Buenos Días!
This week has been very interesting. It has contained the best and the worst things from the MTC so far. I figure it´s better to get the bad news out of the way, so here it goes. We had to move out of the apartment we were living in to the one directly above it, because they have some senior missionaries moving in and they don´t want them to have to climb a lot of stairs, which I totally agree with. Last night we had to pack up everything and move it though, which took up the entirety of our personal time. The shower in the new room is better though, so that´s a plus at least. The other negative is that Elder Grant has had a resurgence of his ADD symptoms, so we have been having to take some class time to go talk to doctors and councilors. They've been working through it though, and they think he will be able to get a handle on it again, but it has been difficult for him, and me, this last week or so.
Now that we´ve gotten that out of the way, the good news, which far out-weighs the bad. The first, and best, news is that the people at the MTC have had a change of heart. We will be calling home on Mother's Day. I will be calling at 2:30 in the afternoon next Sunday, so make sure you guys are there for me to talk to. :D
Earlier this week, Elder Grant and I were studying outside when a man, Gabriel, como el angel, sitting near us started talking to us in Spanish. We started replying and went over to talk with him. When he asked how long we had been here and we said two weeks, he was astonished. He told us it had taken him 22 years to learn English as well as we knew Spanish. He gave me some advice, which I am going to try to use in the field. He said that when he was learning English, he would always worry that he was saying things wrong. He said he had this worry for years, but finally figured out that people knew what he was saying, even if he didn't use the right form of a word. He told us, "Speak, and the people will understand what you are saying." My goal is to do as he said, and not worry about whether or no I'm using the proper form, and just speak what I know. He also told us he was not a member of the church, but it's hard to tell in this place who is not a member and who is "not a member". Anyways, we were told we would be teaching a new "investigator" starting yesterday, and who should our investigator be but Gabriel. The lesson went really well, and it was a great experience.
The lessons with Mario and Angela are still going well. It's amazing that even though they are both members, I can feel the spirit when we teach them. I hope I will continue to improve and become the most effective teacher I can.
It sounds like things are still good at home. I hope you know I pray for you all every day. It may not always feel like it, but the Lord blesses the families of missionaries. Stay strong and know that he will bless you greatly. I love you all. Keep me updated on how things are at home. I will talk to you Sunday at 2:30.
Love,
Elder Samuel Long
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