Buenos Tardes Mis Amigos,
Yo no puedo creer, como largo he tenido aqui! (I can not believe how long I have been here!) It seriously feels like just yesterday I left home, and now I only have 23 more of these speedy months left! Time just keeps getting faster here! And after the third week I really didn't think that was possible!
So just for an update on my visa, and everything! I don't know yet, but the group who left at the beginning of this week to Rosario, Argentina were all able to head straight down! We are supposed to get our travel plans tomorrow, so if I do I will email my mom, and she can let everyone know!
So I have kind of a funny story about how leadership positions in the MTC work, First I got called as District Leader, then when my three weeks were up, my companion did not want to be DL, and neither one of us wanted to get up early for sunday meetings anymore. Well that sunday I got released he was called as District Leader. So this past sunday our Zone Leaders got released because they were headed to Argentina, well Elder Durham and I both said, well at least we are not really on option for Zone Leaders, since he was just called District Leader, and I had just been released. (We also said we didn't want to wake up even earlier for the zone leader meeting!) Well guess who the new Zone Leaders are....yup Elder Hall and Elder Durham! Zone leaders are the ones who are over a group of districts, and we report directly to the Branch Presidency. In our zone we currently have 22 elders! Just got a new group in last night, and so Elder D. and I got to give them a little orientation, and talk about our experiences here at the MTC! It is exciting and a lot of fun, and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve!
As much as I love the MTC though, I am ready to get out in the field! Utah is starting to get cold, and this Desert Rat is ready to head into an Argentine Summer! I might be wanting to head back home to Buckeye come July of this year when I am freezing cold! We'll see though!
One of the big lessons of this week, was that this work we do can not be done with out the Spirit. When the spirit is with us, our spanish is better, we teach clearer, and honestly we are just happier. I am thankful to be in a place where on those days, that I am lacking the spirit I can take a minute, and just pray and ask for strength. This week I learned alot personally about the spirit, and the things I have to do to keep it as my constant companion, so it has been a great week. I understand more fully after this week why it is sometimes referred to as, "The light of the gospel" or "The light of Christ" the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is a light that guides people back to our Heavenly Father. I could not imagine not having this light in my life, and being lost in the "darkness" of the world we live in. It yet another reason that has been added to my ever increasing reasons of why I am on a mission, to help bring others unto Christ.
I want to talk about my purpose as a missionary, and more of what it means to me. After asking a very close friend, who is very dedicated in her Catholic Beliefs what is was like to read my letters and stuff from her perspective, and she talked about some of the things that differ in the doctrines of our two churches, but she said it had made her stronger in her beliefs. I was quite happy with that response. Now you are probably asking yourself, this kid is on a mission for the Mormon church, not the Catholic church, why is he happy that she believes stronger in her church? Well I want to make it clear that my purpose as a missionary is not to just go and baptize a bunch of people, and increase the membership of the Mormon church. My purpose as a Missionary is to Invite others to come unto Christ, and if that means in their own religion, or beliefs then I am doing my job, and I am fulfilling my purpose. Now I would be lying if I didn't hope that maybe with me sending these updates home and people reading them, that someone might be touched, but really I just hope that after reading these people feel just a little bit surer that Jesus is the Christ, and that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each and everyone of us.
An interesting thing to ponder on is this, "90% of promptings of the spirit will come as just every day thoughts, only a small percentage of the time will we feel a powerful prompting as to what we need to do." One of our teachers told us that this week, and it really makes sense, if we are striving to be a good person, and doing what is right, we will naturally be directed to do what it is that we are supposed to, with most of the time not even realizing we are being directed until after!
I hope all is well with everyone, I pray for all of you, and I know that the Lord is watching out for all of us! Thank you to everyone who sent the packages and letters! Only one more full week here, and hopefully I am off to Argentina! Love you all, and miss you!
Con Mucho Amor,
Elder Hall
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