Date: May 1, 2017 at 10:54 AM
Subject: The odd one out…
Kedu!! (That means hello in igbu) [I searched for information about this language on the internet, and
learned that Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Who
knew?]
Well, gear up for a long email because I have lots to say.
A good friend of mine once said, bad news bears. And it does. A lot.
So I've decided to give the bad news first. Well, everyone and their dog in
Spain rent rooms in pisos [apartment
buildings]. So it's very common to have people of different genders living
in the same piso. That being said, it's basically a rule that you can't be
baptized if you live in a house with someone of the opposite gender also living
in the house.. It doesn't become a real problem unless you have someone that is
ready to be baptized. Like Oscar. Oscar is so ready to be baptized. He fasted
for the first time after we taught him about it, and he said it was the coolest
experience. He didn't think he was going to be able to do it because he's never
gone a day without food, but he decided to try it. He told us it scared him because
he wasn't hungry at all. It was really powerful for him. Anyway, that just
shows a little bit about how ready he was. But we had to address the issue of
him living in a piso with someone of the other gender living in the same piso.
I didn't know how to bring it up because it's not breaking the law of chastity.
President told me that the Bishop needed to be aware of the situation because
he'll be in charge of Oscar after he's baptized. And he said that he needed to
work with the bishop if he was going to be baptized without moving. So I tried
to explain the situation to the Bishop and he said he would give Oscar an
interview. I don't know if I explained badly to the Bishop or what, but we have
had absolutely no contact with Oscar since Sunday after his interview. We've
called him. We've texted him. And we haven't received anything from him. We
stopped trying after Tuesday because we know he can get ahold of us if he wants
to. Bishop said their conversation went great and that he was willing to move,
but from what we've heard from Oscar, it can't have gone as well as was told.
Anyway, I'm really sad about that. I know he is a better person now, and I know
that what we've taught him will help him avoid harmful things. I just hope he
doesn't give in. But he has completely disappeared.
Now we can move on to the miracles of the week.
Last Monday I called Gilberto to confirm our lesson for Tuesday. He
said, "Why can't we meet today??" (I was like, "let me see if we
can squeeze you in") So we met him last Monday at 7:00 and here is his
story. Gilberto:
approximately 40 years old (could be in his 30s)
5'7" (I’m just kidding, I don't know how tall he is)
from Ecuador
Here all alone
Divorced
Looking for work
Christian
We talked to him about our purpose as missionaries and gave him the
restoration pamphlet and Book of Mormon to read. He wanted to know how much
time it would take for him to be able to be baptized. We told him it just
depended on whether or not he was prepared. Then we met with him on Thursday
and talked about the pamphlet he had read. He told us since we'd talked to him
he felt calm and that the bad dreams he had been having had stopped. He told us
he wanted to learn more and that he wanted to come to church and all of that
lovely stuff. So then we saw him on Saturday and re-gave the restoration as a
family home evening in the house of los Bascope, y salio muy bien. Tiene muchas
ganas de aprender. Pero.. nos dijo que este dia, habia discutido con su casero
(debido a que no tiene dinero para pagar por su cuarto), y para evitar la
contencion, salio de su casa. Iba a llamar un amigo y ver si podia quedar en su
casa por la noche, y si no, nos dijo que no hacia tanto frio esta noche.
Entonces, ibamos a recogerle por la iglesia, pero, en la manana no nos contesto.
No sabemos si esta bien o donde esta, pero esperamos que este bien y que este
arreglando este problema. Pero, si le vemos otra vez o si no le vemos otra vez,
se que el es un milagro. Se que esta listo para cambiar su vida y seguir el
evangelio. El campo blanco ya esta para la siega. A veces, el albedrio de las
personas me mata. Pero, vamos a seguir y ver si podemos tener contacto con el.
Luz-- todas las personas que se llamen Luz, son geniales. He ganado
un testimonio de eso, y puedo testificar de la veracidad de ello. El Domingo,
en los principios del evangelio, nuestra leccion era en cuanto el bautismo. En
la hora siguiente, ella me dijo: "Hermana Christensen, tengo una pregunta.
Siempre las personas me dicen -- cuando se bautiza, cambia.-- y esto me asuste
porque yo no quiero cambiar. Yo no quiero cambiar la fe que tengo o las cosas
que han pasado. Yo quiero recordarles. Lo que quiero es mejorar, es
progresar." Yo le dije que ya habia cambiado, que es un cambio de corazon
que ya tenia ella y que el bautismo es para ayudarle a mejorar y progresar en
este camino. (y en la clase estabamos hablando del evangelio y como debemos
ensenar nuestros hijos bien, pero ellos tienen que actuar luego) y me dijo
"ah, ahora yo entiendo, no. Es como la familia de Nefi y como algunos de
los hijos ya tenian el cambio y escucharon a su padre, pero otras no. Nefi ya
tenia este cambio de corazon. yo quiero bautizarme. pero, quiero que mi esposo
se bautice conmigo. quiero que me ayudes. ya he tomado me decision, pero queiro
que nos bauticemos juntos. quiero que su fe se fortalece. Pero, quiero que me
ayudes." su esposo viene el 8 de Mayo. ya veremos. espero tanto que puedan
bautizarse juntos. Luz es increible. Tiene tanto amor por Dios. Pero, justo
tenia que mudarse, y se mudo a la casa de un Hermano en la iglesia. Hermano
Nilo.
[So then
we saw him on Saturday and regave the restoration as a family home evening in
the Bascope home, and it went very well. He really wants to learn.
But…he told us that today he had an argument with his landlord ( because he
didn't have the money to pay his rent) and to avoid contention, he left his
house. He was going to call a friend and see if he could stay at his
house for the night, and if not, he told us that it wasn't very cold
tonight. So, (or then), we went to pick him up for church but, in the
morning he didn't answer us. We don't know if he's okay or where he is,
but we hope he's okay and is fixing this problem. But, if we see him
again or if we don't see him again, I know that he is a miracle. I know
that he is ready to change his life and follow the gospel. The field is
white and ready for the harvest. At times, the choices people make
just kill me. But, we are going to carry on and see if we can make
contact with him.
Luz--Everyone
who is called Luz is great. I have gained a testimony of that, and I can
testify of the truth of that. Sunday, in the gospel principles class, our
lesson was about baptism. In the next hour (of the 3-hour block) she said
to me: "Sister Christensen, I have a question. People always
tell me that when I am baptized I change. And this frightens me because I
don't want to change. I don't want to change the faith that I have or the
things that have happened. I want to remember them. What I want is
to improve, to progress." I told her that she has already changed,
that it is a change of heart that she now has and that baptism is to help her
improve and progress on this path. (and in the class we were talking
about the gospel and how we should teach our children well (or she might mean
teach our children what is good and right) but later they have to act on it
(those teachings). And she said to me, "Ah, now I understand,
right?" (the "no" doesn't mean "no." It's like
saying, "don't you agree?") "It's like Nephi's family and
how some of the children now had changed and they listened to their father, but
others, no. Nephi had this change of heart. I want to be baptized,
but I want my husband to be baptized with me. I need you to help me. (I
think she's saying "I need you to help me," but she's using the
familiar form of the verb to help ((ayudes)) and I'm pretty sure that
investigators and missionaries speak to each other in the formal ((usted)).)
"I
have made my decision, but I want us to be baptized together. I want his
faith to be strengthened. (I think I've got the pronouns the way Bibs meant
them.) But I want you to help me." (same thing--familiar
tense, but I can't figure out anything else she could mean.) Her husband
comes May 8. Then we will see. I hope so much that they can be
baptized together. Luz is incredible. She loves God so much.
But, she just had to move, and she moved to the house of a member of the
church--Brother Nilo.]
confirmed suspicions:
1. I do not like sushi
2. Chinese people eat weird things that probably shouldn't be eaten.
This week was great.
We fixed the wheels to the broken suitcase and went to Alcobendas to
teach a Chinese lady. I always feel so left out when they talk because I don't
understand anything! Then we went to the temple so Hna Tang could do baptisms
for the dead because she's never done them before. It was really, really
awesome. Also Luz and Gustavo were going to be there, but al final [in the end], her husband didn't let
them come. And, the most important thing is.... we had transfers. Would you
believe we're going to be a trio? There is a Chinese missionary in the CCM
[Spain MTC] that comes in tomorrow. Who's the odd one out now?!?!?
Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes. I'm excited!
love,
your favorite. And I'm really sorry because I haven't read any of
your emails. I will read them tonight!!!
joke in Spanish:
cuando tiene gas que tira Thor
torpedos
[??? I’ve got no
translation for this one!]
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