First letter from Elder Elkins at the Provo MTC!

Hola mi Amigos! Qu'e pasa!?

Mi esponol es no bueno, but yo soy going to use as much as possible! 

I'm sending this to a whole bunch of people as a general email just to let you know whats up! And I'm assuming it's going to be posted on the blog too Madre?

Anyways Fridays are the days that I can email here in the MTC! So this is only my third day here and it's SOOO LOCOOO!!

This isn't the missionary training center, it's MORMON BOOT CAMP! haha I love it here but it's constantly go go go! 

The moment I got to the mtc campus, I was rushed through check in and got mi nombre tag which es all en esponol was getting that was a big highlight of the day for everyone haha 

then I dropped off my luggage at my dorm, and then was brought to my esponol class, My maestra es Hermano Rios, he served in argentina! He's so awesome! I know he knows fluent English, but he only uses esponol! So learning and communicating es a little difficult haha 

In the class I met mi first companero his nombre es Elder Garcia! He's only 1/8 Mexican tho and from colorado  lol 

We work great together! he's in tune with the spirit and so am I! so we agree on everything, and we get the exact same ideas, at the exact same time! It's so cool! 

like the first day here, we started teaching some investigators, who are actors here in the mtc, and it's just like teaching people who aren't mormons! Elder Garcia and I can just keep going and going and going! While a lot of the other missionaries in the same teaching workshops tend to struggle a little bit. 

speaking of going and going and going, that's all we do here! we're doing 16 hour days. we get up at 6:30, get ready for the day, come breakfast and then hurry to a three hour class with Hermano Rios! then we have lunch and then studies, and workshops, meetings and planning. We have like no time for anything! Like last night I didn't even have time to brush my teeth! Because we have to be in bed by 10:30. But we've had to stay up until 11:00 each night just cuz we still have a lot of things to do. I haven't gotten a chance to read any letters yet, so if you sent me any, I'll read and write you as soon as I can! We've had a bunch of orientation stuff to do, so that's why we don't have much time. and sorry if this email seems a little spacey, I'm trying to hurry cuz I only have an hour to write this and then report to my Branch pres. 

anyways, yeah it's super crazy here! theres no such thing as down time here because it's just one thing after another. Like later tonight, we have a lesson appt. that we have to teach completely in esponol! so we've been studying like crazy for that! 

We're trying to immerse ourselves in Spanish so we made a list of words that we can only use in spanish, and if we use them in english, we have to do 10 push ups a word. I did well over 100 yesterday,and I probably passed 200 by now just for today. But I'll be super buff when I get home! haha oh and by 'we' I mean my whole district, (except for the sisters) there's 6 of us in our tiny little dorm. Elder bradshaw is a total surfer dude from SoCal, so he's pretty cool and we get along great! There's another elder who's from south Korea! idk how to spell his name haha but he's going to Chile! idk what part tho. and the rest of us are going to the same mission, so that's awesome! everyone in my zone is super funny, and we have a great time together! yesterday during our zone meeting with our branch pres, non of us could stop laughing! it was great! and it was also really needed! 

another thing we all love here is gym time! although, we haven't had time to make it to the gym at all lol but we've been able to do some running and volleyball! So pretty much gym time is sacred to all the missionaries here haha it's our only time to actually take a break from everything! 

the mtc is huge! i meet new elders and sisters everyday! from all over the world! There's one guy in my zone from scottland and has the best acent ever! yesterday just before bed we were all goofing around, (even though we're not suppose to) and we had the scottland elder say that line from Brave, where the old dude says "Feast your eyes!" and lifts up his kilt. IT. WAS. HILARIOUS!! hahaha I still laugh at it! 

So much to do, so little time! There's so much more I want to say, but I'm out of time! 

I love you all! Write me! and email too! I only got one email this week! 

I know this church has the preisthood of God here on the earth and the true gospel of JesuChristo! If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here right now, because it is extremely hard work. I testify these things to you, as a friend and one who cares for all of you. if you don't know the gospel is true, then go find out for yourself! 

Have a great week! miss you all! And hopefully I'll be able to get some personal emails and letters out. I just didn't have time today, so sorry about that! 

May God be with you until we meet again!

-- Elder Elkins!              

 

Elder Elkins found his friend, Elder Nathaniel Jones (Mexico City South) at the MTC!