Elder Holland Can't Roll His R's Either!

We had stake conference today. It was a broadcast from Salt Lake. Some of the talks were given in English & some were given in Spanish. We Americans sat in another room where the Spanish talks were translated into English. Elder Jeffery R. Holland was the final speaker. He started & finished his talk in Spanish. And guess what? He can't roll his R's! Just like me! 

It was so endearing to hear Elder Holland speak Spanish in his very American accent. He admitted to the congregation that he knew his pronunciation was horrible, which made his talk feel more genuine to me than if he had a perfect Spanish accent. He was so humble, but not afraid to speak Spanish the way he knew how to speak it. I took 2 1/2 years of Spanish in junior high & high school & never figured out how to roll my R's. As a result, I absolutely dreaded the verbal tests that we were given in class, because I knew my pronunciation was terrible. I could write fairly well in Spanish, & I knew how most words were supposed to sound, but could never get the words to sound right coming out of my mouth. 

I've forgotten a lot of the vocabulary & rules that I learned in class, but am determined to be fluent in Spanish by the time we move back to the United States. In my mind, though, I never thought that I could be fluent unless I learned how to roll my R's. While I still hope that I can learn that seemingly simple talent, I have more confidence that I can communicate with the people of Mexico, even if I never master that ability. Hopefully I can show them that I am trying, even if I don't sound great. It definitely worked for Elder Holland.

As I stood outside & listened to the end of Elder Holland's talk through the wall, while Kylee played in the wet grass, I heard him bear his testimony of Jesus Christ...in Spanish. It was such a heartfelt, tender testimony that I couldn't keep from crying. What a wonderful example these apostles are to us! They love us and they love the Lord.

While I have learned many lessons from the leaders of the Church during my life, I learned a very personal lesson from Elder Holland today. He reminded me that if I do my best & have good intentions, the Lord will make up the rest. That was exactly what I needed to hear. The Lord truly blesses us if we are trying to do good things in life. Thank you for the reminder Elder Holland!