Lessons in Obedience

Hey everyone!

Week 2 is now over and holy crap it went by so much faster.  Thankfully.  Always just counting down to the next P day.  

 

So I have some solid stories for this week... first,  I told yall about all the nicknames last week. Well, I thought I had mine already but now it's changed.  Everyone started calling me Gurk Nowitzki which was bomb cause go Mavs MFFL (Mavs Fan For Life).  But then we were sitting at the lunch table with the Latinos the next week and just working on my spanish and trying to have a casual conversation.  My one problem with spanish is that I cant roll my "r's".  So I said "Tengo un perro" which means I have one dog.  But since I can't roll my r's to the latinos it sounded like "tengo un pedo".  Pedo means fart.  My nickname from the latinos is now Elder Fart... Elder. Fart.  Thankfully they all left today so I can hopefully muster up a better nickname with the new shipment of Latinos. 

 

I was thinking how last week I said we all shaved our heads and then I realized that half of the people receiving this email think I'm in a cult so that probably wasn't a good idea hahaha!  But it was voluntarily done lol

 

Btw both my teachers had Hayden P., my roomie at the Y and my homie, as well as Shad P., who was another good friend from BYU, and they both went here to the Guatemala MTC.  Hermana Estrada said they'll both be good missionaries!  

 

I guess I didn't talk about the food last week.  It's not horrible but it's no Tejas bbq either LOL.  I'd compare it to the Cannon Center but worse jaja.  They put pico de gallo on almost all the lunch and dinner foods which is good.  It's doable but we went to the small market today just to reload on toiletries and supplies and whatever.  We passed about 3 street corner grills and oh my gosh they just smelled like heaven.  So I don't think I've had any 'real' Guatemalan food yet.

Me and my comp, Elder D., are still getting along good.  I honestly don't think I've heard anyone tell more detailed stories than anyone in my life haha.  It's funny to watch because as soon as he starts talking everyone gets reaaaaal comfortable in their seats b/c they know it'll be a while jaja!

 

But I've made some great friends already.  Me and Elder Chabreis, the west point dude are real good buds.  He's just so funny and we have similar backgrounds.  We talk a lot about if we're companions out in the field cause he's going to City East as well.  Me and Elder Manning (Micah?) from Reno are also good buds.  He's going to the Quezeltenango mish however.  Still love my district too.

My spanish is still progressing well and I can speak better this week, but understanding spanish is still my achilles heal.  They talk so. fast.  jaja but i know it'll come with time.

One week, our teacher got mad cause I think we were all pretty tired that day and the next day President Cox came into talk to us.  I didn't think I liked President Cox at first but that talk really inspired me.  He talked about the importance of obedience and following every single rule and how we will be blessed if we do so...

I think all my life Heavenly Father has been making points to me about obedience.  Whether it was just being a stupid high school kid and doing little things that got me in trouble a lot, or not following every rule at BYU.  Whatever the case, I always paid the consequence.  But I think now I've realized that I never got away with it, or always got what seemed to be a harsh punishment at the time because God was teaching me a lesson about obedience and preparing me for this time in my life.  To be an obedient missionary.  I've realized that we all have our agency to decide what kind of missionary we're going to be, and I've definitely made the commitment to obedience, even out in the field when it's just me and my companion and no one else but Heavenly Father watching.  Obedience is the key to being a good missionary. 

Hope everyone's doing well back in the Lone Star State.  My Cougars and Texas AM Aggies are still killin it apparently so that's good to hear!

I love all y'all and miss all you guys a bunch!
Until next week,

Adios and Texas Forever

Elder Sam Gurksnis

p.s. I'm at Mosiah chapter 2 in the Spanish BOM by the way...