Aug. 29 2013

8/29/2013

Hola everyone!  Man! I cant believe I'm almost halfway done with the CCM! After my first week was done I feel like time just started to fly. There are still some days that feel very long but I am still enjoying myself. My district still stinks at working but they are slowly getting better. I still love they heck out of them because they are so fun. One kid in my district has a story that rivals Scott's Crimson Trail story. Both times he has told it I have laughed so hard that I cry. We have all gotten really close and that is something that I am very thankful for. I see many other districts where they are not close and it really affects everyone in the district.

This week we finished with our first mock investigator and now we are teaching two different mock investigators. We also sometimes teach volunteer members from the city who don't speak any English. I no longer need to prepare what I am going to say for these lessons and I just walk in with a few scriptures in mind and say what I feel I need to say. There is sometimes I will spit something out and be so surprised at what I say that I feel fluent. But then I get out of the lesson and I quickly realize that I am far from being fluent. I know that I have been getting a ton of help in these lessons and that is definitely where I learn the most. I am not progressing as fast in speaking as I feel like I did the first week but my ability to comprehend what the natives are saying is slowly getting better. The other day I went and talked to one of the employees here and had like a 10 min conversation with him. He was doing most of the talking and was talking very slow for me but I was able to understand more than half of what he said which I was very happy about. It was so frustrating my first week here to try and talk to natives and just sit there with a blank stare and just say ´no entiendo´ a bunch. They were always very nice about it but I always walked away from those experiences very disappointed. I am happy that I am able to see that I am progressing even if it is at an unbelievably slow pace.

On Sunday Elder Abarca and I got called to be the Zone Leaders in our branch. I am way excited to be able to work with my branch president and his counselor more because they are both incredibly awesome guys. We get to give a half hour lesson to the new district coming in to our branch tonight (mostly in English) and I am really looking forward to it. I think this calling is going to be a blast. This week Elder Funk left for Texas and I was a little jealous that I was getting into the field. I wish I could have talked to him more but it was still good to see him every once in a while. ¡Buenos Suerte Elder Funk! I also got to see Elder Rayfield yesterday which was awesome. He seems like he out tonight!

Thanks for all you guys support. It is like Christmas every week when I get to email. Tell Sis. Kulikowski thanks for her letter it was awesome. I am loving it out here in the CCM! I cant wait to leave but I am still enjoying it a ton.

Mi Familia,

Dad- Keep the Dostoyevky coming. I'm so glad I read C&P before coming because I have actually been thinking about it a lot out here. It gave me a greater understanding of the Atonement and I love looking for symbolism those kinds of stories. I have decided that I am going to read my Libro de Mormon in Spanish. It is rough, I started last week and im only on like ch. 4 but it is helping a lot. Ive also started the bible and I am going to read it cover to cover. I also want to read Jesus the Christ sometime but they don't sell English copies here so if you could send that to me maybe after I get to Ecuador that would be awesome.

Mom- I really miss playing Carrom on Sundays with you three. That rolling shot I made it still burned into my memory.

Audrey- I cant believe you are driving the tumbler. Tell Saddy hi for me

Ian- I remember being deacons quorum pres. like it was yesterday. It is incredible how fast time flies. You are going to be on a mission before you know it even though it doesn't seem like that right now. You will probably get called to some remote island off the coast of Africa that only speaks click tongue and you will love it. Keep working hard on your eagle

Alicia- keep saying funny stuff

Isaac- keep enjoying life

I don't really have any good pics at all this week but I will next week

I love being in Mexico and I cant wait to get to South America!

I miss you all and pray for you everyday!

¡Yo se que El Evangelio es verdadero!

-Elder Durrant

 No pictures