The Gift of Tongues

Nov 9, 2015

Hola! There have been many great things happening here. First off, I thank you for the prayers that have been sent my way. :) Thank you for all you've done to help me be a good missionary. However, in the missionary handbook, I am told not to ask that my family or friends hold a fast for me and my area. I was thinking about it, and I think I might have an idea why. Yes, I am your friend, son, brother, or possibly annoying sidekick. However,

Photo from Mexico CCM

I am not your missionary. I am a missionary of the Lord. Your missionaries are serving in your wards and stakes. Those missionaries should have just as many, if not more, prayers, and I believe actions to go along with them.

I learned from Mosiah 18 that members are the ones that build the wards, not missionaries. I see that evident in Tijuana. The past two weeks about 20 members came from the stake to attend our branch and then came with us, the missionaries, to serve and invite others to attend the following week, and more importantly, to attend the Tijuana Temple Open House.

Yesterday, 10 young men, in their white shirts and ties, deconstructed the home of an investigator at the request of the missionaries. There wasn't enough work for the other ten that came, so instead they decided to stand on the corners and pass out invitations. They were better full-time missionaries than we are!

Friday we had our zone meeting and the mission president told us all that we were doing wrong. As I was listening, I thought, wow, he's talking to us like you're two-year-olds. Then I realized that I really am. Sure I'm all grown up and smart, but I have so much that I need to learn. Kids in kindergarten are permitted to do fewer things than I, but the restriction allows them to learn the basics. It's the same as in the mission. I can do fewer things here than before, but here I get to refine the basics. It's brilliant!

I was thinking yesterday as I was walking down the path to church about how I might respond if I received visible success, a.k.a., baptisms. Then the Spirit told me, “The moment you stop thinking about the progress and focus on the success is the moment I leave.” Perspire, don't aspire. I can't really explain it, but It was a really neat experience.

I had another cool experience. I believe it was Thursday. Anyway, we taught the plan of salvation to a family who had lost a ten yr old daughter, presumably to cancer. I taught them a few of the principles and my companero did the same. It was really cool because normally I make a couple of mistakes and speak a bit choppily, but when we taught that lesson, I spoke perfectly. There were no mistakes and there were no pauses to collect my Spanish thoughts. I have noticed that most of the time, when I choose to speak to someone in Spanish about the gospel, the Spanish comes well. However, when someone else chooses for me, or when I don't speak but merely listen, The Spanish is difficult. I really believe it is the gift of tongues. Alma 7:32 says open your mouth and it will be filled. I believe that it is true not only with a new language, but with our first language as well. Open your mouth and God will help you to teach what needs to be taught. He will also teach you at the same time.