ALOHA AND HOLA!!!!
This first week has been totally crazy and wicked awesome!! My first day was a whirl and I got my name tag!!!! So awesome! I felt like I had finally grown up! Then we had our very first investigator or opportunity to teach. Within the first hour of being here, I was already teaching. Talk about overwhelming! At least it was in English. That night I found out who my companion was for the whole time at the MTC. His name is Elder Martino and he is from Denton Texas. He is an awesome guy and an incredible missionary! He is 20 years old and is going to Buenos Aires Sur just like me! Plus a super cool deal was his Dad and my Dad served in the same mission too! Panama and Costa Rica. So Dad, do you know of an Elder Martino? He got called to be our district leader and I got asked to be the Senior Companion, which means that I have no responsibility or power :) Our District is made up of 8 Elders and 3 Hermanas or Sisters. It is an awesome group! We're all pretty fun and super hard workers and so it is really incredible to work and study with them. We set as a district a few goals. It was pretty cool because the first day we decided that we would only speak in Spanish everyday till noon and increase it by 2 hours each week. It'll be super good but is super hard! We speak Spanish till 2 now everyday and I go to bed every night totally exhausted. It is crazy. Everyday we have 6 hours of class time and 4 hours of study. Te get an hour of gym time and a few hours total for food and showering and what not. 16 hour days, everyday, working 100% all the time, until we drop dead!!! It's an awesome life and I love it! My Spanish is really coming along. Already we have taught 4 lessons in Spanish that were 30 minutes long each. It is challenging but I can tell we are improving and that God is blessing us for our efforts.
On Sunday and Tuesday we had Devotionals that were awesome. The first was by the Director of Missionary services and he talked about how we really need to love. On Tuesday we heard from Gerald N Lund who wrote the work and the glory and other books. He talked about the steps and Process of Faith. Which is what I have been studying whenever I get a chance (which is for about 10 minutes everyday). I keep finding all over the scriptures the same theme, that faith moves us to action. That if we are complacent in our faith and do not take the "leap of faith" to do the lord's will, then our faith is dead. In James 2:17 it says "Faith if it hath not works is dead." That is so true. I encourage all of you to find something in your life that you know is right and the path you need to take but that you have not yet pursued and do it! It is so hard but it is so worth it! I know that I am supposed to be here on a mission and in the MTC right now. I took my leap of faith and it is really paying off. I feel the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ here so strong and I know that this gospel is true! I know it more than anything in my life, especially Spanish!!
I want you all to know that I think of you often and if it takes me a while to write back or respond to emails it is not because I do lot love you!! My preparation day is Thursday, so it is the only day I can RESPOND to letters. I can GET letters any day and read them. I love getting letters and hearing about you!! So PLEASE send them. And if you feel so inclined, packages are the most blessed thing EVER!
So to sum this whole email up, I'm Alive, I'm doing well. I love it here at the MTC! It is kicking my butt, but i am determined to learn Spanish and talk to people in Argentina!!! I WILL SPEAK SPANISH IF IT KILLS ME...which it might. My companion is the bomb, we study hard and love the gospel. The Church is True, the Book is Blue, See you in Two!!!!
~Elder Anderson
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