This Is Kinda Tough

Learning a language has been a bit of a rough time for me. On Thursday one of my instructors stopped using English. He would use English if we said that we didn't understand or if we asked him what something meant, but that was basically it. It took so much focus to understand what he was saying and what his questions were. In a way it's super exciting to understand so much after such a small amount of time, but it's also exhausting to be so focused and attentive just to understand what is going on in the class. 

Luckily, the instructors have perfectly timed encouragement. When we were all tired on Thursday night, Irmão Valentim had us read about the Sons of Mosiah, missionaries in the Book of Mormon. They had a strong understanding, they had the spirit with them, and they had success because they were diligent in their studies and in their efforts. But then he reminded us that it is not required that we "run faster than [we have] strength" (Mosiah 4:27). From this, we understood that it is important to work at the language and prepare to serve others, but we can take breaks and it is alright to fall short at times. If we are working diligently and consistently, then we can trust that we will continue to learn, grow, and improve. We can trust that God will help us when we need that help.

This was important for me because there is a lot to memorize, which I have always considered to be a weakness of mine. But I am trying to stop thinking about it as a weakness and instead just know that if I am working diligently to memorize the material then I will have success and reach my goals. This attitude prevents a lot of frustration and disappointment on my part.

Despite the struggles, it's also pretty awesome! After one of our classes, we just talked with the instructor about food and culture differences which was so much fun. He has never seen a Frisbee! That is simply heartbreaking, I'll have to bring one with me to Brazil.