When practicing my Spanish daily and taking an hour to study each morning I am left to come up with techniques or ways in which I can improve my language skills most efficiently. My companion has taken to making hundreds of flash cards for vocabulary improvement as well as working in a Spanish literature work book. I have used a work book for a bit and have yet to make flash cards, which I probably should. Sometimes though I don't know what I should focus on! There is just too much to learn!
"Should I study up on past-subjunctive today or focus on mastering the preterit tense? Hmm..How about I just sit here thinking about all of the different things I could be doing and not actually do any of them."
So instead of trying to do everything I am going to focus on one small aspect at a time. One word at a time really. And today the word of the day is the verb 'poder' (poe-dare). It means to be able to. It's a very important verb in Spanish and can be sued in many situations. An important phrase I want to teach you is 'Si se puede'. Basically meaning you can do it. It's possible!
Really the practice of focusing on one small piece of something at a time can and should be applied to many other aspects of life. Especially the spiritual side of life. Sometimes we get down and realize all of the areas in which we are lacking, maybe patience or humility or charity or faith, and we just want to flip a switch the next day and be better at every single one of them! As a missionary I have come to see that that is not how it works :( unfortunately we all are subject to the limitations of mortal existence. It's not possible for us to run faster than we are able! We have weaknesses. But what does the Lord say about weaknesses? '..I give unto men weakness that they may be humble..for if they humble themselves before me..I will make weak things become strong unto them.' Ether 12:27.
So if you're looking to better yourself and take a few more steps toward Christ I would like to help you on your en devour. Pick one thing, maybe two but no more, that you would like to improve on. Focus on that one thing and pray for strength and help from God to improve in it. I promise that if you humble yourselves and have the faith to take small steps at a time you will begin to see His hand in your life.
Well there is your spiritual energy drink for the day. :) Georgia's warm and rainy and the people are as ready to hear the Restored Gospel as ever. We just need to find them. We have an investigator named Rodolfo who has been coming to church and listening to all of our lessons. We are hoping to get him a date for baptism this week. God works one soul at a time! :) Oh ya, and the worldwide leadership training broadcast last night was great! Hope you were able to enjoy it as I did!
No more words. I'm all done. Go, go grow up.
Elder Vance :D
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