September 28, 2010
Dear Mom, Dad, Family and Friends,
Since the last time I wrote you one of the Hermanas in our District left to go to the MTC in Peru and she was way cool! We got 4 new elders from another district to join our district and the new Elders are awesome. Elder Sainsbury and Elder Olsen were two of the new Elders, the ones that I mentioned loved the Skizzy! I sent you a picture of them. As my hair grows I’m rocking the comb over now and so is Sainsbury, we call it “el cabello de los Reyes”, the hair of the kings.
We have been teaching in Spanish a lot and just got done with the plan of salvation. We are teaching an investigator named Kiki for practice and just got to teach him the second lesson in Spanish. My Spanish is coming along well and I am fairly sure I will leave the MTC being nearly fluent. It is crazy to say that, but I know the Lord is helping me 100 percent with the language as it’s hard to learn a new language in just nine weeks. We had a guy come teach us named Brother Reis about how to be better missionaries. He is one of the Elders from the video “The District” you remember, the videos I was supposed to watch before entering the MTC. Anyway, he taught us some great things about how the gospel ties into everything in the world.
I have been trading ties with some of the Elders here and now I have some pretty sweet ties. Tell Mom not to be sad, but I only have like 3 of the originals that I brought with me now. I’ll have to send you some pictures of them; I got this sweet tie from the 80's. Since we no longer look at the girls here, the guys have started to take a real fascination with ties and trading them trying to get the best ones they can find. If I win the pull-up contest, I’ll be taking about 18 ties with me to Portland. I guess I will have plenty of ties to give away throughout my mission huh?
The gym opened last week! So I have been playing basketball during gym every week. Everyone calls me “Air Mormon” because I wear that shirt that I made like Michael Jordan but with a Book of Mormon in his hand. Even though I’m not that tall, I can still go down in the paint and get the rebounds!
I got your package and it was awesome! The cookies were gone in a few minutes, remember Elder Muntini and all of his Tahitian brothers and friends came over and cleaned them out ha-ha. The beef jerky is amazing and so is the trail mix! The mangos were so good and I brought them to class to share with my district. I gave everyone some and then left for an hour or so to go study or something leaving the mangos behind in the classroom. When I got back they were nearly all gone. One of the Hermanas in my district ate them all when no one was looking. We call her the “La Ladrona” (thief) now as a joke. She felt bad, so she promised the next time she gets a package she will give everyone some. If you want to, you could send me some more Costco dried mangos since they were a big hit here at the MTC.
We served in the cafeteria again and it was amazing. This time we put frozen foods into huge freezers. It was so cold in the freezers while we stacked the foods but it makes you feel warm when you get to serve others. It was one of the cafeteria workers birthdays and we sang for him. His name is Shannon and he is like 4 ft tall. He turned bright red when we sang for him, it was great!
There was a wrestling match in one of the rooms last night but I did not join in this time since I learned my lesson from last time. I still have scabs on my feet and knees from last time I wrestled. All the elders came into a small dorm room that we live in and watched two elders go at it. They started out the match with an announcer, one of the elders put gold balm powder in his hands and blew it out as he entered the room, for dramatic effect, it was pretty funny to watch. At the end of it though, they both had bloody, rug burned knees from the carpet.
I have been reading in Matthew about Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry and it is so amazing to read. It is hard to explain in words how I feel when I talk about Jesus’ teachings and parables. He is so intelligent and amazing, the way he taught. I mean, He is the Savior and he does know all things, so I guess it shouldn’t surprise me but when I read his teachings I feel the spirit so strongly. I love the way that the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to disprove the Son of God and couldn’t. I don’t understand how they couldn’t believe with the amazing doctrine he taught. I know that he is my Savior and through Him and His atonement, I can return to live with my Heavenly Father and family one day!
I read the scripture in Ether 12:27 that you sent me and prayed about it. It really hit me hard how the Lord will help my weaknesses become strengths. I prayed and the Lord has shown me my weaknesses. Know it is my job to make them strengths with his help, thanks for sending that to me. I know the Lord answers my prayers, as every night as I kneel down and pray I know He is listening. The feeling I get when I know He is there is indescribable. That’s why I love to pray so much.
I have been learning so much spiritually while here at the MTC as I have time to pray, ponder and listen. I have learned to choose to see the good in all people, and ignore the bad. I am striving to do that. I have also learned that you need to be yourself as you teach, and not be a robot or try to be someone you are not. You can’t lose your personality in this work, and maybe my personality will help me reach some people that others could not.
Anyway, I am out of time so please tell Oscar I will write him when I get more time. He is very special to me.
I read in 2nd Nephi 33:15 Nephi’s closing words, “for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen. I love how these were Nephi’s last words. It is my desire and goal to obey the Lord and be the best missionary I can be.
Peace out! Give my love to everyone.
Nathan
