Dear Mom and Dad,
It's crazy to say, but I only have about 2 more weeks in the MTC. I feel that if I could go out into the field right now, I would be able to work with the Spanish I have, but I still have a ton to learn! We just taught our investigator Enrique la palabra de sabiduria, Word of Wisdom. He has committed to keep it and is getting baptized in a week! By the way, this investigator is our teacher and we are kind of role playing so we know what to expect in the field but it feels kind of real. The investigator Enrique is our teacher Hermano Garcia acting like one of the investigators he had on his mission in Uruguay.
Anyway, I learned so much this week. One of my friends came into my room about a week ago and told me he was going home. When I asked him if he would come back when he could, he told me he didn’t even want to be here and that his parents pressured him to be here. I then shared my testimony with him of why I know I am here serving the Lord. I told him that the Lord has blessed me with everything in my life and I feel the least I could do for him is serve him for 2 years. Well this experience really strengthened my testimony about why I’m here and what I want to teach people for the next two years. I have learned that the gospel truly does bring happiness as it lets you know who you are, were you come from, and where you are going. It was sad to see him go but I told him that he would be alright and I want him to return when he can, I hope he does.
My boy Elder Roper left the other day and it was sad to see him go! I traded him one of my favorite ties and he traded me his favorite Gold tie. We both signed it, and then knighted each other with the tie. It’s weird because you make such good friends, then they leave like a week later. But I guess that’s what the whole missions like as you get transferred to new areas after becoming great friends with the people.
That is so crazy that mom saw Elder Rodriquez on the plane to Atlanta on Monday. I just talked to him right before he left for Guatemala and was like Bro, we’ve got to trade a tie, but he had already packed his ties up! He did give me his left over laundry detergent and dryer sheets! Anyway, we were really good friends and would play basketball together during gym time. I can’t believe this world is so small that Mom would meet him.
I had an amazing spiritual experience last week. As my companions and I were teaching Enrique (Hermano Garcia) a lesson in Spanish in a separate room, he told us he was having a terrible pain in his ear! We offered to give him a blessing if he wanted one. He said he wanted one but needed to call a doctor first. When he returned, he asked for a blessing. When my 2 companions asked him who he would like to give it, he asked if I would. He said it was because we were both Chilean and had that bond ha-ha. Anyway, I was pretty nervous because it would be my second blessing I had given but I said a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father to help me say what He wanted Hermano Garcia to know. When I started to give the blessing, I was pretty nervous but then I felt calmer as the words came out of my mouth. I can’t remember what I said all the way, but I know that the Holy Ghost helped me say what I needed to say as I gave him the blessing. The next day I asked him how he felt and he said “a lot better”! It was a really powerful spiritual experience for me to have as I say that my teacher Hermano Garcia, only knowing me for a couple of weeks, would ask me to give him a blessing. Also, me not knowing that much about him was able to say what he needed to here. It was pretty cool and I will always remember this experience.
Me and my boys from my district have a scripture study session were we share our impressions and thoughts about what we have been reading. It is so awesome to share what the scriptures mean to me with my friends. So after we share our thoughts, we all go to a certain part of the scriptures and read it together. Then we discuss what we thought it meant. We have been reading in Isaiah recently and it is awesome. Isaiah’s teachings are so deep and profound; it’s really fun trying to understand them. What I learned from Isaiah this week is that without God, man is nothing. And the fact that men on this earth think they don’t need God in their lives is crazy. He is so great and has given us the opportunity to know all about Him. With God all is possible and when people don’t realize that it is a shame.
Hardy wrote me a letter yesterday saying that he is doing really well. He told me a lot of people in the mission worry about numbers and not about the people. He said if you just relax and do the best you can, you will be a better missionary. I have seen that here in the MTC too. A lot of kids are trying so hard to cram all the information in their heads, reading every second they have free, and not taking any breaks. That’s a good thing I guess, but at the same time I can see missionaries not enjoying themselves that much and being really stressed. Someone told me that if you aren’t having fun you’re not doing it right. I can truly say that already this is the most fun I have had in my life, serving the Lord. The spirit is always around and I am always happy, even though at times things can bother you.
We had our first time at the Referral Center (RC) where we call people about the church. Out of ten calls only 1 person answered. It was this 74 year old lady and she was fun to talk to.
It’s really funny, when class is over and we get back to the apartment, my entire district comes into my room for story time. It is where they all ask me to tell them funny stories about my life. It has happened for the past two nights and they tell me they love it. They tell me that I am really good at retelling stories and I am going to be an awesome Grandpa. Anyway, it’s really fun to tell them stories about my life.
Well, I have to go but I’ll write you a letter later.
Give my love to everyone!
Peace Out!
Nathan
