Officially in the MTC

Hey guys.... This is Jon's older sister, Beth. I'll be updating ya'll on his happenings through these next 2 years. We got a pretty quick little email from him Saturday. He's doing great so far.... see for yourself:

It hit me yesterday muy hard that I'm going to be serving for 2 YEARS! Holy guacamole (spanish food... Not good in el MTC!) I was feeling down and not too happy with life and things like that and then it just came to me what you said about just totally losing myself in the work and forgetting about me because that's just selfish. I quickly repented through many tears of pain last noche and have never felt more rejuvenated in my life! I feel so free! I'll tell you quickly what has happened in the past 4 days... It seems like the past 4 weeks with how long it's been! jaja

Well, my companero nombre Elder Grajeda! It's Spanish, right...? He should know Spanish, si? No no! jaja we are both learning this amazing language! He has a trouble with the language, but he is going to recieve some great blessings from his hard work.

He is our leader de distrito and is doing el trabajo de fabuloso! Su es mucho mucho chiste! Yo amo su mucho....He's such a good worker and we're the same person. That's a big problem jaja we kind of get off topic A LOT and I feel espiritu leave very quickly. We talked about it last noche and have made some seriouso progress in the past few hours. We've stayed on topic and have done great! He's 20 and sure does like to talk :) 5 minute conversations turn into 30 minutes jaja but I am the same way so it's fair enough! I nick named him Elder Tortuga because he has shorter legs than me and is always behind jaja Que un HOMBRE!

I have class about... Oh let's see... 9 hours a mana? Not too bad jaja but you're right, when I'm in the right espiritu I AMO mi clase! Esta muy bueno! Mi teacher es fantastico! We just study language all 9 hours... So that is very fun but hard at many times to stay awake... I have been trying to Predicad Sus evengelio to the best of my abilities even here in the MTC and it's been great!

The language is coming... Not too easily, but I love learning and growing and that feeling when everything clicks es... perfecto. I learned mi testimonio today en mi clase.... I almost cried because de la felizidad I felt! I'm immersed in the gospel... Well the spanish gospel!

I don't get much time at all to study by myself, maybe 2 hours a day...? But I hope that it works out well that way! I feel this great spirit when I'm learning and focusing... Incredible! Dora sure has helped me with my words... I always hear the back pack song lingering as I walk through my dorm.

My zone leader's name is Elder Parker (Pahkuh because he's british) and last night I made him speak to me in an American accent... Greatest. Moment. Ever. I couldn't ask for a better district with all of us trying our best to learn. I have about 30 note cards so far of words I'm memorizing and that's just from yesterday y el dia before that... Yo amo el Evangelio Restaurado muy mucho, padre. Es un grande bedicion en mi vida.... Yo testifico un es verdad y Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador pero maximo importante, Su es nuestro hombre Celecstial. Su es usted hombre papa!