First letter~FINALLY!

Hi Mom,

Me and Elder Howe!

This is my big letter so im probably just going to send you my main letter each week and then you can share it with the family and post the parts that you choose to share with everyone else!

First  day was crazy. I was immediately being sent from room to room getting books and my name tag and then being sent to the bus to ride over to the west campus of the MTC.. I don't actually live in the normal MTC which is weird because all of the spanish speaking missionaries have their own campus over in the wyview apartment complex. but its awesome because everyone speaks spanish. So first day I dropped my stuff off at my apartment which is super nice and its two rooms so we have all four of the Elders in our district in our apartment, were all good buddies so its fun..

After i dropped my stuff off, we had class and met one of our teachers and then had a devotional or two and we did a practice teaching with investigators which was super cool and spiritual. 

My companion is Elder Howe (Hunter), he's from Huntington Beach, California, he loves soccer as much as I do and he's definitely a good player. He just graduated high school so he's 18 but he's a total stud. He is a falcons fan which is really random, but honestly were like exactly alike, which for us has worked out super well. we are already best friends and I can tell we will be friends for a long time. He has an awesome spirit about him and we push each other to be better.

Elder Howe, me, Hansen, Zapata~The district

The other elders in our district are elder Zapata and elder hansen. They are both 18 as well and are both really cool guys and fun to be around. They can be a little immature sometimes to be honest, but they also bring a fun youngness to the district that can help make things more fun. They're companionship has seen a lot more frustration and pride and struggle than mine and elder howes. The Hermanas in our district.. that means sisters... said that me and elder howe are like the newly weds in the honeymoon phase and the other elders are the old married couple hahaha, its pretty true. We have a trio of sisters in our district and they are super awesome. We all do a pretty good job of uplifting each other and being open about our thoughts and have fun together. I was called as the district leader last thursday which has been an awesome experience for me. Its been a trial for me to be able to encourage the district to work hard and stay focused without sounding condescending or being a dictator, but I really do love all the members in the district and I really want to just work as hard as we can and encourage an atmosphere where we can love each other and have the spirit. I think they all recognize that i am trying to do my best.

Lets see.. the food is actually really good here. I{ve pretty much enjoyed every meal, which is frightening because i don't want to get fat, but honestly I think i have lost weight here. I wish I knew how much i weighed before i came in, but i really just try to eat healthy and not eat to much.

I started getting sick two days ago so thats been a little annoying, but last night elder howe gave me some health fruit and vegetable  powder stuff that you put in water so I drank that but it was super nasty and when i was downing the last gulp, i threw up. so that was awkward.

It turns out that I am in the intermediate spanish classes which i wasn't expecting, but its nice because were like the only ones that are intermediate in our zone, so we really are miles ahead of everyone else spanish wise which gives us a little bit of confidence or cockiness.. But we know that its all about the Spirit and the strength of our testimony..

The first three days really weren't hard for me.. I think maybe because it was all so new and exciting.. but the next two days were kinda tough because the lack of sleep started to wear me down, but other than that, it really hasn't been too bad for me. I really do love it here..

We taught an investigator in spanish on our second day in the MTC which is crazy but me an Elder howe honestly have no problem talking to our investigators for an hour all in spanish, which is amazing to me.. We have learned so freakin much here and it is amazing how much we are able to learn and remember when we have the gifts of the Spirit helping us out. I{ve been able to memorize a bunch of scripture references and I have memorized a shortened version of the first vision in spanish as well as our purpose in spanish and my vocabulary has just shot up like crazy.. Spanish is so fun to learn, I love it.

Elder Howe and i really haven't had any super embarrassing experiences, but during one of our lessons Elder howe was bearing his testimony to them and He goes.. Soy un profeta. hahaha he said I am a prophet.. which technically is true because we have the spirit of prophecy but you don't necesarily want to say that to an investigator. I Was sitting there trying not to bust up laughing because i knew the lesson would've been schruted so I just powered through it like a champ. 

On tuesday we got to go to a devotional by Elder Tom Perry which was super awesome and inspirational. His abilty to bring the spirit to a meeting was amazing.

I have honestly had so many powerful rock solid spiritual experiences while i have been in here and i am writing them all in my journal and there are so many little miracles that happen every day, but one in particular i will share,.. I was studying on sunday I believe.. and I was so sleepy and couldn't focus at all so I got up and went to the bathroom and said a little prayer in there asking that the Lord would give me energy so that I could focus on my study and be able to really learn and prepare for our investigators and pretty much Immediately I felt this like surge of energy in my body and from then at around 2 p.m. until bedtime I didn't get tired once.. It sounds silly but it was really real to me and to not be tired in the mtc is a very rare thing. I know the Lord will bless me when I align my will with his will. The trick is being willing to submit to his will sincerely and give it your all..

Hopefully that covers most of the details of the first week that you want to know.

Thank you so much for my letter and package. Getting mail is seriously the best thing in the world here, I think I would take a letter from anyone over a lofty sum of gold.. 

Please encourage people to write me using Mtcdelivery.com or dealelder.com because then I get letters that day which is super nice.

I have learned a lot about the Character of Christ in here and something that he did that is so amazing to me is that even in his hardest trials, he turned Outward and looked to serve others. Such a hard thing to do, but i am striving to be better.

Love you lots and lots! Don't worry about me, I am doing amazing. Send my love to the Family and let them know that I miss them.

Also I'll try to send some pictures

This is Elder Creighton. He's in our zone. Reincarnation of Chris Farley. Funniest kid on earth!