Elder John-Gregory Sierra

SUP Familia!!

 (Translation has been added for those who don't speak Spanish)

Dear Sierra Family,

I am enjoying my mission very much. The MTC is awesome and the Lord has blessed me with a great compañero (companion). The meals here are bueno (good), pero (but) they are all beginning to taste the same. Aprendo español bueno, pero (I learn Spanish well, but) I can't bear mi testimonio (my testimony) as well as I'd like. But I believe in El don de lenguas y yo voy a continuar aprendo en español. (the gift of tongues and i am going to continue learning in Spanish). I miss you all very much, hopefully I will hear from you next week. The spirit is strong here Mom and I know that Angels are in these hallways. The MTC is a very happy place with amazing missionaries that all seem to get along with each other. I hope this will continue to last until I leave. Oh, and you will not believe this, but Elder Fuluvaka, the Tongan missionary back in Orlando, has a younger brother named Sione Fuluvaka and he is my roommate!! HAHAHA! What's even better is that he is serving in the same mission! How wild is that?! Small world, right? Everyone is getting along fine and in fact they have a boxing night in my building every Friday. Needless to say I enjoy being a part of that lol. My companion, Elder Crook, says no fighting in the MTC and since he is my senior companion for about two more weeks, kinda gotta do what he says so I have to put down my crown as Boxing King! (I liked being boxing king). Anyhow my companion and I have been learning the language at a pretty fast pace. I'd still be typing in spanglish, but I have about two minutes to finish this email so I gotta wrap this up quick. I love you Dad. I miss your guidance and patience and I pray to my Lord to have those characteristics while I am here because I lose my temper easy over some of the idiotic and stupid things that some of these guys do at times. I love you Mom, I miss your kindness and compassion and I try to remember how to tolerate and love others because some of these guys get homesick (sorry homesickness has not really hit me yet) and it kinda upsets me because we are here to serve the Lord and leaving family for two years is part of the deal. I will continue to work on that. Benjamin, you are my best friend and I miss your laughter and sense of humor and up beat attitude which I do my best to emulate while I am here. I love you all and yo se que Jesucristo es El Salvador.(I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior)

Hasta luego,

Elder Sierra