Nick's first email

Elder Ellsworth and Elder Chantry

Elder Ellsworth with Sister and Elder Ellsworth

Dear Family,
I have had an emotional couple of days.  I don't really know how to explain the MTC. They throw so much knowledge at you so stinking fast I makes my head spin.  The first day that we arrived we met with our first investigator, that was heart pounding of course it was an investigator with a nametag pretty similar to mine and Elder Chantry, but still I was super nervous.  They have cameras in one of the centers that we can use so we knew that our teacher could watch.

Well I have only a short time to write about 30 minutes so I will just go fast.  I have two teachers both attend BYU and both have returned from missions English speaking in the US in the last two years.  Brother Wall is an amazing teacher, and I am pretty sure that he see's right into all of our souls.  He went to the Seattle Washington Mission and returned a year ago.  He has red hair and holy cow does he have a testimony, he also has a huge knowledge of the gospel to go along with it.  Sister Eyre is about twenty five and she returned from the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mission about a year and a half ago, she is a whole lot more spunky then Brother Wall but she still can teach like nothing I have ever seen.  She is also super pretty and we just love her to death.

Since arriving we have spent about nine hours per day in a classroom that is about twelve foot by ten foot big.  With 13 Elder's trying to learn the gospel, and with a crappy air conditioning that just seems to put out white noise that distracts me really bad and it gets super hot so you have to turn on this fan that makes the noise almost unbearable.  But other that that it is great! ;)  We spend about three to four hours with Brother Wall and I think about 2-3 with Sister Eyre. They bless me with the testimonies that they have,  they actually make all of us feel a little crappy about ourselves when we do a bad job and they follow it up by making one of us pretend like we are an investigator they just nail it.  Elder Chantry said after one such experience with Sister Eyre he said that he wanted to get baptized again.  They are such a blessing I just hope that I can be worthy and open to take in their lessons, and follow their teachings, and become a good servant unto the lord.  I can't stop silently thinking about trying to work at the MTC after I return, I think that I would love it.

Elder Chantry is a blessing, he was about 348 pounds before he put in his mission papers.  He was told that he needed to 35 pounds before they would let him serve, he ended up losing about 70 pounds.  He is a big fellow, probably my height or a little taller, he has the best sense of Humor that I have ever seen. He can make the entire class laugh and he does multiple times a day.  He is from 14 miles out of Sacramento, and he is just barely out of my mission boundaries, in his free time he likes to pan for gold, play football, and he really likes to play call of duty.

In my letter I express some worries that I have had and still have, but please do not worry about me I am loving it here at the MTC.  On Sunday we walked around the temple, and had such a great and spiritual time.  Today was P-day and we were allowed to go and do a temple session this morning, it was so great to see my entire district, and attend the temple with me, it was a blessing for me.

Please send letters, I never did realize how important they are, holy cow every time the mail comes, I just hope that I get one or more.  I always feel a little bad when others get stuff and I don't.  I have received one letter and I was so happy, it almost killed me trying to wait until the evening to read it.  I feel bad for the missionaries that have to stay hear for so long. 9-12 weeks I think would kill me I feel so blessed that I only have 3 but I am sure that I will wish to be back as soon as I get out there.

  Elder Chantry and myself have had the opportunity to teach a progressive investigator this past week twice now.  His name is nick, he is a teacher here but it is still cool to have a semi-realistic experience.  He has gone to church now, and also has agreed to start reading the BOM and also to pray every night.  Well I only have 3 minutes left I love you all so much, and a really look forward to receiving those letters.
Love,
 Elder Ellsworth