Friday, Janauary 30, 2015

I had a whole lot happen this week, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to do it in. Being a zone leader requires I write the branch president 2 letters, and help all the new missionaries on how to write the mission president and their families, and with only an hour, I’m already down to 10 minutes left, and have already used up 4 of them.

To Levi and Sebring, and Stephanie and Julie: How are things going with you two (4)...no wait, 5 :)

I really can't quite remember how things were when we left, but I would like to know what's going on. WARNING: I will read your letters, but I may not respond to you in a super timely manner, or in depth, that may have to wait for the mission field. 

Oh yeah...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SEBRING!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

It’s okay Levi, *digital hug* I haven't forgotten about you...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LEVI!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

And of course, can't forget Ira...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR IRA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Whew, I’m tired now, so look forward to hearing from you!

To Mom and Dad: This is going to hurt...

I... miss... you... guys

OUCH! Wow that hurt. 

Well, I don't miss you too much dad, ("DO THIS" "DO THAT" "WE NEED TO CLEAN YOUR ROOM" "YOU NEED TO PACK") yeah...didn't miss that. But you mom *Virtual hug* *Virtual hug* *Virtual hug*

But kind of what I said earlier to my branch president, I really am not homesick. Right now, I feel like I’m gonna miss the MTC more than I miss home right now. Pictures are incoming as soon as I can figure out a way to turn on the computer without 7 clerks and 3 branch presidents making sure I did it correctly.

Also, don't worry about dividing this letter and sending it to all the people I wrote specific pieces to. I would like all of them to read each other's pieces, I don't know why, but that's just the way I feel. (That means you too Emmitt [I hope I spelt his name right])

I'm out of time now, so I have to go...

Oh wait!

Last Words: The mission's going great, love the MTC. Love and miss all of you guys, remember, the Lord's always there for you when he asks. I do enjoy packages (kidding). I'm always thinking and praying for all of you.

Elder Sands

Friday, January 23, 2015

So a few interesting things happened this last week, and I don't get much time to type a whole lot so I’m typing as fast as I can so I can get most of it (if not all of it) down on paper. Since I have to write two separate letters to my branch president, my time is cut quite short to write to all of you back at home (or in Utah). 

So as you who have been on missions may have already figured out by the double letter thing to my president is that I have been called to be Zone Leader. It's quite exciting but really crowds my schedule. I get to welcome the new missionaries that come every Wednesday, teach them how to do a lot of things, and if they have problems or questions, they can come talk to me and discuss them. I also hold weekly meetings with my District Leaders (DL's) and also with the branch presidency.

Since the MTC wants special musical numbers at almost every meeting that has more than one zone attending, they are in desperate need of accompanists so when I was playing with a small group of Elders from my district, I heard them saying that if they didn't get an accompanist soon, they wouldn't have enough to play for all of the meetings. So, I volunteered, and the moment I did, they had me play a song to audition (I played Remembrance from the album), play the song with my district, and then they had me accompany a singing duet who were right after that. Then they told me that I was their most talented accompanist, and then told me to find a solo church song or arrangement and audition it for next week (I can hear you groaning and thinking...dad..."I hope he knows what he's getting himself into"). The first song (with my district) did well enough to be assigned to play at the departure devotional Sunday afternoon and the Duet one got assigned to play at the Sunday Evening Devotional. I'm pretty excited to play 'cause those are both pretty big meetings where the majority, if not all of the MTC occupants attend.

Getting pictures to all of you while I’m at the MTC is probably going to be impossible as the computers here are very restricted, I’m surprised they let you move the mouse around.

My p-days are Friday at the MTC but if anyone wants to write me a letter,

Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please (he had 1228 more pleases)

write me between that Same Friday and the next Monday. The MTC gives me your letters in printed format no matter what and I don't have time to read your letters and respond to them in the small window of time I have to respond to them. So PLEASE write them between Friday and Monday (Tuesday's okay, but any later starts becoming difficult).

If any of you have any questions for me, please ask them, I’m happy to respond.

So let’s see...what's something all of you would like to know?

I Know! How about my average day at the MTC? First we wake up, then we eat breakfast, then we go to class for several hours. After class, we get to eat lunch. After lunch, we go back to class. After several more hours there, we get to have Dinner. After dinner, we go back to class until 9:30 when we get to go back to our residences, do whatever until 10:30, then go to bed. It's all pretty simple.

On P-days, it is so unstructured, that we almost always have nothing to do. We do laundry and get to write letters while that's going on, go to the temple in the afternoon, and then after dinner, we go to class for 3 more hours and then go back to our residences.

Sunday is the day where we have meetings, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by lunch, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by Dinner, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by meetings, followed by bed time.

And then the week starts over again, and well...not much different happens.

I just want to thank you all for your support and wish you all the very best, and remember: if you have questions, ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and MTC security will remove you from the campus (so I wouldn't recommend doing that)

I love you all!

Elder Sands

Friday, January 16, 2015

Wow, let me just start off by saying that...

Wow...

Wow!

The MTC is AMAZING!

Here's a brief list on what exactly is amazing about it.

1: The food is amazing

2: The language is wonderful

3: My companion is perfect. We get along so well

4: My teachers are effective and understanding

5: The weather is quite refreshing

6: The Elders I'm living with are now my wonderful friends

7: My district is really close and my zone is very friendly. Our branch also has some of the best presidents

8: Am I making you jealous yet?

My schedule mostly consists of going to class a lot and doing quite a bit of studying but it's quite enjoyable.

Here are the people in my district divided by companionships:

Elder Sands

Elder Taylor (my companion. He's serving in Seattle, Washington)

Elder Montieth (he's serving in Mesa, Arizona!)

Elder VanderWurken (He's serving in Tucson, Arizona!)

Elder Brown (He has yet to arrive from Tonga because a volcano eruption delayed his flight by a few days. He is also Deaf)

Sis. Rice

Sis. Reynolds (She is the other deaf missionary)

Sis. Peutau (peu- [like what you sit on in church] tow [as in the first part of TOWEL])

Sis. Tullier

I am actually the least experienced person in my district and I know the least amount of sign but my companion is really helping out in that regard.

I'm running out of time so let's get some of the important stuff out of the way.

I am still alive :) (You can exhale dad, and you can stop crying from worry mom)

I will be leaving the MTC Feb. 23rd and due to a few weird things happening, I may not be able to write every week, and I may not be able to read your letters to me every week. So don't think I was brutally murdered in a dark alley somewhere if I miss a week or two.

I do have an address here at the MTC, but I don't have it with me, I’ll have to get that to you next week.

My teachers are hearing (though I've never heard them say a word, total immersion and all of that) and I would give you their names, but I only know them by their name signs and it's a little difficult to put those names into a written language.

Again, I thank you all so much for supporting me on my mission and will miss all of you so much. I know this church is the true church of God, and that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.

And let me sign that for you:

...

Hope you all understood that.

Elder Sands

Thursday, January 15, 2015

NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.

Elder Sands spending some time with the Carmen's and at the MTC.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.

Acea being set-apart and leaving for MTC.