MTC Week 4 - cont.

We received a letter from Sean in the mail today, written last Wed. It also included a memory card from his camera, so we will be posting some pictures too.


Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Panda y Papi,

OK I absolutely LOATHE the 30 minute e-mail thing. I am typing along and I look up and there is 23 seconds left so I just abruptly end my thoughts. Oh well, you got the main idea of the Pedro story, but Elder Stokes and I are excited to see him again on Saturday, because we take it as a personal challenge to get him interested in anything.

Yes, Panda, I get your dearelder letters. I have also noticed that more are being sent, and it is much appreciated. Also you win the game at knowing if your son is serious about injuries or not. Haha. I laugh now, but I really did feel badly that Dad was worried about me. Yes I got Spanish scriptures on the first day, along with Preach My Gospel in Spanish and a bunch of grammar and verb books to study. They do free engravings here too! so I did "Elder Sean M. Gilmore" in the cursive writing.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in Spanish was really cool. Except there seemed to be too many syllables for the amount of notes there are, unless we totally messed it up. It was fun anyway. I use my German a little bit. Mostly playing jokes on the new elders who are told by their teacher to go bear their testimonies to the older districts. It is funny to see their eyes shoot to my name tag when I start talking back in German to them. Then I get stern looks from the teachers before their faces crack into a smile.

Jared left today. I had my camera all day Tuesday at meals and stuff to get a picture but never found him. Then the ONE time I saw him, I didn't have the camera. Go figure, but at least I got to say goodbye, and he got the cookies, Dad, he was pretty excited. I never got temple pictures with the twins because of conflicting Sacrament schedules, but we did get Big Map pictures. Thanks for the memory cards. Now you will see all the things I have done at the MTC... well the ones documented with the camera anyway.

I am having a severe writer's block right now. I am reading through all your letters and I think I answered everyone's questions. It sounds like your Livingston trip went well. Yeah, Sant told me Ron would be going to Bahrain, but I think I would try to get reassigned to Spain, too.

Well I guess I will share a scripture because nothing is coming to mind to write. I was reading in Acts the other day, Chapter 5 versus 40-42 and I got a kick out of it. Peter and John get arrested, and in their trial they told them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, then Peter and John were beaten and let go. So in 41-42 it says, "And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ". They rejoiced after being BEATEN because they suffered for Christ's name, and then I laugh when I think they just went back and kept preaching. That is dedication!

I'm glad to hear my plaque is on TOP! where the primary kids can't knock it down. 3-D Journey sounded good, but I wanted to see Hancock, Get Smart, and Space Chimps. Also Dark Knight comes out this weekend I think and everyone here wants to see it. It is crazy I have been here a month. It is half over. My Spanish is not ready at all to have to communicate with natives. Also we have been informed by our Zone Leaders that we can call people at the airport. Supposedly everyone does it. I am going to look more into it, but maybe I will be calling next month from wherever my layover is. Well, enjoy and am sorry this wasn't as long as last week, although still three pages.

Love, Sean