Hey hey!
Everything's been going way good - we're still super busy and doing everything we can. Last week we had a 3-day training meeting with the president and it was way cool!! Apparently they're doing this new training all over the place and it's really pretty intense. It's called the "Simplified Curriculum" and ultimately it's a guide to using the Spirit even more to teach, and asking inspired questions that help the investigator learn. We're not even really supposed to teach lessons with certain principles - we're supposed to really talk to them, feel the Spirit, and guide the discussion based on what we feel and what they need. Just like Preach My Gospel was a step up from the memorized discussions, this is another step up and it's putting more responsibility on our shoulders. We have to be constantly seeking guidance and constantly be directed by the Spirit when we're talking to people. We need to clear up concerns as we go, and really get to know the people we teach. We can't brush aside concerns they have - we have to get to the bottom of it and try to help them in every way we can. There's no point in teaching people forever when you never clear up something that is stopping them from progressing.
While one of the AP's joined us last Thursday in our lessons, we had a super good lesson with a woman in her 50's, Hermana Amparo. She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and we felt the Spirit so incredibly strong in their house. She has 2 sons that were baptized fairly recently - Edward and Franky. Edward is about 12 now and he's probably the spiritually strongest kid I've ever met in my life! Apparently when the missionaries were teaching him, it was more like he was teaching them. He has the testimony of someone who has been in the church for years and we love visiting their family. Anyways, when we visited her last week, she accepted a baptismal date!! We made a "map" to her baptism, that shows what she's going to do every day between now and then to prepare for it. She knows that everything is true, but she's been reluctant to get baptized because she feels like she doesn't know enough. We assured her that she knows what she needs to and that baptism is by far more of a starting line than a finish line. We had another meeting yesterday about families and the plan of salvation, since it was the anniversary of her father's death the day before. It really is a plan of happiness and everything that's been set in place is for our benefit! The more I learn and share it, the more everything makes sense to me and honestly makes me excited. It's an amazing plan and I am so incredibly fortunate to be able to participate in sharing it.
We also have a baptism here in a couple days that I'm way excited about. It's the daughter of a recent convert and she's way ready to be baptized. Her name is Andrea - her mom is kind of crazy, but she goes to Church and has been really accepting and liking all that we teach her. It's really cool teaching people that are completely fluent in English and Spanish, because I can get help with my Spanish and have good practice with everything.
What's kind of difficult is deciding whether or not to drop investigators - it's tough because you don't want to give up on people but if they are honestly not progressing and keeping commitments, there's no point in continuing to teach them because there are other people that the Lord has prepared for us to teach and that are ultimately prepared to be baptized. We had to drop a man named Walter this week because he wasn't progressing in any way and he would keep us over for a super long time just to talk and not really get anywhere. Super nice guy, but we taught him everything and it's up to him to act on it or not.
Our area really is super huge, but there's not as many Spanish-speakers around here as I thought there would be. We're basically right on the Mexican border but so many people learn English here and then that's what they like to speak and hear and everything, It also means that we cover a lot of distance in between people we teach since we're the only Spanish missionaries in Yuma. So...I don't really get to bike like at all, and we're always in our car. It's nice because of the air conditioning, but it's already starting to take a toll on my body. I'm working hard and not gaining weight and working out, but we'll see how it all goes in a few weeks or months. EVERYONE we visit wants to feed us and we feel bad always telling them no, so it's been tough trying to not eat a bunch. They all love someone who can really eat and enjoy their food. I can definitely eat it, but I basically always feel full and I've decided that's probably not a super good thing.
Oh, and that reminds me of another thing - my companion Elder Cuthbertson apparently was a super stud wrestler who was a national champion and set the national record for most pins in a season, as well as second in overall wins for a season. I was not aware of this, because he's a way modest guy and hasn't worked out really for two years, but that was super cool to find out.I'm glad I have a hard-working companion!!
Well, I'm kind of nervous because we're going on splits tonight with the Elder's Quorum Presidency and I have to take the leads on all of the lessons tonight. The hardest part of me teaching is understanding their super fast answers. I can usually communicate what I want and teach everything decently, but the understanding is by far the hardest. I'm just gonna have to pray and prep all I can, and be helped by the Spirit tonight. I am excited though, and we'll see how it all goes.
It's been around 110 degrees for the most part, it'll get up to 115 in the middle of the day, but it's starting to not feel as ridiculously hot to me anymore! That's definitely progress. Everyone here always asks a ton of questions about Alaska, and they also usually ask what I did to be sent here - they figure it must have been some kind of punishment. They're all super nice and accepting here though, and are always surprised that I've only been out here a couple weeks. My Spanish must not be as bad as I think it is!
Shoot well, I'm staying super busy and love hearing from everyone! Loving the work and definitely loving the people. That's one thing that I have totally see since I've been out here. I can automatically love so many people I have never met, and want SO MUCH for them to be happy. I know the Lord is blessing me with this gift, and it makes the work so much more enjoyable.
Hasta la proxima semana!
(Until next week!)
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