Hey family. How goes it? First of all let me apologize for not sending pics again. Next week I promise I will send a bunch. The reason is that the computers we are using right now always give me a virus so if I send pictures it destroys my SD card. Next week I will go to another Internet place to write. We did not have the opportunity to listen to the missionary broadcast, but I have heard all about it. I don't know if much will change here. If missionaries have iPads everybody will start robbing the missionaries. That is the reason we do not carry a lot of money so they learn after time that we don't have a lot of money. Also I pray for the family of the missionary who died in the Reu mission this week. He was doing service when it happened. What an example of a Christ-like servant of our Heavenly Father. It's also a warning that as missionaries we need to be careful. Sorry about writing one day late. My comp had to go to the capital to sign his passport and did not get back until this morning and also I was deathly sick yesterday so we decided to write today instead.
Well I have not commented on the Spanish in a while. But really the Spanish is coming along great. Most people think that I have a lot more time in the mission than I actually do. It's not my vocabulary that is great. I lack a lot of the basic vocabulary, but I think it is my ability to talk fast and with a good accent. The other day we went with the other missionaries to a lunch for the birthday of a less active member. We sat and talked at the table for 45 minutes or and hour and by the time we were done we started to talk about the United States and he was shocked because he thought I was from Argentina the whole time. I don't know if that is a compliment or not because people in Argentina have a really weird accent. But, I can convince anybody that I am from Mexico and they believe me. I have an ability to pick up accents really fast. For example, there is an Elder in Chiquilaja that is from the coast of Guatemala. I started to pick up his accent in like 2 weeks but they don't stick for too long. Elder C--, my past companion, would always say that my accent is like Northern Mexico which is interesting because that is the kind of Spanish I have heard my whole life. I am not really struggling with the Spanish now. I feel pretty confident in all situations.
This week was also a fulfilling week for me ever since Elder C-- had changes and is in a different area he has told a lot of people that he misses being my companion a lot. This week I went to the office and talked to Sister Fairbourne (the couple that works in the office) and she told me that she has been writing Elder C-- consistently and says that I really did change his life a ton. She said, "Your biggest convert in the mission could be Elder C--." Not only does it talk about that in my patriarchal blessing but also I feel at times that my purpose in the mission is to help other missionaries. Lots come to me for advice and I help where I can. I am grateful for the opportunity to have an effect in peoples lives and be an instrument in the Lord's hands. I have a book that I have all my companions and all the people I get to know in the mission write in. It's like a journal yearbook type thing. When I read what Elder C-- wrote I was crying because I realized that I was trusted to help Elder C-- not only by the Lord but by the president of the mission. I can tell that the stuff that I taught him and the principles I taught him really have sunk in because in our zone meeting he always quotes me saying, "Elder Reinhold always does this or he always said this." And If you read this Elder C-- - love you man.
Well now for the quote of the week. I feel this one is appropriate because the NBA finals finished up this week. "I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that's why I succeed." - Michael Jordan. This is a great quote. Love it. Dad, remember Lebron is in the house and he has 2 titles. Michael Jordan watch out.
Well this week in Chiquilaja we also had some success. There is a family from The States that is visiting their family who are members in our ward. Not all of them speak Spanish so we are actually going to teach them in English which is going to be really weird. I am going to work with my comp so he can teach part of the lesson. They are going to be here for 8 weeks. We get to eat with them every Saturday. One time I was asked by a family to offer the prayer for dinner in English it was actually kind of difficult. I was stuttering and did not know what to say, so we will see how a lesson will go.
Well this week in Chiquilaja we also had some success. There is a family from The States that is visiting their family who are members in our ward. Not all of them speak Spanish so we are actually going to teach them in English which is going to be really weird. I am going to work with my comp so he can teach part of the lesson. They are going to be here for 8 weeks. We get to eat with them every Saturday. One time I was asked by a family to offer the prayer for dinner in English it was actually kind of difficult. I was stuttering and did not know what to say, so we will see how a lesson will go.
The other week I mentioned that we found a really positive family that just dropped off the face of the earth. Well we figured out why. The lady who gave us the reference and was helping us with this family works in a bread shop. The mom of the family that we were teaching came to the bread shop and asked the member that was helping us if she could have 10 quetzales of bread and she would pay her when she had the money. Well she did not have the money so she was avoiding all of us. Well the member that works in the bread shop was walking in the street and ran into the mom of the family. The mom was very nervous and said I will pay for it soon, don't worry. And the member said, "Your father paid for it," and the mom was thinking and asked, "How did my father pay for it?" Then the member said your other father pointing to the heavens and that act of kindness come from a family of 9 that is living of an income of 33 quets a day. They are struggling a lot. It's like 4 dollars a day to feed 9 people and pay rent and everything. We have helped this family as much as we can but it is hard to see. So we are going to continue to teach this family. This week we also found 2 people contacting that have never attended any church in their life. That is a miracle down here. I could not believe it for a while. We are working hard and are finding people easily so we have hope for some baptisms here in the future. Well, love you and always remember that you are in my prayers. And reach out to someone who is in need. Remember this family that is living off of 33 quets and always donating their clothes to people and always sharing the gospel.
Love you and talk to you next week.
Con amor,
Elder Reinhold
Notes from Mom:
I am backing up the accent thing. For a couple of months in high school he spoke most of the time in a Mexican accent. This was mostly to try to bug us, but it was funny because he was really good at it! It is getting put to good use.
Elder C,
Thank you for loving our boy, for making his birthday special, and for working together as a team. We are all learning something or else this life would be pointless. It sounds like President Bautista was inspired when he put you two together. Best of luck for the remainder of your mission!
Love,
Sister Reinhold
(Elder Reinhold's Mom)
(Elder Reinhold's Mom)
