Hello world!
This might win the prize for being the
longest week of my entire life. I feel like it's been 9 weeks since I last
wrote. What a crazy, crazy world. I have so, so much to talk about and of
course, so, so little time. So I will do my best! Sunday was a good day. I was
packing and getting all my stuff ready to leave. I went to both of the
Devotionals and they were both pretty good. It felt so weird that I was getting
ready to leave and all that stuff. Monday morning at 5am, Elder Harvey and I
dropped off Elder Noyes at the travel office. It was so weird to say goodbye because
we have been practically attached at the hip for the last 9 weeks so it was
hard to see him go. He was tearing up a lot, which I could understand. Then
Tuesday we dropped off Hermana Nilsen, which was so weird too. I probably will
never see her again, which isn't heartbreaking or anything close to that, it's
just odd to think about. I feel like our whole district had grown up together,
and in many ways we have.
Monday was a weird day. Elder Harvey and I had
so much free time because we both don’t like to sit around and wait so I think
we were showered and out of the room by 6:45, done with breakfast and studying
by 7:00. It was actually a super productive day because we didn’t have to wait
in the hallway or the residence or things like that for Elder Noyes to get out
of the bathroom.
Monday. Monday Monday Monday. It seems
like years ago that I found out that I have to stay here for longer but it wasn’t.
It was like 6 days. Anyway. Monday I was crushed to find that out so it was
really hard to be cheerful. But somehow I did. This has been a horrible week
for so many reasons but Monday when I found out what the week would be like, I
decided to be cheerful the whole time. And it was and has been surprisingly
helpful. This has almost been the happiest week I’ve had in the MTC, because
that's what I've made it. I keep proving to myself that I can do hard things.
If this keeps up someone might need to give me a good ole ego check. But
seriously, I’ve been impressing myself with my commitment to happiness.
That’s a tip. Decide you are going to
always be happy, and then do it. Everyone always says they want to work on
being happier, or more cheerful. My experience is that it is impossible unless
you just do it. Don’t try to be happier. Be happy. It's hard, but it works. I
hope this kind of makes sense I don’t have time to go back and read.
So, Wednesday was like a crazy day. I
stopped eating after Tuesday’s lunch, so I woke up on Wednesday at 5 to help
Elder Harvey get ready to pack and my stomach was growling like crazzzzy. It
was a good thing my hunger was distracting me because I might have cried.
Legit. I miss Elder Harvey a lot. We got so close I feel like I’ve known him
for forever. What a bro. But I started a new life at 6 when he got on the bus.
A new life in district K.
I'll give you the run down of everyone
in the district.
Elder Anderson (in my head I call him
junior) - 22 years old and a convert of 3 years to the church. He has a vast knowledge
of Spanish and of the random (irrelevant) gospel facts. He is pretty tall and
blinks a lot and speaks very high when praying or talking in Spanish. He gets
flustered and annoyed very easily. District Leader
Elder Larson (no name could properly
describe him) - 19 years of age with the face and body (and hair/lack there of)
of a 40 year old man ... but the mind of a 14 year old. Elder Larson is a
really funny guy, he always says the goofiest stuff that makes me laugh so hard
and he has these big eyes that open up super wide when he is telling a joke. E
Larson loves to fart. Like, I think he would probably list it as a pastime or
something. He takes pleasure in the act of flatulating and the aroma as well—its
a little disturbing. And he has no shame. He farts no matter where he is, and
no matter who is around. Whether the teacher is in the middle of a lesson or
whether the Hermanas are sitting right behind him. He just lets them out.
Sister Hartjen - 22 years old. I don’t
know too much about her. She sits on the opposite side of the class from me.
She likes to talk. She and Elder Anderson love to get in heated debates about
things that don’t really matter very much...
Sister Mabe - 23 years old. Zone
Coordinating Sister. She taught middle school Spanish before coming on the
mission but is in an intermediate class. I'm not sure if I think that is super
awesome and she is so lucky or it is weird that the state of Iowa allowed her
to teach. I think it's probably both. She's super nice. Too nice. I think today
she's asked me 8 times how my stomach feels. I can only say "super bien,
gracias, como esta suyo?" so many times a day.
Elder Hyde - 19 years old and a northern
Utah boy all the way. He loves guns and B.O.B. He has a girlfriend that is
serving a mission right now too and he calls her Hermana Novia which is a
little creepy. Elder Hyde is a short stocky little kid who likes to make jokes
all the time and is pretty touchy feely, which is okay except we live in the
same room and I don’t like to be touched. So it's not okay at all. But he’s a
cool guy.
Elder Franks - 19 years old and the
biggest in the district. He was a lacrosse player from Virginia and knows some
awesome scripture references. A great one is Jeremiah 24:2. Read it when you
need a pick me up.
Elder Yockey (rhymes with hockey) - 19
years old and a convert for a year and 2 months. He is going to Las Vegas as
well and we sit next to each other in class. He's a boss. I like him a lot.
He's pretty quiet, but super funny and works his butt off to be the best
missionary he can. Although he does have a short fuse. Great guy.
Elder Rogers - Elder Rogers is the
biggest goober in the MTC. He makes me laugh all the time. He is also a
Saturday smack down prodigy, he's been studying his butt off in hopes to beat
me one day. We shall see if that happens. He also organized a tie exchange,
which I took part in and snagged an awesome peacock tie. I'm wearing it right
now and looking supah fly. Stuntin some fresh feathers.
Last and certainly not least my companion
Neil Caffrey. Just joking, his name is Bryce Larson. No, but his name is Elder
Matthew Bomer. Get the point? Elder Walker looks exactly like Matt Bomer. It's
crazy. Both studly looking suave men. Although, Elder Walker might give Neil a
run for his money in the clothing department, he dresses super nice. I really
like Elder Walker a lot. We have gotten pretty close and don’t have any
problems. He's struggling a lot with his Spanish because he was being stifled
before in a trio with Elders Hyde and Franks, but now he has the freedom to
talk and grow and in just a few short days he has come so far. I'm not to blame,
but I do know it is because he has had the opportunity to grow now that he's in
a normal companionship (not that I’m at all normal). Elder Walker is from
Salt Lake and is 22 years old. He is lactose intolerant and has a crush on one
of the language teachers. But he's a boss. He is pretty sassy too. And quick
and sharp with the comebacks. I like him a lot.
So you all want to hear about the procedure
right?
Here's what went up.
Just kidding down.
Tuesday after lunch, I stopped eating.
But I was still drinking water. Wednesday morning I was drinking and doing
class and all that fun stuff until 3 when I had to drink 32oz of miralax and
then take 2 laxative pills. I had to stay in the residence for the rest of the
night. Then at 8 I got to take 2 more pills and drink 32 more ozs. It was an
interesting night. So I got up Thursday morning, and I was super nauseous and
dizzy so I thought I'd drink a glass of water to rehydrate myself (this was at
about 7:00). When I got to the hospital for the procedure at 10, they asked me
if I drank anything that day and I (sadly) told the truth and they told me I
couldn’t have it done, because it was too dangerous. So I had to come back
tomorrow. Bummer right? I couldn’t eat for another day... and I had to take
more laxatives. So Thursday night, instead of eating I got to drink more
laxatives! Wahoo! It was delicious! Then Friday morning, I went back for the
procedure and hadn’t drunk anything since midnight like they asked. When they
tried to put an IV in, my veins collapsed 3 times because I was so dehydrated.
After 3 tries, I was super lightheaded so they took me a to a dark room to lie
down, and then in 20 minutes they tried again, but this time they did it right
under my left thumb and apparently that vein was big and full enough to work.
Then they gave me some medicine and I passed out. I woke up in a different room
in a different position and super confused. By this time I hadn’t eaten
in 74 hours and I was ravenous. They gave me some saltines at the hospital and
they were delicious. Never had crackers tasted so good. If any of you want to
reapprecaite the simple foods in life, fast for 3 days. It's an incredible experience
to eat after that.
I wanted to respond to all your letters
but I couldn’t. Things have been too crazy. And now my time is up so I have to
get off the computer.
I have a stack of letters to respond to
so don’t worry if you haven’t gotten one recently from me. I haven’t forgotten
you.
Oh! and yesterday I helped one of my new
teachers understand the future subjunctive. Like legit she didn’t understand a
scripture because it had future subjunctive and I taught it to her and
afterwards she understood and then taught her friend. I think I’ve started a
movement or something.
Anyway, I will write you all soon. I've
got so much else to say.
Anyway, I love and miss you all.
Especially, the ones who read this
May the future subjunctive be with you.
Sam
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