I will be very happy to leave Provo next month. I’m glad today is the 14th because that means Jeffrey Goodrich is coming in today. Perhaps he’ll be in my zone, cause he’s speaking Spanish too. The odds are slim, but I can still hope.
This last week has been much better. I’m working well in the trio. We get along just great and we work hard together. Surprisingly we teach with unity better than when we were in 2’s. We’ve practiced a lot. The best part is that they are both willing to speak Spanish all day. It is our goal. We try “Speak Your Language” all day. We practice it as a religion. It has improved our language skills ten fold.
Oh yeah, I’m the district leader now. So this last week I’ve challenged my whole district to “Speak Your Language” with perfection. If you want to speak english you HAVE to ask permission and then look it up in Spanish right after so you learn how to say it. And I don’t have to be a Nazi about it because we all agreed to the challenge because we all want to get better. It amazes me how much Spanish we can speak. I love my district so much!!! They are so hard working. I’m glad we have the goal to “Speak Your Language” all the time. There are districts that have been here for 8 and 9 weeks that don’t speak as well as our district. And I’m not trying to minimize them, but I want to lift ourselves up because we really worked hard. We speak Spanish all day and it pays off. It is the gift of tongues. It is thanks to the Lord. I do not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God. See Alma something or other, Ammon says it. We really can go all day without English. Nowhere else in the world do people learn languages this fast.
And... There isn’t much more great to tell. Oh yeah, we did have Russell M. Nelson and his new wife speak last night. That was pretty amazing. It’s always nice to hear from the Brethren. I was again on the 3rd row. This time I didn’t have to look down because his eyes were much older and you couldn’t tell if he was looking at you or not.
Elder Bodily and I are going to try out with our “If You Could Hie To Kolob” that I arranged for us. He brought his recorder from 4th grade with him. He didn’t even remember how to play. He asked to learn and I taught him that song. What started as a joke is a serious song now. We really are going to try out and we want to play it in the MTC fireside in front of the whole MTC. It’s a really good arrangement and it sounds good. The recorder really can be beautiful like a flute with enough practice. I’m excited.
We just got 700 new missionaries in here today. The place is packed. It’s the biggest load ever to come in at once I think they said.
I suppose I have a minute to tell my story: So we had branch council on Sunday morning and talked about “residence hall behavior”. They talked about how when we’re home at night for that hour between 9:30-10:30 we should use that time wisely, to reflect on the day in companionships(which we already did in planning from 9-9:30 by the way) and to review notes and prepare spiritually for the next day. So that kind of went in one ear and out the other for me. Which is bad because I’m a district leader and I SHOULD be better. But I thought that last hour is for getting ready for bed. Read your scriptures before bed and whatever else. So ANYWAY, last night one of the branch presidency was in the residence halls saying goodbye to a departing district and he came by my room, where I had some chairs set up in the middle of the room for Elder Bodily and I to have our chess/cheese party. We spoke in Spanish for 24 straight hours with no English for any reason. The decided reward was a chess/cheese party with ritz crackers. He asked what the chairs were for and my immediate and enthusiastic response was “QUESO FIESTA!”. I don’t think he thought it was as great as I did. He gave me a stern look and left. He just didn’t understand. It was part of the deal for “Speak Your Language”. Furthermore, the cheese chess party was educational. I learned how to say “who will draw first blood” and all sorts of bloody and killing phrases that we looked up in Spanish while we played chess. Sometimes they just don’t understand. I’m glad it happened that way because maybe this will ensure that I’ll never have to be zone leader. I’m trying to dodge that at all costs. I don’t want to be a ZL. Especialmente in the MTC.
Anyway, that’s my story. I have to go now. No tengo much tiempo. Man, the Spanish is messing up my English. I can’t think straight these days. It’s an awkward phase. Anyway...I love you all and I hope you are well. I’m doing just peachy and I am having a good time.
I’d like to bear my testimony of this work. I do know that it is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. I don’t need to say any more than that. Adios!!
Sincerely,
Andy
This last week has been much better. I’m working well in the trio. We get along just great and we work hard together. Surprisingly we teach with unity better than when we were in 2’s. We’ve practiced a lot. The best part is that they are both willing to speak Spanish all day. It is our goal. We try “Speak Your Language” all day. We practice it as a religion. It has improved our language skills ten fold.
Oh yeah, I’m the district leader now. So this last week I’ve challenged my whole district to “Speak Your Language” with perfection. If you want to speak english you HAVE to ask permission and then look it up in Spanish right after so you learn how to say it. And I don’t have to be a Nazi about it because we all agreed to the challenge because we all want to get better. It amazes me how much Spanish we can speak. I love my district so much!!! They are so hard working. I’m glad we have the goal to “Speak Your Language” all the time. There are districts that have been here for 8 and 9 weeks that don’t speak as well as our district. And I’m not trying to minimize them, but I want to lift ourselves up because we really worked hard. We speak Spanish all day and it pays off. It is the gift of tongues. It is thanks to the Lord. I do not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God. See Alma something or other, Ammon says it. We really can go all day without English. Nowhere else in the world do people learn languages this fast.
And... There isn’t much more great to tell. Oh yeah, we did have Russell M. Nelson and his new wife speak last night. That was pretty amazing. It’s always nice to hear from the Brethren. I was again on the 3rd row. This time I didn’t have to look down because his eyes were much older and you couldn’t tell if he was looking at you or not.
Elder Bodily and I are going to try out with our “If You Could Hie To Kolob” that I arranged for us. He brought his recorder from 4th grade with him. He didn’t even remember how to play. He asked to learn and I taught him that song. What started as a joke is a serious song now. We really are going to try out and we want to play it in the MTC fireside in front of the whole MTC. It’s a really good arrangement and it sounds good. The recorder really can be beautiful like a flute with enough practice. I’m excited.
We just got 700 new missionaries in here today. The place is packed. It’s the biggest load ever to come in at once I think they said.
I suppose I have a minute to tell my story: So we had branch council on Sunday morning and talked about “residence hall behavior”. They talked about how when we’re home at night for that hour between 9:30-10:30 we should use that time wisely, to reflect on the day in companionships(which we already did in planning from 9-9:30 by the way) and to review notes and prepare spiritually for the next day. So that kind of went in one ear and out the other for me. Which is bad because I’m a district leader and I SHOULD be better. But I thought that last hour is for getting ready for bed. Read your scriptures before bed and whatever else. So ANYWAY, last night one of the branch presidency was in the residence halls saying goodbye to a departing district and he came by my room, where I had some chairs set up in the middle of the room for Elder Bodily and I to have our chess/cheese party. We spoke in Spanish for 24 straight hours with no English for any reason. The decided reward was a chess/cheese party with ritz crackers. He asked what the chairs were for and my immediate and enthusiastic response was “QUESO FIESTA!”. I don’t think he thought it was as great as I did. He gave me a stern look and left. He just didn’t understand. It was part of the deal for “Speak Your Language”. Furthermore, the cheese chess party was educational. I learned how to say “who will draw first blood” and all sorts of bloody and killing phrases that we looked up in Spanish while we played chess. Sometimes they just don’t understand. I’m glad it happened that way because maybe this will ensure that I’ll never have to be zone leader. I’m trying to dodge that at all costs. I don’t want to be a ZL. Especialmente in the MTC.
Anyway, that’s my story. I have to go now. No tengo much tiempo. Man, the Spanish is messing up my English. I can’t think straight these days. It’s an awkward phase. Anyway...I love you all and I hope you are well. I’m doing just peachy and I am having a good time.
I’d like to bear my testimony of this work. I do know that it is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. I don’t need to say any more than that. Adios!!
Sincerely,
Andy
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