TRAINING. HELP ME PLEASE I'M GONNA DIE

HOLY COW MUCHO HA PASADO. SOMEONE GET ME A BAG I THINK I'M GONNA HURL.

Okay, great. So, everyone form an orderly line to know who my companion is, because I know that you guys are biting, scratching, stabbing, shooting, and every other good gospel practice just to get to the computer screen first to read the name of my new companion. And his name is.....

Elder Romero! He's from Mexico City, Mexico! He's been on his mission for a total of 3 weeks today! He doesn't speak ANY English. Like, Elder Ponce understood a LOT of it, but Elder Romero, I ask him how he is in English and he literally doesn't know what I said. He wants to learn though, so I'm going to teach him all that I can, and I have my ways.... I have my ways.... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So yeah, that's whats up wid dat jank.

I've finally started picking up Spanish on a native level. Like, I still can't speak like a native, but I'm starting to be able to speak like a native a little. For the most part, I'm starting to understand that it's better to use the infinitive form of a verb in most situations than the gerund form.

Infinitive form in English is like: to run. The Gerund form in English is like: running.

In Spanish, it sounds really bad to say something like: I like running. In Spanish, that translates to: Me gusta corriendo.

That just sounds bad. It's better to say: I like to run. Me gusta correr.

So little intricacies like that are starting to stick, and DANG I love speaking Spanish. Did I ever tell you guys that? yeah. I llove it. I feel like I'm speaking in code with someone else. I can tell jokes now. I can explain funny things now. I can FINALLY BE FUNNY IN SPANISH. HOLY COW I MISSED THAT.

Okay, enough with that. Time for good occurrences:

1.) I got my companion. You have a bazillion questions for him, so I'll just let you guys ask them.

2.) My companion on his 3rd day in the field got bitten by a dog! Like, I just sat there and watched because I didn't know what to do. I'm just a dumb gringo I don't even know if I'm saying "Hello how are you?" correctly. Poor guy. He's tough though, and kinda just shook it off.

3.) We're going to baptize Agustin this week!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I don't think anyone will ever be able to fully comprehend how incredibly awesome it is to baptize him. When we started talking with him, it was SO hard to imagine him being baptized. The Atonement of Jesus Christ changed this man so much it's crazy. He probably one of the kindest men I've met here in Tijuana, and seriously, he has never looked happier. When we met him, he had problems with coffee, and his family was a little hard for him to get a long with. Eventually, after meeting with us, his family problems resolved. He read the book of mormon a TON. Like seriously, I think he read like, 20 chapters in one day if I remember right. like, he's going to finish the LdM in about a month. It's just absolutely insane how prepared he his. I'm so stoked to see him in those waters.

4.) We finally have permission to street contact, and man, it's hard. You gotta try and find the right people. So far, I've contacted about 8 people, and 6 lived in Rosarito. Seriously. 6. Super bad luck. Dunno how that happened.

But anyway, can someone ask Tom what his methods are for street contacting? I have only one, which is to write down certain Colonias and then ask if the people know where they are. After that, I ask if they live here, and then after that if they've talked with missionaries. Basically that's all I've goty right now. Super weird right? Anyway, yeah. If I could get some tips for that from Tom, Dad, Aunt Kari, anyone who has ideas, just lay 'em on me. I'm willing to try anything.

5.) I'm really the senior companion now. It's super scary. I have to do everything right or else it just doesn't get done. I'm praying a lot, and I'm honestly hoping that I can set a good example. It's really hard sometimes to be the fall back guy, but dang, I'm learning a TON.

Alright, I gotta terminate my email now. (Terminar) I'll talk to you guys later.

Con afan, amor, y a veces un poco frustrado con su espanol,

Elder Carter

Photos:

1.) My new companion and I!

2.) Hermana Maria de Jesus and Carolina when they were baptized

3.) A branch of platanos that Sarah has. I thought they were really cool.

More photos will be coming, I'm just kinda struggling a little bit to remember to do that because I'm constantly thinking about what I'm doing, where we need to go, and what we're going to teach or do. Constantly constantly constantly trying to do everything.

Don't worry though, I'm not gonna die I don't think. As far as I know, I'm gonna be just fine, but we'll see. The Lord is doing a lot to help me, and I've seen His Hand more times in this week than I have in weeks past. It's really cool.

So, I think what I'll do is just talk a little about what we actually do with investigators so that you guys can understand.

We, as missionaries, are just in the ward to help it with the work of salvation. We are there to do the things that the members cannot. One of the things they can't do is teach lessons, so that's what we do.

There are 5 lessons in total, with lessons 4 and 5 broken up into parts.

Lesson 1: The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Lesson 2: The Plan of Salvation

Lesson 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Lesson 4: The Commandments

Lesson 5: Laws and Ordinances

Each lesson has specific points that MUST be taught in order for a person to pass the baptismal interview.

As I said, they have to pass the baptismal interview to be baptized right? So each lesson has specific points that people must know in order to pass this interview. The points are as follows:

Lesson 1: God is our Heavenly Father, The Gospel Blesses Families, God has revealed his Gospel through Prophets, Jesus Christ established his church, the Grand Apostasy, The Restoration through Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, How to know the truth

Each one of those points has other points that have to be explained so that a person understands what they are doing.

Each lesson has points like that, and so as the senior companion, I have to make sure that they are all taught. Sometimes that doesn't happen, and I have to reteach what my companion taught so that they understand.

For that reason, it's really hard to be the senior companion.

I have been on the computer for 1:10 minutes, so I need to leave now. Thanks for your support, your encouragement, and your prayers. Keep up the good work fam. You guys got this.

Elder Carter

I really do love you. When I say that, I really do mean it. Like, it ain't no joke.