email dated 12-24-2007
It's 90 weeks-ish, 21 months, 15 more changes (changes are every 6 weeks), and essentially 2 more years if you ask me. I haven't been out that long, or maybe it only feels that way because my companion is going home at the end of this change. Either way, I wouldn't have it any other way. I still am not fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, or Spanish alone for that matter, and there's plenty of people to meet and service to do.
The work here is going well. My favorite investigators came to church yesterday, and surprisingly to me, they enjoyed it. I thought church was really boring yesterday. First of all because I spoke. Second of all, the mic wasn't working and so you couldn't hear a single word the bishop or stake president said when they spoke. When I gave my talk I was sure to speak really loudly. I felt kind of like a christian preacher shouting the way I did. "Have faith!! Faith is where it all starts!" I pleaded with my ward to get involved. We lack leadership in our ward, and they all seem pretty disanimated. One member said she is catholic but she comes to our church every week because the church helps her pay her bills. Thankfully there aren't a lot of her. One guy I was talking to, who really is a good member now, said that he started out as the worst reference in church history. His friend said "join the Mormon church. Tell the missionaries you believe them and in the church you'll be able to get work and they'll help you pay your rent if you get behind and stuff." He is one of our best members now, but he is the first to say he started out on the wrong track. That kind of story just makes me sad.
So I've been offered enough beer, cigarettes, and drugs for a lifetime. Ive had cigarettes almost shoved into my face, I've seen people rolling their own doobies with illegal (at least in the US) drugs, and so many drunk people. So I just think that's fun to say, because I never had experiences with drugs or alcohol before in my life. There's a first time for everything.
About the culture: First thing is maté! Everybody drinks maté. Pronounced mah-tay. Its disgusting looking. It is a cup filled with these leaves and flavors of their choice and they pour hot water into it. All day!! The leaves are reused for months. It looks disgusting and it makes your teeth turn green. But I really like the maté cups. I am for sure going to buy some and bring them home as gifts. They'd make great change cups or pencil cups. They're really cool. This isn't the first time Ive seen maté though, my roommate second semester, Dave, had maté every day and I didn't know that's what it was called. It's not against the word of wisdom, but it's a mission rule that we don't drink it. Anyway, people drink it all the time.
Next thing about the culture, they don't get bored. Ive walked past people who have been sitting in the same position with their maté cup under the shade of some tree for 6 or 7 hours. They don't have books. They aren't listening to the radio, watching TV, anything!! They just sit there, and enjoy their maté. In some ways I'm jealous. Especially on the summer evenings. It looks really relaxing. Mostly I wonder how they do it. I would at least need a book. They just sit there. But when you talk to them they say "I don't have any time! I work all day!! We cant hear your message." In which case we leave them a focheto, rather pamphlet, and were on our way. Some missionaries wrongly make fun of these people, who seem to be half the population. But we do the same thing in the US. We beat around the bush and make excuses when we don't want to talk to somebody. Its their way of being polite and saying they don't want to talk to us. It doesn't really bother me, but it is funny how they say they have no time but they've been sitting there drinking all day.
Everybody is Catholic. "soy catholico". They say that and no more, as if that's all you need to say in order to mean "we don't want to know anything about your religion." My style in these situations is to just tell them that I too know that Jesus is my Savior, but that my message is special because the church of Jesus Christ is restored and we have a prophet even today, and then I leave them a pamphlet and continue my search for the people that want to hear my message. We challenged a good investigator who said he knew the Book of Mormon was true to be baptized and he told us never. He's already been baptized in the Catholic church and he needs no more. He said he will keep reading the Book of Mormon, and we're still visiting him and working with him, but he feels really strongly about staying Catholic, but loves talking to us about God. It's a cultural thing down here to believe in Jesus and to be Catholic. The one fault with this is that it doesn't bring anybody to DO anything about their faith. The same problem is in our church, here and everywhere around the world. Our faith should drive us to do something. It says in James that "even the devils know, and tremble." Satan knows Jesus is the Christ but that alone won't save him. We have to follow him. I see way too many single mother homes here in Uruguay because the men leave them. I see broken homes and hurting people that I want to help by bringing them the gospel.
I wish so badly I had more time. I have to go.
I love you all!! Bye!!!
Andy
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Long Promised MTC Pictures
Disclaimer: The photos you are about to see were not altered in any way. They arrived just as you see from our favorite Elder before he left the MTC. The captions were of his own making, written on the back of the pictures. Happy viewing! Photoshop was not used at any time (Elders with cameras and a lot of P-day time were responsible).
This is my goof-ball comp, Elder Bodily. He's a good missionary and a fine chess player.
This was my whole district the first 3 weeks. Elder Adair and I are the bottom heads. Left to Right: Parker, Haren, Tyler, Chambers, Archibald, McClellan. Standing in the back Elder Braithwaite.
Elder Archibald, Bodily and myself around our Christmas tree. These were my comps for a majority of the MTC.
In the 5th week we begin lightsaber ettiquette. Here I am doing a back flip during a duel with Elder Archibald. Take special note of the calm Jedi-face I possess.
This is my trio, all with bad red eye. When I get down to Uruguay I'll get a CD made because the computers here won't let me. Enjoy for now.
This is my goof-ball comp, Elder Bodily. He's a good missionary and a fine chess player.
This was my whole district the first 3 weeks. Elder Adair and I are the bottom heads. Left to Right: Parker, Haren, Tyler, Chambers, Archibald, McClellan. Standing in the back Elder Braithwaite.
Elder Archibald, Bodily and myself around our Christmas tree. These were my comps for a majority of the MTC.
My bed is the bottom one, impeccable and clean. Take note of the Spanish cards on everything.
This is P-day and evenings when there's nothing to write in my journal.
At the 6th week, they teach you force choke as well as levitating items. You should've seen the car I lifted while walking to the temple.
I'm happy to report that both Elder Bodily and myself healed up just fine with a trip to the Health Clinic. This is a good example of why battles take so long. You want the killing stroke, but you don't want to be stabbed too. Be careful when you duel. Take your time.
In the 5th week we begin lightsaber ettiquette. Here I am doing a back flip during a duel with Elder Archibald. Take special note of the calm Jedi-face I possess.
There you have it. A fine missionary, amongst many, who possess talent and humor and one very interesting P-day.
Monday, December 17, 2007
URUGUAY!
email dated 12-17-07
Okay, so I'm in a different country with a different keyboard. It's hard for me to type cause it's a little different. Anyway, I will have to give up on capitalizing things because I keep messing it up and its slowing me down, as well as apostrophes. [capitalization and apostrophes corrected by family]
Montevideo was a pretty cool city. I was only there for a day before I got shipped out to Artigas, Uruguay, which is as far north as you can get before you're in Brazil. The mission map they sent us was wrong. My mission does include Montevideo, almost half of it. My companion spent more than half of his mission in the city of Montevideo.
Anyway, I'm kind of in culture shock now. First big issue, in Artigas they speak Portugnion, a mix of Portuguese and Spanish! Thanks a lot MTC! Itss alright. They understand me when I speak, I just don't understand them. Even the people that speak mostly pure Spanish, are still really hard to understand because they have a thick accent and they speak really fast. A lot of people have kind of a lisp-lithp thingy, and they also say a lot of (shhh) amidst their words. Sho me shamo, ashi, asha, etc... It's really hard to pick out words in the midst of so much shushing. I'm doing alright though. I'm starting to get it. At least I can speak. One thing I don't want to happen to me is be like these two Elders I met in the offices. They were there during transfers to get their bus. Anyway, they couldn't speak a lick of Spanish. One had been here 6 months and another 9 months. Not a lick!!! I spoke better Spanish. They sent me out the first night in Montevideo with one of the office Elders and he made me make some contacts and I taught a lesson with him too. I couldn't understand a lot, but I could speak just fine. He was amazed at my accent and how well I knew the language. He said I didn't make a single conjugation mistake the whole day that he noticed and that I sound really good, better than a lot of Elders who've been here for 6 months. That really encouraged me. I have still been frustrated because I can't understand when they speak, but I know I will get it. In a few weeks I am sure I'll feel at home and in routine, and in a few months I bet Spanish won't even be an issue. The real issue is Portuguese. The good Elders out here learn both languages, like my companion Elder Dennis, for example, can speak both. He's a really good companion and a really awesome missionary. He has helped me to feel encouraged too. He says he can't believe how clearly and correctly I speak. If only I could hear. I just can't understand the people!! But I'm encouraged to know that most missionaries, even the ones who can't speak well, learn how to listen while they're out here. I will be okay. I know it.
I had an amazing first week!!! My goal was to make 10 contacts a day, and my companion had the same goal. Together we talk to at least 20 people in the street every day, taking turns and after a few days I'm really doing my part, and we've met the goal everyday. From that goal we've found 4 really good investigators out here. 2 of them we committed yesterday to be baptized and they accepted. We find people every day. They're really nice and humble. They live in humble circumstances, as do we in our casa: families of 7 living with only 2 or 3 cement rooms, some worse. Not very cozy, kids sleep on the floor every night, but at least it's scorching hot so nobody is freezing. There are so many things I want to say!! I couldn't possibly have enough time to tell you everything I want to about Uruguay. But I will tell you a story:
My second day we went to teach the 1st lesson to one of our street contacts Wilma. We taught her about the Restoration, of course, and gave her a Book of Mormon. She started to cry and we couldn't figure out why. She eventually got out that she and her 3 kids hadn't eaten in 3 days. I looked at the 5 year old girl Laura who was so cute and funny the whole lesson and about cried myself. We promised that if they would read the Book of Mormon and pray, God would bless them. We immediately raced to a members house right after that and told them the predicament. The wonderful member family, the Diaz family, took food over a few hours later. To our wonderment, the next time we visited her she was crying again and hugged us. She said that her prayers were answered. Her husband finally got a job!! And he's been out of work for over a year. They were so happy to see us again. They're one of our progressing families. I've seen miracles out here. My favorite investigator, a woman named Anna, said that she hasn't felt so at peace and happy all her life that she can remember, since she's been talking to us this past week. She bore testimony last night that she believes the Book of Mormon is true. I think she'll get baptized.
But lastly, and all I have time for, is that I hate numbers. We got great numbers this week. Elder Dennis, who's been in the offices and an AP, said we might have some of the best numbers in the mission, but that means jack to me if our ward doesn´t get going. In our area, there are supposedly over 200 members!! Guess how many were in church¿ 25! I told him yesterday that I don't want to baptize people and have them just join a list of inactives who really don't know the gospel. I can baptize out here. Supposedly this area has been dead for a year and we've had nothing but success (in numbers only, in my opinion) since we got here. Nobody wanted to come to Artigas, but I'm certainly glad to be here. The ward members we do have that are active are really awesome, but they don't have any leaders. There are only 4 worthy priesthood holders. The bishop is unliked by most of the ward, and we're gonna see what we can do to change that, but he is indeed a difficult man. Anyway, what I've seen is that the ward doesn't get involved. We NEED their help. I could go around every day lighting gospel sparks in Artigas, but if there isn't a fire for them to join, they will die and join the list of menos activos. I can't accept that. My job as a missionary is to build up the kingdom, not to baptize. I want to do both. But before anything, I want this ward to be on fire. I want them to start reading their scriptures. So yesterday I told my comp that I really felt strongly that we won't have real success unless we get this ward going. After praying he agreed. It's a real chore, but I want to visit members every day as much as investigators. I want to get them going. If they would just read their scriptures and pray every day for themselves!! Everybody loves us. They love the missionaries. Everybody says they feel the spirit when we're with them and they're happy. But we can't be there for everyone. We need them to have their own light, their own fire. And that's why first and foremost, my calling in Artigas is to try and strengthen this ward. I have prayed and I know that is what I am called here to do. I will not light sparks around this city only to see them all flicker away because there's no fire. Our members need to learn that they have the gift of the Holy Ghost. They don't need us to feel the Spirit. They can feel it everyday for themselves. I will labor all day with all my might to teach the members they can do this and to teach the investigators that the church is true. My numbers may suffer but I could care less. We need a fire here. 20 more menos activos will not build up the kingdom of God in Artigas. I want to spend more time with the investigators than missionaries typically do. Because they're so humble and they feel that spirit and want to be baptized, I fear a lot of missionaries run them through the process and go and find more. I want to help them to hit the ground running. To be stronger members who actually know the name of the church they're joining. There is so much I want to do here and so little time to do it.
Anyway, I'm happy and healthy. My companion is absolutely amazing. His name is Elder Dennis from Taylorsville, Utah and we get along great. He says I'm the best companion he has had, and wishes he could see how good I will be in a year when I am more fully fluent. He is on his last change and will be going home in 5 weeks. It truly does break my heart. He is such a good worker and has the same vision as I do for the work. We're doing really good together. And he's really good about complimenting me and keeping me from feeling homesick, because I have that a bit this week. He reminds me every time I'm frustrated that I don't understand what they're saying that his last companion had been here 9 months and couldn't speak or listen as well as I can my first week. That helps me feel good, but hopefully not too prideful. I need to stay humble for sure, and my inability to understand will hopefully keep me humble for a good while, not too long I hope. I just want to devote myself completely to what I'm doing here. I didn't come out here to screw around like some Elders I've regrettably already met. I will speak this language. I love these people. When I have more time I'll write more about the cultural things that I think are funny. I'll just say now that the driving is no different than MarioKart. Dad, you couldn't handle it out here. It's scary in the cars. Luckily I walk everywhere cause were in the beautiful green and dirt country of Uruguay.
One last thing! Thank you mom for letting me take piano lessons when I was 7. My music has been more than a blessing in my mission. My patriarchal blessing said my music would uplift and strengthen many in my life. I'm really seeing that. I played in the MTC fireside and that was just fun. But even better was playing in church yesterday, for a ward that can't sing worth beans and hasn't had a piano player years. They LOVE me. After sacrament meeting everybody came up around the piano and just kept giving me requests of hymns. Church essentially was an extra hour yesterday as we sang hymns together around the piano. Some members have guitars that they can't play but are more than happy to let me play and sing them songs. They LOVE music down here and it has made me immediately popular among the people.
I'm happy and healthy. I have seen more miracles than I have time to recount in this email. I love my opportunity to serve so much!! I love you all!!!
Andy
P.S. My P-day is Monday, except next week it's on Christmas, and I can email every week. Also, the pouch just got a new rule that pouch letters can be no more than a page written on one side and then folded with a stamp on the outside. That makes it essentially worthless if you ask me. If people want to do that they can. Will you post on my blog that the pouch is faster, but the rules stink, and that mail to the mission office will get to me almost as fast and can be real mail. I hope that I am worth the extra 50 cents to send me a real letter.
Okay, so I'm in a different country with a different keyboard. It's hard for me to type cause it's a little different. Anyway, I will have to give up on capitalizing things because I keep messing it up and its slowing me down, as well as apostrophes. [capitalization and apostrophes corrected by family]
Montevideo was a pretty cool city. I was only there for a day before I got shipped out to Artigas, Uruguay, which is as far north as you can get before you're in Brazil. The mission map they sent us was wrong. My mission does include Montevideo, almost half of it. My companion spent more than half of his mission in the city of Montevideo.
Anyway, I'm kind of in culture shock now. First big issue, in Artigas they speak Portugnion, a mix of Portuguese and Spanish! Thanks a lot MTC! Itss alright. They understand me when I speak, I just don't understand them. Even the people that speak mostly pure Spanish, are still really hard to understand because they have a thick accent and they speak really fast. A lot of people have kind of a lisp-lithp thingy, and they also say a lot of (shhh) amidst their words. Sho me shamo, ashi, asha, etc... It's really hard to pick out words in the midst of so much shushing. I'm doing alright though. I'm starting to get it. At least I can speak. One thing I don't want to happen to me is be like these two Elders I met in the offices. They were there during transfers to get their bus. Anyway, they couldn't speak a lick of Spanish. One had been here 6 months and another 9 months. Not a lick!!! I spoke better Spanish. They sent me out the first night in Montevideo with one of the office Elders and he made me make some contacts and I taught a lesson with him too. I couldn't understand a lot, but I could speak just fine. He was amazed at my accent and how well I knew the language. He said I didn't make a single conjugation mistake the whole day that he noticed and that I sound really good, better than a lot of Elders who've been here for 6 months. That really encouraged me. I have still been frustrated because I can't understand when they speak, but I know I will get it. In a few weeks I am sure I'll feel at home and in routine, and in a few months I bet Spanish won't even be an issue. The real issue is Portuguese. The good Elders out here learn both languages, like my companion Elder Dennis, for example, can speak both. He's a really good companion and a really awesome missionary. He has helped me to feel encouraged too. He says he can't believe how clearly and correctly I speak. If only I could hear. I just can't understand the people!! But I'm encouraged to know that most missionaries, even the ones who can't speak well, learn how to listen while they're out here. I will be okay. I know it.
I had an amazing first week!!! My goal was to make 10 contacts a day, and my companion had the same goal. Together we talk to at least 20 people in the street every day, taking turns and after a few days I'm really doing my part, and we've met the goal everyday. From that goal we've found 4 really good investigators out here. 2 of them we committed yesterday to be baptized and they accepted. We find people every day. They're really nice and humble. They live in humble circumstances, as do we in our casa: families of 7 living with only 2 or 3 cement rooms, some worse. Not very cozy, kids sleep on the floor every night, but at least it's scorching hot so nobody is freezing. There are so many things I want to say!! I couldn't possibly have enough time to tell you everything I want to about Uruguay. But I will tell you a story:
My second day we went to teach the 1st lesson to one of our street contacts Wilma. We taught her about the Restoration, of course, and gave her a Book of Mormon. She started to cry and we couldn't figure out why. She eventually got out that she and her 3 kids hadn't eaten in 3 days. I looked at the 5 year old girl Laura who was so cute and funny the whole lesson and about cried myself. We promised that if they would read the Book of Mormon and pray, God would bless them. We immediately raced to a members house right after that and told them the predicament. The wonderful member family, the Diaz family, took food over a few hours later. To our wonderment, the next time we visited her she was crying again and hugged us. She said that her prayers were answered. Her husband finally got a job!! And he's been out of work for over a year. They were so happy to see us again. They're one of our progressing families. I've seen miracles out here. My favorite investigator, a woman named Anna, said that she hasn't felt so at peace and happy all her life that she can remember, since she's been talking to us this past week. She bore testimony last night that she believes the Book of Mormon is true. I think she'll get baptized.
But lastly, and all I have time for, is that I hate numbers. We got great numbers this week. Elder Dennis, who's been in the offices and an AP, said we might have some of the best numbers in the mission, but that means jack to me if our ward doesn´t get going. In our area, there are supposedly over 200 members!! Guess how many were in church¿ 25! I told him yesterday that I don't want to baptize people and have them just join a list of inactives who really don't know the gospel. I can baptize out here. Supposedly this area has been dead for a year and we've had nothing but success (in numbers only, in my opinion) since we got here. Nobody wanted to come to Artigas, but I'm certainly glad to be here. The ward members we do have that are active are really awesome, but they don't have any leaders. There are only 4 worthy priesthood holders. The bishop is unliked by most of the ward, and we're gonna see what we can do to change that, but he is indeed a difficult man. Anyway, what I've seen is that the ward doesn't get involved. We NEED their help. I could go around every day lighting gospel sparks in Artigas, but if there isn't a fire for them to join, they will die and join the list of menos activos. I can't accept that. My job as a missionary is to build up the kingdom, not to baptize. I want to do both. But before anything, I want this ward to be on fire. I want them to start reading their scriptures. So yesterday I told my comp that I really felt strongly that we won't have real success unless we get this ward going. After praying he agreed. It's a real chore, but I want to visit members every day as much as investigators. I want to get them going. If they would just read their scriptures and pray every day for themselves!! Everybody loves us. They love the missionaries. Everybody says they feel the spirit when we're with them and they're happy. But we can't be there for everyone. We need them to have their own light, their own fire. And that's why first and foremost, my calling in Artigas is to try and strengthen this ward. I have prayed and I know that is what I am called here to do. I will not light sparks around this city only to see them all flicker away because there's no fire. Our members need to learn that they have the gift of the Holy Ghost. They don't need us to feel the Spirit. They can feel it everyday for themselves. I will labor all day with all my might to teach the members they can do this and to teach the investigators that the church is true. My numbers may suffer but I could care less. We need a fire here. 20 more menos activos will not build up the kingdom of God in Artigas. I want to spend more time with the investigators than missionaries typically do. Because they're so humble and they feel that spirit and want to be baptized, I fear a lot of missionaries run them through the process and go and find more. I want to help them to hit the ground running. To be stronger members who actually know the name of the church they're joining. There is so much I want to do here and so little time to do it.
Anyway, I'm happy and healthy. My companion is absolutely amazing. His name is Elder Dennis from Taylorsville, Utah and we get along great. He says I'm the best companion he has had, and wishes he could see how good I will be in a year when I am more fully fluent. He is on his last change and will be going home in 5 weeks. It truly does break my heart. He is such a good worker and has the same vision as I do for the work. We're doing really good together. And he's really good about complimenting me and keeping me from feeling homesick, because I have that a bit this week. He reminds me every time I'm frustrated that I don't understand what they're saying that his last companion had been here 9 months and couldn't speak or listen as well as I can my first week. That helps me feel good, but hopefully not too prideful. I need to stay humble for sure, and my inability to understand will hopefully keep me humble for a good while, not too long I hope. I just want to devote myself completely to what I'm doing here. I didn't come out here to screw around like some Elders I've regrettably already met. I will speak this language. I love these people. When I have more time I'll write more about the cultural things that I think are funny. I'll just say now that the driving is no different than MarioKart. Dad, you couldn't handle it out here. It's scary in the cars. Luckily I walk everywhere cause were in the beautiful green and dirt country of Uruguay.
One last thing! Thank you mom for letting me take piano lessons when I was 7. My music has been more than a blessing in my mission. My patriarchal blessing said my music would uplift and strengthen many in my life. I'm really seeing that. I played in the MTC fireside and that was just fun. But even better was playing in church yesterday, for a ward that can't sing worth beans and hasn't had a piano player years. They LOVE me. After sacrament meeting everybody came up around the piano and just kept giving me requests of hymns. Church essentially was an extra hour yesterday as we sang hymns together around the piano. Some members have guitars that they can't play but are more than happy to let me play and sing them songs. They LOVE music down here and it has made me immediately popular among the people.
I'm happy and healthy. I have seen more miracles than I have time to recount in this email. I love my opportunity to serve so much!! I love you all!!!
Andy
P.S. My P-day is Monday, except next week it's on Christmas, and I can email every week. Also, the pouch just got a new rule that pouch letters can be no more than a page written on one side and then folded with a stamp on the outside. That makes it essentially worthless if you ask me. If people want to do that they can. Will you post on my blog that the pouch is faster, but the rules stink, and that mail to the mission office will get to me almost as fast and can be real mail. I hope that I am worth the extra 50 cents to send me a real letter.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Email from Elder Bodily
This is an email Elder Bodily wrote(12-05-07). Enjoy!
I, Elder Fbod, having been born of non-musical lineage and having no ability to sing or hit any key have accomplished the impossible. Lo with the help of Elder Shepherd, Elder Fbod and Lohla have landed themselves a spot in front of the entire MTC at the MTC fireside on Sunday December 9 in the year 2007 of our Lord. It is a most triumphant victory. We have bested many foes and come out on top with a recorder and elder shepherd's superb musical abilities. It will be a joyouse occasion with much joy and merry making to be had throughout all the land. Lohla will go down in the history books as a mere recorder who bested many a flute, and violin, and many other so called "better" instruments. Elder Fbod has also managed to construct a lightsaber and is now having many epic battles with the other elders of his district. This is his last P-day in the MTC thus you might not hear from him next week. But fear not my children, I will always return...
I, Elder Fbod, having been born of non-musical lineage and having no ability to sing or hit any key have accomplished the impossible. Lo with the help of Elder Shepherd, Elder Fbod and Lohla have landed themselves a spot in front of the entire MTC at the MTC fireside on Sunday December 9 in the year 2007 of our Lord. It is a most triumphant victory. We have bested many foes and come out on top with a recorder and elder shepherd's superb musical abilities. It will be a joyouse occasion with much joy and merry making to be had throughout all the land. Lohla will go down in the history books as a mere recorder who bested many a flute, and violin, and many other so called "better" instruments. Elder Fbod has also managed to construct a lightsaber and is now having many epic battles with the other elders of his district. This is his last P-day in the MTC thus you might not hear from him next week. But fear not my children, I will always return...
Flying Away
Email Dated 12-05-07
It's official, I'm getting out of this place. I leave on Monday at 1:00 from the SLC Airport. I couldn't be happier about it. I wont arrive in Uruguay until noon the next day, so I'll have some good flight time to cram some more Spanish in, read scriptures, and sleep if possible. I'm not looking forward to sitting with Elders McClellan and Tyler the whole flight. They're the only other 2 going to Uruguay with me. They bicker like a near-divorce married couple I swear. They drive me crazy! And they will no doubt want me to sit in the middle. I just want to enjoy my flight peacefully. We shall see.
Good News!!! It's on like Donkey Kong. Elder Forrest Bodily and myself will be playing in the MTC Fireside this Sunday at 7:00 PM for the entire MTC. What began as a joke is now the musical feature of the evening. I taught him how to play the recorder he brought. He brought it as a joke, he's had it since the 4th grade. He's a really funny kid like that. I taught him what the notes were and during some P-Days even wrote out hymns on note paper for him so he could learn how to play more. We'll be playing "If You Could Hie To Kolob", my arrangement, and if you ask me, it sounds really good. I'm very excited for it. I hope he doesn't get nervous. The Recorder might be hard to play in front of thousands of people. Especially if they start laughing. That's my worst nightmare. If they start laughing we will too. It's hard enough for us to keep a straight face, at least it was in the beginning. I'm gonna see if I can get a tape of it sent home to y'all for Christmas. It's legit.
I'm very excited for you to receive my pictures. I have some very good ones that I know you will enjoy. I don't want to spoil it so just be patient and wait.
I'm happy to report that my Spanish is a lot better! My teacher, Hermano LeSeuer, whom I love very much, told me that my Spanish is definitely in the 90th percentile of missionaries he's seen leave. So that made me feel good. And furthermore I've been doing the Referral Center calls in Spanish. I have more referrals in Spanish than English. I've held full 20 minute conversations in Spanish. The key for me was to ignore the computer prompts and just listen to them and say what I know how to say. I really enjoy speaking Spanish. It's fun. I have a LONG way to go before I would claim to be fluent, but I'm excited to report that I'm very near being bilingual...I think.
I'm so excited to leave it's hard to know what else to say. I just want to say that I'm not as prideful as I sound in these emails. I hope you can read my sarcasm sometimes. If you really know me well enough then you will know exactly how my voice would sound saying all that I say. So let that be a test of how much you love me.
I love the gospel of Jesus Christ so very much! I'm ecstatic for the opportunity I have to share the gospel in another language and in another country. I'm so very fortunate for all I've had in my life. We're a blessed family. I know that you're being blessed this Christmas season and will be blessed by the missionary service that comes from our family. I'm so grateful for family. More than anything, I miss family, especially at this Christmas season. You'll be able to tell when You see my Charlie Brown Christmas tree I put up in my room. I love you all so much. I am out of time. Take care!
Adios!!
Andy
It's official, I'm getting out of this place. I leave on Monday at 1:00 from the SLC Airport. I couldn't be happier about it. I wont arrive in Uruguay until noon the next day, so I'll have some good flight time to cram some more Spanish in, read scriptures, and sleep if possible. I'm not looking forward to sitting with Elders McClellan and Tyler the whole flight. They're the only other 2 going to Uruguay with me. They bicker like a near-divorce married couple I swear. They drive me crazy! And they will no doubt want me to sit in the middle. I just want to enjoy my flight peacefully. We shall see.
Good News!!! It's on like Donkey Kong. Elder Forrest Bodily and myself will be playing in the MTC Fireside this Sunday at 7:00 PM for the entire MTC. What began as a joke is now the musical feature of the evening. I taught him how to play the recorder he brought. He brought it as a joke, he's had it since the 4th grade. He's a really funny kid like that. I taught him what the notes were and during some P-Days even wrote out hymns on note paper for him so he could learn how to play more. We'll be playing "If You Could Hie To Kolob", my arrangement, and if you ask me, it sounds really good. I'm very excited for it. I hope he doesn't get nervous. The Recorder might be hard to play in front of thousands of people. Especially if they start laughing. That's my worst nightmare. If they start laughing we will too. It's hard enough for us to keep a straight face, at least it was in the beginning. I'm gonna see if I can get a tape of it sent home to y'all for Christmas. It's legit.
I'm very excited for you to receive my pictures. I have some very good ones that I know you will enjoy. I don't want to spoil it so just be patient and wait.
I'm happy to report that my Spanish is a lot better! My teacher, Hermano LeSeuer, whom I love very much, told me that my Spanish is definitely in the 90th percentile of missionaries he's seen leave. So that made me feel good. And furthermore I've been doing the Referral Center calls in Spanish. I have more referrals in Spanish than English. I've held full 20 minute conversations in Spanish. The key for me was to ignore the computer prompts and just listen to them and say what I know how to say. I really enjoy speaking Spanish. It's fun. I have a LONG way to go before I would claim to be fluent, but I'm excited to report that I'm very near being bilingual...I think.
I'm so excited to leave it's hard to know what else to say. I just want to say that I'm not as prideful as I sound in these emails. I hope you can read my sarcasm sometimes. If you really know me well enough then you will know exactly how my voice would sound saying all that I say. So let that be a test of how much you love me.
I love the gospel of Jesus Christ so very much! I'm ecstatic for the opportunity I have to share the gospel in another language and in another country. I'm so very fortunate for all I've had in my life. We're a blessed family. I know that you're being blessed this Christmas season and will be blessed by the missionary service that comes from our family. I'm so grateful for family. More than anything, I miss family, especially at this Christmas season. You'll be able to tell when You see my Charlie Brown Christmas tree I put up in my room. I love you all so much. I am out of time. Take care!
Adios!!
Andy
Saturday, December 1, 2007
No Queso
Email Dated 11-28-2007
I'm still waiting, but the store manager promised me that they would restock the cheese soon. Today or tomorrow. I've suffered three long weeks, but I know it hasn't been in vain. It will just make my last can more enjoyable before I go to Uruguay.
I should get my flight plans tomorrow or Friday, and so I'll let you know about the details. I'm told I get a phone call home for some minutes at the airport, so Ill let you know when that might be. You might have to be ready to get up super early for that. I wasn't expecting that phone call. And you can count on my Christmas phone call too. So that is 2 in one month. Not every missionary gets that. You should probably prepare a calling-card or make sure our long-distance plan is good, because I've heard that international phone calls are super expensive. A missionary in my zone said that his brother was in Brazil and his family called him on Christmas for over an hour and it cost over 300 dollars. But this missionary has been known to exaggerate and tell some tall tales.
I have made an amazing discovery...that you will see in picture when I have them developed. I just took my card in to get the pics developed so I can mail them home before I leave. You will be impressed with Elder Bodily and my discovery this morning. P-Days are very special days. The picture will simply just astound you. I can't wait for you to see it. The code word/hint I'll give now is "Star Wars".
Spanish is pretty much the best language any English speaker can learn. Not only is it completely usable in the USA, but it's practically English's step-brother. So many times during the day I can make up what I think the word might be and I'm right. "Oh I want to say restoration...how about restauracion" or "president...presidente", or "patience...paciencia". I don't know how to explain it, there's a method to the madness. I've started falling in love with all English words that end in "tion" because they just end in "cion" in Spanish a lot of the time. With a decent grasp on the grammar and conjugations now I'm decently fluent, however still pretty slow. Spanish is just fun. You can guess and get it right. I do it at least 10 times a day, and then look it up and to my great joy find that I said a real word. Spanish is boss. It's the bee's-knees. I testify that that is true. Sorry to Tyce that he had to speak Portuguese...or Dad had to speak Japanese...or to MJ who had to speak German... You're all missing out. Spanish is boss.
I'm glad to hear that BYU won. I knew as soon as the game was over who won. We could hear the cheering from the MTC.
I have to go now, because I have my follow up appointment with the foot guy. I love you all. I'm getting out again for at least 20 minutes!!!! Take care and remember always to pray. God does care and will answer.
Adios!!
Andy
I'm still waiting, but the store manager promised me that they would restock the cheese soon. Today or tomorrow. I've suffered three long weeks, but I know it hasn't been in vain. It will just make my last can more enjoyable before I go to Uruguay.
I should get my flight plans tomorrow or Friday, and so I'll let you know about the details. I'm told I get a phone call home for some minutes at the airport, so Ill let you know when that might be. You might have to be ready to get up super early for that. I wasn't expecting that phone call. And you can count on my Christmas phone call too. So that is 2 in one month. Not every missionary gets that. You should probably prepare a calling-card or make sure our long-distance plan is good, because I've heard that international phone calls are super expensive. A missionary in my zone said that his brother was in Brazil and his family called him on Christmas for over an hour and it cost over 300 dollars. But this missionary has been known to exaggerate and tell some tall tales.
I have made an amazing discovery...that you will see in picture when I have them developed. I just took my card in to get the pics developed so I can mail them home before I leave. You will be impressed with Elder Bodily and my discovery this morning. P-Days are very special days. The picture will simply just astound you. I can't wait for you to see it. The code word/hint I'll give now is "Star Wars".
Spanish is pretty much the best language any English speaker can learn. Not only is it completely usable in the USA, but it's practically English's step-brother. So many times during the day I can make up what I think the word might be and I'm right. "Oh I want to say restoration...how about restauracion" or "president...presidente", or "patience...paciencia". I don't know how to explain it, there's a method to the madness. I've started falling in love with all English words that end in "tion" because they just end in "cion" in Spanish a lot of the time. With a decent grasp on the grammar and conjugations now I'm decently fluent, however still pretty slow. Spanish is just fun. You can guess and get it right. I do it at least 10 times a day, and then look it up and to my great joy find that I said a real word. Spanish is boss. It's the bee's-knees. I testify that that is true. Sorry to Tyce that he had to speak Portuguese...or Dad had to speak Japanese...or to MJ who had to speak German... You're all missing out. Spanish is boss.
I'm glad to hear that BYU won. I knew as soon as the game was over who won. We could hear the cheering from the MTC.
I have to go now, because I have my follow up appointment with the foot guy. I love you all. I'm getting out again for at least 20 minutes!!!! Take care and remember always to pray. God does care and will answer.
Adios!!
Andy
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
I want different food
Week 7-ish and I'm ready to leave for sure. The food just isn't doing the trick any more. And I'm tired of having the same smell as every other missionary. It's just not all that it's cracked up to be. The stinking English speaking missionaries: "Oh! I Love the food!! It's so good!!" Well I challenge them to eat it for 7 weeks and still say that.
Besides the food getting on my nerves, particularly the bland hamburgers every day, I'm doing good. And I'm really popular at lunch because I remember everything Jim Gaffigan has ever said and so I can quote all of his food jokes. It helps me forget about what I'm eating.
Anyway, I wont talk about the food anymore.
I taught in Spanish last week in the TRC with my companions Elder Bodily and Archibald. I felt it went really well. I found myself speaking better than I knew I could. My teacher thought that it seemed I talked the most, but he had to go between rooms with the other Elders in the district. I only taught one principle out of 8 in our lesson!! I say it's just because I actually expounded on what I said in Spanish, rather than just say "Joseph Smith was called as a prophet. He restored the church. Now we have the Book of Mormon." I can do way better than that and so I do. It is hard when teaching in a new language, and when you first start that's how it comes out. Very simple and plain. And the words of the gospel are simple and plain, but now that I'm getting better I can actually expound on it, ask questions and check for understanding, and just make sure that the investigator gets what's being taught. I'm super excited to get out of Provo and be humbled to find that I really can't speak Spanish at all. I'm praying for an awesome first companion that will show me the ropes and really knows his Spanish.
I'm really sad that at the bookstore that they are out of the canned cheese and Ritz that Elder Bodily and I have been having for our Cheese/Chess parties at night!!! They're all out!! And have been so for 7 days, and there's none in there right now and the store is going to be closed for 3 days because of Thanksgiving. I suffer for my service. In fact, they ran out of Ritz at the store first, and Elder Bodily and I made a deal with Hermano LeSeuer, our teacher, that if we spoke perfect Spanish for 24 hours he would buy us some Ritz. We did it and got a 10 bag box!!! We already ate them all. I truly am suffering here.
I am really looking forward to getting my flight plans on Monday. It has passed me by so fast!! But soon enough I will be out of Provo and finally doing what I came here to do, and what I've dreamt of doing since I was a little boy. I'm supposed to be leaving on the 10th! I hope that doesn't change. Some people get VISA problems. I sincerely hope that's not me.
I'm working as hard as I know how. I try not to waste any time. It helps to know that I'm paying for this . . . and that [mom and dad] are helping me pay for this . . . but mostly it just helps to know that this is the Lord's work for me. He wants me to be doing this and He wants me to do my best. The Savior is my motivation. He is my all. I spoke the other night with Elder Archibald about my philosophies on life. Everything I believe, all ties back to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We spoke of political ignorance, how sad it is that if people would just care and help each other then the WHOLE world would be a better place, etc. . . We talked about everything. But the last thing I said was "I love that the Atonement is infinite. The Atonement makes up for everything in life that isn't fair. The Lord is our judge. He doesn't compare us. He judges each and every one of us individually, based on who we are and what we did with what He gave us." If you don't believe me, see one of my favorite parables in Matthew 20. It's about the Labourers in the Vineyard. No matter when you end up working for the Lord, doesn't matter if I worked all day and someone else never came around until the last second of the Spirit Prison, we BOTH will receive the same "penny" from the Lord. And that penny is Eternal Life. God is fair. He loves us. He is just. I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much. I am doing my best to devote my life to serving Him. I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That we are truly children of a God who loves us. If we have faith and do our best with what we have, all will be okay.
Take care! I love you all very much!!!
Sincerely,
Andy
Besides the food getting on my nerves, particularly the bland hamburgers every day, I'm doing good. And I'm really popular at lunch because I remember everything Jim Gaffigan has ever said and so I can quote all of his food jokes. It helps me forget about what I'm eating.
Anyway, I wont talk about the food anymore.
I taught in Spanish last week in the TRC with my companions Elder Bodily and Archibald. I felt it went really well. I found myself speaking better than I knew I could. My teacher thought that it seemed I talked the most, but he had to go between rooms with the other Elders in the district. I only taught one principle out of 8 in our lesson!! I say it's just because I actually expounded on what I said in Spanish, rather than just say "Joseph Smith was called as a prophet. He restored the church. Now we have the Book of Mormon." I can do way better than that and so I do. It is hard when teaching in a new language, and when you first start that's how it comes out. Very simple and plain. And the words of the gospel are simple and plain, but now that I'm getting better I can actually expound on it, ask questions and check for understanding, and just make sure that the investigator gets what's being taught. I'm super excited to get out of Provo and be humbled to find that I really can't speak Spanish at all. I'm praying for an awesome first companion that will show me the ropes and really knows his Spanish.
I'm really sad that at the bookstore that they are out of the canned cheese and Ritz that Elder Bodily and I have been having for our Cheese/Chess parties at night!!! They're all out!! And have been so for 7 days, and there's none in there right now and the store is going to be closed for 3 days because of Thanksgiving. I suffer for my service. In fact, they ran out of Ritz at the store first, and Elder Bodily and I made a deal with Hermano LeSeuer, our teacher, that if we spoke perfect Spanish for 24 hours he would buy us some Ritz. We did it and got a 10 bag box!!! We already ate them all. I truly am suffering here.
I am really looking forward to getting my flight plans on Monday. It has passed me by so fast!! But soon enough I will be out of Provo and finally doing what I came here to do, and what I've dreamt of doing since I was a little boy. I'm supposed to be leaving on the 10th! I hope that doesn't change. Some people get VISA problems. I sincerely hope that's not me.
I'm working as hard as I know how. I try not to waste any time. It helps to know that I'm paying for this . . . and that [mom and dad] are helping me pay for this . . . but mostly it just helps to know that this is the Lord's work for me. He wants me to be doing this and He wants me to do my best. The Savior is my motivation. He is my all. I spoke the other night with Elder Archibald about my philosophies on life. Everything I believe, all ties back to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We spoke of political ignorance, how sad it is that if people would just care and help each other then the WHOLE world would be a better place, etc. . . We talked about everything. But the last thing I said was "I love that the Atonement is infinite. The Atonement makes up for everything in life that isn't fair. The Lord is our judge. He doesn't compare us. He judges each and every one of us individually, based on who we are and what we did with what He gave us." If you don't believe me, see one of my favorite parables in Matthew 20. It's about the Labourers in the Vineyard. No matter when you end up working for the Lord, doesn't matter if I worked all day and someone else never came around until the last second of the Spirit Prison, we BOTH will receive the same "penny" from the Lord. And that penny is Eternal Life. God is fair. He loves us. He is just. I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much. I am doing my best to devote my life to serving Him. I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That we are truly children of a God who loves us. If we have faith and do our best with what we have, all will be okay.
Take care! I love you all very much!!!
Sincerely,
Andy
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