6 weeks in the MTC

I cannot believe how fast these last 6 weeks have gone. It still feels like yesterday when we dropped him off. But so much is different! He is that guy. The guy everyone looks to to make sure they have the right answer. He is so ready to go and I think he will be better prepared than some and certainly able to teach and love those in Chile.

It's now been 6 weeks, and, it's true, the English speakers are basically rabbits in the scheme of things. We've seen two generations of them and next wednesday is week three. But the really annoying ones are the italians. We have a few on our floor and they sing really loud in the shower and regularly destroy our toilets, if you know what I mean. It feels like it's been a long time, but also not. It's kind of like the day is 16 hours long, which is a long time, but at the end, you think about how long it's been, and it's not been that much. I suspect this only continues.

I hit that point two days ago. I'm sure Dad knows about it. You have had about as much of the language as you can get in a classroom speaking English. There's isn't more teaching skills that are better practiced for other missionaries rather than real investigators. And you've got enough experience with the heightened level of Spirit we have here - all in all, you wake up one morning and say, "Yeah... it's time to go to Chile." I would go tomorrow if they'd let me. But not just so... this is going to be a long two weeks.

Pictures... yeah. They have a printing service. I'll be sure to get those out today, probably within thirty minutes or so. Be waiting for those. I think I'll send you the memory card with some slightly less exciting pictures when we've got ten days or so left for you to get off. But until then, real pictures it is.

I promise I have been doing the rotation like I'm supposed to. I wear all the ties, slacks, and suits, pants included, equally. Same with shoes. I shined them today, which reminds me, could Dad figure out the cool way to do that? The army way, if you will? Though in Chile, I'm told, in most train and bus stations there are shiners who work for a dollar or two, and they really know how to do it. So either way, I think I'll be good.

I actually play in the gymn these days. It's got a cushioned track and weights around it. And the actual gymn has a foursquare court in it - do you remember that I played that religiously at Ivy Hall? I do again, almost every day. It's a surprising workout when you play with adults. But, to make it really good, I also do push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, etc. every time I get out, which, as well as doing the BFL run a few days a week instead, hasn't affected my weight any, but my belt is maximally locked in. I started on the third smallest, and now I'm on the smallest. I don't know what to do about that. My pants are almost too big now... Oh boy. They also seem to be creeping upwards with respect to my feet... I think that that weird mission inch may be coming in my ankles (I always did have cankles). I hope not.

I may need you to track down Randy's address. I don't really have a way and I think he'd like to hear about these things, especially once I get to Chile. He sounds like he's figured things out, basically. We're going to be even more strange when we get back, but it's going to be awesome.

I'd just like to say to Kato : roof roof roof, rooof.

Anyway, what else... I can translate RM (teachers at the MTC) from Spanish as fast as they can speak out loud, and I can translate slow english speakers in to Spanish. That, to me, is insane. I was in the temple, translating the stuff into Spanish as fast as it was said. People are starting to look at me when they don't understand something a teacher says. I write speaker notes in Spanish. I'm actually doing some group practice-sessions for my district nowdays. But I boast not of myself - no human being can learn 50% of a language in six weeks. Our MTC president said a diligent missionary with no learning impairments will speak fluently with four months (two in MTC) training. No one believed him until now. I believe it.

I'm pretty much writing Kelsey, Grandparents, Gypsy, and you guys. I would like to write to Randy too, and I will. I haven't heard anything about Jadon. I'm sure to run into Andrew here, though. That should be interesting. Their lives seem to be moving in slow motion, honestly. Halloween (a nice pagan holiday) is sort of beginning to be here and stuff, but it seems that it's been longer than that by far. People write me about the same school project and I've changed companions and learned 10% of a language's grammar. No offense, observation.

Elder Allen goes in to see if he needs surgery thursday. It will pretty much decide whether he stays here or not. He may be here until after I am gone even if he doesn't need surgery. His attitude is improving, but he's now starting to try to avoid me.

Please love each other and read the book of mormon, okay?

Love,

Elder A. Conrad Crist