Less than 2 weeks to go!

Hello again everyone! Boy time is flying so fast its ridiculous! I can't believe I'll be out of here in less than two weeks!!! I should get my flight plans on Thursday or Fiday this week so I'll know exactly when I'll be leaving.

This week has been really good. Spanish is still coming. I'm trying to speak more and more of it everyday but if you stop just for a little bit it gets hard to start re-speaking it again because you're too lazy to have to think about what you want to say and everything- haha. Maybe thats just me though. Anyway, I'm starting to get a little nervous because I am leaving so soon. I just hope that I'll be able to communicate effectively with the Chileans. I sure hope so- haha. I think I'll be just fine though. I feel pretty confident. Now that doesnt mean I'll be speaking well or anything, just that I'll be able to hopefully understand and get my point accross hahaha.

  Our roommates are leaving this week. Well, one left this morning and one leaves tomorrow so we will have the room for ourselves for the next week because there isn't any new districts coming into our zone this week. So that should be nice. I'm excited because I'll have a bottom bunk for the last two weeks here haha. The top bunk is just a hassle. But anyway, that's exciting. One of the roommates is going to Sacramento and the other to Argentina. Except Argentina is still having visa trouble so he's going to Chicago for the time being. I'm so glad that we won't have that trouble.
  Hosting last week was a lot of fun. Mostly because you could see all the new missionaries come in and see how dazed and confused they look-haha. I'm sure I looked just the same way. Ben Walters is doing good after his first week. He's in my zone so he has the exact same schedule as me so I see him all the time and help him when I can. You can let his mom know on Missionary Moms that he's doing good. We get to host again tomorrow so thats exciting. I have two more friends that are coming in tomorrow. Theyre the last of the BYU group. One is going to the Dominican Republic and one to Argentina. We'll see how often I see them though, because they won't have the same schedule as us because they're beginners. Hopefully I see them while hosting tomorrow.
  In other news, we had a really cool Devotional last tuesday. Jeffrey R Holland came and spoke and gave a pretty intense talk. Made me really want to go out there to Chile.
  I'm so excited to get out there! I really want to go out and help real people instead of people pretending to be real people haha. I can't wait to see the changes I can make in peoples lives down there. Less than two weeks!! I think it'll really hit me when I get my flight plans this week. That should be the light at the end of the tunnel- haha.
  Well, Its great to hear from you all through Dear Elders and such. Did you know that Dana and Wally sent me a dear elder and a package of cookies from there? That was really nice of them. If you're reading this, thank you very much for the cookies and the update. They are very delicious.
  Alright my time is about up. I can't wait to leave this place. It'll be amazing. Our whole district is getting anxious. Anyway, I love you all and you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Hope everything is going well at home. I'm doing amazing and it will only get better from here.
Lots of love,
Elder Aaron Mayberry

Less than 3 weeks to go! Flight plans pending.

Hello Everyone!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Elder Mayberry and Elder Erickson

So everythings been going great here at the MTC. Just waiting and waiting til I get out of here! Under three weeks left so thats really exciting. And we get our flight plans next week sometime so that will be really really exciting haha. The light at the end of the tunnel.

 Spanish is coming. It really has improved. I can basically communicate with whoever, except some natives, that talk way too fast haha. Our teaching in Spanish is going good. We seem to be steadily improving so we're happy about that. So on Monday we called more people in Spanish and that was fun and scary again. Its fun to see that they understand you and stuff, but of course scary when they just go off and start rambling and you have no idea what they just said - haha. That happened to me but I did happen to catch a few words so I didnt feel like a complete fool when I responded. Theyre so nice. The culture is so much different than ours. Like usually at the end I'll apologize for my Spanish because its bad haha and say that I'm learning and practicing and every time the people compliment you and say your spanish is perfect. Theyre so kind and considerate and patient-haha. So that makes me excited for Chile, I know I won't get the door slammed in my face or made fun of because my spanish is bad haha, theyll just help me if I need it. I think thats really cool.

Elder Mayberry and Elder Lebron.

So this week we have the opportuniy of hosting! We get to be the people that help the new missionaries on Wednesdays with their luggage and stuff. So that'll be fun. A nice break from classes haha. Oh yeah, so remember my friend Ben Walters from school? How he's going to my same mission! He's coming in tomorrow and hes gonna be in my zone! So thats exciting.
I can't believe I already have less than three weeks left here. It seems like jsut the other day when I arrived. I am thankful for how fast time flies haha. I've heard that it goes even faster when youre in the field, so thats crazy.
I've been able to keep in correspondence with Jason, who is in Phoenix right now. I've asked him questions about the field and stuff and he's responded so thats fun. I've learned a little about what the field will be like.
  Oh, so this past week a new group of advanced Elders came in. The advanced guys are only here for 3 weeks cuz theyre already fluent. One of them is from CA and he is white - haha. We asked him how he's fluent and he told us that he went to Chile for a month and a half and got fluent! Thats really crazy. Made us all excited cuz now we have hope that we wont be useless for months haha. I hope I can get fluent that fast, that would be really cool.

MTC (BYU) friends meet together before Elder Chad goes to Japan. Chad is on the left

But yeah, everythings going great here in the MTC.Think about all of you all the time. Hope youre all doing well! I shall write again in another week!

Elder Aaron Mayberry

Hideous tie exchanges and the chair of shame........

Hey everyone!

So finally I've been here a month! Not really finally, because it came here so fast. I can't believe that I will be heading to Chile in less than a month. Makes me want to practice my Spanish a lot more (haha).
  Spanish is coming good. So last week we "killed" it, so we don't really use English all that often now, well not in class anyway. All this practice is doing me lots of good though so I'm happy. We're doing a competition like thing, where if you speak in English during class you get a point (points are bad) and whoever gets the most points that day has to sit in "la silla de la verguenza" the next day. Thats the "chair of shame" haha. Its just a regular chair in front of the class so its not even a big deal. But if you get the least amount of points in a day then you "win" the day. Whoever wins the most days in a week gets a candy bar, and whoever wins the most weeks at the end gets a tie. Pretty exciting. Ill keep you informed haha. But yeah, Spanish is good. Hard, but good. OH, so we went the the referral center on monday night (the place where you call people) and we did calls in spanish....CRAZY. I / Everyone made at least one call. It was so nerve wracking! I'm pretty sure I sounded stupid at some point haha. But our teacher was able to help us if we got stuck or couldnt understand what they said (which was a lot cuz they talk so fast!) But they're all really nice people so they didn't really mind all of us white kids in our horrible spanish. Definitely a learning experience.
  Everything with the companion is going good. We're practicing teaching all in Spanish now, so we're still obviously adjusting to that. It'll come though eventually.
  Haha, so the other night we did a tie exchange. Basically you pick the worst tie you have and throw it into a pillowcase and a bunch of people do it. Of course you tell the new kids to put in their good ties (which some did HAHA). So its pretty much hit or miss with the tie you get. I got a pretty good one, so I was happy. Other people didn't get so lucky though haha. There's certain ties that are so hideous that they stay in circulation in tie exchanges because no one wants them. So that's always fun to see who gets those ties. When you pick the tie, you put your arm in the pillowcase and everyone(the hall) counts to five and then you have to yank your arm out and everyone sees the tie and either cheers or goes crazy because its ugly. Very fun stuff haha.
  Not much else is goin on in my life at the moment. Pretty monotonous still. Thanks to all who have sent me emails or letters, its much appreciated (SHANT WOOOO! :D) That was for you shant. Be sure to include a home address, so I can write back to you.
  So I hope youre all doing well back at home! Im still doing good here. Just waiting to get out of here and talk to real people! Its ok though, over halfway there of my MTC experience and then its off to to the races in SANTIAGO! Wish you all the best!

Elder Mayberry

Funeral for English ! A sister companion? 9-2-2009

I can't believe its almost been 4 weeks since I got here. Its crazy that it's already September too! I hope Jordan had a good birthday weekend out in Malibu, sounded like a lot of fun. Wish I could've been there.

  Things keep goin here, not much changes week to week. We did get a new teacher though, Brother Simmons. He's taught us once so far so I don't know what to think of him yet. Spanish is still going good. Learning more and more. We have our funeral for English tomorrow already! So thats exciting. I know that only speaking spanish for the rest of the 5 weeks or so will do me a lot of good. I think I'll progress the most in Spanish in these next coming weeks. Im gonna try and use English as limitedly as possible.

Chad just left yesterday morning for Japan so thats exciting for him. I wish I was in his shoes haha. I just wanna get to Chile cuz that'll be when the fun really starts. I got a letter back from Jason in Phoenix and he's doing good. He says the field is a lot better than the MTC. I kinda figured as much but you never know. The next person to leave is Ben Mennis, and he just got here less than two weeks ago. He's going to the Peru MTC so he's here for 3 weeks and there for six weeks. After him me, Ryan, Marshall, and Mauricio are all leaving the same week so that'll be a really exciting week. First week of October can't get here soon enough. Its ok though, we basically just gotta do the same thing we've already done another time. And it hasnt seemed that long at all.

  So last Tuesday after I emailed there was a devotional and Elder Richard G. Scott from the Twelve came and talked to us. It was pretty incredible. The most memorable part of his talk was by far when he gave us two apostolic blessings. He bascially said that as an apostle of the Lord he was going to bless us with the gift of tongues, and then also a blessing of protection while out in the field, as long as we were obedient and doing what we have to do. So that was very cool.
  Me and Elder Erickson are still adjusting to having a Sister in our companionship. It changes things a lot haha. Because we used to be very relaxed, in planning for example, but she wants to have everything organized to the minute. Reminded me of dad, haha. GANT chart. Anyway, we're adjusting. We're trying to make it work as best as we can.
I'm doing well in all other aspects of life. No major problems. The tailor did not do a very good job though. I've already taken one pair of pants in to get rehemmed and I'm going to have to take another in soon. Not too much else I can think of at the moment.
  I printed a few more pictures out that I'm gonna send in a letter tomorrow. I'm gonna send my card shortly though. Probably within a week or two.
  I'm trying to think if I forgot about anything. I still have some time so I'll send anythign else if I remember that I forgot something.
  So all's going good here. Can't wait to get out of here! But still so much time left haha. These next couple weeks should be discouraging, since we're basically starting back from scratch, re-learning all the lessons in Spanish and trying to teach them in Spanish haha. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes though. Hope youre all doing well back there. I'm sure you are. Miss you guys mucho and love you. Youre in my thoughts and prayers. Till next week!
Love,
Elder Aaron Mayberry