WEEK 5 at the MTC - the ups and the downs

Hey guys so this has been a pretty tough couple of days for me, but you know that’s just what happens you get some ups you get some downs but I guess it’s all going to be made right in time.  But anyway...

This week we have had a sub teacher for Hermano Usher for just this week and boy is he nuts!!! He is really like go ,go ,go and at first I didn’t really like him cause he came in and just changed everything and had a really different method of teaching but you know what I think it was good because he let us all know that he is there to help us, and he got us all back into the mindset of the first day where we always need to be working as hard as we can to become the greatest missionaries that we can be.  And this week Elder Hruska and my teaching has been a little bit off.  Just felt like we weren’t saying what we need to say and we just weren’t teaching with the power that we need too. I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately and I haven’t been able to keep my eyes focused on one thing and that should be the work.  I know it’s tough but I just need to keep moving forward and do what I need to do so I can learn and grow the way the Lord wants me to.

So this week I decided I needed to get a haircut and you know I thought you would just go sign up whenever, but I soon found out that you have to wake up at like 5:45am and get in line quick or all the spots are taken up for that entire day they post up.  So we had a really early morning one day and man it was hard to stay awake the rest of the day, so now I have that haircut tomorrow I’ll be good haha.  That was also the same day the Argentina consulate came to visit the elders and sisters going down there, and it was really interesting but I didn’t actually have to be there because I’m Canadian and I just get my visa handed to me when I get down to Argentina.

Ok so about my warts which you have been wondering about, so I went to the health clinic and had them check out my warts cause all this stuff we got helped but just barely. So I go in and they took care of the one on my hand by just spraying liquid nitrogen on it and so that one is supposed to just turn black and then start to blood blister and eventually I’ll just pick the blister off and it will be gone. But then the ones on my feet were more work so they sent me to the outside world!!!!! It was like Christmas!! So I went to the podiatrist however you spell that and he told me 3 options to do and so I went for the cheapest and least painful but then he told me that he does a free clinic at the MTC sometimes and it turned out he was there the next morning. He told me to wait until then and he could do a $300 operation for free so I did.  The next morning came and so what he did is froze-numbed the bottom half of my feet with a needle.  He stuck it into the heel until he got to the nerve and froze the whole bottom side of my foot. Then what he did was put a needle underneath each wart and put stuff in it so it will separate the skin and kill the wart on top.  Then I’m supposed to come back in 2 weeks because the warts will turn black and he’ll just scrap them off.  So ya I got that done for free. It was weird walking the rest of the day cause I couldn’t feel where I was stepping so he said be careful or you can break your ankle but I’m ok so don’t worry about it. 

Then on that same day another crazy thing happened!!! Elder Kindt almost bit through his lip!!! We were just outside during gym playing some bocce and Elder Kindt and Early were playing soccer and someone went to head the ball and hit Elder Kindt on the chin and he was 2 mm away the doctors said from biting all the way through his lip!!! He got 5 stitches and has to only eat like banana paste!! He’s alright so that’s good.

Ok so the really sad thing about this week was yesterday.  Elder Early went home, his mission call was postponed for a while because he needs to go home and deal with some things. It was really sad and I don’t really know how to say it but I am so happy for him that he is doing the right thing.  I know that he will be blessed for his choice and that he will come back to serve a mission.  It was because we had 2 really powerful talks just given about obedience and they both talked about transgressions that need to be resolved and I am just so happy for him that he’s doing what needs to be done.  I don’t really know what to say. 

But a great experience that I had this week was again after a talk at the Tuesday night devotional and the speaker said this quote and I can’t remember who it is by but "if you can’t imagine it, you can’t achieve it"  and it really put into perspective what we need to be doing out here. We need to imagine where our investigator will be and how we can help them get there or else we will have a very difficult time doing what needs to be done.  I was really hit by this and I  know that I need to imagine what I need to do to help all those around me.

I love you all soo much and I really pray for you every night, I just love you all

Love you

oh I also forgot to mention that it was nice to get a letter from Grandma.

WEEK 4 at the MTC

Well hello there familia, I guess another week has come and gone and it’s now time for my weekly update


So first off I want to say thank you for the package!!!!!! I got it yesterday and it is so wonderful to know that the outside world actually exists and that I don’t just dream about the letters you send!

So onto the next thing, another thanks for sending me the updates from Tyler + Tyler + Danny. It is nice to hear from them and see what’s going on in their lives, I got a good kick out of Tyler G’s letter about the guy on the bus I showed it to my district and we all thought it was pretty funny, and then we started to think of what we could do if we ever have that situation. And from the ideas I heard of, I think I’ll just have to wait till it happens cause some of theirs were a little bit weird. If that makes sense I don’t know. Also if I haven’t been answering all of your questions I’m sorry cause I just found out the other day that a few of my letters have been delivered to the wrong person, cause I met a guy named Kevin Harker, and he’s from Long Beach Cali and apparently he has got a few of my dear elders. He’s a convert so I don’t know if we’re related or anything but it was just cool to see that.


So I forgot to tell you that last p-day I was able to go to the temple and proxy for sealing’s so that was really cool and I enjoyed that and me and Elder Hruska also did some initiatories and then this week we did an endowment session oh and oh how I love those!!! It’s always such a blessing to go to the temple. SO after our session it was really fun cause me and my comp and Elder Kindt and Early were all able to help out in the laundry room for a bit. hahah I got to use this thing called the sash-o-lator!!! It was so tight and it just made me think of how good service makes you feel.


But this last week we also got a new teacher and his name is Hermano Usher! It’s pretty cool and so now my 2 teachers are him and Hermana Arcos. But one thing I think about when I’m teaching is "Do you remember that time, when the crowd was cheering my name, and I used my strength to rip my shirt. That is what the spirit is like. I feel like I have eagle powers and can do anything.... like fight Satan's cavemen. But tonight I will teach the 7 toughest investigators in town.... maybe the world, and I WILL convert, because my Heavenly Father will be in the ring with me." and now I’ve got to tell you a funny story about teaching. Ok so it was a drizzly Tuesday and we went to teach Hermana Arcos and the teachers when we teach them act as investigators who they taught in their mission so its actually like teaching a real person. So this is our second lesson with her and the first lesson we just got to know her a bit and find out what she believes in, why she’s meeting with us, and a little about her family. So we found out she is an evangelist, who just wants to know more about our church and she has 2 kids and a husband that passed away. So for our second lesson we decided to teach on the plan of salvation and eternal families because her husband was dead and like she would want to be with her kids forever. Anyway so we start the lesson and we just get talking and then I ask to make sure that she said her husband is dead and I’m getting into it, and right when I’m about to say that there is life after death, she’s like my husband isn’t dead he left us. Anyway so there goes our entire lesson plan and we were just so confused because we totally thought he was dead and we just were trying to get our thoughts together. So we ended up finishing about talking about agency. But the kicker is that after the lesson Hermano Arcos told us that she actually made that exact same mistake when she was teaching this family in real life!!!! hahaha anyway we thought it was pretty funny.
But anyway onto the next thing

Family- all I want to say is that I love you all soo much!!! and I miss you every day, but hey I only got what??...... like 101 weeks left give or take a few days.

Mom + Dad - so just to let you guys know I’m a little sick again today but I definitely will live, I still think the food here is gross and I’m trying my best to eat healthy but its hard cause everything is like junk. But you know what the Argentina food will make up for it. About your time question. Well lets put it this way days are weeks and weeks are days so really it depends time is now irrelevant. We are now keeping track of time from meal to meal and then we sleep and then go from meal to meal again so I don’t know it’s all just a blurrrr. Can you please tell Grandma that I love her and wish her a wonderful birthday even though I’m a little late and that I miss seeing her, but I’ll see her when I get back.

Sara - Yes I do study my brains out every day and by the end of the day my brain hurts like you wouldn’t even believe, one day I thought that I would never be able to think straight again, but you know what I’ll live, unless my brain turns to mush and I become a vegetable then you should just kill me. But I’m glad you had a good time at EFY and I’m also glad that you saw Logan!!! Keep up the good work with volleyball and I hope you make the team


Erin - So the Spanish is coming and yes I will be able to talk to Tania when I get home, so maybe we can all go out for some sushi. About your wedding have fun in Cali!! Hermano Usher is actually going to Cali for a wedding this weekend too so I though it was the same one but it’s not. And I still haven’t met your friend by the way I’ve been trying but no luck. And yes I do have one comp the whole time. But just to let you know I'm prroud of you for walking to work and such and I love you soo much. Hope you are having good times with boys and say hi to Trevor when he gets back for me. Oh and cause you didn't end up getting a tie for me, I have a mission for you. I need you to go to Value Village and get me some ugly ties that you could send me and that would be awesome!!

I just love you all and you are always in my prayers!!


But onto my spiritual thought for the week (and by the way I do have more than one a week) but anyway so it was on Tuesday and we have David F. Evans of the first Quorum of the Seventy come to speak to us, and his wife also bore her testimony. But he talked about the love Heavenly Father has for us. I really enjoyed what he had to say but one thing that came into my head as he was sharing a story about his mission call, is that missions are not something we should take for granted, they are not something we earn when we turn 19. A mission is a gift from God and they are a privilege and we should cherish the time we have to serve. After the meeting our district had a review of the devotional and we were asked this time to share something we like from the talk but also to share our testimony and hearing the other missionaries speak was so uplifting and we just grew so much closer as a district and I love them so much!! I just want to say to you that I miss you all soo much but I love being out here and being able to serve the Lord, it is literally the best thing I have ever done.


Love Elder Harker

Oh and this week was also a sad week cause the Dominican Elders from our district left!!! and they were like the coolest guys ever anyway gotta run bye.

WEEK 3 at the MTC

Como le va familia?  How’s life in the outside world??  So life has been busy here at the MTC nothing really too exciting just work, work, work.  So first of all I am feeling sorry for Tanner that he has the fleas that must be rough for him, and also Sam has a little bit of a bowel problem so I’m just praying for those guys and hope that they are going to live!!  I’m so happy that Tyler is doing well and I did get his present when I got here, so that was a really nice surprise!! I’ve sent all the guys on missions’ letters already so I’m hoping to get some back soon.  I’m loving it though, I love the guys in my district and just having a blast all the time!!  Learning lots and preaching the gospel is the only way to go!! 

Ok so please tell the James Harker family hi from me, cause he sent me a letter the other day. And also if you will say hi to all my friends and tell Jesse, Peter and Carly I love them!  Oh and tell Carly good luck from me with the activity days it’ll be great I’m excited for her.  So I read that Melissa got her wisdom teeth out!!! That’s pretty awesome especially if she has a nice chipmunk face!! hahah but tell her hi from me and that I hope she does not suffer from too much pain, if she can understand that cause she did just lose all her wisdom ahaha that’s like a dad joke haha. Oh and please tell the Whitsitt’s hi from me as well, I’m sorry that I missed their visit but what can I do, I was called to serve!! A package?? WHAT!?!?!?!?!   Oh and in case I haven’t told you yet cause I don’t think I have my group started this new kind of training they have here at the MTC so I’m doing something different than the guys before me did, it started like 2 or 3 weeks before I got there so I’m enjoying it so far.  But it was so weird because our first investigator we taught ended up being our teacher!!!! It was nuts when she came in with a white name tag!!! My mind was blown!!

Well now it’s time for a little word of advice to Sara, so you said you wished that you had a group of double boys for EFY, well Sara guess what your only 15 so you need to calm down about the boy thing. Like seriously you don’t need to be married next year!1 you can wait until you’re at least 17 ahhahaha I’m just joking I know you’re not that bad but I love you.  

Ok so do you really want to know what a day at the MTC is like???? cause I’ll tell you..  So here it is: Wake up...  Study... Eat...  Study... Study... Learn how to study... study how to learn... study how to plan... Eat...  learn to study Spanish... study Spanish... talk about how we studied that day...  and then plan to study tomorrow.... and then sleep!!!!  And when I’m not studying or eating I get to clean toilets!!!! It’s like the best life here!! hahahaha

So about the speakers so far We have had Gerald N Lund; and he is the writer of The Work and the Glory so that was pretty cool he talked about faith and that it’s not an event but it’s a process. And we also had Cecil O. Samuelson who is the Dean of BYU and his address was about setting an example as being servants of the lord which I really enjoyed and he told some very interesting stories as well.

So on to the spiritual experience I would like to share with you today is that during class we are able to teach other companionships.  So me and Elder Hruska were teaching Elder Early and Kindt and we weren’t really taking it that seriously, then later in the class we were then just teaching Elder Early and our teacher Hermana Arcos told us that we should teach them like we would a real investigator and think of them as an entirely different person and then the Elder who we were teaching was to think like an investigator. So we began to teach and we were teaching about prayer and I just had the strongest feeling come over me as I was bearing my testimony and I had a witness that I knew what I was teaching was true and just had a great uplifting time for the rest of the day.  It just shows that if we respect what we are doing as missionaries then we will be blessed by the Lord.

Anyway being a Canadian here is apparently really awesome cause Americans are a little different and think we have an accent but really we don’t. But ya they always tease me and Elder Kindt about saying tag like teg and bag like beg and stuff like that so it’s pretty funny and we have a good time too. But I’m getting sad because 4 guys from our district are leaving next week for the Dominican and they are like the sweetest people you will ever meet, like Elder Blotter and Elder Perschon are so awesome and I definitely want to hang out with them when I get back because we just have the best times!!  But anyway I need to explain that narnia holes are holes you find everywhere that other Elders have left stuff in so if you could send me something awesome to stick in one of those that would be great!!

Well time for me to go so I LOVE YOU ALL and I guess I’ll write you next week.

WEEK 2 at the MTC

Well Hola Familia!

How’s life back in reality?? Is time actually moving normally there cause so far it feels like I’ve been here for eternity! They say that once it hits Sunday the days start to go faster but nope the days are the same just long long long. I spend like 6 hours just sitting in a class but I guess it’s ok cause for the next 2 years I’ll be on my feet.  Well one piece of good news is that because I was sick I lost 3 pounds! Not too great but I haven’t gained any back yet so I’m hop’in to stay that way for the rest of the MTC. 

Ok so another interesting story is that now that I’m not sick my comp Elder Hruska got sick.  He ended up getting a stomach virus so that sucks to be him and I felt really bad for him and last time I said he had to go to the bathroom a lot, now times that by like 10 cause he is goin like every 30 mins on the dot. I feel really bad but now he’s better so we can continue with the work. Oh I forgot to tell you who’s all in my district last time. So it’s me, Elder's Hruska ( who is my comp and he is from Houston Texas he’s a cool guy), then there’s Early, Bethers(and he plays magic ahahaha), Kindt (from Lethbridge), Matheson, Perschon(who is friends with Zach) Blotter(loves to sing and fart all the time) Dyre, Noble, Shumway, and Walpole.  They are such sweet guys I love them!!!

I LOVE FEELING THE SPIRIT!!!! It’s like Christmas and Easter and Birthday and every great feeling you can think of rolled into 1 and wow I just love having it all the time!! It is just the coolest! Man I don’t even know what to say other than I love it!!  but ya I got to go to the temple today which was soo awesome cause I haven’t been in like 2 months so it was a  real  blessing to be able to go again and I’m lucky cause it just recently reopened I’m told so that was neat to go with that many elders and sisters!!!

So my studies I think are coming along pretty good, just working away at the Spanish language and what not but trying my best to stay focused and do the work that I’m given. It gets tough at times cause your brain starts to hurt and you just need a break and you think your gunna die cause your brain is in overdrive and its gunna explode but you know, it happens. No one has died yet so I think I’ll be ok.  I’m just so excited to get out into the field its gunna be soooo awesome.  my time here I feel is like a prison sentence... I know when I get here, and I know when I’m leaving (which is Sept 26 by the way) and the rest is just serving time.

But now to the question and answer period of the seminar no I have not seen Elder's Harrison or Skinner or Haskell but I have heard of them so I hope hat I will see them before I leave or in the mission.  That is soo sweet for Brendon!!!!! I am so happy for him and probs him and Zach will be in the same district here which will be super cool.  I’m definitely disappointed I won’t see them though but whatever I’m still excited for them both!!! Oh and I also saw Mike Cooper the other day on his first day at the MTC.  It feels so good to not be a noob here anymore even though I’ve only been here a week ahaha.  So to let you know on PDAY we go to the temple and do laundry and besides that it’s just another normal day cause we don’t have to shop and do all that fun stuff so ya its just a nice break from the constant smacking our heads on our desks out of bordom ahhaa jk its always a good time. No my feet do not hang off my bed Sara it’s just a twin and I sleep fine on it so don’t worry about me I’m just having a good time chill’in in class, eating crappy food and drinking my caffeine free Dr Pepper.

I"m glad you guys got home safe from the trip though and Dad........ Just wow..... I don’t even know what to say to you so I won’t say anything, I’ll just shake my head at you.......... (I’m shaking my head right now so picture it) but anyway almost time to go so I am enjoying my time even though it might not sounds like it and I just love this gospel and the spirit here is amazing so love you!!! and hope to hear from you soon!

Bye bye now

WEEK 1 at the MTC

Hola Familia!!

How’s life in reality?? Probably pretty good right? haha well life here is ok i guess, my mind is exploding with information and Spanish and what not!!! it’s crazy how much you learn in just this first few days of the MTC. Like wow just last night we taught our first lesson to an investigator IN SPANISH!!  it was pretty funny tho cause it was like broken Spanish but we survived.  Oh well I guess I should tell you that my comps name is elder HRUSKA (ROOSH-KA) he’s pretty cool and a hard worker too. And its good cause he makes me feel great cause he laughs at all my jokes haha I love him.  But one thing is, is that he has to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME!!! And it sucks cause I have to go with him. Maybe he has some kind of digestive distress, I don’t know but anyway its funny and I love him so whatever it’s fine.  Well first day we got here was just orientations and such we had a meeting with all the missionaries that are new and we got to hear from the MTC president, and that was awesome so I’m just so excited for Tuesday night devotionals!! Then we had dinner which I guess was ok but I’ll talk about food later. um..... then it was time to teach so we split up into two groups of about 250 missionaries and had "investigators" and we really got to see some good ideas about how to teach and what types of things we should ask about when we first meet them, so that was interesting.  We had three and there was this one guy who was Italian and he was HILARIOUS!! I  have no idea how I’m gunna teach someone that is that funny cause ill just want to laugh the entire time!!  but whatever I guess I’ll just have to learn to be like mom and dad and think nothin is funny. bahaha

ok so onto the food, I don’t really care what other people say the food is gross, I have already been sick and let me tell you it sucked!!  So here’s how it went got up on Thursday morning feeling fine, besides being dreadfully tired but anyway got up ate breakfast  which wasn’t too bad..... I thought, but then went through the day ate lunch and probably like an hour after lunch I started to get the chills and then around like 330 pm I had a nice puking session in the bathroom. then came dinner time and I thought I should just eat like a little bit of fruit cause I threw up and I don’t have much food in me, so I ate a little and continued on and I kept having the chills and head ache and not feeling good, so then we were in our first district meeting with our branch presidency and while we were introducing ourselves and another elder is talking I had to get out of there immediately!!! I went to the bathroom and was in there for like 5 min.  I had a beet for lunch and I threw it up and I thought I was bleeding!!! but any way we went to the health clinic and I talked to the doctor and I had a temp of 100.6 so they gave me some pills and what not and I had a fever and I think I had food poisoning but I don’t know what I had for sure but I’m feeling better now which is good.  But that was the worst sleep of my life that night.  I had to take a pill at 3 am and I woke up like 12 times no joke thinking it was 3 already but nope it was like 1115 1135 1152 1206 and so on it sucked!!! But anyway all is well and i feel bad elder Hruska that he had to suffer through my sickness with me.

Well the Spanish is coming pretty good so far and the work is coming along great I’ve already felt the spirit a lot and I know this church is true! It’s the real deal out here just working everyday no time for rest just gotta go go go and I know that things will be ok. but our investigators name is Teresa by the way and we taught her last night about families and her dad just joined the church about a year ago and we get to teach her again on Sunday so we have decided to teach on the plan of salvation and I hope we can learn enough Spanish that we can actually teach her haha but I think it will be ok. Anyway I just want to know what’s happening with you guys and how was the family reunion?? What’s gunna be happening with you guys now that I’m gone?? Hope not too many trips haha but whatever that’s just life.  well right now I’m doin laundry and it hasn’t been to long here so I don’t really know what else to write and I don’t have any time left so I guess I’ll talk to you next week and hope to keep hearing from you!!!

Love Elder Kenty Boi