Wow, can't believe it's December! It really hasn't snowed here
that much so it doesn't feel like it's that time of year. I think I'm the fifth
oldest Spanish elder (in time out on the mission) and there are about 20 Spanish
elders. Pretty crazy. We're a young mission. Elder Fivas was called to be a
zone leader in English work. I don't know how he feels about it but I think he
was excited.
Well I don't even know what to say, I love my mission and Heavenly Father is blessing us. I'm learning a lot out here and it's a lot of fun to work with all sorts of people, especially the Spanish culture.
We got a new elder in the branch named Elder Shifler. He's from
Portland Oregon and he's super clean and healthy. So he's a nice addition to
the apartment that now has 4 of us.
Christmas: We will be spending Christmas together as a district because Elder Carranza's apartment complex had an electrical fire. No real damage happened to their room, just some smoke. But he and his companion Elder Shifler can't stay the night there until the apartment complex gets recertified. So for the next couple weeks they'll be with us in our apartment, lots of fun, lots of distraction. I'll have to help everyone stay diligent. But we just might put up a Christmas tree pretty soon, there's one stuffed in one of our closets.
Seriously, I have no complaints. Good area, sweet branch, and a
good companion. We are having some sweet experiences with less actives and
investigators. We are helping to reactive several people. M... has been
coming to church again. And a guy named N... (Spanish for Nephi) came to church
for the first time in who knows how long! N... also has a nonmember wife :) So
that could be a conversion in the future. Elder Gibb and I are also
teaching well and we're finding several new investigators each week. We're
healthy and happy. I think we're being blessed simply because we are working
hard and have been patient. We are doing everything that we know we're
supposed to be doing. We're honest with ourselves on where we need to improve,
and we constantly look for ways to progress. We're being humble and obedient
and diligent. We're far from perfect, but we are learning and
applying everything we learn and Heavenly Father has blessed us in simple
but significant ways.
I know that a critical part of our success has been because of
the members. They are doing what they can to help us. They also showed Heavenly
Father that they are sincere about their desires to grow the branch by creating
a branch mission plan. They've got the goals to baptize 6 new families in the
coming year and I know it is 110 percent possible with the Lord's help. It's
exciting to see the branch participate more in the work. Members are learning
their callings, less actives are reactivating, and investigators are
feeling the spirit. I know that this is Christ's church. I know that the spirit
can really help people change. It's helped me change. I know that missionary
work is full of the spirit and that it's inspired. I love my mission. It makes
me sad to think that it will come to an end. These past 10 months have flown
by.
A couple more details about this last week....
What a Thanksgiving! Every member invited us over for Thanksgiving,
but we only had time for two, and both of them absolutely filled us to the brim
with food. It was ridiculously painful to finish the last plate.
Hispanics are big on food and Thanksgiving was no exception!
We had a really good American dinner
(The husband is from Utah but his wife is from Mexico. He served his mission in
Spain). We ate ourselves
full and then went directly to another members house and had a second
thanksgiving dinner, but this time we ate Hispanic style. I now realize that my
branch in Dayton was pretty Americanized, so the food varied a lot. But the
branch here in Kentucky is more true Hispanic, so we eat beans, rice, and
tortillas every meal but I don't get tired of it. They cook so well here! but
don't worry I'm not going to get fat. We exercise hard every morning and Elder
Gibb And Shifler are really health conscious. I know I'm spelling everything
wrong but I can't remember how to spell any more. When I get back to Utah State
and have to take a junior level college English class I'm going to struggle
really hard.
Okay I'm actually going to have to cut this one short because
we've got to run!
Have a good week!
Elder Graf
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| Thanks to these good members for feeding my son Thanksgiving dinner! |
