Music to the Soul

So this week was an adventure!  Elder A and I got our first contact, we were studying outside and decided to try speaking our broken Spanish to people through the huge fence. There is a busy street right outside the MTC.  We were told if we get anyone's contact information we can give it to the President and he will send missionaries to them. His name was M. He gave us his business card which had all his contact information on it.  He is a drug dealer...

Also one of the elders in our district likes to draw lots of doodles during language class.  Elder A and I found his notebook one night, so in the bottom we wrote "you need to pay more attention in class" and signed it from President Duvall.  He was so embarrassed the next morning, and it was so funny when we told him it was us. All morning he thought the president hated him.

Another funny story, the rapper elder in our room Elder E, saw a picture of my companion's sister and thought she was cute.  He started calling my companion his "cuñado", meaning brother in law!  We agreed to play him and his companion in 2-on-2 basketball.  If they won Elder E got my companion's sister's email, if we won they had to write apology letters for staying up and talking all night long. Ha!!  Of course, we won!!

Other than that life at the MTC is pretty uneventful.  Usually just classes and trying to find things to laugh at or be grateful for. I'm pretty sure I've lost about ten lbs since I've been here.  The weather here is awesome.  It's springtime year round, always between 55 and 65 degrees. I love it!!  The food actually isn't too bad here, the bad thing is we can only eat in the cafeteria and all my snacks were gone the first week, so now I just get my three meals and that's it.  I miss snacks, a lot. Pretty soon I'll be out in the mission field--and snacks!!

We got to go to the temple again today.  Loved that. 

My favorite part of the day is right after my meals, because I go to the chapel and practice piano. I used to hate piano, (Mom made me do it),  but now it is the most relaxing moments of my day. Mostly because the only music I get to listen to is what I play on the piano. There is always an audience of about 5 or 10 other missionaries who come and listen to me play. It's hard without music here. One of the teachers told me I couldn't play my Hallelujah song because it wasn't a hymn.  But I  talked to Hermana Duvall, the President's wife, and she said it was fine. I have been playing it ever since!  That teacher hasn't heard yet.  He might not be happy if he does...

Also my testimony has grown a ton. Everyday I wonder if I'm really supposed to be here.  Each time, as I have studied the gospel and continued to try my best, all of my questions have been answered. Sometimes it's like Heavenly Father is right there talking to me. 

Love you all!  

Elder Donaldson