!FELIZ DIA DE PAPAS! (PADRES?)

Wow, it's been a crazy week. This transfer in particular has been quite the growing period of my mission. Almost like going through my greenie transfer again. It's kind of like I've been going through the fundamental, foundational (?) skills one by one and revising them-or checking them for accuracy. It's been a proving ground. The biggest impurities are being removed. Yet I'm not exactly sure what recent events cause me to feel that way--it's weird. I guess you'd have to be inside my head to understand :).

I had a great week! It was my turn at senior companion again. I've been working on goals. (I'm not sure if I mentioned in the last letter,) and using them as motivatino. For the most part, when we set goals they're mostly empty numbers. We decide during our nightly planning sessions - how many of each key indicator we can get the next day. But we never, (or I never), look at them again the next day. So I've been trying to go about the days saying to myself "okay, we gotta get two lessons with a member present." Then, if plans fall through, by loking, praying and having faith, teach a lesson with a member present somewhere else. ?Comprende? It was fun, and better yet, we had the best numbers we've had in a long time! It was cool.

Now, this week, (Mon-Sun) It's been a lot harder. We have a District Leader that goes home in two weeks, so he and his companion will come over and hang out at our apartment. It ends up being one of those situations where we jr. comps sit there, talking, wondering when we're going to leave for exchanges, almost killing time. You can drop hints and come out and ask "when are we leaving?" but we're at his mercy. (To a point) It stinks 'cause he's a fun guy and was a fantastic missionary, but he's opting for being "dead" his last transfer. His comp and my comp are 18 mo. and 15 mo. so they don't mind a break. It's just a new set of challenges for me to superar. :)

I'm still having a great time. I LOVE Mt. Vernon. We have more and more Spanish work! In the midst of some fo the gloom, there will be a ray of light! Nothing will be happening and then suddenly we'll find someone who will almost be expecting us. There are really cool experiences that'll happen every once in a while.

The other day Elder Farris (the district leader) showed us some people we could talk to that he had taught. I went with him to talk to one of them. It turned out they had moved, but the lady that lived there turned out to be a nurse at a dementia hospital. One of her patients was LDS and would always get frustrated while reading the Ensign. So this woman would explain to her (the patient) what was going on. So she told Elder Farris & I that she wanted to be able to explain things more clearly and had some questions of her own. She asked if we could please come back, though, since she had just gotten off work and had some things to do. Elder Farris and I walked away both with a strong Spiritual confirmation that we were in the right place at the right time.

CJ, who we've been working with is super-solid. His baptism was postponed though so his sister could come. We're excited for him though, because we know the gospel will have a big impact on his family. During the lesson we put him on-date, Elder Herrin later told me he "saw" his parents being baptized in the future! It was powerful.

Lots of our recent new investigators seem really promising too! I'm really excited. And we're only going to be working harder. If there's anything this recent adversity has caused, it's a greater desire in Elder Herrin & I to work harder.

My favorite thing has been maintaining a 'cheery countenance' no matter what the situation. It's fun, but harder than I thought--especially to really mean it. :) I think of Jessica Barry's effervecense, and try to emulate. :)

SPANISH: it's coming along, slow & steady. Speaking comes without too much effort. I don't have to think in English first, as much. Whenever I read though, I find myself feeling like I'm looking at a blurry picture. In order to get all the depth and clarity, I ahve to translate it in my head. It's the verb tenses that get me. Even when understanding someone else. When I speak, I can say it in the right tense, no problem. Subjunctive is still a challenge to work into my speech, but pase a paso, no?

One other thing (with Spanish)... well, I'll include it on a sticky.*

Meanwhile, THE GREAT ROOM LOOKS AMAZING! So do the new stove & fridge! I LOVE it! It's going to be fun to see in all its real-life glory. :) MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS FOR THE FOTOS!

Well, best-beloveds, I hope you're enjoying a relaxing summer. Please keep filling me in on the happenings at home, and I promise I'll have lots more to tell you proxima semana.

WITH LOVE AND SOME WASHINGTON RAIN (IN JUNE!),

ELDER SEAN

So I noticed in letters from Mom & Melinda a different way of accenting commands than I'm used to. I was wondering if it was a Guatemala thing or just a principle/rule I haven't learned yet.

*EXAMPLES:
Cuidate------Cuidate
hacelo------hacelo
dejalos------dejalos
no te preocupes------...preocupes
asegurate------asegurate
segui------sigue
They keep popping up so I assumed it wasn't a mistake. But I'm confused, so if you could, ayudame (ayudame?) Thanks!