First Intercambio!

How is everything going back home?  This week has been a very good week! A lot of independent times this week where my Spanish and knowledge was tested, but it’s all good because I passed with flying colors!  

The biggest thing that happened this week, besides conference of course, was I had my first REAL intercambio!  Elder Casperson left for a day and a night, and Elder Parkin came and was my companion for that time! And yup, the same Elder Parkin that arrived last week.  So it was him, who has one week in Chile, and me, who has one month and a half, working a normal whole day of contacting and lessons. I thought it was going to be very difficult and that I was going to do bad.  It was the exact opposite, it went great!  I talked so much and taught so well! I did very well being senior comp.  In all seriousness, I surprised myself so much.  I was exactly like how Elder Casperson is to me.  It made me realize how much I have actually grown and how much I know, directing us around, and leading lessons was awesome.  The whole experience of not having someone to fall back on really helped me be the best missionary I can be.

All of this was tested again when during one of the sessions during general conference, when we were waiting for the next session to start, we went on splits with the young men in the ward and contacted for a while.  It was quite the experience.  Each missionary had their own young man. But in all, the intercambio with Elder Parkin, and the splits with the young men was a very good experience for me to help me see my progress.  But of course the following days I was humbled by the Lord as I stumbled to get out words in lessons and contacting.  I know that the Lord strengthened me that day I was with Elder Parkin and I know I am given stumbling blocks so that I can learn and grown.

This week we have been focusing on finding new people to teach so we spent whole days at a time contacting.  Let’s just say we haven’t had the best luck this week.  Over 100 contacts this week and we didn’t find anyone who seems good to progress.  It was pretty discouraging but we are working and I know that we will be rewarded in the Lords own time. We continue to work with our recent converts in strengthening their testimonies and helping them with whatever we can.  

General Conference.  I had the opportunity to watch it in English, so I was very happy for that. I could go on and on about what I liked and learned but I think my favorite was the talk given by Lynn G. Robbins.  If you missed it, you need to look it up and watch or read it.  It was Saturday morning session and he talked about never forgetting which way you face.  Geez, I’m reading through my notes right now and there were so many good talks.  But I can say that Saturday’s sessions were better than Sunday’s sessions ;)…but both very good though. It was really cool to see in the priesthood session that the choir was made up of missionaries in the MTC. I saw three of my friends singing in it!!  It was so funny haha but made me miss my friends a lot.  

That’s about it for this week. If you didn’t have the opportunity to watch conference I suggest that you watch them online. It was such an amazing opportunity to receive personal revelation that comes through the words of the prophet and apostles. I never know how to end these things... Talk to you next week?  Yeah that.  Love you guys!

Elder Clay