August 10, 2012

Day 23

¡Hola familia! Life has been so good in the MTC this week. Time spent here is so tough at times but so very rewarding. I'm exhausted after a full day here, and it's so nice to get to my dorm and my bed every night. I've received so much love from the outside this last week. Auntie AnnMarie sent me some wonderful pumpkin cookies and a nice card, the Sancher family sent me my favorite British sweets, and Sister Tilby sent me Capri Sun, Tapatio Doritos and some cookies!! SO good! Thanks to everyone who has sent mail, and to those who've received mail from me, a really easy/more convenient way to respond is using DearElder.com. It's super simple and has same-day delivery.

 

Fast Sunday here is so tight. We had an MTC-wide mission conference with all 2450 of us training here right now and man, it was awesome. I forgot my notebook, so I don't have many specifics, but I felt so edified and uplifted afterwards that I felt like anything in path that day was an easy thing. My path was clear.

 

I've made friends with some Polynesian Elders and they love me! It's so cool. One of them, Elder Ete, a Samoan, gave me a lava lava. It's so cool! I wear it 100% of the time I don't have to be in missionary attire. There's only one other white guy in the residence who has been given one, and he's in my District. Some of the guys make fun, but it's just because they're jealous.

 

Teaching has been going well, my lessons are become a lot more streamlined and effective as opposed to the like 50 minute lessons at the beginning of the time here. Spanish gets easier every day. I am starting to grasp when and how to use subjunctive, and use it in lessons. It's difficult, but I'm getting the hang of it. Reading in Spanish has become almost as easy as English for me, I can barely believe it. I dream in Spanish a lot, too, which can be very strange.

 

TRC is the more fun experience ever!!! My comp and I were blessed to teach a convert of 3 weeks and on Sunday he received the Aaronic Priesthood. I hope he's there again tomorrow. I also met a man who served his mission in the Leeds England Mission, took one look at me and went "Do you know Kenneth Bolton?" and proceeded to tell me about how great my Grandfather was, and it made me a bit sad really--not knowing him and all--but made me so excited to see him in the hereafter. Forever families rule.

 

I can't believe it's already Friday. The week went by so quickly. I don't have much to write about, but it has been wonderful. I love the letters and the emails. Please keep sending them! Pictures are worth 100 times their weight in gold here, too, so they are also greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jess for sending some! You're the best.

 

Everyday is a struggle, but everything is possible with faith. I love this gospel, I love the Lord, and I am so grateful to be here.

 

Also, Braden, my district comp's name is Elder Van Woerkom, and his aunt runs the MTC mail room so if you run into her, you can relay messages to me through her. I see her every day. She buys us treats and whatnot. She's the best ever. Y tambien, yo no se como nada chistes en Español, pero yo se uno. Es muy simple, pero es un favorito en mi distrito. ¿Que hizo el pez en el mar? ¡Nada! jajajaja. Es muy tonto, y si tiene más chistes para mi, me gustaría escucharlos. Yo uso la frase ´´Usted es el tontísimo´´ con frequencia. ¿Lo tradujo de ´´the dumbest´´ en Inglés bien?

 

Sorry I didn't have much to write about this week!

 

 

¡Todo con fe!

Lots of love,