Email 12-22-16

FROM BRETT

Are you doing anything special for Christmas? 

We are having a big devotional but nothing that I know of other than that. 

Have you been to the temple yet?

No I think we go next P-day!

How is the language coming? What are you struggling with the most?

The language is going okay. Some days are better than others but overall it’s been good. The hardest part is trying to conjugate words in to past, future forms and all the grammar rules are hard too.

How is Dane doing?

 He is doing really good! I don’t see him too much, maybe like 2-3 times a week where we can actually talk. But from what he’s said to me he is doing good.

What is one or two things that stand out that you have learned up to this point in your mission?

 1. The gift of tongues is real. 2. In order to be the best missionary I can be I need to have my heart completely engulfed in the work. Which means letting go over the worldly things I left behind and focusing on nothing but the mission.

Does someone time you when you are on email? Or are you on an honor system, where you time yourself?

No it’s just the honor system.

What else do you do on P-Day other than laundry and email?

We play sports or just hang out. Not too much to do haha

What does TALL stand for? (you mentioned this when you were taking about the computer lab)

I have no idea haha it’s just a program to help learn the language. I think the church made it.

What do you do in the computer lab?

We usually work on language through TALL or watch conference talks in Spanish and try to figure out what’s going on

Are you saving my Dear Elder letters (the ones that come daily) so you can re-read them later if you want?

I do save some but I don’t have a place to put most of them.

The CCM campus is gorgeous! Do you get to walk around outside at all? How is the weather?

Yes we walk outside 90% of the time. The weather is good. It feels a lot like home but dryer. It rained a little 3 days in a row and there was thunder and lightning, it was awesome.

Have you made sandwiches with the peanut butter and jelly?  Did you even like the sandwich stuff and do you want me to send more?

No I don’t have any utensils but I borrowed a butter knife from the comedor so we will probably make some today. Not sure if I like it yet because we haven’t had any. But it is a little hard to make things like that

Are you sharing the food Nana and I are sending?

Yes! All the guys in my district love it and so do my roommates

Are the CCM staff cautioning you about using the tap water?

They said the entire CCM water is safe.

Are you drinking bottled water? And where does it come from?

Not really. They have water dispensers though that I took a picture of that I will try to send

Tell me about a spiritual experience you have had this week.  Or maybe how a prayer was answered? 

Well you said in your letter that Auntie Christine’s is doing better. But the day before I got that letter, while I was praying during personal prayer, I had the thought to pray for her. And so when I got your letter, I got an overwhelming feeling that I know Heavenly Father truly does answer our prayers. Even though we may not be looking for the answer we receive He does answer us. Sometimes it may take longer than we expect (it usually does) but if we have complete unwavering faith in our Savior and our Heavenly Father, there is nothing on this earth that we cannot go through or overcome. Through Christ and Heavenly Father everything is possible.