PROVO MTC WEEK #4 JULY 29 2014

WEEK #4 JULY 29, 2014 

Allrighty. So I am definitely getting into the swing of things here at the mtc. At first, it was hard to get my mind around the fact that this is my new life but now its hard to believe that I had the life that I had before this. One thing that has been tough for me is keeping my mind off of home. It is mainly the little things that I miss. I don't think it is just because of the fact that I am on a mission but just because life changed so much all of a sudden after graduation. It is inevitable but I am doing my best to kick those sad thoughts right out of my head to keep my mind where it should be. My companions have been giving me a bit of a hard time this week because I decided to do something that I have never done.... Yup.. I shaved my legs.. I left a pic in my drop box. I'm kinda nervous for what my family will do with it. I hope my dad isn't too disappointed in me, but I'm not gonna lie. It was pretty nice. And I would've never known how soft of legs I had! But just so you know the MTC is definitely not a joke! They always keep you doing something so you aren't slackin around. My district has a tough time focusing sometimes but maybe I should start getting them working better during study hours as the district leader. I haven't wanted to sound bossy or annoying so I am going to think of some ideas where I can help keep people busy but have them enjoy it. First I should probably work on getting busy myself because I am also pretty far from perfection myself. 

We have been going to the temple on our p days and those are the best few hours every time which is saying a lot! at the end of our session last week I was saying a prayer and asking some questions that have been on my mind for a while. I was not expecting an answer that fast but right when I closed my prayer elder smith (love that guy...oops I mean elder.) showed me a set a scriptures that he had just unintentionally flipped open to, he said they just really stood out to them so I gave them a look and they said the answers perfectly just as I need them. My testimony of the temple has been strengthened a ton. There is no other place like it. Being in there I just feel that nothing else matters in this world. The peace felt there is only better because I am constantly doing something every other time. But I have decided that I still have a lot of work to do until I will be able to be the best missionary that I know i can be. 

The advice that Taylor Praag my cousin gave me, that friendship is before companionship, has helped me a ton. I have found out that the more I learn about the missionaries around me and especially my companions the better we can work together. It makes sense because how can two people expect to get along and work well together when they aren't even friends yet? Something that has been hard for me with elder Fowers is he's not really the guy to talk and open up so its hard for me to get a connection with him. But nonetheless I have enjoyed my time here. I am sooooo excited right now because TRooks is coming to join me tomorrow out at west campus! I'm bummed because I guess I'm not getting any new elders in my zone or branch so that means he won't be with me but I will make sure to find the time so we will be able to catch up. But thanks still for everyone that has been emailing me and sending me the letters! they mean a lot! I love you all and keep doing the things that the Lord would want you to!! D&C 31

                                                                                            Elder Rawson<3

WEEK #4

Heeeeeeyyyyyy errybody!! So just to let ya'll know, this whole mission thing so far is pretty cool. I'm having a lot of fun at the MTC. Last week our entire zone left to go out into the field, but then on wednesday we got two new districts and they are just a ton of really fun guys. I love being at the mtc and I have felt the spirit incredibly strong here but im not gonna lie I really just want to get out into the field. I know the mtc is for my own good and everything but i feel like most of the time i am just doing a lot of work without being able to see the effects. But the time has been flying by and its hard to believe that im already half way through the mtc! 

So for a funny story of this week. There was a day where I was sitting in the night class just staring at the clock waiting for the time to come where i could just go jump onto my bed and move on to the next day. my patience had been wearing thin and it just wasnt a very good day for me and one of my companions. anyways, the time came where i finally got to collapse on my mattress and close my eyes for the night, now my companion that sleeps right by me has a sleep talking problem. he fell asleep a little before me and began talking in his sleep, I was still a little irritated so i didnt really enjoy that. but then when it seemed like he was going to stop, me and elder morrill hear him say.. "Hermana Sprenz...." (One of the girls in our district) My eyes shot open! I had no idea where he was going with this.. I'll be honest I was a little worried.. and then he followed, "Hermana Sprenz gives out noogies to all the disobedient elders and hermanas....... i think i was bleeding last time..   even though i had been in a horrible mood for about 3 hours, at the time, I could not hold in my laughter and cracking up. me and elder morrill were probably laughing for a solid 10 minutes afterwards.  We told him along with everyone else what he said the next morning at breakfast and everybody loved it. It was exactly what i needed to end that day on a positive note. 

Pretty much every single day i have gone to bed with a smile on my face. All of the work and expectations were hard to take in at first but once I get used to it, i have really enjoyed being here at the mtc. I love the other missionaries here. we have had some incredible talks and devotionals. I've seen many familiar faces and seriously enjoyed it. sometimes i have to say that i do miss home and all of my family and friends. but i always remember if i wasnt on a mission i wouldnt be doing anything that productive anyways. and if i ever did choose to come home, my family would just be mad at me and none of my friends would be there any way! 

I have really been enjoying the letters from those of you that have sent them! Please tell everyone to send me an email so i have their emails if i didnt include them on here. and so far the dear elders that i have received have been so nice to read even if they are just updating me on the things going on at home!

-Love Elder Rawson

oxXoXXoxxoOXOox

WEEK #3

Whats up homies back home or on missions. if i left anybody out then please forward this to those that would want it! So I am loving the mtc! I think i came across wrong last week and made everybody think that i was having a hard time and wasnt enjoying it. it is definitely hard and will take some getting used to but it is worth it! There is also a lot of familiar faces here that i have seen from school! the mtc is a pretty crazy hectic place but it is nice when you get the chance to have studies and be able to focus on yourself and the spirit. I have been pretty sleep deprived lately because we never have any time to relax, even right now i am typing as fast as i can so i can fit as many people in as i can! so please excuse me if i have any typos cuz im sure i do. but even our pdays are pretty crazy because we have a lot to do and especially because today is tuesday and we have a devotional at 7. last week it was neil l anderson and he gave some great advice that i really needed to here. i am excited to hear from whoever is speaking tonight! hopefully another apostle or even the prophet wouldnt be too bad either! but we will have to just see. it is starting to seem like each day is getting better than the last which is always good. and i am always content with my day by the time bed time rolls around. i think the days get better as they go on because mornings after breakfast is almost impossible for me to keep my eyes open and keeping my head from slamming on my desk. im trying to work on finding tricks to stay awake! mi espanol esta mejorando. it was tough at the beginning but i am getting better! i feel elike i wont actually pick it up for real until i actually get out into the field! 

but for all of you that have written me, it has meant the world. especially for the dearelders! those are so nice to get because i can get them any day! if you can get on and use dearelder is you are at home then use that. and if you get this email through somebody else then you should reply to me so i can have your email. and include your email on the dearelder so i know who to reply to.(if i have time) if i dont reply then dont think that any letter was unappreciated! because i love to here from people even if it is something dumb like you telling me how your day went! 

but just everyone know that i miss all of you and i am having a fantastic time! i look forward to hearing from everyone!!

-Elder Rawdogg (my nickname, because apparently im pretty thuggish) 

WEEK #2

So this has been a very long week here in the MTC! I have felt the spirit, had some great laughs with the other elders, But I have also been very discouraged and felt pretty alone at times. Not that I want anybody to worry about me because there is nothing else that I would rather be doing! But it gets very hard sometimes because all of my lessons and almost everything I do is in spanish, I know this is for my own good but it does make is a little difficult to listen to the spirit when I am always trying to figure out what people are saying. But I am very surprised on How much my Spanish has improved! I have definitely forgotten a lot of things that i learned in my spanish classes in highschool. I really wish I was more prepared and studied preach my gospel and other sources of missionary work before I got here! It gets hard because it seems like they expect total and complete perfection. They are constantly throwing all this stuff at me that I need to read and memorize, But lately I have taken a few moments to focus on the things that I need to do to feel the spirit more often and what I need to do to strengthen my relationship with my father in heaven. My companions are elder morrill and elder fowers. elder morrill is a cowboy from american fork and played on the football and basketball teams there. elder fower is from georgia but attended a year at byu. he is a little older so he thinks that he has the responsibility to tell everyone what to do and what they are doing wrong. my patience has been tested at times where he has tried talking down on me. (even though I stand a whole head taller than him) But One of my teachers noticed I was having a tougher time and pulled me off to the side and she told me some things that I really needed to hear. But nonetheless, I love both of my companions. we have all grown together these past couple of days and every morning we enjoy a nice short, 15 minute run together. They are funny guys and I look forward to spending my time here in the mtc with them!

So this has been a very long week here in the MTC! I have felt the spirit, had some great laughs with the other elders, But I have also been very discouraged and felt pretty alone at times. Not that I want anybody to worry about me because there is nothing else that I would rather be doing! But it gets very hard sometimes because all of my lessons and almost everything I do is in spanish, I know this is for my own good but it does make is a little difficult to listen to the spirit when I am always trying to figure out what people are saying. But I am very surprised on How much my Spanish has improved! I have definitely forgotten a lot of things that i learned in my spanish classes in highschool. I really wish I was more prepared and studied preach my gospel and other sources of missionary work before I got here! It gets hard because it seems like they expect total and complete perfection. They are constantly throwing all this stuff at me that I need to read and memorize, But lately I have taken a few moments to focus on the things that I need to do to feel the spirit more often and what I need to do to strengthen my relationship with my father in heaven. My companions are elder morrill and elder fowers. elder morrill is a cowboy from american fork and played on the football and basketball teams there. elder fower is from georgia but attended a year at byu. he is a little older so he thinks that he has the responsibility to tell everyone what to do and what they are doing wrong. my patience has been tested at times where he has tried talking down on me. (even though I stand a whole head taller than him) But One of my teachers noticed I was having a tougher time and pulled me off to the side and she told me some things that I really needed to hear. But nonetheless, I love both of my companions. we have all grown together these past couple of days and every morning we enjoy a nice short, 15 minute run together. They are funny guys and I look forward to spending my time here in the mtc with them!

week #1

Hey everybody, so I just want everybody to know that I am doing good. There are so many missionaries here. I am over on the west campus where all of the Spanish speaking missionaries are doing their training. Basically everybody here is going to Argentina or they are going to a Spanish speaking state side mission. I have talked to two other missionaries going to Ecuador. One is going to the Guayaquil South and the other to the west. One has had major visa problems and he has been in the MTC for about 4 weeks longer than he was supposed to! I hope that isn't my case. Spanish can be the best or the worst thing. I am having some trouble with it but it still is only my 3rd day. My companions are Elder Fower and Elder Morrill. I am in a trio because of the last minute switch of MTC's. They are both going to Buenos Aires West. They are very nice dudes. We have our differences but nothing that can't be over looked.  The boys in my district played a pretty intense game of B ball yesterday. I did amazing and was making all my shots. So they think I am really good. Hopefully I keep it up so they respect me. It is still crazy to think that I will be gone for 2 years but I know once I get into the missionary routine, the time will go by a lot faster.

I saw Elder Teerlink on Wednesday! I had been looking for him the entire day and could not find him. I saw familier faces like Logan Harrison, Parker Anderson and Mack Richards. But I did not see Tyler until I was walking into my last meeting of the day. He told me that he is flying out on Monday to Mexico! I can't believe he is that fluent at Spanish already! I haven't seen him since then but I am determined to see him as much as I can before he leaves!

I talked to one of the counselors in my branch presidency about my visa problems, he said that Argentina is the country that is having the most problems with the visas and giving the church the most grief. He said ecuador has been ok and that my visa should come in time. He also told me that sometimes visas have come while the missionary was in the Provo MTC and they sent them down to the Mexico MTC when they arrived. But I have also heard the opposite and that I would just stay here. I will have to see what happens later on. I will write again on Tuesday because that is my P-day. I hope everything is going well at home, I'm sure not much as changed since Wednesday. And for anyone who wants to write me, please use dearelder.com. because you send an email then i get it in the form of a letter, which means I don't have to use up my computer time reading emails and I can get them every day of the week! And if you do that, please include your email for me to write you back. Anyways, talk to you soon!

                                                      -Elder Rawson

        Dillon and Tyler get to spend some time together and watch the 4th of July fireworks!

Dillon glad to run into Tyler his first day in the MTC,

Happy Missionaries!!

The last few hours with the family before heading to the Provo MTC