HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!
First thing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!! It's crazy to think how
much everyone will have grown while I'm out here. Sounds like it was a fun
birthday. Love You! Also, thanks for your letters this week!
Oh boy, the library is busy and so I might have to get off
in 2 minutes but I'll get back on later if we can...
So nothing too crazy happened this past week. I did
manage to lock ourselves out of the car while it was POURING. So that was pretty
sweet.
Poop. got to go
Okay, I'm back once again! Elder Brown and I are doing well
together. I eat constantly throughout the day, even as we're going tracting I
munch on granola bars. For lunch I eat like 4 PB and J sandwiches and a couple
tacos and have only gained a couple pounds the whole time I've been out here.
In Elder Brown’s diabetes check up the doctor told him he needed to lose about
15 or 20 pounds, which would basically be my weight. So I think he tries to
plan our day so that there's minimal amount of time to eat meals just to spite
me haha. Here I am eating all the time and I don't gain wait while he eats
hardly nothing and needs to shed a few pounds. It's kinda funny. I just try to
enjoy my metabolism while I have it! We had a zone activity (we basically
played a one verse all version of dodgeball) and we had a teaching appointment
so my Pday is a little mixed around today.
So like I was saying... Not too much happened this week, but getting locked out of the car (until the Vehicle coordinator drove down and saved us) turned out to be a blessing. We turned lemons into Lemonade by knocking doors around where the car was parked. We ended up having like one of the best first lessons we ever have had. They were already so humble. They committed to read the Book of Mormon, to pray, and to be baptized when they know it's true. BUT, they were an English family so we turned them over to the other Elders. EVERY Spanish Investigator we have is Catholic (which means you go to church once a year on Christmas and you have a Bible in your house but you don't know where it is haha) And the Hispanic population works like crazy. So they work on Sundays, which is what is keeping several of them from coming to church :( Also, they generally can't read very well, which makes gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon a little more difficult. But they really are great people and I'm learning to love them tremendously. I often find myself bearing testimony to my friends (that's what I'll call them, not investigators but friends) and begging them in my heart that they will accept this message of the restored gospel. I want them to have it so badly. I pray for them and hope to see some of them progress because I know how it can bless their lives. The mission has already truly been an incredible opportunity to feel of the love that the Savior and Heavenly Father has for his children - Especially the Spanish ones in OHIO ;) I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH! So I continue to work hard and be patient :D
So like I was saying... Not too much happened this week, but getting locked out of the car (until the Vehicle coordinator drove down and saved us) turned out to be a blessing. We turned lemons into Lemonade by knocking doors around where the car was parked. We ended up having like one of the best first lessons we ever have had. They were already so humble. They committed to read the Book of Mormon, to pray, and to be baptized when they know it's true. BUT, they were an English family so we turned them over to the other Elders. EVERY Spanish Investigator we have is Catholic (which means you go to church once a year on Christmas and you have a Bible in your house but you don't know where it is haha) And the Hispanic population works like crazy. So they work on Sundays, which is what is keeping several of them from coming to church :( Also, they generally can't read very well, which makes gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon a little more difficult. But they really are great people and I'm learning to love them tremendously. I often find myself bearing testimony to my friends (that's what I'll call them, not investigators but friends) and begging them in my heart that they will accept this message of the restored gospel. I want them to have it so badly. I pray for them and hope to see some of them progress because I know how it can bless their lives. The mission has already truly been an incredible opportunity to feel of the love that the Savior and Heavenly Father has for his children - Especially the Spanish ones in OHIO ;) I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH! So I continue to work hard and be patient :D
Random thing of the week - Me and Elder Brown tried "DA
BOMB" it's like one of the hottest habanero salsa's in the world. Elder
Brown took the smallest drop on his tortilla. He nearly doubled over crying
from pain. The quote that says, “wise men learn from their own mistakes, but
Wiser men learn from the mistakes of others" apparently doesn't apply to
me. After Elder Brown's episode of tears and hyperventilating I promptly
followed suit and took the SMALLEST drop of salsa and consequently suffered
similar pain. Luckily it was just dinner at a members house and so we were
comfortable with looking like pathetic Gringos. But honestly, I love the people
here!
Last
note, apparently I might be training right after I'm done training. It's a real
possibility. The number of missionaries is going to almost double by the next
few transfers! This work is so crazy and I love it! The church is true! Love
you all and have a great week!!! -Elder Kevin Graf
**Kevin also sent a handwritten letter and said to let everyone know that he is grateful for all of the letters he's received from friends and family. He doesn't have time to answer everyone, but he really appreciates the support. He also mentioned that if they come across an English household, they teach them the first lesson and then refer them to the English Elders. But if they find an English household in Huber Heights (where they live) they keep them and continue teaching them. They end up teaching about half in English and half in Spanish.
