Sunday, November 4, 2012

July 26, 2012

Hey Everyone!!

Normally I think I would send this email to mom's email, but since i'm not 100% sure that i could actually get it right i'm just going to send it to dad's :)

I hope everything has been going ok for you guys back home! It sounds like matthew's camping trip was totally crazy.

This whole week has been completely insane. I'm pretty sure the word 'time' means absolutely nothing anymore. The first day felt like an eternity, and yesterday didn't even feel like it happened. Since nobody really knows anything about what happens at the MTC I will do my best to let you know. The first day they took me straight into a room filled with a bunch of sisters to give me everything I'm going to need as a missionary. They gave me my namebadge, and a packet full of keys, instructions, and took my picture for my MTC (sort of like a money card) card. If you remember the student ID at BYU that pretty much you used to buy stuff and get into buildings thats pretty much what it is. After that they take you throught a line and they give you a bucketfull of books. Really it was huge. Most of them were Norwegian books, with dictionaries, scriptures, and other random stuff. After I dropped my stuff off in my room I was taken straight to my classroom. I wasn't quite sure what they meant by 'my' classroom but I think I know now. I have two teachers Brother Bartholemew and Brother De Costa. They are pretty much the greatest, and I will probably have to talk more about them in another letter since I have like 0 time to write emails. (seriously they only give me 30 minutes to read and write emails). (at least at the MTC). The classroom is roughly the size of half our computer room. I was the last one there, and there were 4 other elders just sitting there looking rather dumbfounded. Our teachers were talking straight Norwegain to us and we all just looked around at each other with blank looks. It was clear that all of them were as scared or more scared than i was. After attempting to learn something I was introduced to my two companions. Yes, I have 2 of them. It's kindof a crazy setup but we're doing ok. Elder Gilreath is super funny and super stoked to be on a mission. He is from virginia and he is the biggest batman fan you will ever see in your life. He was in the Air force ROTC at BYU, and is determined to make me a "tank". Though he says he is really impressed with how much I can do already. Elder Badger Or Badgemann, just likes to laugh. Not as embarassing as me but he still likes it. He is from Salt Lake, and has man crushes on pretty much all of the elders from the swedish district. I'll talk more about them later.

After mind explosions, we went to a meeting with all the new missionaries. My favorite part was when we sang. I think it caught me and everyone else off gaurd when they had changed the words in the army of heleman song from "And we will be the lords missionaries" to "And we are now the lords missionaries". I don't know. It just kinda hits you when you sing that along with thousands of other missionaries who are also scared out of their minds. We've heard from pretty much everyone that the first few days are the hardest and they were totally right. OK moving on, ... ah I'll talk about the food later, and my district (the 5 Norsk missionaries) and the languange. no time. sorry. Moving on, Day 2 we had to meet a new Norwegian investigator who doesn't speak english... or at least not to us. :) It's probably the most challenging thing I've ever done to have to teach someone in a language you know nothing about. We did it though. And every day as he came back we studied harder and harder. If there is anything the nords are now known for it is hard work. Also, it has been incredible how the spirit has worked to help all of us learn the language. there is no way i could have done this alone. You get completely ripped out of life and you feel like you don't know anyone or anything and it's pretty scary. but my district is awesome, and we are pretty mcuh together 24 hours a day 7 days a week. i'm glad i got a good one! :) We all agree that we would have wanted to go home for sure if it wasn't for the instant love and support we felt from each other. Ahhh!!! um, well I'll write a letter home about the rest of our Visits with Daniel because they were amazing and super awesome. It is an incredible feeling to bear powerful testimony in a completely different language.

I know that I'm doing the ritght thing! There is no greater service I can give than the one I am doing right now! The lord has poured his spirit upon me like I have never before known, which is actaully saying something.

I miss you all so much! I hope to hear from all of you!

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