"God bless you please, Elder Robertson..."

Hi family and friends!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm going to try and say more than I usually can by virtue of pictures I'll hopefully be able to upload. :)

Ugh, it won't let me directly upload the pictures, so I'll have to find a way to send the memory card to my parents so they can upload them. Unfortunately I can't send it in a regular letter due to some mail restrictions from the postmaster general, but I think I can send it in a small packet or something. I'll find out hopefully today at the mail room and see if I can get those to you guys. :)

The MTC is really funny because it puts you in situations where you're forced to use all of the skills you've developed that apply to missionary work, but they don't really give you any more skills before they ask you to do stuff. For example, I was asked to play the piano in our zone priesthood meeting, but wasn't given practice time, so I had to struggle through Choose the Right and Count your Blessings. :) Also, with the spanish language, from day 1 we were expected to SYL (speak your language) as much as possible, and even though all I'd had was 1 semester of spanish in highschool they expected me to be praying and testifying in the first couple days. I'm learning more and more that the MTC doesn't really teach all that much, it just forces you to rise to the level of your preparation. They actually don't have a set language study program that we follow, which absolutely blew me away. Instead, they teach some grammar and some basic things in class, and then expect you to create your own individual language study plan for the week and each day, and use an hour of language study time they give you as well as whenever else you can do it. For materials, we get a little red book with most of the grammar and vocabulary a missionary needs to get by and teach lessons, and a dictionary and the scriptures in spanish. The language is coming for me, slowly, but I think as soon as we switch to all spanish in our classes and start teaching the lessons in spanish (this saturday) I'll probably start learning more rapidly.

Funny story of the week (sort of, it's the funniest one that comes to mind for me, hopefully you'll appreciate it): Me and a few of the missionaries in my district were in the classroom doing personal study, and my companion turns to me and says: "Elder Janis, companion study starts in an hour" and then slumped forward onto his desk with his head resting on his folded arms and looked like he was about to sleep for the next hour (which we're not supposed to do). I wanted to say something to him to keep him from sleeping, and the first thing that popped into my head was that song that goes: "God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson, Heaven holds a place for those who pray" and instead I said Elder Robertson, and then he starts busting up laughing and it turns out he was actually praying! It was so funny, everyone was dying and it took a few minutes to settle down and get to work again. :)

I love you all! Thank you so much for your letters and your support! I appreciate it more than you know! The church is so true!

Elder Damon Janis