The mtc is the craziest thing I have ever experienced! Being able to feel the spirit at such a strong level 24 hours a day seven days a week is something special. My companion is amazing and he keeps me in check when I want to sleep or just give up. I feel the love of the savior in all that we do and say. We have had the opportunity to teach lessons since the second day I arrived. At first I hated it because my spanish was the equivalent of a two year old and I had no idea how to teach in general. Now that we have been teaching for a few weeks we finally can go into a lesson with confidence and know that the spirit will be there. My favorite part of the day is when I am in a lesson and I get to testify about our loving savior and his atonement. Knowing it is true and being able to confidently testify of the truth of it is amazing. I love my savior and Heavenly Father, and I know that they love me and love all of your more than you can imagine.
Overall the mtc has treated me with a mixture of feelings. The first week all I wanted to do was go home I struggled finding the drive to keep going everyday. Then my first Sunday came and I was able to find that drive. My mom sent me on my mission with a plaque that has a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley, "Forget yourself and go to work." We had an entire devotional about that quote and I cried the whole time. I have found out that I cry a lot when the spirit is really strong.
I love being able to get to know my district. We spend pretty much all day together because we have no joke NINE HOURS of class... yes nine hours... that is a lot of hours to be in a classroom. So we know each other really well now. We share stories and experiences that have helped us get to where we are today. We also joke around a lot and make up raps to help us memorize certain passages. Spanish is a really annoying language but I am getting better and when we teach I can remember everything. The gift of tongues is so real. I feel like I have a photographic memory when I am teaching, but only about spanish so it is not as cool as people who can remember everything. However I thank our Heavenly Father after every lesson. My companion is really smart and is way better then me at the language and so he helps a lot in lessons. I am so grateful for everything our Heavenly Father has blessed me with and I hope y'all can feel his love in all that you do.
In a whole my mission so far has been great, but like life there are ups and downs. I never have been so tired and so happy at the same time. The food is great and I don't know how they serve 1000 missionaries three meals a day. This place is truly God's training camp for his army, and I am so pumped to be apart of it. Tonight one of the apostles are here to give a devotional and I am singing in a choir because well I found out I love to sing... well my companion loves to sing and it is growing on me. Also five other apostles have been here teaching all the mtc presidents world wide, so the spirit is super strong today.
Well, I love and miss everyone, but I know this is the place I am supposed to be. If any of you want to contact me please do it through DearElder.com and include your email address in the letter they don't put those on the print outs. DearElder prints off the letters and I get them the day you send them. That helps me know what to write in these letters and well gives me something to be happy about. I love getting letters so send away. Love you all and I know that our savior live and we can be clean through his atonement.
Elder Saunders
Elder Whitehead (Devin's Companion) in laundry room
Elder Bulloch
dorm room at MTC
Hey Mom,
I sent a huge email for the blog. but i thought i send you one. This week has been better and I love getting your letters. thank you for doing all the random things I asked you. Tell dad no culture classes quite yet, and that the sport updates are gold and my district loves them. Tyler is in my branch/zone and we sleep two doors down so I see him a lot. it is so awesome. My roommates are all going to my mission and the other elders are going to one north of us baia blanca. one sister is also going with us to comodoro. I miss you guys but I have a new family my district. we bond a lot and I will be able to get to argentina. your prayers and fasts are felt daily. my companion is tall six foot one and we are the bomb at lessons. well the spirit is the bomb but we do say stuff. haha my schedule is class teach class teach class class class class and more class. it is hard being in the same room all day long. we are not aloud to go outside for gym but we play basketball every morning right when we get up which is nice. the temple is amazing and we go every p-day. I have got really close with my roommate from houston texas. we have become really good friends and help each other daily. Sundays we have morning class to prepare talks because two missionaries get chosen five minutes before so we prepare every week and yes in spanish. then we have sacrament and then priesthood which my companion and I taught this week. then we have district meeting. then we have a night devotional. we also sing in the choir because we like it. i love my district. and tyler is in my Zone how sweet. love you guys.
I sent a huge email for the blog. but i thought i send you one. This week has been better and I love getting your letters. thank you for doing all the random things I asked you. Tell dad no culture classes quite yet, and that the sport updates are gold and my district loves them. Tyler is in my branch/zone and we sleep two doors down so I see him a lot. it is so awesome. My roommates are all going to my mission and the other elders are going to one north of us baia blanca. one sister is also going with us to comodoro. I miss you guys but I have a new family my district. we bond a lot and I will be able to get to argentina. your prayers and fasts are felt daily. my companion is tall six foot one and we are the bomb at lessons. well the spirit is the bomb but we do say stuff. haha my schedule is class teach class teach class class class class and more class. it is hard being in the same room all day long. we are not aloud to go outside for gym but we play basketball every morning right when we get up which is nice. the temple is amazing and we go every p-day. I have got really close with my roommate from houston texas. we have become really good friends and help each other daily. Sundays we have morning class to prepare talks because two missionaries get chosen five minutes before so we prepare every week and yes in spanish. then we have sacrament and then priesthood which my companion and I taught this week. then we have district meeting. then we have a night devotional. we also sing in the choir because we like it. i love my district. and tyler is in my Zone how sweet. love you guys.
Elder saunders
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