Your Spanish Is Going To Pot

That was so not the words that I expected nor wanted myself and my sweet new companion to hear as we were at a members home one evening this past week. One of the new things we are doing is asking nearly everyone we meet if they know if any people who speak Spanish live nearby. Most say they don't know but in the case of this man he looked straight at us and said "NOPE! Not around here! Your Spanish is going to pot!" I was half laughing half mortified. HOWEVER we've certainly proved him wrong by getting two Spanish referrals from the Elders. We had a lesson with one of them yesterday and he has been meeting with another church's missionaries for 9 years and understands that you need to be prepared to make a decision like that. We had a member in the ward that is from Mexico that was with us and able to fill in words and phrases and further explain things that we don't have a vocabulary for. And let me tell you... I am SO grateful for my new companion. Good gracious I would NOT have survived that lesson on my own. The moment the man started talking when he opened the door I had no idea what he was saying.  Luckily Hermana McCune has had 12 weeks straight (6 weeks in Mexico at the CCM, and 6 weeks in Dalton Georgia, all Spanish) before this in complete Spanish immersion and so her comprehension is wayyy better and she could actually understand and respond better than I could. I've been teasing her that I'm not actually training her, she is the one training me. I honestly believe that, she is pushing me to elevate my learning and language and it's been great. Humbling? YES. Intimidating? YES. Lots of time saying pleading prayers? YES. But I know it's all for a reason and a purpose and I was blessed with an outpouring of peace while I was fasting yesterday that has lingered and I know that all will be well. 

I really am so blessed.

But seriously at times I feel like I have exhausted our Spanish resources because I have been driving this girl all over town going to every Spanish house apartment, and trailer I can think of and remember. But you know what, the Lord blesses us and we keep finding people!!!! And they speak Spanish!!! We were talking to these little kids outside and asking if their neighbors spoke Spanish too and they proceeded to tell us which apartment numbers did. SCORE!
So I feel like contrary to what our sweet ward member says that personally my Spanish had already gone to pot and now it is the time to improve and be diligent in learning and practicing and seeking for the gift of tongues. In Preach My Gospel  it says that

Part of seeking the gift of tongues is to labor and struggle and to do all you can to learn the language. Trust that the Spirit will help you as you live the way you should and do your very best.

I can definitely attest that there is labor and struggle involved in speaking Spanish and missionary work in general, no you know what,  LIFE in general. Labor and struggle is how we grow! All we can do is do our best and trust in the Lord to help us through. To guide us with the Spirit. I don't know if I've shared this quote before but I absolutely love it, it's by Gordon B. Hinkley, "Please don't nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far above your capacity to achieve, simply do what you can do in the best way you know and the Lord will accept of your effort."

I have seen that time and time again. When we are doing our best and our doubts and fears and nagging thoughts of failure are replaced by faith then miracles happen. The spirit is able to come and work on the hearts of the people present. It's been such an amazing lesson to learn at least 754,986 times in the past 15 months.

I want to close with a story about that, about doing your best and letting the Spirit work the miracle. This one was in English. It was one of Sister Beare's last nights in the field and we went to see an investigator we met miraculously while looking for someone else. We decided to read from the Book of Mormon with her and have been sharing Enos a lot lately (no coincidence because it prepared us for this night) we went in and began to read it with her, when part way through probably halfway through the chapter she stopped us and said, "Girls I have a question I'm not sure if it's off topic or not but what does it mean when the Bible talks about mansions in heaven?" We explain about how Heavenly Father has a place prepared for each of His children and how it's more than we can even fathom, mansions might be more symbolic than actual gigantic homes. She brought up death and seeing the Lord and preparing for our return and then we continued to read. As we turned the page and got to the last verse it was my turn to read, verse  27 says:

And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

I looked up and she was staring at us in complete astonishment, you could visibly see the Spirit touch her and tears welled up in her eyes as she exclaimed "Girls that's God speaking to me! ... Did you see that?!...  I just asked about mansions!!! .... Does this happen often?!" We smiled and nodded and testified of the reality and power of the Book of Mormon that she really can know for herself that the message that we share and the restored gospel is true. Not one person in that room can deny that the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are aware of us. They know our questions before we even ask them. They prepare answers, and we just have to prepare ourselves to receive them.

Blessings come to those who wait, those who struggle and those who trust.

Like my all time favorite quote in the world says: "Don't give up boy don't you quit. You keep walking you keep trying.  There is help and happiness ahead. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust in God and believe in good things to come." Jeffrey R. Holland

It will all be all right, our Spanish won't go to pot, the Lord won't leave us out to dry, our questions won't go unanswered, and good things WILL come.

I know this, I live this, I love this.

Love y'all!

Have a fantastic week!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall