Elder Joshua Nieman

So first off I want to tell a story. Every week we are supposed to write a talk in spanish and on sunday, during sacrament meeting they just come up to you and say will you say a talk. Well being the way I am I didnt write a talk and I thought it would be impossible for me to get called on. So sunday rolls around and we are just sitting listening to out branch president talk. Oh and by the way all sacrament meeting is in spanish and everything is spanish. My branch president says We would love to hear from Elder Nieman. OOOOO shoot! Well I go up there and I was way nervous but I ended up getting through the whole thing in spanish. It was amazing but it taught me a lesson to always be prepared but it went really good and i felt like I could speak spanish pretty good. It was kind of cool but it was really kind of an embarrasing moment for me.

Sometimes I help my companion translate his talk in spanish. That makes me feel like I know spanish pretty good. Wow this week flew by for me and every day gets faster and faster for me. I just cant wait to get out in the field and make a fool out of myself by trying to speak spanish. hahaha but wow I really do think I am getting the hang of things and just getting into all the spiritual stuff. When I first got here I though spanish was what I needed to learn but as I go through the MTC I realize that it is the gospel that we really need to learn. Faith in my Heavenly Father is what is going to help me learn spanish. I have learned more spanish than I did in school. haha I am working so hard with everything and just doing my best and being very very patient. 

I think so much through out the day what my family is doing or my friends or what will change in the next two years. I try not to think to much about that cause I know the Lord will bless me and everyone around me for the service I am doing. Even though I am not out in the field I feel like I am helping so many people. haha that is kind of weird to think about but it is true. Oh I miss all of you and I know when Brooks is born that might be kind of hard for me but I know everything that I learn here on my mission will help get through a lot of things to come in my life. I cant wait to see Brooks and Shellies baby. That will bring me so much joy. 

Ok another story, well you know how I said I didnt have a watch well we went to the store and looked at all the watches. haha all of them where girly and covered with diamonds and pink and just really meant for hermanas but I needed to get a watch so I bought a watch and It is a really cute watch with diamonds on each corner. haha It doesnt look to bad but I will send you a picture of it. So 

I forgot to answer your question about the temple. We go on the last week we are here but the temple is closed right now so we will just visit the visitors center. Thats ok but it would have been really cool to go through the temple. haha the food is alright. I might have overreacted but it is still pretty gross. haha I know it will get better in Peru cause I talk to the president of the MTC a lot and he has lived in peru for 9 years and says that it is the best food he has ever tasted. So I am looking forward for that. I just think that my mission is going to change so many things about what I think about my life and what I want to do with my life. 

Haha I am so random writing you letters but this week I got a haircut also. haha I feel like I am getting really close with my district and just everyone here at the MTC. A lot of these guys have gotten me through a lot while I have stayed here and they are just so amazing and its always good to laugh a lot in the CCM. It erases a lot of the stress and just everything that is going on. I cant believe I am half way through the CCM. It seems like it went way slow at first but now it is just starting to go faster and faster cause we are so focused on our goal. 

Oh and to give you a weekly update about me getting fat... nope I am not at all. Oh my have any of you had nutella before. It is one of the most amazing things here at the CCM. If I could I would have it for every meal.

Another subject change but it is really cool to teach already even though we arent out in the field. I can just feel the spirit when I teach and just start getting into the gospel. I have started to read the spanish BOM and the english BOM side by side and it really helps with things. My teacher Hermano Soto is one of the most amazing teachers here at the CCM. He teaches us some really good stuff and also he is hilarious. He talks way fast though in spanish and it is really hard to understand but It seems like I am getting used to the language and understanding more and more. I feel like learning spanish here is the best way cause everyone is speaking spanish always.

I wish I could be there for all the big things that are about to happen but I just know that this is where I am supposed to be. I am doing so much better than all the other weeks and I feel more peace and I feel very close to my heavenly father But anyways just let me know how things are doing and what I need to know. I love you all so much and I just wish everyone a happy P Day or whatever you are doing.

Love Elder Nieman