Happy Independence Day!!

 Hola todos!

Happy 4th of July! Independence Day is always one of those holidays that kinda slips my mind but this whole week here has felt like Independence week. Literally every night for the past week people have been launching mortars. Looking back on it though, this has been an awesome week. These weeks go by so fast and I feel like just yesterday I was writing an email. Now here I am again.

As of writing this it is currently July 5th. My fourth of July didn't really have anything special happening. It was Sunday so we went to church and had a couple friends there. Then we went proselyting and then ate dinner at the apartment and watched the fireworks. However we didn't have anywhere to go so we watched them from our apartment, which was super lame. Our sacrament meeting was probably the most insane sacrament meeting I have ever seen in my life. It was fast and testimony Sunday which means that for 45 minutes anyone can come up to the pulpit and share whatever they want. It's supposed to be your testimony of Jesus Christ and how you found out the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, but some people didn't get the memo. 

So first of all, I love everyone and all but a testimony needs to at least say Jesus once. It's your testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of his gospel. Anyway, so this sacrament meeting was fast and testimony Sunday and the first person that came up literally typed up a 20 minute talk on paper and gave it to the congregation. They literally had a five pieces of paper with them they were going to give. Then another person came up and talked about how Joseph Smith "wrote" the book of Mormon and she has won Mormon battles and I was like bruh what? Then another person gave an equally weird story and then it ended with an actually heart felt testimony but it was still awkward. It was definitely an interesting experience. I told all my friends afterwards that meeting was a little different haha. Don't get me wrong I love people and know they mean the best but it was pretty big yikes moment for everyone there. All that sounds negative but really I wish the best for them. It was just one of those experiences you had to be there for and love and laugh it off later.

Elder McGee and I have been on the gas lately. It's nice to work hard and then see fruits of your labors. We found some new people to teach and we're still planning on having Wyatt's baptism on the 24th. He's super excited! He is such a funny and good kid. I really hope he can stay active, we're trying our best. Finding new people is good and all but more importantly in having them keep commitments and setting them on date. We always "find" but we want quality finds. What's interesting is that I've gotten so used to not wearing masks during lessons and dinner appointments now. I rarely see people with them here and we don't social distance anymore. Things have gone back to normal here so it's interesting. Our president of the mission is so anti masks so he is super excited about that. 

My District on Lone Mountain

We hiked Lone Mountain on P-day so we could see all of Las Vegas. That was pretty neat to see. It wasn't a long hike but it was still pretty cool. I wish we could've have watched the fireworks from the mountain. That would've been neat. You could see the strip and then the whole city surrounding it. This P-Day was pretty good. We played basketball and gatorball for like 5 hours. It's nice to take a mental break from everything you see and hear during the week. 

My District leader

Elder Jones in my District

One thing that's kinda tricky here is learning Spanish. I wish I could say I was improving rapidly but it's a slow improvement. I rarely talk Spanish with people here since my area doesn't have a whole lot and I'm still in an English ward. It doesn't help my previous companions didn't speak any Spanish. I do all my personal studies and reading of the scriptures in Spanish. I can read and speak well but understanding people is so hard. It's a little frustrating. My roommate Elder Llontop is fun to speak Spanish with but he always replies in English since he's trying to learn English, I don't get a chance to practice understanding what he is saying. It's just difficult sometimes. I do feel I learn Spanish and memorize so much easier which is nice. I'm focusing on memorizing 5 new words a day but when your companion doesn't speak Spanish It's tricky. Maybe I should increase my goal and memorize 10-20 new words a day? Maybe Spanish shouldn't be a huge priority right now? I don't know what the answer is. I wouldn't be able to progress in the mission like start training again or even be a district leader if I can't learn Spanish. President says I need to be fluent in Spanish before I get Instagram and be a social media specialist and stuff like that so learning to be fluent is my top priority right now. Maybe that sounds selfish but I want more responsibilities and be able to use my skills but I can't do that if I don't have fluent Spanish. Maybe my goals and priorities aren't in the right place? Should I even strive to be good enough to be a district leader? Would the Lord bless me with Spanish if my goals aren't for the right reasons? I have so many questions and I'm just in a pickle I guess. 

Not really too many funny stories this week which is lame. Elder McGee and I are just on the grind and we have a lot of fun biking around and all. It's still hot out but you adjust. Now I'm thankful It's only 105 instead of 117 degrees. Well here's a cool excerpt from a talk that gave me some encouragement when I get the big sad. 

My companion next to a street sign
with the same name of the town
where he grew up.

"Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land. President Hinckley asked the officer: 

“Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?” The officer’s face clouded, and he replied: 

“My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”

President Hinckley asked, “Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?”

With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: “It’s true, isn’t it?”

President Hinckley responded, “Yes, it is true.”

To which the officer replied, “Then what else matters?”

- "It's true, isn't it?" By Neil L Anderson - April 2007

I know this is true. I know what I am doing. I know that this will change lives. I don't always love it though. It's hard, and it sucks sometimes. But I know it's true, so what else matters? 

I love all of you so very much, reading these newsletters and emails means the world to me. I want to help people and sometimes, I don't feel like I'm making a difference here, but when you read my emails and messages, then I'm making a difference. Happy 4th everyone.

Love,

Elder Pack