Versalle- Week 59

HELLO!!!! HOW JUAR YOU?

So this week went awesome as normal... I got a lot of notes written down to tell you guys so I´ll just start with my list of stuff:)

SO with the Familia Franco, we are still working with them about once a week even though the husband is only there every two weeks... we started talking about temples with them.. They are very curious and it all works out because we have a temple activity for the mission in about two weeks where we will be able to take investigators to the temple to visit and get a tour of the chapel a la par. so... cool beans!

I had an interview to do in Ciudad Arce... about an hour away.. we weren´t very prepared and we got wet... then we didn´t know that the transportation from Arce to Colòn stopped at 7... so we got stuck our there... we slept in the street and in the rain last night.... nope... that was a joke... we slept over at the ZL`s house:)

Had someone saythis week that the plan of salvation was super deep and just couldn´t handle it... that was a first.. keep in mind that we teach like we teach children.. really simply...jajaja

I have started to get really impatient with evangelical women.. they ask you questions and then they never let you answer their doubt... a little frustrating..

I started studying Isaiah.. holy sod that's hard... especially in Spanish. When president Eyring came for the dedication of the temple last year, he said, "There is something special about Isaiah" So I am figuring out the special stuff.. or trying to anyway... jaja!

On Saturday, there was a man and a woman preacher that were preaching right outside our door with a couple of megaphones.. I got a funny video of it... and then we went to go give a nice sharp machete with love. jaja.. I gave them the scriptures: Isa 42:1-2, 2Tim 2:24-5. and 1 cor 11:15 (because the lady was wearing a veil) so that was good.... gotta correct people with love right? jaja

We were eating Sat night with the familia ramos... and I was playing with a hula hoop... then I was telling the kids about what we would do in school with the hula hoop. We would roll it like a wheel and then we would jump through it... so I did that... and WHOOP! pants=ripped... so I call it the Hula hoop rip tear. It was huge! Like that one time mum wore ripped shorts in the mall and stuff.. jaja! but anyway, luckily they had a pair of pants in the house that were my size and hermana Ramos said that she could fix my pants:) it was funny when i saw the 14 year old kid in church the next day~ while i was at the piano:)jaja It was hard not to crack up!

Yesterday we also went into town for the interview of aquel bicho for baptism.. he passed! So with any luck, we`ll have some baptisms this weekend!!!

So, our last interview with the president, we talked about stuff that we can do to be a better teacher. One of my goals that I had was to be a better listener. I wanted to be a better listener for during the mission, but also afterwards. Mum wrote me a few months ago about how she thought that the skill of listening is becoming to be a lost art. So, I thought that I would work on that. Over these past couple months/weeks, I have come to find out that I like listening to people too much. That i love listening to peoples tangents from the lessons and I love listening to peoples stories. Now here`s the struggle, We need to teach the lesson, right? We need to keep control of the lesson. So that's my newest and latest problem that I have as a missionary. But if that's the worst of my problems, then I am doing pretty darn good!

So because the BOMB has really had some success, I started teaching my district about it a bit:) I use a talk from the liahona for my basis, it talks about how teachers can be better teachers.. it mostly is directed towards teachers in their classrooms.. but we apply it to a lot of stuff. It talks about how the lesson is already inside the learner. It has 4 points for teaching for conversion

1. conversion is the aim: inspire them to do something. Conversion is a life long process and it is not about mastering facts, but mastering discipleship.

2. love is the motive: sometimes we teach to "cover" the lesson, rather than teach according to the needs of the individuals. When we teach with love, it helps us teach like the Savior, and according to their needs.

3. Doctrine is the key: doctrine unlocks hearts and minds so that the spirit is poured out amongst all

4. The spirit is the teacher: we should not try to "cover" the lesson, but uncover the lesson that is already inside the learner. (totally true because I feel that I haven't done anything for my converts, they already knew it!) "if we want the spirit to be more evident in our lessons, we simply need to invite them to live a principle of the gospel more fully."

*potential of each learner: gospel learning and teaching is not about learning and mastering facts.. but mastering discipleship. When we begin to acknowledge the magnificent potential of each learner, we begin to see as God sees.

Mum, thanks for your letter! your pretty much awesome. Don't worry about Christmas.. Just get me a cool tie and save the money for when I`m back or for a rainy day.. :) I haven't got the package yet but I assume this week:) I love you!

Pops, Love ya pops! stay riding on the bike and have fun hunting!

Austin; you are such a stud. Way cool you homecoming king guy:) cool that you want the other kid to win and you put that in your slide show:) and what indy song did you use? are those bands cool? love ya bro! have fun!

Ellie; sounds like you are making the greatest decisions! keep making them and keep a mission as an option, if you don't get married really fast:) love ya!

Brynn. I want you to ALWAYS stay happy! just keep those sodding teeth showing all day long! you have such a good life! I love ya! SALU!

Thanks for everything fam! SALU!
Elder TTT