Week 2 @ The MTC!

First off, P-Day last week after I emailed was a blast.  We went to a grocery store and bought some crazy foreign foods.  I bought nuevo scriptures in the Distribution Center in español.  I also bought an Argentina jersey and some other things from a vendor.  I've taken a million pictures (Mom ... don't worry) and I'll send them as soon as I can.

We practice speaking with the Latinos and I feel like my Spanish is getting better, but the hard part is understanding natives.  They talk super fast so it basically makes it impossible to understand.  We've been doing this thing where each time someone in our district speaks English we have to do 10 pushups.  So far, my max in a day is 300.

My teachers got switched this week because one got married (Hermana Simon) and the other got Dengue fever.  We are bummed out because they were totally awesome.  Our teaching as a companionship has been much better.  We have become much better at street contacts, too.  We had an AMAZING lesson with an investigator where I really felt the Spirit for the first time while speaking Spanish. It was truly an answer to my prayers.

I have learned that at the MTC the days go by slow, but the weeks go by fast.  It has been hot here, but not as hot as Vegas.  It has been cloudy every day but it hasn't rained as much as I expected.

Healthwise, I almost died coughing a few nights ago and I got a fever, so i decided it was probably time to see the nurse. I am still sick but she gave me some meds that have helped me.  It has been tough adjusting to the schedule and we are doing something different all the time.  I have been falling asleep alot but I found the best remedy to that is taking notes about everything.

Sunday's and P-Days are definitely the best here.  We just chill and hear awesome devotionals. Sundays have been great opportunities to feel the Spirit. They make you feel super pumped like you are ready to go into the field right now.  My friends that have been here longer leave next week so I am bummed about them leaving the MTC.

The food here has been interesting.  We have had a lot of weird fruits like mango (A LOT) and dragonfruit.  The fruits haven't made the other food any less hard on our stomachs though.

We are in a war with one of the other rooms on our floor right now.  Someone decided to use someone else's baño (only some rooms get their own) and leave a note on TP saying that they used their bathroom.  They decided it was my companion who did this, so they have stolen things from us and filled our closet with toilet paper.  

The MTC has been good times with the other guys, pretty funny stuff.  The guys in our room are honestly way cool. One of them is basically the same person as me.  We stay up late having conversations about dumb things that we like for hours.  He also loves to play sports.  His name is Elder Flake and he is from Northern Arizona.  We´re not going to the same mission sadly, but after the mission we´re gonna meet up.

I have really good guys around me in my district who I have spent time with and they have strengthened my testimony.  I read my patriarchal blessing and it helps me think about my purpose.  The temple this week was also really awesome.  I love the temple.  I was able to really ponder things and feel the Spirit.

Love You !!!

Elder Cox

WEEK 1 – HOLA FROM GUATEMALA!

Hola to Everyone !!!!!

Sorry, I don’t have mucho tiempo to write.  I got to the LA airport and met 3 other missionaries.  We called our parents and hung out for awhile.  It seemed like no other missionaries were coming.  However, one by one, they came.  SIXTY FIVE missionaries were with us !!  We all flew down to Guatemala on a red eye.  I didn’t get much sleep, and we arrived at 5:00 am. 

It felt weird leaving the US.  I got off the plane and thought to myself, what the heck am I doing here (i was half asleep).  I rode to the MTC on a bus and did a bunch of paperwork the first day.  It was fun meeting all the other missionaries.  I actually met a hermana who works at the MTC who served with Courtney.  It is a small world.

The rest of my week has been scheduled minute by minute.  We have classes from when we get up until 930 pm.  We started teaching an investigator (weird right?) in the first week named German.  He only speaks Español so I have had to do most of the talking.

My compañero, Elder Burt, is from Logan, Utah and he doesn’t speak any Spanish.  He is pretty funny so we get along super well.  We are in a room with two other new guys, along with 3 guys who are going on their 4th week in the MTC.  They are all super awesome.  One of our guys is the zone leader but is super chilled.  

I’ve been pretty sick this week.  My stomach has had a hard time adjusting to the food.  I also have a cold with a really sore throat. 

I have really enjoyed deportes and I still play bball !!!! 

Our MTC teachers are super awesome.  They make sitting in a class all day pretty fun.  The language is going well.  I have been reading the BOM in Spanish and praying hard for the gift of tongues.  In church on Sunday, they randomly called on people to give talks (we had to prepare two talks each plus a 10-15 minute companion lesson).  Everyone told me that you never get called in the first week, but just like Courtney, guess who got called up to speak?  Yup !!  All in Español !!  I just told everyone I was a gringo in the beginning and they all laughed.  It went really well.  Everyone was nice to compliment me on my accent and that I did well. 

I think the doctrine is coming along better.  Being pushed out of your comfort zone to teach has actually been pretty good.  I am pretty happy about being in the Guatemala MTC because once a week, a mercado sets up right by the MTC and sells everything.  I got a fresh soccer jersey for 20 bucks and an awesome scripture case, too.

I have a funny story.  I have a hard time falling asleep sometimes, so I’m usually the last one asleep.  Since we’ve got here, my companion has been sleepwalking.  One night he fell off the top bunk onto the tile and then got back in bed, all while being asleep.  Another time, he flailed his arms and legs and was trying to scream in Spanish.  Good times !!

I can’t send pictures in the MTC, so those will have to wait until I get into the campo.  Our MTC is like a compound with high barbed-wire gates and guards 24/7.  We see random guys carrying guns on the street, so I understand why.  On the weekends, there is a club next door, so we hear the music blasting all night.

We got to go the temple today, it was super awesome.  There were a million missionaries packed in so it was interesting.  Looking forward to going to the new Cedar City temple when I get back!!

Thank you to those of you who wrote me!!!!  If you only get a little note back, I AM SORRY !!!  I only get a little time to write!!

Love You All,

Elder Cox