13 June 2011

Hola family.

So I did not learn my lesson about wearing sunscreen and suffering the consequences. We painted the gate of this lady all morning on Wednesday and me and my old comp elder graham got fried, like fried fried. Like I looked a lot more Latino, then I pulled up my sleeve and it was blindingly white. My neck is peeling like crazy now. I think more the one layer, because it has been peeling for a couple days and keeps peeling. I used aloe Vera and that stuff is a miracle worker, elder graham didn’t use any and today you could really tell a difference. My burn is really faded and doesn’t really hurt today. But he is still bright and peeling everywhere. I’m going to wear sunscreen now.

I realized how much the lord knows me this week and is looking out for me. I was really having a bad day one day and wishing I had an American companion. But I figured out that I think that if I had an American companion ¨I could¨ learn more Spanish because they can help you and tell you words. But really I know myself and the lord knows to that if I was with an American I would not speak Spanish with him. I know because on changes with other elders that know Spanish, we speak English. That is why the lord put me with a Latino who doesn’t speak much English. Now I am forced to speak Spanish, there is not other way. And really I have learned tons. I have a lot to learn but have learned a ton. I was scared to death when I left the mtc here; I knew hardly any Spanish and couldn’t talk to the Latinos there. Then they put me with one and somehow I figured it out. I can basically say anything I want now. Sometimes, it is not totally correct but people understand.

I got the general conference ensign yesterday and this month. I love it. I don’t want to explain for reasons you understand, but I had a few hours on Sunday. So I read almost the whole general conference issue. I skipped a few, but read most. I skipped a couple about marriage and things. But it was awesome. I was amazed, Conference is awesome. Something that amazed me though is I pulled out my conference notes and compared the talks to my notes. Sometimes what I have written they didn’t really say. It showed me how much more than we know the spirit works in our life.

I had a great experience yesterday. Well first you have to understand a little, that when comp doesn’t want to work he just tells me to go somewhere and teach a lesson by myself or contact or whatever. He doesn’t talk though at all so I’m scared to go anywhere because I don’t know what to do or say or how to say it. But he told me to figure it out yesterday. I had no clue honestly, so I went back into our room and said a short prayer to know where to go and what to say and to have strength to be able to do it. I was feeling tons of the spirit and wanted to work because I just read conference talks for 2 or 3 hours. But we left the house and I still didn’t know where to go. We stood there for a couple minutes and still I didn’t know, so I just decided to start walking and see what happens. I made up my mind to go to this reference that has never been home. And we went and guess what happened? Yep she wasn’t home. Then we started walking back and I remembered that there was this guy on this same street I contacted who takes English classes from other elder but has like all the pamphlets from them and has read them, he said he was in a hurry though, when I talked to him because he was actually going to English classes, but that he would talk to the other elders. But we went to his house and rang the doorbell. He didn’t answer, I always like to wait just a little longer for people, because sometimes I have found that they just don’t want to get up and answer the door, but if you ring it every once in a while for 5 min, they finally come. So I rang it again and waited a little, then this lady runs up to us and starts talking to us. She is the daughter of the reference that is never home. The reference is from a missionary activity we had at the church, but her mom told her about it and her and her sister wants the lessons. She is like 22 and her sister is married and like 25. The mom’s brother is a member and a really strong member. He is in the stake high council I think. So that’s good, too, we have a lesson this Thursday though, so we will see what happens.

Our investigator Lidia is going to be baptized on he 25th. We went to the temple Saturday with her and some others, it was really good. We bought at the distribution center them some ensigns, some scriptures that have the bom, d and c, and pearl of great price and everything, so that’s good. I got a picture for me of Christ in Gethsemane. It is like 2 or 3 feet tall and a foot wide, pretty big. It’s nice. I want to buy some contact paper to put it in. And guess how much, 1 dollar. That’s a good deal. Before I leave here I need to stock up on church things. A cd of the motabs is like 5 dollars. Everything in Guatemala is cheap to start with, but then also it is because the church puts everything even cheaper for members.

This week spiritually I have grown a lot. I really have been trying to keep an eternal perspective and that helps everything. When something bad happens or I am really upset or discouraged I just think that it’s going to pass and I'm going to live with my family forever in heaven with heavenly father. I think what I will say of this in 50 years or if I will even remember it. That has really helped me have a better attitude about everything. I have also learned that one very important thing of this life is managing your time; I have really realized precious time is. Anytime we have nothing to do, I try to read a talk or my scriptures, or something productive. I realized how much time I wasted playing Nintendo and watching TV and things back home. I have decided that when I get home, I don’t want to play Nintendo, or computer or watch TV (except, Cardinals games, The World Cup, basically sports but that’s all), I want to be working, studying, or with my friends not wasting away the time.

Good luck with your back Joseph and your mission papers and all, and Kenny, primo, and Andrew with your mission papers. One word of advice to all of you my friends I wish I would have done. Read your scriptures more and really know them. I knew I didn’t know that much when I came here, but I thought I knew enough. I was wrong. I have found out through studying that I have a lot to learn. And the reason it is so important, well at least for me right now is because I have to find scriptures in Spanish. For example I kind of know most of the scripture masteries, so ill be in a lesson and be like oh ya so one scripture, I know it is in alma like chapter 30ty something and ill start looking. One problem, I don’t understand the scriptures that well yet, so I don’t know if it is right or wrong. So I have to know for sure what chapter and verse because I don’t know if it is close or the right one.

I heard once; don’t remember when or where, but that you grow in the gospel about 20 years on your mission. I think that is true. I have been here 4 months and have learned more than I did in 19 years.

Got to go, oh flip oh dad, so I found out that about two months ago, that our mission stopped sending pouch. We can receive it but now sent it. So I think I need a different address for Spencer and Jon. I just have to go to the post office and mail it directly to the mission home, so if you have that. I have heard it is pretty cheap here so I’m going to try it.