Week #6 - MTC

Hola todos! Espero que Uds. son bien!

There's so much on my mind lately, it’s been kinda crazy. I lose track of time so easily here, it's crazy! Well some things that I have learned are that the Holy Ghost is the same that worked miracles w/all the ancient prophets, Moses and the Red Sea, Jesus and His miracles, etc. They have been harping on obedience while we are here because if you are obedient you will hear the Spirit and find people, but my teacher thinks otherwise. He loves to contradict everything here, and some of what he says makes sense. Heavenly Father won’t allow someone to not be baptized just because the two missionaries are disobedient, but they will receive consequences later in life for their choices. My teacher was super obedient on his mission and baptized the least out of anyone in his mission, and I’m not saying to not be obedient, but everything is always harder when you are obedient because you are learning how to cope with new surroundings and experiences, and being obedient helps you later in life. I’ve learned so much from this teacher it’s incredible.

My other teacher, Hna Lopez, is getting married on Thurs, crazy stuff. Well the majority of what we hear here is about obedience so I can’t really remember what else was said during devotionals! haha My teacher, Hno Dallon, is quitting after our district because he can’t stand the approach they have here at the MTC, it’s crazy, sometimes they contradict themselves on what they say or mix words to get their point across. They told us that members can’t really do much of anything for us so don’t worry about it, which is a total lie! I think members are super important. My teacher said that members need to befriend others, nonmembers, and just be their friends, and introduce the gospel when they ask about it and try not to push it down their throats, but be their friend first and then they will trust you with that stuff.

My companion has been getting better, but it’s still kinda hard, his attitude is pretty terrible, he doesn’t care to learn, he is trying to speak more, but he said that he hates Spanish and thinks Spanish people are weird, and things like that bother me. I really hope his first comp is a native haha. Well I have met so many cool people here! The other Hnas in my zone are so funny. 2 of them are going to conference because their mission is Temple Square and they are so excited. One is from Colombia and the other Venezuela, and they could only watch conference at someone's house who had internet, and even then it would cut out sometimes. They are sooo excited! It makes me realize how blessed I am to live so close to the prophet, even in Arizona! Another Hna in my zone is from El Salvador and she will be serving in Mesa! We've been telling each other stuff about each area, she's preparing me for Honduras and I’m preparing her for Mesa, if you get a chance go see her when she gets there!

My zone is so much fun, half Spanish half English, with one French elder learning Spanish. I find it so much easier to speak Spanish now, I do forget stupid little words, but for the most part everything is going great, I do mess up a bit of grammar too, but I’m sure it'll come to me.

About choir, I will probably be sitting on the right side of the screen, not quite sure yet, they haven’t made a seating chart, we are singing Hark all Ye Nations, Go Ye Messengers of Heaven, and Called to Serve, and we have to have 2 more songs memorized just in case, Come Oh Thou King of Kings, and Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy. I’m so excited to go! Everything’s coming along so hopefully all will go well! Well I can’t think of much else to write, I would like my electric razor, I hate shaving everyday -.- oh and if I could get addresses sent to me I can buy an address book here and put them in. I’m having a hard time remembering all those addresses! Again I apologize if I haven’t written back to everyone yet, it’s pretty hectic here. I love you all and wish the best for everyone!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Neher

(Follow up email from later in the day after I sent him a DearElder letter with some concerns from his morning email about the obedience & things at the MTC comments)

Sorry I confused you this morning! I was super tired and left out other details of the week. Well the MTC is the one that seems to contradict itself, and they only play clips of what they want us to hear, they played a clip of Pres Hinckley's talk "Find My Sheep" and played the part about doubling baptisms, but cut out right before talking about having the members help, idk everything here is pretty crazy. Well I have seen 3 elders going to SPS, but that’s about it. Well the craziest story of the week, which I’m sure would make Chelsey Hall pretty upset, is that someone in my district might have to go home, he is diabetic and the entire time he has been out here his blood sugar has been above 600! On Sunday he was hospitalized because it was getting pretty terrible, he was puking and he was not doing very well at all. He is back today but he still might have to go home, his blood sugar is at 400 or so, still really bad, so I hope everything goes well with him. I’m running out of time but I love you and I’m sorry for the confusing letter this morning! Oh and my departure date is most likely the 18th, but still don’t know though!