Week #2 Forward, Pressing Forward

Wow, Today I got a lot more emails than I thought. It is great to hear from you all. Keep them coming!

I love the CCM!

Wow the MTC is fantastic. I have never felt the Spirit more than ever before. There are some moments when it gets tough or boring but overall it has just been crazy that I have been here for 2 weeks already. On one hand, it fells like I have been here a month. I have learned so much and I have come to know my Father in Heaven and my Savior so much better. On the other hand, the time has just flown by so quick because I have been so busy and it feels like I got here yesterday. 

                       

Chile MTC

So something crazy happened this week in Santiago. It SNOWED. It was weird because it is July. You do not see snow in July(or at least in Utah). Another crazy thing is that it has not snowed in Santiago for at least 3 years. I heard 13 as well but either way that is a long time since Santiago has ñast seen snow.

Snowy "July" Day! 

I will admit Spanish is rough. Beofre my misson, people told me that Spanish is probably one of the easier languages to learn. Which is true. But learning a language is tough. There is grammar to learn, vocabulary to memorize, scriptures to memorize as well, listening and speaking to practice, and this is just learning Spanish. As a missionary, I have a load of stuff to do. The gift of tongues is real. If it was not, the misson would not be possible. With time, effort, and reliance on the Lord, I know I can learn Spanish!

I did my first contact the other day. They were members but they were the first people I really talked to about the gospel that were not missonaries or my teachers. It was scary but also really fun. I cannot wait to share the gospel with the reast of Santiago.

We get to go through the temple every P day so later today I get to go again.I have not done a Spanish session yet but I really want to.  It is really small(probably like Preston) but it has taught me that the gospel is a worldwide truth. I am in one of the corners of the earth, thousands of miles away from home, and the gospel is still true. 

I love the Santiago Temple. It is so beautiful

Here at the MTC, they keep us busy so we can prepare for the field but at the same time, we have a lot of independence to choose what we want to study. I have learned the principle of accountability a lot during the last two weeks. A lot of time, I am working with my companion unsupervised. We have the agency to choose whether to use our time wisely or choose to use our time fulfilling our own desires like talking to our district. I have learned that even thoguh sometimes it is really tempting to take a break and relz, I am on the Lords time. I am serving him. He gave so much for me so I can dedicate myself to His work for two whole years. 

This is my district. From left to right, Hermana Otterstrom, Hermana Simons, Hermana Fugal, Elder Vicente, Elder Summers, Elder Myers, and me. They have been such a great example to me and I have learned so much from them

Here is a pic of my schedule. Working all day every day. Bienviendidos al mision!

Now I would like to bear my testimony in the small amount of Spanish I know. It may be a little rough but I know that even though we may not be able to say the right words or speak correctly, the Spirit can still work through us and touch the hearts of the people we serve.

Yo sé que Jesucristo vive. Yo sé que José Smith es un profeta de Dios. Yo sé que mediante la Expiación, podemos superar el pecado. Yo sé que La Iglesia de JesuCristo de Los Santos de Los Últimos Dias es la iglesia verdadera. Estoy muy feliz que soy un misionero y que tengo la oportunidad servir el hijos de Dios en Chile. Yo sé que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y que Dios nos ama. En el nombre de Jesucristo. Amén. 

Love you guys. I think about all of you every day. Thanks for being my foundation and my support.

Love you, 

Elder Evans

My view from my apartment. Constant reminder of why I am here and how much God loves us