{A MiSSioN iS HarD WorK}

Hola familia!

How is everything going?! These first few days at the mtc have been so amazing! The only thing i have to complain about is getting up early...and that's not all that bad. We've been so busy I can't even believe it! All those people that told me going on a mission was hard work should have told me that going on a mission is hard work. We have breakfast at 7:30 every day lots of class...an hour of personal study, comp. study, and then language study. Spanish is coming along...not really but it will. Our lunch is at 11:30 and then more class until dinner at 4:30. And then some more class. We get 50 minutes of gym time every day it's amazing! I'm going to be so good at sand volleyball by the end of these two months. Actually the field is closed soon but it's all good.

Thank you so much for all the letters they really boosted my week haha. Mail is a big thing here apparently so thanks! I loved all of the advice you all gave me and scriptures and such. Please keep writing frequently!

My companero is Elder Dangerfield...i know, sweet name, huh? He lives up to it too he's such an awesome Elder. Last night i went to the ER with him because the MTC doc thought he could have had appendicitis...or however you spell it. But he's good, just a viral infection or something in his stomach. And all the other elders of our district are the coolest guys ever...we were talking a few days ago when our district leader, elder Black, said he felt like we were all familiar to him...everyone said they had been feeling the same way. I know God knows what he's doing when he puts companionships and districts together.

You won't believe who I saw in the lunch room yesterday...Elder Lima! Yeah, Bruno Lima from elementary school, he's going to Cambodia. And Alex Billany just happened to be there at the same time so we got a picture of the three of us...so awesome. I never thought I would be with the two of them, and what are the chances we'd meet in the MTC?! I see Alex a lot and a lot of other elders from high school. I'm actually really surprised...

So far Sunday was the best day yet in the mtc. We got to go up to the Provo temple and just walk around... no obligations to be anywhere or do anything...it was really strange. Probably the most relaxing hour of my life. I heard someone define the MTC as "the hardest fun" they had ever had...so true. I absolutely love it here. The spirit is so strong in all of the elders in my district and i already feel so close to all of them. Our zone leaders just took off today to Argentina and Chicago. I was really bummed about that because they were so amazing. Another one of the elders that left today lives just down the street from us...elder Glade Snyder. He's so great...last night he came into our room and talked to us for a while. He got us really excited to do missionary work here.

H.S.I. Hablar su idioma...we have to speak our language as much as possible throughout the day here...it's sweet but with such a limited knowledge of spanish i can pretty much say "Open your mouth please", pray, and bear mi testimonio. I'm really feeling sorry for Matt that he has to learn Japanese hahaha

Oh and i kind of forgot a few things...
1. T-shirts (the u of u shirt, harvard shirt, and for sure the pray for panama shirt)
2. socks, just white ankle socks
3. possibly my yellow fever card and passport if you already didn;t send them to SLC
4. addresses... if you can find the addresses of any of my friends somehow that would be sweet. or have them send it to me on dearelder...my mailbox number is 321

Well family, i love you all. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. There's nothing more satisfying than this work. Studying the gospel every day is so uplifting. That wonderful feeling of the spirit is pretty much 24/7 here...and my teachers, Hermano Anderson and Hermano Crapo, are the best. They know so much about the Gospel and how to teach it. Tell Libby I've been showing every single person her picture and how incredible she is. sorry i'm out of time...I love you all! Have an incredible week!

Elder Tanner