Hey everyone!
Happy birthday, Owen! I meant to send you a real letter, but I never know what day of the week it is anymore, and it seems like there hasn't been any time between Monday when I thought about that and today. So I'll send something and it'll be a bit late. I hope you have a great birthday today! And take some time off from thinking about how old you are to have some fun!
This week really flew by. It seriously feels like I was just barely emailing. I also only had half as much laundry this week, so maybe I missed a few days. I wouldn't be surprised if I slept through a few. We learned a new phrase yesterday - "estoy hecho polvo," which means, more or less, "extremely tired." Literally it is "I'm made dust" or "I've been made into dust" or something like that. Pretty accurate, I'd say.
Speaking of Spanish, it has been coming along really well. We've been speaking a lot this week, and for the past few days it has been probably more than half Spanish. It's been hard, but also really rewarding. It has also provided plenty of entertainment. The other day in the TRC someone in my district was teaching a lesson and instead of saying that "Jesucristo tiene un cuerpo de carne y huesos (flesh and bones)" he said "Jesucristo tiene un cuerpo de sangre y huevos" - Jesus Christ has a body of blood and eggs. That's only one of many, like when I said Zoram was a napkin of Laban and when our district leader said he loves his "hijos y esponja" - children and sponge. Our Spanish is definitely improving despite our mix-ups; we'll probably be able to do an entire day in Spanish by the end of next week. Pretty exciting considering we're not even half way done in the MTC.
More bad visa news. Nothing yet. I asked at the travel office and they said that Spain visas rarely get rejected, so that is good. It's just a matter of waiting. 3 Elders and 1 Sister left for Spain on Tuesday morning. It was sad to see them go, especially since I could have been going with them. Yesterday another Elder in my district got his visa, along with lots of other Spain elders. He said they told him he is leaving tomorrow. That's pretty quick, but I wouldn't be surprised. I know it'll come in soon, though, and I really like it here, so the wait isn't too awful. I am definitely glad to get some more "comfortable" language training before being left high and dry in Spain.
So besides that, not a ton has been happening. Just the same old studying and sleeping. On Tuesdays we do an hour of "service" at 6am, aka cleaning the MTC. This week I got to vacuum using the "ghost buster" vacuum backpack. That was pretty fun, I guess. Oh, and there are new washers in the laundry room this week. That's pretty rad.
Thanks for sending that article, Dad. Definitely some good advice in there. Not just for missionaries, but for the rest of my life. I really enjoyed it. Sounds like everyone is looking for a job right now, that's a bummer. Just another mission blessing, I guess...no looking for jobs for the next 2 years! Blake sent me a letter saying that they were at Paul's the other day talking about how bumming around in his basement just isn't the same as bumming around in ours. I'll just go ahead and tell them to start hanging out at the house from now on....they can keep Rosey company!
Mom, it definitely has been cold and wet around here. It was raining all morning today and been pretty gross since Sunday. Elder Ferrell and I walked all the way to the temple in the rain this morning only to realize we forgot our recommends, so we had to walk all the way back to the MTC to get them. It was a bummer. Anything I need to make sure I'm doing with my suits when they get wet? I'm sure they'll get pretty soaked a few times in the next few years. We caught wind of the Spain earthquake as well. Sounds like everything was fine, though. And thanks for sending me that info about the Roldans! I had forgotten about them. I didn't even know they weren't Mormon. Good to hear they're keeping the missionaries company, though! Oh and thanks for the cookies, too! They were very much appreciated by my district. My license got here fine as well.
Thank you to everyone for your love and support! This Gospel is undoubtedly a marvelous work that is coming forth among the children of men. I'm so blessed to be here at the MTC and to be able to be a missionary to bring the world the Gospel. I've already been blessed so much. I know that the promise in D&C 4 is real: "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you, Amen."
-Elder Mockler
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