A backpack full of slab pizza

Familia y amigos

WOW

So much has happened already at the MTC. Things here move super fast and we're always super busy. There's so much I want to write about but I only have a little bit of time to email! So far my experience as a missionary has been amazing, the days are long and go by pretty slow but I have learned more in 5 days than I could have imagined. You know how sometimes you'll have a super spirtitual experience at church or something? Where the spirit is super strong and you feel God's love so much and it just makes your whole day awesome? Well at the MTC that happens like 3 or 4 times a day.

We spend about 15 hours a day studying spanish or the Gospel of Jesus Christ and praying. We pray sooo much. It's awesome. I got here last Wednesday... (with a backpack full of slab pizza) s/0 to my Provo friends...Thursday night I was made District Leader which is awesome because the Elders in this district are such great guys (seriously cool people I'll have to write about them more later) and being District Leader means I'll get to do a lot of service for them. 

On Friday night me and my companion gave a lesson to our "investigator", Ruby, completely in Spanish. It was frustrating to not be able to say everything I wanted and to stumble in the language so much but the Lord blessed me and I was able to speak way better than I expected. On Saturday we gave Ruby another lesson in Spanish and it was still pretty rough but she accepted our invitation to go to church and we taught her how to pray. Oh by the way, one of the coolest experiences I've had so far is being able to pray and bare testimony in Spanish. My words are pretty simple (getting better) but I've felt the spirit so strong with just a sweet and simple testimony of how much God loves all children. 

Sunday was a nice change of pace with Church, leadership meetings, an awesome devotional and listening to Elder Bednar's talk "Character of Christ". Also on Sunday President Hill pulled me out of a District Meeting (which I felt a little behind in, being the new guy and all) and asked me and my companion Elder Bake would take over as Zone Leaders after the current ones left for Argentina later this week. I was pretty shocked by this but I am way excited to be able to serve the Hermanas y Elders of the zone!

I don't have much more time but a few things I forget to mention, I'm living in the Wyview campus MTC which is pretty cool because I can walk to the Coca Bean on P-Days (a nice lady  bought me a cupcake today :) ) but it's sad because we dont get Temple walks on Sundays :( OH. Also on Saturday night at dinner (I was super tired all day) I almost died laughing. Elder Jeppsen, an elder from the district, is really goofy and makes me laugh all the time, was talking about something which wasn't even that funny but the way he said it or something combined with how tired and deprived of fun I was made me lose it. (Larry laugh) I tried, but I couldn't help it and spit all my juice out all over the Elders sitting by me. Mostly everybody was staring at me but I was just laughing and laughing and trying to apologize but just kept laughing and even crying. Eventually I had to excuse myself to calm down. It was quite the scene.

Later that night i threw a suprise birthday party for Elder Farrington of the district which was also fun.  ALSO I found out i'll only be here for about 3 1/2 more weeks! Crazy! Anyways I have to go but here are a few thoughts from my journal... 

-If we are worthy and willing to accept the Lord's call for us, He will prepare us and we need not to doubt or fear. 

-I need to try to love everybody as much as God does. The spirit is felt through love and the spirit testifies of what is true.

-Life is hard but it is a lot harder when you're stupid -John Wayne

I'm out of time but if you want to write me I have time everyday to write letters but only get to email once a week. My address is:

Elder Mitchell

DEC09 MEX-HER

2023N 900 E Unit 812

Provo UT 84602

Also if you write me with DearElder.com i get those letters the next day! But please include your address so I can write you back!

Everyday I am trying to forget about myself and become more like my Savior and friend Jesus Christ and invite others to come to know Him.

I love and miss you all soooo much

les amo,

Elder Mitchell