"RETURN WITH HONOR!"

Fam,
It's been so great to be able to read all of your letters! I'm so glad that I have a loving family back home that writes me daily.  I can't wait each and every day to be able to get letters from family and friends and be able to read about how everyone is doing back home.  Thank you!!  This past week has been incredible and has flown by! It feels like I was just dropped off at the curb.  The last P-Day, I pretty much spent the whole day writing letters home and to family and friends that have been writing me.  I've received so many letters from Aunt Jeanna, Nana and also Uncle Michael and his family to name a few.  Lolo and Will both drew me pictures about Samuel the Lamanite and the Book of Mormon! It was so great to see those pictures and put a huge smile on my face, so tell them Thank you!

I don't know if I mentioned this, but my first investigator I taught in the new District, Edwin, is now my other teacher with Hermano Johnston.  Edwin's name is Hermano Toledo and he's from Mexico.  He's so full of energy and has such passion for the gospel.  He's an incredible teacher and I feel so lucky to have him teaching and preparing me to become the best missionary I can be before I am off to Santiago, Chile.  Last Friday night Hermano Toledo talked to us about how to better study the gospel and what we should be studying to learn the right doctrine before leaving to go to our missions.  Elder Nelson, my comp, learned Friday night that he was for sure not going to be able to go to Chile and serve his mission.  He has narcolepsy (don't know if I spelled that right), which is where you fall asleep all the time.  He needs medicine to combat the disorder, and apparently in Chile, if the medicine was sent to him monthly, it would be confiscated.  That really bummed him out, but I tried to help him and comfort him as best I could. The basketball is starting to get really good and more fun in the gym because better players are starting to come to the MTC and play during my gym time.  Elder Davis, Stott and Hire to name a few. 

On Saturday, Hermano Toledo taught us for one of our 3 hour classes and taught us all about the first discussion and how to teach it better, which scriptures to use during it, and that we need to really focus on the commitments to reading the Book of Mormon and praying to see if it's true, praying to see if Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and then asking if the investigator will follow the example of the Savior and be baptized by someone who has the authority of the Priesthood of God (Seguira el ejemplo de Jesucristo y ser bautizado por alguien posea la autoridad del sacerdocio de Dios?) Learing how to teach the first discussion helped SO much. I feel like I can really teach with the spirit and can teach well. 

Sunday morning we had Priesthood from 9-10, then Sacrament at around 1.  I prepared a talk last Sunday on "Preseverar hasta el fin" (Enduring to the End).  One of the Elders in my District was called on and he went up and gave his talk.  Then, one of the Hermanas from another district gave her talk as well.  It was great to learn from them.  Sunday night we had a fireside given by Stephen B. Allen: Managing Director, Missionary Department.  He showed us lots of previous LDS commercials and some of my favorites talked about are: when everyone says you can't, believe the part of you that says you can, it's often one of the smallest moments that brings the happiest of times and the greatest memories, when you put down your companion you're putting down the Savior, it's not who you aren't it's who you are.  There were many examples like this and I learned a lot. 

Tuesday night was great. A member of the Seventy, Per G. Malm, and his wife came and spoke to us.  His wife shared her testimony and then Elder Malm had the rest of the time to speak to us.  The spirit he brought was so incredible and I'm glad that I was able to attend.  One story that he shared was about a man from Sweden.  I didn't catch his name because it was a difficult name to pronounce (Malms are from Sweden). This man really had a strong desire to climb Mt. Everest, so he trained really hard for it.  When his training was over, he then proceeded to put his pack and everything he needed in a trailor that he hooked up to his bicycle.  He then traveled over 8,000 miles to Mt. Everest by bike and tried climbing Mt. Everest 3 times.  Each time he wanted no helpers, no oxygen, and he didn't want to go up the mountain the traditional way.  He made it all the way to the top on the 3rd time passing corpses of dead frozen bodies.  When he was done, he climbed his way back down and hopped right back on his bike and rode the 8,000 miles back to his home.  He "Returned with Honor" completing his goal.  There was nothing that made him afraid!!!  I liken that unto me and my mission.  That the goal is to "Return with Honor" and to never, ever be afraid of anything!

My 30 min are up on the email, but I will write about my last few days and answer your questions in a separate had written letter. I love you so much!!

Love,
Tan