Come Listen

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Senoro Norberto

Dearest Doug & company,

Yes indeed, I do have a birthday coming up this Friday.  The big 22, or, double deuces as I've been telling everyone.  I think I'm going to do some frozen yogurt or something.......... and baptize someone.  JK, lol.

;(

Haha, as coincidence would have it, I read the first chapter of the institute manual for the Old Testament last week.  All I have to say is, everyone's got their own opinions about the creation, but they'd be even crazier if Joseph Smith hadn't cleaned up a bunch of it with Moses.  I like Enoch a lot myself... he's a pretty mysterious character though.  I wish we knew a little more about him.

That picture you included was.... delightful.  Thank you.

So, now that we're teaching English people again, things are a little better.  We taught an investigator named Brittany last week and it went SUPER great. Also, we've been teaching this guy named Jquarius and he came to church with us this week!  He's got a lot of issues though, so I don't think it'll be like, super soon that we'll see him ready for baptism.

Also, I went on an exchange two weeks ago with a really cool new elder named Elder Brown.  He's from South Jordan, but we got along really quick.  Anyway, he's got this cat that he's had since he was like, 11 and a bunch of friends would give him grief about it growing up, so he decided to make a blog for his cat as a joke and it turned into one of those blown-up overnight internet sensations.  Apparently, it's pretty hilarious.  You guys should check it out and tell me if it's any good.  He told me it's something like kittenkorner or kittykorner or whatever over at tumblr.com

Well, ever since I decided not to buy any groceries, I've been forced to get creative and stuff with cooking, and as always, I'm the only one that ever does anything in the kitchen.  Elder Henriquez calls me Chef Boyardee because everything I make is really good apparently.  I wish I could say the same for the real Chef Boyardee...

I heard a funny joke:

Did you know that Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Halloween?  Turns out they don't like random people knocking on their doors either...

lol

When Elder Brown and I were on exchange, we went to teach a recent convert named Vivian.  Anyway, we usually just read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon with her because she's trying to read the whole thing (and it's going great) and then help her understand what she reads.  Well, she expressed a concern and I was kinda like, "Well, whatever.  Let's read."  So after we read Alma 53, I was trying to come up with some great spiritual insight and nothing was happening.  Alma 53 is not exactly Alma's discourse on faith or King Benjamin's exhortation to live the gospel if you know what I mean.  But then the Spirit hit me and I was able to pull some neat little thought out of that.  Afterwards, Elder Brown was like, that was so cool that we just read that chapter and you totally answered her question she had from the very beginning.  I hadn't noticed, but I rolled with it.  I was like "Yeah, the Spirit's pretty cool." or whatever.  So Elder Brown thinks I'm a super boss missionary now.

I am.

Okay so you've all heard the whole "Guns don't kill people, People kill people."  thing.  I never thought how ridiculous that was until a priest in our ward really put it in perspective with "Toasters don't toast toast, toast toasts toast."  Think about it.

Alma 60:21 has meant a lot to me this week. We can't forget that we have to do the best we can with what we have and not just sit back and let the Lord take care of our problems, cause he won't.

Make sure to have a great Friday this week!  ;)

Okayloveyoubyebye.

Love
Elder Grabinger

Es (still) una Fiesta

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos

Como estan?  That's about all I've got...

Okay not really.  I went on an exchange this week and since Elder Henriquez went to another area, I was forced to speak a lot here in our Spanish area.  It was really good.  It's a miracle how great my Spanish is after two months.  But they do say that God is a Man of Miracles...  It's a great blessing.

Um, well there's like a diet plan and an order of exercises you're supposed to do and everything for P90X, and I don't really do the diet (or eating for that matter) or exercise plan anymore, but I still do one of the videos almost every day (I skip Sundays).  I kinda just made my own exercise plan.  So I do P90X, and not really at the same time.  :]  (for now)

The McGriddles were ultimately a failure.  It seems you can dump half a bottle of syrup in the pancake mix, but it must cook out or something because it doesn't affect the taste very much.  Oh well.  No I don't need a waffle maker.

P-day was fun.  SHOPPING!!!  It was Labor Day so you know we went to the mall.  It's kinda annoying to go to the mall in a white shirt and tie though because no matter what store you go into, a bunch of people think you work there and ask them to open a dressing room for them or check them out at the register and then they're like, um "What's going on?" when the mall security comes to detain you because you're trying to sign them up for the store's credit card so they can save 15% on their purchase that day but you aren't actually an employee.  So only the first two lines of this paragraph actually happened.

Long story short, Banana Republic is my new favorite store.

Well, things didn't go so hot last week.  Victor told us that he's going to church with some family in Morristown.  Just when I thought "Ah, he get's it!"  he doesn't really get it...  Oh well.  He still wants us to teach him.  I'm just afraid that it's going to be really difficult for him to become converted if he doesn't come to church.

Hispanic people can be really flaky.  Well, everyone can actually.  We're just having such a difficult time finding people that are excited to learn and will keep commitments.  Many times, it just seems like they don't know how to say no so they'll give us an hour of their time each week or something but then have no intention of doing anything.

But then I read 2 Nephi 4 this week and boy did I feel like an idiotard.  That's my spiritual thought for the week, 2 Nephi 4:26.  Uh duh!  Perfect question Nephi.  Why should my strength slacken because of mine afflictions?  Why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow?  Think about it.  I don't have the answers, but something tells me we shouldn't slacken our strength because of our trials or be depressed because of adversity.  Men are, that they might have joy.

I miss everyone more than ever.  I love hearing from you.

Love
Elder Grabinger