Conference Edition

Well, I still do not have a visa; I feel like the emails are getting repetitive. This is officially my last week here at the MTC (and yes, I still don’t feel ready).  The language is coming along, but my one weakness is understanding when people are talking. We have about 4 fluent Spanish speakers that totally understand the language, which is a little discouraging.

After hearing Elder Holland’s talk about jealousy and "drinking a quart of pickle juice," I should be happy for their talents and abilities and be happy for my trials and challenges. I've been moved to a new district that is a week younger than me so I reviewed a lot of the same stuff last week. Good for me. My new companion looks like (not to be mean) Sloth from the Goonies...he has a very deep voice and an engineer’s mind. He understands what is being said in the lesson and I just talk.

If I don’t receive my visa this week, I will probably be here ‘til it shows up. There are some missionaries here that have been here for 14 weeks on a 9 week Spanish learning track just waiting for their visa to Argentina or Chile. I don’t want to be that guy. BUT I would be a boss at speaking the language.

Thanks Sister Huff for the DearElder letters, there were great. And could I get Alex's email?

I never can remember what happened over the last week until after the 30-minute time limit is up on the computer. Uhhhh...Sister Willard seems to be killing it in England. I was hoping she would be jumping up and down when she saw me and hope she picked up the line, "Good Scottish grit" from Saturday afternoon session.

I think my favorite talk was Elder Holland’s because it applies to me that most. This MTC experience, learning the language has been the hardest thing I have ever done so when I see people not struggling and bragging about how great they are, I go just a little livid. So for a few weeks now, I’ve been asking for charity and Christ-like love for everyone. So far so good. If I can’t learn to do that, how can I love my investigators?

Terrific conference weekend, I can’t wait till they make some of those into Mormon Messages. We have big Easter Sunday with 3 General Authorities coming, but they won’t say who.....but I have some ideas.

Anyway the Church is true, the Book of Mormon is the truest book on the face of the earth and will bring you closer to God than any other book.

I love you all and look forward to hearing from you.

Elder Willard