Week 5

Hey Guys!!! 

      I'm back. Another wonderful week at the mtc. So many things happen and they all blur together that it is hard to rack my brain over what happened. Especially with my district. I swear, never has there been a group of guys with more character than these wonderful elders. Every single one of them has such a strong spirit, and so much personality that sometimes things can get out of hand. Especially with the no pranks rule, which people don't always follow. 
     
     Before my mission I had never actually used up a whole pen, but now I'm using like a pen a week.The MTC store has almost everything I need though. I got Christopher and Ellie's package which was awesome. Just in time for halloween. There was a lot of good stuff and i love the bookmarks, I actually really needed them, I just didnt think to ask for any because they are so insignificant.  I like the hidden hairclip inside. The energy drinks help a ton because whenever I start reading the libro de Mormon( Book of Mormon), I fall asleep because I can't understand everything I'm reading. But like always the language is coming nicely. Although I'm sure when I get to mexico, it will be my bane. 

    This last sunday I had to give a talk in sacrament meeting on repentance...IN SPANISH. I had never done this before and I was way nervous, but it went really well.  Its hard to believe that I can feel the spirit when listening to someone in another language, You know its kind of weird being able to understand people in spanish. Everything that is said sounds like its being said in english. It all makes sense in my brain. I don't know how to explain it, but i love it. Halloween here was pretty cool, everyone has their halloween ties or dresses on, and all the food was named differently (which isn't that cool) but it felt like every other day. I was sad that I couldn't be there with Jeff and the boys doing the old haunted house, but I heard it happened this year nontheless. I hope it went great. 

   It is pretty cold here, but I've gotten used to it now. It hasn't snowed since and soccer was actually a bit too warm. Although I still hate Utah and would never move here. I have a new found understanding of the scriptures. Never in all my life have I understood the scripture and the gospel as I do now,  like spanish, everything is connecting like a math problem. My testimony is exponentially increasing here. It's like I am a whole new person. Every time I teach investigators. The spirit is prompting me and I come up with theses ideas of what to say or words in spanish that I didn't remember untill now. Having the spirit as a guide is awesome, it feels great. There is no better feeling than walking out of an investigators house having taught an amazing lesson and having the spirit there. I freakin' love the Book of Mormon now, and I have never been so interested in the Old Testament until now. That goes double for the life of Joseph Smith. Preach my gospel; is the best tool an elder could have. 

    Every lesson and everything you need to know is in there. When I taught my sunday school class, I would just not even look at the manual,I had the Book of Mormon as mine, but now with the scriptures and preach my gospel, I have a huge Armada (army) of information and useful tools to use. Like I was saying about character, there is an elder in our district names Elder Lauese, he is way good at beat boxing and making beats with his hands. So our whole district will start beat boxing to praise to the man or count your many blessings. It sounds so cool and is awesome. 

  We had a substitute from spain who had no mercy when it came to the language, and in fact we had to teach her the first lesson. She pronounced everything with a lisp,  and super fast. That was a taste I guess of how mexico is going to be. US, the missionaries are now the investigators too. We have to choose a friend from home that isn't mormon and you have the elders teach you in spanish the lessons. I'm not saying who I chose. I love the two devotionals a week we get here were we all meet together and here from one of the 70 usually. Once we had Bednar who was amazing, but it kind of sucks, because every song we sing in there has the words "marching" "army" or " soldiers" in it which was awesome for the first 3 weeks, but there is only like 5 songs we cycle through..... There was a guy behind me that said vanquish, as van - kish and sword as s-word. 

   So there has been a lot happening in our dorms at night. There is another district about to leave and so the pranks have gone up, such as squirt gunning people while they are in the bathroom,  and even so much as dumping water at people in the middle of the night. There is also the classes, hide an alarm clock somewhere in their room that goes off at 2 in the morning. Holman is doing better altghough he sings way to much. He has no tone of voice but thinks that he is good. I don't say anything, but no me gusta(I don't like it) if you ask me. In lunch the other day we witnessed 5 elders down an in humnanly possible amounnt of cereal, they emptied the whole conatiner which holds like 10 bags of cereal or more probably more. I of course though it was captain crunch. The best. Also people think its pretty funny to steal your towels while in the shower....The maintance people also left a fire hose type thing in the bathroom, hooked up to the water outside that is like 20 degrees. So if your not careful you will get blasted while in the shower by ice water.

     At the book store I bought this map of the Book of Mormon. It contains all the battles, cities, travel spots, hills (including the hill cumorha) and everything else. Now when I read the scriptures it's like im watching Lord of the Rings in my head, which makes me want to tell Chris Strub if he's reading to get a copy of the Book of Mormon and read it for me. You would love it. Its litereally my favortie book now. The temple this morning was way good. We beat the rush of people top the cafeteria, which was luckily, because those omelets take a while to cook. Elder Barcus is always getting in trouble, he's the most rebellious missionary in our group, but he has the most baptisms. I don't get it. Im in 3 nephi in the Book of Mormon, right before Christ is about to come I can't wait. I have a salted apple every day here along with grapefruit, people think that is really weird, but they have gotten used to it. I did run out of socks, just by one pair. I don't know but maybe if your going to send me some more stuff, get my like 4-6 more pairs of socks. It will probably be different in Mexico, I won't go through so many.

     If i was to give anyone any advice, I would say to read the Book of Mormon like you've never read it before. you know your doing it right when you can't  reading with your nose an inch away from it. I'll leave with my testimony guess.

 Yo se que esta iglesia is la unica iglesia de jesucristo en la tiera, Se que temenos una profeta hoy y el guia esta iglesia en nuestro dia. Yo se que thomas S. Monson recibi revolacion mediante jesucristo. tengo un gran tesimonio del libro de mormon y como puede ayuda todos los person en sus vidas. testefico que mediante este libro, peudo saber la verdad de todas cosas. Este mision ha cambiado me vida por el mejor. he apprendidio la importancia de oracion y como necesitamos mostrar nuetro amor por dios y su hijo por medio de oracion. Yo se que el espritu santo puede guiar cada palabra decimos con nuestros investigadores. amo my salvador y ahora entiendo la proposito de me vida. amo mi familia y el evangelio habia caundo era nino. y entiendo la importancia de la expaicion y como puedo vivir con my padre otra vez. digo estas cosas en el nombre de jesucristo amen. 
( I know that the church is the only church of Christ on earth. I know that we have a Prophet that guide us at this time. I know that Thomas S. Monson receives  inspiration thru Jesus Christ I have a huge testimony of the Book of Mormon, and how it can help every person in your life. I testify that thru this book, I can know the truth of all things. This mission has change my life for the better. I had learn the importance of prayer and how we need to show our love for God and his son thru prayer. I know that the Holy Spirit can guide each word we said to our investigators. I  love my Savior, and now I understand the purpose of my life. I love my family and the gospel. I understand the importance of how I can live to be with my father again. I say this things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.) 

I love you guys. and hope to hear from you again. Ill get these pictures to you soon I promise. Love Elder Ordway!!!!!