AUG 7-9ish

FAMILIA:

Today was a great day. So it's about time I properly updated you and brought you up to speed. The transfer's winding down again and there's talk among the Spanish Elders about who's moving where.

I've been oddly excited about training since about four weeks ago. It was rather random at the time but slowly the idea has become more and more likely. One new Spanish Elder is coming this next transfer (Aug 12). He'll be the first one to have spent the 8 weeks in the MTC learning Spanish. I'm one of two elders that could train. The others either have trained in Spanish already, or don't quite know enough Spanish to train effectively. So I've been going through the past week or two anticipating getting a greenie. However I still know anything could happen. It wouldn't be the first time I've been surprised with how they work it out.

The of course this past week has been quite the reality check. The closer we get to transfers the more I'm sure it'll be NOTHING like I'm expecting. Maybe that's what excites me the most. :) I've realized I don't feel completely ready to train, but if I did, it wouldn't be a challenge. i suppose I'm mostly ready for the change. I'm ready for the increase in responsibility. I'm ready for a rude-awakening to the sense of my duty. Elder Herrin and I have become very good friends and work well together. But as a result, we've become lax in our work. Thankfully, having to speak Spanish has kept us uncomfortable and humble enough to remember we still need a lot of help from the Lord.

We were pleasantly surprised about two weeks ago during a zone mtg. while "training-modeling" a lesson plan for the second lesson. We practiced teaching two other elders two principles from the Plan of Salvation. Though we felt our model was decent, we were generously complemented by our zone leaders, the assistants, and President Showalter on the effective way we taught. It was comforting to us to know that though we did a great job from the "outside" we still felt there was a lot we could work on. It was evidence that we had actually been making a lot more progress than we realized. But of course, "no good deed goes unpunished" and we were called on in Zone Conference this past Monday to training model the WHOLE lesson in front of half the mission AND Elder Richard G. Hinckley who had come to do a mission tour! Of course we felt even WORSE about how we did (compared to before,) but we felt the Spirit as we taught and testified. And to our surprise, more comments were made about what we did well than what we could work on. Personally, I was satisfied with the fact that I felt the Spirit while teaching, but to know that my other teaching skills were at a level stable enough to ALLOW me to focus on inviting the Spirit was MOST comforting. There is still much we can do to improve, but in the meantime, we're doing a lot of things right.

With only two months left to the half-way point, I've been doing a lot of "looking back." Am I where I wanted to be by now? Am I living up to my original expectations? Though the entire process is stressful, (because I've still got a long way to go before my year-mark deadline,) It has been really fun and humbling to see how far I've come.

I can approach almost anyone in Spanish without worrying first what I'm going to say. I can have a simple conversation without having to translate it first into English in my head. I gather about 90% of what is said in what WAS "really fast Spanish" six months ago. I recently fumbled reciting Joseph Smith's First Vision (in English) because I couldn't translate it fast enough from the SPANISH version I was reciting in my head! I'm more comfortable street-contacting in Spanish than in English. It's hard for me to believe Elder Cole and I taught and baptized so many without even knowing how to correctly conjugate in the PRESENT tense! "El evangelio bendicir familias. Yo se mi familia recibir bendiciones en pasado, y usteds son recibiendo mes bendiciones tambien!" (Literally: "The gospel bless families. I know my family recieve blessings in past and you are receiving more blessings too!) It's further testimony that it is the SPIRIT that does the teaching. Like Preach My Gospel says, (quoting Ezra Taft Benson): "The Spirit is the most important single element in this work. With the Spirit magnifying your call, you can do miracles for the Lord in the mission field. Without the Spirit, you will never succeed regardless of your talent and ability."

I don't struggle to relate to others anymore, and walking around with my hands out of my pockets doesn't feel weird. Small talk comes easily, though it still has its fair share of awkward silences. I have a nice bank of scriptures to use and draw from, but somehow they rarely seem to be the ones I need. :) I can call anyone (whether I know them or not) without feeling anxious about what I'm going to say. I can smoothly extend a "will you" commitment, though I'm not as disappointed as I should be when those commitments aren't kept.

Though I've come far, it seems there's so much left to learn and so little time. But there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. I am having so much fun and I am in love with my mission. :)

It's good to hear everything's going well at home, too. Whatever happened to that Spanish-speaking family you fellowshipped that lives kitty-corner to our house?

Anyway, so it is.
LOVE YOU TONS!
-ELDER SEAN