So I come home in a year from... yesterday I think... I'll find out exactly when as time goes along. It is so insane how time flies by here.. SOOO weird! I love it! Everyday is a gift from God, even the days (weeks? months?) that are the hardest where you don't have any potential prospects! Those are the times where you grow the closest to the Lord and learn to rely on Him the most! Even if I didn't come back from my mission with any success in baptisms or stuff like that, I will have come back just having learned how to rely on the Lord every moment for two years. At least it will change me. And who knows, maybe I'll go back in forty years as a missionary again or even just to live there and I'll be that much more effetive because I'll know Russian and the culture and how it all works! I know I'm not here in vain and I'm doing a marvelous work and a wonder for the Lord... That being said... this thing is tough as nails. The hardest thing is being in a district with people who are getting baptisms every month and have had twenty baptisms on their missions and stuff. I just don't understand what I'm doing differently than them! haha! Oh well, maybe I'll never know, but I'm certainly learning HOW to be a missionary here. I decided that's the thing I want the most from my mission, is to become a missionary. If I come back without having done that... well, I would say I failed. haha!
Hermana Swartz! That's way cool that you are going to have sister assistants. Weird. We had travelling sisters in our mission, but shortly after I got here, the rules changed and it wasn't allowed. Sad. That's crazy though, it's just like the district, where the girl is like "I decided that I'm going to be the first Sister assistant to the president and my companion will be the other one" We don't have enough sisters in our mission to do that right now. All five of our experienced sisters are training right now, and then they all leave next cycle... getting replaced by five new sisters... meaning that the sisters who are getting trained this cycle are all going to be training next cycle... haha! That will punch them in the face. in a good way. hopefully.
Mom, I'm glad you are having a great time in spain! Trains aren't all they're craced up to be. They're fun though, way more fun than 14 hour bus rides accross the mission. Luckily I haven't been in one of those cities. My cities have required trains! That's cool about the story at the temple! There really is such a difference in the spirit that you can feel.
Dad, I;m glad you are having fun! Don't get too bored! You sould take up Russian if you get to bored! I love you gotta go!
Elder Swartz!!
