May 10, 2010

OK, so this week has been super awesome!! I am loving it here! It is really quite an experience to be surrounded by about 2,000 + missionaries that are serving the lord. First off, my roommate Ben Farley from college is here, he was supposed to go to the MTC in Brazil but they were having problems with the visa so they sent them here instead, it's been great to talk with him! The trumpet player from BYU-Idaho i told you about is here as well, he and i run into each other almost everyday! Also....do you guys remember the other missionary the day i flew out at the airport? He is in my district, speaking mandarin ha ha pretty cool. One other thing. Sterling woodruff is here, i thought he was older than me but i see him a lot.

For the real letter...This week has truly been amazing. I feel like i have learned more Chinese in two weeks here, then i ever did in 2 years of Spanish in high school. But i know that is because the lord is here helping me. I was pretty overwhelmed the first week but it is all settling in and I found the best way to get through it all is just to do the work. Stop worrying about how or if I can, just believe I can and do it! I found an awesome scripture this week that helped me start working harder, its D&C 67:10, in essence it says that those called to do the lords work have the "privilege" to serve the lord. It changed my outlook on the work and I realize that it truly is a privilege to be doing this and it makes me sad how many missionaries here take that so lightly. But anyway, we have been practicing lesson one this week from Preach My Gospel, it has been great and my companion and I got to teach it many many times ha ha. My companion is from Texas and he knows his bible extremely well, so when we get to talking about the apostasy it is very hard to stop him...but other than that the lessons go well. My teachers are very spiritual and just fantastic teachers! Although my favorite teacher just got married so she won't be back for a few weeks but the subs have been just as good. Our branch president went to Taiwan on his mission and he knows a lot and is a very nice man. The older elders in my zone are all very cool guys and I get along with them well. I even sometimes surprise them with Chinese :). At the temple today we ran into a man who went to the Anaheim mission. He old us all about it and it sounds crazy :). I love it! But he said there was never a mandarin part, so that means my companion and I could be the very first mandarin to Anaheim :) :). Anyway, I need to wrap this up, but I want you to know I love you all and I am so excited to be out here! I know serving the lord is the greatest thing I could be Doing! Until next time, ZaiJian!!

We had our first TA (Teaching Assessment) this week where they have volunteers play the roles of investigators and we had to contact them in Chinese and find out as much about them as we could, and then we go and teach a lesson to them for about 45-50 minutes. I LOVE contacting and just SPEAKING in Chinese!!!!!! It is so awesome! I have been picking it up quite quickly but that is all because of the lord and the Holy Ghost helping me out.

Thank you dad for the postcard!! That room must have been pretty darn sweet!! And I loved the scriptures you sent, they helped a lot and I just love that story in general.The MTC food is....bad. I have never had food this gaseous in my entire life. O and a few things. Could you please send me a Mandarin Chinese for Dummies if there is one. And I also need a pocket sized dictionary, The Berlitz English to mandarin pocket dictionary is the best, The ISBN for it is 978-981-246-941-0. I would appreciate that very very very much :).

Yes I miss the dog but he will be just fine without me....as long as you guys fill his water dish every once in a while ;).

Mommy, I love you and i sent you a card in the mail, it should come sometime soon :).

Hailee, please get better. I hope you start getting better soon and i want you to know that I love you and I will pray for you! And thank you for your Dear Elder letter, it made me smile :).