Monday was a very tough day for me

My first week at the MTC has been great.  I am not in the same branch, district, or building as Trevor, and I dont get to see him a lot.  

I have been trying to stay very positive and always smile.  Monday was a very tough day for me.  I played soccer for gym time, and I sprained my ankle while playing goal keeper.  It hurt so bad that I cried.  The docter said that it was a bad sprain and that it would take at least 2 weeks to heal.  I was kind of down because i felt very useless and I couldnt do a whole lot. I could barely walk, and it was fun at all.  I asked my district to give me a priesthood blessing, and all 10 of them joined in the circle.  the blessing was powerful, and i felt the spirt very strong.  My ankle still hurt a lot that day, and I could barely go to sleep.  When I woke up the next morning, I felt much better and i could walk on it.  The swelling was way down, and i actaully felt great.  during GYM time i went to the doctor and checked every thing out with him.  He said that he has never seen anything like it, and that I was good to go after I passed some tests and drills for my ankle.  I played volleyball that day and yesterday.  I have a strong testimony on the power of the priesthood, the holy ghost, and faith.  

My Spanish is coming a long very well.  We have been teaching a real investigator named Jiro Ramerez, and his testimony has grown so much over the past few days.  he now has such a strong testimony of the church and the gospel.  after my companion and I gave a simple lesson on the holy ghost and bore simple testimonies in spanish, we challenged him to become baptized, and he excepted.  the spirit was so strong in that meeting, no words can describe.  I know that it was the power of the holy ghost that converted him, and we were just gods instruments in inviting the spirit into his life.  

We have already had a fireside and devotional, and they were both about missionary work, and they were both amazing.  I have been singing with the MTC choir, and I love it.  I can feel the spirit so strongly when I sing.  We sang Come Come Ye Saints at the devotional, and it was so powerful that I cried.     

I love the MTC very much.  it feels great to be a servant of my heavenly father.  I love my companion and district very much.  I do everything with my district.  today we went to the temple to do endowments, and it was wonderful.  we have a lot of fun together.  I will try to send you some pictures.

I have never been happier in my life

I love the MTC very much. I have never been happier in my life.  my district is amazing, and i already love them all very much.  the district is 11 guys, all Spanish speaking.  Elder Stults my companion is going to the same mission as me.  my roommates Elder Folsom and Harding are going to the Honduras mission below me starting with a T.  the other elders are going to Spain and Chile.  we have no sisters in our district, but our teacher Hermana Keleman is wonderful and has taught us a lot.  i am always so so busy here, but i love it very much, and the spirit can be felt everywhere.  i see a lot of people that i knew from BYU.  i have seen both of my BYU roommates, some other guys i knew, and my elders president was the one the picked me up off the curb, and he was my host.  we gave each other a very big hug because i know him very well.  the Spanish is actaully coming along very well, but i still have a lot to learn.  yesterday we had the great opportunity to teach a real investigator in Spanish.  none of us know enough English to really to anything, so we had to memorize and read our lesson.  during the lesson the spirit was very strong and i said some things in Spanish that i had no idea what they meant but i knew that he could understand me.  my testimony is growing stronger each day.  

i think my P day is on Thursdays, because today is a miny pday.  i should be emailing the family every week.  i sent a letter a few days ago, but i dont know if you have received it yet.  i dont have dads email or any of my brothers email, so if you could send them to me or have them email me that would be great.  also you can use DearElder to write me.  if you could can you forward this email to the family.  also ask dad if he understood my letter i gave him on his bed with the addresses.  

the day that we spent with Jeff and Amy was great.  we went to a place called Kneaders for Breakfast/lunch, and they had amazing all you can eat french toast.  then we talked and played games until we had to go, and Amy sent us away with wonderful cookies.  it was so great to see them and spend time with them.  i will make sure to write them.  you can also forward email to them.  

my spanish is coming, and i have to work very hard to learn everything i need to.  i know that if i pray lots and put my faith in the lord that he will be able to help me with my spanish.  i have already taught 2 lessons in spanish to Jiro Ramerez.  i cant really understand him, but i understand enough to answer his questions.  i can give a simple prayer and testimony, and i emphasize simple.  

i have been staying very obiedent and obeying all the rules i can.  i try to be an example becasue some missionaries have a hard time with all the rules.  my companion says that he would rather be home, but i am trying to help him be more excited with my excitment, enthusiasm, and personality.  i feel that our companionship is doing very well, and we are working very hard to learn our spanish.  

i want you to know that i love it here, i love being a missionary, and i love be a representative of Jesucristo.  being a missionary and wearing the name tag is a very special feeling, and it makes me want to be more chirstlike.  i have a strong testimony of prayer.  i have been praying a lot while i am hear.  i try very hard to pray in spanish, and it is a very simple prayer.  but i feel that the more simple my prayer is in spanish, the more sincere it is between my and my heavenly father.  

I love you very much, and i can promise that you will hear from me every week.