First Week After Transfers

"Wow, so this week went by really slow and fast at the same time. It feels like Elder Castillo left ages ago, probably because we had a lot of cool things happen. Elder Shinost and I work really well together, and we both teach. Sometimes it's not as coordinated or flowing as it could be, but we'll get there with some more practice together. Still, it's been really good!"

"... we worked really hard this week! We had a miracle Thursday where all these [people] that we've been trying to get a hold of all transfer, and Elder Shinost the transfer before that, talked to us!... Then we also had a super cool Saturday when we took [that special] Family to the visitors center. They loved it! While we couldn't get a ride and so had to bike and metro for an hour in the rain to keep our appointment, it was totally worth it. The spirit was super strong, and we tried to commit them to a baptismal date, the 24th. They're ready, but they said they wanted to pray about the date as a family, which is just fine, because that's what we wanted them to do.... it was really exciting, and God has definitely blessed us with this family. We have literally done nothing to deserve [the opportunity to teach] them, and they just keep growing in their testimony, and now we're going to have the opportunity to baptize a family, it truly is a blessing, and so exciting to think that in just a year they can enter the temple and be sealed as an eternal family, it's going to be amazing!

We also had a cool experience taking the Bishop to an appointment with us. ... The bishop was really cool, and I honestly learned a lot from him. He immediately became their friends even though he'd never met them, and they quickly confided in him.... Then he taught them, and it was a great lesson for me to learn how to teach with more love. It's not that I don't love the people, but I've always had a hard time showing love, something that is so necessary since it's through us that these people are supposed to feel the Savior's love. It really opened my eyes to the vitality of teaching so that they can feel the love we have for them, and that the Savior has for them.

I also started taking Elder Castillo's advice. I asked him what he thought I should most improve on, and he said it was caring about the members more. The thing is I worry about wasting time, and I've always hated small talk anyways, but as Elder Castillo said, the members have to see me as a real person, and they have to trust me. So I decided to be myself at the Bishop's house last night for dinner, and engage in a little small talk, and really care about their lives. The change was amazing... The Lord is slowly teaching me how to grow, and how to really do his work, and we're definitely seeing the blessings as both Elder Shinost and I have grown a lot in this last week. It's going to be a transfer full of miracles!"

"As for a weather update, it's beautiful here, though humid, and starting to get a little muggy. Haha at least the trails are beautiful, the city, not so much, but it's all good. It's also rained a ton!"

"Elder SHionst and I now have a goal to not eat out at all in May, he loves to eat out, hence I get to too. And to eat more vegetables, because we've noticed our energy levels are a little low, probably from lack of vitamins, so we're switching up the diet.

Anyways, that's it, I'll talk to you guys next week! We're off to a museum now! :)"