Beginning of Week 4 Email

Here is Ross's email from the beginning of week 4 in the MTC.... February 24, 2010


Hola familia.

Well, its my 4th week here in the MTC, and im starting to get restless/nervous/anxious. Not this satuday, but the saturday after that, i will be teaching my first lesson in spanish, entonces, im getting a little nervous. My spanish is still not that good, but the more i work on it the better it gets. Well, this week (since last wednesday) has been tough, but better than last week. On wednesday, like i said, we fasted for Elder HAUCK (:)) and went to the temple. While i was at the temple, i started praying in spanish in the celestial room, and words started coming to me that i barely remember studying, it was crazy. I just wish that i could teach my investigators in the celestial room. hahaha On thursday, it was a pretty chill day, nothing really big, just studied and prepared to teach an investigator on saturday. Friday was the same thing. Saturday morning, i got my haircut and they actually did a good job, not as good as misty but its ok. I prepapred/prayed all saturday morning that i would have confidence while i taught and that i would remember all the spanish i studied. We had to pick them up from their house and follow up on a commitment we left them and then take them to the bus and ride with them to church and drop them off at their house again. The we came back one day (10 minutes) later and taught them lesson 2: the plan of salvation. Me and Elder Bean decided to teach differently and not split up the lesson in our lesson plan but just to teach with the flow. And let me tell you, that was spirit prompting us to do that. The lesson went GREAT! we taught a girl from BYU and the spirit was so strong. At the end, Elder Bean told her that our Heavenly Father does not want us to settle for one of the lower kingdoms, he wants us in the celestial kingdom. I was prompted to start talking about baptism. I said, "Jenessa, my companion is right. God wants us to be able to live in his presence. The only way we can do that is if we accept his gospel and take part in the oridinances in his gospel. One of those ordinances is Baptism. Jenessa, we have a baptismal date set for 2 weeks from today, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by the proper authority on that day?" she looked at me, and with tears in her eyes said, "well its a big step, but, yeah. I feel the need to be baptized." I almost hugged her! hahaha My first baptismal commitment, i know that its no big deal, but it felt good. Sunday was great! We had a great lesson in priesthood, and Janice Kapp Perry taught the hermanas in relief society. We had a great sacrament meeting, me and Elder Thomas from my district sang, and then I saw Tyler on our Temple walk again. He is back to leaving in 2 weeks for the GUatemala MTC. Then monday, i was humbled. I got my first taste of rejection. Our teacher told us to teach him and gave us 10 minutes to prepare. Everything was going good, i was feeling the spirit and asked him to read/pray about the L de M and he said no thanks and said he wasnt interested. Talk about rough. I felt like i had failed the investigator and the Lord. Then while i was writing in my journal, i remembered the quote from the Joesph Smith Moive: "Sometimes the Lord brings us low, in order to buiild us up". So, im getting built up again. hahaha everything is great now. Its snowed for the 5th day straight today. I bought a tape recorder in the book store, so you will be getting a tape, along with a memory card in the mail in about a week haha be excited. I heard a bout HIllary! Why do my sisters have kids as soon as i left! What the heck!!! I got her letter about having the swine flu so she is definately in my prayers. O yeah, back to spiritual things. I gave one hermana in my district a sickness blessing. She got better soon after and it made me so thankful that i have the priesthood so i can bless the lives of others. I gaave another blessing to the same hermana from a couple weeks ago for the same reasons. She told me she loved my blessings and she could feel the power that i had. I told her its not me, its her Padre Celestial. Well, i hope everything is good there! ummmmm, any kind of food would be good to send, just not candy im burned out on candy. hahaha Tell everyone i love them and im doing great, except the snow. All i want is some Big ole TEXAS sunshine ahahahah. Love yall

Elder pequeno

p.s. i got your m&ms, im not eating them, im using them as decoration haha.