Adventure of a Lifetime

August 12, 2024 

Bon Dia Amigunan! Buenos Dias Mis Amigos! Hello my lovely friends!

     Fun fact: In Papiamento, there's not really a word for hello, at least not one that's been invented yet, so everyone says Bon Dia, Bon Tardi, or Bon Nochi. Or if you're in Curacao and you're some drunk guy or a rock (dudes who literally just sit there all day) on the side of the road, it's "AWO!" Which has gotta be my favorite greeting ever! In response, it's usually something like "AaAwoOoO," and I kinda love it, haha. It's a little unfortunate the other islands don't really use it. The language is super funky because sometimes it's pretty similar to Spanish, but usually when it is, they've cut off the last 3 ish letters of the word. But everything there is spelled phonetically and it's incredibly helpful for reading in papiamento. The area I am in is about 60% Papiamento and 40% Spanish. It will vary from area to area, so I'll get them both down. The wildest experience is when you switch from Papiamento to Spanish (or vice versa) mid-conversation. Takes ya boy a second to switch languages. It's certainly a fun adventure!

          The Netherlands can step off

     We found a family at the start of the week. They are some of the nicest people and they're super interested in the gospel and the message that we had to bring.  But on our second visit with them, they told us that they actually live in Holland and they were just here for summer break staying with the mom's parents, and they would be leaving in the next few days. This was a really big bummer because they are just the best people, but we got them set up with the missionaries in Holland, and we hope for the best. But on the bright side, we taught the grandpa about the Book of Mormon, and when we handed it to him, he looked at it and said, "Esaki ta e palabra di dios" or "This is the word of God" and immediately asked us when we can meet with him again. Miracles everywhere.

          Sofiiaaaaaaa

     Another friend of ours, Sofia, is a 45-year-old lady from Columbia, and her personality is a "joking hate you" kinda personality. When we stop by, she always rolls her eyes and waves us away, walks into the house, then walks out with some Juice, aggressively tells us to sit down, then makes bomb Columbian food and tells us we can't leave until it's gone. She only speaks Spanish, so it's great practice, and she said my Spanish is a ton better than the last 2 missionaries to come through here. She sits there and practices talking with me, and it has helped a ton with the language and confidence in speaking. 

          The only Aldrich's in Curacao

     Okay, I don't actually know if that's true or not, but considering the only people who have ever heard of someone with my name are the branch members, it feels like a pretty fair guess. Anyway, Aldrich had us over for dinner on Wednesday night, and he cooked some Incredible food for us. He is a linguist and a journalist, so he speaks English and has taught it to his kids, too. So for the evening, we all were speaking English, and it was a nice little break from Spanish and Papiamento. He had a million questions for me, and I had a bunch for him. He's been to 60 countries, speaks 7 languages, and translates for the church. He's got stories on stories. But by the time dinner was over, I had eaten my weight in food, and we shared a spiritual thought and went on our way. 

          Exchanges

     There's not too much to say about this one. My zone leader, Elder Larson, was awesome, and it was a really good exchange. My language improved a bunch that day because our friends wanted to talk to me cause I was new just for the day. But an incredible miracle we had was with our friend Rafael. He's a hard-core 7th day, but somehow, the Zone Leaders got him to church. Well, on our exchanges was the follow-up appointment. When we asked him how church was, he said it was one of the most beautiful services he'd been to. He said that the 7th day teaches that "the Mormons" are the sin of Jesus Christ, but that it couldn't possibly be true because the people and the message are so amazing. I had the opportunity to bare my testimony in papiamento to him, and I was shocked that I was able to say so much to him. The gift of tongues is real, and this gospel is incredible.

     Honorable mentions

1. Steve the Donkey: We were having a tough day as far as contacting goes, and after stopping by our favorite (and only) member in Buena Vista, there was a random donkey just chilling by the road. Very friendly, named him Steve. 10/10 interaction with a donkey

2. Papiamento doesn't conjugate, and I love it. It makes it much easier to learn when there's only one form of each word.

3. Curacao collectively had 15 friends come to church on Sunday, so the branch was very lively. Amazing people and amazing experiences all around.

4. I hope I can love dogs again when I get home because right now, it's pretty challenging, haha. Curaclanian dogs are either terrified of you or they want to kill you; it's a good time

5. The gift of tongues is real. I should not be able to speak any Papiamento, let alone understand any, and I've been shocked at how much I have already learned. Even though it's not much, it's much more than it should be. Danki na Dios

     The mission so far has been a blast. It's definitely challenging and sometimes exhausting, but it's some of the most fun and interesting challenges I've had. Learning 2 languages at once has been a lot of fun and incredibly difficult, but with time, it comes. When you go to count your blessings, you realize there are too many to count. There are many more adventures to be had, and I can't wait.

I love you all!

Elder Aldrich

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