WOOOO!! Hahaha! I am soooo happy! Betanzos is super duper awesome and
my comp, Elder Salinas from Ecuador, is AWESOME! Well I feel like a missionary
soo much, like all my expectations about being a missionary have happened this
past week: not understanding or being able to talk well, teaching lots of
people, working til we are absolutely exhausted and helping other people
increase their faith. I love it soooo much.
Ok so last Monday we passed P-day as normal. Martes/Tuesday morning Elder
Salinas and I went to Betanzos. We arrived a little before lunch. After lunch,
we had several really good citas/appointments. I love how E' Salinas teaches,
and we get along super, super great.
Miércoles/Wednesday was awesome. We actually plan our days and use our
time really, really well and get a ton done each day. Normally, we get up early
to study Quechua, and then we plan our day and then get ready. Then we have
personal study and companionship study, and then we leave the house around 10
or 10:30a. And we get a lot done. After lunch, on Jueves/Thurs. and sabado/Sat.
we go out to a little pueblo called Tacoya. (It’s about a 20 min drive away.)
We walk a ton because there are fields everywhere, and it’s super green. But we
walk a lot because the houses are all so far apart. It’s awesome though.
Viernes/Friday after lunch we usually go out to Lagunillas (another little
pueblo that’s a little bit farther but in a different direction). It’s awesome.
We are learning Quechua as fast as possible. Every time we are home, we are
studying Quechua. We have usually 3 or 4 people we meet and talk with every day
that don’t speak a lick of Spanish. Hahaha. It’s pretty crazy, and I feel like
a brand new missionary because I don’t really understand much, but it’s getting
a little better. We usually just read a verse from Mormompa Libronmanta (the
Book of Mormon in Quechua) and then share a little about that verse. It’s super
fun though. Another problem we face in Betanzos is trying to get people to come
to church. Sunday for them is another day to sell and make money, and they
really need that day to have enough money. It’s tough and hard to ask them to
give Sundays to the Lord, but I really, really know that if we put God first,
He will bless us with the things we need, and He will never abandon us.
Jueves/Thursday we actually did our Weekly Planning and planned a lot
of good stuff for our investigadores and people we are visiting. We also
discussed our goals for this cambio/transfer, and we are both pretty excited.
We set some pretty tough goals, but we are working hard and I know with Gods
help we can complete His work.
Viernes/Friday we had district meeting, and so we had to go to Potosi.
It was fun to see all the new elders in our zone. Also I think next pday we are
going to Uyuni (the Salt Flats), so I might write Tuesday morning next week. We
aren’t super sure yet. Viernes we got back to Betanzos for lunch and then went
out to Lagunillas. We visited a few people and then had a pretty awesome Noche
de Hogar (Family Night) with a part member family. It was kind of cool, they
all speak Quechua of course and understand Spanish, but the little boy (Kevin)
who is like 5, he only speaks Quechua and doesn’t understand Spanish at all. Hahaha,
it’s pretty crazy but super awesome. Elder Salinas is super awesome, and we
teach a ton using analogies or drawing on whiteboards (to help people
understand better). I feel the Spirit in every single lesson we have taught
together. It’s amazing. I feel sooo much better.
Sabado/Saturday after lunch we came here to Potosi, and we will be here
until tomorrow after the district meeting. We came to Potosi since it was Stake
Conference. It was super cool to see how many members from Betanzos came. It’s
like Wickenburg to Surprise, but nobody has cars and the only way is by bus,
which is pretty slow.
This week has been super dope. I love it. I am super tired though. We
work til we are exhausted, haha, and then we get home and study Quechua. We
also have days where (in the house or to each other) we speak only Spanish and
then the next day only English. (E Salinas is learning English.) And then one
day a week we try to only speak Quechua. It’s pretty tough but super duper fun.
I love this cambio/transfer. Betanzos is super duper awesome. Not very many elders
want to be out here, and they think it’s like a punishment, but I love it sooo
much. Quechua is tough but super fun, and we are learning lots. The work is
great. Elder Salinas and I get along great and teach super well together. I can’t
ask for anything better.
I know I am part of the Lord’s work. I would encourage all of you to
use Sundays as the Lord’s day. Try to focus more on spiritual things, and try
to do His will that day. I just think we could do a lot better because I see
people here who literally are giving up their money (which they really, really
need just to eat) to go church and put the Lord first in their lives. I think
we could do a lot lot better at honoring the Sabbath Day. The people here are
super awesome examples for me. I love being a missionary and actually doing
things we should be and working super hard. I love ya guys!
Elder Sorensen