Rich Fam-
I almost don´t know where to even begin. I guess I´ll just
start at the beginning.
So after I walked through security I got right on the plane
and was off to Salt Lake. I sat by a very cool man and he told me about his
missionary experiences and was a great comfort to have someone to talk to. We
landed and then sat in the airport for 7 hours. I was with Josh Eardley, Luke
Heaton, and Spencer Blazzard but that didn´t last long as we met up with four
other missionaries. We all settled in a Cafe Rio and because we couldn´t leave
our bags unattended Elder Heaton and I took orders and cash from everybody and
went to get us food. At the register as I was about to pay for our food a man
walked up, swiped his card, said, ¨haven´t fed the missionaries for a
while", then walked away. Everyone, even in Atlanta, were so kind to us
and were very respectful. The rest of the flight was uneventful other than the
fact that the pilot who was supposed to fly us from Atlanta to Mexico just
didn´t show up to work so there was a delay as we waited for a back up to come
in.
The next 24 hours were a blur of moving in, receiving
instruction (very little), and then being left to our own devices. The first
day was all classes and orientation and stress. Everyone kept telling us it
would get easier (every time I say ¨us¨ I mean Elder Germann and myself) and it
did until the next day we got made district leaders over our little district of
14 missionaries. Right after that surprise we were told that in an hour we
would be teaching our first discussion to an investigator who DID NOT SPEAK A
LICK OF ENGLISH! That was a hard and stressful trial to say the least. Surprisingly
though the Spirit was very strong and we got our message across smoothly. When
Elder Germann and I came out of the room we looked at each other then started
jumping up and down and high-fiving because we felt hope even though the lesson
absolutely sucked. Still, everyone assured us it would get easier.
The next day we were learning Spanish from a teacher who
does not speak much English and she could tell we were all frustrated with
ourselves. So she had us close our books and open our scriptures and we just
read 1 Nephi 1. I have read it a million times but never has it spoken to me
like that. She delivered one of the most spiritual messages I have ever heard
and it gave me such hope because she has a very heavy accent, spoke almost
entirely in Spanish, and what little English she spoke was broken. Yet she was
able to bring the Spirit to us through her incredible faith and testimony.
About ten minutes later we taught Carlos his second lesson. I would rather not
go into detail but suffice it to say that it went very poorly. We came out
feeling so bad inside and I wanted to puke. We went for a walk and got very far
away from all the buildings and then all of our emotions came out. Elder
Germann and I broke down and I got so angry. I just punched this pole until it
was bent and dented and my knuckles were gushing blood. We couldn´t understand
what we were doing wrong and why we couldn´t teach the way we wanted to. We hit
a deep low and I went to bed that night with wet eyes, a heavy heart, and
bloody hands.
The next day was Sunday and we didn´t want to get
out of bed or even try. We got up though, threw on clothes, and dragged
ourselves to priesthood. The lesson went over my head as I wasn´t paying
attention and I just continued to feel like crap. After the meeting our branch
president Presidente Ruiz pulled us into his office and asked to talk with us.
We thought we had blown it as district leaders and were ready for scolding and
humiliation. He looked at us and told us he was releasing us as district leaders.
My heart shatttered and I was about to tell him to send me home when he told us
it was and honorable discharge so that he could appoint us as zone leaders over
the 6 districts in our zone. All of whom have been here more than twice as long
as we have. My head was spinning and I was waiting for the punch line of this
obvious joke but it never came. We accepted, and walked to sacrament in daze.
Sacrament meeting was a fast Sunday meeting and a
district was leaving (why they needed new zone leaders) so they all bore their
testimonies and it reminded me why we I am here. We came out of the meeting
full of the Spirit and I realized a very important thing. We had asked
eachother how the two of us, who were such newbies, could take care of so many
people and ahndle so many responsibilities. I then realized that there isn´t
two of us. There is three. There is no such thing as a companionship. Only a
trio. I read Alma 17:11 and now I KNOW nothing can touch me.
We WRECKED Monday. We learned so much and in the middle
of our third lesson with Carlos during my part of the lesson I just stopped mid
sentence, looked at Carlos, and bore my testimony in perfect Spanish. This is
all that I can remember:
Yo se que el Evangelio de Jesucristo es verdadero. Yo se que
su Expiación es real. Yo se que los principios en el Libro de Mormón pueden
hacerlo feliz. Yo amo mi familia mucho, pero los deje para que Usted puede
tener a su familia para siempre. Quiero que Usted sea feliz Carlos. Este es
camino.
I know this work is true and this is where I am supposed to
be. I love everyone back home but I am staying right where I am. I miss you all
so much and I feel your prayers here. I have never been closer to my Savior.
May he protect and watch over you.
Forever and always a Rich,
Elder Aidan Daley Rich
The Lord may let you falter so that you may learn, but never
will he let you fall.
| Waiting in the Mexico Airport to be picked up by the CCM bus with Luke, Spencer and Josh. |
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| Elder Germann is "a stud" and will be Elder Rich's companion during his entire six week stay at the CCM. He is also serving in the Osorno Chile mission. "He is from is from Austin, Texas. He plays golf and is an amazing singer and is just someone who knows how to work hard." |
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