Monday, March 7, 2016

March 7

Thank you for your touching and also very funny email. I can totally picture that after dinner conversation. Yes, I remember dinasours alive and well. I remember that eating a banana gives you energy to sleep for several hours, but only enough energy to bike for 12 minutes. 

Yes, I will use some of my money on my travels home, because Hna Bender and I are day dreaming about milk shakes and american hamburgers. ðŸ˜Š

I agree that I am learning a lot of things that I really needed to know in the mission and learning a lot about myself. The mission is great experience of identifies things that one wants to improve, setting goals to change, and seeing the results. Sometimes with little things like; remembering to turn off the lights, and think before you speak, and sometimes with big things like learning to explain complex ideas simply, and how to apoligize, but not too much for every little thing, because that´s annoying. I am still working on being on time for things and not taking forever to get ready in the morning or before bed. I am very hopeful on how I can apply these things to college classes and all that real world stuff. 

Also, speaking of learning how to understand people, I have lots of chances to practice that. After most lessons I talk to my companion about how the people we visited are doing and what we need to teach or help them with. We try to understand their motivations and exactly what is difficult for them or is motivating them. For example, if Antonio keeps changing the subject while we teach about prophets, is it because he doesn´t want to take about prophets, or because he already gets it and is bored, or because he just really wants to take about his grandchildren, regardless of what we were teaching?

I am enjoying Bolivia a lot. I love speaking Spanish, and about 5 words of Quechua (I know how to say how are you and my name is and count to 3. This does not help me at all in every day life). I love studying the gospel (in the new testament I am currently in Paul´s letters, which are so cool) and teaching people. You would think that one would get bored teaching the same thing over and over, but honestly, I feel that something is missing if we go more than a day or two without teaching about the restoration of the gospel. 

There are always things that I don´t like. It is often very, very hot and sunny, unless there is pouring rain. This week I got a cold and was very sniffily and headachy for a few days. I am feeling better today, but still have a cough. Our new house occasionly doesn´t have running water for a few hours, which is very annoying, when I just want to wash my face, but it came back on again and we are going to fill a plastic bin  with water just in case so that we can still wash hands and all. 

This week we had a cool experience teaching a new investigator, Primativa, about the restoration of the gospel (what is a prophet, how did Jesus establish His church, why are there so many different religions, who was Joseph Smith, how can one know the truth for themselves (prayer)). Brayan who recently got baptized, came with us to share his testimony. It was lovely to hear this share the story of Joseph Smith´s First Vision. (we made him read the part that we have memorized ¨I saw a pillar of light....¨) However, I loved how Hna Bender brought the Spirit into the lesson when she testified of Christ and how much she loves Him. Even though, we teach lots of different doctrines that people need to learn, the most important thing we can teach and of which we can testify is Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior and Redemer of the world. Here in Bolivia sometimes we don´t put enough focus on it because few people doubt that Christ is their Savior, but it is still so important to teach about His Atonement for us. 

Also, Hermana Isabel came to church yesterday, which was great. She was one of the pioneers in Bolivia and was baptised in the 70s when the church was still very new here. However, she hadn´t gone to church for many years now and finally decided to come this week. I was so happy to turn around after the Sacrament Meeting ended and see her there. 

I love you a ton. I miss you all too. I hope you have a great week.

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