first email from MTC

greetings mijn gelifde familie!

oh how dearly i love and miss you all! i truly adore this mtc experience. it is hard and the days are long but i am filled with joy every time i study and learn more about this brilliant and beautiful gospel.

so, lets get down to the nitty gritty. my companion is absolutely FANTASTIC. i adore her. also, i love my district. we have eight other elders in our district and they are super geweldig. i am glad we all get along so well. secondly + i am typing with a danish keyboard and have no idea what the punctuation will do so forgive me. the language has been a struggle, only because they teach by immersion and sometimes i feel like they expect us to be speaking it well when we've only been here for a few days. this is just an assumption of mine so i really just need to relax and not worry so much about it. i have learned so much already and we have already taught four discussions to an "investigator". i totally figured out that he was role playing after our first lesson but wasn't able to tell the others in my district or my companion. it was hard for me to really act like he was an investigator for our second lesson but by the third i was able to really pray and see him as someone who really needed to hear what we had to share. of course, the lessons are only successful if we have the spirit with us. i am trying to fully trust in my Heavenly Father each day and remember my purpose. oh how i wish i had gathered my thoughts better before i started typing. chkl. we just got back from the temple and only have 30min to write an email. the reading is not timed luckily. my teachers are most excellent and i already love them. they are all returned zendelingen from our mission. my pday is Wednesday, btw. okay, so, i am sorry about the disorganization of my email. it is a good representation of my mind right now actually. i feel overloaded with information and rules and blah blah blah but in a good way? i have been mightily blessed each day with countless things. i just need to remember to have a good perspective and rely on the Lord. i miss you all so much but Heavenly Father has supported me and I haven't felt homesick really, which is a true blessing. i think of you all often and pray for you but ABSOLUTELY know that i should be here right now. my understanding of this life grows each day, exponentially. even though my days are super long - the week goes by fast. a strange anomaly. our district has grown close in only a week and i feel like they are my brothers already. they will never actually live up to the awesome brothers i already have, but really, how could they? oh how i adore this beautiful gospel and the happiness it brings to my life. so, to answer some of your questions for reals - i am sleeping alright. i am able to get up on time but its hard for me to fall asleep. also, i have been SO SO SO cold. i even wear thermals and freeze. it might be too much and too difficult - but perhaps one of those rolled twin blankets from ikea would be easier to send me? in the highest warmth rating? does that make sense? i don't know how to speak English anymore. the food is...hmm... i wouldn't be so bold to call it "tasty" or "enjoyable" but it is OK. the carrots are on point...the water is delicious. i eat apples and bananas for most meals and once they had good fish. i don't enjoy eating the food and dread having to eat so frequently during the day. three times?!?!?! but really i will be okay. no worries. but if you have any cliff bars or something healthy and awesome you want to send i would be grateful. i am surprised with all the SUPER unhealthy food they have here. if they didn't have salad i would truly die. absolutely. but luckily that is not the point, eh? anywayssssssss. oh- mijn collega! (my companion) she is 28, she is from Slovakia and she is super great. she is quiet and calm. the opposite of me. haha. but it works well. she has a strong and supportive branch back home, but her family does not support her at all. i know she would love to receive any little letters or things from you. her favorite color is blue. :) oh - also, our roommates are going to Frankfurt Germany and i LOVE them. i have really enjoyed getting to know them and we speak German and dutch to each other. so great. i am trying to forget all German sounds and words i ever knew because they do not help with nederlands. my teacher told us to leave the German at the door. sorry tyler and dad. but we will be able to comprehend each other when i get home. oh blast my time is running out and i feel like i have shared nothing of import! i will gather my thoughts better by next week and you will be blown away with the amazingness. or not, we will see!!! skldjfaklsdjfklajsdl'kfjasldkjf okay i love you all. i am SO GRATEFUL for you all. so sosososos much love. i need to write you all individually because i have so much to say to you all but i just cant type fast enough. so - i guess will just leave you with my testimony of this beautiful and amazing gospel. it truly can help with EVERY SINGLE need we have. the atonement covers every pain and sorrow we feel. oh how i could speak of this forever. ik weet dat onze hemelse Vader is. i know that he loves us all and shows us in EVERY MOMENT but we have to look for it and notice. alright - i really have to groove but i love you all dearly. thank you SO much for your prayers and support. lovessssssss! holler back atcha now.