Week 6

September 7, 2012

Hey everyone!

This week went a lot better than last week-- it really flew by. We have been working hard to stay focused on the work and to do all the things that we should be doing. I really just can't wait to get out on the mission and actually apply all the stuff we have been doing here. We have been talking a lot about the sanctification process, and how as missionaries and representatives of Jesucristo, necesitamos ser mas como el en todas las cosas que hacemos. My new favorite hymn is “How Firm a Foundation,” especially the fifth verse. Actually, all the verses. But the fifth talks about the dross melting away, and over the past week and a half I really feel like maybe that's what I've been feeling. I think my views of the gospel, the world, God, and myself have all really changed as I've started to really lean on Christ, His Atonement, and the plan of happiness in everything we do here.

Really starting to get used to this whole elder thing. It’s weird because we don’t really feel like real missionaries yet, but we have a lot of experiences each day where we learn a lot, and at least for me I feel like I just want to go share with everyone, teaching, talking, all of it. But we can't here... well we can, and we do, I guess... we go around to different classrooms and do 'door contacts' or other elders walking around-- the best is when you go to a brand new district and do a contact in Spanish and they think you're super intelligent.

All in all, I’m doing really well. I sort of complain about all the time to study and the repetition but personal study time is starting to become my favorite time, as I find more comfort in the scriptures, more blessings, and more promises. Each day here where we are becoming more converted to Christ is a day well spent.

I don't really have any super funny experiences from this week-- Elder Howe has been perfecting his disappearing salt shaker trick at dinnertimes; it’s pretty funny when he does it to other districts. He got Elder Tengberg really good the other day. We have been teaching Hermana Soliz and Daniel, and Daniel just committed to be baptized. It was awesome-- he just told us that he had read what we asked him to, prayed, and really felt something, and had kept reading. He said it had helped him with his whole week, so right then and there we went for it and he was excited. We taught him the commandments last time, but we only have 15 minutes with him each time so it’s tough to really get it all in. So we didn't quite finish. But our Spanish is definitely getting better. At least at Gospel things.

One more thing-- we have a dispute about what the fourth, fifth, and sixth derivatives of time are called. I claim that first is velocity, then acceleration, then jerk, and then snap, crackle, and pop. But no one believes me. Could we get a little proof of that?

Lots of love,
Elder Brown