TODO EN ESPANOL Y UNICORNS

Hola mi familia!
Como estan? No puedo hablar en ingles, es un regla de mi distrito. Este es semana cuatro, y tenemos un ayuno de ingles.

Hahaha, but it doesnt matter cause I'm TYPING this. Ok, so, this is finally the famed FOURTH WEEK: NO ENGLISH. Ok, so we've only done that about half the time so far, but the idea is, we begin our "fast from English" for the next 2 years starting yesterday. Intense. I really wish I could say more in Spanish, but I guess that's why we need to ditch the English... won't learn until we do! But man, annoying. It's crazy to think that the Lord has called me to TEACH in this language, it's going to take a lot of work and praying for the gift of tongues! I'm also convinced that whatever I learn here is going to be NOTHING like the Spanish I hear in the field. I had to make a call IN SPANISH at the Referral Center (hard enough when its in English!) and I managed to ask to speak to Maria so and so, and felt cool, when she said: "De parte?" "Que?" "De parte.....? De parte, de parte... lsdkfjowiejhfgosiehfgowejf de parte....?" "Uhhhh, un momentito..." take the headset off and chuck it to a native speaker in the room with a Heeeellllp.... Luckily our weekly goal of one call in spanish a week didnt specify a conversation or not, just the call... muy scary...

So, this week, hmm.. well, after the last email on Tuesday, we had our Weekly Tuesday Devotional, which was amazing. Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke(our church is organized like the church Christ set up anciently --see Luke 10:1) . Never heard of him before. And of course that means he is now like my favorite speaker. He talked a lot about some really cool things, which I don't have enough time to tell, but he really highlighted Christ. We should picture the Savior in all we do, watching over us, - because He IS always there! He is watching us, guiding us, leading us always, even when we don't always see or recognize it. Elder Kikuchi shared a ton; he told his conversion story - as a young boy in Japan, during WW2, his father was killed by a torpedo. He had to work for his family, still in middle school, and barely slept. He worked so hard he got very sick, and should have died. Though he was a Buddhist, in the hospital one night he prayed "Great Spirit, save my life and I will repay you." He lived. One week later, two American missionaries knocked. He hated them for what their country had done. He told them so. They began to share their message, and asked for 10 minutes with him. And look what happened: that boy grew up to be not only a member of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, but a leader in it even, guiding others to Christ. It was an extremely powerful evening, followed by an amazing district testimony meeting. Muy bien. Gotta love Tuesdays.

As for the rest of the week, hmm, ALSO that night, I was sitting there at dinner when the two Elders that get our mail walked to our table. "I almost puked when I saw it," said Elder Regehr. They both were hysterical. They started passing out mail. They looked at me. Then passed a few letters over to me... and passed a small one around the group. MY letter. There it went. Elder after Elder, either hysterical or slightly sickened. Then it got to me. It was innocently 5 by 3 inches or so, quite small, but it was no innocent letter. It was a letter from a set of Lisa Frank UNICORN stationary, with MY name written in GelPen on the outside. "ARENT THEY PRETTY??" was conveniently placed next to one of the hideous creatures. I opened it cautiously, with all looking on. I half expected glitter to pour out (DONT GET IDEAS) but instead, a page... big surprise, same stationary. "HOPE YOU GIVE AWAY LOTS OF BOOKS!" same gelpen, written in Kayla Smith's [Christopher's cousin] best preschooler handwriting. I had to explain to the entire district that yes, this is an intelligent albeit sadistic 19 year old girl going to Brigham Young University, and yes, I am related to her. They loved it. Really. I'm glad Elder Regehr didnt puke on ME. The infamous letter has been sent, received, and Kayla, you woulda been pleased, it probably matched the dreams you had for it exactly. Gunorknash.

OH I went to the Eye doc today - I thought I couldn't see well, had trouble seeing with my contacts the other day. After an hour, he told me that my perscription is pretty much right - but I have a stigmism as we know, and soft contacts cant help that, as well as soft contacts have a tendency to just be not as sharp. So, whee, false alarm, I DONT need new contacts, but I am getting the new perscription anyhow, just in case i need it. Fun, right?

THANKS for the package! Good stuff there! Loved it!

Alright, I hope everyone is having a good week! The Church is true! This work is the Lord's. Annnnnnd I'm signing off!
Love you all!
-Elder Christopher Thelin