¡Trillamos a los naciones!

Yo fam,

To explain the subject, it means thrash the nations in Spanish. It's kind of become one of our mottoes. All's good here still. We're progressing as always and I'm learning more and more Spanish each day. Spiritual experiences galore. I'm beginning to think more and more of those things that missionaries would always laugh at that I thought were lame are more and more hilarious, so you could say I'm becoming an actual missionary.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to perform with some other Elders in my zone an arrangement of "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" at a couple conferences and in our sacrament meeting. It was a beautiful song and I'm glad I had the opportunity to share some of my talents.

I don't remember if I told you guys last week, but we got a new district last Wednesday, so that's fun to have them around. They are an intermediate district, so they learn a little bit different content than us. Also, the oldest district in our zone left this past Monday, which was weird. I have also had a lot of other friends that were here when I arrived leave this week, which is also a little disconcerting, but also gets me really pumped to go to Argentina.

Also, Elder Johnson and I were made District Leaders this week! We're excited to try to help our district as much as we can and be the best leaders we can. We have a district goal to memorize all of DyC 4 in Spanish by Saturday, and my compa and I already have, and it's awesome! Also, tomorrow we'll be having an all-Spanish day, which should be interesting. Another thing, I've been praying in Spanish since around the first day, which was been amazing.

Question for Dad, Doug, Lauren, or anyone else who has been on a mission. How do help a missionary who doesn't like his companion, and doesn't like himself for not being able to love his companion, but doesn't know how to change? I know that's a really tough and complicated situation, but I need all the help I can get to help them center their companionship in Christ.

This week we talked a lot about revelation through prayer, and more about How to Begin Teaching, and Teaching People, Not Lessons. I love learning these fundamentals, they really help a lot. Now if I could just figure how to put all the things I learned into Spanish, that would be prime. Also, Elder Davis (the 21 year old) was giving the opportunity to leave early and go straight to the mission field, but luckily he decided to stay because of the fundamentals he's learning, and he loves our district, and I couldn't be happier. His companion struggles a lot with Spanish, so he helps him a ton, and he also helps our district all the time. I love our district and see the Lord's hand in everything that we do every single day.

Getting to go to the temple last week was amazing. I'm pumped (or as my district would say "so turnt") to go again today. The blessings and revelation found in the temple are unlike anything else in the world, and I encourage you all to go as soon as you can.

Also, Lauren is a saint and basically the best. She made a journal for me filled with basically letters to me on my mission while she was on her mission and afterwards, and let me tell you, that thing was inspired. So many things she has talked about have been relevant to me here. I think of it as like my own epistle from a servant of the Lord. She also included a speech by Tad R. Callister titled "Our Identity, Our Destiny" and it is straight fire. I encourage all to read it. One of my favorite parts was a quote from C.S. Lewis, which reads, " It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which . . . you would be strongly tempted to worship. . . . There are no ordinary people." Wow. A seriously inspired man right there. I have no doubt that he's sitting up in the Celestial Kingdom with J.R.R. Tolkein right now writing more works to lift and edify.

I got to see a ton of my friends this week mostly on my temple walk, which was super nice. I'll attach some pictures.

I love you all, and hope and pray for the best for all of you every single day. You are an inspiration to me, and help to get through the difficult times that are of course present. You wouldn't go without talking to your dad for very long would you? So please, do me a favor and pour out your soul to your Heavenly Father through prayer. I promise it'll bless you.

Elder Grondel.

Temple Pics

classic Piscione am I right?

mi compa