Hi kids and grandkids! They had Mothers Day for the Spanish World this past week. I, with the Mission President's wife had our pictures in the mission newsletter, honoring the only 2 mothers in the mission!:). I'm grateful to be the mother of each of you! You are so awesome! And grateful to Dad that I could be a mom.
Did I tell you this:
The last few weeks I can read the bulletin boards in Relief Society and Sunday School!. Up until then I guessed what the lesson was on. I finally got wise and would look up the lessons in English before I went, so I wouldn't be totally in the dark. In Relief Society a couple of weeks ago it was on the organizacion de la Sociedad de Socorro. Then the president asked, cuando? Everyone sat there. Then people were surprised when I raised my hand and said, diesisiete de marzo. Then she asked the year and she handed me the chalk and I wrote on the blackboard next to her 17 March, 1842. I didn't know how to say that in Espanol. (mil, ochociento, cuarenta y dos.?) I wanted to tell them that Martha McBride Knight and daughter Adeline were part of the 20 (veinte), but that wasn't to be.
Anyway, for weeks or months I just listened, lucky to pick up a word or two. Not being able to understand or say anything, I have mostly just smiled, thanked them for their leccion (lesson) or message (mensaje). I guess I can just cheer them on. After all they learn by participating, and I obviously wasn't sent here to expound or impart much of anything. A few times they would say something and look at me, and I would bare my testimony on the subject. I have a testimony of families. They are central to God's plan. Or when it was on temples. I would simply say I have a testimony of the temple, my family many years ago helped build the temple in Lago Salago (Salt Lake)(I should have said Kirtland and Nauvoo too, oh well.) Then I added that my husband and I were married there and each of our kids. The ladies (only maybe 5 or 6 would smile and then the teacher would go on with the lesson. At home later, I read the lesson in English and it mentioned the building of the SL Temple, etc. which I covered in my brief testimony, not sure what I should say or what few words I knew that I could use. Anyway, I got help.
They call on me to offer prayers, in Relief Society or Sunday School and I do my best from the seniors manual from the MTC. They often read and go down the row to each read a verse, and I just read, trying not to slaughter the language. One day in Relief Society they were reading from Joseph Smith history, going down the row and reading until the president stopped you. We got to the part of Joseph Smith seeing the Father and the Son (thank goodness I know some scriptures so well that I knew where we were. I could have quoted it in English, but I had a hard time pronouncing the words but she didn't stop me and expected me to go on and on, The Spirit was so strong, and I had a hard time with my emotions, but I read it to the end though not very well. Then I said, "lo siento." (I'm sorry) and they all smiled or laughed.
Also I'm beginning to pick out peoples names. For a long time I couldn't hear one person's name, because the sounds were all garbled together as they talked. When Brent and Judith came, I think they could understand why I couldn't tell peoples names.
One thing I notice is that I can understand the sisters when they give comments, because they are just like in English, they are laughing or complaining or crying about their roles, their families, etc. I can get the gist of that! (smile!)
So anyway, life is hard and sad and fun and happy, right. I guess we just keep going. All this will give us experience, and will be for our good, right.
Hey, we had some amazing French dip sandwiches in the office this week. It was Elder Pitti's birthday. He is from Panana, a senior couple will soon replace him, but I used Aunt Nancy's recipe and we just ladeled out the juice into Styrofoam bowls, took out the meat from the crockpot, Dad sliced/shredded it, and the elders went down on it with pickles, olives, tons of chips, cantaloupe and fresh pineapple and potato salad that Annette was making. I'm making those sandwiches for all of you when I come home!!
Love you all so very much!
Susan
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