Hola!

So I heard that my blog is now up and running! I guess that gives me some motivation to make these letters good! Haha

Okay so this week has been hard. My teacher made us write "dear john" letters (From Nathan's mom: dear John letters are what every missionary dreads!  It's when his girlfriend back home writes to tell him that she has found someone else and its over with him!) to ENGLISH! So now every second of every day is filled with Spanish (mostly haha). This has helped me so much. The whole idea is this: I am going to have many investigators in Chile who are addicted to things. In order to better understand them I am going to have to overcome my addiction-- English. It is a little silly, but I think it will help me gain a better perspective on these people who I am going to help. It certainly is helping my Spanish, I am starting to speak without having to think much about it. My retention level is out of the roof! And after conjugating over 160 verbs in 6 tenses, I am getting pretty good at that too! The language is pretty difficult, but it certainly is coming along!

So during this week I have been working with two different investigators, Megan and Jorge. They are both old investigators that my teachers (who play the investigators) had in their missions and they have real needs and concerns that we have to find out. It was a challenge last week to teach in Spanish, but this week has been SO much easier.

So Sunday I was able to go watch a broadcast of a talk given by Elder Holland. He came to the MTC about five years ago to give this talk and it is AMAZING. He talked about how our missions will effect us for the rest of our lives. The choices we make in the next two years will determine the rest of our lives. He testified to us in a way that only he can do, and only he can do in the MTC. You don't get to hear talks like that in General Conference. He seriously got me so pumped. I want to be as obedient as is humanly possible. I want to spend every minute of every day for the next two years in the service of the Lord, not myself. This isn't my time. This is the Lord's time. When I give myself over to Him, He will make me greater than I could every imagine. So amazing.

I am officially Half Way Done!!

I am doing my best to make this experience a good one and to learn as much as I can, but it certainly isn't easy because I want to get to CHILE so bad! I know that I have a lot to learn, however, so I am going to definitely make the best of it. Tambien, my cousin Elizabeth John came in to the MTC yesterday, Whoo WHoo!

So one of my teachers, Hermana Peñalillo, is muy embarazada. She is due in two weeks! So she is leaving this Saturday. Tambien, my other teacher Hermano Blazzard is graduating from BYU and is leaving his job at the MTC. My third teacher Hermano Noltenmyer, however, is staying with us. So we will get a brand new teacher to replace the two leaving. So I am excited to find out who that will be! Hermano Noltenmyer served his mission in the Dominican Republic and got back only about two months ago. He is an awesome teacher.

So this will most likely be my last week as district leader, and I am kinda excited to be able to study more and worry only about myself! Haha but I have enjoyed serving the other missionaries in my district.

I feel as though this mission has changed who I am, and I have only been here for a month. I haven't left this tiny little compound and I can feel the Lord changing me. I am so blessed to be here. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and friends. This is where I am supposed to be!

Un abrazo,

Elder Hales

KTF