First the Questions: (ps please make the questions easier
to see for me to read and answer back)
from dad:
You mentioned before about teaching an English class, is
that part of your service time or is an organized class that all missionaries
do in your mission? :Well the classes are something that the whole mission
does. It´s a way to do service and also to find new investigators.
But this last conference this week, president pace might shut it down because
it isn´t getting the numbers we are looking for in this program, but I hope it
doesn´t get shut down.
From mom:
Are you feeling more comfortable with the language?:
Well I can do A LOT more than I could do at the beginning, but I´m not a
language guy and so it´s really hard for me to speak and study languages.
I try to speak as much as I can by praying in spanish and thinking in spanish,
but it´s really hard to just speak a second language when your primary language
is so much easier. I just need more patience and I need to rely on the
arm of the Lord for help because "I´m nothing without him".
Do you feel that you are gaining more confidence? :
In the mission I have gained more confidence, but not the kind of
confidence that makes me prideful or think highly of others. It´s more
like a quiet "I can do it now" attitude because I can´t do this work
of the Lord without the Lord. He´s
key. Talking to people on the street is not as hard as it was when I
first started, but talking to people on buses and trains is still really hard
and I don´t have the confidence to talk to them yet. In essence it´s just
I can do what I can do in my abilities and with the Lord’s help.
With upcoming GC, how will that work for your mission
with the time difference?: I´m not sure yet, but will let you know.
I´m sure it´ll be like Castellón, watch it at the church, if it works...
Why do you think that so many people in Spain live
together without getting married? Gma mentioned something about the high
cost of getting married. Any insight?: I´m not sure, but a high
cost is a good reason for it, but I believe it´s the hand of the devil
making" good look bad and bad look good." Because there are
many divorces here. Also there are many people who don´t have that
testimony of the humility and charity that we have to know that we need to make
sacrifices and there is no "I" in we. The family, a proclamation to
the world was written 20 years ago and now we see the effect when men choose
not to follow the prophets and live in the consequences of their choices.
That would be my guess that they chose not to get married because they are not
willing to make such a commitment.
Well anyway, this week has been really fun and long
too. We didn´t have district meeting because of the mission tour this
past week. We had Elder Olsson from the 3rd quorum of the 70. He
and his wife are from sweden and speak english really well. It was really
good. It was a mulit-zone conference spanning 3 days because our mission
is so big. I really took some good notes and plan on putting them to
action for this week. I am very grateful to have a wonderful president
and his wife to do so much for us. They are so kind to us and really love
us as if they were our parents.
We do lots of running lately because this is our healthy
month. We are eating less junk food and doing more exercise. We
wake up at 7 to do exercises such as basketball at a park or go running.
I don´t have a lot of time left but I want to share a
little of what I know about humility. I have been wondering what humility
is this past week because it is something people keep telling me about me, but
I just don´t see it, so I have been doing some research and I have come with a
conclusion that humility is the ability to accept the correction that the Lord
gives us and by the challenges he places in our path (see "the will of
God" mormon message also "refiner fire" another mormon
message). I know that as we remember that our success is not ours but
comes from our father in heaven. I know that some day I´ll be able to
speak spanish as well as dad and become bilingual, but at this point I will
walk along the path of mistakes and at times I´ll fall but will not stay
down. I´ll take the hand of the savior and walk forward step by step and
walk his path. We have lots of people who slam doors on us and want not
of us, but it´s not by my talents alone that we´ll be able to gain referrals or
have baptisms, but it´ll be by the hand of the Lord that will prepare the
hearts of his children. I just wanted to share a little with what I know
or what I think about humility. We can make a difference in the lives of other
people as do service and give them compliments.
Family I love you all and hope you have a great week.
le amo,
Elder Gonzalez
No comments:
Post a Comment