Sorry ’bout last week and all…
Well, not much to report from last week. I also didn’t have time because one of the things I’ve learned in the mission is that there’s never enough time for anything except missionary work — I’ve got plenty of time for that! What I really need isn’t P-Day — I need a P-WEEK so I can get all of my side projects done! I’d almost like to get so sick that I can rest for a few days… But then I remember how awful being sick is and I change my mind!
So anyway, to catch up a bit, last week some cool things happened. First, we had General Conference, when the apostles and prophets of today teach us in a worldwide conference. It’s always a great experience, of course, but this conference was REALLY GOOD and I really liked a lot of the talks that were given! The prophet, President Monson, isn’t doing very well because he only talked for a few minutes and because it was a little hard to understand him they had to put subtitles, but it’s always good to hear his advice. Then almost all the rest of the talks were great and taught me something new, or at least helped me see things in a new light. It was a little strange in Spanish because some of the speakers record their talk beforehand and when they played the recording it went faster than in English… But at least I can understand both of the languages!
The other noteworthy event is that somehow I started being more patient and understanding. I’ve been struggling a little with my companion because we’re not just really different — we’re EXTREMELY different. There was almost nothing in common in our personalities or lives to give us a reference point, and it was a little tough for the both of us. But all of a sudden I understood him a little more and it made it easier to be more patient with him and to adapt myself to his way of doing things. Just goes to show that the Atonement of Christ really can change everything, not just sins and death, but also our weaknesses and, ultimately, our very nature! (It’s a good thing for me, too, because I’ve got a LOT of weaknesses!) And while I’m on that subject, two of my favorite videos to celebrate Easter: Because of Him and Prince of Peace.
Now, as for this week…
For P-Day we played Jenga and chess as a district:
If Hermana Ascanta (The one examining the Jenga tower) looks like the most contemplative person of us all, it’s because she was — out of all the games of Jenga we played, she never lost!
I decided to do a little home repair. Here’s my set of basic tools:
These are just a few things that I’ve collected during these 18 months that are surprisingly useful for many things. I’ve got:
* A wrench, which doubles as a makeshift mallet
* A knife, the most useful item of all, which can be used as a screwdriver, file, hammer, or paperweight and, if you’re really crazy and innovative, to cut things
Tweezers. Good stuff.
* Nail clippers, which I usually use as a screwdriver when the knife is too pointy to work
* Some kind of super glue. Useful for everything!
* Actual screwdrivers! (Don’t use them much — I already have a knife and nail clippers!)
* Bug repellent for the many cockroaches that want to live with us
* A candle and a lighter. If I need to melt something, I light the candle and use that to heat it up
We have to fix a lot of things around here (because no one else will do it for free), but we don’t really have access to any tools…! I’m going to keep these tools in mind when I go to college!
And, lastly, we have cambios tomorrow! I already know my companion is leaving — he’ll actually be returning to his house. He has a couple of concerns about his family, so he’s going back to Bolivia until things are a little better. It made for an interesting day on Sunday — I got to spend the day with a mini missionary and slept in the zone leader’s house! But I’ll let you know who my new companion is next week!
¡Chao!
— Elder Schroeder