First Week at the MTC

Sent: Thursday, January 19th 

Dear family,

I wish I had more time to email, but the MTC is keeping me so busy! I promise to write letters and personal emails when I have my life together and have a second to breath. But until then, this is the best I can do.

Since I arrived early at the MTC and my companions had not arrived, they put me with the international kids for the night. My roommates included Elder Tang from China, Elder Abrao from the Phillipines, and Elder Lee from Korea. All of us spoke different languages and initially had difficulties communicating, but as the night went on, we learned how to rely on impressive displays of charades like messages. I still see Elder Abrao and Elder Tang around and we always talk and check in for a quick moment. Soon after I arrived, we had a devotional. Devotionals are just meetings where a church leader comes and gives a spiritual thought. Anyway, I had just made it in time for devotional when I arrived. The timing could not have been better. Since I arrived a day earlier, I sat with the international which was in front because they need translators, and since I arrived so close to devotional, I sat in the back section of the front group. Guess who spoke! Elder Anderson! One of the Quorum of the 12. Big big deal. When he leaves, his path goes right by me, because I was in the back of the front. So I got to shake Elder Anderson and a decent amount of some members of the 70. The church really knows how to greet new missionaries!

The next day I met my companions, yes you heard right companionS. 2 companions to be exact. The Lord continues to bless me with spiritual gifts of 2. 2 baptisms. 2 patriarchal blessings. 2 farewell talks. And now 2 companions. I am so thankful that I get along so well with them. A lot of companions have big time difficulties getting along, but not us. Our focus on the message of Christ and the gospel allows us to come together on what matters.

There is a lot more I want to tell y'all, but my preparation day is near an end, but I promise to give you more information next time. I love you so much and that love only increases ever day!

Love,

Elder Hamblin

Scripture of the week: Ether 12:4