Week 3

Ah. A computer. Incredible. It's starting to throw me off that I'm allowed to use one of these. ;_). Well listen, there weren't so many letters from you, my family! That's ok. It makes my 25 minutes of typing a little more relaxed. Soooo..... BYU education week with the Chadburns. It doesn't get much better than that, huh? I remember going with Chris before he left on his mission. Lots of funny stories there.

The meals in the MTC and the meals in the field will be a little bit different. I'm stocking up here. Enough to last me two years. ;_). I wrote back a little bit in spanish last week, but i didn't get it off in time, so I'll send it today, along with my pics.

I can't really remember if there was a storm here or not.... I'm sure there was. :_). It's beautiful outside though. It's just barely starting to hint towards fall. I can't wait til the mountains change color again. I'm right up against the mountains, and every week we get to walk to the temple early in the morning. I really look forward to it. Oh, the temple, I can't believe I've never been to the provo temple before I got here. It's a wonderful, beautiful place.


Spanish is coming really well. Again. Lots to learn, but it's coming well. The Lord gives us his spirit, every single day. There's no way we get the things done that we do without the Spirit. I know exactly when it's there, and when it's not. IT's unbeleivable.

Well, I apologize. I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts across right now. My mind has been on a talk that we heard last night. That's what I really want to share with you. That's what's meant the most to me this week. Mom and Dad, my life honestly changed last night. It was a changing point in my mission. It was a day that changed everything that I will do from here on out, forever. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke to us last night. My hands are shaking as I'm typing, just thinking about it. haha, my eyes are starting to water. Maybe it's just from staring at this screen. Maybe not.

He walked in as we were singing a few preparation hymns, just waiting for the meeting to start. Not a beat was missed. 2200 soldiers standing in respect. The National Guard would have been impressed. Something miraculous was about to happen.

I wish I could tell you all he said. It means the world to me. But I came out knowing that I needed to give this work my Best. And my best hurts. I know what my best is. Part of it came out during those countless hours devoted to my Anatomy class. Do you remember? I broke down on a consistent basis because I was so overwhelmed with what I knew I had to do. I would go home at nights and cry to my God while I prayed for the strength to get up and work another day. God knows what my best can be, and he knows how hard it is to get working at that level. But it wasn't supposed to be easy. It wasn't easy for His other son to do his best either. It wasn't easy for Christ.

I wasnt to be known as the missionary who poured his whole Soul into the Work. I want the reputation of a hard worker, and I want it branded into every work I do for God. And I don't mean to sound as if I'm giving any glory to myself. i'm not. I'm just finally starting to realize just how important this work is. It's the most important work I can ever do. Invitar a las personas a venir a Cristo a fin de que reciban el evangelio restaurado mediante la fe en Jesucristo, y su Expiacion, El Arrepentimiento, El Bautismo, La recepcion del don del Espiritu Santo, el perseverar hast el fin. It's the first spanish I memorized when I got here. It'll be the most important I ever learn. I'm developing a deep, abiding love in my Savior. He means the world to me. HE means the wold to the world. I just have to help the world realize that. ;_)

Missionares: People who leave their families for two years, so that others can be with theirs for eternity.

Love you all.

Good luck with school starting.


Elder Stewart

Week 2

My family!

:-). Hey. It's good to talk to all of you again. There's been some computer problems and I only have 20 minutes to write today, so let's not beat around the bush. Companions: Yes, Elder Dexter is from Rexburg. He tells us all unbeleivable stories about hunting, and hiking, and motor biking as we all go to sleep. Haha, keeps things interesting after a long day of study. Speaking of which, I'm up to 160 lbs. now. Soo.... according to my calculations, if I gain five pounds every two weeks....... I'm going to be a MAN by the time i get home! Haha, just kidding. We are in class for somewhere around 10 hours a day. Maybe more. I've never really added it up. But we eat a LOT. And sit a LOT. ;_). Good things happen to people here in the MTC. (haha, like how we only have so much time, and i'm talking about my eating habits here?? ;_). Also, I have to shave roughly every week and a half now, versus every three weeks pre-MTC. Again, blessings of the Mission.

Elder Dexter and Elder Faas are my comps. Elder Dexter worked landscaping with spanish-speaking men for 4 years, so he had to learn it. Elder Faas took three years of Spanish in High school and retained most of it. They're brilliant. They were going to be moved to an intermediate district, but they didn't, so I get quite a bit of help. ;_). Last week we learned how to bear our testimony, pray, contact people, etc... this week we're learning preterit and imperfect tenses to add to the present tense of spanish that we know. Tons of information, and memorization, but not too bad compared to Anatomy with Dr. Shively, huh? ;_). School really helped me. I'm a lot more prepared to learn here because of it. Dad, thanks a ton for pushing George and I growing up. It's not a shock that there's checklists, and schedules, and organized, efficient ways of doing things here, because of you. Thanks for all of the Sundays of scouts and Duty to God. When I'm a father, I'm hope that my children can learn from a hard-working dad like I had growing up. Elder Dexter really knows how to work hard, he's from idaho you know. It's nice to work hard with other people who WANT to work hard too. We'll pray for comps like that in the field. ;_)

Pictures are on the way! Soon. They get developed on friday I think. They're in the process. I'm not allowed to write, but I'll slip them in an envelope for you all. Mom. Thanks for the card. I'll activate it soon. Jeff. Thanks for your advice. I shared it with all six of the Elders in my district going to Paraguay. Any more funny stories or advice? Things to bring, not to bring? Kalie. Good luck with your nannying job. Sounds like you're pretty busy. Ashley, how's your piano going? Write me!!! I can't wait til I get to hear you play when i get home. Keep drawing too. I always wished I could draw. Rach. Are you doing well? I wish I could stay up late with you folding laundry and having our talks like we used to have. You're at such a crazy, sweet, up and down time in your life. Stay close to God, even when your friends come and go. Find strength in the stories about Christ. Those are my new favorites. ;_). Keep going crazy places, doing crazy things. I loved that time in my life.

Basketball opens up in like 2 weeks! Can't wait. THey're finishing the gym. Guess what? I might get to sing in general conference! Well, love you all. George if you get this, I love you too. how can we not go on in so great a cause, huh?
Email me his stuff.

Love you all,

Elder Stewart

Week 1

My Family,

;_). Hi! It's great to have heard from you guys. Thanks a ton for writing. It's helped a lot, especially this first week. I only have twenty five minutes to write, so I'll be quick! Get this to George and to Chels, if you can.

I'll respond to all of your guys' questions first: Mom, haha, I've got my typhoid shot. No big deal. It wasn't even a bad one! It's amazing how nervous I can get for a shot when I give them all day long. The oral vaccine seemed like a bit of a pain. I have three Companions. Elder Dexter and Elder Faas. Elder Wray is in my district. We have a SWEET district. Soooo much potential. We are awesome at working hard when we need to, and still having fun with it. So nice. I'll email home pics as soon as I figure out how to, so that you all, Rachael especially, can get to know them. ;_).

Let me tell you, haha, the first three days of the MTC were some of the hardest of my life. There's an incredible amount of information that we're expected to know and retain. We jump right into the Language the first day. There are rules for everything here. It's like I came into the MTC, and had to squeeze into a body that I wasn't shaped for. But, I've been shaped now. ;_). Jeff wasn't kidding. I just had to make it to sunday. Sunday was beautiful. A little bit strange, because every day feels like a sunday. However, there were no classes, and a bit more time to have personal study time. I've found such comfort in the Scriptures. I'm developing a love for them like I never thought i'd have. I find myself honestly thirsting after the Words of the prophets. Thirsting, hungering, and feasting. President Eyering once said that we should, "drink deeply and daily from the scriptures.". What a beautiful quote. I've always loved quotes.

We're teaching the first lesson on Friday, and oh my goodness, there is sooo much to learn. I've spent hours and hours already just studying the first lesson. It's incredibly basic, and we're expected to teach things on an 8 year old level. Very simple. Right? WRONG! Haha! The gift of clarity and simplicity can only come after a deep study of the subjects. It's a gift that takes a long time to get. It's like.... you can't teach all the way up to what you know. If you just took an algebra class, you probably can't teach it that well. But you've gotten so far into the subject, that teaching pre-algebra would be a lot easier. So I'm diving deep, and hoping to come up with some simple answers.

If you guys get a chance, and aren't doing anything serious with your individual scripture study, try just learning the first lesson. It's in Chapter three of Preach my Gospel. Very testimony building. They give you scriptures at the end of most of the 8 main topics in it. Try and get it to the point where you can teach the first lesson. I can't wait til I have it down, and run into a non-member who wants to know some serious truth. ;_).

Time's running out! I love you guys so much. THe beds aren't very comfortable, the showers go cold sometimes, but the Church is True. I love the Gospel so much. I finally feel like I'm where I've needed to be for the last few months of my life. Don't worry about me. I'm not homesick. No offense. ;_). I'm just where I need to be, you know? OH!!!! Big answer: I don't eat too much cereal here!!! Haha!! I eat it for 1.2 meals per day so far.

Rach, Sorry no time, I love you. Thanks for writing me personally. Keep writing things that are going on in real life ok?

Elder stewart