Week 4..5... I don't know anymore.. :P Halfway there at any rate.

¡Buenos Dias!

What a crazy week.. Let´s begin with a story.

A day or two before last p-day, I caught a ball weird in Gym and it hurt my hand. I didn´t think it was a big deal, and other than a little twinge now and again it didn´t really bother me, so I just moved on. Last p-day we ended up leaving the lab and running late, so we hurried to get on to our next scheduled thing. I began to write the letters later that night but, as usual, became distracted and moved on, figuring that I´d finish them the next day in between gym and breakfast(Monday Gym is at 6:30). Sure enough, I screw my hand up at gym and am told that I´m not allowed to use it for anything major. I try to take notes in class, and by the time I get back each night it kills. Then on Tuesday night, our Branch President asks us to turn in the white books to the section on communicating with family, where it says that we are only to respond to letters on p-day. Moral of the story: Putting off things that we have scheduled to do increases the chance that they will not get done.

PLEASE don´t let that mean that I only get letters on P-day; merely realize that I will not be able to respond until Fridays unless we end up having more free time, or until I arrive in the mission field and my new Mission President allows exceptions, whichever occurs first. Therefore, I dub the hours of 3-5:30 PM as my letter responding time, and it is now in my planner. :P

In other news, the Provo Temple is open again! I was able to attend a session for the first time in a month and some days this morning, and I am SO grateful for the blessing that is. I feel so much better when I have the opportunity to attend- and the best advice I can give anyone who needs guidance is to go to the grounds at least once a week, even if you can´t perform ordinance work. The Temple of God is a place set apart from the world for the edification and sanctification of man, and the energy and spirit of the Temple will benefit anyone who goes.

The language is going well. I can now understand easily 90%-97% of every class, depending on the teacher and the subjects we discuss. I have begun reading almost exclusively from the scriptures and PMG in Spanish, with the English versions sitting out for the words I still have to learn. I am able to communicate extremely well with the missionaries from Latin/South America that are here to learn English, as well as the Spanish-speaking workers here on campus. The MTC is also currently remodeling/refinishing two buildings, and there are some construction workers who are from Mexico that speak almost only Spanish that I talk to most days. They help me with a lot of the intricacies of Spanish that are difficult to learn in a book, and little rules of thumb to help.

Had the opportunity to meet an Elder who is going to Philadelphia who is from a ward in my mission; ESTÉ FUE SUPER BACAN! He taught us a lot of the intricacies of speaking Español de Chillenos, and a lot of fun things to look for while we are down there. Another good friend of mine, Elder Nicoll, is staying just a few doors down from me and one of his roomates came back early from a study abroad program in Santiago to leave for his mission, and shared many things as well. Double checking between the two of them and Hmno. Verdugo on the language, It was a very educational and cool experience.

Heard that there was major flooding in North Dakota- We don´t have any access to the internet other than LDS-owned and themed sites, nor any access to news sources, so any information that I get about the world I get through your letters. Please share more information about this and other events, particularly in Chile. I´d love to go in educated on what´s going on.

My hand is starting to hurt again, so I won´t type too much more, but I want to bear testimony once again of the absolute veracity of this Gospel and this Church. I BEG you all to read the Book of Mormon, not because it is my duty to(in fact, not once have I been told here to bear my testimony to you, or try to proselyte in my letters) but because it WILL bless your life immensely. If you have already read it, or if you are just jumping around in it, Begin to read it from the beginning, including the introduction and testimonies. The first missionaries left the presses with just the first sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon because they knew how powerful of a spirit it contains- and I extend a challenge to you, that I will do for myself as well.

Here is my challenge:

I challenge you to read the explanation, introduction, testimonies, and the first 16 pages of the Book of Mormon. Do it in one week or less, following this pattern:

1. Begin each session of reading by praying to God, asking Him to show you if what you read is true and how it can help you, and ending in the name of Jesus Christ.
2. Read slowly and carefully, thinking about each line. Do not rush through it; instead, read to understand and search it out in your mind and in your heart.
3. Close again with prayer, asking Him to help you know what was most important for you and to help you find if it is true.
4. Take 3-5 minutes and write down your thoughts, feelings, and impressions.

Here are a few things that I promise you will happen:
1. You will find out for yourself if the Book of Mormon is true and of God.(Spoiler alert: it is.)
2. I PROMISE that you will find at least one answer to a problem or question that is in your life right now, especially if you ask God to help you find an answer specifically for that need/desire.
3. You will KNOW, without any doubt, that God is there; that He loves you; and that He is very aware of you and your needs and He wants to help you.

My dear family and friends, I think of you often. I pray for you often as well. The blessings of pure knowledge and eternal life are at your fingertips. Remember who you are, and that you are more than some nebulous being of light- YOU ARE GOD´S CHILD, and an HEIR TO HIS GLORY. I love you all dearly.

Te Amamos-
A Dios, Con Dios.

-Elder Alton D. Wheelhouse
P.S. Please write... Your letters really improve my day. ;)
P.P.S.  I realized that I didn't say what is wrong with my hand. I didn't break it, although we feared that for a while.. after the X-rays got back, we realized that it was just bruised cartilage or something like that, with inflammation caused by repeated abuse around the base of the bones in my hand and up into the middle of the back of my hand. As long as I don't move my fingers a lot, try to grab/hold stuff, bend it backwards, or catch things it doesn't bug me too bad.. So basically I just can't use my right hand(whaddya know, that's what they told me too!  :P)