Really what I can talk about this
week is how I am doing with all of the changes that happened recently! Things
are going good! I love Elder Nelsen; he is a great guy and a very good
missionary. It is still weird to have a deaf companion. I am still getting used
to not being able to just talk all the time (1 thing I've noticed about myself
is I love hearing the sound of my own voice ha-ha). But it is good! My signing
is getting better, as well as my interpreting. 1 really important thing I need
to work on....Elder Nelsen told me again today.....that I still sign very
English! Ha-ha My mind still doesn't fit with straight ASL, I can understand it
of course, but when I sign I still sign English. Now it is getting better! I am
starting to shift my signing style! Oh that is hard! But it is good as I want
to be able to become good at signing and be able to sign ASL! Elder Nelsen is
teaching me a lot! It is weird because teaching is sign language is so
different. If President puts me into English it will be another weird change
because I will be used to signing! Ha-ha
One other thing that is different is
being the only hearing person around sometimes. We had three dinners this week
and of the 6 people we went with, one was hard of hearing and the rest were
deaf! We were taken out to a restaurant and of course I was the only one who
could hear, and all that implies! None of this is any problem at all! It is not
like I don't understand what's going on or anything like that; it is just that
it is different in many ways I can't explain. Before I always had Elder Bradley
that would hear and understand the awful squeaking of the chairs and the fans
(very common in deaf houses, as they can't hear that they squeak they are never
fixed). It is also different being placed down a notch culturally. With me and
Elder Bradley it wasn't as apparent being that we were both down there but now
that it is just me....I can feel the difference! The branch is good, they
aren't as bad as others but there is still a noticeable difference between me vs.
them. It is almost like racism but instead of being lower because of my skin,
it is because of my ability to hear! Ha-ha Never thought I'd be experiencing
that! Ha-ha But it isn't a bad thing, I am not persecuted or anything, it is
just a little different! And now I am rambling..... Ha-ha I do have to say that
Elder Nelsen does not condone any of this! He actually helps me out a lot with
everything, he is great and he is kind of stuck on the other side! Ha-ha But it
is good! I am experiencing a lot!
Yesterday I woke up really
sick......yup always fun! Ha-ha But I did notice that is only like the third
day I haven't been good for the whole mission! Of course excluding that time me
and Elder Bradley were poisoned......that was a couple weeks of hell...ha-ha but
even then it was just our digestive systems that wanted us dead! Ha-ha Anyways
I woke up feeling down and of course we still had to be at meetings and I was
conducting Sacrament and we had to do tithing and welfare so it wasn't even an
option of staying home! Ha-ha I realized then that I have not missed church in
almost ten months now! That is actually a great feeling! I'm not saying I
didn't go to church before....I just would miss a week every couple months due
to being out of town or sick! It is really cool to see that streak! I think on
Sunday I was just worn out! We have been so busy and running all day everyday
that I think my body just needed a rest! We came home after the branch's
meetings....we were able to skip YSA...and just slept and read! It was great!
Oh I just remembered something I can
add! I did interpret for another baptism this week! It was great! The girl who
was getting baptized is half deaf in both ears....ya we probably have taught
her or at least been told about her more than a week before her baptism
considering they have been teaching her for two months but...I guess the
AP's are allowed to poach.....but it is fine because she belongs in the YSA
(too bad she lives on the other side of town or we definitely would have taught
her). Anyways it was a great experience! She is 18 and was so excited about
being baptized! After she was baptized she got up and bore her testimony and
shared how much she wanted everyone else to have what she now had! She will be
great in bringing other people to Christ! I always love baptisms! They are
great! There is always the sweetest spirit present there!
Also our ASL classes are going well!
We are teaching 3 classes a week now and then some other people on the side! It
is actually pretty good! We have a few new people that are really good and they
actually are starting to bring other people to the class...some non
members...so it is going great! We love it!
Anyway that is enough of me rambling
about the week! Next week I'll have some more stories for ya!
Elder Banner
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