voy a baltimore

Hola familia!
Well i have one week left here and i can't believe it. One week i'm supposed to be speaking fluent spanish haha not exactly on track for that but that's alright I'm excited to get out of the MTC and get to Baltimore. What a great week this has been. Many great experiences this week but this week has for sure been the slowest because we got OUR FLIGHT PLANS on thursday ha that's making the time go a lot slower but thats good because i'm not ready to leave this Place this. Alright here it is I leave AUGUST 25TH TUESDAY, MY FLIGHT LEAVES SALT LAKE AT 10 AM (DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT #1106) AND I LAND IN BALTIMORE BWI AT 4 17 i'm guessing that time is eastern time zone. I have to be to the travel office at 6 am which isn't too bad that morning. There is some elders that are going to Mexico that i know that have to be tehre at 3 A.m. But yep there are my flight plans. I can't believe that this time is already here. For 8 weeks i've looked at other elders get there flight plans and been like well i still have a lot of time ha well thats not so true anymore.
Today has been a great day. we went to the temple this morning and both of our teachers were there with us in the session. Hermano Shulca and Hermana Jacob. They really are the best people. I have been so blessed to have such great teachers and i dunno they have never been to the temple with other districts that they have taught so may be were just a special district. They really are the best though and it was a lot of fun to be with them today in the Temple. I always thought the provo temple was so weird looking but i have come to love that temple. It's amazing and just really different but very nice.
So this week i have been so spoiled beacuase of all of you. I recieved so mnay letters and packages this week, i was in heaven. Thank you grandma hafen for the snickerdoodles i absolutely loved them! Thanks aunt mitzie for the cookies and all of your love! Thanks jodie and tiff for the great letters about your trip it sure sounds like that was a blast! Thank you MAUDI AND MARLEE for the letters and pictures i loved them thank you i love you girls. And to my adorable amazing can't even describe the words Mother! Thanks mom for all the packages this week and the living christ and proc to the world and pictures. I loved them so much Thank you all for all your love through packages and letters i am so blessed to have such an amazing family. THank you all!
Well this week Elder Nelson left and that's crazy to see cause i have been here the whole time with him but i'm happy and excited for him to get out there. This week we had a great fireside from Elder snow from the 2nd quorum of the 70, i forgot his last name but they said he was born in st george so he might be one of our relatives. But he gave a talk about things thtat he was working on in his life to better serve the lord and the things he talked about were amazing. He talked about moses chapter 7 and how his whole talk was about "i will choose him" and he talked about choosing the lord in everything that we do, and the part that hit me the most was a story from his mission. He said he had a new companion and he was terrible at german couldn't speak a lick. and one night they went on exchanges and the two new companions went with each other not knowing any german and the two senior companions went together. Later after they got back the junior companion told them about how they got into a ladies house and are going to teach her again. He couldn't believe it. That lady was baptised later and is a member adn the junior companion and elder snow have stayed in touch since then. She ended up passing away and elder snow was talking to him just recently about how that night he got into that house that day. The man told him that she ahd told him beofre she died that she opened the door and the reason she let them in was because "i could see the virtue in your faces" Elder snow talked about how important it is to have that light of christ and to have his image in our countenance. I Loved that story and it's just a reminder to me that i don't know who is watching and that i better have a smile on my face no matter what and get that image in my countenance. I loved that fireside and his words and we just were very lucky to have that talk.
Last night we had the head person over proselyting for the Church. He gave a really good talk about reminding us all what our purpose is. He really stressed to us that we are to always INVITE and that Baptism is our main goal. We teach here so much to missionaries and it's really easy to forget what the purpose of our lessons are because it's hard to teach fake investigators. But i really learned alot last night and how important it is in everythign i do to remember what is my purpose and apply that to every lesson and every person. it was another great firesdie. We only have two left! i can't believe it. the firesdies and devotionals are the best times here and i have been so lucky to have such great speakers. PRAY WE GET AN APOSTLE THIS WEEK haha. This next week we dont' have sacrament and we get to watch teh temple dedication. I am really excited for that. Thanks mom for the hankerchief! I needed one of those. I don't think a white sock is allowed huh? haha no but that should be a great experience for us right before we leave.
The espanol this week has been doing pretty good we really are trying to speak it alot and our classes are only in spanish. Today we are actually fasting as a district from english. It's fun to do that because we have to come up with some crazy broken spanish to say what we want haha. But i am excited to get out there and get to work and have to really rely on spanish becasuse i know thats when i will learn the most.
Well fmily i love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me thanks for all the letters and packages and all my pen pals. I have the best family in the world. Nick i sent you a letter last week to your old address i hope you got it, just letting you know let me know about your new address if you already have moved. I love you fam and i can't wait till the hoods of baltimore start calling to me haha nos vemos
Con amor
Elder Martillo