Our First Email!

Hello family!!

The MTC has been pretty awesome the past couple of days! It was off to a slow start but I am starting to get a hang of it. I really like receiving the dearElder letters! Getting the letters really just top off the day! the Language is going okay so far. I gave a 15 minute lesson the other day all in French! So I guess that that is good. The first day was okay, just kind of hectic getting to know where everything was and stuff like that. Then the second day has been the worst so far.  It really does make the day go faster knowing I have something to read when I get back to my room. The MTC all together has been pretty good! It's true what they say, once you get passed that first Sunday, time just starts to fly by! I really can't believe it has already been a week tomorrow! Only 8 more to go... Haha.

Me and Tanner Kearney have the same Gym time so it is fun to play basketball and everything there with him! Parker Smith, Josh Bacon, and Matt Grayston are also here. So it is good to see familiar faces every once and awhile! Do you know who is coming to the MTC in the next couple of weeks? Or anyone that has gotten their calls?? Give me the updates! If you could, could you send me my dark gray sweat shirt from GenX to wear on P days? It is freezing here and I dread every time I go outside! I think that we packed me really good so far! I guess it is hard to say though since I am not using half the stuff till I get to Africa..

We haven't really learned much about Benin though. Our Teacher is Mr. Blosil from Orem and he just got back from his mission last May from France. He is an awesome teacher! I can't really remember what I have said in the letters I have written you so I am probably talking about a lot of the same stuff... But yeah. It is crazy how fast that  I have learned to love everyone that is in my District! We have 11 kids and for the most part they are all pretty awesome! Our District Leaders name is Elder Taylor from Provo. He is a pretty cool guy. 

My testimony has already been strengthened so much and I have only been here for 6 days!! I can only imagine what I will learn in the space of two years. I have already experienced the gift of tongues in my discussions I have thought. It really is something else to understand someone who speaks French and nothing else, when you don't know the language at all. I have learned a lot about this gospel that I didn't know before and I am so excited to keep learning! We had a fireside this last Sunday, and the speaker was the Director of the MTC. He said something that really stood out to me. He said, "If Christ sacrificed his life, and bled from every pore, for our sins, and gave his life, don't you think that you missionaries could sacrifice just 2 years of your life?" I thought that was really amazing and 100 percent true. You can't even compare the two!! 

I know that this time that we are all here on earth is so short from an eternal aspect, and that the two years I will be serving is even shorter than that of course! So I won't be weary and I will press on and know that I am doing the lords work and I will be blessed for doing so. Even more importantly, I will be brining this amazing gospel into peoples lives that will bless them forever! I don't know what is better than that...

In closing I just want to say that I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear back from you!! I have been thinking about you guys everyday!! That is awesome that Shelby finally got a job! She will love it. You're all in my prayers and know that I am doing awesome and I can't wait to get out into the field! Yes the start was tough, and I will probably face some more tough times, but I know that the lord will bless me in making sure that I know that everything is going to be okay and that this is what I am supposed to be doing. Send me something awesome for Christmas! Candy, Oreos, whatever you think I will enjoy :) 

Well I love all you guys and I will email you next Tuesday, and write you throughout the week :) LOVE YOU!!!

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