Hey peoples! I'm gonna be quick because the Cibercafes gave us fits today, and I left my camera at home, but this was a critical week that I believe will set the tone for the rest of my mission! (Yep, that big)
Flip the Switch!: We had been having troubles with our investigators up until now to progress, and I was confused and frustrated, but a marvelous experience happened to change all that. Elder Mereles and I were studying "Adapting Teaching to Needs" in PmG, and I asked Elder Mereles how he was able to adapt the teaching so quickly and easily, without sweating bullets (this has been a true challenge for me). The answer was not what I had expected: that he focused more on the people than the lessons/charlas and that I needed to do that, stop being a robot, and worrying less, because the Spirit was NOT with me. Although that truth cut to the heart of this sinner here, and I felt very humbled, overwhelmed, and inadequate, I decided to humble myself and put into practice: ask more inspired questions, connect more with people, not letting an investigator dominate the charla, use scriptures in more opportunities, etc. And what results! Raúl listened to us more intently, stopped making weird comments to dominate the lesson, and revealed the true reason he had not been coming to Church: "puntadas en el estómago del frío," (Stitches in the stomach of the cold) and he committed to come to church this Sunday! Also, Ignacio and Estefani finally hard-committed to read the Book of Mormon, Agustína finally read and understood, and I even was able to do my first contact on a P Day! But most importantly: I constantly feel the Spirit, I never feel fear or nerves in a charla or contact, and I am truly HAPPY! THIS is the mission. THIS is loving and serving others. I'm honestly so grateful that Elder Mereles had the courage and love to speak up and challenge me to do better like Jesus did to the rich man, that I listened, and sooo glad I figured it out before halfway point of my mission.
Super Asado: We had a great district activity today (6 Elders including me and Mereles, and 5 more CAPO members) with our own cooked asado y churizos, mashed potatoes, rice, and a delicious marshmallow/banana/chocolate/
Christian, glad you could enjoy your last high adventure for now, and that it ended on such a spiritual high note. Excited for the temple for you! It is such an amazing experience; opens your mind and fills you with the Spirit like nothing else. To answer your question, the MTC provides pretty much everything concerning books (Spanish learning, scriptures, PmE, etc., but the PmE is big there, and I like the small version better. Love you buddy!
Emma! Fa, ¡como extraño Días de la Fresa! (o frutilla también) (Fa, how strange Days of the Strawberry! (Or strawberry too). Glad to hear you had such a fun time and killed it in your dances! I will definitely read that part, thank you for sharing it with me! ¡Te quiero!
Sarah! Wow that is so amazing; I know Jodi pretty well! So awesome for her! Man I miss Lagoon; stoked for the little ones and their first-time experiences! Good luck with the Jam basketball tournament! Lemme know how it goes! Love ya!
Callie, no worries, I sometimes didn't move up a level in swim lessons when I wanted to. Just keep working hard, keep smiling, and you'll move on soon! And I have been on the Bat ride at Lagoon many times! (And the other ones too) I absolutely LOVE the song, “Nephi’s Courage” too! It helps me do what Jesus wants me to do in missionary work. I love you! Have a great week!
Mom, we experienced a similar weather craze this weekend. Saturday, after a torrential downpour, it was fairly warm and humid, and I was sweating a bit! Then on Sunday... POW! Bitter, humid, freezing windy cold. Haha I took quite a hit from it. Love you!
Pap, that will sure be nice to be able to hear even more clearly; I can't even imagine blowing out my eardrum. Haha but dizziness is not the greatest Father's Day gift. Oh well, I send my love to you as a gift; HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Can't wait to use the smoker grill in just 13.5 months! (Yup, you read that right) And speaking of growth, I would honestly say I had a growth spurt this week; AMAZING the difference! GAME ON!
Mom’s Questions:
1. What new things have you learned about Elder Mereles this week?
He is 20 years old, loves spicy stuff, and cooks AMAZING brownies! :)
2. What miracles have you experienced in your mission this week?
See "Flip the Switch!"; one great miracle!
3. Did your investigators come to church this week?
Victor did. :)
4. What was your favorite thing that happened this week?
See "Flip the Switch!"
5. How far away from the mission home are you right now? How often do you go in for meetings now that you are in a leadership position?
About an hour (2 buses), and I only went in once for district leader training.
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