Hey!
I’m on for a little bit before we go to La Merced for a Zone Conference. Our week was good, but we had had a disappointing Sunday because no one went to church. We had one investigator go, but she left after the first hour because her RM cousin always leaves. Annoying! Things are good with Elder Grandstaff. It is almost more frustrating watching him struggle with the language than it was for me to learn it. Patience is required I know. I wish I could just give the language to him, because I don’t like him to be frustrated. I guess that’s what it’s kinda like for a dad to watch his son struggle. Somethings we just have to learn the hard way: with patience and effort.
We taught a lot of lessons this week though, and we are working hard so that is good. It is hard though to teach Elder Grandstaff Spanish. I’m trying to be a good teacher. I’m trying to talk all Spanish, but it is hard to talk in all Spanish because he doesn’t understand a lot yet. It’s so easy for me to just be his walking translator. What did Marcus do with a gringo trainer? How did he learn Spanish? Things are good though.
Give the sick Brody my love. My sweet puppy.
It was good to talk to Marc for a minute last week. Marcus really does speak well, and he’s had all gringo companions. I was talking with him and I was kind of surprised how well he speaks. He speaks as well or better than me. I didn’t understand some of the words he was saying because they were weird Chilean slang, but he spoke super well. I think we will have to start doing that though, Spanish in our room and grammar along with the lessons endlessly. My comp studied German in high school, and I have to admit my 2 years of Spanish did help, even though I thought it was pointless at the time. But is it is little by little. That is my biggest worry though right now. Actually I’m not really sure why president put me with Elder Grandstaff because he was the only gringo in his group and it made more sense to put him with one of the Latino trainers. I just worry that I’m not the best companion for him, but hay que tener fe y confiar en el señor. And I do love the guy!
Things are going good though. We will go to La Merced then come back tomorrow. I like going to La Merced, so it should be fun. Hey mom have you sent my package yet? Or called the courier about my bag? One thing I would like too is the Meet the Mormons DVD in English and Spanish, too, because it is a movie that we can actually have. Also, I would like a small low key easily shipped jump rope. I think I have one in the basement, just send me that one. And anything else easy to help me work out, but I cant thing of anything.
I read Helaman this week up to Helaman 10. It is a pretty cool book. It is crazy how many time the Nephites fall into the pride cycle in the first few chapters. I think it is in chapter 4 alone where it happens like 5 times. I read as well the famous chapter 5 with the famous words of Helaman to his sons Lehi and Nephi. It makes sense that Helaman talks about putting Christ first in our lives to a people who obviously hadn't and because of this they were so easily shaken and fell into wickedness. But I like how it talks about remembering. In chapter 5 verses 5 through 14, it says remember more than 10 times. The Nephites didn't remember the things that were taught to them and forgot their god. Nephi and Lehi remember the words of their fathers and kept the commandments and left to preach the gospel. President Kimball has a quote that says if you had to choose the most important word in the dictionary you could, choose remember because it is so important to remember our covenants and God in everything we do. Here there are a lot of people who have forgotten God and a lot of people who have forgotten the covenants they have made. Literally some who don’t even remember that they got baptized. We have to remember.
Love you all,
Elder Walker
