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Thursday, August 8, 2013

August 8th 2013

Hola Familia,
This week has seriously flown by. I forgot my journal in my room so I will do my best to try and remember everything that happened this week. Or at least the important stuff! hahaha. Everyone in my district has started getting their visas! You have to go sign for them so you get a day trip to either Vegas, Boise, or SLC. Me and 1 other elder in my district are still waiting and hopefully they come this week! If not, I'll probably get reassigned to a state-side mission for a transfer. If that happens, I guess the Lord just needs me to make a pit-stop somewhere before I head down to Monterrey! I'm already starting to get "homework" for when I get to Monterrey. Since my teacher served in Monterrey East, he gave me a list of his areas and converts in those areas, he told me if I'm ever in those areas to check up on those people and then let him know how they're all doing! I also met a man in TRC (where members come and talk to missionaries in their language) that is from Saltillo but was a branch president in Monterrey! Tomorrow he is going to bring us names of family he has in Monterrey that aren'y members! So I'll have referrals before I even lleave the CCM :)
On Sunday I got to go to a devotional where Jenny Oaks Baker spoke....Elder Oaks' daughter! She's also one of the best classical violinists in the US, so she bore testimony through words and also song!! It was sooo cool, she was so good! She also had her family there and of course they're all musicall gifted as well. Her 3 daughters (ages 11,10 and 8) and her 6 year old son all played I am a child of god. The little boy played the guitar and he was actually quite good for a 6 year old! I always feel the spirit so strong through music, sometimes I wish I was musically gifted so I could just do that instead of trying to bear testimony in broken Spanish! hahaha On Tuesday Jay E Jensen came to our Marriot Center devotional and spoke all about how we can use the scriptures! He gave us tons of tips on how to read, mark, study, and use them. One of my favorite things he said was to ask yourself questions. When you have a question it provides a gateway to revelation. This applies to us asking ivestigators questions but also for personal study. I always love the Tuesday devotionals because there's just a mob of thousands of missionaries walking from the CCM to BYU, it's a pretty amazing sight!
Well, the Spanish is coming along fairly well, but then somedays I just feel like I forget everything because my brain is so overloaded! It's crazy to think I only have 11 days left here, the time has really flown by. I've tried to refine so many things about myself that need fixing. As cool as the name-tags are, it's a huge responsibilty to bear el nombre de Jesucristo on my chest. We're trying to represent the only perfect man to ever walk this Earth, what a great privielege but a huge responsibility as well. I'm so excited to go and actually get out to el campo. My brain is a bit scattered today so sorry if this email was a bit all over the place! hahaha. Since the temple is closed until next week, they choose a couple districts to clean the temple on their P-Day, so I get to go clean the temple in a couple of hours!  It'll be kinda cool to go to the temple when it's not a session. I miss being able to go to the temple as much as I did before I left. that was such a blessing to me! I know the blessings of the temple are real and impossible to number because there are so many!
I seriously love the opportunity I have to be a missionary and to learn the best language in the world. There are actually mandarin-speaking elders studying next to me....I'm so glad I'm not them haha it sounds so hard! I know that Mexico is where the Lord wants me to go and where I need to be. Im grateful for all the support you guys are and the examples so many of you have set for me. I will keep you guys updated on the whole Visa situation, but just know that whatever happens that it's what the Lord wants and needs! The Lord sometimes works in very mysterious ways and I guess we've just gotta roll with it. Yo se que esta Iglesia es verdadero y el Libro de Mormon es la palabra de Dios. La Obra misional es un gran bendicion en mi vida y estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad de ser un misionero ahora! 
Con Muchisimo amor,
Elder Connell 

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