Learning Patience

May 5, 2021 

Ola Everyone -

How is everyone doing?  I'm doing pretty good.  Most days are getting better but Tuesday was a really hard day for me.  We didn't really have anything going on so I just read all day, worked out, and ate food.  I was thinking about home and it was really tough on my brain because the more I thought about home, the more I missed it and the more I got sad.  So that was really lame.  But I prayed a lot, and I felt a TON better by the end of the day.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had lessons with members which was so great!  And I'm starting to eat more in members' homes and I'm starting to get to know the members which is AWESOME!  

There is one lady who we ate lunch with and I'm going to be honest . . . I get SO sleepy during our "meets with members" because they REALLY like to talk . . . like A LOT!  I'm ok to listen and I try so hard for like 45 minutes of good listening but after that my brain hurts trying to understand a word here and there.  They keep talking and talking SO FAST!  My head started bobbing while she was talking because I was falling asleep ha ha!   They don't talk to me which makes it harder to pay attention-- they talk to my companion because I don't speak Spanish as well as he does.  It's just hard for me to stay awake.   But we always get good food with the members.  Except at that lady's house she gave me a glass of what I thought was orange juice.  Then I asked her what juice it was and she said, "papaya juice."  And I thought, "oh crap---now I have to drink this glass of sweaty foot juice!"  Eww!  

Sunday we had our first face to face ward meeting!  It was awesome!  There are two wards.  The first one was La Aldea.  That ward was awesome--there were about 20 people and  all the chairs were spaced out in the chapel. The second ward we attended was the San Miguel ward.   All the families spaced out together.  There was probably like 100 people in the room.  It was so cool!  They had deacons, AND they had one priest.  His dad helped and broke the bread. Oh guess what?  The bishop speaks perfect English which is really nice because sometimes he asks me to do things in English and it helps right now.  It just surprises me to hear someone speak in English!  But seriously, that ward was awesome!  Oh, and I played the prelude on the piano for that ward and I almost played for the meeting but they were asking me to play hymns I have never heard of before and they were in Spanish so I need to practice those before I can play them in a ward.  Maybe next week!  It was just awesome to see everyone because it was the first time since Covid that they were able to meet in person.  Usually it is through Zoom.  Oh, and some Americans that were visiting San Miguel came to church!  They were from Cedar Hills, Utah and I was able to talk to them which felt so good.  

Today is P-Day and we took a bus down to Celaya so we could see some other missionaries and play volleyball.  It was really fun!  I love all of my family and all of my friends.  PLEASE email me.  It gets really boring sometimes and often I have to study and read all day but I think things will get better as these Covid restrictions ease up.  I love this scripture:  Proverbs 14:29.  It's about being patient.  Sometimes I'm impatient with my companion or with the language.  I'm especially impatient when it comes to waiting to do missionary work.  I just wanna get the heck out of my house and get to work!  But I'm learning patience with the language and with my companion.  I challenge all of you to be patient with one another, especially when something happens that is hard or that irritates you.  Have patience with it and try to learn something from it.  I'm sending pics too!  Check out the name of the street I'm standing under!  Pretty cool!

I love you all!

Elder Spencer Chamberlain