Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Letter 16 - Week 17 

Hey momma,

I hope you guys had the time of your lives camping this Memorial Day.  I bet it rained too! jeje ;) Don’t worry I didn’t miss out on any rain. It’s starting to rain everyday here. The storms here are so cool. I wish you guys could see them. It’s a lot like what I could remember from Texas with tons of lightening. I really have to find boots soon though, or my feet are gonna hate mi. (mi is me but in Spanish)

This week we baptized our new convert and I got to confirm her in sacrament meeting. I’m really hoping she stays strong in the church so that in one year I can go to the temple with her and her bebe (baby) and her husband:)) I don't think I need to worry too much about her though because when we asked her to say a prayer the last time she gave thanks to God that she was apart of his true kingdom here on earth. 

We were able to make two more baptism dates too! We have one guy who’s name is Victor Ugo. He is an ex drug dealer and coke smuggler. He’s super chill, but his brain is a little slower because he has done about every drug imaginable. He told us he wants to change his life and has been doing just that. He comes to church every week and his second time coming he said he knew that this was the true church and that he could feel the spirit so strongly there. He has been searching a few other churches and says he doesn't feel the same spirit there :) He asked if he could be baptized before we could even pop the question haha. He is working hard right now to stop smoking marijuana and drinking coffee. 

Our other fecha (date) is with someone named Manuel Lopez. He’s trying to get over smoking and has dropped from 40 cigs to 1 a day. We have a date for the 27th, his birthday, and I’m praying he can just get over the last little hump in the road. I know he can do it, and when he does he is going to be able to go to the temple with his wife and kids in a year and get sealed also. It’s really exciting to be able to help these people and to see the miracles in their lives and how much they have been able to accomplish :)

I just finished my training last week and now I have changes tomorrow. My companion is leaving the area and I’m staying to keep it running. It’s a little nerve racking because I’m almost positive I’m getting a latino tomorrow and I’m going to be left to take care of everything in the area until he gets to know it. But I’m super confident in my Spanish now so everything should go good. I’m ready for a latino because there is only so much I could learn with my norte comp who is still trying to learn the language also. I’m so glad that I had a gringo first though, because he was able to teach me all the grammar and how to do everything in clarity. Now I can focus on just expanding my vocabulary.

Something that I have grown to love so much and can’t get enough of is reading my scriptures in spanish. It’s such a different experience, one of the coolest I’ve ever had, and and have every day. When I read in spanish I am forced to focus in on every little detail in every verse and it really opens up my mind creatively and spiritually. I enjoy what I read so much more and pull so much more out of it spiritually. I have to read more slowly and never can just skim over the words.  My scriptures look like a coloring book because every page about has something marked haha. I don't have to have my english ones open anymore and hardly ever use them except studying the bible and sometimes in D&C. 

IF YOU want to learn spanish FAST, there isn't a better way than reading the scriptures out loud. I have come to realize that it is the little things we are asked to do that don't always make logical sense that help the MOST. There are so many rules and laws that don't make much sense to us and sometimes the Lord asks us to do things that don't make sense either. A lot of times we ignore these little things and say they don't apply to us. This is a big lie from the adversary!!! Those little things are there to test our obedience. The greatest law of heaven is obedience, and if we want to be worthy to enter that kingdom we need to learn obedience. It’s like abraham when he was asked to kill his son.

It is the days that I do the things I’m asked (the little things) that are the best days. The days that I preach with the spirit the strongest, the days that I can speak the language best, the days that I have the most energy to keep going. 

I love and miss you guys so much.

Love, 
Elder Dabel


Letter 15 May 18 2015 
(We went out of town so I didn’t get to post this)

Thank you for all of your prayers, this week I’ve really needed all of them. I’ve been sicker than heck the last few days with dengue fever. It has been the worst experience of my whole mission so far. I received a blessing and I think I’m just about over it now. But, I lost a lot of weight really fast. It was funny, I went to church and our buddy asked if I had been loosing weight because my pants were saggy haha.

WOW, Michaela and Emma’s prom pics .... que bonita, miran como mommasitas. I bet all my sisters are going to look a lot different when I get home haha. Make sure the boys don't steal them before I get home! That’s awesome to hear about the color run. 


I should have changes in two Tuesdays, so you might not hear about it for another week. 

Monday, May 11, 2015


Letter 14 - Week 15

Hey Mama, 

So I uploaded a few things to the drop-box that you’re free to use. I’ll try to keep putting new things on as I take more. Thanks for having everyone there yesterday. I wouldn't have wanted to ask because it was your day, but it meant so much to me:))) 

I miss you guys so much, but it’s crazy how fast this journey is going. It’s starting to pick up faster and faster now that I’m not stressed about being able to speak. Oh and I forgot to tell dad, but if he could find spanish songs and talks also that would be awesome. 

I forgot to tell you ABOUT MY BUS EXPERIENCE YESTERDAY  haha. So the other day we were flying down the road and our bus engine blew up. It stopped super fast and we all flew forward. There was a women in front of me with a baby, and she flew all the way to the front of the bus in the air because she couldn't grab anything. She just held onto her little baby as tight as she could as her little body flew up to the front. She didn't die, but I could see how it didn't even matter to her, she was just worried about her lil baby. 

That was really touching and it reminded me of how important our mommas are and how much love you guys have for us. I just wanted to let you know how important you are to me, and how much I am grateful for the support you have given me to be out here. I give thanks to all our moms, Donavon's, Gav’s, Rick’s, and soon to be Moroni’s. You guys are so important to us. 

My friend that came to the MTC with me is a convert and doesn't have the support of his father who is Catholic. I am pretty sure by the end of his mission he will have more time being a missionary than being a member. He had a really hard time in the MTC and is still because he doesn't have the support from back home. He told me how lucky I was to have two parents that love me and support me. It made me feel a lot more grateful for what I have. I hope you had an awesome Mother’s Day yesterday. I love you so much!

Thanks Dad. I love your messages and even though I don't have a lot of time to respond I do read them and ponder your words through out the week :) I just keep remembering we are in good company when we have challenges in this life. I think about Joseph Smith, Job, Alma, Nephi, and ect... The Lord gave them what he knew they could handle. It’s hard to hunker down and just take it, but the Lord promises us that when we do our best, blessings will be double fold. I love you! Keep on being awesome dad :)

I have a big testimony about putting in our part. It’s the days that I try to study the language, read my Book of Mormon out loud and do all the little things I am told to do that I receive all the help from the Lord. A lot of times I don't feel like I learn anything or my little studies didn't do anything, but I can feel the Lord taking care of the rest just because I put in my part and did the best I could. The gift of tongues is so real, maybe not what a lot of people think, but it is real. A lot of my Spanish I have never even studied or learned. I just know it because I’ve heard it before and the Lord throws it all into my head when I need it. It’s a really different experience. 

I love you guys! Give my cousins some hugs too please, and maybe a punch or two in the balls for each of my uncles! hehehe