FIRST E-mail

Mi familia y mis amigos,

The MTC is amazing! The Spirit of God aboundeth so much here! I am in a tricpanionship. Mi companeros are Elder Tholen and Elder Taufa. They are both really cool and we all get along well. They're going to Panama. I love my district! All the elders are awesome. Our district is F in zone 16. No one else in my district is going to Spain, but I did meet some elders during dinner the other day who came in on the same day and are scheduled to go to the Spain MTC on the same day, which is Sept. 7. Let's alll have faith that my visa will come on time.

These past few days have been crazy! The first days were super long and exhausting, but now they're starting to speed up. My Spanish is progressing amazingly! (although I have a French accent) The Spirit really does work miracles for the servants of the Lord!!

On Tuesday on my connection flight, I sat by two elders returning home to Utah from one of the New Jersey missions. They were Spanish-speaking, so they gave me tips on learning the language. At the SLC airport I walked the one elder to his family because he was having separation anxiety. The other elder continued on to St. George.

I don't really have many stories to tell since I've only been here a few days. Yesterday during our temple walk, we talked to a member and his daughter. He had seen all the elders walking to the temple so he stopped to show his daughter good examples of guys to date. haha she must have been so mad at him!

I suppose I could bear my testimonio in Spanish. I already have it memorized, although it's at the level of a primary child. Yo se que Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador. Jose Smith fue en profeta y que esta iglesia es verdadera. El libro de Mormon es verdadero y Tomas S. Monson es un profeta hoy en dia. Y tambien que las familias son eternas y por medio la fe, podemos vencer las pruebas. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen. I've already improved it. I just typed what I wrote in my journal a few days ago to save time.

Mom please send me my white adidas shoes and the shoe cleaner that should be with them. Those cheap shoes we bought already broke. The heals caved in. I blame Michelle for telling me to run 4 miles that one time a couple weeks ago. haha. Also send my retainer I left it at home! It should be on my nightstand.

I am sorry if my emails and letters home are bad. I can write fine when it's creative writing, but with letters and emails I am terrible at expressing myself and I tend to get random and out of order.

Please forward this to: quijada.2@buckeyemail.osu.edu cami.heroux@gmail.com spacecase8908@aol.com tiggger1246@roadrunner.com seklopp@aol.com NAGYE@umich.edu c.summers.1@hotmail.com AshelyHolt52@hotmail.com apayne1@ashland.edu michelleolson23@gmail.com and all my siblings and other family or friends interested in my emails.

Love,
Elder Buchkovich