¡Hola!

This second week has flown by!  It’s definitely starting to pick up the pace now.  This has been a great week.  Learned a ton more and had a lot of great experiences.  Can’t believe I’m approaching the three week mark soon.  Spanish is coming along pretty good.  It’s really hard, but I really enjoy learning it.  The other day, I met someone from Chile and he was telling me about Rancagua and the Spanish there.  I told him to say something with a Chilean accent, and when he said it, I couldn’t understand anything he said, LOL.  Sometimes I feel like I’m on fire with the language and that I could go in the field right now, then other times I’m like what the frick did he just say, LOL.  But overall it’s coming great.

As a district, we’ve started playing soccer together, to get good, and it is SO FUN!!  We’re all pretty bad, but it’s definitely our favorite thing to do out here.  I usually just chill by the other goal so I can score, ha ha.

I’m also somewhat able to keep up with sports.  Every time a new wave of noobies come in, I’m always asking them about BYU and the Patriots, LOL.

Spiritually-wise, the most important thing I’ve learned this week is the significance of a testimony.  Usually, when we’re teaching a fake investigator, and we run out of things to say, I just bear my testimony or say the things that I know are true.  Something I’ve noticed is that this is sometimes the best part of the lesson.  I think when the message is coming from the heart, and not just something I’ve memorized, it makes a big impact.

Sundays are like the best day here though.  No classes or anything.  Never in my life did I expect to say church would be the best part of the week, ha ha.  It’s definitely a different kind of happiness, and sometimes it really sucks.  I feel overwhelmed and frustrated at myself, mostly because of Spanish.  But on the other hand, it’s really rewarding to be out here.  I know this is making me a better person.  To be serving the Lord at this level is something I’ve never done.  I’m so glad to be out here doing it because even in these short two weeks, I’ve already felt the blessings and joy of missionary work.

Thank you all for the emails you send me!  Tell everyone thank you so much.  I always have a lot of emails.  Last week, I could hardly write to everyone.  I love you all and will talk to you next week.

Elder Halverson