E-mail to Mom 5/21/10

How is everything at home? Thanks so much for the letters! and the packages! I loved the packages and the food is great to have! and thank you so much for the ties they are great. I loved them all so much and the other missionaries are jealous I got them haha. So, everything here is going good! It's great having new companions. We get along great and we work well together! We just stay on teaching week so we are just teaching alot. We have 6 progressive investigators so it is good and is keeping us busy and giving us good practice! I got an email from Cole. It was great to hear from him and I emailed him back. He said everything was going good. It's always good to hear from friends! I got a letter from Josh telling me they moved. I sent him a letter but I am worried they wont get it cuz it was to their old address so if you could tell him it is coming that would be great. Well I sent it last week so he should have already got it but we will just see. Thanks again for the letters. I love hearing from everyone! Please tell me more about home and how everyone is doing I love to hear. Well like I said everything is great here just still working hard trying to become better! The temple was great today. I always look forward to getting to go. It's always so great! I love the spirit and getting the opportunity to feel it so strong! This gospel is so amazing. I am so grateful for the great family I have. You all are amazing and I am so grateful that I was brought up knowing this great message. I am so excited to share it with others and I can't wait to get to Mexico to share it, but I know this is where I need to be right now! So my eye is much better! I just had to put a hot rag on it four times a day and then put drops in it four times a day. It is pretty much gone now so I'm sorry you had that little scary call haha. I wish they didn't have to call you over that haha, but ya its all good now! I'm so grateful to be out here serving the Lord. He blesses me so much and just makes everything work out just the right way! I know the more we have faith in Him and the more we trust in Him the more He blesses us and helps us through things! That is great that Bishop is having the summer reading thing! The Book of Mormon is so great! It blesses our lives so much if we just open and read daily! I love the Book of Mormon and every day I love it more and more! Every time you read it you get something new from it. It's so great! In our devotional on Tuesday, they talk all about how the Book of Mormon is the greatest converter! We don't have to be great teachers or great at anything because all we have to do is carry the Spirit with us and get others to read the Book of Mormon. What truly converts people is the Book of Mormon! It is without a doubt the word of God and we are so lucky to have it and have the opportunity to read it daily. I love it and I have a strong testimony that I know that it is true! I know that this church is true and I know that it is the only way to true happiness! Thanks so much for helping me throughout my whole life to come to know that for myself! I couldn't ask for a greater family! I love you all so much and I miss you all alot lot! but know that this is a great work and I am so grateful that I get to serve the Lord for two years. I know that I will be blessed the rest of my life for serving! Well, keep the letters coming. I love to hear all about what is happening! Thanks again for the packages and ties and for the food! The food has been so great to have because the MTC food is getting a little old haha but its good and things here are going good! I love teaching and I can't wait to get to Mexico and teach for real! Every day I am getting better at speaking Spanish and better at teaching! I love this gospel and I just am so pumped to get out in the field and serve the people of Mexico! I was a little worried about my companions before but they are really good and I am really grateful for them and I love them! We teach good together so it all works out really well! I love you all so much and thanks for being so great! Love you all and I miss you! Stay strong and please pray for me and my visa. I am praying for all of you! I will send this email to Julie again just in case! love you!
Love
Elder Despain

Letter to Mom May 18, 2010

Hey Mom,

So, I'm writing you really quick because I don't want you to be worring! They called you about my eye! I just want you to know that it is fine! I went to the doctor yesterday, Monday, and he said it is a stye, so he gave me drops to put in 4 times a day and to put a warm cloth on it 4 times a day. He said it should go away soon. I will keep you updated but I just wanted to let you know it's all good! and don't worry, I am not wearing my contacts until this is gone. Today is the first full day with my new companions! It is good that I got delayed. I wouldn't have wanted to get my eye looked at in Mexico, ha ha ha, so I think it is good! The Lord knows best and I know this is where I need to be! I love you all so much! Thanks for everything! I will write you on Friday and keep you updated! I hope the doctor visit isn't too much money! I love you! Thanks, Love Elder Despain

Suprise Phone Call May 17

Monday morning, May 17th I got a surprise phone call from the MTC medical center. I was relieved to hear that Randall's Dr. visit was just because of a sty in his eye. The Doctor wanted to send Randall to an ophthalmologist as a precaution to make sure that was all it was. They needed some insurance information, otherwise, I don't think they would have called. I'm grateful he was still at the MTC and not trying to deal with this as he traveled to Mexico. Thank you all for your prayers in Randall's behalf. It is comforting to know that he is in the Lord's care. We are so grateful Randall has chosen to serve the Lord! The Church is true.
Ann

Dear Kimi 5-14-10

Dear Kimi,

Thank you so much for all your letters! And also for your package! It was awesome. I loved it all! It's really great to hear from you! I hope you're still reading everyday! I'm sorry that I haven't written you back. I try to write everyone tha I can, but I feel that there is never enough time. So I still don't know when I will get my visa :(! But it's okay! The other two elders in my district that didn't get their's either will be my new companions and we will be a district of 3. They are really upset ab out not leaving, but I'm okay with it. I am here to serve the Lord so I will go everywhere and anywhere He wants me to. I know that He knows me better than I know myself and I know that I can become a better missionary by staying longer! I know the Lord knows what's best! I love the Lord! I love this gospel! It really and truly makes me happy. I know there is nothing better that I could be doing right now! This work is so important and I know that being here will bless me for the rest of my life!

Well everything here is going good and I grow more and more every day! I have even gained weight, haha, ya I didn't even know it was possible, haha! Thanks again for the package because I am not really looking forward to more MTC food, haha! I was excited to not have to eat the food anymore, but it looks like I will be eating it for at least a little longer! So your food will help me through that!

This last week on Tuesday at our devotional we had Elder Jeffry R. Holland! It was amazing. It is such a great spirit that members of the twelve bring. It is really amazing! It's also so great to hear them talk so close up and it always seems so personal. When he went up to talk, he took no notes or anything. He just walked up there and spoke from his heart and by the spirit. It was great! This work is so important and it is so crucial for all of us to always be doing missionary work! Really crucial for missionaries, but also it is important for members! Well, thanks for being such a great sister! I love you! and miss you! Thanks for everything! Stay strong!

Love Your Little Hermano,

Elder Despain

P.S. Thanks again for the letters and packages! Thanks, I love you!

8 Weeks and Counting

Wow it is crazy that it has been 8 and a half weeks. The time has really flown by and I have learned so so so much! I was glad that I got to talk to you Mom, but I'm sorry it was so short. I never knew 5 minutes could go by so quick! I guess the other to elders that are in my district that called home just kept putting more money in so they talked longer. I guess I could have done that but they said only five minutes so I think it is important to be obedient and even though the others didn't get in trouble by talking long, I still am glad that I was obedient. But it would have been nice to get more time:(. It was great to get to talk to you. I miss you all alot! I think the question I have been asked more than anything this week is if I am upset that I didn't get my visa. So I am sure that all of you are wondering the same thing. Well, I had thought about this before it happened because I knew there was a chance it would and I decided before I even knew, that if I didn't get it I wouldn't be upset. Ya, it is a little disappointing but I decided that I am here to serve the Lord and nothing else. I am here to do His will, so if the Lord needs me to stay here longer for whatever reason, that is what I need to do. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself. I know that he knows what will help me and what will help the people I am going to be serving! So I know that this is where I need to be until I find out otherwise. I know that staying here will help me to learn and grow even more and help me to be a better missionary! I love this work. I love this gospel. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be here! I am just going to keep working hard until the day I leave! I am sure it will be tough seeing all the others leave but I know that it will all work out and that no matter what the Lord knows best! Please pray for me and my companions! Please pray that we will get our visas and that we can all work hard until they come! I will get new companions on Monday. It is Elder Wynn and Elder Johnson. They are the other two elders in my district that didn't get their visas. Please pray for them to not be upset and to work hard so that we can all learn and grow! So I haven't got the package you sent yet but I'm sure I will get it soon! Tell the kids thank you so much for the pictures. I love them!!! Please tell Heidi thank you for the graduation card she sent me!

So this last week on Tuesday at our devotional, we had Elder Holland. It was amazing. The spirit was so strong and his talk was amazing! I learn so much from everything here but that was a big learning experience and it was really great! I always love our devotional review firesides after the devotionals as a district! They are always really great! This week helped my testimony to grow . I know that testimonies grow the most when you share them and here in the MTC, I am coming to see that more and more! I love this gospel, I love this work and I know this church is true! Tell Julie I sent her this email as well so that if for some reason you don't get my email again. I know that being in the MTC longer will help me to grow even more and I know that I could use more help with the language and that way I will be that much more prepared when I get to the field!


So this week was teaching week so all we did all day was teach lessons as a companionship. We ended up with 5 progressive investigators. It was awesome and was so much more real and it just got me really excited for the field and being able to teach people all day and see them progress! In this one week we got 3 of our progressive investigators to commit to baptism and so that was really cool! They are just teachers, but they never break character when they are progressive investigators and they never give feed back. It is just really real and you really feel them growing! One of the investigators when we asked him to be baptized he said yes and then another teacher told us that that teacher thought it was really cool. We asked him to be baptized because he was acting as someone he baptized in his mission and it was one year exactly to that day that he had gotten baptized so that was really cool! It has been really cool getting to teach all the time! I feel like I am getting so much better at Spanish but sometimes I feel like I am still not very good and then i just look back 8 and a half weeks ago. I could say nothing and now I can teach alot of full lessons and relate them to the investigators needs and have full conversations in Spanish I have to realize how amazing it is! I mean it is really amazing and really a gift from my Heavenly Father that I can do that because I know there is no way that I could ever do this on my own! 8 weeks is really no time at all and I have come so far. It is really incredible to think about! But at the same time I am always working and wish that it would come faster haha! I think that comes because I see everyone in the MTC growing this fast and I just want to keep learning more and getting better! I know that through the Lord that anything is possible if you follow His will and ask for His help every time, He will provide a way for it to happen! The Lord makes us work for it and try our hardest but that is all He asks is just for us to work our hardest and then He will do the rest. It is truely amazing what you can accomplish through the Lord! I know that this church is true and I know that this gospel is real! It makes me so happy to have it in my life. We are really and truly blessed! I love you all so so so much and miss you alot! Thanks for everything and thanks for your prayers and letters!!!
Love Elder Despain

Letter To Kimi 5-7-10

Dear Kimi,

It was great to get your letters. Sorry I didn't write back right away. So I got my flight plans yesterday and so I leave the 17th, well if I get my Visa I do, which I hope I will! Not that I don't love the MTC, but I'm ready to leave, haha! I'm so excited to go to Mexico! Next week we start teaching like crazy so that should be good! I feel like my Spanish is getting so much better but when I get to the field I will be back to knowing nothing. But I know the Lord will bless me as long as I work hard here! It's good to hear you're staying busy and doing good. I hope you continue to read daily. I know it will bless you so much! Thanks for being such a great sister! How did it go having Mom come out to see you?

I'm super sad that all of you didn't get my e-mail last week. I hope you get them both this week. I resent them both to Mom. Tell your boys I say hi and that I miss them! Tell them to be good little hijos! and to listen to their mom, haha!

My testimony is growing so much every day. I'm so grateful for this gospel and the opportunity I had to be brought up in it. The devotionals the last two weeks have been so great. One was by L. Tom Perry. Awesome! It was on the restoration and Book of Mormon. It was great and a huge testimony builder. The other was by Elder Larry W. Gibbons. His talk was on how the church logically makes sense. It was a great talk, but the biggest thing was our review testimony meeting after his talk! It was great and my testimony grew so much from the other Elders in my district, but I really grew a ton from bearing my testimony. i know the more we bear our testimony, the more that it will grow! Well, I love you! Thanks for being a great sister! I know this church is true and that without it we can't be happy! Sorry this was so short, but thanks for writing me! I love you!

Love Your Little Hermano,
Elder Despain

7 Weeks In - 5-7-10

So we got our flight plans this week! If I get my visa, (which I think I will soon because I got a paper to fill out and all the other missionaries that have gotten that paper have gotten their visa in the next week. So I am hoping since I got that, that means I will get my visa soon.) So if I get my visa, I leave on May 17th and I fly out of Salt Lake at 12:15pm and go to Atlanta, GA and land there at 5:55pm then I will fly out of Atlanta at 7:25pm and arrive in Mexico City at 10:05pm. So that is exciting that I got those. But I just am praying I get to leave then. So hopefully I will get my visa in time. I am flying Delta, so I have to pay 50 bucks on my second checked bag, but ya. And thank you for finding out about the one strap back pack. In my flight plans, it says you can only have one strap back packs if you are going to Mexico, so I am thankful that I have one:) This week I got my second hep A shot and so I will send you the info on that. I just used my debit card and they said I could send you some papers they gave me and you can get refunded. It was like 71 bucks to get it. So I hope it was okay to use my debit card. Well, I'm sorry you didn't get my email last week. I sent it again so hopefully you will get it. And I hope you get this one also. I didn't get the letter from Dad that you said he sent??? But I hope I will get it. And I also haven't gotten the letter from you. I just got the short one you sent from Christi's but that is okay. I love you very much and I miss you all. Everything here is going good. I am super excited to get to Mexico. This week, on Monday, we teach our last TRC and then we start what they call teaching week, where all we do all day is just teach, so it should be way cool. We also started progressive investigators this week and they don't give us any feed back or anything. It is like really teaching in the field. Our companion-ship has 4 progressive investigators. It is really cool. I think it will help us a ton in the field. Most companion-ships only have one or two, so I'm glad that we got more just because in the field we will have a ton more than 2 or 4 haha. But it is good to get use to it. I feel like I am getting a lot better at Spanish. I wrote my whole talk for Sunday without having to ask the teacher any thing about grammar or anything like that. Which for me was great because writing is the hardest for me. It is a lot easier for me to say things then write them. I know that the Lord is blessing me so that I can learn this fast. I know that there is no way that I could ever do this on my own. I love this gospel and I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in all this work. He knows us all better than we know ourselves and He knows how to help us. All we have to do is ask. Please keep praying for me and for me to get my visa. I am praying for you all and I hope you are all doing good. It is great to get the letters and I will try to write back as many of you as I can, but I'm sorry if I don't write back right away. I'm so grateful to have such a great family and so many great friends. Elder Cook got here on Wednesday, Zac Cook. He is in our stake and I was good friends with him in high school and I saw him today. It was great to get to see him.

I'm so blessed to be growing so much. This week our devotional was by Elder L W Gibbons of the 70. He spoke and it was a great talk and the district devotional review, after we just share our testimonies and I just had a big testimony burst from that meeting and from his talk. I know that by sharing our testimony it helps others testimonies grow, but most of all it strengthens your own testimony by sharing it. I have seen that a lot here because the more I share it, the stronger it gets. It's great. The temple was great today like always. I love the spirit that is in the temple. Going there really does bless are lives. I can't believe I only have one week from Monday left in the MTC. It is really crazy. I am in the oldest district in our zone, but I feel like I just got here and I still feel like I was the youngest, until I was all the sudden the oldest. So that has been weird but good. All the other missionaries look to our examples and that pushes me to try harder. I have been trying even harder to be dedicated and diligent in all that I do, because I know the harder I work the more the Lord can bless me and prepare me. I can't wait to get out into the field and bring this great message to so many people's lives. I know that this gospel can improve anyone's life for the better. This gospel is truly amazing. Every day here I grow a stronger testimony of The Book of Mormon. It is so true and so correct! It is a perfect book that is intended to bless each one of us. It is amazing and it blesses me so much the more I read it. The church is true. I hope you get this and I will write you a letter as well. I love you all!

Love,
Elder Despain