Week 1  6/26/10
 YE-HE-HE-HEOUS! Good morning/afternoon/evening/dias/noches! I'm finally writing you all from the MTC and the experience here is better than I ever hoped for. Well, not that I really did much hoping but still, es legitimo. Just like mi camanero Elder Tabile (Ta-beel).  But the guy's awesome, to give you some ideas in his own words he's "half samoan-poly and half white" we aren't sure but we agreed he's probably about 5'6".


Week 2  7/2/10-  Week 2 (Semana dos)
 Firt full P-day today, Elder Tabile and I really don't know what to do with it, I've sown up the orange tie, we took some pictures for you guys... which I can;'t even send I guess, you know how dangerous letting us send digital images home can be.
Great to hear about Peru and the relatives Mom, glad they are so good at cleaning, maybe two years from now the house'll still be clinging to this period of cleanliness ;) I wish you the best of luck in your struggle. And it's awesome picturing you guys braving Peru, you're probably home now right? Tell me all about it, it doesn't take that long to read and I really want to find out whether you got mugged by some old lady or not for your root beer candy goodies ;)
I've been doing great, handling the 8 hours of sleep well despite popular opinion :P
I love this work so much and it's great to be one of the few lucky missionaries to be hearing the ending of their big brother's mission play-by-play as they start theirs. Good old Jehovah raining blessings eh?
I just would have to say that it's the personal communication with God at the end iof the day and as I overcome the weaknesses of a new missionary that I feel the most touched by the spirit. Spending all day in His service would do that kind of thing though. I'm learning to literally have a prayer in my heart at all times, it's the only way to keep mentally engaged and I keep hitting mentall roadblocks and I'm humbkled when prayers to God seem to be the only thing with the power to move them. He's humbling me and teraching me. It's great.
Elder Tabile and I have made a lot of plans and continue to talk everyday about how we can do better ju8st as we think about it. And we're still having fun, our Zone leader really doesnt like me though I don't think, after we started "If you like pina colatas" in the residence halls he seems to have felt differenlty about us. The weight room opened, but the weights are lame, only 250 for the bench ( a michine so i have to do it literally 30 timesa) all of them are pretty lamne, I'm douing what I can.

Week 2  7/9/10- It'ssss a good'un

Week 3  7/16/10- I've taken to shouting bits of my testimony to passers-by as we go to different actvities since it really seems to be helping me to remember and commit to handy memory some of these foreign phrases, it's not so bad though. Since the concepts all make sense to me it's coming down to building up a solid vocab and since Spanish is pretty much english with -o's at the end ;) I'm doing well. The occasional -miento at the end of the word does throw me off though.
James, thanks a ton, right now as I begin I think of you constantly, how you thought the guys who couldnt learn spanish were dumb, etc haha. I'm feeling a bit of the sting of theat insult as the other guys pull away from me with their highschool spanish experience. But again it's all pretty much vocab and I think I'll be smoking em pretty soon, but we;'ll see, God has proven he has to qualms with humbling me severely so far ;) but please James, any studying advice--for theaching, spanish, study, or otherwise at the MTC, share it, I'm realizing God expects me to use every resource I can while applying faith, he's blessed me a lot, but with a brother like you at my weeekly fingertips, I think I can be expecting some tremendous blesings. Love you Elder, good to hear the beautiful ending to your service to the Lord's children.
  [God has] humbled me to some serious reverence by the way, despite having fun I think my attitude is much more of a missionary and that is a miracle that just happened without me making much effort. But the real blessing in my life has been companionship study of the Book of Mormon. I've been reading about Jesus myself, learning a lot and loving every bit of guidance which our Savior offers,and it's a ton, but we've been reading Isaiah and the spirit of prophecy has come to us. It's all about missionary work and I can testify with boldness God loves his children and wants to bless them from those.

Week 4  7/20/10 - The Weeks Turn into Days and the Days Turn into Weeks

 I'm so amazed that I'm at my 4th week already, although, I look at so many experiences over this time and how I'm really starting to wonder if there ever was a world outside the MTC, I realize maybe it has been too long ;)
A bit of news though, turns out Argentina doesn't have any Visa problems like some of the missions including Mexico and others, except that is, for the Neuquen mission. For some reason my mission area is infamous for visa delays, while none other is. I'm not sure yet whether it's just taking a while for the Argentinians to get over losing the world cup or if it's seasonal and in the nick of time it'll open up for us Neuquen elders. If not, I'm still praying for our visas to go through, I want to start falling in love with he Argentinians as soon as possible, but if not, God has a purpose in it, I'm also praying that I will be guided in my studies to be ready for taht purpose, which I know will be the greatest blessing for me.
my Spanish feels a semester's worth of school better versus a week ago. And my prophecy of last weeek wasn't too far off the mark since the hard work me and Elder Tabile put in to our Spanish study plan has paid off and I just have a bit harder to worl and I think I'll be passing the guys who took it in college. German experience really is the blessing, and also the Lord has suited me to the task, slowly however. it's been humvbling trying to give lessons pnl;y to get lost in what you were trying to say and forget your reasons for saying it. God hasn't given us a Spirit of fear though, and with prayer I haven't let any such Spirit stay in mind long enough to keep me from working. This is supposed to be hard, and part of the hardness is even persevering and overcoming
Any advice on ways to really recognize the love of the Savior in your life? I come to such a brick wall whenever I try to pull taht one off, it's only by mid-lesson inspiration that I've ghoped to come by them lately, any advice?
Please write when you can, I know it's hard. I;'ve come to a strong testimony of God's purpiose for families and I'm so grateful for mine. Love you aghain, BYe bye! you fruit loops!

Week 5  7/23/10-  P-Day is Stressfull
Yep, REALLY fast it became my least favorite part of the week :P gotta write you guys... ;) really though whenever I know it's coming up I cringe a bit thinking about how I've got to give up the gospel a little bit right when I feel like I'm getting into a groove. Eh, that and it seems like the MTC has messed with it a little too much, with no tem,ple visits they awkwardly throw in a study session instead of letting us mix the study in with our preparation tasks like I'd prefer. Anyway, it's stressful to think about, especially remembering that there's going to be a big red countdown on the top right of my email screen, but right here right now it's the best. I miss talking with you guys, there are times in mid-paragraph where I forget the red countdown and my mind is at ease for once here, thanks fam, for writing and all.I need to respond to Aunt Alice some how/ Let her know I'm excited for Argentina too, it is really cool thinking about what a family mission Neuquen has become, hope I do her and Melanie justice.
I've been appreciating the study. Got a lot of direction this week and know strongly of how God answers our petitions, in his own timetable.