7-20-12

Hey! How is everyone? This past week has been pretty uneventful. I'm just working very hard and continuing to make progress. The way the schedule should really be divided here is that the first three days are about a week each, then there's a week that's called week two through seven haha, and then the last one to two weeks is like limbo I've heard. Right now, time is suspended in a way. I can't believe I've been here a month. It will be even odder when I write home to say I've been in the mission field for a year. I'm applying Elder Uchtdorf's First Presidency message though: I'm always in the middle of my mission.

My discussions with investigators have improved ten fold from the first week here. I can convey my thoughts pretty well now. I am also reading Preach My Gospel and my scriptures in Spanish (Book of Mormon at least -- other books of scripture are still a little cryptic haha). I think I make Spanish sound easier than it really is (I'm working so hard), but honestly, I'm amazed by how far I've come.

Yesterday, my companion and I had a discussion with an investigator named Marisela. The Holy Ghost was so strong and He was inspiring our questions and was inspring how we applied scripture to her. It was a wonderful experience.

The MTC is like the mission field emotionally -- we get so bogged down sometimes and then we experience spiritual highs that re-inspire us haha. It's great here though, I'm in a really good groove, I absolutely love my teachers, I've gotten close to a lot of missionaries here, and I'm always feeling more and more prepared for Chile. My district has lost three members to foreign MTCs and the field, and it's about to lose one more within the week. It's odd to imagine how small the district will be, but there are some districts in my zone were there are only two Elders. 

I feel very prepared. I can tell though that the Lord is already putting me through spiritual, emotional, and mental boot camp haha. I welcome the stretching because I know the Lord has big plans for me, and even more so, for the people I will be teaching. I need to be prepared for them because they deserve to have the best possible missionaries to bring the truth of the Restored Gospel to them.

Love,

Elder Hill