Letter #2 MTC

My Dearest Family,
Where do I even begin?! There are so many thoughts flying around in my head right now - I hope I can get them all out! Everything is going really well. We're finally into the normal routine, so that is really nice. My feelings about the MTC are kind of mixed as of right now. I absolutely love the environment, the spririt that can ALWAYS be felt, and the chance I have to study the gospel so much! But we're in the same classroom for like 9 hours everyday, so that's kind of rough. the idea is to get all the lessons down in English really well before we hit the spanish. I think it will be better once we start really learning the Spanish. But, you'll be happy to know, I can now successfully pray and bear my testimony in Spanish. I can't say even close to everything I usually would, but that will come! As for Melanie's question - I don't think Bajio means anything. I think it's just a name. The verb "bajar" means "to go down" and "bajo" means under. so, as far as I or my teachers can tell, Bajio is just a name! How is the Spanish coming for everyone! Haha. Ghe stuff we've learned I've been able to pick up really quickly, so that's comforting. We'll see how it goes once we get into different tenses and what not. anyways, moving on...
The food here isn't horribly bad, but it's not great, either. there are meals that are wonderful and others that are not, by any stretch of the imagination. Definitely not any that can compare with my last home-made dinner! Haha. although, the eggs really tear up your stomach. No Mas juevos por me! "Juevos" is pronounced like "Way-bos". The j's produce an "h" sound and the v's are a soft "b". So there's your first lesson! Haha. Oh, and ALL h's are silent!! It bugs me to hear people say them in spanish. Just so you know.
Hmmm...what else? Elder Trane and I are still getting along really well. I got lucky. there are 4 other copanionships in our district and I think elder Trane is the only one I could stand for the whole time here. Oh, last week I was called as District Leader, so that's kind of fun. It's kind of though, because the rest of the elders in our district have a hard time focussing and when Elder Trane and I say something about it, they throw my calling back in my face, so that will take some work. elder Trane and i work really hard and it's paying off in our teaching.
Um... the rest of the Elders in our zone are really cool too. One of our Zone leaders, elder Jemmett, is from Parma, Idaho do you know where that is mom? Nobody else does. Haha. It's really cool to hear all of the different stories in our district. Elder Zink, for example, has been a member for just over a year and he is the only member in his broken family. He is going to be a great missionary. He still has a lot to lear, but he has an amazing testimony. And he's a really good basketball player, too. Haha. He played soccer in high school, but he's just an athlete. Elder Vonasek, in one of the other districts is from California and started varsity basketball fro his sophoore year. He is awesome! He's gonna go walk on somewhere after his mission, so that'll be cool! I can keep up with him, which earns some respect on the court! Haha.
Ya'll probably be happy to hear that I have received some cards from members of our ward. The Mangum's and the Auriches both sent me little Chirstmas cards with notes of encouragement. It was really nice to receive those! I never realized how true all the jokes about missionaries and mail really are until this week! One of my responsibilities is to check mail twice a day, and it's always an anxious experience for us all! It's so nice to receive letters and packages from friends and family! Speaking of packages, there are a few things I would like you to send me, if you could -
-3 more pairs of white socks
-5 or 6 pairs of regular underwear; I just bought some brand new ones. There are a couple of white pairs and then some light and dark blue ones that are all the same brand. I'm not sure what it is, but if you could send those...
- My Bingham Basketball shorts, (in my dresser drawer, I believe)
- Some T-shirts, probly the ones in my window seat, right side drawers.
I just need some clothes to be able to get dirty in gym and not have to wear everyday - ew! so id you could send all that ASAP, I would greatly appreciate it!
I just ant you all to know that I know this church is true! My testimony has never been stronger, and I can feel it being strengthened daily! joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel of Jesus Chirst in these last days. Through his faith, he was able to translate the Book of Mormon, the Spirit that can be felt by reading, pondering, and applying the principles contained in that book is amazing! I think I will be able to finish it either today or tomorrow. We are so lucky to be given the opportunity to read it. Girls- how is the reading coming for you? I con't wait to hear your thought and insights on what you're reading! One thing I noticed yesterday is the difference between the people of the brother of Jared and Laman and Lemuel. In ether 6:8-9 it talks about their attitudes wile heading toward the promised land; compare that to I Nephi 18 and the attitude and things that were different in Nephi's experience. It is truly amazing what can be accomplished by having faith in Christ! I can feel my faith in christ growing stronger each day - can you? As members of the church, that's what we should strive for. We are either moving forward in the gospel, or we are moving backward. There are no time-outs or breaks. I pray that, especially during this Christmas season, we can remember our Savior Jesus Christ and find ways to increase our love for Him! I love you all and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Love Always,
Elder Taylor

(Here are some thoughts from the weekly devotional and such...) "Missionary work demands courage, effort, dedication, and humility." - Merrill J. Bateman

"Great missionaries not only work hard; they are dedicated to the gospel. They live and breathe it." Merrill J. Batemen

"Let no one deter you. No one know what you know; no one has felt what you feel!" (I love the present tense) - Merrill J. Bateman

"Dedicate yourself and it will be the greatest two years of your life - I promise you that." -Merrill J. Bateman

"The day obedience became a quest and not an irritation, I began to have power." - Pres. David O. McKay

I LOVE YOU!!!