Hola Familia! And Mommy, and everybody else who might be reading this!
Okay, here's what I'm going to do, instead of writing everyone a letter, I'm gonna do what Alex does and writes little paragraphs to everyone at the end, unless it's a long letter to them. I just sent a letter home today so it'll be getting to you really soon! So, second day here and I am LOVING it! For real! I've felt a couple times like I'm a sinner, or doing something wrong because I've felt awesome since I got here. There haven't been amazing times all the time, but there hasn't been lows either! Last night was a little hard getting to sleep, but I attribute that to going to bed for the first time in a year and a half, at 10:30! I was in fact in bed at 10:29! I'm being a good boy! Soooo much to tell you and only 23 mintues left! People said today would be the longest day of my life, and it's been so awesome so far! We just were in a lesson for an hour and a half and it flew by! It's kinda wierd! The food here is amazing! I wasn't to worried about not liking it because I'm usually not pretty picky. I eat an apple with every meal and stand as much as possible when I'm not in class, cause sitting forever gets a little taxing on the buttocks! Breakfast was awesome, one of the best one I've had in a long time, besides the Pull-Aparts! Wow I'm typing really fast to get as much in as possible! 19 minutes!
We went to the gym today which was AWESOME! Shawn was totally right! We played one of the most intense games of basketball I have in a long time! It felt so amazing to get out and play! There is a period where I go to the gym, and then eat lunch and there's SOO much down time! Just from getting showered and stuff and it feels wierd! I'm sure it's gonna get harder, but as for right now I'm loving it! Maybe it's because you mom and dad, taught me how to work, and I've been to band camp where you're working all day as well! I just can't express how awesome this place is! This could be beginners enthusiasm, but it's so saweet! Today in our lesson I was thinking about teaching, there seemed to be something missing I wasn't understanding! I wondered why we had set lesson guide for each lesson if we weren't supposed to just sit down with an investigator and run through what I'd learned! That's what we practiced in all my mission prep classes because I suppose that's all you can do. Our teacher at church would just say, "now, teach the first lesson to each other." and we'd go outside and run through the first lesson, section by section. That's as much as you can do outside the MTC I guess, but what hit me like a lightening bolt today, (seriously, I was so so happy when I realized this) was that instead of sitting down and teaching like an audio tape of the Preach my Gospel, we're supposed to sit down in the first lesson with an investigator, LISTEN, LOVE, & UNDERSTAND, and use the spirit of discernment that we received in our setting apart, and pull those principles out of each of the sections in P my G, and mold them to the needs of the investigator! MAN IT HIT ME HARD! A huge AHAH moment. BRAD YOU'RE A GENIUS! I wondered why you always talked about going over the basics, and being able to teach the principles easily and understandably. Because that's exactly what we'll do. Man this place is awesome. I'm here for a reason, hopefully to impact people at home and in Texas. I've already gotten the feeling that I wanna be in Houston, and not here, but this is important to teaching! I think I have my Branch President interview tonight. Keep the faith, I'm doing wonderful! Maybe in the next week it'll all hit me, that I'm gonna be gone for 2 years and will be working the whole time, but maybe it's a good sign I haven't felt dread from that yet. Maybe it's cause I've already forgotten about my needs! Mom, I know you're crying! I love you and I have a testimony but I don't have enough time to go into detail! Talk to you next week!
Dad: How is having your coolest son gone? I bet it's hard huh? Brad sent me a pic of you in Brazil and it was a great help and comfort to see you at 19, or 20!
(sorry they're short, I'm running out of time) 4 minutes left!
Mom: Stay strong and keep the faith! You're an awesome mother of stripling warriors!
Brad: I LOVE YOU BROTHER! You're a genius and I'm now saying on the record that I should have taken those opportunities to teach with you and it just hit me today what you meant by the BASICS! That's what you teach most of the time!
Justin: Thanks for your email! I love you so much and I was surprised to hear you missed me that much ;) You're an amazing kid and have fun in High school! I heard about the BYU game the morning after! At 6:30 missionaries were freaking excited and cheering at how awesome it was including how awesome Jimmer did!
Kimberly: How's your play coming? Please let me know what part you get! As soon as you know! I love you and you're an awesome sister!
EVERYONE: Thanks for the letters! I loved them and was very excited when I opened up my binder!
Love you everybody!
-Elder McKeen
