08/27/2013
well familia mi espanol es mas y menos. which means more or less. so its coming along. tell mom she cant read these stories because she'll probably cry. and im sorry everything is so sloppy in my email they have different key boards here and i dont know where certain things are ha ha.
So, this last week was my first week and it was pretty much the hardest thing ive ever done in my entire life. the second day wasn't bad, but i realized that i have no idea what anyone is saying here. then thursday came along and it was very hard. i was very discouraged because there are many kids in my class who are very good at spanish already. so im behind and its rough. i had a pretty bad day when the teacher came and told to not use my notes during lessons because it detracts from the spirit. i sat there thinking, well i wont have the spirit if i dont have a lesson and know what to say. so that was rough. the next day wasn't much better. we did a practice teaching appointment and i couldnt remember anything i planned to say and it was very bad. the lady we taught gave us weird and confused looks the whole time. so me and my companion (who is awesome by the way we get along great) elder moeno were pretty depressed.
then as i was laying in bed about to fall asleep, i got a bloody nose. and that really made me mad because i havent been sleeping very well here. there are police constantly driving around the city with there sirens on and i constantly am tossing and turning. so i was mad. and i go in the bathroom and it just starts going. im trying to shove toilet paper in my nose while standing over a garbage can and bleeding all over the bathroom. it looked like a crime scene. that moment was probably the lowest ive been in the mtc yet. as i stood there just sick of it already after three days, thinking that i couldnt do it anymore, i said just a prayer that my nose would stop so i could go to bed. which was also bloody ha ha. after i prayed i stood there just so down and then ether 12 27 came into my head. weak things become strong. and my nose stopped and i was able to get some sleep.
the next day was not much better our next discussion was better as to the language part, but the teaching part probably confused the crap out of our investigator. she stared at us with a scrunched up face the whole time. so that wasnt much better. oh and i almost forgot. we learned how to pray and use prayer terminology in class one day and we got down on our knees and said our first prayer in spanish. as i started to stumble through the language, i could feel that heavenly father was listening. i knew that he loved me and i could feel that as i prayed. the love and joy that i felt as i prayed was so strong. so ya back to the story. somehow we made to sunday, and that was such a spiritual recharge. we heard a blistering talk by Elder holland. he used the word stupid twice and grilled probably 12 missionaries on the first chapter of nephi. it was the most intense/strongest talk ive ever heard. me and my companion definitely agreed we need to work harder. then we watched the testament. the spirit was so strong at the end when christ heals helum. i know that christ lives, and that he loves us and i can only imagine what it will be like to be in his presence. so we were recharged for the new week.
monday rolled along and we had another discussion to give. me and my companion both fasted that it would go well. and can i just tell you that it was absolutely amazing. i never knew that something that good could come out of starving myself for two meals. which arent that great anyways, but hey its food. the lesson went about as good as the other two for the first part then we asked if she had questions. we were always scared to do that because we didnt know if we would understand her and be able to answer. but we decide we would because we were taught to do that. she asked some questions as our lesson was about the book of mormon. she was confused about joseph smith and where he got the plates from. then she asked how we know that heavenly father and christ appeared to joseph and how we knew they were real. i knew exactly what i wanted to say and i was able to get most of it out so she understood. i told her that i knew they were real becuase i read the book of mormon and i have prayed about it and know its true and that it testifies of christ. i then invited her to read it and know. she said yes and after wards we asked her how she felt. she said the felt so good and we tried to explain that was the spirit. after the lesson me and my compañero walked out and said a prayer of thanks and broke our fast. we were so happy.
the investigator wasnt real and she probably made it a little easir on us by pretty much askin us to bear our testimonies but i dont care. the joy we had form that success and being able to communicate and sharing our testimony when it just fit right in perfectly at the time was so amazing. im so excited to go and teach real investigators and i can only imagine the joy we will have when they also feel the spirit and we are able to share what we know. so its p day and its tuesday so there ya go. we are going to the temple. probably wont understand a thing ha ha. also i got a cold and an ear infection over the week so ive pretty much experienced everything here. ha ha no parasites and im still not eating the lettuce
dad-the food is hit and miss, theres plenty of carbs and bread ha ha. the language is coming along slowly and my companion is awesome. he said i remind him of jim carrey. ha ha and i actually read about the atonement the other day in preach my gospel. it is definitley helping me to know that christ knows what im feeling and that i can overcome because god cannot give us a trial we cant over come. also i need a copy of the sheet music to how can i be and the words pronto. my district likes to sing.
mom-stop crying ha ha everything is fine and i love mexico. you can have my pink socks
hope theres not a puppy at home yet, love you all and pictures are on the way next week!
hasta luego,
Elder Ollis
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