Almost gone

I marvel to know that a young man like Alex can learn an entire language, passably, in this short amount of time. He seems to me that he is ready to go. I read a letter he sent to his Grandparents and he said he is totally ready but he has not actually told me that yet. I am excited for him to go but that just means the time is going and he will be back soon. I also find it hard to believe that he is only a mile down the street and I haven't seen him once. I wonder if he is avoiding the field, changing the times he goes to the Temple, or if he just stays inside all the time? I know I am not supposed to see him but I truly thought that I would. NEVER in 7 weeks!!! And I drive up and down the road many times every day...

Okay. First, I did get the packages, up to the one with the pudding in it. I don't know if you know about that scarf grandma sent me... but holy cow. It's pretty ridiculous. It's like touching a cloud. Anyway, it's much appreciated. Issue, though : it seems I have smaller fingers than you thought. I really do understand that. They are ridiculously thin for my age. I would say one, maybe two sizes down? So should I send it back to you guys? Absolutely get that one again, though. It's dang cool, possibly the coolest one I've ever seen.

As for that annoying stuff I always seem to need, this week's is pretty tame. Could you type out how to but a button on, how to shine shoes, and how to sew up rippy pants in case it happens? I really just don't know, but all you'd have to do is type it on a dearelder letter and I'll just hang on to that one. Anything else you can think of is great. "I've got a sick sewing kit but I have no idea what to do with it." is a direct quote from five minutes ago.

We just learned something in spanish that may help you appreciate how insane this is. Have you ever heard of the Subjunctive mood? Dad may have from Danish or his English studies. It's a whole category of verb modifications you use if you think that the thing you are talking about is doubtful, emotional, or is your opinion. Ever sentence you have to think if what you are saying needs it or not. Saying "It's true that the church is true," which isn't subjunctive, and "It's important that the church is true," which is, use two different verbs for 'is' (es and sea, to be exact) Sounds confusing, doesn't it? It is.

However I talked to a Russian-speaker who said that in russian verbs change based on who does it and who recieves it. And a Latvian speaker who says there are no connecting words - to when you want to say 'to' or 'so that' you have to throw it onto the word. That may be worse.

In spite of that, we seem to be doing pretty well on the whole. I am at the stage of language learning called 'asynchronicity', wherein your brain has your primary and new languages sort of jammed together, so neither works particularly well, especially in writing. I make a spelling error or wierd grammar problem in every paragraph I can't edit afterward. I've already done a few, including mispelling 'languages' and 'asynchronicity', but Google saves me.

The teachers have frankly said that my missing classes and things was planned deliberately because I can deal with it. I don't believe it often, but they've said my grasp is fairly sophisticated and my accent is already very good. I, for one, am glad to hear that. I think the first few times you teach lessons in Spanish is intended to make you suffer a little so you'll study harder. I thought struggling through the lessons meant I was incompetent and I studied too little. Turns out everyone has that problem. But nowdays I can actually do it. Elder Allen hasn't learned much Spanish yet, so I talk about 95% of the time in lessons, which is good for me, really, so I can learn to not just bail when I go down a bad doctrinal tangent or get confused with what I'm saying. I have to just pick it up and try to get somewhere.

I think I'm about 75% excited to go to Chile, and 25% apprehensive. It was about the opposite before I got here, so that's something. There are days, especially after the temple, like right now, that I'd leave now, but there are days, often after teaching a lesson, that I'd almost take the Provo MTC mission. Okay, definitely not that. I don't know if I am super-excited to contact people, but teaching people, and studying for and answering their deepest questions, which I've only had a little experience doing, is fantastic, and I'm ready to do that for anyone that will listen.

Have I told you about that yet? Let me tell you that you have never studied until you have studied for someone else. Reading through the scriptures a few times each is definitely necessary, but that is how you will become someone who can help people. You should probably get Jake a Preach My Gospel (or the Predicad Mi Evangelio, as it were). Everything people will need to know comes out of there. Knowing the orbital period of Kolob (1000 years) is not really a useful thing for teaching. Endend'eis?

If you want details physically, say something. I feel like I'm pretty abstract, but that is how I think. If you want details, be specific enough for details. I mean, it took me the length of today to experience it.

Love

Elder Alex Crist