Sunday, September 2, 2012

Letter Number fun times


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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