Sunday, September 23, 2012

September 20, 2012 (Week 5) Afternoon email

September 20, 2012 - Afternoon email

Yeah I got on! not a second too late though! I have a few other things I need, send me my grey hoodie from downstairs. Big grey thing with the black shoelace. Its starting to get colder here in the mornings. How are things going at home? I just kicked elder stahuras shoe with my bare foot playing hacky sack and i might lose my toenail... haha but oh we got to leave campus me and elder bixler to walk to the laundromat where they do the mtc dry cleaning and also alterations. My suit pants shrunk or i grew. Im not sure but they were floods. They are taking out everything i have left haha. But in any case. Have fun with everything and tell Brad and Shay to write! I havent heard from them in a while! hosers. Feliz Navidad!

I'm no dummy. I've been here for 7 years... [From Better Off Dead]

September 20, 2012 (Week 5)

September 20, 2012

Hola! como estan? This week has gone by so fast but its getting more and more boring. Really not much to do and the journal entries are getting smaller and none of us can remember what happens every night. I'm staying in contact with an Elder Hal from my district that's in peru and he gets to play soccer under the lights as well as go tracting in the streets. i am really jealous. The MTC food really works you here and one or two elders smell like sin. We call elder Boyd the Father of all sin because 4 or 5 times a day he clears our classroom. Sometimes really wish we had hermanas (sisters) in our district... entonces... oh yeah. If you guys could print off my emails, cut out the business parts i guess but just print them out and put them in a binder. Our teachers said that was really cool to come home to. I can only hope I have more stories to tell you guys when i get in the field. I'M GOING CRAZY IN HERE. I really want to be in the field especially considering we are almost done with all the conjugations and now its a little review and then we sit around for 2 weeks like the old district that left 2 weeks ago did. That's going to be fun. I  can't even imagine being here for more than 9 weeks let alone 12. Ugh... i shiver. I get more and more excited for Mexico everytime it rains or we play soccer. Especially considering Utah and Idaho are burning we have the worst air here. We can not even see the Y somedays. Dad. thanks for the words of encouragement. I know i can't understand the natives so I'm enjoying being good at soccer here and understanding people here as well. SHEESH. chistes.

In terms of stories, not a whole lot of spirtitual, but a lot of dumb. Last p-day we shot a raquetball with excercise bands in the dorms and i volunteered to take a raquetball in the bare back for 15 bucks. I got hit on the hand, the butt, and then the last shot i allowed got me right in the back. Elder Beckert played baseball and estimated the raquetball at around 98-102 mph. So that was fun. The next day, Elder Boyd from pocatello (dad we probably drove past his house at the lacrosse tournament up there. He doensn't see why i love chubbuck so much. but yeah he showed us something that him and his friends got addicted to. Stapling his leg. so i decided to give it a try. Did it once, didn't hurt, then Elder Stahura did, and it gathered some attention and people started watching and wondering what you do. So i stapled my leg again, and then they asked, so now what? I said, you pull it out. Normally, you get two little red holes and thats it. I pulled out this staple and stared in disbelief as blood squirted out and started running down my leg in a nice flowing stream. Definetly hit a vein hahaha im fine though, got a napkin and washed it off then sat it out. I got a nice bruise from it! We really need to get out of the classroom more.

We are all heading to Veracruz except for Elder Beckert. He is going to Jalapa. It's a split off the mission, the northern half. They get the "fruit" persay, but we have the ocean and the green and the port and the mountain, whereas he has desertish spots haha. We all leave the same day. less than 4 weeks remaining.

Garrett: Take good care of the truck. I'll need it in one piece! But I'm serious about the spanish. Actually pay attention and then use it durante el verano y cada uno. It will help you alot and if you can get into the advanced class... more power to ya. haha tell Ri I say hi and for him Brad and Shay to write. those hosers havent written for 3 weeks! You have no idea how nice it is to get a letter here. Sounds like you and Ri are getting along. Take the truck and get out there and meet some new peeps. Have some fun and still enjoy being home, but also enjoy not being home and make some memories doing things all over. The memories you make are the memories you take.

Mom. love ya. Thanks for the piano songs and everything. We had a 70's general authority speakers wife talk about the stripilng warriors and how their mothers taught them. She challenged us to be the missionary our mothers raised us, and are praying for us to be. Really good talk. So on that note, thank you for raising me the way you did. You couldn't have done a better job and i hope through all my faults youre still proud of me.

Dad. I dont know what it is about actually being away from home and talking to you but i love it that much more now. Its really good to hear from you and I look forward to the dearelders and emails because I know the Lord is watching over me through you.

 On Sunday W. Tracy Watson talked to us about the BoM. at first he was animated and a upbeat and things, but then he showed us a clip from the broadway play: The book of mormon. It was the opening song in the Tony's and it was all about missionaries. It completely degraded and made fun of not only missionaries, but also the church, and they even had God's voice in it. I had nothing but disgust during the whole thing. The main actor is a returned missionary himself (inactive) and during the interview he even said this play should be rated R or above it is that bad. Watson then showed us how the church responded to this wildly popular breakout play. They put ads EVERYWHERE in NYC. on times square jumbotrons, on the subways, in the TV's in taxis, on top of the taxis, and best of all, in the Play Bill for the show, (the program) they had 4 full page ads saying: The book is better than the movie; you've seen the play, now read the book; the book is best, and so on all telling you to go to mormon.org and find out for yourself. Thats where the I'm a Mormon ads came from. Brilliant. It reminds me of the scripture in 3rd nephi i think 20;10. some chapter verses 9-10 that the lord promises to missionaries, and in it is says: I will protect them and show unto them that my power and knowledge is far greater than the cunning of the devil. It was the writers of south park that wrote the play, and im pretty sure he's the one that put the entire endowment session online as well. Best of all, i think he used to be mormon, and his wife is still active. Ironic right? But that scripture really testifies that its true. The devil put out a play putting a complete negative spin on the church, and now god gave revelation to do the mormon.org and now NYC missions cannot keep Book's of mormon in stock. The missionaries there are celebrities and people are wanting more and more books of mormon. Everyone started clapping in the devotional when W. Tracy Watson started showing us the comebacks the church did. He then went on to quote Holland's talk and said that "all throughout the history of the church from moses until joseph smith, the church has fleed from persecution. but now, we no longer flee from Babylon. We attack it."
Clearly a servent of the lord. I really hope he comes soon. That would be great.

Does Joleen live in texas again? She sent a package with that address so I was just wondering. I'll think about anything that I need you guys to throw in that package and hopefully shoot off a quick email during laundry.
The spanish is coming easier once again and i'm still doing 5/6 of the talking in lessions and half of it are random questions from investigators about stuff I've never even read in spanish but I can still get my point across which is a miracle to me. I can only hope I understand the people in mexico about half the time just enough to get the jist of it.

Stay classy san diego.

Quidense, con amor, Elder Mortensen

Saturday, September 15, 2012

September 13, 2012 (Week 4)

September 13, 2012

Sounds like the house renovation has been quite the project haha! Can't say im too glad i missed out because its still better than sitting in a chair... Apparently mom thought my package was too light so i guess i'll make a bigger list :) haha i heard a cool song called baptism by paul cardall, if someone could send me the sheet music for that itd be appreciated too. They don't let us listen to music here or in the field. not even Motab... Interesting to me considering that brings the spirit and helps me focus during TALL (technology assisted language learning) its like the churches rosetta stone. I like it during the day, but during the night hours i get nothing out of it. Too hard to sit there and comprehend something completely new at 8:30 at night after 12 hours of previous studying. Me and Elder Smith talk to this Hermana in the temple laundromat every thursday morning after initiatories because the cafeteria doesn't open until 8 and service is good anyways considering we clean an abandoned building (11M the old mail room TRC/ book store in the middle of campus building) on tuesdays. It doesn't need it but they have no where else for us to serve. MTC capacity is about 2000-2100 and we are at about 2500-2600. Needless to say, we clean drinking fountains and toilets that haven't been used since they got cleaned monday.. Well actually we "check" and then walk back out. So anyways this little old mexican lady works in the laundromat and me and Elder Smith think its fun to "try" and talk in spanish to her. We absolutely suck at spanish haha she and 2 other ladies speak it as well and they had to slow down so much for us. gives us a good glimpse for mexico and we are at least trying. Our zone leaders decided to throw some more rules into play: No sarcasm and everytime a companionship leaves the room, the DL writes it down on a piece of paper. I swear they don't think about what they are saying. My life is based off of sarcasm and if they really need to keep that close of tabs on us they should hire a babysitter.

Elders Mortensen and Jake Slagowski
Theres a funny joke me and Jake say: Acutal mission rules / rules the general authorities follow < MTC rules. Me and jake have a little lunch date every week and sit apart from our districts and try and get some sanity back haha we both agree that what Jared says is true: Survive 9 weeks in the MTC and you'll be fine in the field! We both agree that you have to be able to still be yourself amidst all the schedules and rules. They even tell us what way we can walk around the guardhouse. Theres a correct way for that too. Talked to peyton and my friend Elder Naylor who are in the Guatemala CCM and the Peru CCM respectively and they both love it so much more than provo. They play soccer under the lights, the field is astro turf, and the food is much better! Oh well. there is a reason i'm still here. Maybe its so me and Jake can stay friends. I see him alot.
 
 Entonces...
 
 During one of the lessons, I was talking really well like i usually do, I speak for most of the time, and my comp uses scriptures and throws in a few lines every time i freeze up ( i just look over at him and he takes it away) He is getting a lot better at spanish and i'm glad because its nice to rely on someone instead of just myself. I hit a celiing during one of our progressing investigator lessons. literally, i felt like a baloon trapped by a celiing. It was the most frustrating experience of my life and i wanted to cry and snap my pen in half i was so frustrated by the fact that my tounge just froze up in a split second. I could barely stutter out the spanish for can we close with a prayer. (Podemos terminar con una oracion?) I look back now and realize that it was just the lord wanting me to experience that feeling and keep pushing myself harder. I don't ever want to feel that again. Ive started to stay awake more during study times and have a new determination to progress. The lord definately works in mysterious ways i'll tell you that much.
 
 Cool story... my pen exploded in my shirt. I rock a pocket protector now, (i'll send one home to you garrett and riley) But anyways, i look down and my shirt has a blue dot about the size of a quarter full of fresh ink. I immediately unbutton my shirt and take it off. I remove all the things from my pocket and i touched the backside of the shirt and it was sopping with ink. So now for the interesting part. That ink had been soaking through on the inside of my white shirt for 10 minutes and with my planner and stuff in my pocket bouncing off my garments with every step, you woulda thought that my garments woulda been soaked with a nice blue spot of ink as well... Not so. not even a smudge. SO COOL. I love it. I have my own garment story now. would that ink come out with a lot of bleach?
 
 Anyways, tuesday was possibly the best day i've had here:
 -they got Gala apples in the cafeteria. No more granny apples or red awfuls (delicious apparently)
 -I had three donuts along with breakfast.
 -Every meal was actually good
 -I scored two goals and had an assist in soccer
 -The workshop was excellent
 -I had 2 donuts for lunch
 -Had a good fireside after about a guy in the 70 who was a general in the air force and was in the pentagon on 9/11. him and his wife touched on that for a minute so that was neat...
 -Oh.. and i stayed awake (and focused) the entire day. Thats a miracle in and of itself.
 
 
 Let me know where Sam gets his call to! and yeah i loved the pictures. Find some good ones from different places, a few from the mission, a few more of friends and stuff, and a few of me climbing if you will! Send those in a book that holds like four pictures per page. I'd love that. Its so good just to flip through some things from home whenever its been a long day. Oh yeah, and check out some of those sealer bags you put clothes in. They are for traveling. You put your clothes in these bags, seal them, and then suck the air out. An elder had them and it compressed his clothes and got rid of a lot of air and saved some space. Said they were like 15 bucks so it might be worth it. We have a bunch of books and stuff that i need more room for. My goal is to send home all of my books in english (keep em nice) and just be able to interpret my spanish preach my gospel. Its actually coming along faster than i ever thought possible. I can read most of predicad mi evangelio pretty easily now. Its just understanding the grammar and looking up frases and palabras. (phrases and words) Garrett and Riley, the tie has no story. You are totally free to wear it! In any case, better wrap this up. until next time..
 
 Con amor, Elder Mortensen


Thursday, September 6, 2012

September 6, 2012 (Afternoon email)

September 6, 2012 (Week 3) (Afternoon email)

[Dad's note: Sent Conner a test email to see if he could get email attachments]
We got a bit more time during laundry, but yes i can get pictures by email so if it just like pictures of the house send em through here. but if they are things that are important send me a picture printed out. I love looking at my wall and seeing everyone.Oh, i don't know if you guys saw the 85th birthday celebration of Thomas S. Monson.  Mom woulda loved it. The lead singer for the Broadway musical Les Miserables was singing and he sang bring him home. Its on the church website but we watched it for the devotional sunday. I thought of you mom and how dumb i was for not playing the piano more. To be honest i just didn't like how much you praised me for playing after so long, so i never did. I realize now i'm halfway stupid and i shoulda just played more and it wouldn't have been such a big deal.. haha :) don't worry mom you have a suprise coming in a few weeks.. Well anyways, i got the package shipped off. Anyways, i love hearing from you guys. I got here and its already been three weeks and i haven't looked back and i know you guys haven't either considering dad forgot the week :) [Dad's note:  I put the week # in the subject line of the emails to Conner and kidded him I forgot what week it was, it's going so fast] Its where im supposed to be. That much has been reaffirmed to me so many times. Gotta change the wash. Love ya

September 6, 2012 (Week 3)

September 6, 2012

Como estan mi familia!!
I'm getting well adjusted now and I'm good to go. (patience, which by the way has been a trial... Elders Stahura and Naylor wore tie clips for 3 weeks straight and the branch president never said a word, but the day that mom sent me mine, he said," Put that puppy away. We don't wear those in the MTC. If its an heirloom from your grandpa keep it in your pocket, but we don't wear those." I wanted to cry hahaha. The only thing i need at the moment is some vitamin D and maybe a small bottle of tums. everything is expensive here even with THE HUGE 40% MISSIONARY DISCOUNT ON JACKED UP GOODS!!!! these guys are luring missionaries in like sharks to blood... haha but yeah thats it. I get about an hour or two of sunlight a week and my body is having a hard time adjusting from constant being outside and sunlight to trapped in a windowless box studying for 16 hours a day haha. Im sending my camera stick home with the package today (with mom's brownies if I can find some) and you guys can look through those! print off a few for me would ya? at your discretion. So yeah. if you could get an address book and one of those little 50 picture holders that would be perfect)
 I'm sending home this copy of Savior Redeemer of my Soul for you to copy. Brad should get a copy and play it. I like the one you sent me but we've been practicing this version alot and I'm pretty used to it. So if you wouldn't mind doing one side per page and shipping both copies (original and copied) back me and Elder Smith would both appreciate it!! :) Love ya.

As for everything else, I know i said I don't like the MTC but thats just a few parts. I absolutely love it here and now we are starting to learn tenses in spanish. past tense, preterite, future. you know, the fun grammar stuff I loved in English class! haha We are finally starting to progress and the days are starting to speed up. I am really starting to love the language. I can't help but feel that what President Nelson blessed me with in my setting apart is true. He said I'd pick up the spanish language really well and so far I have. Its all because of Jesu cristo though. "Work like it all depends on you, pray like it all depends on the Lord" We do these things called TRC once a week for an hour, its basically where we go in and talk to somebody we have no info about, find out about them, and depending on the week, share a message, or invite them to do something. Its all in spanish and we talk for a good 30 minutes. I talk alot more than my comp does but thats fine. he is doing so much better since week one. We are starting to rely on eachother. Whenever I cant think of anything else to say on the topic, he loves memorizing scripture locations for topics and will pull out a scripture and read it, the investigador, usually our teachers, will ask a question and we go from there. I love speaking spanish. We are teaching two investigators right now, and we challenged them both to be baptized the first lesson. One of them, Carlos Guerra said sure why not, and the other one, Juan Carlos Cruz said i need more info, cause i've already been baptized in the catholic church. So we found some scriptures and went back in the next day and he still didn't understand. Finally we just taught him to pray on the book of mormon and he did, so the next time, we were able to get him to accept baptism. both of them are attending church and Juan Carlos is talking to his wife and family about being baptized as well. These are all in spanish too which makes it that much more challenging. Especially when you're looking at a preach my gospel in spanish. We had about 2 minutes to prepare a 30 minute lesson on the plan of salvation. I've never taught that in english let alone spanish, but the Lord helped us enough to give me the words i needed to explain the pamphlet we gave him. We made the time. That was a rush.. haha (I get my adrenaline from playing the piano in front of people and teaching lessons... Drastic changes right? haha) anyways, my companion is Peter Allen Maughan from Issiquah Washington. He is younger than me but taller and about 80 lbs more. cool guy. we havent argued once. we both are pretty easy going. We disagree on a few things but thats to be expected. We live in an old building clear on the outskirts haha but its our building. Its great and the showers are bipolar but it just makes for a better story and a lot of elders screaming like girls when the shower goes from 104 degrees to -3 in about .002 seconds.

Elder Naylor
We had four elders leave tuesday and that was sad, but our classroom  is a tiny windowless box that is about 1/3 smaller than anyone elses classroom and it was really hot. Sad to see em go, but glad to kick them and four of 12 desks out after em hahaha elder Naylor was my favorite. (by the way, he hated that waterbottle he had so he gave it to me but he was sick so im sending it home for a good scrub. I don't need it here because of the water bottle filter, so just throw it in my room. It'll be good for hiking. Nice camelbak bottle.) But yeah he was the best. He will do well in the Peru CCM (MTC) for 6 weeks with his work ethic. He was probably the worst in spanish at the start but he worked so hard he was probably 4th place by the time he left. Short little kid. I've got a few pictures with him. Him and Elder Barton live in West Jordan. Ask Maddie Mchaley if she remembers elder naylor or barton. Both left for Peru with their comps. Elder stahura is a bit of a handful and i'm glad im not district leader anymore. They switch everything at 3 weeks. ZL's and DL's so everyone gets a chance for the 6 leadership lessons. Stahura gets at least a package a day and sometimes its takeout. His record is 4 in one day and sometimes its 2 or 3 a day. So no more grumbling dad :) haha. Oh well. the district is doing well. Lack of focus though. Thats the real reason i don't like the MTC. I want to be out in the field where i have one roomate, maybe another companionship living in the apartment but we are still focusing on the people and have a real purpose. Its hard to see that purpose in the MTC but its still worth trying. Its annoying how much we can't stay focused to the lesson plan. Teachers are getting frustrated too. Some of the Elders just don't see the purpose in why we are out here yet. I hope we all grow up soon or it'll be a long 5 more weeks. We have one Elder that won't play soccer cause he promised his mom he would be safe and won't even look at the sister missionaries. I'm fine with him being the strict person he wants to be, but he acts like a pharisee and acts like a 4 year old whenever something goes off plan or someone walks more than 5 feet from their comp. He focuses so much on the rules that he forgets why we are here in the first place. Theres a balance in everything. He brags alot that he understands spanish and always chastises Elder Smith because he doesn't let him speak enough but i haven't heard a complete sentence from him in spanish yet. He doesn't speak during lessons at all so it gets old when he tells us to do things pertaining to that.

Well. Thats the district drama. (i thought i graduated high schoool haha)

I'm having some real spirtitual experiences here, and they are all in my journal and i'll share them at home with you all. But i will share one with you right now. Just finsihed the book of mormon for the first time by myself yesterday, i know i failed mom, but i finally pushed through alma and didn't quit this time and i can testify to anyone that reads this that it is true. I didn't even need Moroni's promise at the end to know that. That was a spiritual reassurance. But throughout 3rd nefi i just kept thinking as christ was testifing that there is no way this isn't true. Not even a chance. In any case. I took too long typing. Don't expect these long letters in the field! haha but if theres anything  you want to hear let me know. If not, love you all and la iglesia de Jesucrist is verdadero. Yo tengo no dudo in mi cabeza or mi corazon. Yo se que estas cosas is verdadero y Jose Smith fue una profeta que el evangelio de jesucristo fue restaraudo. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

"Mi familia is mi amor" Elder Mortensen

August 30, 2012 (Week 2)

August 30, 2012 (Email)
Hey i found a way to log on to the email using a church website and not the program so i have as much time as i want, so no rush. Sounds like things are going well at home, youll have to send me some pictures of our new home. at least you guys aren't moving. But yeah the ankle is better, and things are going well now. Soccer is the funnest game to play here by far.
On a business note:
I have a few things to send home already, i'll have to get a package together later, but either dont throw away that recipt for the shirts you sent me or give this blue one to garrett cause its too small and i already have that color haha! anyways, if anyone has a good looking tie clip and wouldn't mind sending it on over i wouldn't mind haha wearing ties all day and watching the tail swing out every two seconds is not fun. Also, brad: Yo necisito (I need) un Real Jersey rojo por favor. I need to represent down in Mexico haha :) Use the money you get from my book to buy it! XL please! Also, i'm sending home my worthless space wasting running shoes with the shirt and other assorted items if you would be so kind to send those adidas. Soccer is literally the biggest deal up here haha i think thats it for that. Anything else sold? also, did you guys get my anthropology book on KSL? thanks. and garrett: grab my license and my REI card as well as the gold dollars that are in the little compartment in the truck and throw those in my room will ya? Pops: i'm going to need that memory pro duo pretty soon because they won't let me access my card or usb devices on these computers and i still have all of my jamboree and two trips to moab on here... Its filling up fast haha and also, yeah we went to an insticare with another elder and we got dropped off at the rite aid so he could fill up his perscription so i picked up a few "drinks" non-caffienated of course mother... :) I felt like a wimp riding with him, he has dislocated his shoulder 5 times from riding bulls and he got tripped playing futbol and might have torn his rotator cuff or his librum and still hasn't healed 2 weeks later.. i feel bad. Might get sent home for surgery, he has an MRI tomorrow. Send any minocycline i have cause this medicine is going fast. That note and food were from Grandpa R and Grandma right? no last names anywhere. Brigham city temple was cool yeah? provo one is really nice. We just did a session as a district and took a few pictures outside. Ill send em home. Anyways..

Me and another elder have hacky sacks, and you better believe we are getting good at it. The food is good, i have to start cutting back though i eat wayyy too much each meal.

spider bite went away by the way.. that was annoying! But no i didn't see a nurse, asking to see a doctor for my ankle was almost too much to do. You know how much i absolutely despise doctors offices.. Ankle is sore but i play with this brace and it doesn't hurt anymore.

On a MTC related note.. Its great here. already past two weeks and it feels like 2 days. We had a speaker from a high coordinating position speak on sunday to us and it was fantastic. He just told us missionaries straight up what we needed to hear. That was cool. Afterwords i was writing down 4 pages of quotes from his talk and the video of Uchtdorfs right after that. There were definately a lot of good words of advice in there. Started writing things to finish it up and i just kept writing in 3rd person for some reason for about a few lines. I won't type the whole thing but it went something along the lines of: don't you ever forget why you're out here Elder Mortensen. You know why you are out here and you have a purpose in doing so. There was a little more, but thats the jist of it. I like to think that was just my heavenly father giving me a few words of inspiration.. Its cool to see how much i've already changed in 2 weeks. The MTC has made me a better place, but i'm ready for Mexico already. The spanish is still going on strong and we are doing more grammar work now. I still don't think i'm using my time wisely for 9 weeks here.. Compared to how much you will learn with native speakers and a native companion, it seems like a waste to be here for 6 more weeks with a district that refuses to speak conversational spanish at all. Frustrated. Oh well. i see Jake about 4 times a week and i saw peyton two or three times before he took off to guatemala. I'm jealous. We have 4 elders leaving tuesday morning for peru MTC and then bolivia.
I envy them. haha but i'm here for a while so i might as well get used to it. Still not used to the fact that i want to cry everytime i walk outside and see Rock Canyon right to the east of me. So tantalizingly close to some sweet rockclimbing spots haha its not good. I dont know if i'll be in the MTC choir, do some research and see if the MTC choir performs every 6 months. people have specualtions that they wont do it this october since they did it in April. But i've been to the choir practices on tuesday nights and we sing for the devotional but i don't know how they would get a raffle going to see who goes considering they haven't said anything yet or taken down names. Let me know. Oh yeah. and i have too much food as it is, drinks would be better haha those are expensive here and i wouldn't mind a mountain dew or two.. or twelve. haha love ya mom :) Thanks for all the support everyone. Dad (you better believe ill record that.. haha)

In any case, tell everyone i love them and not to worry. The lord will always support his servents. 3 Nefi 21:9 or 10 i think... somewhere around there. Its great getting letters. It always makes my day go better when i open up the mailbox and i get a few! Well, time to wrap it up. If someone could get me a copy of if you could hie to kolob (brads arrangement) that would be great. I've been playing a in sacraments and things and me and my friend elder Smith tried out for a musical number with Nearer My God to Thee but they said: too simple. so we checked out Savior redeemer of my soul from the library but its a 6 page song copied front and back and thats not good for piano. If someone can find it (its the song off 17 miracles when everyone is freezing i think..) Copy it off and send it just on one side of a sheet. They won't touch copyrighted music to copy it onto more pages. kind of annoying. much appreciated. Me amo mi familia y pedi por bendiciones para su. La Iglesia de Jesucristo is verdadero y mas importante in nuestras vidas. Chow.


 Will you get these few lines to their intended recipients? I dont have a whole lot of time between everything.


To Grandma and Grandpa and Joleen: Thanks for the care package! you know i love getting licorice! I haven't had it in a long while and my roommates are jealous. I might have to share...

To Jody Lawrence: Thanks for the letter and box of cookies! I've already eaten like 4 of them and they keep reappearing! They are definately a delicacy compared to the mass produced desserts they hurry and whip up here haha so thank you for that!

August 23, 2012 (Mailed Letter)

August 23, 2012 (Week 1) (Mailed Letter, received August 25)

I already sent one email home with mostly what I wanted to say, but one a more personal note, thanks for the letters.  I just wanted to tell you guys thanks for everything and also, tell Grandma and Grandpa Robinson I can thank them enough.  I couldn't have been here without them.  Love you all.  As long as I have the Lord, I have no reason to fear.

Love, Conner

Oh, yeah. Tell Joleen, Grandpa and Grandma thank your for the gift box!!

And also, with the alarm clock, will you make sure the numbers light up?  Haha, Gracias. Love ya all

Oh and sorry about the hospital bill coming your way.  Rolled my ankle retty bad playing futbol and felt bone on bone which wasn't good so they sent me to the instacare.  Tell Brad karma got me back for putting him in crutches because I had them for a day as well.

Oh yeah.  Had lemon merringue pie for celestial breakfast (temple food). Made me think of you Dad!

August 23, 2012 (Week 1)

August 23, 2012
Hola´ todos los personas en mi famila! que pasa? hows it going over there? Things are going splendid over here. espanol es bueno y mi compadre is bien. Anyways.  Hows life at home? Not as good as here i can guarantee it.

Thanks for the package everyone. It helped. love the pictures. I'll take a few more weeks worth of pictures and then send home the usb. entonces... (so.....) i love it here. We got to sing in the choir and were in the room for the devotional tuesday. Elder anderson talked to us. Super rad being in the same room as a general authority. It was also President Monsons bday so he talked about 10 things President Monson would say if he was there. Way good talk.

We've been teaching our first investigator, Kambel Garcia. He was a good investigator at first but then he started to lose interest in the 5th and final interview. Its all in Spanish. Hard but really good. I gave him the restoracion lesson and memorized the first vision. Spirit was way strong so i challenged him to baptism (still in spanish of course) He never looked away during the first vision part and he just stared at me for a minute while i recited it to him. eye contact was crazy. He said he would be baptized but he needed to talk to his wife first. Sometime in september. We teach our second investigator tomorrow. Should be pretty sweet. The four of us get along well in our room and things go well there. Elder stahura gets at least a package or two a day. Its ridiculous. Oh yeah. I need an alarm clock. Mine speeds up about an hour a night and wakes me up late. Good thing my companions are loud in the morning. Its crazy how busy we are. We wake up and eat and study and barely move for an hour of gym, eat, study, teach, eat. sleep. my back is getting worse by the day from these stupid chairs. OH! i need some gym shorts. One set for a week es badddddd. My running shoes are good for nothing since i don't run,... hahahah hey get me some addresses will ya?

 Love you guys. I love it here and i just want to leave to mexico but i know im learning more in spanish than ever in high school.

*GARRETT and RILEY* PAY ATTENTION IN SPANISH. IT WILL HELP YOU STILL*


Elders Smith and Mortensen
I wish i wouldn't have slept... wait. nah i liked that. But me and this other elder smith talk in spanish all day to eachother and our progress is exponential compared to everyone elses. All they have to do is talk and they get better but they don't for some reason. Frustrating. Our classroom is smaller than most and we have more people. Nobody will help us switch to an empty classroom thats bigger and has a window and AC. oh well. get used to Mexico i guess. Our teachers are all so good and they tell me i understand a lot in spanish. Always nice to hear. In any  case, half hour is up. I'll write letters later.

Mi familia es mi amo! Elder Mortensen.