Well I'm Alive

Hello Everybody,

I am here and I am alive.  Pretty cool huh?  Well Wednesday was probably the longest day of my life, but it ended up being pretty good.  It has just gotten better and better since I have been here.  So....my companion is Elder Smoot. He is going to Puerto Rico, but is going to the DR MTC with us. He is way cool, and in my room it is Elder Richardson and Elder Dispain. All of us seem to have a lot in common, and it has been a lot more fun now that we talk more and are more comfortable around each other.  Mom, I forgot the card with the 500 questions so I am sorry if I don't answer them all.  Spanish is coming.  They just keep telling us to learn it in English and the Spanish will come.  I am just being faithful that this will happen for me.  One of our teachers said that learning the language can be a spiritual experience, so I am striving for it to be that way.  This also let to one of the funniest things so far.  Our teacher told us that we would be able to learn Spanish by the spirit.  One of the elders in my district, Elder Gilman, looked at him with the straightest, most serious face I have ever seen, and said, "So you are tellin me that the spirit is gonna teach me Spanish?"  His face said, there is no way this is gonna happen.  Maybe you had to be there, but Elder Smoot and I laughed way hard about it.  So today is the first day that we really have had any free time, so I haven't had time to be homesick.  I miss lots of things, but I also know that this is what I should be doing, and I am learning to love everything that we do. So apparently the MTC in the DR is full, so they had to change the flight plans of some of them.  Me, Elders Smoot and Richardson were all lucky enough to get to go to the DR MTC, I was way excited about that.  We make sure and rub it in to Elder Dispain that he has to stay here.  hmmmm what else.  I'm doing my laundry right now.  I have made my bed EVERYDAY.  Impressive huh.  You should all be very proud of me.  Overall, I am having a good time.  It's hard, but rewarding, and I know that I, as well as you guys will be blessed.  The spirit is strong here, and I know that as we seek to get closer to the lord it will get stronger.  I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.  I love and miss you guys.  Sorry if I forgot anything, its hard to remember what to write, I will remember more next time. 

Riley-June 18, 2011