Monday, June 9, 2014

Hello (gelo)

Hi there my dear family.

This week I taught English classes for the first time. I think its the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I don't speak Spanish or English right now and I have no idea how to teach English. I wish now I would have lended more attention during English class in high school. I taught the verb "ser y estar" which is the verb "to be" and then the alphabet and a few frases "para concocer alquien." I had to write it all in English, then in Spanish and then the pronunciacion. For example. "Hola - Hello (gelo)" and "¿De donde es usted? - Where are you from? (Hueir ar yu from?)" and so on and so forth. It was difficult but in the end the class went well and I think they learned something. Well I hope so. But the bright side is that my English is improving. And even better news is that my Spanish is getting way better. I feel like it is at least. My companion is terrible about being nice to me so I don't really know how I'm doing. I am reading a ton out loud every day and Its helping a ton with my pronunciacion. I'm basicly a Latin now.


Well I'm a Latin apart from the fact that I'm really tall... and also I'm growing. Every single one of my pants are too short. I look like a nerd. Luckily there is an Hermana in our ward who sews for a living. She told me that she would extend the pant legs for me. I hope I don't grow anymore because there is only so much extra fabric to extend. I'll send pictures of her house and her sewing machines. Mom and grandma, you'd be jealous of her machines. They are insane.

Now about My companion. He is awesome but sometimes, because he's going home in 9 days, is a little bit lazy. Well sometimes really lazy. We had a service project where we had to cut up a giant tree that fell during the night. (the wind is insane here) We went with a member in the church named Jose and he and I worked and worked and worked and Elder Beltran literally sat and drank lemonade while he watched us work. It was pretty funny at first and then after when we had split open blisters and bleeding hands and he was complaining about drinking too much lemonade, it wasn't funny anymore... But all is well. I like the work so I doesn't bother me much.

 
I did almost lose it this week though. We had some of the best moments this week and some of the worst. I had never been denied in my face and yelled at for my religious beliefs. Now I can say I have. I don't get mad very easily or very often.... But sometimes I do. And I was so angry at the things they were saying to us and I wanted them to just see what we see but Elder Beltran had to stop me and tell me that it wasn't worth the arguing. I need to be better about this. But its so sad and frustrating when they don't see the happiness that they could have upon listening to our message.

 
Even though we had denials and more denials, we finally met a family who is ready to receive this gospel. Jessica, Jennifer, Edmundo, Diego, Julio, and Matias. They all want to be baptized, they all want to go to church, and have loved the 2 times they have attended. Jennifer and Edmundo are excited to be married and things are going well with them. We are working hard to make sure this family doesn't fall through. Also, We had an amazing Noche de Hogar with a family about temples. Never have I seen a family of young kids and young non member parents be so excited to hear about the temple. I gained another special testimony of the power of temples.

 
I also studied this week a lot about the Holy Ghost and the roll it plays in our lives. For me its hard sometimes to follow the promptings I receive and sometimes my mind wants a definite "yes or no" answer before I make a decision. I know now that 99.99 percent of the time I'm not going to get a yes or no answer before I need to act. In 1 Nefi 4:6, Nefi says "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." He started to act before he had a perfect knowledge of the things he needed to do. We need to do the same. If we are living our lives faithfully and trying to do the things we should, our actions will be led by the Spirit even if we don't realize it. Often times we need to act and afterwards we will receive an affirmation from the Spirit. And if its a wrong decision, I have a testimony that the Lord will always stop us before its too late. We just need to take a leap of faith and act. Yes, pray for guidance and yes study your decision before you act but don't wait for a definite yes or no because you might be waiting forever.

 
Then in Helaman chapter 5: 45-52 we learn about the power that the spirit has. I love verse 45 when it says " they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words." I know this is a promise that applies to each one of us and I have seen this here in my mission. If we are filled with the Spirit, we will be able to speak marvelous words, and do marvelous things.

 
I love you lots and lots and lots. And I miss you all. Listen to the Spirit, pray for guidance, and then act! I know the Lord is there to catch us if we fall.

 
Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Elder Gehring
This is Familia Jimenez. They work for themselves to make and sew different sweatshirts and tshirts to sell. This is them working!

 
 


This is a giant cactus that we found.

These are a lot of photos of the little kids of the familia Sauna. I don't know all their names. 

This is Marilyn Sauna and her grandson.



This is the tree that we cut up into pieces. We only had machetes and an axe that was not very sharp. I have a lot of blisters now and they bled a lot.



 

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