The First Week

Hello everyone!!

The MTC is such a crazy experience but I love it. The first day was so weird and I was wondering why everyone was telling me and welcoming us as Elders to the MTC. I now understand their thinking. I am so excited for Wednesday to welcome all the new elders and sisters who are deer in the headlights and it will be the only week that I am here on Wednesday so our whole district decided we are going to welcome everyone with the dork dot to the MTC. hahaha

My companion is Elder Jordan Devenberg he is from South Jordan and we get along really well. He reminds me of Corvin Arveseth but he's a lot more shy than Corvin will ever be. He follows me around more than he leads so if I want to do something I totally can do whatever I want. He is way cool and nice to get along with though. Our district is all going to different missions. Two are going to Vancouver, Washington. Elder Reyes and Partis. Elder Partis is is Grandma Reynolds' ward in New Mexico so small world for sure!! Elder Hampton and Elder Kitchens (Our district leader) are going to Cleveland, Ohio. Elder Nibley and Elder Cooper are going to Fort Collins, Colorado I think?? (: Elder Bird and Elder Stapely are going to Tacoma, Washington as well. They are way different and shy than me and my companion but we all get along so well.

Everyone I talked to when i first got here didn't say anything but Welcome to the MTC but I plan to scare missionaries Wednesday cause it will just be way funny. The first four days were super jam packed with classes and just working like crazy. It didn't settle down until Saturday and Sunday and then we have P-day today that is so helpful to be able to relax. I definitely have lost my sanity but I have also become more sane and come to know the gospel more clearly and simply than ever before. Everyone around seems to love the MTC but is definitely ready to get out into the field and talk to real people instead of teaching mock lessons and fake investigators who try really hard but just don't seem to make it real enough. We are teaching Staci and Jordan and Staci is really into Christianity and has committed to baptism really easily. Jordan is the total opposite and doesn't even know if God is real. He didn't pray but he said he might this week so hopefully when we meet with him again he will share with us that he has prayed and kept his commitment. It is so cool to see people change.

Me and the district can't ever stop laughing and we have to split ourselves up for study time so that we can actually get something done. We all said we think that we knew each other premortally because we all got along from the first time we met each other which is way super duper cool! Preach My gospel and the other missionary resources are so cool and so important to everything that you do as a missionary and I am learning that. Anyone preparing to serve a mission study it. I wish I would have more before I came but I'm working on it every day.

Yesterday was fast Sunday so we didn't have breakfast or lunch available and for the first time in my life I had no problem fasting which was super cool. I bore my testimony on the ability of helping the people that we can even though we can't help everyone the one's that we do help will feel of our spirit and be converted themselves. I have learned to just get over myself and focus on others because as I do I will find myself as long as I am not looking for myself. The concept shared by Elder Bednar in an MTC devotional on Christmas a couple years ago. Such an amazing talk and changed my entire outlook on my mission. I am so excited for these next two years.

I have seen five other elders from Box Elder here, Jordan Merrill, Dylan Thomson, Jake Glover, Eric Butler, and Taylor Cannon. It was cool to see how much they have changed as they have been here. Dylan leaves today or tomorrow which is way cool for him! The rest of us still have a little longer I think. I don't know about Elder Merrill yet but it is cool to see them.

Send candy and cookies (: Just kidding! I would love to hear from all of you though and hopefully I'll be able to reply. I love and miss you. Feel free to email or mail me anything anytime. I have heard using Dear Elder is a lot better and talk to my parents and I'm sure they'd be willing to help you find me and get things to me. Thanks for all the support.

Love,

Elder Trevor Reynolds