Week 6 (1/26/10) Email to Dad from the MTC

I have had 15 bloody noses since I have been here and I used to get them a lot at home too, so that brutally hot metal doesn't sound as bad to me as it sounds to you, but that's not saying much ha. Let's just say I'll be glad when its all over and done with. My teacher here, Hermana Cochrane said she did it shortly after she graduated from high school and it wasn't that bad, it was just annoying having a scab in her nose. It will be nice not having to worry about getting a bloody nose everywhere I go. I have had one while playing volleyball and one on the 8th row of a big meeting with all the 2000 or so missionaries here. They just strike without any warning. Anyway I am enjoying myself and learning a lot. My Spanish gets better everyday. My companion and I have made over 1000 flash cards since I have been here it's great. Dad I love being a part of this great work and I know that Jesus Christ died for us. I know that through Him we can be together as a family forever, we just have to do our part. I'm glad we got to spend some time together before I came and I was happy to have your help cleaning all of my stuff up and getting ready to head out. I enjoyed having you in my room just hanging out with me. Its kind of a bummer being so far away for so long, but it will go fast and I will see you in two fast years. It has already been six weeks. Three more and I'll be in Argentina. Can't wait! I love you Dad.

Week 5 (1/19/10) Email to Mom from the MTC

I am doing really well here. We started teaching Lesson 1 in Spanish this week. We speak Spanish during class, breakfast, and dinner. I still have a lot to learn so I am glad I have four weeks to get ready for game-time. It is going to be SO awesome. I look forward with great excitement. Thanks for your support Mom. I love you!

Week 4 (1/12/10) Email to Dad from the MTC

Everything is good here. Today Elder Wofford and I got to go off campus so he could see a doctor at a BYU clinic a block down the road. It was a fun little adventure. We heard some radio music, met a cool little kid and saw some real people. Elder Wofford is a really cool guy. We get along really well. Time is crazy here. I'm really enjoying it. I like learning the language and Elder Wofford and I have got most of it down on paper. Its the speaking that gets tough. Its hard to think which conjugation to use without talking slow. With Elder Shapiro to the Dominican Republic went Hermana Howze so that left us with a solo Sister. Since Wofford and I will be a threesome with Elder Rockwood tomorrow once Elder Earley leaves for the Lima MTC, Hermana Kinghorn went with us for the first little bit. It was pretty tough. She is very strong willed and always is right. ALWAYS. She isn't very patient with us Elders and she reminds me so much of some of the Sisters that have been at our house and have been so pushy with you. She was very hard to deal with, but luckily I'll be in a threesome tomorrow so I won't have to worry about it anymore. Elder Wofford is from Kansas and went to BYU for a year before his mission. I'll be with him until he leaves on February 14. Well everything is good here I'm learning a lot and loving it.

Week 3 (1/5/10) Letter from the MTC

Everything is good here. For class one day, Hermano Concha had us turn to one of our favorite scriptures and read it for the class. I read Alma 57:21. He challenged us to memorize our scripture in Spanish so I'll be working on that. On Sunday nights we can watch church movies - choose between 4 they play for us - and our district watched The Testaments. That is an amazing movie. Normally when I see that movie I feel really sad when Jesus gets tortured and crucified and after as well. This time I felt sad but as soon as he died on the cross I just felt awesome, like I wanted to stand up and pump my fist in the air. It was really cool. Can you imagine how we felt at that point in time? He did it! YEAH! The plan worked! He did it! He did it! And then he shows up and He and God embrace as we all watch in complete excitement and happiness. It was really cool. It gave me a new perspective on it. We are just getting into Lesson 2 this week which is on the Plan of Salvation and I've been learning a lot about it. I got to go to the temple today and had another good experience. I love going to the temple. I love being here and I'm gonna miss my companion - he leaves Thursday. I KNOW I will be blessed and I treasure the great opportunity I have before me.

Week 3 (1/5/10) Email to Dad from the MTC

Things are great here. The food was really good at first and can still be from time to time but for the most part I'm pretty tired of it. I always felt like garbage after I ate but lately I've been making sure to eat so that I don't feel like crap. Maybe there is some method to your eating madness haha. They have Grape Nuts and Shredded Wheat here for people with eating disorders so I eat that for breakfast unless they have French toast. Things are getting pretty crazy with people heading out lately. Damien left yesterday, our teacher had his last day on Saturday-he was really cool, we'll miss him, my companion leaves in two days and then I will be companions with Elder Wofford. I was going to be comps with Elder Rockwood, but Wofford's companion took off Sunday morning at 3:00. It was a shock to us all and was a very sobering experience. None of us saw it coming. I feel bad for him, because I know he is missing out on the experience of a lifetime. I can't imagine coming home right now. I can't imagine wanting to come home right now. I really do miss you guys, but I am really excited to go to Argentina and have an amazing experience. It will be hard, but I know I will be blessed much for it. I know that after I get back I will be a much better person for it and my life will be a lot better. I feel bad for Elder Tucker that his family didn't support him as you guys do and that he will be missing out on some life changing experiences. It was his choice though and all we could do was watch him go. A week from tomorrow we will be starting SYL, which is Speak Your Language. We will be speaking only Spanish in the classroom and we are supposed to only talk in Spanish with each other. It will be tough, but it will be good. I can already see that I have progressed with my Spanish and with my knowledge of the scriptures. I really love what I am doing. I love being a part of this Gospel. I know that this is God's church on the earth today. I know the Book of Mormon is true. The one thing I want you to do while I am gone is to read the Book of Mormon, sincerely. I know you won't regret it. I am going to miss Elder Shapiro when he goes, but I learned what I needed to learn from him. I want to work hard over the course of my mission so that I can help the most people I can. I can't wait to get out there!

Week 2 (12/29/09) Email from the MTC

Everything is going great here! The first week went really fast! The second week went really fast! But it seems like I have been here forever! I had a hard time with my companion early on, but one night we chatted for an hour about our problems and worked it all out. It felt really good after we finished talking. Ever since then, things have been great between us. We had an amazing experience last night at the TE where we taught a teacher the first lesson. We didn't teach an ounce of the first lesson, we totally adjusted to our 'investigators' needs and the Spirit was really with us. It felt so real and afterwards he told us he had never seen such unity in teaching between companions. He was really impressed and took about 20 minutes extra to tell us that he was impressed and that our lesson was perfect and that he knew we were going to be leaders in our mission and that our fellow missionaries will really need our examples. He said towards the end of his mission he and his companion had a prayer with their mission president that the Lord would send some solid missionaries to help pick up the area. When the new missionaries stepped off the airplane he knew when he saw them that their prayers had been answered and the Lord sent them some solid missionaries. He said he felt the same way about us.He said he knew we had strong testimonies and that Satan knew that as well and would work extra hard on us. He told us that when he was on his mission in Mexico he got tape worm and had to transfer to Oregon. He kept talking to us and told us to keep being obedient and working hard. After we finished talking to him I asked him if he served in Eugene or Portland, he said he got back from Eugene three years ago. I said oh my brother served there but you probably wouldn't know him, he served in Eugene from July 2006-July 2008. He stopped and looked deep in thought. He focused on my nametag and under his breath said No way... He said 'I knew your brother. He was one of those missionaries. That's insane. Wow.' It was really cool. He told me he wanted to meet with us again and thanked us for coming. It was a really awesome experience. I really am learning a lot and I can't wait to get out to Argentina. February 15. I've never been so excited for Valentine's Day to roll around! haha That's all the time for today.

Week 2 (12/29/09) Letter from the MTC

Everything is going good here. A new crew comes in tomorrow so I won't be a noob anymore :) I'm still sick, so that makes 14 days in a row. I'm getting along with my companion a LOT better. There are some things he does that are obnoxious but I decided I couldn't let stupid things bother me. It totally wasn't worth the trouble. That wasn't the only issue we had - we had some problems being unified and trusting each other when we taught - but it certainly helped for me to get past that. I decided I needed to be more humble and allow the spirit to be with us. One of Satan's greatest tools against us as missionaries is to create a wedge between companionships and I have already learned that first hand. At first I didn't understand why this companion was put with me since he is only here for 3 weeks but we both have learned a lot from each other. Elder Neal L. Anderson spoke to us on Christmas week and said it is not chance that we are here in the MTC right now. I also don't think there is chance with who I get paired up with companionship-wise. I hope I can learn as much as I can from my companions and be able to help them as well. I'm excited to be here and I'm excited to help real people come unto Christ and help them to receive the gospel in their lives. I'm also excited to come to know and love the people in Argentina and make some new friends.

Week 1 (12/22/09) First letter from the MTC

Today is p-day. The MTC has been great so far. They keep us really busy here. I have been sick all week and today I feel worse than any day yet. The guys in my district are a bit jealous though because the nurse said I can take a nap. My companion and I had a couple arguments yesterday. It's hard to be with a person 24/7. I'll get used to it. I have to (ha, ha). It's been great here. The spirit is always here, especially when we teach. I love how I feel when we teach and testify. Teaching and seeing demonstrations make me really excited to get out in the field in Argentina to help real people! I know what I know will bless them and their families and make them happy. It's pretty crazy Damien is in my zone. We have the same meal times, gym times, and the same sacrament/priesthood meetings. I love playing volleyball with him in the gym. It's awesome to think about. I'm on a mission!!