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. 

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

Letter 13 - Week 14

Thank you momma for that letter. It really was an answer to my prayer. Although I know in my heart that it is necessary to pass through trials, it really is so challenging to keep moving sometimes. There have been a lot of moments where I feel so down because I’m not seeing the results in the way I want to, or just everything we have planned drops. It makes me think about if I’m actually working hard enough. 

I want to say that I’m doing everything I can, but it’s those trials that make me doubt myself. Working hard is a trait I think I earned from both you and dad, and it makes me feel so good to know that I put in 100 %. It’s hard to put in 100% here because I have to have enough energy for the next day. We work every single day and so I’m having to learn to pace myself and be happy with what I was able to get done. 

It’s a hard trial for me because I am, in all reality, a super inpatient person... I like to see results quickly and get things done fast... but that’s not really how it works out here... The work isn’t too super hard, it’s more about just being where the Lord needs you and loving and helping the people that he has prepared. It makes it hard for me to judge how hard I am truly working. I don't want to be lazy, but then again I don't want to kill myself trying to reach that level of approval from my own body that says you literally can't give anymore... it’s a weird concept.  

When I went with the zone leader (that was about to go home) I realized that he never was in a rush. He just took a step at a time and thought about what the next best option would be, and always smiled and chatted with people. It wasn't hard, it was just loving whoever he could find. I really want to try to follow his example. 

The weather is sooo hot, I guess we are in the summer months right now haha.  I don't know if I’ve talked about it, but the busses are sooooo crazy. If I could choose between going to six flags and riding a Guatemalan chicken bus, I would choose the bus. I don't know how many times I’ve hit my head on the ceiling. They don't have speed limits here and the roads are so windy and bumpy it’s ridiculous.

I’m out of time.  I love and miss you all so much.

Love,

Elder Dabel

Letter 12 - Week 13

That is so touching, thank you dad! (David sent him a copy of Aubrey’s Facebook post about how much she loved and missed Jared).   Make sure to let my sisters know how much I love them because I really do and I feel like I might not have shown it as best as I could have. 

It is true that the hardest days a lot of the time are the best. I love coming home to my apartment every night knowing I did my best and being so tired. I just lie down on my bed and pass out (after dats and planning of course.) The days have been moving by so fast and I always feel like I don't have enough time... it's a good thing though because then I don't have enough time to think about how much I miss home. 

Every week life gets better. It feels good to actually talk with everyone freely and not have as much stress on my shoulders of what the heck people are saying. I found that one of the hardest things for me to do is speak the truth and be blunt with the people I love. I really love all these people and wouldn't want to do anything to offend them, but is very necessary to to give them some chikote sometimes. I’m starting to find a good balance between showing love and being blunt at the same time. 

There is one family we have that knows for a fact that the church is true and has had dreams that are crazy. My companion and I have been working with them and haven't been able to get the true reason out of them why they wouldn't just take a step forward with faith and let go of all their little excuses. I mean not everyone in has that rare gift of revelation. We had divisions yesterday with the assistants who are sooooo cool... and they gave them some hard chikote.

The mom finally came out and said she wanted to be baptized so bad, but she couldn't because her husband wouldn't pay for them to get married. He said he didn't have enough money to pay for the party and a dress or even a cake for the marriage. It was so sad and humbling that it almost made me cry when I heard it. We offered to pay for the papers and that we could get the ward and other members of the church to put something together for a celebration. That was an awesome experience.

Oh, sorry about pulling out so much money. I bought an awesome bag made for missionaries and some new athletic shoes because mine ripped. They actually did in the MTC haha but I zip tied them together and that worked awesome for awhile. I still use them for running, but they can’t take the intense soccer we play here. My comp showed me where they sell zapatos de papi foot or soccer shoes for cheap :p

Love and miss you all so much.  

Elder Dabel

Letter 11 - Week 12

Thanks for all the good work back home. I’m so happy to hear how well it’s going. Pretty much now, as far as Spanish and teaching, I’m about set. My Spanish is doing really well and I have been able to teach the lessons fine. This week I did a lot of the leading and started lessons and can pretty much do anything by myself now. 

The work is starting to feel so much easier now that I have trust in my Spanish and the spirit in my teaching. So many times I am surprised by the things that come out of my mouth. Before I always worried what I was going to say and more specifically how I was going to translate it. I could spend forever trying to come up with something that would help the investigators. Now I just listen as best as I can and open my mouth and the spirit does the rest. 

I HAVE FOUND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE COVENANTS WITH THE LORD. My companion and I were struggling with making our goals. I talked to the President and he said that I should start making more covenants and it has helped so much. We work so hard all day and walk non stop, and just at the last minute everyday we make our goals. It’s like the Lord is testing our will to work hard the whole day and persevere before giving us the prize. 

I’ve also realized how perfect the Lord is and how he doesn't have a shortage of people that are ready for our message. He also knows how hard we are working and the ones that are working the hardest are the ones he is going to trust to teach these precious souls.

Another important thing I have learned is that we can have faith in the Lord, but that doesn't mean whatever we ask for in faith he is going to give us. If God were to take away our challenges simply because we asked he would in turn deny us of experiences necessary for our eternal salvation, experiences that are going to help us learn and grow. 

TO HAVE FAITH IN THE LORD IS TO HAVE FAITH IN HIS WORK AND THE THINGS THAT ARE OF HIM. If we truly have faith in him we ask in prayer for things that are inline with him. Many times people become selfish and ask for things that aren't  inline with his work and say they should receive because they have faith. That isn't faith..

This week has been so hard physically wise on my comp and I. Our cook has been out of town and we have had to walk soooooo far and long. It’s not horrible, but by the end of the day we pass out on the bed with blisters on our feet... I’ve never had blisters on my feet, not even when I did the 50 miler and I thought that was hard... that wasn't even hard... 

Oh make sure to tell Teresa thanks for every single one of her gifts hehe.. every one...

I love and miss you guys so much.

Love,

Elder Dabel

Letter 10 - Week 11

Hey dad, that is so awesome to hear about your job!  What a blessing I pray that you will enjoy it. Also that is so awesome to hear about Ana and Marisa!!! That makes me so happy =) 

My Easter was soooo awesome... well kinda. This week has been so slow because it is Semana Santa and the Catolicos celebrate all week and no one goes to work and every one goes to the beach.... so contacting has been absolutely useless. This week I have heard more fire crackers than I have ever in my whole life.... the people hear light em off for honor of Jesus and Mary... at 430 in the morning every freaking day.... and then all day whenever the feel like it... and not just one role... like 10 roles of fire crackers...

Anyways, besides the crazies the work has been pretty awesome because I’ve been able to get a lot of lessons in. It makes me happy to know that we have three or four investigators that are progressing that are my contacts. It’s hard because my companion teaches most of the lessons and I always bare my testimony , teach 1 or 2 points, and then always ask the commitments. he does most of the talking and sometimes it makes me feel a little down because I have so much I would like to share also but don't always have the words. 

Conference was awesome. I loved how much was said about families. It gets me excited for the time when I can have an eternal family, definitely something I don't want to rush, but I’m excited. There was also a lot about the atonement and faith. I like how it was said, (cant recall who exactly said it), but it is by the Lords grace that we are saved. In the end we are all sinners and we can’t trade our good deeds for the bad ones. It makes me think back to what mom said about how it’s basically those who have the desire to make it that are, because they are going to be doing the best with the knowledge they have. No matter what, they are still going to make mistakes though. 

Also, the talk about how we shouldn't give up on the gospel and doubt our testimony when we find something we don't understand. The story was given about the girl in the plane crash that saw the light and hiked her way to it with hope even though sometimes it went out of view. She pressed forward with the knowledge she had until she could see it again. I really loved this... also the talk about the medicine man in the hospital that said I can teach you how to dance but you have to hear the music. This parable or relation to the gospel life was awesome. We can’t follow the Savior and do the things we’re suppose to, or at least wont want to, unless we can feel the spirit, or the music. We don’t want to dance unless we have the music, otherwise its awkward and undesirable..

I gotta go, I love you guys. Oh, and this week my life improved by 100 times.. I found a water heater head at the black market and installed that bad boy.  Thanks so much for the pb and j and pancakes and nutella.....best Easter of my life.