(Kamustaka is for hello to one person. Kamustamo is hi to multiple people.)]
... So (this may sound a little gay) I've decided that to be more humble and to avoid any form of animosity, I would refrain from basketball in gym. So I play 4 square. Good news is that there is ZERO anger or anything. Its just so much fun. Bad news is, Its tough to be humble about it. I really am good. hahaha. They guys love to watch me play because I dive and slide and roll for the ball. My knees hurt alot. But I love it.
I have become a lot more humble here at the MTC. I realized that was my greatest weakness. I think an example of my new found humility was last night. When we had first met the second counselor in our Branch Presidency, he was a tough as nails jerk that pointed out every little thing that we did wrong. He seemed really rude and mean. And so (being me) I wrote him off. I told myself, "he cant teach me anything. Who does he think he is?" So on my first Sunday he spoke in Sacrament meeting about humility. And I realized that he was EXACTLY THE SAME AS ME. If he didnt like someone, he wrote them off. He was too proud to be the kind of man he should be. So last night he taught our leadership meeting. After I asked to speak with him and I apologized to him. I told him what I had thought and that I had shut him out and now I was more humble and I sincerely asked for his forgiveness. He lovingly gave it and said he appreciated it. not for him, but for me. he said if I could learn to be that kind of man now, I would be a million times better off than he was. I think that experience not only brought us closer together, but brought us closer to the Savior.
Guess who spoke to us on Sunday? SHERI FREAKING DEW! WHAT THE HECK! BEST SPEAKER EVER! I was in shock. I almost didnt take notes because I knew that she was a women's speaker. But the Spirit told me that I needed to right as she started and what do you know...2 1/2 pages of NOTES! I usually get about 1/2 a page for each speaker. She was awesome. Then last week they had us right down any question we would want an apostle to answer for Thanksgiving. Guess who's coming to do that?
....Jeffrey R. Holland.....yeah.
So something bad happened yesterday. In the middle of my sleep, the Spririt told me to wake up. I woke up and Elder Aso was on the floor breathing really hard, crying and holding his chest. It was 4:30. I asked him what was wrong but he couldnt answer. I hopped down just as Elder Boehmer did (he said the Spirit woke him up too). I told him to grab some oil and we quickly gave him a blessing of healing and comfort. He quickly was able to talk through the pain and he told us that he felt like really strong acid reflux. We were about to go back to sleep and he ran out and threw up in the garbage. he said that he felt better and went back to bed. An hour later, I woke up to the door flinging open as he ran out to throw up again. I followed him to the bathroom and he was crying. He threw up all this black tar looking stuff. So we called security who called a doctor. The doctor told us to get to the ER right away. We got there and they did some blood tests and an ultrasound and found that his intestines were blown up and fluid was going through them that shouldn't be there. So they gave him some meds and sent us home. A couple hours later he threw up again in the sick bay and they rushed us back to the ER. He had had his appendix taken out a couple years ago and they determined that it was affecting his intestine. So they did some x-rays and decided that surgery was necessary. So last night they cut out a part of his intestine that was blocked up and causing it to inflate. So now my companion is in the hospital. Please pray for him. I'm putting his name on the prayer roll today at the temple. Thanks.
...I have about two minutes left. Tell Ben I said Happy Birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there. But the Lord is my boss and I dont get any vacations. We're so busy! haha.
I love you all and there's letters coming.
Love, Brandon
