Dear Family,
How are you? I am well! I don't feel much different for having turned a
year old this week — I tried not to mention it to my companions so that
impromptu celebration wouldn't complicate our already very busy lives!
I spend some time writing to President today, so I thought I'd include
a thought from there (apologies to my brothers — it's in Castillian!)
También he pensado esta semana en cómo puedo mejorar mi español.
Quisiera hablarlo como si fuera mi idioma natal para poder tener más
facilidad de expresión. No sé si mi deseo especial en esta semana
será tanto para servir mejor como ministro del Evangelio que para
escribir más elegantemente como secretario, o ser más entendido por
teléfono, o por estar un poco más consciente por razones estéticas
que mi acento es un poco feo y mi poder de expresión un poco más o
menos. Me quedo en que el lema es que yo esté paciente, y practique.
Pienso escuchar discursos en español mientras estoy en la oficina, y
ahora me cuesta a veces hacer un buen estudio del idioma —lo haré con
más diligencia.
[I have been thinking this week about how to improve my Spanish. I would like to speak it as if it were my mother tongue in order to have a great ability of expression. I do not know if my special desire this week is about serving better as a minster of the Gospel, or in order to write more eloquently as a secretary, or to be better understood on the telephone, or to be more conscience about esthetics as my accent is pretty strong and my power of expression jsut more or less o.k.. I am left with the reality that I need to be patient and practice. I am going to listen to talks in Spanish while I am in the office and although right now it is difficult to find time to give the language a good study - I am going to do it more diligently.]
This week I organized more documentation appointments. Tomorrow I'll
have thirty missionaries downtown with me doing paperwork (criminal
record checks so that they can then apply for residency). I also spent
some time verifying the cell phone situation throughout the mission.
This Saturday we're planning a baptism! Christian, a reference from the
Bishop, got married a couple weeks ago to his former 'novia,' now wife
(who is a member), and having now returned from his honeymoon he is to
be baptized. I'm happy for him and excited to see him accept
responsibilities in the church and grow in the Lord's service. He has
his baptismal interview tomorrow.
Love,
Elder Schlachter
