last MTC letter!!

Ok, well sorry for any spelling errors I'm typing fast :) 

This week was very good!  So good that it went by in a blink of an eye!!!  First off,  I wanted to thank you all for the letters!. Jana, thank you for the candy :)  Yes i did share and everyone loved it :)  Thank you lots Jana!!  This week focused on the theme of being bold.  It is so important for this work.  I have had many good conversations/talks that have really helped me understand what being bold is.  To sum all of the things I have learned, I will tell you what my teacher told me.  On Wednesday night he told me part of being bold is following every prompting of the spirit.  He told me it might sound easy, but when the spirit prompts you to say something really out there, it'll be hard.  He also told me something very important to me, and it really affected me.  He told me that I have been "given the authority to step deeper into peoples lives", meaning that I might need to ask some questions that people wouldn't normally ask, to find out more about them.  It was really interesting to hear that I have been given the authority to do that.  With all this said to me, I made a goal to be bold, to get myself out there.  I also made it a goal to follow every prompting that I get from the spirit.  

Well this week, mom, you would be very proud of me :) First off, I am a part of the MTC choir.  It's by choice.  I just go to a couple practices and then sing on Tuesday night at devo.  I like it :)  Also, drum roll please :D  I was the chorister for Sacrament meeting this Sunday.  I might add this was in Spanish and I feel I did well.  Spanish hymns are just a tad bit different.  Not all the songs translate.  But yes mom, I still remember how to lead :) Also dad, you will be proud because I have to prepare a 5 min talk in Spanish for Sacrament meeting.  I haven't had to use mine because they haven't called on me, but just to let you know :)  I have a feeling that I will be called this Sunday.  As you all know, I had a meeting with the CONSUL FROM SPAIN.

I'M LEAVING ON WEDNESDAY FOR SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!! I AM SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW!!! OHHHH AND ELDER BAGLEY IS TOOOOO!!!!  So I will be calling you mom and dad at around 4 my time to tell you my plans.  Just to let you all know, I will be flying out of Salt Lake City on Wednesday Feb. 29.  I will be leaving the MTC at 6 to go to the SLC airport.  Then I will be flying to Altanta GA  and then on to Spain!!!!!!  I will fill you in when I call you Mom and Dad :)  I am so excited and it is here!!!  Can you all believe it!!  Yes, I am very emotional right now.... meaning i can't stop shaking :P  But I am okay.  I am ready and I know that the Lord will bless me :)  I love you all so much!!! Also Mitch, I might be sending a package to you.  I have some long sleeved white shirts and maybe some other things that I don't need.  I love you all so much and I can't wait to call... I know that I said that before like 100000 times but it is so true.. I was born and raised in a family that prepared me to serve here :) I love you all.... oh and just to let you all know, the consul was LDS.  He said he went on a mission and so on... and he spoke English.. so good!!!  I will be sending my camera card tomorrow.  I need to take a picture with my teachers tonight.  Sorry for the delay.  I will be buying a travel on bag and I already bought another camera card :) Love you!!!

Te amo!!! (means i love you-more personal)

Elder Alex Lee Laubaugh

Alex's latest letter!

Hola!!! Como Estan???  

I am doing well over here!! The weather has been all over the place! Warm one day then cold the next then snowing!!  But all is well :) 

Things here have been really good.  I have been learning a lot more Spanish.  The good news on the VISA is that they send them out and let us know in the beginning and at the end of the month.  So around this week or next week, I should hear from the travel office!  If it doesn't come in, then oh well!!  It's what the Lord wants for me.  The district is getting really excited yet really sad for us leaving soon.  We have all grown to really love each other :)  It's awesome what the MTC can do!  Just to let you all know, I should be leaving the MTC in about 16 days! Crazy huh!! 

As I look at the past month and a half, I can see a lot of growth in myself.  One of the biggest things is I have already developed a love for the people of Spain.  We had a lesson/fireside about this type of thing.  It really helped me out.  I haven't been to Spain, but I already love the people.  I can't wait to go there and teach them the Gospel.  Elder Bagley and I have set a goal.  At the airport we will hand out 2 Books of Mormon....  each :)  I bought a Spanish and an English one for it :)  I really want to hit the ground running.  I don't care what people think of me.  I am here to preach and teach the Gospel!  That actually leads right into a moment I had with my teacher, Hermano Hardy.  It was very spiritual for me because it was a question I had  on my mind for awhile.  We were talking about about not being afraid to speak up and not being afraid to preach the gospel and say hi.  Well, I have no problem with that, but there was still a little part of me that was thinking what will they think of me.  During our lesson he started talking about speaking up and not being afraid and it really helped me out because I am afraid.  But I can't be afraid to preach and teach the gospel because I know it is true.  It was a really good moment for me.  I made a goal to tell each and every person I meet about the gospel even if it's only a hi and we are missionaries type of thing.

Well my week has been good.  Nothing really happening.  We just finished our grammer this week.  We have 3 books that we learn from and we just finished them! Now it is time to review and really get to know everything. 

I just wanted to say thank you all for the letters.  I have been a little home-sick.  One day I got all this mail from Jana, Mom and Dad, Mitch, and Mandy.  I started to tear up a bit. It has been hard, I'm not gonna lie, but I am pushing on!  Thank you all for supporting me and I miss you all as well!  I love you all so much and I will get out some more letters to you all.  I will be sending out pictures soon. I will be taking some more this week and then sending them out around next week to mom and dad! I love you!!! 

Oh gosh I can't believe i forgot to put this in.  I had the best experience in our lesson with Marcela.  Toward the end of our lesson, I have a prompting to bear my testimony,  so I did.  The awesome part was words just came to me, words I didn't know I knew.  Well, I said them and they all made sense to her.  When I talked with Elder Bagley, he said he didn't know what I was saying, but it made sense to her.  hahahah :)  Awesome huh!?  The Lord really does bless his missionaries :)

Love your son and brother,

Elder Alex Laubaugh!

Another great week at the MTC!

Hello Alll!!!! How is everyone doing!!!!  Well, I am doing great over at the MTC :)  I will dive right into my week. Things are going so good!!  It has definitely become hard!!! I was giong through a rough week... well... a really rough week.  I thought I was doing well in Spanish.  I was understanding what people said to me and I was talking and everything was going strong.... or so I thought..  Then it took a turn for the worse.  For about 3 lessons I went blank. Meaning, I couldn't speak a lick of Spanish. Just a basic testimony not even my usual one.  It was really rough.  I was doing fine before, but during the lesson, I would go blank.  I couldn't speak.  It was so weird!! I would practice and practice but no matter what, I couln't speak or understand.  I got really frustrated. I was praying harder and longer for help, but nothing came.  After our 3rd lesson of me blanking and not being able to do anything, I prayed, really hard and long.  It was a very low moment of my week.  I just didn't know what to do at the time.  I only knew how to pray for help.  So, I did, and the Lord blessed me.  Our next lesson, words came to me.  I didn't know what I was saying, but Renato seemed to understand what I was saying.  We asked if he had questions, but he said no each time.  I really needed that moment.  That was a blessing from the Lord to help me a long the way.  Right after the lesson, I prayed and thanked the Lord for that great experience and for that blessing.  It was a great moment :)  Like Hermano Patino said to me, we all have peaks and valleys.  I can tell I will have a lot of those, but they make us stronger.  I am actually grateful for the expierence.  I learned a lot from it :) 

Well things are good our here!!!  It is a little more than 3 weeks till we leave!! Crazy huh?!?!  I'll probably go somewhere else for a little bit, but I don't care! I am still doing the Lord's work!

Another moment at TRC I wanted to tell you about is that we taught a lady that went to Spain on her mission! After our lesson, I asked her if we could ask her some questions about Spain and some tips we should know about going there.  She told us a lot about the people and the food and the little things Elder Bagley and I should know.  She was so nice and she was just so excited for us to go and to have a lot of fun.  She said her visa took a long time.  She went to Washington D.C. South for 4 months then to Spain.  She said that's really rare, but it can happen.  Well that is about it over here.  Thank you all for the letters and I can't wait to hear from you all!  I love hearing from everyone :)  I know I was horrible at writing you Mitch, Mandy and Jana... but I really like to hear from you.  I just miss you all so much, but I am doing the Lord's work. 

 

I love you all and I hope you all do well over this next week!! 

 

Love,

 

Elder Alex Laubaugh :)

Alex's latest letter!

Well this past week was great!!!! The spirit was so strong and powerful!!!  I am so excited to tell you all.  First off our lessons are going good - both teaching and our class lessons.  I have been learning many new words, phrases, and teaching points.  I really had a breakthrough moment a couple days ago.  In class on Wednesday, we were getting ready for our language study.  Our teacher, Hermano Hardy, asked how our Spanish was doing.... in Spanish :P I spoke up and said it was ok but I wished it was better.  It feels as if I have been here a lot longer than just a month.  We all said our feelings on it then he said some very powerful words to me.  He said "You are not meant to learn the language in the MTC.  That's what the field is for.  Dont worry about it.  The MTC is meant for learning how to follow the spirit."  I am not sure why, but it just hit me then.  It was really important for me to hear that and it was nice hearing it from Hermano Hardy.  He told me that the MTC teaches a very small amount.  It teaches the tenses past, present, future, and major wards you need to know and how to say important things. He told me that he learned a lot of his Spanish in the field like all the rest.

Well on another note, Tuesday night was amazing!!!!  Since it was the 50th anniversary of the MTC Elder Nelson and Elder Holland spoke!! Elder Nelson was the main speaker, but wow, what a night!!! Also there were many 70's in the crowed.  They said many inspiring words that really hit me hard.  I still can't get over it! Elder Holland spoke more about his love for us and the great work we are doing. He said a lot to the effect that we are a part of history, not as a whole, but individually.  It was a wow moment.  Elder Nelson spoke about the history of the MTC.  And how the first one was a language learning center for missionaries going to Argentina.  Sorry for the small points.  I'll send some more info on the talks later.

Well it sounds like everything is going good on your end.  Thank you all so much!! I love getting letters and hearing all about your week and the fun stuff that is happening. 

Dad-  Thank you for Invictus.  I shared it with the district and they all loved it!  They are very wise words. :) Thank you for always sending me those great words of wisdom.  And yes, I did cry a little when I read it for the first time.  It just reminded me of all of my past track meets and going to track meets to see Mitch and Mandy. 

Mom-  Thank you  for the MITT update!  I love hearing how he's doing! Please send more!  I love how you send me Jana's letters :) I love hearing hows she's doing!! :)

Mitch Rochelle and baby B- thank you again for the package! The cookies and candy were great!! Everyone loved them :) I sent a letter yesterday so you will get it soon :)

David Mandy+1 and toothless- I hope all is well with the baby! I hope you both are doing well too!! I can't wait to hear from you!

Jana-  I sent a letter a little bit ago so you should get it soon!  It seems like everything is going really good in GERMANY!!!

I love you all so much!!! I miss you too, but I am doing the Lord's work and I know he will bless me for it.  I am so thankful for you all and I love all the support.  The MTC is getting harder but I am pushing on.  The Lord has blessed me with a great family that cares, loves, and supports me.  Thank you.  I now see why a mission is so great.  Even one month in, I see a lot of blessings that the Lord has given me. 

Love your Son or Brother,

Elder Alex Laubaugh