Week 23

It has been a while since we posted an email. Sorry! This is a wonderful letter from Richard. We are so thankful for the Lord's watchful care over his messengers everywhere!

Week 23

Another sweaty day in Guatemala City. You know, it didnt really hit me when I first arrived, or even for a really long time, but this week, it has been hitting me every once in a while the truth of my situation, that I am in guatemala, that I am speaking spanish, and that I am on a mission. Its not like a punch in the face, knocked off my feet kind of deal, but rather, just a nice little tap on the shoulder on where I am and what I am doing. Just a cool experience.

I have been intrigued by the past emails that I have been sent about our garden. I then think about the vineyard of our Heavenly Father, and that I am but one of his many servants. Planting, sowing, reaping, I really don´t know which of the many tasks I am doing at a time, but in the end, the vine takes the help and produces fruit and flourishes or doesn´t and slowly withers by itself. But If I dont sow, reap, whatever with these wild vines here in Guate, they never have a chance to flourish, or if they do, it would have been alot easier if I were there.

This week, I experienced something interesting, and slightly lame. I feel as though right now, I am decreasing in the amount of spanish I am learning and retaining, and even the amount of help and clear thinking I recieve from the Spirit. Now why is that? My comp gave me a good response that I think fits. When I was with Flores, I had to be the pants, the push and the power of the companionship. And although he was the ¨senior¨ comp, I was in reality, and the Spirit helped me alot more, there was the direction, a real direction, in a way that I cannot describe. Now, with Morales, a good missionary, he has the role of senior comp, and I am back to a learning position, studing for my own knowledge and for investigators, but the fact is that I dont need the Spirit as much, and I am feeling that lack. It stinks. And, in my opinion, I feel just the smallest part of what I imagine I will experience when I get released as a missionary, like what my brothers felt.

This week was somewhat better workwise. There were two days eaten up by responsibilities, and a close call in regards to having to eat duck feet, but all in all it was a good week. We had 3 investigators in church, all new first timers, and the one we have a baptismal date with really was chill and liked it. I am so blessed with my companion, and I feel that with him, I will be able to learn and grow out of good measure rather than absolute necessity.

The rainy season will start soon. I took a video because we had one day this week where we couldnt leave the house for about an hour because of the sheer downpour of rain. Nothing like Vegas, right?

One last experience, and it is this: I found a scripture in Psalms that says something like: A mans heart deviseth his path but the LORD directeth his footsteps. How cool is that? and it has direct correlation to me. This sunday, I gave a talk, but because of lack of time and wasted time, I didn´t plan my talk all that well. So, I was a little unclear in my speaking, and the talk ended earlier that I wanted it too without covering some of the things that I wanted to. The end result is this: If I don´t do my part, the Spirit won´t do his.

I am also reading Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith in spanish, and not only am I understanding 90%, but it is reeally cool.

I hope you all have a good week. I love you all, and cant wait to talk to you. The details: I dont know yet, this friday is Zone Conference, so I am sure we will be instructed in that.

Peace!

-Elder Hale