Visa!?

Hola mis amigos y familia!

Esta semana voy a empezar mi correo un poco mas espiritual y luego escribiré cómo la semana pasada fue para los persones que les gusta leerlo.

As you can see my Spanish is improving a little bit! This week I want to try something new and start of with a more spiritual message then get into the daily happenings.

So this transfer I have been studying how to be a better teacher. I came across the manual "Teaching in the Saviors Way" which says that in order to teach like Christ we have to first become like Christ. The five main points it gives in the introduction are

1. Be full of love

2. Seek after God's will and teach His doctrine

3. Be completely committed

4. Use the scriptures to teach

5. Live what you teach

It has been made known unto me through the spirit that if we follow these five things that we will be as close to how the Savior taught and be able to have His spirit round about us as we teach. The spirit is the real teacher and I know that by doing these things we can help lift others up! I had an experience this week that demonstrates this. I had studied the plan of salvation on personal study for one of our lessons. I had it all planned exactly how it was going to go. What questions I would ask and like every detail. We got into the lesson and I forgot it all. I ended up still teaching what I had to but it wasn't according to how I thought it was going to go. It went according to how God planned and what things He needed me to say or do so the Spirit could be there. Really humbling experience and I am so grateful that I have this time to be on a mission and become more like my Savior and gain a closer relationship with Him. You can do the same too! Read your scriptures, pray, look for the tiny miracles in your life, you have so many!

Now to get into the week!

Monday we had a noche de hogar and it lasted forever. We got home at like 10 and the Zone Leaders had to wait an hour for us to get there so we could let them in to their apartment because they locked themselve out. But we saw Optimus Prime on the way home.

Tuesday had a very uplifting Zone Conference. President's last one. My companionship got called on to do a role play on using family history as a door approach. Then after that we went to an appointment for one of my companions. Then we got permission to go on splits so Elder Jensen stayed at the church for English class with a member and Elder Fox and I went to teach Jenny and Michael and their children. Michael was taking online classes so he wasn't there but we talked about baptism and invited the children to be baptized and they said yes but they are going on vacation for a month so we are trying to get a date before they leave or we might just wait til they get back. The lesson was in English because one of the children only speaks English so that was a plus. I actually felt like I could teach!

Zone Training

Zone Conference

Wednesday went to GKTW and I did delivery so I answered phones and delivered food on a go kart. It was super fun. We started biking a lot more too cause we are in car share. Anyway had time to do finding and found 1 former.

Thursday we had to go to another appointment but this one was a lot farther away. I was fasting that day too and they went and got Café Río but I couldn't have any (not that I would have cause Costa Vida is better). We found one person today! Elder Jensen is sick and got me sick :( Also received an email that said my visa had made it to the consolate in Arizona so that could be coming soon!

Friday helped a ward member move some of her things to her spot at a flea market. She tried sneaking 50 dollars in my pocket but I moved away too fast for her. We told her she can feed us instead of giving us money. Then we biked again but his time it was like 4 miles away. I got some nice sun! We ended up being way late and staying way late so we missed our next lesson. Then ate at the Londoños who feed us every Friday.

Saturday helped a family get stuff out of a storage garage because they are moving. We biked 2 miles there then helped them move for like an hour. It was super hot and sweaty! Then we went to an appointment with Adrian and Rosa. Taught the Plan of Salvation. The Clavels helped out too and we invited them to church. Then after that Elder Jensen wasn't feeling well so we did studies and then knocked in our complex and met a very nice lady who has been to our church but is of a different religion. She also has 2 daughters that live with her. We invited all of them to church.

Sunday Rosa and Adrian were the only ones to come to Church. We went with the Clavels to pick them up and give the a ride. Then after church we went home and did studies all day while Elder Jensen slept because he was not feeling well enough to go out and proselyte. The YSA missionaries told us that Elder Soares came to our building just after we left so just barely missed him!

Le quiero mucho!

Elder Tolman

Dinner with Obispo Palomino and fam

I ate shrimp!

 What's up!

So we did last minute exchanges yesterday so I don't have all my pictures or anything so I'll have to send those later but this week was pretty fun. Here are some highlights...

Monday bought a volleyball and played that for a while. The sisters in our area aren't very good so that's sad. Then later that night we went to Publix and were messing around with a machine that told you your weight and BMI and blood pressure and pulse so that was fun. Also drove to a part of our area we have never been to so that was fun.

Tuesday I made tortitas in the morning and then we went tracting. These super attractive girls saw us walking and drove by and said hi. Then we left that complex and went to someone we were teaching but she wasn't home so we started walking back to our car and it just started pouring rain. Luckily someone drove by and got out of their car with a huge umbrella and walked us to our car because we didn't want to take it from them. Later in the day we had a lesson with a new couple we found and when we got there the husband wasn't home but their niece and her daughter were there. We taught about the Book of Mormon and gave them their own copy. They are from Puerto Rico and after the lesson they asked if I was Puerto Rican! That made my day. After that went to Jenny and Michael's house a brought the Davilas with us. It was a super good lesson!

Wednesday had Give Kids the World and then we had a lesson with William. We brought Brother Matheus with us too. William had been having a hard time finding a job that doesn't require him to work Sundays so we are going to set a day to fast with him so he can find a way. The most by exciting news is we put him on date for June 15!! We had our correlation meeting too and I had to lead out for my companionship so that was fun but hard. Slowly learning Spanish.

Thursday we had Zone Conference and then went to Bishop's house for food which is so delicious. He invited all the missionaries over. We ate what they called choripan.

Friday wasn't too great but we went to a member owned Pupusa restaurant. Super good but I forgot to take a picture sadly.

Saturday had a lesson with Rosa and Adrian and brought the Clavels with us. They are so cute haha. We had a super good lesson and invited them to church. We ate at an older couples house for dinner and she made shrimp. I was able to get through it. They weren't too bad but definitely would be fine with never eating them again. Also I made Arroz con Gandules. Not as good as Abuelas but still good.

Arroz I made

Shrimp I ate!

Sunday I had to bear my testimony in church yikes. It went OK. And Jenny and Michael and their family came to church! So cool. They stayed for both hours and I'm pretty sure they met the whole ward because of Brother Davila haha. Then went on exchanges with Elder Lester and I got to meet some cool people in Poinciana. One was a part member family. She is from Puerto Rico so she was cool. And then we biked to some people's houses but all our appointments fell through so sad.

I hope you all had a great week! I'm super thankful for my Savior and for His love and constant care. And for the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives to help us return to our Heavenly Father. I know we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and that is why I am sharing it with everyone else! What greater joy is there then to work along side the Savior of the world!

Love you all

Elder Tolman

Fish I caught and released this morning!

Week 13

What's up everyone! I hope everything is going well for you!

This week felt really slow but looking back it seems like it went by fast. Lol.

So Monday we went to this place called Krystal. They sell burgers for like a dollar a pop but they are the most disgusting thing ever! Don't recommend eating there. Our appointment canceled so we went to a members house to give her a blessing before she left for Puerto Rico. I gave the blessing which was really hard! She also fed us too!

Tuesday wasn't really any more exciting. We had like 3 lessons planned and they all canceled so that was a bummer. We didn't find anyone either. We had English class. The teacher wasn't there so Elder Fox taught the class and we had new people coming so I had to interview them to see what level of class they belonged to.

Wednesday we were in the castle for GKTW with 5 total volunteers so there wasn't a lot to do. And only a few families came through so it was a lot of sitting and doing nothing. We had planned time for finding today but we came home late from GKTW and had studies to do so we skipped finding. The Lord still provided the way though! During studies the Zone Leaders called and said they found someone for us so that was way cool! Also had Ward Correlation meeting today but we do it over phone so that's different.

Thursday we did weekly planning because District Meeting got moved to tomorrow. We actually got all they way through it so that was awesome. Then we rode our bikes (because we are now in car share) down this cool bike trail and went knocking on this street called Spitfire. We found 3 new people. Also funny thing. We got to the street and were locking our bikes together when a guy driving was stopped at a light so he started recording us. Elder Jensen noticed and waved and the guy yelled how many wives do y'all have? Very funny and stupid but whatever. The light turned green while he was doing this and he got honked at so I feel like that was his karma

Friday: Elder Fox's birthday today. So the Hermanas brought cupcakes and a present for Elder Fox. Then for lunch he wanted to go for sushi but the Londoños invited us over for lunch. She fed us pasta and garlic bread. She gave us so much and my companions were dying but I loved it! We came home and Elder Fox made dessert for the ward party. At the party there was tons of food and then we had a talent show then just danced and partied the rest of the time! We had an investigator come but she went to the wrong church and didn't see anyone so she went home. We were sad but later another investigator came and a very less active family came so that was way awesome! We also sang to Elder Fox and he got a big cake. Elder Archibald gave me a small pepper like at the beginning of the party and told me it was a sweet pepper. I put the whole thing in my mouth and tears began to pour out uncontrollably! My mouth was burning so bad! We were all laughing about it but I was dying! So that was funny.

Saturday went to Clavels for dinner and met Hermana Garcia's family.

Sunday went to Church.

Some days it feels like nothing happened or everything went wrong but there are always tiny miracles and tender mercies that the Lord performs and we have to constantly be looking for them. I have noticed that when I write my journal every night and reflect on my day in my night prayers that I can notice His hand in my life! I encourage you all to do the same and promise your love for and relationship of the Savior will grow so much!

Les quiero mucho!
Elder Tolman

From our last District Meeting before transfers

Week 12 Transfers

Hola amigos,

Cómo va todo?

So we received our transfer doc two days ago and I am staying here with the same two companions so nothing new or exciting.

Monday after our pday we went to teach a lesson with Michael and his family. Super good and full of the Spirit! After that we went to the Davila's for noche de hogar and it was a huge party. Tons of food from all the members and VERY loud because everyone just shouts at the top of their lungs! Lol.

Tuesday: Today I led out daily planning so I was going to make it the most successful day ever. We ended up setting a goal for finding 2 people that day which is a small goal but we haven't been making any sooo ya. We started of our day helping a member move a basketball hoop and then we stopped by someone we had met. He wasn't home so we went to a different area and stopped by some formers and an appointment and a referral. Both the appointment and referral were not home but the former we stopped by was and told us to come back a different day! Also as we were walking back to our car from the referrals we saw a lady outside and went to talk with her and left her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet. Then later in the day we went to knock a complex because I felt like we should. My companions both didn't want to but we did anyways. As we drove around the complex I noticed some guys playing basketball and said let's go talk to them. My companions ignored me at first because they thought I just wanted to play ball with them. As we were coming back around they were both like, you decided to go here so where are we starting. I told them the guys playing basketball again and they were like no. We are not playing its against mission rules. I told them I wasn't going to play but I felt like we should talk to them. (later I found out the real reason they didn't want to go was because the people looked scary) anyways as we approached a new guy had come to play who I didn't see before. I waved to him and he waved back so then I took that as a sign that he would talk to us. We started talking and turns out he had met with missionaries before and we exchanged numbers and are going to talk with him again!

Wednesday was our service day at Give Kids the World. They separated me from my companions which they know not to do but they did anyways so I was cleaning tables by myself with some old couple. They were surprised at how fast I worked and said I was a pro! Then we went to a members house to give her a blessing. I ended up giving the blessing so my first one in Spanish. Then we had our first correlation meeting but over an app called zoom because everyone lives 30 min away from the chapel. Then Elder Lester and Archibald slept over because they didn't have a way back to their apartment.

Thursday morning we ran in the rain. And started exchanges so Elder Lester with me and Elder Jensen and Elder Fox went to Poinciana with Elder Archibald. We ate at Plaza del Sol again and then went knocking. We found 3 people who we are hoping come to church.

We had weekly planning until like 1 or 2 so that took up most the day. Then Elder Fox was supposed to meet a person he had taught a while ago but she didn't come so we were just sitting in the car doing companion study. Then went to bishop's house for dinner and it was amazing! I love his family. They remind me of home teaching Bishop Gabbards' Family with dad. But we shared the story about Captain Moroni making the Title of Liberty and had them make their own flags so they could remember what they could do to come closer to Heavenly Father. Then we went to talk with Suni and she had so many questions about her purpose on the earth and she wanted like a specific answer for herself not just everyone's purpose here so that was difficult. I tried to help as best as I could and hoped I was understanding right. Super hard! But I was trying to listen to prompting the best I could. I know I didn't listen to one and then I did another but that one was a scripture about baptism and then I couldn't find the words to follow up with the scripture so she just ignored it and it was a mess! Trusting in the Lord is hard, but as I develop more and more of the trust I am seeing that even when I'm not sure if I'm understanding. When I share something it is not hurting anyone and can only help!

Saturday: we got our transfer doc today and Elder Fox was way excited. This means I'll be sending Elder Jensen home after this transfer. Today we visited a few people and got to talk with them about the Book of Mormon. One was Larry who we have been trying to see for a long time. We talked to him and gave him a Book of Mormon. One of the lessons where I actually felt like I could participate and my companions actually made room for me to talk so that was awesome. We finally had a good day where we got all of our studies in so I was happy. Also had dinner with familia Rangel and after went to a former who lived close by and made a return appointment! Also I finished reading the Book of Mormon is Spanish all the way through!

Sunday was fast Sunday so had the privilege to fast. No one that said they would come to church came so that was sad. We went on exchanges again because Elder Lester and Jensen were going to a baptism together so Elder Archibald just stayed with us as we went to lessons. We went to Pomales and had a really hard time explaining the Restoration because he wasn't understanding well so we had to teach something to him like ten times before he understood. It was kind of bad and at the end we asked him to pray but he said he didn't need to because he already knew the Book was true so then we invited him to be baptized but then he had questions about his previous baptism and it was frustrating. We finally got out and were super late to our dinner. At dinner we gave a blessing to the mother and shared some videos. Then we finally transferred at almost 9. Super weird day but everything worked out.

Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Tolman

One of my favorite drinks(thanks to Miguel)

Look Mom!