Week Four - November 5, 2013

Thank you so much for continuing to update me on Chandler. It has been really hard to deal with it out here, but I feel like I'm finally getting my head wrapped around it and that's good for me. I feel like all of our lessons and devotionals and everything here this last week has been specifically for me to help deal with this. And that has helped me a lot it. It feels like God really does have a hand in my life and although I may not be the best at recognizing it, I have been recognizing it recently. I realize that we aren't spiritual giants the day we walked in here, but through persistence we can be, and we have the opportunity to be the best missionaries possible! 

I know chandler will be okay whatever happens. God knows his plan on earth and he will absolutely help chandler to complete his plan here on earth, whatever that may be. Also I will make sure I email brandon today I know that he is having a hard time and he'll need a boost. 

 

I found two other kids from Brighton that just got here; Brad Wallace who played on the basketball team, he's a nice kid and also Sage Nelson, the kid who would always come over to our house to study physics with me. It is really nice to have some friends outside of my district and I've loved talking to them!!! 

My Spanish is coming along nicely (although its still not that great) and I've really been enjoying reading the scriptures. The book of mormon is a wonderful book and it can strengthen your life in so many different ways, I would suggest that you guys as a family should read maybe a chapter a night or just a verse or two. 

This week I bore my testimony in Spanish and fast and testimony meeting, I completed a 24 hour fast (and almost died ;) haha and we committed both of our fake investigators to be baptized on December 5th. 

Here's my testimony in spanish. Yo se que la iglesia de jesucristo es verdadero, y se que Dios y Jesucristo saben nosotros. Yo se que Jesucristo veni a la tierra para ensenar y salvar todos los personas, y la expicion es para todos los personas y la expiacion es muy imporante in mi vida porque yo siento el poder de la expicion cada dia y yo amo la iglesia y yo se que es muy muy impotant par mi estar aqui hoy en el CCM en el nombre de jesucristo amen.

 

I'm really sorry about Jacob I hope he heals soon!! However, if he does not heal soon, Courtney Long will understand and if Jacob deserves to be on the team Courtney will make it happen. You can tell Courtney I said that :) but I'm glad Jacob is being positive about it. Make sure you have him get a blessing for it, that will help!

Also, I did get my package on like Wednesday or Thursday of last week,  but I found out how you can get me food. You do it through "My Dear Missionary" or "Dear Elder." I would love some treats here like candy and stuff. No chips, I have a ton of those here :) but it would be great if you could get me a package or two :) 

Thanks for all the other stories you put in your emails.  I can't really touch on all of them but I enjoy reading them.

 

Okay so this week in general has been pretty bland, not too much exciting stuff has happened except that our toilet got plugged and me and another room mate went at it with plungers for a few hours to no avail, but now it is finally fixed which is such a great thing. haha

 

I'm so excited to get to Ecuador and a lot of kids keep saying that they wish they were going back to the states because it's not like America here in Mexico but I definitely want to go to Ecuador. I can't wait to explore my area and talk to people and become fluent in Spanish. I am so so so very excited even though I know it will be even harder there than it is here.

 

But one thing that Elder Myers and I were talking about is that since our Spanish isn't great and we can barely say stuff, we make our sentences as simple as possible and therefore we will teach our investigators in very simple ways making it easy for them to understand. Then the gaps that we can't fill in our lessons, will just be filled by the lord because he is always there helping us. It's cool to see how here in my district I can still be the same Austin, but also enjoy the gospel and what it has to offer. I'm going to continue to take one day at a time and try my best because that all I can do and Spanish will come at my own pace and so will understanding the gospel. I really like the verse in Ether 12:6 it talks about having trials before our faith is strengthened this applies to me so much right now and also applies to Jacob with his ankle and it's probably hard for him but he will be strengthened after his trial. 

 

Anyways I love you guys. I miss you a ton but I'm excited with what I'm doing and I know the Lord is happy with my decision to be out here. I love that I have all of your support and continue to keep me updated!

Love, Elder Lignell             Showing off our new soccer jerseys!