Week 3

FAMILIA!

All right, before I begin, let's get down to some buisness... Sorry for asking for things, but it's necessary, haha. So Mom, 1. I love you. 2. Remember that vaccination place where it took an hour to get one shot and I told you it would only take 5 minutes? (Still sorry abt that.) But I never got this yellow piece of paper, or didn't bring it at least, that says I had the "Yellow Fever" vaccination. I guess they won't let me in to Brazil if I don't have that. So could you send that to me please? You might actually have to go to the place and get another copy bc I don't remember getting it (even though I probably did... Sorry!) 

Uhm, I love study time. Holy cow I wish I could just send my study journal home to you all with my notes in it that I've learned from the one hour a day of personal study time. I've learned so much and just want to share it but I have other more important stuff to write to you all about that it takes precedence. But! I've been studying, thinking, praying and then thinking again, and then more prayer and thinking, and then more. Man I wish I was better at really "studying" when I would read my scriptures at night. Treasures are just pouring out as I spend an entire week of studying 5 pages of scripture. Anyway, I've thought a lot about family history work and want to request two things. Again, sorry... Haha but 1. As deep of a family history chart as you can go. That baby will be big time important to me. Also, coupled with that, stories of literally anything that each person has done. I would suspect Grandma Welch has some awesome stuff on that but I've been thinking a lot about it lately and it will be such a blessing to have. I know that's a big favor to ask, so I don't expect it to come in the mail next week or even probaly for a while, but as you do some of the digging and study, it will benefit you as well.

Fam, I'm going to try to mail a package home next week with some stuff goodies and handwritten stuff. Sorry I haven't been able to handwrite you anything. It's kind of stressful on Pday bc there's so much to do. And mine always gets cut short a couple hours bc of Tuesday night devotionals... which ohhhhh man, DA BOMB. Haha I dont mean to complain, it's just a little unfortunate bc I want so badly to respond to your letters I get, I just can't find the time. I've thought about writing a portion of a letter every night before 10:30 but we're not supposed to. So, I can't do it. Sorry. But holy cow please keep writing. They're like power to me. Haha and Ashley, tell Reese my favorite letter I've gotten here so far is from her. Sorry fam, Reese's was the best... And Joe told me about her walking up to sing in the Ward choir during Sacrament mtg?? Hahaha that's awesome. Holy cow I miss her and Boston (and Nixon and Chase of course, but they never had "the time" I guess to talk to me...) When Boston gets the chance, I would love to hear from him. I always think abt things he has said to me and just start laughing to myself. Oh and ps Ashley, some of the sisters in my district also use DoTerra. Haha I'll tell you more about it in a handwritten letter at some point in the future. And JOE! You almost did it! Haha your first letter I got said you really thought you were going to write me every week. Aghhhh, so closee..... Haha no I'm not complaining, and please don't feel obligated to write me (this is to everyone), but I do expect at least one a month from everyone in the family (except for you mom. Sorry, I want you to write every week.)

Okay, I have successfully killed too much time. Man it's going to take some time to not go off on tangents while emailing. But speaking of "complaining", I received a certain letter this week from someone calling me out. Haha Dustin I guess says that there's no way I'm always so happy. Well, as much as I would like to tell him he's a liar, he's right. I'm not going to lie, the MTC is tough! It's constantly a mental battle of fighting homesickness, memories with friends, inadequacy with the languague, missing lifting with Matt... haha just to be specific, but it's tough. One thing I'm learning to do here though is to think of something else when all of those feelings and thoughts come up. Whenever I find myself thinking/worrying about something, I immediately start repeating a scripture I memorized the day before or conjugating a verb in all the tenses I know, or thinking about how best to teach my "investigator." Dustin is right, but not completely right. I do love it here. I'm preparing to go do the most important work I can do in my life. I wake up every morning and the last thing I do is, absolutely last thing I do, is put on my nametag. It means so much to me. To bear the name of the Savior on a nametag that also has my name on it is such an privilage, even as daunting as it sometimes can be. I asked my roomates if they still get giddy when they get to put it on in the morning and they said it's kind of worn off now. I told them to never get tired of it. Haha but anyway, the reason I bring that up, and sorry for this letter being the way it is without a lot of substance, is because it isn't easy. Just as it is for going to work, or having to listen to Matt's high pitch noises (I actually miss those btw...) or having Reese color on the walls. Anyway, I'm rushing to finish on time but just know I'm having the time of my life. I'm representing the very person who gave everything He had so I can live with you guys forever. That alone deserves all of my heart, might, mind and strength. Everything I got. So, hopefully you'll never read a letter of mine where I'm discouraged. 

I love you all. I'll send pictures next week.

Elder Welch