Letter 1: from the MTC

I have to be super quick, the rules to this are pretty dumb, but now I only have 19 minutes left. I am enjoying myself here at the MTC! The weather is beautiful and although everyone in my district complains about the food, I think it's delicious. What are they going to say when they have to eat the food of Equador and Mexico? I like my Spanish teachers, Hermano Alder and Hermana Hunt. Hermana Hunt is SO much like Patricia, particularly in personality and in style. She's really nice. I'm thinking though that tomorrow I'm going to take the test to be in the advanced class because my spanish is really good and i'd love to be out of here in only 2 and a half more weeks. If I stay in the intermediate class, I report to Mexico on Nov 22, but actually nobody's visas are working out for Mexico, so it'd probably be another two or three weeks at the MTC. Umm. No thanks. My companion's name is Elder Roden, from Colorado. He went to BYU for a year, plays basketball, and is really into weightlifting. He's pretty cool. We get along well. I really do like the other Elders in my district. Plus we have two sisters, and they actually are like having older sisters. One of them is going to serve in the Florida Tampa Mission! So we talk all about FL. She's gotta support the Gators, I told her. It's pretty hard having to plan every minute of your day, but it's really hard to do that with a companion. We don't always agree with how we should do things and what we should focus on. I feel like I'm not actually working hard here because my spanish is so good. So i really want to get into that advanced class. Unfortunately I'd have to switch districts. But I'd get a new companion, which would be pretty cool. What I like most about being here is seeing people from all over the world--Mongolia! Japan! Places in Africa that I've never heard of! Tonga! It's super cool! I really like spanish, but it'd be really cool to learn one of the other languages. Unfortunately I cannot send photos via the internet! But I'll have them printed and sent to you all. You can scan them on the computer if you want. We went to the temple today! It was really nice inside the Provo temple. And today we got to do laundry and I wrote TONS of letters! I love getting letters! The other elders in my district get really jealous!

Oh and Dad, we played shoot off!!! My idea. Everyone loves it and they're so surprised that I can get it in so easily. So far elders have had to eat chalk dust, chew an advil pill, and eat a fingerfull of toothpaste. None of those elders were me of course. I got some photos!

Mom, thanks for the letters and package! I can't wait for tomorrows letter! I'm trying to write as much as I can, but P-days are super busy also! Tonight we have a devotional, and rumor is that there will be a General Authority there because thiiss  wweekend is General Conference!. Sorry this letter is so random and rushed! I hate tyypping against time. And this keyboard is weird. I LOVE you all!! Write mee!! I hope everything is going well at home! I miss the dogs!! And swimming! AAnndd  Sherlock Holmes. But I'm busy here, and that's what I like. Wish me luck with the spanish class i want to get into! Hopefully I'll be sent to the states for a little bit until my visa comes!

Oh and I've seen David McDougall.

And Aleksi, Sergio from UF is here and we see each other all the timee!!  It's nice to have another Gator in the middle of Provo!

Miss you!! Kiss Bentley for me!! Tell my friends to write me!

Thank you so much for the home I was raised in, for the Gospel I was ttaauught, and for the love I've been blessed with! I can't wait to baptize families in Mexico! I know that they can be as happy as our family is!

To my friends: Read the Book ooff  MMormon!! It's how you can know for youself that this church is true! Pray to find out!