MAY 22, 2013

Wow, I can't believe it has already been here a week. My district and I have decided that in order for us to learn spanish and the gospel within 6 weeks, the Lord slows down time, we all feel like we've been here for years!! the days definitely go by like weeks and the weeks go by like days. Can't wait to see what months feel like. Well anyway, I absolutely love my district! I room with my companions and two other hermanas from my district. All four of the elders are going to Tampico Mexico. Elder Stoor, Elder Anderson, Elder Tipton and Elder Miller. Elder Tipton looks and acts just like Kevin, it's pretty crazy!! But Elder Miller went to Lehi high and knows courtney, so I thought that was pretty cool. Turns out that Joshua was in the same zone as I am in! and was the previous zone leader right before I came in! so they all know joshua.

Getting ready is kind of a joke around here. They only schedule a half an hour to get ready in the morning, so I've just been waking up early like at 5:50 to get ready, which isn't against the rules. I've been trying so hard to be obedient and follow the rules but there are so many here! I can't possibly remember them all! Which reminds me, I got your care package. Thank you so much fo all the food!! We'll definitely enjoy it:) but I actually can't chew gum. They told us not to the very first day. Which is probably one of the hardest rules for me to follow because a day doesn't go by that I'm not chewing gum. So I'll have to mail them back to you when I get to california because I can't send packages from here. But thank you for thinking of me!

I've seen Callie, Jordan Ayre, Jordan Uritia and Eric Proctor from football, Blake Laker is in my classroom building, I have a picture with Bryton Davis (but I forgot my camera cord so I'll send pictures next week.) And I see Dustin Hicken everywhere! It's so good to see people I know! I love it, it's almost like being at home. Almost;)

Spanish has been pretty easy for me. But when I say easy it is relative. Everything I've learned in the past is slowly coming back to me and not just coming back, but making sense. Like why we use ser versus estar and with the indirect pronouns and when you use them. It's been nice, but also still very difficult because I still can't speak very well. I can write just fine. They had us praying and bearing our testimonies in spanish the thursday after I got here. They don't waste a second!

They had us teaching an investigator in spanish that friday after we got here. It was probably one of the most stressful things I've ever done. The MTC is one massive roller coaster. Each day has it's ups and downs and then the week itself has its high points and low points. All of my low points happened after we taught Armando. Its so frustrating to want to say so much and not be able to say anything because I don't know spanish. I've gotten so discouraged and it's times like those that I just want to go home because it's so difficult and I hate it so much. But the first 3 lessons we had written out what we wanted to say and basically read it to him because we couldn't say anything by ourselves. but this last lesson yesterday se decided to just study words and go in without notes and just rely on the spirit to tell us what to say. It was our best lesson. It was amazing to see how the spirit gives you words to explain. The gift of tongues is definitely real.

I feel so blessed to be in a district that's as good as mine. The branch president even commented on how usually newer districts have a lot of problems getting along and we have none. We all get along so well and for the most part we focus a lot. But we all have so much fun together and get along just great. It's such a blessing I can't even tell you. They are the reason I make it through the day. We spend literally like 8-10 hours studying spanish/the gospel all together in the same class. we're only in the room for maybe a complete hour and half.

We get an hour to email now. It's so great! but I feel like there's nothing more to say because all I do is study spanish in class. But I do want you to read Alma chapters 34 and 42. That's what we taught armando yesterday. Those chapters are so amazing. Yesterday we got Armando to pray and while he was praying I felt the spirit so strong, even though he was just pretending to be an investigator. I got a glimpse of my purpose as a missionary. To invite others to come unto christ. It was exactly what I needed to make it through the day.

I only have a few minutes, so I'll end now. But I love you and the family! Tell Aaron and Rachel to write me and that they're bums for not writing me yet! haha! well until next week, or whenever I remember something that I'd like you to send me and I write you;)

Con Amor, su hija amoroso

Hermana Wilcox