Week #4 - Language Lessons Oops! :-)

Kumusta!

Oh my. Hahah its getting more difficult to start my emails to you guys because it feels like more and more is crammed into each week. I bring my journal to the email lab because the days have really started to blur together. This week started with two new districts coming in, and that feels weird. They look at us like we are about 5 years older than them, and have been speaking Tagalog most of our lives. Neither are true but it really puts in perspective how far we have come. We are now juggling 3 progressing investigators, one of which accepted a baptismal commitment so that's cool. One is a less active, and the other one is an atheist man named Andrew. In reality all three of these are our teachers, Brother DeYoung, Brother Smith, and Sister Osborne. Its insane how they can totally put on a new face and make it feel so real when we step into the role play rooms. Im not sure, but my understanding from what Bro. Smith has told me is that they are acting as one of the investigators they taught one their mission, and before the lesson they pray to be able to accurately respond and give us a close idea as to the kinds of questions we will get. Speaking full 45 min lessons in Tagalog is getting easier each time. I feel myself stringing sentences together faster and faster. Sometimes my mouth cant keep up with my brain. I feel a bit like my little brother Josh ;) love you buddy.

Teaching feels really good. Even though they are not real. They have real emotion. I have watched our investigators Beronica (Sister Osborne) cry a few times in discussions. I can hear the power in my voice moving my investigators to feel the spirit. It feels way cool. Unity with my companion is getting a little better, but only outside of lessons. I cant get him to say a word in lessons. I dont think its the language either because he knows just as much as I do. We spend companionship study and language study role playing with one another and He talks during that. So keep him in your prayers as well. Hes a good guy and He looks out for me.

Tagalog is such a funny language grammer is simple but confusing at the same time. The other day I totally messed up in a lesson haha, I meant to say

Bakit po pinatay ng mga tao si Jesucristo

(why did the people kill Jesus?)

But I accidentally said

Bakit po pinatay ang mga tao ni Jesucristo

Which means "why did Jesus kill the people" OOPS! the look on that investigators face was pretty unbelievable. But I fixed it and we finished the lesson with a church invitation that was accepted

Anyway I just want to close with a short testimony in tagalog

Alam ko po na mapagmahal ng Diyos. At sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya malalaman katotohanan tungkol sa lahat mga bagay. Alam ko po na mahirap ang buhay. Pero Sa pamamagitan panalangin, marandaman po ninyo masaya at ang kaluwalhatian ng Diyos.

I love you all so much!!
Mahal kita!!!

Elder Dahle