6/7/10

Brinlee, DRIVING?!?!?! AHH! I'm glad I sold my Bimmer. haha.

I got the great opportunity to translate for someone in line at the grocery store because the clerk didn't speak any Spanish. Kind of fun to be able to do that.

This week, the Lord hooked us up phat! We were sitting in the hall yesterday waiting to fill the font and a man came up to us and asked if we were skipping out on something or what we were doing. We told him we had a baptism so we were waiting for the rooms to get empty -- He said "Well, I'm supposed to visit the High Priests, but I feel like I should just talk with you 4 (the Spanish Elders)." So he sat down with us, he had a full head of white hair and a very inviting and friendly smile. He said "I'm Brother Hilbig, I've served as mission president and in the 70 and so on, but I feel like I should talk to you Elders." What he DIDN'T tell us, is that he is CURRENTLY serving in the first q. of the 70! So we got a 1-1 hour lesson basically about missionary work and revelation from Elder Hilbig of the 70! How crazy is that! It was such a neat experience. He asked me to offer the prayer at the end as well. He was such a kind and gentle man, his language was eloquent and easy to understand; hopefully I'll end up like him! It was really neat.

I bore my testimony in the branch yesterday and it went really well, strangely well in fact. I got up there and my mouth just started speaking all this crazy spanish I didn't even know. Subjunctives and correct pronoun placements. It was insane! I got done and after the meeting 3 people came up to me and said "Your spanish has gotten so much better, what did you do?!" haha. I think what helped me was when I was Senior comp in Hartford for the day last Tuesday. We taught a lesson to a Puerto Rican lady named Elva. She speaks and understands 0 English. So when Elder Winfield wanted to teach, I would translate for him, so I translated for a solid 30 minutes. Then, two weeks ago, I had the chance to speak to a members mother for an hour and a half. It's amazing how much just speaking it helps and having them correct me as we go. But my testimony was almost flawless. One member said "Wow, by the time you get home you'll be a pro!" So that was a big plus for me. I feel like I can understand and speak better when I'm NOT around Elder Urrutia because I think my brain turns off sometimes and lets me use him as a crutch more than a help.

Dunia Guadalupe Romero got baptized yesterday! After 4 years, she finally decided to get dunked! It was so great, we really got through to her this time and let her know she is ready. I even told her if she stops drinking coffee, I'll stop drinking Inca Kola. So far, I'm dry still! haha. And more importantly, she is baptized! I absolutely love Dunia and her 7 year old daughter Daniela. They hold a special place in my heart, she reminds me of myself. She didn't want to get baptized and end up being a hypocrite; so I told her how I fought that as well and how I overcame those feelings. She agreed and then... She decided to get baptized.

This week was the Puerto Rican Day parade on Park Street... We got to watch an insane group of Boricuans outside our balcony all night as they drove by on their scooters and cars holding flags and screaming and yelling all night long. It was really funny, until I was trying to sleep. But it was SUCH an interesting night. It's one of those things you look back on and go "oh man, here's a sweet mission story." It was really a blast. The people were insane! We almost saw a few car / scooter accidents. Good times.

The other Elders decided to pull a prank and put our bed in our study room. Really annoying at the time. Really funny now though.

Not much else, last week of transfers this week so we'll see what happens! I hope all is well at home, I love all of you -- I'm praying for you and hope the Lord is blessing you. Have you handed out that Book of Mormon yet?

I love you
-Elder Allred