Week 2

Wellll it is P-day again and I have to say that what I think that I miss most is my music, my pillow and my converse.....Just kidding I miss all of you guys more. Those things just take a close second. Well since I added some new people and I have lots of time I will tell you how this email works. You guys can email me any day and I can read them any day but I can only reply on Tuesdays. Which is my P-day (preparation day).  These two weeks have seemed to go by both really quick and really slowly. I can't believe that I am already 1/3 of the way through the MTC already. So some highlights that I missed last week was that I saw someone that I knew here at the MTC. It was a Emma Christenson from my Stake who I thought was at college but I guess she got her call at the same time I did and she is going to Arkansas. Ohhhhh yesterday when my class got bored we drew up a risk board game on the chalk board and started playing risk. I also found out that I am 6th cousins with the other Elder Black in my district and with Elder Ulrich. Oh also I get to be senior companion for the 1st 3 weeks which doesn't actually mean anything in the MTC but  still it is something interesting at this time. Today there was almost half a foot of snow on the ground and I got to go up the the temple and do work for one of the sisters in our district's ancestors. I have already taught 4 lessons in Spanish which was scary until someone at a devotional told us that "there is no need for fear because if you have fear then you aren't exercising enough faith in God" They say "The Lord qualifies those he calls." This week I got some freedom though. I got to leave the MTC for a whole hour and sit at the police station while my companion got his fingerprinting done. Thanksgiving was alright.....it didn't measure up to one at home but as far as being at the MTC it was much better than any other day I have had yet. They gave us a thanksgiving lunch so the cooks could go home to their family for dinner and we boxed 350,000 meals for hungry kids in Utah. Also we had 3 devotionals and Neil L. Anderson was at one of them which was really cool. To end the day we watched a movie called Ephrium's Rescue which was a super powerful movie that made our entire district cry. I also found out that if I trace my line back through family search I am related to both "Chaos the immortal titain" and "Gaia the literal earth God." Well sorry for jumping around so much but I am a bit flighty. 

While the MTC is really hard I have also laughed more here than I have in a long time.

Here is a finally quote for those who miss me

Missionary:

A person who leaves his family for a short time so that others may be with their families forever.

Love and miss you guys so much

Elder Black

My Companion & I

My District Leaders

Risk Game

Week 1

Hello all. Things at the MTC have been pretty good so far. The first day was super long and hard but I made it through. The MTC has been quite an experience. When I started I was in a companionship of three but not long into the day we got an extra person whose had their name misspelled on their visa so they could not go to the Mexico MTC. My companion is super cool and he is really nice. His name is Elder Craig. The other 2 elders in my room are awesome as well. Just the other day we tried to see how much of Nacho Libre we could quote......needless to say it was almost the whole movie. Spanish has been pretty hard and it doesn't help when they expect you to teach your first lesson only 3 days in. Luckily enough I have a really good teacher. She is only 22, which means she is younger than one of her students, but she went to the Argentina MTC and she went to Uruguay. Which she said was almost exactly like Argentina. In my District which has 10 people who all go to the same class there are 5 going to Salta Argentina with me. Also in my class there was another Elder Black and it confused the teacher a lot. But the other Elder Black spoke German as his second language so he starts switching from Spanish in the middle of his sentences. The MTC keeps people really busy. Which is good and bad. It seems like I have been here both forever and not very long at the same time. The food here has been so so but at least I am not going hungry and today I got 2 maple bars and a chocolate milk for breakfast. Once again everyone ask how I can eat so much junk and still be so skinny. Sorry for the short letter but I am limited on time. Also sorry for anyone I missed if you can think of their email address I can send it too them as well.

Miss and love you guys all lots, 

Elder Black

Provo Temple

My District

View from Provo Temple

View from MTC

The Surprise Back at Home

While Isaac was in the MTC we got to come home to a surprise.  There was a background story to this surprise.  When Justin left for his mission he left a window open and his friends went into his house and toilet papered the whole house except his bedroom.  Then when he was coming home from his mission they only toilet papered his room.  I think his mom and sister having been waiting for this day for a long time. 

MTC drop off

I will be spending the next 6 weeks at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah.  I will be studying Spanish and preparing to enter the mission field.  I entered the MTC on November 16th which is the best birthday present I could give my dad.

Last lunch with the family at Krispy Kreme

Ride to MTC

Saying Goodbyes