Mom, I like that talk by Steve Young. Ether 12:27 is one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. It's been cool to be in lessons and learn how to teach by the Spirit. Besides Spanish, I'm also learning how to better recognize the Spirit in our lessons and how to teach by having a conversation instead of just teaching a lesson. I've learned that it's important to listen to the investigator's needs instead of just teaching what you prepared. Probably one of my favorite times of the day is personal study, because I get like an hour to just read. My favorite reading source is The Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel. The last week has been really good because Elder Sandler and I have been going somewhere else to do personal study so it is quiet and that has been really helpful. I'm beginning to put personalities with characters in the scriptures.
I think I've told you, but Sunday nights, we get to watch a film about something and they are really good! Some of them are talks that General Authorities have given at the MTC that you can't look up anywhere else. I thought this was really cool because our Branch President was talking to us one time and he said that the General Authorities that they have speak to us are there for us personally and they can talk to us in an informal way and it is really special because they can talk in a certain way that they can't talk to the public. At General Conference, they speak like they are giving a talk and are usually pretty serious. At the MTC, they can make a joke without feeling weird, and the reason for this is because anyone can access General Conference so the topics that they speak on and how they speak are pretty direct and their mannerisms are very formal. However, at the MTC, they can get pretty intense. Last Sunday, I saw probably my favorite talk by Elder Holland. He had came to the MTC at some time to speak to them and they showed it as one of the films. Let me tell you, he is definitely one of my favorites, but that man is scary! He is very direct and passionate about what he believes, but the best way I can describe him is like a really intense football coach. He really gets in your face and gets a little unhinged at times where he is raising his voice, but it is so awesome. Anyways, even though it is just a recording, the way that the apostles speak to missionaries is so awesome. It's very direct and meaningful. Anyways, that was a little of a ramble, but I love Elder Holland.
Monday was tough because the other districts were heading off for their missions in Bolivia, Florida, and Panama. We really had an awesome zone full of really cool missionaries. I miss them, but I have their emails. It's weird to think that they are actually doing it now. Some of them it's like, "Oh boy I hope he's okay." Like with their Spanish and stuff, but I know they'll pick up on it. It's the same for all of us. I really miss Elder Call and Elder Dalley. They were just fun. They definitely showed me how to treat people and to just be fun. I hope I can continue to be relaxed. I want to be a fun missionary that isn't uptight. Anyways, I had a lot of fun with them. They're both going to Panama. Exercise time has been boring without the other missionaries because there is only like half of us now. It's hard to find enough people to get a basketball game together, but we got a new district yesterday and they're really cool! There is four new elders. One of them was also in mine and Elder Jensen's mission prep class. And one of the other ones, I actually hung out with at a single's ward activity in Rupert. I think I have told you about Skyler Snook. He was someone at the shop and we worked together a lot. Anyways, he has an apartment in Rupert, and he invited me to go boating at a single's ward activity. I went with him and we went tubing on the Snake River and one of the other guys there was named Peter. He was way cool. He says he's only six foot seven, but I'm sure he's like two inches taller than dad. His name is Peter and he lives on a farm in Rupert and he went tubing with me and Skyler. Peter is now Elder Bingham and he is in our Zone now. He is also going to Panama. It's been fun to relate to him because we have a lot of the same interests, but he beats the crap out of me in basketball because I'm short playing against him. I think Austin is going to be his size.
That's pretty much all that is going on though. This week has flown by and there hasn't been too many super exciting things except for getting our new elders and some of the talks I've been able to hear. Oh, on Wednesday, we got to be host missionaries again which was fun. It's cool to see people that aren't missionaries. Another thing that popped into my head is that Elder Sandler had to get some fingerprints done so went to the travel office. Another companionship also had an elder that needed the same thing so the policeman took Elder Sandler and the other elder in the car to the police station so I had to stay at the travel office with the other elder's companion. I just wanted to go for a ride in the car. I asked them but they told me no and that I had to stay with the other elder. I was sad. I'm so excited to go in the van to the airport and ride on a plane as weird as that sounds. Okay, that is all of my events.
Thanks for emailing me and keeping me up to date. I love you all! Have awesome weeks.
