Well woohoo. This week has been going well. It's true, waiting can be a pain, but my mind focuses on the day by day. Frankly, it doesn't really bother me, to wait for a visa. My companions are a bit more antsy than I. Since one of the elders that was in our room left to Rosario Argentina his previous companion became our companion. So now we are a trio. We're making do. For the past week we've been with our teacher reviewing topics we wanted to talk about, that we could use some more help with. This week, as of yesterday, we joined a new advanced district. So we'll be jumping on with some native speakers in their MTC experience. It'll be good to learn though it'll be a lot like nine weeks crammed into two and a half. Because it is. Elder Dallin H. Oaks talked to us on Tuesday. His wife Kristen did too. They were good. Talked about teaching with the Holy Ghost and the Sacrament. That makes 3 apostles that we've seen though- Jeffrey R. Holland twice. I've been here too long. I'm thinking about getting anxious for speaking with the native Spanish speakers in our class, because one of the elders was talking to me 10 minutes ago and I understood like 10 words of 30. But he's hard to listen to in the first place, I think. Doesn't speak very clearly. I'll get by.
Matt - Maybe it's just me, kind sir, but you've always seemed to keep fairly late hours. And about that wonderful food in Argentina. I've been told by just about everyone I meet that the food will in fact be wonderful. Not just about everyone, even. Every single person. Granted, I've only talked to 6 or so people who have actually been there. But that's still some pretty good odds. We talked with one of the teachers here who went to our same mission during lunch. He told us not to step in the gutters, that we'd mainly be among the poor people. There is a temple in our mission, though. He said that the pick-up-rock dog-scare tactic actually works down there. I'll utilize it well. And I'll have to meditate on your analogy challenge. It'll come. And about words. It's true. I'll probably forget some. So far I've only forgotten obscure words that are made up in books that I read, however. I don't think I'll forget a ton though because Spanish and English are so similar. Many cognates. So I might mix it up that way. And one interesting false cognate - to be embarrassed is not embarazada. That, in fact, actually means you're pregnant. I'll be avoiding that word.
Mom & Dad - Sad it was overcast there. Sad I couldn't get some Lil' Piggy's and lounge in a Sky Chair thingy by the pier in that one nice shop. Or play Ticket to Ride Asia with partners. But y'know. I'll survive. Although I do expect to play some Ticket to Ride partners when I get back. Maybe, no, definitely, more than some. Count on it. Sorry you had to drive through that nice little snowfall. I don't believe I would've liked driving through it. Thanks for saying a bit more about the blog. It really doesn't matter if you share it with whoever you will. At first I thought when you put Ward you meant the whole ward. But then I realized it when I was rough drafting this letter. Hah. It's about what I thought it'd be. Which is a wonderful thing. I can't really view it, but I'll have faith you only hired the best to work out the layout and design. And by the by, I'll probably send the SD card from my camera home and buy one here. Then you can take the photos from it and perhaps eventually send it back. Really, though, thanks for the blog. It'll be a wonderful thing when I'm finished with the mission. I'll have the opportunity to reread my emails and chuckle at the little jokes I crack, the ones that you people don't even realize are jokes. I will continue having a good week, without doubt. I pray that you all will as well.
Alexander - Attitude, young one. Anything can be a drag if you let it. For example, I didn't value very much the second talk that Jeffrey R. Holland gave here because I just wasn't feeling very well. I probably had a little sore throat, but more my brain was just ugh. And those talks you don't hear again. So it's sad. A wasted opportunity. The earlier you stop the fret the easier it gets. Yes, I want to erase that, although I am the one who just typed it. I as well am excited for conference. All in Spanish, baby. The hardest thing is that when you listen to conference talks in a different language, you tend to pay more attention to the actual words rather than the message or more important as well the Spirit. But I can overcome. Enjoy practicing your missionary ways. Study chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel. It's what I'm doing today, and I'm thinking more or less throughout the week in bits. Christlike attributes. It'll rock. And also, praying is good too. And one last plea. For all your emails till the rest of time, you may only use the word "crap" once more. It's far too negative. Uplift, yo. I really have noticed here the power that comes to people when the use language that is good. Not that crap is a vulgar word, but in context it can sound and be used the exact same way. It changes the way you think, and definitely feel. I kind of feel like I've lectured you now. Hopefully you take it well.
And that's that. Now I have some time and I might email Courtney with the time I have left. 3:30 minutes. Time it.
Love,
You dearest Elder Hansen
Letter from the Family March 22, 2012
ELDER HANSEN,
Eulogy Nick, eulogy. It is 12:19 AM as I write this. I seem to keep late hours nowadays. Sadly, due to daylight savings they will soon become even later. To match good ol' Australia I'll be going to work an hour later and getting off an hour later with the end result being less sleep time. I have been having a relaxed Spring Break though. I went out to San Diego and wandered around for half a week. I even bought myself a wetsuit and a body board. The ocean in the States is too cold, but the suit helped. Also, I visited the beloved Lil' Piggy's BBQ and had some tasty comida. Hopefully there is some good food down in Argentina . Don't be afraid to try new things - just don't eat dog. Kick dog if necessary, but don't eat dog. I'm wondering how long it will take before it starts getting harder to remember certain English words. Honestly, you aren't going to forget how to speak English, but you may have a harder time remembering words that you don't use commonly. Like crem
ation - that one had my district stumped for half a P-day. In consideration of this I shall give you a word of the week (unless I forget, which is pretty probable). This week the word is candor, which means the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere. And your fun fact: there is a type of wasp that invades ant burrows to lay its eggs. The cool part is that the wasp emits a pheromone that causes the ants to fight amongst themselves and thus provides a way for the wasp to get deep enough to lay its eggs with the ant larvae and then escape (it is your missionary duty to pull some awesome analogy out of that). Anyways, I need to take a few online quizzes and get some sleep. Show some candor and good luck with the visa!
Señor Guapo
******************************<WBR>*************
Hola Senor Nico,
We also went to San Diego. Matt took up all the good weather. When we went the first day was overcast. We did the Mormon Battalion and Old Town S.D. and walked the pier that day. Didn't really even get to the sand and the beach. The next day it was raining seriously. We went to Lil Piggy's, shopped a bit and then toured the battleship Midway. It was pretty cool. They wouldn't let us on the flight deck though. Played games until early am though both days. Taught Kevin how to play Ticket to Ride with Partners, and Carcasonne. I lose that game every time I play anymore. But I still love it. Bill and Jeanne are doing well. We left Sunday morning - had planned to pick up a Sacrament Meeting, but decided to leave earlier. Was good we left. We drove through a snowstorm - no a blizzard- on the way home. Visibility horrible, speed down to about 30. Glad Dad was driving. Made the trip longer though. Then back to the grind when we got home.
So, your blog site has a couple of pictures and the letters you send to us. I have thought about posting our letters to you, but haven't yet. We've only given the site out to Bishop Ellingson, Ward, and family members. That way if I forget to send a copy of your e-mail to someone they can just catch up on the blog. Plus you will have a place where you can see your e-mails later.
I'm praying for you often that your visa will come soon. I guess you needed to bone up on your patience and that is the Lord's way of teaching it to you. It's not easy, but it's better than getting pancreatitis like your dad. Love you a ton, miss you still. (our milk usage is to less than 2 gallons a week), Have a good week, Mom (and Dad)
******************************<WBR>**
So it begins anew for the last time. The next schooling quarter progresses as my care of it digress in larger and larger quantities. There is a lot of crap that I have to do before I graduate though. New York trip crap, sing at baccalaureate stuff, get my service learning hours confirmed, clean my room, another choir concert, party it up, and pass all of my classes(which shouldn't be too hard right?). Life rolls on here though. I really need to get a job. Dag yo. anywho conference and missionary week and the musical are all coming up next week so that should be freakin sweet. maybe it will help me feel better about school and other such things. The overall thing I am having difficulty with is trying desperately to find out where I fit into this world. I mean religiously I am good, but I want to do something that I love for a living you know? I really want to make a big impact on someone or something. I guess I need to find my cause. My cause for getting up in the morning and
the cause for carrying on. I don't know. life has been bleh as of late. Anywho sorry I am not more uplifting. But at least I wrote to you. anyway peace out brother.
-Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment