Monday, October 8, 2012

October 8, 2012

feel like we are having a lot of birthdays recently! i am having mine on friday. can you believe it has been a whole year? I have a really hard time believing that i have been here a whole year. I was thinking about all that i have learned and felt. How i went from knowing 0 words in portuguese to speaking with anyone and everyone about the gospel. I think about the tears of strife and happiness. The brazilian hospital, lots and lots of rice and beans hahaha, spiritual experiences like hugging the book of mormon for the first time (i already bought a portuguese quad :), meeting Élder Godoy of the seventy, and really starting to hear the voice in the scriptures instead of read the words in them.
I look at the weaknesses i have now and how i would never have known they existed without my mission. I don't pray like i used to. I sit and talk with my Heavenly Father, i practice teaching lessons with him, and he gives me feedback and new ideas to try. I have two very special notebooks, one to carry and one on my bed in which i write revelation. I have my study journals, but when the Lord speaks to me i write His words in my little notebooks. He loves me.

I had a really neat experience with general conference. I was struggling with my accent recently. Because people were not understanding a word here and there and they were commenting more and more about it... I thought of moses and how he stuttered and couldn't even teach his people. in exodus 4 the Lord teaches him a very valuable lesson in the form of a question: "Who made the mouth of a man? Was it not I?" We have to trust in him that his spirit will overpower our accent and empower our words and testimony. At general conference for the first time i noticed the accent of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. did you guys know that he is from germany and english is a second language to him? haha. He says some words incorrectly and has an accent, but He was called by God and when he speaks, he speaks with POWER! Elder Gonzalez of the seventy from uruguay speaks with a very heavy accent as he teaches a strong message. the message is filled with power and as i cried to myself during that session (we set up a tv to watch in english) I knew the Lord had called me to speak in a different language like he had called those inspired men.

'And if men come unto me, i will show unto them their weakness. And i give weakness to men so they might be humble... "e minha graça basta para todos"

I got zacks package and it came at the right time. I had just run out of peanut butter haha. Thanks a million zack and the abbot family. Thank you for your pictures and testimonies. Thank you "Sister" abbot for your thoughtful card.

I would love a pen drive! that would really simplify my life. Also, more peanut butter and reeses peanut butter cups... just that for now :D

I love you guys so much!

Listen to president uchtdorfs talk again and then listen to elder holland's. Do we love our families?... do we really love them? Mom and Dad I love you guys Brady, lexi, jake, cake, livi, leevers, gerr gerr, bella, landon and addi (thought i forgot you huh?) i love you guys to. I hope that you know it, like the savior knew that peter loved him.



i love you guys!

-Élder Grondel jr.


ps: this week was great. we had counsel with president in floripa... eight hours from here by bus. we missed the bus.... got a taxi and chased down the bus hahahaha. We forgot our suit coats... but there are extras in the office haha. We taught some crazy people, made some funny contacts - "oh you go to that apostasy on the hill? next to that big field? oh okay yeah i know where that is. next to the river of dirty water uh huh and it's on the hill so it looks like it's floating..." haha. or -

"have you been to the church of jesus christ?" -elder grondel

"no i go to the matriz (catholic)" - potential investigator maria

"You go to the matriz? How come you don't go to the church of jesus Christ?!" -elder grondel

"... ? ..." - ex potential investigator maria

hahaha

:D

We left a training that was awesome with the elders at our zone meeting. I made an I'M IN sign and used a axe i broke a month ago doing service for a less active member. I used D&C 24:12 and explained that WE ARE TRULY IN the Lords work when we work so hard that we break the axe. It wasn't until i concentrated every fiber of my being on cutting the wood that i broke the axe. i painted it red- find, yellow- teach, blue- baptize, and white- confirmation
 

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