First Week In the MTC

Hey Mom/Family/Everyone!!!!

Well let's see we've been at the MTC like 6 days now and it is AWESOME! I will answer all of your questions before I give my summary and all but ya, so let's see....

My companion is Elder James Miller, he is actually from Provo and is in the other ward that uses our awesome church building up on the hill. We are getting along just awesome! Just working hard; we actually had a chance to do a companionship inventory last night with our whole district. It was pretty intense - there was such a good spirit there and we really got closer as a district, I'll talk a bit more about that later. We have 2 sisters in our district Sister Graham and Sister Terry. They are really cool (although like 5'1) and ya, it's a lot of fun.

Schedule keeps us pretty busy but it usually goes a bit like this:

Wake-up

Breakfast

Class

Lunch

Class(usually progressing investigator teaching as well)

Gym

TALL (Technology assisted language learning)

Personal Study

Bed

It is pretty busy but a lot of fun. I live in building 14M way at the back of the MTC Campus which is cool. I am indifferent on the food, I mean it's not the best cafeteria food I've ever eaten but it is still pretty awesome being able to eat as much of it as I can stomach.

Unfortunately we have not seen any general authorities yet (don't worry if I see one I will let you know!)

So I've been assigned as the acting district leader (until our president gets around to actually making a formal call), so that has been really interesting - haven't had to do a whole lot but it is still pretty awesome. OH and I'm also the senior companion, so that makes for no pressure at all :).

So it is really cool, I've seen a bunch of people here: Randy (my first roommate, he's really a cool guy to me nowadays. I'm loving it), Andrew (other roommate he's looking like he has been working hard) and believe it or not Evan Anderson [Elder Anderson] (Saw him on my first day, he lives in the dorm right below me! It is so cool, I am going to try and get some pics with him before he leaves for Panama in a couple weeks). There is such a brotherhood here it is really awesome!

So a little bit about the experience that I had yesterday: the other two of our district elders are Korean (from Salt Lake area though) so they are really helpful (MOM spellcheck this whole thing haha, it'll be pretty bad I think). Elder Seo has been feeling sick over the last couple of days and yesterday he went and was just completely out of it. He wasn't able to go to class or anything. It got so bad during the day that he was at the point where he was calling his parents to have them come get him. The love that I felt for this elder who I met 6 days ago was astonishing, I was mortified (Grandpa and Mom I'm using big words just for you) at the thought that he would even consider leaving because I loved him so much. Come to find out him and his companion (Elder Moon) apparently had been having some troubles, although they looked like they were doing just fine! Apparently it was so bad that it was starting to take a physical toll on him. The two of them took some time yesterday to really talk and come to understand each other. Suddenly Elder Seo was back to his good old self. We talked as a district about how much the gospel focuses on loving one another, and how if we don't have that love for one another it is really hard for us to keep the spirit with us. As the scriptures say: If ye have not the spirit ye SHALL NOT teach. The spirit that was in the room as we all went around and talked about the topic of love was amazing. I for one was crying like a child (but then again i'm starting to get used to that, it happens a lot. Thanks Dad..... :) haha) but it was something that I will never forget.

The other story I want to tell you is about my second day here. I woke up the second morning and I cannot explain to you how much I just did not know what I was doing. I was scared about the language, I was like: "What am I doing?" I went to a workshop called People and your Purpose. As we got to the end of the workshop, they asked for testimonies and I decided, ya know I'm going to get up and give mine. As I stood up and bore that testimony I felt all those doubts just wash away and I was able to say with confidence "I know why I am here, and that is to take this gospel to those people that need it the most" (which was me at the time, go figure, I did missionary work on myself). I haven't had a doubt or fear in my mind since.

I am loving the language, it is hard, it is complicated, it is retarded sometimes, but I am learning. If Mme Bohn gets this email tell her that learning Korean is nothing like learning French. It is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Like DIFFERENT PLANETS different!

I am loving the experience though and loving the opportunity to study the gospel and the Korean language. I love all of you guys at home and hope you'll still be cheering for me.

BY THE WAY: I am LOVING the letters, I've been in the MTC 6 days, I've gotten mail on 5 of the 6. The other elders (even the zone leaders I think) are jealous so keep up the good work! I am loving it!

I am so grateful for the gospel and the happiness it blesses me with!

Love,

Elder Crowther

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P.S.

Hey, i forgot to send pics, i only have 25 seconds left though.

Next week for sure

Love Josh