Band of Brothers

It is really cool how in a few months I can see how the gospel can bring anyone together. My district is compiled of totally different people and yet we have all managed to become best friends. We are already planning for a reunion when we get back! ha-ha
This week deserves a title due to the fact that in some ways I feel like I am in that series. The battle has been raging since the beginning of time in the pre-existence. I have been enlisted in God's army and I have the squadron leading the attack as the morning breaks in the darkest areas of the world. Spreading light, truth, and strength to those in need of fighting their own battles in their lives. We all have those battles within us and we need to recognize who or what is confronting us. "Nothing good comes from the Devil" This ranges from a ton of things but it is very true.
The other day my companion got picked to be an example to the new missionaries on Wednesday in teaching. We had to attend a training meeting to see how we can improve to be the best example we can be. We watched these interviews on this website and people were interviewed randomly on the streets about their lives. Immediately after hearing about five minutes of their life, I felt like I already started to love that person. Weird, but the people in these interviews were real people with some big concerns in their lives. Concerns such as, many divorces, deaths, separation from kids, no place to live because they can't get a decent job to go along with their injuries, family is broken, and they have allowed substances take over their lives. I guess I am developing a sense of charity. Immediately when I thought about people out there like that, people in the church, my family, my friends, everyone matters to me. I have always been willing to lend out a hand to anyone in need. I am reminded of a time in seminary (yes you can learn something in seminary if you are awake), the song "Heaven Wouldn't Be" and the words after state, 'without you." This is how I feel when I look at all of you back home. When I go into Russia, I am going and carrying this behind everything I do.
This was one of the only times where I have felt strongly about what I know and I want everyone to know that message too. I am ready to go and stand in the midst of oppression, and darkness and with my band of brothers I have made at the MTC stand for truth and light! It will be fun and i can't wait to let you guys know how its going!
Love you all!
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Week 9

What an exciting week!! We get our travel plans either today or tomorrow. I don't know I just received a slip, along with elder painter to the travel office just now!

I am taking pictures no worries mom! ha-ha The computer doesn’t want to recognize the device and I will get some pictures too all of you soon! This past week we have been playing softball during gym time and it is interesting to talk with the natives to teach them American sports. One of them was excited to learn about baseball and the rules. He said, "You Americans have fun sport here!"

My companion and I have been doing well with keeping each other on task and studying the language, which I struggle with but if you are struggling in anything then you are doing it right. We have been reviewing old principles and it makes me feel really good when I can explain a concept to the new missionaries. We have officially began 100% Russian until we leave! AGHHH very hard! But my companion and me participate and I am starting to remember words and how to conjugate and put them into cases. Everyone hears us around MTC and they stare at us constantly and always ask, "How long have you been here?" I always chuckle because I don’t know if they are asking this because we have become so adjusted to the MTC or that our language is out of this world.

I can’t wait to get over there and constantly be surrounded by the language and the culture. I hope I get a good trainer though, because I need as much help in my Russian as I can get! It is true I think I have developed an accent through speaking the language as much as I can! ha-ha. My "P" 's can be nicely rolled now! And my soft vowels are correct when the natives hear it. I will also try to find a way to upload my testimony in Russian as soon as possible.

It has been crazy to think how fast the time has flown since I got in here. Every day I remember looking out the class window the tree went from barren to fully blooming and is now green. If you look at it that way it is forever it seems but not really. I am glad to be going to Russia!! I am so ready to stop sweating! hahaha

Love you all! I got to go! Thank you for the packages, just now the food is being donated to the newer elders if isn’t gone! ha-ha

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MTC Week 8

So the weeks are coming so fast towards the end of my stay here in the MTC. It is crazy how fast the time flew. And there is no other place that I would want to be than here on a mission. As I stated in letter of last week, I was chosen to be the new district leader and I couldn’t be happier. I love being district leader and my experience at the MTC is only getting better every day. As district leader I get to attend many meetings with Bro. M and Pres. H. They are really awesome people and I learn from them on Sunday and Tuesday nights.I am in charge of district mtgs, planning mtgs, and getting the mail. Getting the mail is my least favorite because everyone likes to know if I have checked already! ha-ha   I always state that I will not but I do. I am not that mean! haha

To answer everyone's question about Collinsworth, yes I have seen him and he is in my zone. He is a pretty cool elder. I try to school him at bball but I am humbled every day! hahaha

The Russian is taking its sweet time but I can teach in it and my companion and I try to help quiz each other often. Tonight is one of the last three TRC's I have to teach and today we are talking about sicknesses and referrals on top of everything else we know. Crazy stuff!!

 So we got our second set of name tags with the Russian translations of our names this week but they messed mine up, so I will have to wait until I receive my travel plans next week.  I was bummed but I want the capital 'F' so it is worth the wait.  As time approaches for me to leave the MTC, I will send my MTC badges home so you guys can try and translate! у дачы!

 I only got three weeks and every week I get my heart pumping every Sunday as I prepare for a talk in 100% Russian, I haven't been picked yet. Oh and I am also glad to report that the names for the temple are coming along. I appreciate the names you send! Everyone loves the hot sauce mom!  Well only a few hahaha but I love it!  This week rocked as we are getting better as a district and we will be going 100% in Russian the last two weeks I am here so it’ll be interesting but I am sure it will be a learning experience.

Reminds me of a quick funny story about talking about illnesses.  I accidently said that the branch President was using narcotics to feel better and that means like illegal drugs in Russia! hahahaha cracking up! Same old same old tho!

Love ya and if I haven't wrote you back remind my mom and it’ll be in the next mail.
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Time is flying by - Week 7 in MTC

Another week just flew by and in two weeks I will be getting my travel plans, and then we will begin to do our grammar review. My companion (Elder P) and I have been doing progressive investigators as well. We have been making it a goal to teach to their needs and we had a bomb lesson yesterday. Our investigator, Vladimir, is a boxer and MMA fighter! SO KlaccHo!! I got to relate to him through my Brazilian Jui Jitsu. Our teachers are sweet and have many cool experiences and what it is like in Russia. Brother E stated that no one has concern about personal space and don’t care if they stare at you the whole bus ride! How crazy is that, I know I am going to love the people for sure.

Just this past Sunday I received a calling to be the district leader and at first I was like, "NO!!" But now it will be an awesome opportunity to have another reason to obey with exactness. Everyone was right about the 'obeying' thing. It is taught to us constantly! I don't know how the English missionaries could only do three weeks here in the MTC, because every week I learn so much from my teachers, branch presidency, apostles, speakers, and from my district. Last night we had Elder Russell M. Nelson speak to us and we had another awesome district devotional review.

My language is coming along and I try to speak it as often as possible, but all I know is church stuff. I guess the average amount of months until a missionary is comfortable with the Russian language in the field is 6 months! But I am determined to beat that statistic. Lately I have doubted my abilities to speak but my companion and district have just started to speak and speak from heart when you are teaching and the words seemed to just come it is cool! However I cannot wait to get out of here either. Every time I watch the district videos my companion and I agree that we just want to go out and do something! Then again we don’t know much it seems.

This month is going to go by fast and it is going to stink seeing each other off and getting a new companion. The new missionaries are cool and Jacob and Jake Dinino are in my building! I don't see much of anyone except Elder JP! Elder M stopped by and said "Hi" too it is cool to see some old friends! I believe every week and everyday is precious to us and I don't think I will go back to waking up at 9am, because there is so much to do in each day that is given to us. Ttyl and love y'all.

Tie Trades & Week 6

Another week in the wonderful MTC!! I do like it here actually. I get spiritually fed everyday and on top of that fed tons of food! Last night was P-day Eve! P-Day Eve is awesome we just get together launch some eggs down the hall, eat nachos, and do pushup contests. Getting buff ya’ll!!

Oh and tie trades rock! But everyone tells me it is a good thing that I didn’t bring too man y ties because in Russia there are many dirt cheap awesome looking ties and my goal is fifty ties to bring back!! My teacher owns about that much but he said an Elder on his mission got about 300 ties so it’s definitely achievable. One other cool thing I learned about how they really love their sour cream on anything over there. Maybe it was a good thing for me to go nuts in Mexican food before I left for the mission. BUMMER!!

I haven’t seen Jacob, Brett, or Jake today and I didn’t host but I'll make sure to say hi! However, it is crazy how many people I know in the MTC!

Tonight my companion and me are super set to rock this lesson with a native speaker in Russian for the second time!! Russian is fun, but it is super hard as well! I am making sure my knees stay sore from praying like crazy for help everyday in the language.

Yesterday we got to hear from Richard G. Hinckley (YES Pres. Hinckley's son)! XOPOWO!! He gave an excellent talk on a missionary’s constant daily checklist and how to carry the power of God within us as we teach! KLACCHO! Sorry it is hard to type in Russian! I hope everything is going well! AND I love you all! I am trying to write, as many people back as I can, don’t think I have forgotten you! Pictures will be up tomorrow (3AFTPA)

Thank you for the prayers and love!

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We are the older District

Another P-day!! We just got done doing initiatories for family names which rocked! P-days, besides Sundays are the best here at the MTC. The older district left and it is us just on our floor until the new guys come on May 18th! The other day we hung out in the clubhouse we made it the club YCCCR! (USSSR) with the old district. Before they left we inherited four fans for our room, I got a robe, and left over food! The robe is so cool; it has been passed down five transfers and has stayed in the zone since then. Now I get to tag it with my name! We will be known as the big dogs on the block and guess where all the left over treats are going...the new kids! Just to show our appreciation and to pass the love of never ending sweets! I love all the sweets and packages by the way! Thank you for the package Grandpa and Grandma!! On top of the older district being gone we inherited seat cushions, and the new desks so all my Russian books can actually reside somewhere besides the floor! So this week has been great!

How lucky am I? Well let’s just say we got another apostle to come speak to us last night, Elder Neil Anderson! I guess it is unheard of to have three apostles almost back to back in the MTC! He talked on the Atonement and gave a good doctrinal talk on the subject. Weird I would complement a doctrinal talk, because usually I'd fall asleep. It was cool he talked on the merits, mercy, and grace of the atonement. I learned a ton about us being a part of the Easter story and declaring the gospel to change lives in the areas we are going and that charity is enough to shove out all other cares I have had about myself. Being in the MTC has definitely changed me and the way I look at things. I can tell these next two years are going to be beneficial in many ways. One quote sits in my mind this week and is the motto of any service that I engage myself in doing, "Loose yourself, to find yourself." (Can't remember if it was Benson or Kimball who said that but it was a prophet) Another cool thing I read was a poem written by a convert from Russia. The poem was awesome and it allowed me to glimpse into the lives of the people who I will be teaching and being an example to. I encourage all to do the little things every day, such as reading your scriptures, praying, going to the temple, refrain from bad habits, and show service to those around us. The boy stated these things allowed the missionaries and members of the church to have that "light" about them. That is the light of Christ in all of us and the closer we come to Christ the brighter it will shine!

Well I got to prepare my first lesson in Russian for this afternoon. It is going to be hard, but I have been preparing and the language is coming, I think so! Ha-ha

Thank you for the prayers and love!

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One Month

Whoo Hoo! It has been a month and I can't tell you where all the time went! Thanks for the continuing letters and dear elders I love them! Some of you may be wondering what the MTC is like and I’ll be happy to share it with you, since I will be considered the older district in two weeks! The older Elders in my district now are so cool and we have become great friends this past month. They leave next Monday and Tuesday, so party on the Russia floor!! Only until 10pm that is.

Every day I start at 6:30 in the morning getting ready and having personal study until breakfast around 8am. Then at 9:15 we have class until lunch, then from there class until gym, language study, or TALL (computer program for language) You will find that TALL is good for getting vocab and that is about it! ha-ha. Then if there is time left depending on the day, we might have a devotional, district study, and District devotional review. My days consist of mostly reading, reading, reading, planning, studying, studying, and speaking the language at lunch and this next week I will be teaching with Elder P the first lesson in complete Russian! AGHH crazy eh!?

I have unfortunately gained weight in the MTC and I was engaged in a conversation with my Branch President on the subject of food in Russia. Pretty interesting stuff!!  He said that elders in his mission lost on average 20-30 lbs.!! Don't worry mom he stated they lost it in the appropriate areas! ha-ha   Some fun facts about food is that the milk is dropped off in bags and consists of mostly fat and we are talking about more than half and half status! He also said that I should look forward to drinking KBAC, which is fermented bread water. MMMM yummy eh?!

It is Finally NICE OUTSIDE!! Since it has been freak weather up here where it snows one day, hot the next, then just chill. Gym time has been really interesting with 800 people. The gym is small, but they just opened up the field for us and I am so excited to play some beach volleyball! 

I finally found the note Ben stashed for me and Jon and most likely I will be hosting my sixth week, so if there is anyone coming in next couple of weeks I ‘ll try to find you and if not then I am confident I'll see you around.  It isn't hard to find the Russian crowd here at the MTC, we are the ones that no one can understand! ha-ha We scare the Italian elders when we pray at the gym. 

Love you all !
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