Elder Stone

Dear Madre y Padre y familia,
Hola! Como esta? Come fue su Domingo? Mine was so amazing! Yesterday was our second fast Sunday at the MTC so our Sunday schedule was a little different. Instead of going to Priesthood Meeting we got to go to mission conference! During mission conference we get to listen to most of the MTC presidency speak and then a District President also spoke to us. They are all spiritual powerhouses so it was really good to hear from them! I got to bare my testimony in Spanish again this week also. It's crazy how much more I was able to talk about in my testimony than that first week where I knew next to nothing. I also had that opportunity to bless the Sacrament this week in Spanish also. It is cool to hear it in Spanish! Last night was a really awesome devotional that we went to. The Provo Temple president came and talked to us about the temple. He was so powerful!! He talked about how the Lord has walked every hallway and has seen every room in the temple. He said that that is the only place where we can really take upon us Christ name. He also said that is the place to get power for the next two years of our mission. It gave me a completely different perspective on Temples and today when I go I am going to be a lot more focused on that.
After the devotional we always either get to watch a church movie or listen to a recorded talk by an apostle. This week my companions and me decided to go listen to President Holland talk about being forever a missionary. I felt like I needed to buckle up from the start to the finish. It was so intense! I went in there expecting intense but it still caught me off guard. He told us to take advantage of every single possible opportunity to be a missionary because this is the only time in our life that we will be able to. He said that this is the closest calling to being an Apostle that there is. We both teach the Gospel 24/7 and focus on bringing people unto Christ. I'm wondering if it is online somewhere that you could go look up? I want to have a copy of it to keep with me but it's not on Lds.org. It's called Forever A Missionary. Also, if you could send me the Characters of Christ talk by Elder Bednar that would be amazing also.
So I am starting something that I heard about and it might be cool for you to try out. I bought a new Book of Mormon and I wrote a few questions on the first page of it and now I am going through answering those questions throughout the rest of the book. I am only through 1 Nephi chapter 3 and I have so much highlighted to help me with the questions! I call it my own Magic 8 ball. Except this magic 8 ball is more correct than any other ball or book in the whole world.
I have two items of very exciting news for you. The first one was President Ballard came and spoke to us last Tuesday!! It was soo awesome! We were all sitting in the conference room singing the prelude hymns when everybody started standing up. The Spirit was so amazing because we were singing "I know that my Redeemer lives" when he walked in. The whole time he talked about that our message is that Jesus is the Christ and that he does live. It was so amazing! I started crying before he ever started talking because of the song. I love the song "I know that my Redeemer lives" I feel the spirit every time I hear it.
So the second item that is super exciting is (drum roll please) Are you ready? We got our travel plans on Thursday!!!! I am leaving next Tuesday at 5:00 in the morning to go to the airport and then I leave at 8:37 for Long Beach! How exciting is that?! It feels like I have been here forever and no time at all! I am so excited to go though. I am in my last full week here at the MTC! I will write you next week before I go to let you know a few more details about it but I had to let you know! I'm so excited. I've said that a few times but it is true! Well I should probably get off considering that my laundry is done and I should go get ready for the temple. Exciting stuff though, right? I love you all soooo very much! I am writing Kelci back today because that is the only letter that I have been able to get yet but I will try to write you all! You are in my prayers every day.
Love, Elder Stone
p.s. I just barely finished emailing Mckenzi so I hope she has time to email me again before the day is over. Sorry I wrote her first, I just assumed I would take longer on this email.
p.p.s. Do you think you could send me a copy of my Patriarchal Blessing? I only have a copy of the first page. The second page would be nice to have.