Now there is a title for an email if I have ever seen one, pretty sweet huh?
Yay! - moving on!
So, we passed up our half way point and are now in the downhill stretch of our time here at the MTC. That is definitely a most exciting thought. I now have learned all of the tenses in Spanish, its just a matter of actually being able to use them. That, I suppose will come in time. Elder Fleming and I have been teaching lessons in Spanish for about a week now, and have two of our very own progressive investigators to work with for the rest of our time here at the MTC, such as it is. I've been working with two different Spanish tutors here at the MTC, trying to get my Spanish up to as best as I can while I'm here. Just memorizing all of the vocabulary I can, and practicing writing our sentences and questions. Which, is hard for me, anyone who knows me, knows I'd much rather just sit and memorize something rather than actually have to use and apply it. Oh well, such is the work of the Lord. That about sums up how Spanish is going for me currently, really well, but I still have along ways to go. :) As do we all.
I figure I have kept you all in the dark long enough concerning the title of this email. Well, whiteboards - we finally got whiteboards in all of our classrooms, the MTC has finally entered the present day in terms of technology. Wahoo!!!! so much nicer than the chalk things we had used for my first few weeks here.
Now, the rest of the title. So, last Thursday night, I was playing Volleyball, and went up for a block. I won the point, but in the process, my middle and ring finger, got bent all sorts of ways that they shouldn't have been. Swelled up really nicely - got some ice, thought nothing more of it. Until the next morning when I still couldn't bend or straighten my fingers, ring being wrose than middle. So I made my way down to the Health Clinic, who then promptly sent me to the BYU student Health Center. FIELDTRIP!!! Off-Campus!!!! Yes, I was that excited about it. Got all x-rayed, just a really bad sprains. Since it hurt a great deal, and still does to a certain extent, especially while typing. They gave me 500 mg pills of Naproxen for pain and swelling, to take twice a day. They have helped a great deal. All is well though, its just taken a bit more patience to do any writing of any kind, or playing. haha.
Such is my story, now on to more life at the MTC!!! hahahaha. So, today at the Temple, we did initiatory, which was really cool. I didn't really remember it from when I went for myself, it was a really cool experience. Otherwise, not much exciting has happened here.
We had a devotional on Sunday... President Cleggs family talked. But, afterwards we watched the Joseph Smith movie, an entirely different experience being a missionary and watching it. Most definitely. We've worked more in the referral center on chats over the last few days - had a couple people that were really struggling with their testimonies, because they were afraid to pray. We did our best to help them.
We also lose our oldest district on Monday and Tuesday. That is definitely going to be a very, very sad day. I love and respect all of those elders, they have taught me alot. There's a couple I'm pretty sure i'll stay in contact with after the mission. They go to BYU. They will be wonderful, wonderful Elders in the field.
On a side note, I'm really jealous that Elder Dunn gets to leave. :( It's not fair, though my time will come.
I'm short on time, I typed as much as I could, I think I answered all the questions, more on my district and such next email.
oh, and Mom - we teach a different scenario every week, we don't have to neccesarily pass of each lesson seperately. It's strange - I plan on sending my first planner and schedules home as I leave the MTC when I send all my letters and the like.
Well, the last two days have gone by rather smoothly. Just picking up the language more. I'm doing really well (in my most humble of opinions) in figuring it out, thankfully, I am blessed with the ability to memorize things at a decently fast level. So vocabulary is coming fast for me, I get about 50 new words a day in, with a decently high retention rate, I just have to make sure I use them quickly. We are slowly starting to become a totally Spanish district here now, the amount of English spoken in class is really low now. Me working with the tutors is not because I'm struggling, its just because I want to push myself harder, I'm not a fan of making a fool of myself and hope to not to in an extremely high level once I get to Argentina. We are starting to ease in the the Argentinian dielect.. (spelling?) too. Lisa, the double ll sound there is pronounced 'j' - Castellano, sounds like castejjano. And an entirely new form of conjugations - vos. I may have told you that before... but there it is again. Haha. We practice teaching alot, and I've come to realize that the more my companion and I teach, the more we get along. Haha. Staunch, rich, conservative vs. Middle of the everything man... It's all good though. The Lord put us with these companions for a reason. My district is slowly starting to mesh together more, and put aside past differences/ current ones. The two other Elders in my room are also from Utah. Elder Bailey grew up down in St. George. Then Elder Payne grew up in Alpine, played on the Lone Peak b-ball team that won two state championships and plays for Dixie currently. We three get along really really well.
Days have been filled with language study, and practice on teaching the lessons. The teachers play harder and harder investigators.
Oh, random thought, lately when I've been listening to people speak Spanish, I haven't had to think to myself - 'oh, they're speaking Spanish, time to translate, it just happens'. That's a pretty fun step in the right direction I would think. Haha. Life here is all about progress and moving in the right direction, small steps toward becoming a real, good hardworking servant of the Lord.
I still feel the Spirit here, I still love learning more about the gospel. At every devotional we're challenged to always be this energetic about the work. To always give it our all, to be totally exhausted at the end of every night, because it is in those times that the Lord will bless you. I could share scriptures and things and try and teach you principles in my email - but I feel just my testimoney of being here should be enough. You, meaning my family, have been my support to get me here. Thank you for that, thank you for all the letters and stuff. I love every letter I get, and have saved them all. So, keep them coming :). they are much appreciated.
Our Visa meeting was post-phoned, til... I don't know when. Otherwise, all things are normal around here. The food... is still well the food, and leaving will provide a nice change of scenery in the menu. I haven't really heard anything more about the mission yet, hopefully I will soon. We should be getting our flight plans in two weeks and a day. :) :). I think that was all your questions. I'll be sending a decent sized package here in the next week of so, with all the assorted things like letters and memory card i need to send home. :) Anyway, I had best be off,
-con mucho amor,
Elder Matthew
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