Hola Hermanos!! ¿Cómo están ustedes?
This week was probably just about the best week of my life. I wish I could share all of it in 45 minutes but alas, that isn't quite enough time to describe the way I've been able to see the hand of the Lord in my life this week. First off, thank you all for the advice you all gave me, after this week I felt like I learned a lot but a lot of what you said in your letters really hit me in the last 15 minutes. Thank you all, I have such a good family :)
Stories!! I have lots. First off, the word "pescado" in Spanish means fish, as in the food dish kind of fish, while the word "pecado" means sin. However, here in Santiago, they don't pronounce their s's, so the two words are essentially interchangeable. So here's a translated conversation I had with a lunch lady this week:
Me: "What's this?"
Lunch Lady: "Sin."
Me: "...what?"
Lunch Lady: Ït's fried sin."
Me: ".... I think I'll have the rice."
It took me a while after to realize me mistake in comprehension. But I actually ended up having the fish, and it did end up tasting more like fried sin than it did fish.
More stories!! First off, Chilean children are adorable. Every morning for exercize we play fùtbol in a park about a quarter mile from the CCM and these Chilean kids who live in the area have just started getting into the habit of watching us play and cheering us on. It's seriously my favorite part of every day. There parents end up catching up to them usually and they take pictures and videos of us playing, I have no idea why. That actually happens a lot here, whenever we play soccer or hacky-sack during break or are even just outside people stop to take pictures of us. I'm not sure if it's because we're missionaries, we're really bad at soccer and hackeysack compared to South American standards, or it's just that we're all white. It's actually probably that we're all white.
So lunch is the biggest meal here, they don't really eat dinner at all, so when we fast we fast lunch to lunch. Just thought I'd throw that in there, cool cultural tidbit of the day.
When Bri was out on her mission "What Does the Fox Say" became a huge thing and that was all she was hearing when she introduced herself for months. I thought I wouldn't have that problem, being in Chile. I was wrong. Even native Chileans who don't speak a lick of English sing "What does the Fox say?" in thick South American accents whenever they see my nametag. It's hilarious. In speaking of South American accents, we got our new teachers this week and they are all awesome. None of them really speak any English though, which is a plus. Our night teacher speaks in English to us sometimes but he doesn't really bother conjugating some of the verbs so it's kind of funny. He also leaves any verb proceding another verb in the infinitive like they do in Spanish grammer (for example, I can to teach this lesson) so it's fun to listen to him talk. He was asking us the other day how the words "bought"and "butt" were pronounced differently, and he legitimately couldn't hear the difference between those two words. Since Spanish only has 5 vowels total, this is understandable, but it's still kind of funny. He was also asking us the difference between "chair"and "share" and "sure" and also the difference between "close" and "clothes"and "close (as in I am close to you)". It was pretty funny, and it was a lot of fun to try to teach him.
Another Spanish translation phenomenon that makes me laugh! They don't say ëvertying" in Spanish, instead they either say "todo" (all) or "todas las cosas" meaning all the things. Since äll the things" is a joke to us back in America, thanks to the blog Hyperbole and a Half, whenever anybody says "todas las cosas" I have to fight not to laugh, especially when it's a serious topic. Today, whenever anyone says änything" replace it in your head with äll the things" and you will see my pain, and my joy.
This week was a week of miracles when it comes to Spanish, I'm so greatful for the gift of tongues in my life, it's an incredible power. I started realizing my language skills were dramatically improving at the beginning of the week when I had a conversation with a native South American about where he was from. He said he was from Ecuador and I told him that my Dad served his mission in Ecuador and loved it there. He wasn't speaking crazy 1000 mph Spanish like Santiago people do but he was speaking pretty fast, and I managed to have a pretty good conversation with him. I was really happy after that, that day was the day that I realized that I somehow know more Spanish then after two weeks than I knew French after four years. That's pretty amazing, I thank my Father every night for his help. Other things happened this week that made me realize the same thing. For instance, I forgot how to pray in English one night when I knelt down to say my personal prayers. I also had a dream in Spanish this week. One time me and my companion decided to do all our planning in Spanish and I could say everything that I wanted to say while we were planning our lessons. This week we also practiced by teaching lessons to native South Americans twice, and I found that even when they were speaking in there 1000 mph crazy Spanish I could pick up about 25% of what they're saying, and that I can usually express about 50% of what I want to in Spanish. If I can't say what I want to say I ask my companion for a word and he usually knows what it is, so I can always say what I want to in the lessons. Those nights that we teach the Latinos are my favorite, I walk away feeling so greatful for the help the Lord has given me in learning Spanish, I know from learning French that learning this quickly isn't something I could've done without help. Here's my favorite story about this week and Spanish though. Me and my companion were walking from the hospidaje to the CCM when we saw a Latino Elder with a shopping bag who was just coming back from his P-day. We asked him how his P-day was and he said that it was kind a fail because he doesn't know Santiago at all. We talked for a little more about what he did and what he bought. As we walked away here was my conversation with Elder Simmons:
Me: "Holy cow, that Elder speaks really good English"
Elder Simmons: Ëlder... he was speaking Spanish"
Me: "Was he really?"
Elder Simmons: "Yep."
Me: "...Was I speaking Spanish?"
Elder Simmons: "Yep."
We laughed for a while after that. It was pretty cool though, it was the first time that Spanish just came completely naturally to me.
Alrighty those are my good stories this week! Other than that it's just been classes as usual, except since we're on our middle leg our Investigadores are significantly harder than they were before. But Elder Simmons and I have learned a ton about teaching this week because of that, especially from our evening investigator. Our new teachers are also all amazing, I'm going to miss them next week when we change again as well.
We went to the temple again this week, and it was defnitely the most life-changing event of my mission thusfar (which isn't saying a lot since I just got out but hey it works.) I don't feel like I can share what happened in detail, but I'll say that I had more direct communication with God in the Celestial Room that day than at any other time in my life. I want to bear my testimony that I know that the Lord atoned for each one of us, and that he loves each of us with love that we cannot comprehend. I not only know that He lives, but I know Him. He is my companion, my crucible, and my Savior. He has planted seeds in me that I don't entirely understand, seeds that are just starting to flourish. I know that His mission for us is to love others as He loves them, this is His commandment that overarches all, except for the commandment to love Him with all our hearts. I know that through His atonement we can be changed, that through His grace the seeds he plants within each of us can grow continually until we truly become beautiful. Through Him each of us can become so beautiful that it defies our current understanding. He is the Christ, He is our master, our Lord, and our Redeemer. And I love Him with all my heart. I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Fox
This week was probably just about the best week of my life. I wish I could share all of it in 45 minutes but alas, that isn't quite enough time to describe the way I've been able to see the hand of the Lord in my life this week. First off, thank you all for the advice you all gave me, after this week I felt like I learned a lot but a lot of what you said in your letters really hit me in the last 15 minutes. Thank you all, I have such a good family :)
Stories!! I have lots. First off, the word "pescado" in Spanish means fish, as in the food dish kind of fish, while the word "pecado" means sin. However, here in Santiago, they don't pronounce their s's, so the two words are essentially interchangeable. So here's a translated conversation I had with a lunch lady this week:
Me: "What's this?"
Lunch Lady: "Sin."
Me: "...what?"
Lunch Lady: Ït's fried sin."
Me: ".... I think I'll have the rice."
It took me a while after to realize me mistake in comprehension. But I actually ended up having the fish, and it did end up tasting more like fried sin than it did fish.
More stories!! First off, Chilean children are adorable. Every morning for exercize we play fùtbol in a park about a quarter mile from the CCM and these Chilean kids who live in the area have just started getting into the habit of watching us play and cheering us on. It's seriously my favorite part of every day. There parents end up catching up to them usually and they take pictures and videos of us playing, I have no idea why. That actually happens a lot here, whenever we play soccer or hacky-sack during break or are even just outside people stop to take pictures of us. I'm not sure if it's because we're missionaries, we're really bad at soccer and hackeysack compared to South American standards, or it's just that we're all white. It's actually probably that we're all white.
So lunch is the biggest meal here, they don't really eat dinner at all, so when we fast we fast lunch to lunch. Just thought I'd throw that in there, cool cultural tidbit of the day.
When Bri was out on her mission "What Does the Fox Say" became a huge thing and that was all she was hearing when she introduced herself for months. I thought I wouldn't have that problem, being in Chile. I was wrong. Even native Chileans who don't speak a lick of English sing "What does the Fox say?" in thick South American accents whenever they see my nametag. It's hilarious. In speaking of South American accents, we got our new teachers this week and they are all awesome. None of them really speak any English though, which is a plus. Our night teacher speaks in English to us sometimes but he doesn't really bother conjugating some of the verbs so it's kind of funny. He also leaves any verb proceding another verb in the infinitive like they do in Spanish grammer (for example, I can to teach this lesson) so it's fun to listen to him talk. He was asking us the other day how the words "bought"and "butt" were pronounced differently, and he legitimately couldn't hear the difference between those two words. Since Spanish only has 5 vowels total, this is understandable, but it's still kind of funny. He was also asking us the difference between "chair"and "share" and "sure" and also the difference between "close" and "clothes"and "close (as in I am close to you)". It was pretty funny, and it was a lot of fun to try to teach him.
Another Spanish translation phenomenon that makes me laugh! They don't say ëvertying" in Spanish, instead they either say "todo" (all) or "todas las cosas" meaning all the things. Since äll the things" is a joke to us back in America, thanks to the blog Hyperbole and a Half, whenever anybody says "todas las cosas" I have to fight not to laugh, especially when it's a serious topic. Today, whenever anyone says änything" replace it in your head with äll the things" and you will see my pain, and my joy.
This week was a week of miracles when it comes to Spanish, I'm so greatful for the gift of tongues in my life, it's an incredible power. I started realizing my language skills were dramatically improving at the beginning of the week when I had a conversation with a native South American about where he was from. He said he was from Ecuador and I told him that my Dad served his mission in Ecuador and loved it there. He wasn't speaking crazy 1000 mph Spanish like Santiago people do but he was speaking pretty fast, and I managed to have a pretty good conversation with him. I was really happy after that, that day was the day that I realized that I somehow know more Spanish then after two weeks than I knew French after four years. That's pretty amazing, I thank my Father every night for his help. Other things happened this week that made me realize the same thing. For instance, I forgot how to pray in English one night when I knelt down to say my personal prayers. I also had a dream in Spanish this week. One time me and my companion decided to do all our planning in Spanish and I could say everything that I wanted to say while we were planning our lessons. This week we also practiced by teaching lessons to native South Americans twice, and I found that even when they were speaking in there 1000 mph crazy Spanish I could pick up about 25% of what they're saying, and that I can usually express about 50% of what I want to in Spanish. If I can't say what I want to say I ask my companion for a word and he usually knows what it is, so I can always say what I want to in the lessons. Those nights that we teach the Latinos are my favorite, I walk away feeling so greatful for the help the Lord has given me in learning Spanish, I know from learning French that learning this quickly isn't something I could've done without help. Here's my favorite story about this week and Spanish though. Me and my companion were walking from the hospidaje to the CCM when we saw a Latino Elder with a shopping bag who was just coming back from his P-day. We asked him how his P-day was and he said that it was kind a fail because he doesn't know Santiago at all. We talked for a little more about what he did and what he bought. As we walked away here was my conversation with Elder Simmons:
Me: "Holy cow, that Elder speaks really good English"
Elder Simmons: Ëlder... he was speaking Spanish"
Me: "Was he really?"
Elder Simmons: "Yep."
Me: "...Was I speaking Spanish?"
Elder Simmons: "Yep."
We laughed for a while after that. It was pretty cool though, it was the first time that Spanish just came completely naturally to me.
Alrighty those are my good stories this week! Other than that it's just been classes as usual, except since we're on our middle leg our Investigadores are significantly harder than they were before. But Elder Simmons and I have learned a ton about teaching this week because of that, especially from our evening investigator. Our new teachers are also all amazing, I'm going to miss them next week when we change again as well.
We went to the temple again this week, and it was defnitely the most life-changing event of my mission thusfar (which isn't saying a lot since I just got out but hey it works.) I don't feel like I can share what happened in detail, but I'll say that I had more direct communication with God in the Celestial Room that day than at any other time in my life. I want to bear my testimony that I know that the Lord atoned for each one of us, and that he loves each of us with love that we cannot comprehend. I not only know that He lives, but I know Him. He is my companion, my crucible, and my Savior. He has planted seeds in me that I don't entirely understand, seeds that are just starting to flourish. I know that His mission for us is to love others as He loves them, this is His commandment that overarches all, except for the commandment to love Him with all our hearts. I know that through His atonement we can be changed, that through His grace the seeds he plants within each of us can grow continually until we truly become beautiful. Through Him each of us can become so beautiful that it defies our current understanding. He is the Christ, He is our master, our Lord, and our Redeemer. And I love Him with all my heart. I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Fox
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