Interesting Experience

I recently attended the baptism of a YSA in this stake. This girl is from Mexico and was introduced to the gospel by a family she was living with. It was a really neat experience to sit through the service in Spanish and try to brush up on what little language skills I have. I was there to show my support and also to represent the single's branch I am in. The Spanish branch president introduced himself to me in the middle of the meeting as we were walking into the room where the font was. He asked if I would be willing to bear my testimony. I said sure, and then got really nervous because I have never born my testimony in Spanish before. I had a couple of friends there to answer the few vocabulary and conjugation questions I had. After the baptism a few more people spoke and then it was my turn. I had been praying that I could say what I needed to, but when I got up to the pulpit the branch president stood up next to me to interpret my testimony. Part of me was relieved and the other part was disappointed; I really wanted to try to bear my testimony in Spanish, I don't get that type of opportunity every day.

It was nice of the branch president to translate, but it also made bearing my testimony extremely difficult. I was already nervous as it was, but waiting for him to translate every phrase was extremely disorienting. By the time he was done translating a phrase I had forgotten what I said. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

This same girl came to FHE on Monday night. I got to work on my Spanish skills for another hour on that night as we sat and attempted to communicate. I can understand a lot more than I can speak and she is the same way with English. It is kind of fun to be using Spanish again though, I rather enjoy it.