Buenos Diassss!

Santa vaca. Time flies in el CCM! It feels like I just emailed you guys yesterday. But at the same time, I feel like I haven't been home...in yearssss (said in Pres. Monson voice).

This week has been awesome. Sometimes hard, but overall just amazing. Sometimes I take advantage of the fact that I'm ACTUALLY a missionary. I'm beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity and there is no where else I'd rather be. Besides Argentina :) Even in the hard/stressful times, it's still awesome. Why?? Cause the only thing I stress about is SAVIN LIVES yo. Life doesn't get much better.

It's impossible to tell you guys enough details about my week, I can barely remember everything without reading my entire journal. I write a ton in my journal. Sometimes it's a burden because I end up staying up later than 10:30 to get all the details in, but there's just so much to write sometimes and I know I'd regret it later if I didn't.

I'll give a quick sum up of Elder Arnold for you guys. He's from Idaho, comes from a family of 10, he's the youngest of 8 boys (ya...what??). He's a pretty smart kid. Knows a lot about the scriptures. He doesn't really like to talk. So I just sing hymns while we walk places to break the silence haha. Also he doesn't like to walk right next to me. He will usually keep about a 10 foot distance walking behind me. Even if I stop and wait for him to catch up..he'll just wait for me to get ahead again and hang back...live your life I guess. This past week he finally laughed at one of my jokes during lunch time. I almost fell off my chair out of shock. Usually he'll just look at me like I'm really dumb... sometimes I deserve it haha. He's a good guy. Like I said, we're polar opposites so it's been a learning experience trying to figure out how to relate to him and get along, but I know Heavenly Father paired us up for a reason so I'm just trying to love him and learn from him.

Few highlights of the week. On Sunday we had a devotional from President and Sister Tanner (the next Pres of BYU - HI). That was pretty good, they talked about obedience and how Temple covenants bless and empower us. After the devotional we watched a movie called "The Character of Christ." I'm sure the boys have seen it. It's an address from Elder Bednar that he gave at Christmas one time in the MTC. Changed my life. Alyssa told me about it when she was in the MTC, I couldn't find it on the internet, but you guys should try cause it's seriously amazing. Elder Arnold and I also got to give the sacrament prayer in Spanish last Sunday. That was cool, and President Swenson told us that he was super impressed with our accents cause usually guys in the MTC butcher it like crazy, but he said we did pretty good. President Swenson is our Branch President. The guy is sharp... I'm tellin ya. He and his wife have been mission presidents in Chile and have been serving as Branch President for the past four years. I literally absorb everything he says. He's a super nice guy, with a good sense of humor...but I can tell it would not be fun to be on his bad side haha. He gave the lesson in priesthood last Sunday and talked about using inspired questions in our lessons. Read Alma 5 for example. The questions in there will pierce your soul haha. That changed my perspective on teaching and helped a lot with our lessons this last week.

So lessons. Last Saturday Elder Arnold and I kind of botched our lesson with Leonardo on the restoration. Leonardo does this thing where right as we're getting to the peak of the lesson like bearing our testimony or getting a commitment. He'll cut us off and be like "No tengo mucho tiempo" or something like that. So last Saturday we kinda just panicked and left without even finishing our testimonies or getting a commitment. Que feo! Ah. So this last week we kind of had to recover. We sort of re-taught the Restoration and got a commitment for him to pray about it. Leonardo doesn't talk much and every question we ask he just replies "mm..mas o menos" or something like that... I just pray for patience and try not to give him the stink eye haha.

We started TRC's this week and are teaching a Latina named Jamie. She's married and in her 20's with a little girl. She's super nice and it's been awesome teaching her. I love teaching girls because it's way easier to help them to feel the spirit.

Cool experience. So I was having a hard time with Restoration. I've always believed that it's true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but I've never like KNOWN to my core. My testimony of the restoration could still use some exercise, but this last week I memorized the first vision in Spanish and was able to recite it to Jamie without any help. El don de lenguas babyy! Anyway when I recited the first vision to her I felt the spirit soo strong. Almost got a little choked up...the MTC is makin me soft ;) Anyway that was super cool. I want to study the restoration more for myself so I can have an experience like that every time.

We also had a devotional from Sister Burton (General Relief Society Pres.) this past week. That was awesome and she talked about becoming a disciple of Christ. She's awesome. I loved her talk. She got super choked up when she read a quote from Elder Perry too. It was sad... but cute.

I know you guys heard, but I got to see Ryan this week! That was awesome. Fun to see a family member. I know a ton of people here, but it's different when it's family. Maddi Bishoff and Matisse Streetman also came into the MTC this last Wednesday. It was awesome to see them :) I love my friends. ;)

Okay this is a novel, sorry. Overall I love my life and this is great. I pray for all you every night. I still suck at basketball, but that's okay cause I'm getting better haha. We played soccer this week too. I looove soccer. I'm decent at soccer for an American... but I know the Argentine's are going to be rolling on the ground when they see me play. Oh gosh.

Love you all! La obra es marvillosa y me encanta este Evangelio!! (spanish is comin good too as you can see ;))

-Elder Jolley IV

 Skyler with his District in their classroom

 Skyler with his companion, Elder Arnold

 Skyler with Elder Petersen

 Elder Arnold, Elder Jolley, Elder Mikesell and Elder Petersen

 Elder Jolley, Elder Arnold, Elder Nowjack, Elder Healey

 His Zone.

 His District.

Another of his District with the Provo Temple in the background.