Alleluia!

Hello World!

This was an eventful week at the MTC. On Tuesday, we got a talk from D. Todd Christofferson. I was impressed by his Candor and Sincerity. He talked about giving your will up to the lord. On thanksgiving we had a talk from Russel M. Nelson, who talked about thanksgiving. What was kinda interesting about that is he told us to think about all the people we loved and our errand from the lord while he played the song "Alleluia" by Men of Motab. I admit, hearing that beautiful song and thinking about all of you, I teared up a little bit. It was the first time I've been legitly homesick. And I was directed to do it by an Apostle of the lord. Ha ha, well, it was the only time. I love you all.

A funny thing happened the other day. I was having one of those days where the part of my brain that holds the Spanish language was in open rebellion. It was during a lesson with one of our fake investigators, and we were talking about keeping the sabbath day holy, and our fake investigator was talking about how he had to work on Sundays, and I said. "Dios entende que usted necisita comer su famillia." Ha ha, I can't belive I said that. I meant to say "feed" your family.
Also, I've been sick for like 2-3 weeks or so. This week it actually got kinda got to the "psychedelic world of pain" level. Ha ha, that was an interesting day. There was no doctor in because it was a weekend. My companion has been sick for longer than I have too. Not used to the Utah germs I guess. But on thanksgiving day they had us watch 17 Miracles, which is about the handcart companies. I then realized that I would never complain about anything ever again for the rest of my life. The movie is pretty depressing, but it's really well put together for a Church movie. I'm sure you guys would like it.

I know I say this up and down, but I love being a missionary. I would recommend it to everybody who can.

Also, thanks all my family members for the E-mails, sorry I don't have time to answer you all, I'll try to get to it but I only have half an hour to write all this stuff. In case you were wondering why this blog is the way it is.

Love you all!

Elder Call.

That rhymed.

Like a chime,

and a dime.

 

Editors note: Man Joe, your sick, and still moving on and telling everyone to serve a mission. "Hurrah for Israel!"

Japan?

Time flies by on wings of lightning! 10 points to whoever can name what song that is from. It seems like just yesterday me and my companion got lost every time we stepped out of a building. Spanish is coming along well, I am grateful to God for this gift that he has given me, that learning a language is relatively pain free. I'm also grateful to one of my brothers, it was either Anson or Dan, who told me that I should take Spanish in high school instead of German. Oh man, that was a good call. Thanks whichever one of you did that. Three of my brothers in my district left the MTC this week to go to the Peruvian MTC, so now there is enough time for us to teach a fake investigator twice a day, which I just love. It's another one of those situations where I walk around with a stupid grin on my face whenever I teach. Those Elders leaving also means that I get another companion, because he is waiting on his visa. He's from California, and he's a pretty cool guy.

 I also got the chance to have a very short wrestling match with a District Brother (Our District has formed a brotherhood) but then I remembered that wrestling matches in the residences were actually specifically prohibited, so we had to cut it short. I made a covenant with him that we would finish the match in two years, don't let me forget. The score was 2-1 in his favor. (Only because I didn't want to throw him, he would have died).

Anyway, I really love you all, and if any of you are thinking about going on missions, please, for the love of Pete, do it. It's fantastic. Hard, but fantastic. I love being a missionary.

On an unrelated note, I got to talk to a Japanese speaking elder who taught me how to say "Your dress looks stunning" in Japanese. I really hope I can meet a Nee-Han-Jean (Japanese Person) wearing a dress in two years, I have it written down. I would feel pretty boss at that moment. With any luck, it would turn out that that girl was Japanese-American and didn't speak Japanese and would live for at least a moment thinking I did.

That folks, is what we call a tangent. Anyway, pray for me please, and pray every day, read your scriptures and all that. Come unto Christ!

I Love you All!

Elder Call

P.S. I'm sorry I don't have time to email all of my family back, I still love you guys I promise.

Editor's note: It was from the song "Improve The Shining Moments". Thank's for coming.

He Got Your Letters!

Hey Family/Friends/Stalkers!

This week was kinda rough. But funny thing about that is yesterday I was way down in the dumps and I got a letter from the Murphies which cheered me up, thank you by the way, and then I got some really awesome muffins from Angie, thanks for that too, and I got a really inspiring Dear-elder from Jordan, muchos gracias. It's funny how everything is sort of provided for me here when I need it. Whether it be inspiration, clothes hangers (I found a closet full), hair gel, money, the gift of tongues, you can find it here. Being a servant of the Lord is awesome. I would highly recommend it to you all.

Speaking of which, I decided that the reason I am here is because I love the lord and Heavenly Father and I want to serve them. That's it. Also I love humanity and I want to serve them too, and those two coincide. Forget everything else, it really just comes down to those two. I feel good about that.

Anyway, another really cool thing about the MTC is the firesides. They are a load of fun. It's really interesting to get yelled at by a general authority. I hadn't had the experience of getting yelled at in a talk before and I can honestly say I love it. Call me weird.

Also I was humbled when a friend of mine sent me a Dear-elder in Spanish and I had no idea what it said, because the guy used some kind of slang. I had to get my Chilean teacher to translate it for me. It turns out the Mexicans are just as weird at picking slang words as the Americans are. Carnal=Man/bro? WHAT?!?

Well, nothing else interesting of note happened this week, so I'm going to fill up space by writing an ode to my awesome brother, Parker Call.

Parker, you are the salt of the earth. I know our relationship has been tenuous at times (I knocked him out one, maybe two times), but I honestly think that you are awesome. One of the things I miss here in the MTC is you, because you were always around and it just feels weird without you. You tend to brighten the day of the people you come in contact with (usually), and you have some really intersting insights about life and Man eating pirahnas and stuff. Everyone, I would reccomend talking with/hanging out with/complimenting Parker Call in the next week. You won't regret your decision. Parker, you're always going to be my right hand man, or I'll be your left hand man, whichever you prefer. I love you buddy. Stay Strong!

That goes for the rest of you!

Adios! (I found out that adios means "With God", a-dios. Pretty Cool)

Elder Call

Editor's note (Parker): ah, the times we had together, man. I'm glad people are sending letters. By the way, Joe knocked me out more than two times.

He survived!

Hola,

I survived my first week here at the MTC. It's truly remarkable how much Spanish everybody learns in just a few days. We finished teaching Carlos and he agreed to be baptized, it turns out that he was our real teacher, Hermano Duran. He is a really cool guy. He's Chilean, and he's been off his mission for 5 months and he speaks English Spanish and Chinese. Sorry Megan, I don't think he is single. I may be wrong. Look into it when you come to Provo.

Anyway, I haven't got any letters from any of you. Let me remind you that if you all don't send me letters then I'll probably forget about you and find replacement you's here on my mission. I know that may be A. Weird B. Impossible C. Wrong, but you know what, it's your own fault for not writing me.

I got to go on the temple today. It was super awesome because everything spiritual in my life is under a magnifying glass. I've been more emotional here in the 8 days I've been on a mission than I have been in my whole life I think. It's pretty crazy.

In the last post I wrote about how the MTC beats the crap out of physical labor. dan wrote back to me: "Now you know how Jean Valjean felt when he left the quarry to devote his life to god!". Ha ha it's so appropriate given my previous job at the stone factory, with a bunch of convicts.

Although, sometimes I miss being a workman. But not really. I like my life right now. No fooling.

The MTC is incredibly diverse. I see Japanese people walking around all the time and there is a British woman behind me talking about how she is a huge nerd and how Starship Troopers was the first movie to give her nightmares.

But I digress and I'm out of time. Keep me in your prayers!


Editor's note (Parker): I think Joe loves it there. *snicker, snicker*