Hola familia!
I hope you´re all doing good. This past week was hard, but good, as always. A lot of contacting, finding new investigators, lessons with recient converts. Our iluminador that I told you about, Enrique, who was suppose to be baptized on saturday, didnt end up being baptized. He had his interview with the district leader, and he didnt pass the interview. I guess he had been doing some bad things that he didnt think was a problem, and it came up in the interview and he wasnt able to get baptized. But, we rescheduled his baptism for the 18th of October, so thats really exciting. Its super nice to have something like that to look forward too. We love Enrique, he is the funniest little guy.
I had splits this week with the district leader, which is where I go with the district leader for the entire day and night, and part of the next day. The district leader, Elder Anderson, is super super cool. I LOVED being with him for a day, it was so nice to be with him. It felt so good to speak english for a day. I learned so much from Elder Anderson, it was incredible. I learned a lot of bad habits and things that Elder Nava teaches me that I dont want to do when I have more of a say in my next companionship. He showed me a lot of things ill never forget. The biggest thing, he sincerely loved the people we were talking to. With my companion, I sometimes feel like we´re sales man. Elder Anderson took time to get to know the people first, understand who they are, what they love and hold dear, instead of just doing a quick lesson of the Restoration with them and leaving. I learned a lot, I grew a ton this week. It was a super good learning week. It was funny, at first when I was with Elder Anderson at the start of that day, I had a hard time answering his questions in english. Some words and prashes that I say everyday in spanish were hard to think of how to say them in english. I havent spoken english really in 5 weeks! I only hear spanish all day. So that was cool to see a little bit of progress like that. While on the transfer with Elder Anderson, in his area, we clapped a lot of houses that were just made of mud. Little mud huts. It really blew my mind. How do you live in mud? How do you live on a floor that is nothing but lose dirt and rocks? I know when I got my call that I would see stuff like that, but seeing it in real life is really crazy. My perception of a lot of things in the world has definitely changed. That night with Elder Anderson we went to a members house, hich is a panaderia, which is basically a bread bakery, and the members feed us all we can eat bread. It was so heavenly. Argentine bread is so yummy, I ate so much.
The spanish is still hard. I know I talk about it in every one of my emails, and you guys are probably sick of it, but thats really all my life is right now. Is not being able to understand and talk to people. Thats all I do and think about all day. I feel like its coming every so slowly though. The thing about learning a foreign language is you cant translate in your head. WHen you hear a word, you cant translate it into english in you head. It takes too long. You have to hear the word in spanish, and automatically know what it means, no translating. So thats why its so hard, and thats why it takes so long. It takes awhile for things to become mechanical like that. I just have to be patient, its so hard and frustrating everyday though. Sundays are great days for me, I am always filled with the spirit and motivation during the sacrament.
This week I really tried to focus my self in my personal beliefs, my personal testimony. I soul searched really deep, and it was really good for me. I internalized doctrine during my personal study. I am starting to get a really deep testimony of the things I am teaching. I really focused on my spirit, what spiritual means for me. What a mission means for me. And I had a lot of growth this week, I learned a lot. I really need to gain confidence in the things that I´m telling is true to other people. I have to be able to say I know that these things are true with confidence. So thats what im focusing on again this week. Above all, the best thing I learned this week is what I believe mission work is. Or should be. Missionary work is sincere love for other people. Sincere, simple, honest, real love. Its something I want to examplify my time as a missionary. I also learned that Im way too stressed out about being a perfect missionary. SOmething Elder Anderson told me that I really needed to hear was this. He said,¨You cant really be an effective missionary until you learn the language. Its that simple. Thats why its so hard for the first little while. You just have to be patient and learn the language first, thats all there is to it.¨ So that helped me a lot. I try my best to be the best missionary I can be, but I learned I need to relax a little bit.
THis week im really going to focus on talking more. Asking questions with people, joking with people, whatever. I just need to talk more. THats the next step in becoming fluent at spanish, I just have to force myself to be really uncomfortable and try my best to talk in spanish with people. I already know its going to be really hard, but im ready for the challenges. Another thing I need to focus on is listening really intently. Its hard to focus when you dont understand what people are saying, but I need to focus on how people are using words and really try hard to follow everything everyone says.
This week, during a family home evening I was at, I taught a man how to read and play guitar tabs. It was super fun. haha. Im really excited for spanish general conference! I probably will only understand half of it, but im just happy to get of my feet for a couple days and sit down! haha. Im really excited to be spiritually fed. The only place that shows conference here is the stake center in Resistencia, so all the members from al around pile into one chapel. It will be fun. Its crazy to think about how hard it is for everyone else in the world to watch conference, when we watch it right in the comfort of our own homes. Living in a foreign poor country is crazy, you guys should all do it sometime!
There was a way cool sculpture building contest in the town square of Barranquerras, it was awesome. Resistencia loves sculpture art, and fish. So they had a contest to see who could make the best statue of a fish. It was cool. Thats what the wood fish was that I sent.
Well, thats my week. Its hard, but im getting there. I pray to the Lord so hard everyday to be able to learn the language and to keep going. I know that I can make it, I just need patience and hardwork. I hope you guys have all have a good week! I dont have much time for individual emails again, im sorry. Please keep them coming though, I love them! :)
Love, Trev
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