September 10, 2012

How are you all doing??!! Hope you´re all really well.

Well I had an awesome week! We´re really seeing progress with all of our investigators. Still the same challenges, but  we´re getting a little better, mostly me. Elder Jones was always a super beast. I saw a huge stride in my language ability this past week. Maybe not even technically my ability, but my confidence. There´s a quote. "Faith has everything to do with attitude, attitude has everything to do with success, and success is contagious." Now that I write that I´m almost one hundred percent sure that the order is mixed up, but they really are interchangeable. This week I´m going to work specifically on my attitude- always maintaining a smile, having faith, perspecitve, and serving. And second- Listening! I got a little better, but still, when I really concentrate, verses semi tuned-out, I can help God´s children much more than otherwise! And when I apply myself, that is, when I listen and concentrate, I understand almost everything!

And I have some news, I completed my first change in the mission! Llevo 6 semanas aqui in Chile! And for that, I´ll actually get a new companion! Elder Jones is off to someplace, we´re not sure where yet, pray for the Coast!!!! (It´s cooler, and nicer there, especially in the coming summer). He´ll be acting as Zone Leader. Should be fun. But anyways,   I´ll miss him, he really is a boss. But I´ll see him in Cali after the mission, and a few times probably before both our tenures here end. But this is a really good thing for me, because he usually did 60-65 percent of the work. The decisions, the comments, the listening, everything. But as I´ll be leading the sector until my new companion gets to know it a little better, I´ll have many more opportunities to communicate, to listen, and to be the leader. This is actually really going to help me, because I´ll HAVE to. Necessity is the mother of invention. Semi-relevant quote. I´ve seen this in my experience with changes. We fall into patterns, and as a greenie for me, BAD patterns of being lazy. But when I´ve gone on changes with other missionaries, I break these patterns and do more and therefore learn more. I´m capable, I just need that boost. And this will that permanent boost. I´ll tell you a little about my new companion when I learn more. 

Investigators! (good ones). Teresa, Claudia, Juanito, Denise, Estafani, and Enrique! The first three we have a lot more time with and therefore have progressed much more. Teresa is seriously an angel, and has the faith and knows the LDM is true. She´s been reading about President Monson in the Liahonas we gave her. Juanito and Claudio are also doing really well too, but haven´t been exceeding diligent in reading. Daily contact on my part can help that. Estafani and Enrique and also super aweomse, we´ve only taught them once and twice each, but we´ll be setting a date with Estafani tonight. Teresa, Juanito, Claudia, and more all came to church yesterday. We visited them all, after, had lessons, that were all really good. 

Also, my companero de la CCM in Provo is coming to Santiago! He was deemed, "healthy" and should get here Wednesday-ish. 

How´s Jared and James doing? And Grandpa Robert?

Also send my thanks and love to all of the relatives, but especially Grandma Susie, for the letters! I just got them both and they were awesome! It was great to hear about family history and the temple.

Love you all and think about you daily.

Elder Spencer Tasso