Hola Mama!
Este semana fue el primer semana en un área de español!
So ya, Im officially preaching the gospel inspanish now! It is the most exciting and yet terrifying thing I have ever done jaja!
Anyway I got to say my goodbyes to everyone in Statesville. It was very emotional. One experience in particular was when I was saying goodbye to my ward mission leader Brother Lewis. We went out for dinner after doing some service and on our way home to the apartment I asked if he would like to write in my transfer journal. So I waited while he wrote and it finally started hitting me that I was really going to be leaving an area I had lived in for 4 and a half months. I’ll be leaving an area were I feel like I really learned how to be a missionary. I was leaving people I have grown to love and had a beautiful opportunity to teach, and feel the spirit with. Then Brother Lewis gave me my transfer journal and put his arms on my shoulders to tell me something I will never forget. He said “Don’t ever forget that you are a son of God.” It nearly brought me to tears. Then we had a really nice hug I and a final good bye now I’m in a Spanish area trying my best to share the gospel in a different language!
Speaking of which, the gift of tongues is so true! And it is powerful. I have only been serving in a Spanish area for 4 days and I have already felt it. But it’s my companion that I have been able to witness it more from. My new comp, Elder Bangerter, came into the mission the same time I did. And was also put into an english area for about 6 months. He only has 1 transfer in spanish ahead of me. He was telling me on my way home from transfers that he was really nervous because he didn’t think he knew as much Spanish as he should. But that he knew if he had faith he would. And OH BOY, have we seen the power of the gift of tongues! Before we started our first lesson we prayed earnestly for a blessing of the gift of tongues. And I don’t know how else to explain it other than the spirit. But the spirit was there in a way I had never experienced before. My comp was spitting off sentences as if he knew what he was saying and I had just enough knowledge to understand and then share my testimony. But when we finished the lesson he says to me that it didn’t even feel like he was the one talking. It was awesome!
This story reminds me of a lesson we taught a family yesterday. With our very minimum language skills we taught about the power of faith. And how we don’t see blessings until a trial of our faith. One of my favorite scriptures comes from Ether 12:27:
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
Oh boy have I been humbled this week. Not knowing the language perfectly has been a challenge and a in a way a weakness for me. But when I go to God with a humble prayer asking for help I have seen the blessing of strength. It’s not immediate or super obvious but I have felt it and it is awesome!
Anyway a few quick side notes before I finnish up today’s post. My new district leader is my old trainer and mission dad, Elder Burke! And we had an awesome time playing frisbee golf as a district. One of the Elders found a turtle so we took a picture haha!
Hasta la proxìma vez
Elder Servicio
