February 23,2012
Hola Todos! So there's a rumor going around that David Archuleta is here. Not sure if that's true or not (there's also one about lady gaga and whitney houston being dead)... On a less random note, several Elders in my district and I had a cool experience with our patriarchal blessings (it was weird that it was all at the same time too). it really is cool to realize that when you know this is God's church to also know the things in your patriarchal blessing are true as well and as long as we''re obedient we really dont have to worry. That's always nice to know. The scriptures are also great. I finished reading the Book of Mormon in spanish this week (and actually understood almost all of it without having to check the english scriptures). God really does help us learn when we're doing what we're supposed to do. A member of the seventy spoke to us and told us to read the Book of Mormon with our investigators, and with others after our missions. It really makes a difference to people when you show them how to read it and that you are willing to take the time to read it with them, so if anyone is looking for a cool missionary experience (every member a missionary) then try inviting a friend or someone to read with you. I'm excited to try this when I get home. Journals are also great things. I never really kept one before here, but since being here I've discovered how great they can be, they let you think/vent and they're great to look back on. A cool journal scripture is 2 Nephi 4:15 (the first part). Nephi basically says upon these plates I write the things of my soul. I thought that was cool. So spanish is going well. We're teaching four to six investigators a week, teaching several of them two to five times a week, and it really is helping. We know the gospel words and can understand most of what they're saying to us and are better at molding the lesson to them, which is cool. We're teaching someone from spain who speaks with the theta (basically a lisp) and it turns our it can be a lot harder to understand, especially when they are going off on tons of tangents about art (he's an art professor), and we have to try to get it back to the first vision. Also, I''ve discovered it can be cool to memorize scriptures. Not only do they help us in lessons, they really are great to have in your head when life's tough or stuff like that. I found a runner here and that will help me stay in shape, I'm finally back to my normal (pre-mission) weight, and my mile time is down to 5:40, so at least I'm not being lazy right? Overall life is good in the MTC. We've got the drill down pretty well, and it rocks to have time to just study the scriptures and not worry about anything else. The church is true, God loves us. Hope I dont sound too preachy. Nos Vemos! Love, Elder West