I could only think in Spanish

Letter dated July 2, 2010

Just barley got your monster package. Thanks!  The galletas are almost 1/2 way gone and the only mouth they've gone in is mine.  Just kidding - but I have eaten a ton!!

I'm really excited to go to the TRC tonight.  For 15 minutes we talk about ours and their families and then we teach them how to pray.  I am so prepared and it feels awesome!  I'm ready to go.  I'll report when I get home tonight and just count this as my journal entry for the day.

I hope you get better Dad.  Dang, you're doing that race tomorrow.  I hope it goes good Dad & boys!

Last night was pretty strange.  Usually, we are in bed by 10:30PM and then talk for 15 to 30 minutes then sleep.  Usually I'm not asleep until 11:30PM.  But last night we were quiet by 10:45PM.  Then for the next hour I laid atop my top bunk and Spanish words, phrases and conjugations ran through my mind.  It was so weird and so awesome.  No matter what I did, I could only think in Spanish.

K, it's dinner time so later......

9:52PM Sorry, I was just talking to the new distrito and eating your wonderful cookies.  Thanks.  They rock!  I just ate almost 10.  Probably 8.  So yeah, he is a trooper because these last 2 days he has been way sad.  But his head is up now and he is doing good.

Tonight the TRC was good.  We taught how to pray in Spanish which Elder Allen and I did really well.  Elder Huntington said some stuff too.  And the lesson in English was good also.  We really taught with unity.

The Elders want to see the house.  It's come out that the house is big.  They think it's over $1 million so they want pictures . . . .

By the way, Elder Huntington has said "I was just about to think. . . ." twice now.  He just said it.  HA!  (Note from Jackson's Mom - Jackson would occasionally say that phrase and we would give him such a hard time.  I think he's happy to have found someone else who uses that phrase.)

¿Qué mas?

Tomorrow is our big class day.  We have 7 hours of class.  But it's not a regular classroom setting.  There is alot of interaction and opportunities for us to practice and teach  - both ingles and spanish.  Last Saturday was way good.  Hopefully tomorrow is the same.

Well, I'm just sitting here - both of my compineros are writing in their journals as well.  Don't know what to say.  O yeah - tomorrow in class Hermano Estevez is going to begin to teach us how to teach the 1st lesson in Spanish.

Just finished brushing the teeth.  And some Elders in the nuevo distrito have pipes!  So 5 of us were in el baño with our mouths full of toothbrushes and we were singing 'We are as the Army of Heleman.'  It was so sweet!  Some Elders hit some harmony and I was one of them.  It was awesome.

There are some really cool Elders here.  They are so smart, fun and prepared.  The MTC is full of mostly awesome people.  ¡Sorry my hand scribbling is terrible!  ¡Aye Carumba!

I am thankful that I have a super supportive family at home.  I am thankful every day for parents who love me.

I love you Mom & Dad.
Elder Ostler