Focus and Dedication

February 2, 2009
Dear Family,
This week went by super fast. It seems like I just wrote my last letter yesterday. I am doing excellent! The food here is awesome but after 3 weeks it is getting a little redundant eating the same things each week. I still eat a lot though. I've gained about five or six pounds since I got here. That's cool that you all switched things up a bit with your rooms. I'm excited for Preston (Olsen) to come. He might have gym at the same time as me because there's a lot of Tagolag speakers in my gym time now. But I guess I'll see when he gets here.
Spanish is going well. It's coming to me better each day. This week I focused a lot on grammar because I was struggling in that area. They have a personal tutor that comes once a week and she really helped out a lot.
So I don't know if I told you or my journal about our branch president for our zone. So sorry if this is a repeat. Our branch president is awesome. He has a sense of humor a lot like Brother Holder. He was a mission president, stake president twice, adviser to 3 U.S. presidents...Ford, Reagan and the 1st Bush...and he was on the board that helped put out Preach My Gospel. His wife is really nice, too. Our zone is lucky to have him and his counselors.
For your talk dad, anything out of PMG (Preach my Gospel) is golden. It is a great book. I really like the Missionaries' Purpose part because really it is every one's purpose, not just missionaries.
Thanks for the goodies! Everyone thinks they are way good! And speaking of family history, yesterday in our mission conference I learned something cool, the retention rate on one of the missions for new converts was about 25%. But when the converts were introduced to family history work right off then the retention rate was about 70%. What a difference. One really good thing I learned this week is dedication and focus. I am learning so much but I can learn even more if I focus just a little more... I have been better the last couple days.
How is everyone at home doing? How are the dogs? I miss you all and love you all. Thanks for being such a good family. Remember, Dios ama todos sus hijos. Jesucristo es nuestro Redentor y nuestro Salvador. Familias es un parte central del plan de Dios.

Love,
Elder Gray

P.S. Tell Grandpa and Grandma thanks for the card and their support.