1st WEEK !!!

Hey Everyone!

    
 One week down, one to go? I love it here. It is completely amazing and I love every second of it! I don't even know where to start... How about my companion! He is from the outskirts of Dallas, Texas. He has a really loud, brassy Texan voice (which hasn't stopped talking), a big belly and an excess of back hair. He is ten minutes late to just about everything we go to, and uses a vocabulary much to large for his understanding....oh, also, he was 8 hours late to report to the MTC, so I was companionless for the first day here. I was planning on complaining about him for the whole email, but on Sunday, I fasted and prayed really hard for charity towards him, that I might be able to love him as Christ does - and what'd ya know?! it worked! Also, that day, he said I have tremendously helped him to see what a missionary should be like and he really feels like he was put with me for a reason. And to be completely honest here, I don't know that any of the other Elders in the district could handle him.

   
My district! They are all sooo cool. We are a really different group of guys, but we mesh really well. The zone leaders asked me to be the standing district leader untill the branch president could interview all of us, but I have a feeling that because I'm leaving in two weeks, he'll choose another missionary who will be here longer. There are four missionaries including myself that are going to the DR, and the rest are going to Argentina. My teachers are really good too! I feel more comfortable expressing myself in Espanol now than i ever had before! It is sooooo much easier to learn another language when it's the Spirit teaching you instead. I already have a very strong testimony that the gift of toungues is real, because there is really no other way i could learn so much so fast and retain it all.

   
People talked to: Jeff Hasen, Nate tucker, Chad Tealeno, Christian Price, Jacob Taylor, Jeff Bigelow, Blake Williams, Elder Clayton (Mandi Andre's friend). Greg lives two stories above me, so he comes down every night and we share food and chill. On Sunday night, we get to watch movies, and I went to Legacy with Matt and we talked through the whole thing. (don't worry mom, I have pictures) Oh! and one of the first words of wisdom Matt had for me was for you to Dear Elder me back instead of email, because I only have a half an hour to write and if I read a letter too, I can tell you all I want, which I'm starting to see is true now...

   
How have you guys been? Thank you everyone who has sent me stuff! (Mom, Emily and Chelsea). I was like the coolest kid yesterday when i got 3 letters and a package. No one found out they were all from my Mom and my sister haha. But, I really appreciate it so - thank you!

Taylor and Elder Greg Montgomery

So gym is actually really fun and it's a really nice break from the rigorous classes. I dunked in a game a few days ago! It was awesome and now my district has stupid names for me concerning basketball. This is really the best time of my life though. It's so fun and rewarding. My companion was sick yesterday - he said his stomach hurt... so I had to stay at the dorm and just do personal study which is allright I guess..

What else... ummm general conference next week! That'll be really cool. The devotionals here are sooo good and you feel the Spirit so strong. Oh - my roomies are in my zone but not district, but theyr'e going to Macon, Georgia - Spanish Speaking, which is the same mission as Josh Weathers. So, I won't be surprised if he trains one or something... running out of time.... the dorms are just a party at night haha! We play games, feast on junk food, and it's just kind of nice to relax a little and have another glimpse at teenage life. Oh, I'm youngest in my district by far... three of the missionaries are over 20, and one is 26. They are all super cool though.

Anyways, love you all! Bye!

Elder McBride