week 8

Dear family,

Well, 6 days left until I'm in another country. Ok I guess I technically won't be in another country until 7 days from now. I have such a nice travel set up. I've been so blessed. I leave Monday Feb. 28 @ 8am. My flight leaves SLC around noon on monday and arrives in Atlanta, GA around 5:30. They I have about a 2 hr. lay over until I get on a flight at 7:30 pm to fly to Buenos Aires. I'll arrive around 7:30 am there. Only a 10 hr flight, and I'm hoping most of those hours I'll be sleeping. It really isn't so bad. I'm traveling with one other elder that I don't know. Everyone jokes about how it is going to be a real awkward double date. haha...yep. but we probably are flying with other people some of the way, and I have a plan to read the whole book of mormon during my traveling time so i'm not too worried about having to entertain him or myself. It won't be a bad trip, because it won't even be 24 hrs. from MTC to Buenos Aires, because BA is 4 hrs earlier than here. so...yep, not so bad at all. I've almost done that traveling with the team....bah, some of those trips are brutal.

Poor. H. Springer and E. Andreasen they are headed to paraguay and they arrive in Buenos Aires only 20 min. before (or maybe after i can't remember) me but they leave at 4 am monday morning. a little crazy eh? that's cuz they have a lay over in chicago and again in florida and then they make the trip down to buenos aires. and then they are going to have to catch ANOTHER plane to paraguay. a little bit crazy, but at least they don't have to ride a bus to get to paraguay. that would be one loooong drive.

anyway, this week has been fun. Besides getting our travel plans we had some other cool experiences. The first being a devotional where one of the seventy Elder Kevin Pearson spoke. WOW. best devotional here yet. ok, well, there have been a lot of really, really good ones, but i'm glad we got to hear this one before we head out. It was really, really, really intense. Probably one of the most direct, poignant, frank, and loving talks I have EVER heard. It was really sad because right when he got up there and started speaking (he wasn't joking around at all) I saw this elder across the aisle who was sleeping. I felt really, really bad for him because i wanted him to hear this message that Elder Pearson was about to share. So I started praying that this Elder would wake up. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. Finally, I saw him wake up. He probably just got too frustrated trying to sleep in such a loud place (because Elder Pearson was really quite loud...haha pounding the pulpit at times) that he woke up. I don't know if he got anything out of it, but I sure hope he did. I sure hope he understood the message about becoming disciples of Christ. I sure hope all of the missionaries were touched as much as I was. He challenged us to go home and write down characteristics of disciples and those characteristics that we have and that we don't have. Then he told us to pray and ask for help in becoming a disciple. I want to be a disciple. I'm trying my best. My best won't be good enough unless I bring Heavenly Father in, he can help me become who He wants me to be. I sure hope I can learn to forget my cares, and care for His cares. Basically it was awesome. Everyone I spoke with was determined to be better.

Anyway, let's see, what else....um I think this was this past week. We ate lunch with the president again. really kind of weird that we ate lunch with him twice. that just doesn't happen. Hmm...I guess there is something we need to learn from him. He really is a great president though.

Ok, well I'm not feeling super awesome about my spanish skills, but it doesn't matter. Erik said it doesn't matter how awesome you feel about your spanish skills, you are going to get there and not be able to understand anything...so that'll be fun. Oh yeah, also this week I taught a guy (in the TRC) that was in Erik's district what he was in the MTC. he said erik was a clown and asked for erik's number. I hope he called. He said his name was Glen, but I didn't get a last name, and that could have been a made up name, but I don't think so. I think it is his real name. He had some tattoo's and he used to wear gages...if that helps Erik identify who he is. He said he was Erik's district leader. Anyway, some fun small world facts. And he could crochet like none other. Seriously, way fast and really, really, really well. I wanted him to teach me how, but that didn't happen. Sad day.

I don't know what to do about my violin. I'm worried about it getting stolen. And it really will just be a pain, but I don't know. I guess I should just go with my original decision to not take it. That is safer. I'm just going to be sad when an opportunity arise to use it and I don't have it. But I think I feel more peace not taking it, so I guess I won't. BUT haha can I get some jeans? and those sweat pant capri's i've been talking about? I would prefer some lighter colored jeans of mine. and especially not my dark skinny jeans...haha that wouldn't be a good idea. Thanks!!

Love you all!!
Sarah