Week 14: Can You Hear Me Better Now?

This week was another good one, and in my new area and companionship, the theme has been doing new things pretty badly. 

Phone Calls -- For those who don't know, a companionship of missionaries is only given one SIM card, so only one of them can make calls to people. This week, I was given the SIM card and that responsibility. Not surprisingly, when speaking over the phone, it's a lot harder to understand people, and their patience for missionaries runs out a lot faster. I had multiple people hang up on me and needed my companion to finish a call for me multiple times.

One of those times, I told the person on the phone we were missionaries, and he responded he couldn't understand me and to speak louder. But before I could, my more senior companion--who is, again, a Mexican with a strong latino accent--grabbed the phone and said, "Can you hear me better now?" And what do you know, he didn't suspect a thing: speaking louder really did just get rid of my American accent, haha.

Conducting -- This week, the branch had me conduct the hymns. Now, I think I know how to conduct simple stuff. However, we sang The Day Dawn is Breaking, which half way through, switches from 3/4 to 9/8 at half the tempo. Not too hard to conduct normally, but the auto-playing piano didn't slow down in the 9/8 section, making it impossiblely fast! The first verse was a bust, and even after my comp started manually slowing the piano down, there were still many times I was the only one singing--out of my range and reading the words incorrectly off the page. But you know what, it was a lotta fun, and I hope they let me conduct again in the future. 

Crying over Missed Milk -- Don't worry: here in Brazil, I've been able to get my milk fix, even if it is nasty boxed milk. But during one lunch, I learned that two members have a cow and sell fresh milk! So next time, obviously, imma buy some. But I also learned that they had offered us some, but I had turned it down, thinking they were offering soda! :(

Favorite Hymn -- You Can Make the Pathway Bright: This was a one I heard while listening to shuffled hymns without words while reading my scriptures. But, the music app is a bug sometimes so it decided to play this one with words. And, I paid attention, and was glad it randomly switched. Normally, it's a pretty regular hymn, but that day, it struck me. 

This week, I've had a lot of cares, especially about our work. I still feel that I'm not able to do enough because of my language, my companions, or whatever other circumstances. So, often times, I find myself frustrated.

But by the hymn, I was reminded I can have sunshine in my soul. And that if I do, my cares will depart and I'll be able to spread that light with others. For me, that's having Christ with me. I've been told many times that I need to remember Christ more in my day in order to have more joy. And it's really true. And I know that as I do, my joy and presence of Christ will be able to spread to those I teach, even as I can't quite say or understand as I want to.

Then, I read Alma 29, another amazing chapter for missionaries. Here, Alma laments his failures in teaching a wicked people, and he shouts to God his wish, one I wished myself minutes before I read this scripture: (paraphrasing) "If only I could talk with everyone in the world and share the message of my heart!" I tend to think that it is only my own skill that prevents me from basically doing this. But even Alma the Younger laments that he couldn't. Then, he gives some great wisdom after: 

So really, as a missionary, sometimes your contribution doesn't seem like much. But you should always keep trying. Because, like Alma said, why ought we wish for more than the work the Lord has given us? First off all, the Lord knows his work should be done, and second, He loves that you are doing your part, however small. As long as you are trying your hardest and trying to be better, you are doing His work. I know now more than I did before that this is true for me.

That's it for this week! As always, if you send a message, I will be very happy to reply!

Till next time,

Elder Haroldsen

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