December 4, 2012

Week 3...I think...

I mean I'm pretty sure, at least. Time gets weird here.

 

Anyway, bonjour chere famille! And others. Hopefully.

 

So I'll be honest, I'm coming to the computer this time without really having anything in particular that I'm dying to tell you. I don't know, once the sugarbuzz of having a nametag wears off, I kinda start to notice that every day here is very very full in a way that is pretty consistently the same. So hopefully if you have questions I will respond to them in the regular course of events.

This week has been fun. Probably the best part has been being able to see some people who I knew on the outside-I've spent a decent amount of time with Elder Millett, and we of course did our usual and commendable job of making fools of ourselves, but there were also a couple new arrivals this week, including Elder Sammons, who, for those of you who don't know, was my roommate during fall-winter. Funny story on that one-I was on my way to a meal one day, when Hansen yelled my name from behind me. Told me to follow (Didn't tell me why), and then just kinda took off. Anyway, I go chasing after him, and as I'm trying to catch up from 20 paces behind, I almost didn't notice the tall ginger striding towards me. If you don't know who Colten is, you won't really get that part either. But yeah, that was really awesome. Justine, if you're reading this, then he delivered your message, and I miss you too. A few other friends came in this past week, but I haven't gotten to see them yet. Hopefully soon.

 

Beyond that, the language is going well, I'm brushing up on grammar principles and learning just how abysmal my spelling is in the French Language. But hey, hopefully I won't have to convert anyone in a letter. Still, it would be nice to have the option...

I have two investigators now; Marc, who looks remarkably like Frere Grossin without a tie, and Daphney, who-Oh, I haven't told you about Soeur Pace!

 

CHARACHTERS:

Soeur Pace: She is my other regular classroom teacher. She was there the very first day that we arrived, but then disappeared to take a trip back to her mission in Montreal, where she had the opportunity to escourt one of her converts through the temple. Awesome, right? The only teacher I've ever had that can compare to her enthusiasm level would be-you guessed it, Frere Grossin. So it's usually a pretty happening place in our classroom of four elders.

 

But yeah, she's Daphney.

 

Something else that was interesting this week-we had two districts from our zone leave the MTC; this included our Zone Leaders, Tech Leaders, Sacrament meeting coordinaters, Music coordinater, and Coordinating sister (Which is kinda like a zone leader, but just for the Sisters). So yeah. Lots of changes in our branch structure. New Zone leaders from the Hatian Creole district, and Elder Millett and his companion are the new Tech guys. So that's fun.

 

So a couple people have pointed out that it is now December, and in places that aren't the MTC, that means that people start thinking about Christmas. To answer a question from earlier, I would love to receive a pair of rubber slippers. Because the bathroom slippers that I am using now, for some reason, are retaining water in a bad way. Basically, every time I put them on, my feet are wet again. So yeah. I would prefer something cheap, that I wouldn't feel any particular obligation to protect, because I'm only wearing these things when I'm in the bathroom, which is not a consudive environment for keeping things nice. Also, please coordinate this, because I don't have the room or the need for multiple pairs. Thanks! Love you all.

 

Now for this week's tender mercy.

 

THE LITTLE THINGS:

Not much to say about this one, but it is made up of three parts.

1. The drink, Caffiene Free Doctor Pepper, exists.

2. The drink, Caffiene Free Doctor Pepper, is sold in the MTC bookstore.

3. The drink, Caffiene Free Doctor Pepper, is really good.

And yeah, that's a blessing and a curse, because I really don't need to spend money on that, but look at it this way-for the amount of money it costs me to dry clean one suit jacket, I could have 7 cans of Dr. P!

Mom, don't freak out.

 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

What is the significance of the MTC? Why is the work here really all that important? Certainly not for the value of my proselyting, as I teach RM's how to pray. I'm not have going to left here with the knowledge that my efforts had brought a single person closer to baptism. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because there is a slight chance that after nine weeks of the worlds most intense EFY/Bootcamp, there's a chance that I might know what I'm talking about. Because regarldess of what else I do for others, if everything goes according to plan, then I will have exactly one convert when I leave the MTC. And, yeah, as far as I'm concerned, it's a pretty important person to have converted. Every single thing that we are practicing, over and over, to ask our investigators to do, is something that God wants us to do. We will want them to pray to recieve knowledge. We will want them to pray more often, and more earnestly. We will ask them, time and again, to study their scriptures and find out what God is trying to tell them. We will ask them, time and again, to go to Church and then figure out why it's important to do so, and what the Spirit taught them. We will ask them to make and keep covenants with God, because we will tell them that in doing so, they will be happier than they ever could be without.

 

Was that spiritual? I'm not sure. Ah well, you can't win them all.

 

I love you. All of you. I pray for you very often. Keep me updated on how life is going, because I don't want to be nagging my Heavenly Father with requests that have already been answered.

Until next week!

 

-Elder Kamalu Santos.