Last week in the MTC March 15, 2014

Well. It has been a pretty hectic week. I am getting super excited and super nervous for leaving to Mexico in two days! 

Yesterday was a really great day. It was in-field orientation. So, I was on main campus all day learning about everything that I need to know for being in the field. Throughout the day we were paired up with other missionaries to practice the things that we were learning. For one of the times, I was paired up with a missionary that was born in Chile. So, Spanish was his first language. He is going to a Spanish speaking mission, so he was only in the MTC for a week and a half and he is leaving on Monday! I got the chance to try to talk to him in Spanish for a while. We talked about our families and some other "get to know you stuff" that I have learned. It was really cool. I understood everything except for one sentence. But he was talking pretty slow for me.

Another cool thing that happened this week was that my companion and I got to teach a lesson to someone in Mexico over Skype. It was a great experience, but it was also really tough because he did not know any Spanish at all. He is a member, so we talked to him about member missionary work and we committed him to sharing a gospel message to one of his non member friends. At least I think he agreed to it...He talked really fast. 

Yesterday I also had to say goodbye to one of my teachers. Hermano Bond. It was actually way harder than I thought it would be. He has helped me so much here at the MTC with Spanish and with my testimony. Tonight I say goodbye to my other teacher. Hermano Bartolomei. It will be just as hard. And then tomorrow I say goodbye to all of the Hermanas in my district because they are leaving at like 4 in the morning on Monday for Pachuca Mexico. Then at 7:30 the Elders in my district all leave for the airport on our way to Saltillo!

I feel ready to be in Mexico. I don't necessarily feel ready to speak Spanish, but I know that the Lord God will help me. 

From reading in the Book of Mormon, I have found a chapter that I really love. It is chapter 29 of Alma. It is really powerful. I especially love verse 9. You should read it. It's great for missionaries, but it is applicable to every member of the church.

Elder Earl