Week 22: Blood Sweat and Tears..... Minus the Blood

Buenas Dias!

This week has been an interesting week! It has really been a week of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, but without the Blood.

This week we had Interviews with president in the apartment. That is why this week consisted of Tears. Interviews were so hard and so painful! The president got there and chewed us out for having a dirty apartment (after having cleaned for 6 hours) but it was mostly for the stuff the hermanas had left behind. But it was a horrible start to interviews. We had the interview and with everything president asked me I felt like I had failed. President is here to motivate us to do better, but the way he does it makes me feel like I failed. That was frustrating to me because I got reprimanded on things that I didn't even know existed and things that I was doing incorrectly (That I didn't know how to do and was doing my best). It was super hard to hear those things. I was thinking "I am working 16 hours a day in the hot sun speaking a different language to people who don't want to listen to me, what more could you want from me!?" But apparently there is a lot more. I was stressed, nervous and insecure (1 week as senior comp right after training) and I couldn't hold it in. I started balling. I don't like to cry, I think it is pointless, I don't cry, but interviews destroyed that. I cried like I haven't cried in 6 years. But afterwords I set out to fix everything and to improve what I need to. Now I am over it, I will improve and do everything that I can, and that is all that I can do.

With Interviews over we got to work, and this week was HOT! We are nearing the equivalent of end of July beginning of August here, so it is super sunny, super warm, and lots of hills. It was a week of heat and sweat and lots of walking. We still don't have many investigators so we walk a lot and don't have tons of lessons. I have been doing a lot more street contacts and contacted a catholic family, we showed up when they said to and they weren't there, but we are going to continue.

Also for those of you who have noticed my complaints about getting fatter... well this week I started to take action! I have started to run every morning for about 20 minutes and I am excited to start seeing results! :)

This week I have been practicing following the spirit. I actually followed the spirit when I contacted the above Catholic family. We were walking on a street and on the street below us I saw the family walking. My thoughts/Conversation with the spirit when something like this

Me "Oooh a family, I should contact them... Nah they are on a different street"
Spirit " Contact them"
Me "They are already far away and their arent stair to get to them"
Spirit "Contact them"
Me "But now they are even farther, there arent stairs, and I missed my chance"
Spirit "CONTACT THEM"
Me "Okay!"

We ran down the dirt hill in between the streets and started following them while trying to act normal... but I don't think that we succeeded in that aspect ;) Then we contacted them and got their names and address. I learned that the Spirit really is guiding us, and I am trying to follow the guide on the first prompting instead of the third haha :) But really I know that if we follow the guide of the spirit we will be blessed and receive the help that we need. Don't follow my example and fight against the spirit, follow the prompting the first time.

This week I have two friends leaving on their missions!! Joseph Kozlowski and Felipe Rivero are heading out on their missions! I am so excited for them and I know that they will be such great missionaries! Joseph is going to Minnesota and Felipe is going to Santiago Chile!

This week I had a funny experience. I was in a lesson and wanted to twist things up a little bit so I offered to say the closing prayer in English for them :) They were all excited and I started to say the prayer and I learned something... I can no longer pray in English! I kept using Spanish words on accident and saying the English sentences the way I would in Spanish! It was crazy! That is what happens when you pray in English in the first time in 4 months. I am grateful to have a Latino for a companion so that I can learn Spanish and practice it a lot. He speaks ZERO English so it has been great practice :)

I love you all and hope that everything goes well! Follow the spirit and you will be guided!

Stay Golden!

Elder Nielson