#genconf

All right, everyone! Here's the deal. General Conference is this coming weekend, and I sincerely want all of you to clear your schedules Saturday and Sunday. 6 hours each day,(4 on Sunday) is that too much to ask from me? We get to hear from the prophet, for heaven's sakes. That is such a blessing for us.

On a less important note, I have been blessed by the Lord with the opportunity to sing in the missionary choir who will sing in General Conference saturday afternoon session. I was only notified this last week, and basically we have 8 practices, one each day, to perfect and memorize these hymns. Just a little bit of pressure. The first presidency will come to the MTC thursday to hear us perform and make sure we are good enough to perform in conference. Very exciting.

So that was my highlight of the week. Also, whilst talking to my friend here who is going to Russia, I was approached by Elder Jared Horton, who is going to Ukraine. Whoa! It was very cool to meet him, and I really need to find out how we are related.

I see Elder Singleton and Elder Roberts everywhere. Its awesome! 

In no way does it feel like I have almost been here for a month. The weeks fly by. I hope that is the same for you all.

Spanish update: we taught about 8 lessons this week, some to a real investigator, (though I am suspicious he is a member pretending to be an investigator), and some to my teachers playing the role of an investigator. I was able to invite the latter to be baptized and that was the greatest thing ever. She accepted. too bad she is my teacher! haha so everything is coming along well.

Spiritual thought: I know all of you, especially the youth, hear all the time about how technology is a great thing to push forward the work but it can also be used as a bad thing from time to time. I encourage you all to use technology in your personal lives. Take a few minutes out of each day to watch a mormon message, listen to a talk, or to share the gospel. I know that as you do so, the Lord will bless you with his spirit and you will feel a solace from the crazy world we live in.

Thank you all for sending your love through Dear Elder and packages, and for writing me. I feel your prayers pushing me on every day. Each and every day I try to be more Christlike and the Lord has blessed me by helping me to think in every situation, WWJD? haha it sounds funny but truly it is a blessing.

Elder Horton and Elder Horton

Elder Smith going to the Salt Lake South mission (Spanish) take care of him guys

 


The Long Beach bros from my district,

  

#eldondelenguas

Hola, amigos! como estan? 
It's been another great week in the MTC, and I'm almost halfway through. I'm starting to understand why people say "the days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days."

I hate to say that I don't have much to say. It's pretty much normal day after normal day, continuing in spirituality and language knowledge, However you guys don't know what the normal day is. So, here you go.

Wake up 6:00 to get shower time, get ready.

Class for 1 hour

Breakfast

Class for 3 hours

Lunch

Exercise time

Class for 3 hours

Dinner

Class for 3 hours.

Bed

So, basically, a lot of class. About half of that is with teachers. The rest is individual and companionship study!

Okay, now time for highlights of the week!

We have had the privelage of hearing from 3 members of the quorum of the 12 apostles here. There are devotionals every Sunday and Tuesday, and 3 of the 4 I have been to have included a member of the Quorum of the 12. They always have such inspiring messages and we are so blessed to hear from them.

Subject line: El Don de Lenguas. The Gift of Tongues. Wow, it's so real. I've seen the spirit work miracles in me and allow me to speak very well, and I've seen the opposite when I wasnt being obedient and wasnt worthy to hold that gift. I testify that only through the spirit and by the power of God can we learn a new language so quickly.

I apologize, but I believe that's about it as far as highlights so. 

Spanish update: I am learning so quickly and I am sure that's because I am trying my hardest to be as obedient as I can to the mission and MTC rules. We have now taught 3 "investigators" (our 2 teachers pretending), but Monday I teach a real life investigator. I'm so excited. I can almost completely express what I want to say in a lesson, but I have work to do in conversational and expressing myself Spanish. I have memorized the first vision, missionary purpose, and baptismal invite in Español.

Thanks everyone for showing your love. I love to get dear Elders because it's my only break from missionary life and a peek into the "real world', haha!

last thought-- If any of you wish I would include something in my email that I'm not, please let me know and I will be glad to include them.

Yo sé que el espiritu santo es verdadera. Yo tesitifico, mediante Dios y Jesucristo, podemos hacer los milagros. José Smith era una profeta verdadera. "Vi una columna de luz, mas brillante que el sol, directamente arriba de mi cabeza."

Go Utes!

#timeandspace

Hola amigos. First off, a few things I forgot to include in my last week's email. I see plenty of Bingham brothers here. Even though we may have not talked in high school, we both know who each other are and we say hi. It's such a blessing to me to see people I know.

My district consists of 10 elders and 2 sisters. Surprisingly enough, (to me) we are not all going to the same mission. Only 3 of the elders in my district are going to Long Beach.

Second, the reason I title this "timeandspace". Well... time is really weird here in the MTC. The first 3 days my first week felt like an eternity, and the last 7 felt like an instant.

Anyways I think i want to format my emails like this: answering any questions, a few cool experiences this week, spanish update, and a spiritual thought.

QUESTIONS i need to answer!

Branches here in the MTC consist of 6-7 districts. One district is equal to one District. One district is a classroom of about 10/12 people. Your branch is also your zone. So, 12 people in a district/classroom, and 6 districts in a branch/zone. I hope that clears up things. 

Spanish is crazy. We get completely immersed in the language, where the teacher doesn't speak english, so you're forced to pick it up. We have lots of books and study materials. They don't really teach us vocabulary, but we first get taught how to say a prayer, then bear your testimony, etc. You sort of pick up the language that way.

I don't know if I ever get to be a host. I would hope so!

I see my buddies all the time. Like I said before, I've seen so many bingham brothers. The MTC is a lot smaller than it seems, and it's great to see guys.

Spanish update: we have taught our first "investigator" 5 times now, and this last lesson we taught, I brought in little to no notes. I have complete trust that the lord will let the spirit work in me to say the words I need to say. It went well, and I invited her to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon. Then the next day she walked in and she was our teacher so yeah...

Pero, yo sé que si usted orará con verdadera intención, sentirá el espiritu santo. 

But, I know  that if you pray with true intent, you will feel the Holy Spirit.

Days here have about 11 hours of class, some of it with a teacher and some of it without. There's not much to tell, but I have a few cool experiences.

Sunday was fast sunday, and so many elders bore their testimonies. SO very spiritual. Crazy spirit here in the MTC.

Tuesday, we had Elder Christofferson for a devotional and I sang in the MTC choir (which just so happened to consist of 1200 people). It was broadcast to all the other MTC's and I felt connected to all by other brothers, Elders Roper, Stidham, and Olsen. 

3 elders and 2 sisters in my district, including me, love music and we decided we would audition with a musical number, "be still my soul". It's a beautiful arrangement. One of the sisters is playing the piano, so we have 3 guys and one girl singing. Yes, one of those elders is singing alto. Bless his soul. 

I love you all. I hope back home, all is going well. I hope you are all adjusting to classes well, that you all are getting enough sleep, (unlike me), and that you are all continuing to stay steadfast in Christ. 

I know that this Church, including the Book of Mormon, is true. I know that because Christ suffered for us, we can all return to Heavenly Father. And I know any of you can find out for yourselves if any of these things are true. You just need to kneel down, and ask with real intent having faith. (read Moroni 10:3-5)

I appreciate all the love you guys have shown me, and i'm sorry about the long emails, haha. I will try to make them shorter.

PS: i found a little extra time to get on and email, so I just want so say that we have the opportunity to go to the temple every week and it is such a blessing. Also, GO UTES tonight!!

#ohboy

Buenas dias, everyone!

I'm sitting here thinking what I want to say, and all I can think of is ;klgjsd;klfjgjhsadgjkhsd;ialgjsad.... so that's great. I hope all is well in your lives, and I hope you all know the lord will bless you for your faithfulness.

OKAY. First day seemed to be a blur. I was dropped off at the curb, met by a host and taken to get my badge, key card, room key, books,etc. I felt so happy and hyped to finally be at the MTC. However, that hype was killed the moment I stepped into my first class and my teacher spoke nothing but spanish. It was quite the shock, as i'm sure you can imagine. I was met by my companion too. His name is Elder Calvin, and he is from Alabama. He's quite the guy, and he's definitely full of Alabama pride. The first day he put up a Roll Tide flag and it's been hanging ever since. Quite honestly, (sorry mom and dad) I didn't even think about my family the first day because you could say I was caught up in the work.

The second day was quite the adventure. In my room there are 6 Elders, and we agreed to wake up at 6am to get shower time. Well, we all left the room, and being new elders none of us remembered to bring a room key. The door was shut, and no one had a way to get in. We  got locked out of our room, and sat in the couches in the halls naked. That was a lot of fun! Soon enough we got our Zone leaders to run to the front desk for a spare key. haha,fun times!

The third day, Friday, was insane. I didn't think we would have to teach anyone, with all of us not knowing any Spanish, but sure enough we had to teach our first "investigator" Patricia. She was very nice and understanding at our lack of Spanish knowledge. The lesson, I felt, went well. However my companion thought differently. At one point during this 20 minute lesson, he banged his head on the desk because he couldn't remember a word. Later friday night, we had a district testimony meeting. Between the 12 of us, it almost took 2 hours of our time. (which is no big deal, we had 2 more hours in that block to study.) It was the strongest I had felt the spirit in a long time. There's something about a bunch of young men and women putting the name of Jesucristo on our chests and testifying of him that brings such a great spirit. (I know, weird right?)

Those are the highlights of my week... still not sure how i'm going to format my emails. Also, just know that what I don't mention during the day is just language and companion study. Or meals.

The food is great here. 

Spanish update; i can decently bear my testimony and say a pretty bomb prayer. 

Once again, I hope you guys are all doing well. Homesickness isn't very bad, and I pray to the Lord I can become lost in the work. But this is, as many Elders say, probably the hardest thing I have done. (and i have taken Calculus, people). I love you guys. Thank you for your prayers.

#blessed

Thanks everyone for your love and support. Off to the MTC I go! I will
e-mail you all again on my first P-day.