This week is transfer week but Me and Elder Gibb are staying
here in the great Kentucky! There are two other elders in our branch. Elder
Prach, who has been here for 2 weeks, and Elder Carranza, who has been here for
a year. Who is getting transferred? Elder Prach of course. It's crazy that
Elder Carranza is staying here, pretty unheard of to be here for this long. He
feels like he's worked and done everything he knows how to in this area but
apparently there's still more for him here. I'm super happy to stay here. We
have a sweet apartment and are one of the only remaining Spanish elders to have
a car. The mission has been swelling and there aren't nearly enough cars to go
around. Most areas share a car. But more than anything I really love the
members. They are so fun, such incredible people. They are all pretty new to
the gospel as well. As I've mentioned before, almost every single one of them
are recent converts. So we have to basically teach the branch how to run
church meetings and fulfill their callings. Lot's of work but lot's of rich
blessings.
I feel like I'm saying the same thing every week but we really
did have another good week again.
The nature of our work is basically morning schedule (exercise,
shower, eat, studies for 4 hours: Personal study, companionship, 12 week
training program, language study), afternoons (afternoons are hard - no one is
home because Hispanics work hard non stop) and then nights, (which are
super busy because that's when everyone finally gets home). We spend most of
our time in trailer parks and apartment complexes. There are 3 member
families in our area that we see a couple times throughout the week and a couple
less active families as well. We haven't had to do too much tracting because
we've been working out of the area book, a book of records of the history of
the area. We are learning that basically EVERY Hispanic is related to
each other. So the trick here will be to just convert one of them and then all
of them will convert :) We're working on building up our investigator pool
and we've been doing well finding new gators, the trick is just finding
the ones that are going to progress in the gospel. Yeah, we're doing
well. Elder Gibb is a good elder and we're working well together.
Dad requested I list a few things I've learned on my mission;
here are a few!
Basic Survival: Ironing clothes, washing clothes, cooking. I
wish I knew how to sew better :(
Revelation. There are several different ways we get it
(scriptures, prayer, church...) but it always stems from the spirit. That's
something I began to learn in the MTC, the spirit is a real guide
that can give us counsel and comfort in the form of impressions upon the heart
and mind. As we follow those impressions of the spirit, we can recognize
God's hand more fully in our lives and revelation becomes easier to
recognize and more clear. But we have to take the initiative. Notice the
pattern of the scripture "ask, and ye shall receive, knock, and it shall
be opened unto you". Heavenly Father is anxiously waiting to
bless us and direct us, but He is waiting for us to first act and "Ask'
and "Knock". The Bible dictionary also says some interesting
things about Prayer, how it is a channel of revelation and certain blessings
are only revealed through prayer.
That's another thing I've learned: Prayer and Fasting are
powerful. I don't have time to expound on all of these right now but I've come
to love praying and fasting.
Temples truly are Houses of the Lord. I haven't been able to go
on my mission so I'm grateful I went as many times as I did before I left.
Memories of the temple burn in my mind like a spiritual punch to the face. Mom
and Dad, I vividly remember the sealing room with you the Saturday before I
left.
My first few transfers in the field I learned of the importance
and blessing of the Priesthood. Priesthood Power is real and amazing. I
certainly have a testimony that it is God given authority for the blessing of
His children. How blessed we were and are that dad always lived worthy of the
priesthood so that we could have it in our home.
Gift of tongues is real. I know Heavenly Father has helped me
learn Spanish. I still have lots to learn but a year ago I never would have
imagined that I'd be speaking another language like I am.
There is a beautiful chapter in Preach My Gospel called "Christ like Attributes". I feel
like I've particularly been learning Charity, Faith, and
Patience. Throughout my Mission I know Heavenly Father has and will
continue to provide me the companions, members, and experiences I need to
be molded into a more Christ like Disciple.
I've learned that God wants everything you have - heart, might,
mind, strength, faith, choices, thoughts, words, time, talents, and desires. He
created us, and He knows what He wants us to become.
I sure am grateful for the home and family I come from. I
know I don't have to worry about you. You have the gospel in your lives. Things
won't ever be easy all the time but you have the foundation of spiritual truth
you need to overcome anything. I love that I'm here, with the opportunity
to dedicate all that I am to bringing peace into the lives of the people here.
I really feel blessed, really, really blessed.
Well have an awesome Thanksgiving!!! Elder Gibb and I will
celebrate all the holidays together (My birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and New Years!). Elder Gibb is already singing Christmas songs. If
you think for one minute that we're not going to do some serious caroling this
December you're wrong!
Love,
Elder Kevin Graf
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Not many pictures this week....
But here is one of a banana that we've had in our apartment since our first week of the transfer! It's our third companion and we refuse to get rid of him.
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