Boy Meets Celaya (1&2)

December 10, 2018

Boy Meets Celaya (1&2)

General Información

My apologizes for not getting to send out a group email last week, it's been a busy past few days. But, I'm happy I can give you all an update now! I thought I would talk about the most obvious challenge right now, which the Spanish. I would like to say that the Spanish in the CCM and the Spanish are similar in the same way a little driveable toy car is to a real one. Yes, they both are technically the same thing, and they both move, but if you try to take the toy car out onto the freeway, you are going to have problems. And well, I am the toy car on the freeway that is real Spanish. It's funny, at all of our dinners with the members the kids love talking to me because they know more Spanish than me and think it's hilarious when I can't understand them. It's an intresting experience to hardly keep up in a conversation with a 5 year old, but one that I am grateful for. As we read in the scriptures all the time, we need to become like little children before Christ, and I can't think of a better way to do that than by learning a new language. It takes humility and pacience, and I feel myself improving little by little. I bore my testimony during Fast Sunday Sacrament Meeting last week, and the members call me "Elder Jackonary" because I am always looking in my little pocket Spanish to English Dictionary. So, I am trying to do my part, and know that my efforts will be magnified through Heavenly Father to be better than they could ever be by themselves. 

The First Lession to Beat All Out All Other First Lessions

This happened last week but I thought it was funny enough to share this week. So, on my 4 day I went on splits with Elder Laprey, another American who has only been here for 6 more weeks than me, for contacting. In reality, it was kind of an accident that we got put in this split together because neither of us no Spanish, but that didn't stop us from going to a lession they had that planned for that night. It started weird as the lession was with a 25 year old girl and all her  siblings. They were having a dance party before we got there and didn't want us to come in so we got out chairs and started teaching them in the garage. I asked if we could start with a prayer, and she responded that she didn't know what prayer was. We started explaining it, and in the middle of it her boyfriend shows up. I sure he was just as confused as us to see to blonde Americans with scriptures in church clothes teaching his girlfriend and all of her siblings. But, he was actually really cool, and asked us a lot of questions. I basically shotgunned the Restoration at them, invited them to pray, and we were on our way. Probably wasn't the best lessions ever, but I felt alright about my Spanish and they seemed to understand so I will take it.

Beginner's Luck

There really isn't any other way to describe it, as I have had 2 baptizms in my first 2 weeks here! My first one was a little boy named Cristian, I didn't teach him at all but was the one who baptized him. The other was an older man named Bernabe who got baptized this week. We didn't baptizm him because he was technically in the other area but we taught him all the lessions. Both really cool experiences, and I felt the love Heavenly Father had for both of them during them. Hoping to have more moments like that throughout the mission. 

El Fin

I thought I'd end with some of the words of my Greatgrandpa, Ferrus Hugh Larsen. We had a family history activity and I happened to read what he had sent to his son when he was on his mission back in January 29, 1983. He says, "It’s a great joy to serve the Lord and have a testimony of His work. In fact it’s a way of life that is worth all the heart aches and sorrows of this world because that is really what makes life bearable and beautiful." I can't think of a better explaination of why I am here. Hope you all are good at home, and look forward to talking to you all later! 

Elder Jackson 

1. Baptizm of Bernabe

2. Baptizm of Cristian and Guadalope