SPANISH!!!!! WHAT!!

Spanish my second language:

When I received my mission call I was called to learn and teach in the spanish language. Being a missionary is completly voluntary but there are certain standards in order to quaify, and this is a process that takes a little bit of time filling out paper work and being interviewed. After all the paper work is completed the papers are sent to Church Headquarters in Salt lake city where the Prophet (currently Thomas S Monson) and the twelve apostles ask God through sincere prayer as to where He wanted me to serve. I did not have a say in the matter, my calling came from God. The Lord wanted me to serve here in Santa Rosa and to learn spanish and then to teach in this language for all those who speak Spanish living here.
It has been interesting learning a new language. I had 9 weeks of training and then I came here to talk and do 'missionary things' in my new language. I am sure there are many people who know what it feels like to be completely lost in a conversation or to try to answer the question and have someone answer for you because they do not think you are capable. It is frustrating to want to speak with the people and not be able to.

Sometimes I would sit in a lesson and not understand a single thing that went on and then my companions would look at me expecting me to say something. I would freak out thinking, I do not even know what this person has been talking about for the past 10 minutes and now you want me to say something??? 

Sometimes in our lessons there are people who start crying because they are having a hard time with the things in there lives, sometimes there is laughing I didn't catch the punch line.... so I pretend to laugh while everyone else is rolling on the ground from laughter. What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Yeah I did not know what was going on. Or sometimes there is an intense story being told and my companion looks at me and says Do you understand? And I am wanting to say yes but really I have no clue what is going on so she says I will tell you later.

The Lord was teaching me patience. Patience with myself. When I exercised faith and trusted the Lord that he would help me and then I went and did the things that were expected of me I was able to learn and grow and slowly I learned to understand the language and even though I still have to learn more and improve I am almost able to actually communicate with people and they can understand me. It has been three months. I know that with out a doubt that I could not have done this on my own. I have taken one step at a time little by little and with my faith and my diligence I have been given the gift to understand. I am amazed at the power of God and I know that He is looking our for me.

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It is interesting because this small trial that I have to try to understand and learn a different language is a good analogy of life. Are we not all here not exactly knowing what we are doing? We can't remember anything about where we came from or we don't seem to know or remember anything beyond this life. And yet we are here. Does it every feel like you are lost? My testimony of Jesus Christ gives me understanding of why I am here and what I need to do. I am able to be guided through this life with out getting caught up in all the menial things. It is a process, we learn one thing at a time until one day things connect and start to make sense. (2 Nephi 28:30) Kind of like putting words together to make a sentence or sentences together to make a phrase. When this happens we feel so blessed to be able to live this life, serve God and have pure joy that comes through our Savior Jesus Christ.