This week was definitely a What the What kind of week. Extreme highs and some pretty extreme lows. I don´t know where to begin, so I guess I´ll just start.
To answer some questions: If we receive packages we have to pay for customs service and I´m not about that life, so send anything to my San Diego address. I have one teacher in the morning (Hermana Arno, she´s still so great) and one teacher in the afternoon (Hermano Manroy, who is so cool and speaks in really easy broken Spanish so we understand everything he says). No I do not have a class on the culture of Mexicans, but I often ask my teachers about what is appropriate, and so far I´ve been ok for all of them. I barely have enough time to read my emails let alone respond to some, but I promise once I get to San Diego I will write real letters with real words and real details.
So most of this week was overall awesome. I can understand A LOT more Spanish, and my speaking now makes sense, so that´s good. I even had to help one of our Mexican roommates get a key for his room, and he only speaks Spanish, but we had a really great time talking to each other IN SPANISH! That was a huge milestone for me.
Tender mercy this week: Elder Johansen got pretty sick this last week, so we skipped gym time so he could take a nap. In the middle of his nap he woke up, asked me a question, and then said, "Thank you Elder Dahl" and went back to bed. Seemed like nothing right? Well that little comment really touched my heart, and whereas before we were kind of struggling to get along, we made a 180 and I felt SO MUCH LOVE for Elder Johansen. He really is who I´m meant to be with here in the CCM.
Next low of the week. On Sunday I was released as District Leader, because they called me and Elder Johansen to be Zone Leaders (for those of you that don´t know the zone leader is in charge of all the districts ion their area). Really cool right? Yeah not so much at first. I LOVED being the DL, and I was SO SAD to be a zone leader because they really only plan very few things for Sunday, so I was SO BUMMED! What had I done wrong? Was there something I could have done better for my district?
That night (this was Sunday) we watched Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration. As I watched that movie all I could think of was how true this Gospel is and how it changes lives. I was reminded of one of my anchors (you can ask my dad about the anchor analogy; he´d love to tell you). I have WALKED through the Kirtland temple. I have STOOD on the Hill Cumorah. I have PRAYED in the Sacred Grove, and I KNOW that this Gospel is true. I know that God has a plan for me, and that he put me, some naive boy who´s about as white as it gets, as the district leader of an intermediate Spanish class, and he now wants me to be the zone leader.
These events are like 2% of what happens here, and I wish I could tell you all everything that I want to. But know that I LOVE you all so much and you are in my thoughts and prayers. Do all that you can and God will make up for what you lack! LOVE YOU GUYS!
Elder Trevar Wayne Dahl
It's great to hear that your Spanish is coming along so well. When you get frustrated, just think to yourself, "at least it's not some crazy language like Finnish!"
ReplyDeleteSoak in as much of the Spirit as you can during the rest of your MTC time. It will come in handy for the rest of your mission. Companions can be a challenge. There must needs be opposition in all things... even companions. :) (2 Ne 2:11) If all goes well, you will be an even greater learning experience for him than he is for you.
You are in our prayers!