Namaste (Hello)

The Nepali culture is so so cool. I have learned so much the last 2 days, and the language is already coming along really well. The food is super super spicy, but so so good! I have also downloaded the Nepali keyboard on my phone so I can text and type with it. The few Nepali people that we have been able to have video lessons with the last few days are so nice and kind, and they are always just so happy and humble. Very awesome people! And even though I can't fully understand what they are saying yet, I know they are children of our loving Heavenly Father and that I have been sent here to help bring them closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.

So on Saturday I made sure I had all of my stuff packed, and we left Lewis Center at about 12. We got to the Dublin church bldg at about 12:30, where I met Elder Sirrine, and we put my bags in the car, and just like that, I was on my 6th companion of my mission. We drove to Reynoldsburg which is about 30 min south east of Dublin. We got to the apt, and met up with Elder Pakwal and Elder Smith. Elder Pakwal is native Nepali, and Elder Smith got here from the MTC 3 days ago. They are staying here in Reynoldsburg with us until the quarantine is over, and then they will go back to Talmadge where the other Nepali area is. It's been super fun to be with 3 other elders and be able to just learn and grow. The apt is super super nice. There are a lot of Nepali people here at the apt complex, and it's so fun to hear them outside everyday. We have a white Malibu that we drive.

We did language study and comp study on Saturday afternoon, and then had a video lesson with a Nepali family up in Talmadge who Pakwal and Smith are currently teaching. Then, Elder Pakwal made some really REALLY great Nepali food. He made this tasty chicken that didn't really taste anything like chicken and had it with a Nepali sauce, and rice. It burned my throat and made my eyes water, but it was so great! We played frisbee out at a huge field/park area right behind where the apt is that night. It was super fun! And good just to get outside, and move around.

Sunday was very amazing. We started the day off by planning at 8:30; and then we had sacrament mtg with the 4 of us here at the apt at 9 o clock, and we had some hymns and our own little testimony mtg. Super fun! And then we had personal study, and then played a game at lunch time, then we went out to the park by the apt and did comp study. It was a windy day and I almost blew away . . . okay it wasn't that windy, but it was pretty windy ;). We did about 3 hrs worth of language study of Nepali, and I really feel that I'm grasping it more and more. I've learned the whole alphabet and we have written out our first prayer in Nepali. We also had a district devotional chat, and it was super great! We studied from Come Follow Me and it was so much fun to be able to study about Easter/Resurrection and learn more about what the Resurrection means to me. I'd like to ask you guys that same question: "What does the Resurrection mean to all of you?"

Fun fact: Me, Elder Sirrine, Elder Pakwal, Elder Smith, and the Reynoldsburg Nepali Sisters are the only 6 Nepali speaking missionaries in this mission. So Elder Pakwal and Elder Sirrine were saying that we just switch off between the 4 of us whose companion we are. Elder Pakwal and Sirrine have been Nepali for 1 yr now on the mission and they said you just rotate between the other 3 missionaries here. So the Nepali speakers here get really good with each other. They're all super fun to be around! 

The challenge and invitation I would like to extend this week is going to be super fun I think :) I invite us to do one thing this week that stretches us beyond our comfort zones. Whether that means:

- Singing in front of a large audience
- Doing service for someone
- Studying longer on a certain class than we would originally like to
- Etc

We truly see growth within us when we go beyond our limits, and when we allow our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ to shape and mold us into who we need to be. I have truly seen that over the last 48 hrs. Nepali is not a super easy language, the characters are completely different from any letter that I've seen. But I know Heavenly Father wanted me to be Nepali speaking now, and that He will be with me and strengthen me to be who I need to be from this experience. I'm so grateful we all have the blessing of growing and learning everyday . . . Doing our best everyday!

I thought I would send what the Nepali language and characters sound like. Right now, I'm a lot better at speaking the language than I am at typing it out, and so I've been using Google translate a lot to help me out, and I also have a study binder that a member in the Nepali ward gave me yesterday of all the verbs/phrases/conjugates, etc. I have been praying more than I probably ever have before to be able to have the Spirit with me to help me and guide me in this new learning of a language. Its a fun language to speak out loud, very fast and very exciting.

येशू ख्रीष्टको सुसमाचार सत्य छ, र हामी विश्वासमा स्वर्गीय पितालाई प्रार्थना गर्दा, हामीले उहाँको प्रतिज्ञा पाएका छौं र हामी सबैको लागि उहाँको इच्छा जान्न सक्छौं।  म उहाँलाई प्रेम गर्दछु, किनकि उहाँ पहिले हामी सबैलाई प्रेम गर्नुहुन्छ।  उहाँको प्रेम बिना शर्त हो।  येशू ख्रीष्टको पछि लाग्नुहोस्, र उहाँको मार्गमा सालक।

Translation: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and as we pray to Heavenly Father in faith, we receive His promised blessings and we can know Him for all of us.  I love him, because he first loved all of us. 

His love is unconditional.  Come follow Jesus Christ, and walk in His way." 

We received an update about the Coronavirus quarantine on Saturday from President Stratford. He said that there won't be any more convert baptisms til at least April 14th, and he also said that we can no longer give the sacrament to people right now (because of the stay at home order). So we will be quarantined at least until April 6th. But, I have learned a lot from this quarantine and I truly know that it is in Heavenly Father's way and in His own timing that things are brought to pass. He has not forgotten us, of that we can be certain. He is always with us, and wants us to learn and grow from these experiences that we are so blessed to have and go through.

I'm so excited for General Conference. I invite us all to go into conference this weekend with a question in mind, and to be praying about it before Saturday and Sunday this week. I know it'll bless our lives and give us the answer Heavenly Father has for us. 😁

I love YOU forever and always!

Elder Dylan ❤