July 21st: The Food is Doing Something to Me ...

Elder Cluff and I at the famous map in the main building, pointing to the great land of Las Vegas

Hola todos!

Its been a crazy week here at the MTC (or the CCM, if we are talking in Spanish). The Spirit is strong, as well as the heat, which I wont be a stranger to at all these next two years. The food is delicious, but it is doing something to me. I swear I don't know what day it is half the time, nor how long I have been here. It takes me a few seconds to remember what day it is. 

Just to make it easy on me, I'm just going to summarize each day, and see how much I can remember from each day, ha ha. 

Sunday was jam packed with meetings. Our sacrament meeting (the first service held usually in the church) was actually the third service in the morning, and it was entirely in Spanish. I followed it pretty well. Then we had branch training, which was awesome! The Spirit was so strong in that meeting that I shed some tears. Our zone leader bore his testimony that was very, very personal, and tender, and he is a 6'4" huge guy and he was getting pretty emotional, but he is a very humble, fun loving missionary. I will send a picture of him and his companion with Elder Cluff and I. That night we had choir practice, and our MTC choir is MASSIVE. We are talking 850+ Elders and Sisters in the choir. Our choir director is named Brother Eggert, and he is so good at making rehearsal super fun and spiritual at the same time. That night we had a devotional, with one of the MTC President's former mission companions from back in the day, Brother Thurston and his wife. It was so good. Then we watched a film of a MTC devotional given by Elder Bednar, one of the General Authorities of the church, called Character of Christ. It really taught me to get outside of myself, because my mission is not about me, at all. It was a real eye-opener.

Monday was regular classes. My Spanish is coming along pretty well, and I can already see the fruits of my labors in that area. We also have gospel study classes that really are awesome.

Tuesday we had another devotional, and this was the big one. President M. Russell Ballard, the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke, and it was broadcast to all the other MTCs in the world. And guess who got to sing in the choir for it..yours truly. It was so awesome to sing for an apostle of the Lord. He spoke about how Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were the best missionaries in this dispensation, and how we need to be like him. 

Wednesday was another day of classes, which were awesome, and totally overloaded me with information. I'm telling you, they teach me so much in a day that I often forget what I actually learned!

Thursday was regular classes, and we played sand volleyball with the zone during rec time which was super fun except for the fact that the sun left us all half baked!

With our old Zone Leaders: Elder Jardine, who is now in Panama City, Panama, then me, then Elder Gazdik, who is now in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, then Elder Cluff.

Friday we had a spikeball tournament with the zone during rec time. Spikeball is apparently volleyball with the net on the ground, and you just spike it off the net on the ground. It is super fun! We also had a workshop on how to better find people to teach, which was really helpful. We also got our TRC assignments, which are basically people who have volunteered to have missionaries at the MTC teach them the gospel, in Spanish. That starts Monday, which I am pumped for, but also very, very, nervous for. 

Today has just been regular P-day, just trying to catch up with all the emails, which I loved, keep them coming. Its been really nice to just relax today, because its a long work week here, Its hard to believe that I have been here ten days already! Time flies here! I will be able to answer emails until 6pm here(8pm Pennsylvania time), and then I wont be able to answer emails until next Saturday. I only have a month and a day until I am on a plane to Sin City to preach the word of God! Que emocionado!

These are two of the pretty signs in the building where I have my classes.

This is my District, and two of our teachers, Hermano (brother) Lyon, and Hermana (sister) Blau. One of our teachers, Hermana Theobald, wasn't there for the picture.

In the back on the left is Elder Dowdell, who sounds like Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon, and he is super funny. His companion is Elder Harris, who is from Rigby, Idaho. They are both going to San Antonio, Texas.

Then next to Elder Dowdell, is Elder Tudor and his companion Elder Scharman, both of which are also going to San Antonio as well. Elder Tudor wants to major in choral education at the Y, 

Next to Elder Scharman is Elder Myer, who can do a spot on impersonation of Patrick Warburton (Kronk from Emperor's New Groove).

Next to Elder Myer is our teacher Hermano Lyon, who is super nice and a really good teacher. He served his mission in Paraguay. 

Elder Evans is next to Hermano Lyon, one of my roommates, along with his companion, our district leader, Elder Miller, who is super fun to talk to, and they are both going to Anchorage, Alaska, Spanish speaking, ha ha. 

Next to Elder Miller is Elder Kelly, who is going to Nebraska, Spanish speaking, and his companion, Elder Thomas, who is going to Birmingham, Alabama, Spanish speaking. Elder Thomas is literally the nicest, sweetest kid I have ever met. He is so fun to be around.

Next to Elder Cluff is Elder Winter, who is going to Washington DC North, as well as his companion Elder Myer.

Next to Elder Thomas is one of our other teachers, Hermana Blau, who is super fun and nice. She served in California. 

My district is my class, and we have quickly become brothers. Luckily we will all be attending school in Utah, so it will be easy to get together after our missions!

Love,

Elder Lovell