It's insane to think that I have been here for five weeks! After six weeks, the oldest guys get transfered out along with all of the Latinos, and all the new people come in! And I'll get a new companion! A LATINO companion! Yews, that's what the six weekers get: a companion who usually only speaks Spanish. On January 17th, MTC time is getting reduced by a third for all foreign speakers and on February 12th (Abraham Lincoln's birthday 1809) it'll be reduced by one third for all natives, too. Missionaries like me will now have six weeks to be trained instead of the old-school nine weeks. My jealousy is immeasurable... Either way, I only have another week with my compañeros. I'll miss Elder Parker and Elder Pointer. We call ourselves "the Trio" and sing the word "trio" as a trio when people say the work "trio." It's the best thing ever.
Due to lost classtime on Christmas, we didn't go proselyting in order to catch ourselves up in our studies. But the days leading up to Christmas were amazing. We watched the first Presidency Christmas Devotional (found on lds.org) on Sunday and hearing the choir sing "What Child is This" brought me straight back to singing in the Messiah choir. I quietly sang my part along during that song as several tears of joy streamed down my face. On Christmas Eve (which is called "Noche Buena" down here) one of the area authories came to speak to us, the missionaries, about applying the generousity and charity of Christ to our libes and missionary work. Christ's earthly ministry was only three years, you know. My ministry will be two. l If I have faith in Him, I know that I can have the same affect on the people as He did.
Christmas day was the most amazing, most difficult Christmas I have ever had. We spent the morning studying different aspects of Christ's life and I had the opportunity to bear my testimony to all seventy of the missionaries in the CCM that Christ lives. He overcame death and now we have the same opportunity. And, as Christ commands in Mark 16:15-18, I must go forth and share this wonderful message with everyone. I know that Christ lives; the Spirit of God has made the known to me because I have prayed and asked God. I know that the same will work for anyone as long as they're willing to act upon his or her answer. We watched a devotional for missionaries by Elder Holland that night and it completely changed my perspective on how I am going to teach. Elder Holland...he is amazing.
My Spanish is coming along excellently. I have learned everything that they are going to teach me and now it's just a matter of application. English is so much easier!! But Spanish is a beautiful language and communicating in it makes me feel like a boss. I love learning about how to teach. When I taught lessons before my mission, I think I did a pretty good job for the knowledge and the spirit that I had. But now I feel like the Lord has shown me how to teach in a completely different way. It's difficult to explain, but it sufficeth me to say that the Spirit knows all things and that I learn more and more every day about how to follow the promptings of God. Also, Preach My Gospel is amazing. I never appreciated it like I should have before my mission!! Time blazes by here and I don't even know what to do with myself other than to get lost in this work. I love you all and wish you happy holidays. I love Christmahanukawanzakuh! And New Years! Make good resolutions. I plan to do the same. I must now go and serve the beloved children of God.
LOVE,
Elder Plautz
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