Elder Holland

Quote: "You done been shrunk. Quiet down fish"   (Vector - Despicable Me)  

 

I might have used that quote already but I crack up every time I think of Cate quoting it, soo I’ll probably use it again.

This week I saw the Mexican version of the SNL Obama, Potipher from the Donny Osmond version of Joseph, and the guy from Star Wars that starts to cry after Luke kills the giant beast in Jabba’s palace. At one time I knew the name of that beast. I also saw a version of Eric Lehnardt, but he was ten years younger and wearing some pretty retro clothes. 

Another fun Torreon thing is that we have seen several boats parked outside of people’s houses? What in the world? Where are you going to use that? The closest lake is called the Atlantic Ocean.  

We have been running a loop around the University by our house. There is a security guard at one point there to "keep the peace." There are hundreds of military personnel constantly in trucks on alert here. This security guard is 85 years old, in a lawn chair with a baton, and we often see him napping. I can’t wait for someone to start making trouble and see this guy fly out of his chair and go Rambo on them. Maybe I have too much time to think while we walk, or a little too much sunlight.  Speaking of which - Meish is getting a little hot there?  i don’t know what the effects of the humidity are there, but check out my ten day vs hers. But all is good. I have more trees to use for shade than she does - - - - not.

 

• Torreon Average Temp: 99 degrees
• Naga Average Temp: 91 degrees
• D.R. Average Temp: 86 degrees

Thanks a billion for the package. You guys know me: mints, talks, cereal, and chocolate. I almost started to sing to my comp "these are a few of my favorite things."

Elder Holland came and we had a meeting with just the missionaries on Saturday and a tri-Stake meeting later that day. In anticipation for this my comp spent the days before saying to me "Do you love me" trying to replicate Elder Hollands talk about the apostles returning to fishing. He was incredibly stoked to hear an apostle.  It was perfect because many of our investigators went.   He spoke of the tenderness of the experience when Christ visited the Nephites and the importance of baptism (perfect right). We will see the result this week.  He spoke a little of his talk in Spanish; a pretty stellar minute actually. But he had a very thick MTC accent. At the end of his talk on Saturday, after hitting the podium a few times and just blowing us away with the spirit, he used this great catch phrase "....and if you think you have it hard here on your mission, Welcome the work!" Now my comp and I have a thing between us that when one pretends to be all tired or says the sun is hot, we look each other in the eyes and say: "beinvenidos a la obra!" It was a great weekend.

Take care.

Elder Speen

New Apartment

 

"We got no food, we got no money, and our pets’ heads are falling off!"  

-          Loyd Christmas (Dumb and Dumber)   

This week we moved into a new house that was not previously used by missionaries. We had to buy all of the supplies and we didn’t have time to go to the mission office to get reimbursed. So, we went for a few days with no food or money and we don’t have pets, but

I have seen plenty of animals on the side of the streets whose heads have fallen off.  

I met the Mexican version of Hannah Jenkins this week (exact same person). She was way cool but it was blowing my mind the entire conversation. Also, I saw the Mexican Colonel Sanders. 

 

We got together with our zone this week and the other Elders in the zone were all awkward around the new Hermanas.  Ha

I also learned that Mexicans like their pizzas with ketchup. ha wha?   And I don’t mean a little bit of ketchup.

The gospel gets truer every week. My ignorance seems to grow the more I study (It is actually pretty fun to find out how much I didn’t know that I didn’t know).  

 

There is a Hermana here that has been surrounded by drugs, death, and a rebellious extended family. Everyone around her except her little boy has been involved in bad stuff. Through all of this she found the gospel and she is one of the greatest Saints I know. We had lunch with her this week and I asked her if we could help with her yard. She speaks decent broken English and got all excited to have our help. I am excited to help her. 

 

 

I have a picture of our family and some of the other missionaries (all under five feet tall) were playing eni-meeny-mini-mo to determine which of my sisters there were going to marry.  

Great to Talk Last Night

Mi Familia!

It was so great last night talk to my favorite peeps. It was a fully joyful experience to talk about the happy and difficult things of missions. We can all empathize with each other for the hard times and yet none of us can fully understand what each other has gone through.

I have been somewhat aware and yet probably still naive about how blessed my life has been. We do not have to experience slavery, lifelong ignorance, death of loved ones, war, and so much more. And yet the purpose of this life is to do difficult things and overcome the natural man. I have thought a lot lately about this and how this task is possible. We are told to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, to be temperate, and bridle our passions by Alma. These thoughts led to reading on the topic of Self Control in the Topical Guide. There Spencer W. Kimball says: "if you can conquer yourself, you can conquer the world."

We eat our big meal of the day at lunch. I first began thinking about this after a meal where I had eaten more than necessary. Consequently, my stomach hurt, it was harder to walk to afternoon appointments, and I was tired. Why do we do things that hurt us more than helps us? I know that excess calories add fat, makes our minds less sharp, and decreases our physical ability. All forms of gluttony are focused on what the body wants now: alcohol, drugs, laziness, anger induced violence, fear induced inaction, immorality etc.

But, I believe "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul," in the words of Henley.  In the fourth missionary discussion it says that God does not want to just aggravate the natural man; he wants to eliminate it. The challenge of this life is that we are given a weak form, where we are tempted to indulge ourselves, but we can still take steps toward the Savior. Regardless of our experiences, trials, and tests, we can learn Christlike attributes and give ourselves to God. So, I began to wonder how this can happen. How can we gain dominance over ourselves and become a child of light and good works? I have come to the conclusion that through planning, study, and faith filled goals, we can become clear on what we want to be. We can then set priorities and ask for spiritual help. This process is simple and yet incredibly difficult. But, "that which we persist at becomes easier, not the nature of the thing itself but rather our ability."

In obedience we free ourselves because the better part of our nature is free to flourish. This is intelligence.

As we work with families here, we have been suggesting that they write their goals as a family after discussing the standards they want to follow. If they are having trouble with drugs or alcohol, we ask them to write down the things they are not going to do every day. We then ask them to pray and rely on the one true power in this world.

Love you guys,

Why Do We Fall?

"Why do we fall Master Wayne? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."  Alfred (British Accent) 

 

Hey thanks for that talk last week on Faith. I read it twice and thought it was fantastic. It is hard to find the correct balance of studying Spanish and talks and scrips in English. I want to do it all, just not enough time in the day.  But ya - I like his analysis of those who think "the church is a crutch."  Ha - you look at the success of so many of the members and that really discredits that idea.  But what I really loved was the idea of the two separate dimensions:  faith and reason.  I had previously associated the word "believe" with faith and knowledge with reason. So I really enjoyed how he articulated his point.   

Will the stud a hall of fame man.   Gosh I’m proud of that guy.   A quote from Will that I have thought about a bit was from a day we were skiing and he said "I like it when I fall throughout the day, because it means I have been hitting the hills hard and giving it my all."  No fear to fall cause of associated pain or teenagers above on the lift yelling "yard sell."  Rather the desire to improve, even at cost. 

This week we had our first baptism.  Her name is Maria. She has a son by the name of Hido. He is on a mish right now and that led her to baptism.  President Uchdorf talked in conference about the Africans and said something that applies to so many here as well.  "They are a people with so little of that which matters least and so much of that which matters most."   I wish I could record part of our lessons and make a video to send to you. 

Our Bishop’s name is Field. He and his family are very excited about life and have done well financially. They are louder people and when I first got here I thought there were a bit too loud. But I have really enjoyed my time with this family (the jar of peanut butter helped) and I have been very grateful for how hard he has worked with us and the ward members. We now have 20 more in church than when I arrived.  We almost can’t fit more in the chapel.  He took us to lunch and a young boy with tattered clothing walked in.  I know that begging can be a dirty business in some places, such as shown by the movie Slumdog Millionaire  where a jerk rounds up a bunch of children and injures a few to increase the pity card and send them out to collect for him with little in return. Also, part of me thinks the beggars could do more to pursue a real job. So, I never know if I should give. But this little guy came over and the bishop gave him money for a cookie.   This brought a huge smile and a mouth filled with a chocolate thank you.  The bishop then said a "dollar for a smile, always worth it."  Then as a side note he said: "at least he had shoes." I barely caught it and asked him what he meant. He responded with a story of how he grew up with a mother, no father, 8 siblings and no money. That meant he was on the street begging. He didn’t have a college education but worked hard and started a pharmaceutical company.  Respect.

 
They don’t celebrate Cinco de mayo here, which is funny.  I was talking to an elder today that had a tough comp in his first area, which also is an area that has the reputation of  being the hardest area. It is called The Ranches.  This is out in the boonies with houses very far apart. There is a lot of hitch hiking and dust. Not much food and a lot of happy people. I want it as my next area. But this elder described how his first comp would use his money to buy expensive clothing when they came into town and he would watch TV with the members and not work. This elder lost a bunch of weight and finally called the President who showed up real quick and gave the elder a piece of his mind. Ha. Anyway, I calculated our living expenses with food, clothes for the mission, MTC time and I came up with $3,000 if they would let me use moms’ flight benefits - a little less than the real cost, but thanks a ton for your support.      
 

Also, will you thank Holly and Bryan a bunch for the books they gave me for Christmas: Jesus the Christ, Our Heritage, and Search for Happiness.  The books have great insights and I feel very uplifted by them.  Also, give Henry my congrats on SBO.

I am buying a camera today with the debit card. So pics by the handful next week. 

 

 

 

 

Heckya for William C!!!!

Ahh heckya for William C!!!! I showed my comp (who is from Chile) and he was soo stoked. He started showing me picks and telling me all about it. Then he just kept repeating every once in a while the word trunky – one of the two English words he knows.

Well "suprisingly Biron" another week is done. We had a bunch of solid progress this week. We spend most of our time with less-actives and have focused on two families in particular. In both cases, the parents are members and at some point fell away from the church. They really just got caught up in daily life and the church became less important. That is the way of things; if we are not constantly fueling the flame, it will eventually go out. Their children are not baptized and have not been taught the truths that their parents were given. This is sad that they have been ignorant of the peace and guidance that is so available. When we first met with these families they both were in somewhat of a stressed state. They took some offense that we were at their doorstep and that we thought they needed our attention.  They could have simply had a stressful day and we were seeing them at a dip in their mood, but I think it was the absence of the spirit in their home. What I have seen in the last couple of weeks has bolstered my testimony and given me an excitement for the work. The change has been a stark contrast. They have become more open to our presence and are even now delighted to see us. Their children started to come to listen to our message, first by force, then by willingness, and now are even starting to participate. Their stressed dispositions are gone and have been replaced by tranquility. The parents become especially excited when we talk to their children and commit them to homework, and now even baptism and receiving the priesthood. The parents can draw on their stored knowledge to help and encourage the kids during the lesson. During one lesson, the mother of one of the families couldn’t hold back the tears and then said it doesn’t matter if she was the only one in the family who goes to church this week; she was going.  She was not alone and all of the members of both families attended.

   We have a number of families and individuals with the same results; as I am sure many missionaries around the world do. I have never directly participated like this in someone changing their life and I have seen a corresponding influence in myself. My Spanish is remarkably better at these two families houses, which is probably why I focus on them.  The gospel is not just a part of our lives; it is the backbone and reason. It should guide every thought and decision. Dad talked about it in a letter of the concept of making sure the outline and important parts of the structure are secure and correct and then the result will be that the small things will fall into place. The gospel and church is that structure. If we diligently try to align our lives with the example and words of Christ then we will be filled with a desire to work toward hope and charity. Success can then follow; maybe not success as viewed by the world, but a deeper and more meaningful version. Before my mission, I did not try to diligent seek to understand the word.  Sure, I did most of the right stuff, but it was more of a routine. I was hardly reading my scriptures and service was not really on my mind. And the result was I felt lost at times.  Diligently trying to grow in all the basics of Christ’s teachings leads to such a better perspective .

I am asked all the time how much time I have left. When they find out the response is always the same: "Oh man, I’m sorry."    haha  que pues?  Sure, it will be a lot better in a few months when I can do more than stumble through the language. But I am privileged to have 22 more months of growth and service and I feel nothing but gratitude.

President Monson read this poem in one of his talks:

 

 Through the winds of change

 Encircled by the clouds of pain

 I guard it with my life

 I need the warmth, I need the light

 Though the storms will rage

 I stand against the pounding rain

 I remain a keeper of the flame

 

I am stoked about the garden.  The folks here love their fried meats and I have found myself craving veggies. I had watched some documentaries a couple months before I left and much to the delight of Meg, I started to drift towards a more vegetarian taste.  haha I guess that will be on hold for 2 years.

I gotta go - talk to yas later - loves ya’ll

 

 

Camera's Are Over-rated

I am glad you made it to Stefan’s farewell. Ya Stefan really is a stud. He will have a little different experience in Russia than my experience but he will face some similar challenges. The big difference will be the temp. The thing I really respect about Stefan is his discipline in everything. He is a naturally smart kid but he hasn’t achieved due to laziness. He diligently works on aspects of his life, everyday building more.  I’ve learned on my mission that is what it is all about. Great things don’t come in a day or spring up. It is about constantly, consciously putting in the effort.

We have an inactive family that hasn’t been to church for a very long time. When we first walked by the house in my first week, the mother was smoking. We have spent a lot of time with them since then; almost every other day. Their son won’t come in to talk with us and he plays his guitar really loud while we talk. But because of some financial difficulties they have been humbled and seem desperate for the relief the gospel offers. They have started to show some excitement about having us come by and they even have their scriptures ready.  This week we caught the mother smoking again. She was ashamed and we were disappointed.  But, we talked about the importance of the Word of Wisdom and committed them to come to church. The daughter is Owen’s age and hasn’t been baptized - so we committed her to that as well. Yesterday while we were in the church, I was playing the prelude music and i saw them walk in and I was just stoked on life.

In other news, I saw Sid, the dog from Toy Story this week, so that was exciting. Also, we went to see the Christ statue that is here in Torreon.  It was real cool, and I had some pretty great pictures to show you but on the way down from the hill, we were held up and my camera was stolen. Sooo, that blows. I didn’t have too pictures on it so that is good. I can buy a camera here because it is cheeper. I was perhaps a bit naive but I will have some stories tell.

I really get along with the other missionaries. It is easy to connect when everyone is humble. Our mission is about 50/50 on missionaries from Latin American and the U.S.

This past week we also had had two discussions with men on the street with tequila in hand. They were drunk and asked if I wanted some. They told me they thought our church is radical for its beliefs because we don’t drink alcohol. They got heated and one of the guys had a screw driver in his hand and was scratching his back with it, so I took a step back. I don’t know what they got out of the discussion but I liked it because it helped me practice articulating our beliefs

Thanks for the letters and talks on fear. I ain’t gonna lie; I have felt it a few times here. But, I made a promise to myself that I would contribute in every lesson. Spanish is coming but you know how it is. I’ve learned a lot and these growth pains are expected.    

I have not seen Carson yet as he is in a different area. But, I will see him next month when Elder Holland comes to meet with everyone in our mission. That is going to be pretty cool.  

Love

Elder Speen

 

I Don’t Understand a Word You Just Said!

Quote of the Week:

"I don’t understand a word you just said." Lyle from Napoleon Dynamite

This Wednesday we went back for the night and found that we were without electricity. Water was also a no-go. So we clicked on some flashlights and did the norm. The next morning my comp was pretty ticked about not having power and about showering out of a bucket. I just laughed and thought that Meisha is doing this every morning. It is hot in the afternoons but it is quite cold in the morning. So to get warmed up for a cold shower we did some P90X. It wasn’t actually that bad. I had one of those pooffy shower thingies that get all frothy with the soap. We chased all over town to find the twice relocated offices of the maintenance crew of our building. Finally, they consented to send someone. We waited for another night and no one showed up. Apparently this stuff happens. A few days went by and they still had not showed up. We decided not to wait for them. After a meeting we called a guy in our ward and he said he would bring an hermano in the ward to help. ha he shows up with his "electrician" that I was pretty sure was just his buddy. He stares at this meter for a while and starts poking randomly at all the wires and not really doing anything. I was starting to get annoyed as this was cutting into our day and this guy didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Then, he pulls out a screw driver and starts to smack stuff and boom – the power returned. "Say wha?!  He actually did a little bit more than that, like reattach wires that someone had cut. I blame our neighbors - who I think are trying to stop the work here. But there was also some random hitting with a screwdriver.

So Megs area is La Romana? Ha - my area is Roma and our streets are named after cities in Italy. I just can’t seem to get away from getting lost in Rome.

The words that my comp knows in English are trunky and coming out of the closet. He uses them a lot. We have a real good time together.

In one of the pics I attached, we are with the new bishop’s family - who we are pretty close with. We spent an hour with them and a menus activo miembro and they had me sing and play the piano.  At the end they said do you like peanut butter. DO I EVER? They gave me three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a jar of peanut butter. it tasted like home.

We did some work this week in an area of real poverty. We went to a part of the city with a square mile of one room huts made out of collected scraps. Tough to see. 

 

The highlight of the week was that I taught half of the lesson to an investigator named Jesusita. I then asked her if she was willing to be baptized in 3 weeks. She agreed! It was pretty durn great. I love to be able to speak personally of the power of a family following the commandments of God.

The food is still great. I’m getting somewhat of a sweet farmers tan. There are flocks of birds here that are so big they take 10 minutes to completely fly by and the sunsets are very tatooine like.

Love Ya’ll