MTC Week 2

1st off before I forget Zack Robbins, please tell Scott I'm trying to remember to grab his email out of my wallet. This is the 2nd time that I left his email address in my apartment. Tell him I will write to him haha.

Wow week 2 flew so fast. I feel like I just did this yesterday! I'm loving the MTC, but I really want to get out into Denmark. It is so cool to be here and learn the Danish language spiritually! It's very tough to get down, but I know the Lord can help our districts through it. So on Thursday we were able to commit "Morton", our investigator to Baptism! Greatest feeling in the world, so cool to expiernece this. The teachers are now challenging us more, and are asking us to teach both of them. All in Danish, and both as different investigators for every companion group! Crazy! I can't even believe that we have to get 2 lessons prepared for in Danish. It's a bit of a challenge but we all seem to do just fine in the end. Food is getting better for me, I'm trying not to eat to much because our Zone Leaders, Elder Talbot and Tuckett, say that you will gain weight here at the MTC if your not careful. Which they weren't they say =) Don't worry mom and dad, I'm not starving, I weigh exactly the same amount since I left for the MTC. The only thing they say to watch out for in food.... is the orange juice. Several Elders in our district say that they have had problems with drinking it. Digestively, I won't go into much detail. haha. But I have been drinking it every meal since I got here and I have not had any problems. Brother Stacey says it's probably because I either don't get enough Vitamin C everyday or I have a very High tolerance with it. I figure it is the tolerance because I have been doing it every meal for the past 2 weeks.

Our teachers are pounding the Danish into us. Everyday it's a brand new topic on the language. Sometimes I feel like they are going to fast. We all still manage to keep up. 2 Elders (1 of them being our district leader) are struggling with it because they are doing SYL. (Speak Your Language) as much as possible. We as a district group (besides the 2 elders, no wonder "Duh") try to speak strictly Danish during our meal times and any chance that we get. The Dutchies in our Zone are leaving us next Monday. I'm going to miss those elders they are so funny. I love them. We have FHE every Monday night, during our Personal Exersise Time. We have 4 elders leading us in abbs and upper body workouts. They're are always yelling at eachother and us to workout in a joking matter. "You need to have a pool of sweat in between your hands, but DON'T LET ANY FALL ON THE GROUND. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A POOL OF SWEAT THAN YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG" They are so funny. We're going to need to keep up the tadition.

Sunday we were able to go and do a Temple walk. We went to the front entrance gate and no joke their were 2 crazy Men holding a Jesus Cross Posters. They knew that the Elders and Sisters were coming at that time and they were trying to convert us to thier religion. Or They were just preaching crazy stuff, and stuff we already knew. We were thinking they had no sense in trying to convert MISSIONARIES ON TEMPLE GROUNDS. They were truly crazy, one of them said "Your an army" and started singing "Onward Christain Soldiers" We think they were either JW's or some crazy religion or 2 normally dressed ragged people that had nothing to do that day. The MTC Presidency got mad at everyone, because some were taking pictures with them. They were worried if the pictures got out onto the web, that it would have a negative impact on our image on who we represent and on the Church. My companion wanted to do a picture and luckely we persuaded him not to. He was bummed out and mad that he didn't get a picture until the Presidency made that announcement. Funny Times haha.

Had the opportunity to bless the sacrament last Sunday. I really miss doing that in our home ward. It was so cool to do. We were in a huge room, with about 90 missionaries in our zone!, and no microphone. We had to do the whole thing out loud. I was afraid that I didn't say it right or loud enough. But Brother Maher, in the Branch Presidency, came up to me afterwards and told me that I said it just perfectly. I huge relief and comfort to hear that from him. Which reminds me, Our Zone leaders are going to be released next week, and they came and told us that it is a huge possibility that one of the Danes would most likely take their spots, because we have been here the longest besides them (the icelanders). We are always joking that one of our companions are going to be it, but now since it's getting closer the possibility might actually be true. Next week though, we trade and I'll be Senior companion. Which means I just call on one of us for the prayer. There really is no senior athourity here because we're both new.

I miss you Tons! Love you all and hope the Lord blesses each one of you in your lives. I know this work is true! I'm excited to go to Denmark! I know that our District is going to do Miracles! And I know that through the Lord we can do those micacles and preach this gospel! I love my savior Jesus Christ! Best of wishes to you all! See you next week.

-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read