So I really hope Walker told you, but if not my P-days have indeed been changed to Thursdays. Everything changed at the end of the BYU semester, including P-days and meal times. It's kind of amazing that after two weeks of eating dinner at 4:30 all of the sudden I feel as if I am about to die of hunger when I finally get to eat at 5:00 p. Having Walker leave this week was really hard for me. I hadn't gone through any homesickness at all until the night before he left. Because he was here I hadn't actually let go of home yet, he was the one piece of home that I was really clinging to. The night before he left I was in a pretty sad condition, but Walker gave me a little pep-talk (Weird to think that Walker gave an effective pep-talk) and so I have now bounced back very well.
The past few days I have hit a breakthrough with Spanish. I have come to the conclusion that I can indeed speak Spanish. I am no longer afraid to speak it, and although it is a huge struggle trying to express what I want to say with half the vocabulary of a normal 3-year old I am still always anxious "to teach and preach and work like missionaries do."
Funny story, the same day I had this breakthrough, a sister from mexico who was new to the MTC came up to me in the lunch line, saw my nametag, and then started talking very rapidly in Spanish... All I can say about that is that I am glad I still have six more weeks in the MTC.
So on Tuesday nights we have a devotional where one of the general authorities come and speak to the entire MTC. We were very lucky to have Elder Scott last Tuesday, and then we had another apostle this Tuesday, Elder Oaks! It was so very exciting and special to have to apostles in a row. What a spiritual feast! Elder Scott's talke was more of a feel-good talk than doctrinally deep like Elder Oak's was, but Elder Scott, in the middle of his talk, stopped and asked how many were learning a language. The majority of the congregation raised their hands. Then he held out his hands in front of him and said, "As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as one of his special witnesses, I confer upon you the gift of tongues." It was so super awesome, he continued to tell us that we would still have to study but that we would now have an additional help and that the language would come much easier if we strive to do our best. It was so powerful, and I am so extremely grateful.
On a less reverent note, it turns out that there is no visa required for Chile; I will be traveling on my passport alone. Which is kind of cool because it means that there isn't anything to delay my departure date.
I would like to tell you a little bit more about my life here at the CCM (MTC). So we are all in districts of anywhere from 5 to 12 people, your district is pretty much your family. We spend ALL of our waking time together, mostly in the classroom. The classroom becomes more like your home than the room full of beds where you sleep, which is why it is difficult to switch classrooms every single week. I love my district they are so great. Elder Matthews is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met, and most of the time he doesn't even mean to be funny. Elder Walton, his companion is such a dilligent worker, he has pretty much taught himself all of the grammar principle in our advanced Spanish book (I don't even understand that book). Elder Coromandel is from New Zealand and Austrailia, and as you will see in the pictures he is incapable of acting normal in a picture, but he is so so spiritual. All of the Elders are so unique and I have come to love them all, it is kind of bummer that we are not even allowed to hug them when they are having a hard day, that has been a struggle for both of my companions as well.
I am so excited to go to Chile. I look forward to being able to declaring the Gospel.
I love and miss you all so much!
Hermana Evans
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