous about clapping at peoples gates to see if they would come out and talk to us and then after the first rejection it was a little bit easier... That may sound funny but it was. It was strange when people would actually come out of there house and talk to you... haha.

Well I only have a few days here at the CCM. I am sad to leave all of the people I have come to know and love here at the CCM. They have helped me to really learn and increase my testimony of the doctrine and teaching of Christ! But I'm so eager to serve with those out in Paraguay and to meet my mission president! We watched a devotional from Elder Quentin L. Cook yesterday about how often times when our call is made it is because we are meant to serve with that mission president! I am so eager to learn from him and his wife!

I´m so grateful for your love and support! I couldn't do it without all of you! The Lord has blessed me so much with all of you! Ok so I'm going to talk about my all time favorite chapter of the Book of Mormon and that is Alma 32! Our Faith in Christ is so important and he is the tree of life we must come to know him and follow his example! Specifically verse 42 is powerful! we can become pure and white through him by our diligence and faith! So remember to keep moving forward and to rely on the Lord he is always there. If you ever think he isn't there it is because you left him, not him leaving you! I know that the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true! Prayer is so powerful Hevaenly Father always answers our prayers! Open up to Him and let him into your heart!

I love you all! have a great week! Talk to you next week in Paraguay!!!

Love Hermana Dunagan!

Things Are Good!

Hola! ¿Como le va? 

This week has been good here at the CCM! The spirit is so strong and just teaches so much! We have been teaching our "investigators" and it is hard to get the message across with the language, but I know that Heavenly Father teaches through the spirit and it is amazing when you leave the IP and they said yes to keeping commitments or attending church or most important when they say sí to baptism! 

I am doing good, there are good days and bad days when it comes to Spanish but other than that it is all good! Things are good! definitely scared to get out in the field in a week in a half.... We get new North Americans missionaries today as well as some new Latinos. There has been 8 North american sisters the whole time I have been here so really small we get 7 new Americans so that will be a change. I love this sisters with all my Heart and two of them are going to Paraguay with me which makes me so happy because I don't know what i would do without them here at the CCM Heavenly Father really blessed me!  I would love an English mission sometimes, but I know why Heavenly Father sent me on a Spanish mission, and I know that He will help me through it all! I think I will have a native companion when I get to Paraguay which is intimidating because with the Latinas I can kind of say a few words but I can't understand them, so I'm going to try hard to understand and get to know the new Latina roommates we are getting today! 

We went proselyting on Saturday, it was an interesting day. Not much luck and a ton of walking around. Toward the end of the day Hermana Sump and I were walking down the street and I got the courage to talk to an older man who was smoking in front of his house. When I told him we were missionaries he started talking to us and told us he was Roman Catholic.... At that moment in time I was a little bummed, but we continued to talk to him and while I didn't understand anything he was saying I understood that he had respect for us and he mentioned the spirit and how it is a very emotional experience when you feel the spirit in your life, and boy was he correct! The spirit is so amazing, I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and the ability to have him as my constant companion. We talked to this man for a good 20 minutes and when I left my testimony grew on how much Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. I tried to give him el Libro de Mormon, but he wouldn't accept it.  Heavenly Father teaches us all in different ways, and I learned so much in that conversation even with the little Spanish  I know.

As for the helado (ice cream) in Argentina it is amazing!!!!!! Kelsey would love the Chocolate ice cream! so good! 

I'm so excited to attend the temple today! The spirit is so strong and the feelings and emotions with in the temple teach us so much, if you have the opportunity to attend the temple, I challenge you to do it often, that is where our Heavenly Father teaches us the most. Go to the temple with a question and ponder it in the celestial room, the answers you receive will bring you comfort and peace! 

Also if you have the chance read 2 Nephi 9: 41-42 and 50-52, I really liked that scripture this week!!! 

I love you all so much! You are all amazing! Hope you have a great week! Adios! Until next week ;) 

Some questions I asked Kayla and her responses

1.     How is the language coming this week? Any better? I hear that it is tough and then one day it clicks, but to understand and know that it is a process and it takes some time even several months.

Still struggling

2.     How is the companionship coming?

 Good definitely difficult at times but I love her and she helps me so much even when I 'm frustrated... And you know how that is, she deals with my frustration very well... I’m lucky! 

3.     What can we pray for specifically that would help you?

 To be patient and to be diligent and not stress out to much. 

4.     Best thing so far about being on a mission?

 The spirit, when we were walking on the streets of Argentina there were times that just confirm that this is the true church it is so powerful. 

Love Hermana Dunagan!