Week 14: Liking Spanish More!

This week I really started enjoying my mission more and I feel like I am being blessed with the gift of tongues. Before I didn´t enjoy Spanish very much and kept wishing for an English Speaking mission. But now I feel grateful for this opportunity to learn Spanish and I feel so cool when I realize that I haven´t spoken English all day and that I am understanding almost everything my companion says. 

One day at lunch with the Campagna family, Gonzi the 10 year old kid wanted me to say the prayer over the food in English and the parents agreed. I did and it was really hard! All of my prayers for the last 2 months have been in Spanish and I had to think hard to remember how to pray in English. Then an Elder wanted me to tell him a story in English and I kept wanting to say the words that I knew in Spanish. It has only been 8 weeks since I left the MTC and looking back, I have learned sooo much. It seems like I have been in the field for so much longer than that. My first tranfer was so slow but this week flew by really fast. 

The highlight of the week was exchanges again. The other two times I went to Adrogue but this time I had to stay in San Vicente and be the ¨"senior companion" and lead everything for 24 hours. The planning, guiding the area, I was in charge of the cell phone, the keys, everything. It was like the ultimate test to see how I was learning the area and the ways of a missionary. I was nervous but everything turned out just fine and actually wasn´t so hard. My compi has taught me well I guess. I was with Hermana Rodriguez from Spain. She goes home this December and we had a good time together. (Sorry I forgot my nametag in the picture) Whoops!

Hermana Rodriguez from Spain

On Friday was my "Cumplemez" or my 3rd month anniversary on the mission! My compi made my breakfast and I bought factoras for her, which are a kind of pastry. My companion´s is the day after mine and hers was number 9! She´s halfway done! 

Happy 3 Months in the Field!

Yes Mom, I am alive and well for now. August was 5 weeks and this was the first p-day in September so we really had to stretch our money. Right now we are both completely out of money and food and the bank has been closed for 3 days now so we can´t get more money yet! My compi is using her last personal money to pay for this computer time. We are discouraged to use our credit cards in the stores because of fees, but we might have to if the bank doesn´t open soon! Compi and I had planned on starting a diet today because she wants to lose weight too and it is easy now because we don´t have any food!  We do walk and ride bikes a lot, so that helps. The members just feed us so much so its hard. 

Waiting for the Bank to Open...

Spiritual Thought

Alma 5:48 I am appreciating more and more the Atonement of Jesus Christ. His suffering for our sins makes it possible for us to start again and progress in this life. Because of him, we have hope for a better life and for change. I am so grateful for his grace and mercy.  

P.S.

Wow, nothing is going to be the same when I get home! New kitchen, new car!

Dad, what a great experience you had with the Wells family.  You are so awesome for putting that all together and I am sure the family was so appreciative of you. You are so caring and truly have a gift for helping others and empathizing with them. You have charity- the pure love of Christ- a special spiritual gift.

 I love you and am so grateful to have you as my dad. A lot of families here are broken and every day I feel so blessed to come from such an amazing home with wonderful parents.

 J.J. looked super tall in the picture you sent me. Just please don´t move across the country or something crazy like that! I am glad everything turned out fine in the accident [Adam & Brenda were in a minor car accident] and that you had fun with Mary Catherine and Jeremy at the US Open.