The past week has been crazy! and even crazier, I got a letter yesterday saying that I am going to Colombia on Monday instead of in 5 more weeks! I have mixed feelings, but I am pretty excited!!! I don't know where to start haha.
So last Wednesday I got on the airplane with Sis. Smith and another sister from our ward (her name escapes me) and we all flew up to Salt Lake! We arrived pretty early, which was a super good thing considering all the stuff that I had to do in Utah. Greg and Patti picked me up, and off we went! We went to a super-cool mall in like downtown Salt Lake, and started some shopping. It didn't take too long, and then they were nice enough to take me to Cheesecake Factory! Greg and Patti have lost SO much weight from their diet thing, and although it kinda stinks (their entree choices at the factory were pretty small haha), I am so happy for them! After that, we went to Wal-mart and I picked up some last-minute things, and we met Jamie there with Sammy and Riley (I think that's her name... I just remember how cute she was!) And Sammy is getting so old! So anyway, they drove me off to the MTC, and I was only 45 minutes late... haha :). After being met by a ton of elders, I got my initial stuff, they took me to a bus, and I went over to West Campus, where all of the spanish-speaking missionaries are staying! The hermanas (sisters) are all in Wyview, and I am staying in Raintree (or something like that... haha). We dropped off my stuff, and went straight to class! I have a really cool teacher, Hermano Lund, and I also got to meet my district! We have three Elder companionships, and one sisters companionship, all really cool people! My companion is Elder Mills, a pretty cool guy who is from Monroe, Utah and owns a dairy farm. Haha. He is a lot like Darric, which made the transition to missionary pretty easy. And he is also the only missionary I have met going to South Bogota! He was also supposed to be going to the Colombia MTC, but I guess our visas weren't ready.
Since then, we have had a LOT of studying spanish. It is crazy. On either Thursday or Friday (I forgot) we had our first lesson with our "Investigator," Andrea. And she doesn't (or rather won't) speak any English! Or understand it! It was really embarrising, and my companion is even worse at spanish than I am, so it was a very eye-opening experience. Since then we have had three more lessons with her, and as we rely less on reading out of books and more on the Spirit, it is so much easier! I have been leaning a TON of spanish, and it is incredible. I would write most of this in spanish, but I don't really feel like it haha ;)
However, the food is decent haha. We can eat as much as we want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it is easy to gain weight haha (Though I am trying not to!). After Thursday, we also started getting gym time, so we can burn off some of those calories. We have a pretty strange schedule because of the number of missionaries here; we report to breakfast at 6:45 each morning, and our 3-hour spanish class starts at 7:15! It is weird not having the expected personal and companionship study time in the morning, but I enjoy it either way. Although it is pretty tiring, I enjoy having all the time to learn and to grow here in the MTC.
But yesterday, just as I started feeling pretty accustomed to this new culture, Elder Mills and I received travel plans to go to Colombia on Monday! We will be flying out to New York first, then turning south to Colombia! I am super excited, although I hear that the MTC down there is very small, and we are never allowed to leave until the stay is over haha. But it will be great! :D
Today is our first P-Day! It was such a relief to be able to do our laundry haha. And we went to the temple this morning, which was really cool! I saw Shelbi here on Saturday, and since then we have been able to see each other every once in a while, but I saw her last night so she was able to arrange to go to the temple too! I will get pics up when I figure out how to, haha ;)
Tonight I think we are planning on going to Brigham's Landing, the only place outside the MTC that we can go. They have like burgers and stuff, but we do have to dress back into missionary attire to go there... I have enjoyed wearing jeans for the past few hours though!!! :)
Anyways, the Spirit is so strong here! It is great to have an environment of young adults all here to serve Heavenly Father and His children! The gift of tongues is definitely real, especially in a place where the Spirit is as abundant as here. I enjoy the opportunity I have every night to spend around 15 minutes talking with my Heavenly Father every night. Yo sé que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días tiene el Evangelio verdadero de Jesucristo, y que familias son eternas! I miss you all!
Love,
Elder Toombs
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