Alrighty! What the heck is up!?
I will start with the usual.
1. Am I good on supplies and clothes and stuffffff?
- Yes! I am doing great. I have more than enough ha. Thank you!
2. Has my Visa come yet?
- My visa debit card? Yes haha. My visa to albania? Nope. We were actually really worried about that and then we found out this week that you don't need a Visa to get into Albania. I guess they will take anyone to come to the country ha. It is good for their economy so they don't care who goes in and out.
3. Do I want a calling card for the airport?
-That would be awesome. I think that would probably be the best idea for that. I get my flight plans in 9 days!!!!!! WOOOOT!
4.Am I allowed to print emails in Albania?
- I am not sure. We don't really get to talk to the people who served there after we teach them. We leave and they talk to our teacher about how bad we speak Albanian haha
5. How did the German person get my dear elder thing?
- I am not sure haha. Maybe Ashley's blog? It was pretty cool though. I'm so glad that you are doing that for me (Ashley). You are the bomb digity!
6. Any food for the next package?
- I'm actually pretty good on food haha. We have more than enough to last us the rest of our stay here. Thanks! Maybe some WarHeads or CryBaby's. Those are the only candy that i have been craving ha.
7. Do I set goals for the language (vocab)?
-Of course! I set goals every day for the language. I have been trying to memorize at least 25 words a day. It is a lot harder than it seems. It's going well though
8. Does the district have contests (language)?
- We sometimes play games where we have verb conjugation races or races on writing sentences and stuff. Is that what you mean?
9. Do we have sticky notes labeling everything?
- No haha. Although the sticky notes at home actually helped me. I remember those words more than other words. And to make it even better, I know how dad pronounces all of them hahaha.
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Alrightyyyy! So, this week has been pretty awesome. I have been getting better at the language every day. I actually have a really cool experience to share. So one of the people who works here at the MTC asked my district to help him with a teachers meeting. He is over all of the teachers at the MTC. He told us he would be teaching us in Albanian and all we would have to do is bring our scriptures and our selves. We were all really confused because this guy only knows Greek. We had no idea how he was going to teach us in Albanian. I guess he looked up like 10 words in Albanian about an hour before the meeting. We were all thinking to ourselves that this was going to be a disaster. We showed up to the meeting where there were probably 20-30 teachers. The man in charge had us sit in the front so he could teach us in Albanian. He started to teach us. His Albanian was awful haha. He only knew about 10 words. And the words that he "knew", he didn't really know well ha. He said most of the words he didn't know in Albanian, in Greek. Greek is NOTHING like Albanian. He was teaching us about the Plan of Happiness that God has given us. He used lots of hand motions to help us understand what he was trying to say. With the language and hand signals together, it was not very clear what he was trying to say to us but what was clear was that he was teaching us things of God. The spirit was so strong. By the end of the lesson, I was in shock. I had not a clue what he was saying but at the same time felt as if he was speaking in english. He taught with the holy ghost, the spirit of God. It became very evident to me that it's not about how well I can speak Albanian. I will probably sound to the Albanians the way he sounded to us. But that isn't what matters. If the Spirit is there, The language isn't what matters. It was very comforting to know that and to experience it first hand. I am so lucky to be in the work of the Lord. I know without a doubt that The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in these days. We have God's power on the earth and have a living Prophet. I always knew that the Church was important and that it was good but I have gained much much much more of an understanding of how important it really is.
Just a couple more things: So I signed up to sing in the priesthood session of conference. I don't know if it will actually end up happening because the place where the choir practices is closed until a week before conference so no one really knows if it will really take place. I hope it works out though! Dad, you will not only know in your head that I am watching the priesthood session of conference but you will get to see me! haha Cool stuff. Yeah, I don't really know what else to say about my week. All my days pretty much blend together here ha. Next week is concecration week which means we speak NO ENGLISH for the whole week. ALL ALBANIAN! AHHHHHH SHOOT ME! haha just kidding. but seriously. it's going to kill me.
Ashley: That is SOOO cool that you were on the same plane as L Tom Perry! I am jealous. Ash thanks for the quotes/notes you gave me. Those are awesome. Also, I was going to gym monday night about 6:45 and what do I see? I see your freaking car parked on the side of the road haha. I sat there with my comp and waited for a few minutes to see if you were gonna come back and then I was like "eh she is probably at class at BYU or something and isn't coming back for a while." I then played soccer for like 10 minutes and then went back to see if you were there and NO! you had already left! I was so mad haha. I wanted to yell to you in Albanian.
Alexis- I think it's way funny that you and Alec are going to Homecoming together. He has always had a strange love for you hahaa. I'm sorry that your animal bracelet broke. I will send you a new one. I hope you did well on the ACT. We need to go to BYU together. End of story!
Mom- Thanks for all the times you write me! It soudns like you did an awesome job at stake conf. Sarrah Pratt said you did way good! It sounds like Elder Maynes had some awesome things to say. Oh, I bought a new tape recorder here. It's much smaller and works way better. I bought it today. Do you wante me to send the other one to you guys?
Dad- I am glad blizzard is still doing well haha. Thanks for writing me everyday. I can always count on at least one dear elder! It's the best. Sorry I can't say much. I'm running out of time! Sorry. If you could get me some more Albanian "Plan of Salvation" puzzle things that we got at missionary mall. THat would be great! I guess those are much needed in the field. I'm glad you found moms car keys haha. I Accept your apology and don't blame you for blaming me!
Well I gotta go! Goodbye! I love you all! Keep writing!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
MTC Week Seven
Hello! What does life say? (that is how you would say it in albanian haha)
I will start with the usual questions.
1. How is the Language
- The language is coming along. Last week we had 2 days in a row where all we spoke was Albanian. It is SO hard. I'm getting better though. I just need to memorize more vocab. It's kinda hard that we only have 4 weeks left, now that we know the grammar, and we are expected to know the whole langauge. There are a lot of words in a language ha. There is no way I will know it all by the time i get there, But i will know enough to teach people about the Gospel. I will definitely have to rely on the Spirit to teach people since my language won't be sharp.
2. Am I teaching people who know Albanian?
-Yes, People who served there missions there come every thursday to be taught by us. It's great. We also have been teaching our teachers.
3. Are we to the point where we only speak Albanian?
-Hahaha. No. it's funny because the Elders who speak spanish are speaking only spanish by week 3 or 4. We have just started learning vocab. We have days set aside where that is all we speak but we can't do it every day.
4. Do I see a lot of guys from BYU?
-Yeah it's starting to wind down. They have either already left or they came before me. THere are a few people who are still here. I have watched many of them come and go. It makes me feel old or something haha. It's very strange. We are already on our 4th group of english speaking missionaries in our zone.
5. Do we have our flight plans?
-Nope. We won't be getting those until the week before we leave.
6. When will I call?
- I will call on my layover whenever that is. I will let you know when I get my flight plans. We are allowed to talk for as much money as we pay to call haha. I should probably just get a calling card.
7. How am I on cash?
- I will probably need to take more out before I leave but for now I'm doing alright. I need a card though.
8. Have I gotten my shot yet?
-No not yet. They put a slip in my mail when I'm supposed to come get it.
9. Have I written brent?
-Yes! I am waiting for his reply! I sent many messages with the missionaries who just left for pocatello this week to give to him (along with the picture of his family) haha. I loved the story about the bird poop. That is so funny.
10. Do we use Preach My Gospel in english or albanian?
-We use both. It's still really hard to comprehend everything in Albanian. I can read it like a pro though :) !
11. When I get to Albania, will I have more time to email?
- I will have an hour, but i will also be reading emails from you all too. So it will probably be about the same.
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Alright So, The MTc is great. I'm loving it here. I really have not ever been this happy. I understand exactly what Brent was saying in his emails. It is incredible to see what God does when you put all of your trust in him. I came across a scripture this week and when I read it, I had a feeling that I should include it in my Email so here you go! It is in 2nd Nephi 25:23 "...We know that is is by grace that we are saved, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO." I think this is something we all need to think about. Most people believe that we are saved by the Grace of God. Which is true. I think people often times don't realize that we can't be saved by His grace if we don't do our part. Have you really done ALL that you can do? That is just a good question to think about every day. Sometimes it is easy to let little things get in the way of doing what God would want us to do but we need to understand that we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for God. We need to litterally do ALL that we can do. Nothing less of that. We need to be able to say that we have done EVERYTHING we could possibly do. Sure we will all make mistakes, but it is important that we fix those mistakes and move on being a better person than before. Anyways, That is my little message for you all today haha. Hopefully that made sense. I feel like someone needed to hear that. Maybe it's not even someone who get's the email forwarded to them but someone who comes across Ashley's blog (Which I'm so glad she is doing :) )
So this is pretty cool, I got a dear elder this week from some random person from Germany. They somehow found me and just expressed their grattitude of me serving the people in Albania and the Lord.
I loved my Halfway package! haha It had some sparkling grape juice in it. We are going to drink it the night before we leave for a celebration! haha. Alexis, I am happy that you enjoyed the T-shirt! IT's pretty awesome if i do say so myself -- which i do. I think it's hilarious that you are taking an ACT class via skype! hahaha. That is so creepy/funny. Is it any good? Lex, you should "dear elder" elder holmes. HE doesn't get mail very often and it's always so sad when he doesn't. Just talk about class president and stuff. He is not a creeper haha I was the one that told him that he should write you. I am sending a Tape home for you sometime this week. It's not any good ha but maybe it will be cool to hear my voice? If I sent a memory card home (from the camera) would you put it all on the computer and then send it back (without deleting the stuff on it?) That would be awesome! Ashely, I think it would be cool if you did TRC. You wouldn't be able to do Albanian though cause we are only speaking Albanian now so you would not know what to do ha. It would be cool if we bumped into eachother though ha. I want that picture of me and evan that you were talking about from your wedding! Also, I can send a pic of the rubber bands. They basically have red, black, and blue, all together in one set of handles for the bands to go to. hahaha I was dying at the quote that i said about the ray bans. I also want to thank you for your cookies you made with meg and kend. They were AMAZING! Everyone in my district became addicted to them right away. I'm glad to hear that Blizzard is doing well. He is the man. He is such a trooper! I'm also glad to hear that Ohio State is still the best. I would expect nothing less! Mrs. Baker, Thanks for the puppy chow!!! ahh it was so good! and the cookies! They reminded me of being at the baker home! Madison, thanks for the letter! It was great to hear from you! I will write you as soon as i Can! Evan, I got your letter and will be writing you as well. I love you brother! Mom and Dad, I love you both so much. You have been such great parents and such great examples. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Dad- I loved your marriot and iPhone story. I was laughing so hard through both of those. I hope soccer is going well haha. I'm also pumped for perrysburg football! I love the seniors this year. I hope they take states! Well my time is slowly but surely running out haha. I just want to once again say that I love you all and am so thankful for the letters I get from you. Especially mom dad and ash for sending them basically daily. It really makes my days SOOOO much better. Lex, your letters are great too ha. Just not as frequent as the rest of the family. I understand though. Facebook comes before your brother ;) haha. Bye! I love you!
-Elder Ekël
I will start with the usual questions.
1. How is the Language
- The language is coming along. Last week we had 2 days in a row where all we spoke was Albanian. It is SO hard. I'm getting better though. I just need to memorize more vocab. It's kinda hard that we only have 4 weeks left, now that we know the grammar, and we are expected to know the whole langauge. There are a lot of words in a language ha. There is no way I will know it all by the time i get there, But i will know enough to teach people about the Gospel. I will definitely have to rely on the Spirit to teach people since my language won't be sharp.
2. Am I teaching people who know Albanian?
-Yes, People who served there missions there come every thursday to be taught by us. It's great. We also have been teaching our teachers.
3. Are we to the point where we only speak Albanian?
-Hahaha. No. it's funny because the Elders who speak spanish are speaking only spanish by week 3 or 4. We have just started learning vocab. We have days set aside where that is all we speak but we can't do it every day.
4. Do I see a lot of guys from BYU?
-Yeah it's starting to wind down. They have either already left or they came before me. THere are a few people who are still here. I have watched many of them come and go. It makes me feel old or something haha. It's very strange. We are already on our 4th group of english speaking missionaries in our zone.
5. Do we have our flight plans?
-Nope. We won't be getting those until the week before we leave.
6. When will I call?
- I will call on my layover whenever that is. I will let you know when I get my flight plans. We are allowed to talk for as much money as we pay to call haha. I should probably just get a calling card.
7. How am I on cash?
- I will probably need to take more out before I leave but for now I'm doing alright. I need a card though.
8. Have I gotten my shot yet?
-No not yet. They put a slip in my mail when I'm supposed to come get it.
9. Have I written brent?
-Yes! I am waiting for his reply! I sent many messages with the missionaries who just left for pocatello this week to give to him (along with the picture of his family) haha. I loved the story about the bird poop. That is so funny.
10. Do we use Preach My Gospel in english or albanian?
-We use both. It's still really hard to comprehend everything in Albanian. I can read it like a pro though :) !
11. When I get to Albania, will I have more time to email?
- I will have an hour, but i will also be reading emails from you all too. So it will probably be about the same.
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Alright So, The MTc is great. I'm loving it here. I really have not ever been this happy. I understand exactly what Brent was saying in his emails. It is incredible to see what God does when you put all of your trust in him. I came across a scripture this week and when I read it, I had a feeling that I should include it in my Email so here you go! It is in 2nd Nephi 25:23 "...We know that is is by grace that we are saved, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO." I think this is something we all need to think about. Most people believe that we are saved by the Grace of God. Which is true. I think people often times don't realize that we can't be saved by His grace if we don't do our part. Have you really done ALL that you can do? That is just a good question to think about every day. Sometimes it is easy to let little things get in the way of doing what God would want us to do but we need to understand that we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for God. We need to litterally do ALL that we can do. Nothing less of that. We need to be able to say that we have done EVERYTHING we could possibly do. Sure we will all make mistakes, but it is important that we fix those mistakes and move on being a better person than before. Anyways, That is my little message for you all today haha. Hopefully that made sense. I feel like someone needed to hear that. Maybe it's not even someone who get's the email forwarded to them but someone who comes across Ashley's blog (Which I'm so glad she is doing :) )
So this is pretty cool, I got a dear elder this week from some random person from Germany. They somehow found me and just expressed their grattitude of me serving the people in Albania and the Lord.
I loved my Halfway package! haha It had some sparkling grape juice in it. We are going to drink it the night before we leave for a celebration! haha. Alexis, I am happy that you enjoyed the T-shirt! IT's pretty awesome if i do say so myself -- which i do. I think it's hilarious that you are taking an ACT class via skype! hahaha. That is so creepy/funny. Is it any good? Lex, you should "dear elder" elder holmes. HE doesn't get mail very often and it's always so sad when he doesn't. Just talk about class president and stuff. He is not a creeper haha I was the one that told him that he should write you. I am sending a Tape home for you sometime this week. It's not any good ha but maybe it will be cool to hear my voice? If I sent a memory card home (from the camera) would you put it all on the computer and then send it back (without deleting the stuff on it?) That would be awesome! Ashely, I think it would be cool if you did TRC. You wouldn't be able to do Albanian though cause we are only speaking Albanian now so you would not know what to do ha. It would be cool if we bumped into eachother though ha. I want that picture of me and evan that you were talking about from your wedding! Also, I can send a pic of the rubber bands. They basically have red, black, and blue, all together in one set of handles for the bands to go to. hahaha I was dying at the quote that i said about the ray bans. I also want to thank you for your cookies you made with meg and kend. They were AMAZING! Everyone in my district became addicted to them right away. I'm glad to hear that Blizzard is doing well. He is the man. He is such a trooper! I'm also glad to hear that Ohio State is still the best. I would expect nothing less! Mrs. Baker, Thanks for the puppy chow!!! ahh it was so good! and the cookies! They reminded me of being at the baker home! Madison, thanks for the letter! It was great to hear from you! I will write you as soon as i Can! Evan, I got your letter and will be writing you as well. I love you brother! Mom and Dad, I love you both so much. You have been such great parents and such great examples. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Dad- I loved your marriot and iPhone story. I was laughing so hard through both of those. I hope soccer is going well haha. I'm also pumped for perrysburg football! I love the seniors this year. I hope they take states! Well my time is slowly but surely running out haha. I just want to once again say that I love you all and am so thankful for the letters I get from you. Especially mom dad and ash for sending them basically daily. It really makes my days SOOOO much better. Lex, your letters are great too ha. Just not as frequent as the rest of the family. I understand though. Facebook comes before your brother ;) haha. Bye! I love you!
-Elder Ekël
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
MTC Week 6
Hello world! How is it going?
I'll start with the questions portions:
1. Is the MTC a lot tougher than school?
- haha Yes it is. It is a lot harder than school. I can't believe how much harder it is. But it is way more rewarding than school (for now) haha. I know big Cory will probably give me a talk about how school is going to be very important and stuff. I understand that but for now, I feel like studying in this area (the Gospel) is the most important/benifical thing for anyone.
2. How did I write my letter from the Laundry room?
- There are computers down here. I am in the laundry room right now as I type!
3. Is Scabies like chicken pox?
-haha Sure.. It is itchy, leaves a rash, and no one is happy when they have it.
4. What time do I get dear elders?
-They come about 3 pm but I normally don't pick them up tiil after dinner. I LOVE dear elders. Please keep sending them! Well I mean, letters are way better than dear elders but dear elders are awesome too.
5. What is my estimated MTC departure date?
-October 5th. I don't know why everyone keeps saying the 11th. It better not be the 11th. I want to get to Albania ASAP!!!
6. How is the food/ am I eating it?
- The food is alright haha. It is getting older with every meal but it's pretty good. Yes I do eat it haha.
7. Have I gained weight?
- I have gained about 5-10 pounds but I think a lot of it is muscle. I am in way good shape right now and I have been eating pretty healthy (weird huh?) I work out every night and run every day. I have been doing pushups and abwork and then shoulder and chest and biceps and back with "the bands". I really want to get some of my own bands before I leave. I think you can get them at Golds Gym. That's where Elder Holmes got his. I just use his for now. I'm not trying to boast or anything ha but I'm getting pretty ripped. This is the first time I have ever worked out every day for 6 weeks straight. It's pretty crazy
8. Have I gotten a package from Kend/ how often does she write me?
- She hasn't written me yet.. I am still waiting to hear from her...... Just kidding haha. She writes me every week and I have gotten two things of cookies from her! She's the bestttttt! ha Yeah I am being treated well here haha.
9. Did I get a letter from Jackson/ Donna?
- I never got the letter from Jackson. I was so dissapointed cause I was looking forward to hearing from him when you told me he wrote me but I haven't gotten anything yet. And from Donna, I did get 1 email from her a week or two ago and then I got a dear elder from her this week! Thanks Donna!
10. How is the language coming?
- Well, Albanian is a crazy language. I wish I could explain the grammar rules to you. It's pretty wild. Let's say I was going to say "I pray to God." In Albanian, It would be "I (to him) get prayed to God" It's hard to explain. But it's crazy. It is coming along. We taught for the first time in all albanian last thursday. It went surprisingly well. I could understand pretty much everything that they were saying to me, but I felt like a bird with clipped wings trying to fly. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to say it. I am getting better every day. It is in no way easy and from what the teachers have told us, it can take up to a year to become fluent once you get to Albania. It doesn't always take that long for everyone though. I hope I am one that will be ahead of the game.
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So it has been another week here in the MTC! I'm still learning sooo much. I already have a love for the Albanian people. It's awesome. I feel like I'm ready to get out there and start teaching. I know i'm not actually ready but it's all good. I am just really excited. The letters are becoming fewer and fewer. I expected that to happen but it's all good. Hopefully I will get some random letters from people at some points during the remainder of my Mission. IT's so good to hear from people. Last night we heard from Richard G. Hinckley from the quorum of the 70. It was awesome. It's easy to see that the phrase "like father like son" is so true. Hopefully I can be like Big Cory someday! I know if I can even get close, I'll be in good shape. Yeah, I have some great stories to tell. I will send a tape to the fam soon so you can hear some of the stories from me. Oh, I get to call you guys before Christmas! We get to call from the airport when we leave. Remind me to tell you my flight plans so i can tell you when to wake up in the middle of the night to get the call from me! haha. I decided to do this paragraph last this week so I could do the personal parts longer. I am almost out of time now though. I have 50 seconds. Goodbye everyone! I love you! Keep writing. God loves you. Every single one of you. More than you can imagine.
-Elder Eckel.
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Mom- I'm glad you have started to work out! How long do you think you will go this time? Keep it up! When you asked if I think people read the dear elders before they are sent, I know that they dont haha. There is no way they could read the thousands of letters that are sent here every day. I think you could send me the pin if you wanted through it. IT might be safer in a letter though. Who knows. That's awesome that Blake left today for Ft. Lauderdale! I hope he has an awesome time! Hopefully he can teach in Portugese a little bit! I loved how you bore your testimony to the people from work. It is so awesome that we have the blessing of knowing that we can be with our families for longer than just this life. We can be together forever! It makes life much happier and gives us a greater understanding for things. Thanks for getting my letter to Steve! I love you mom!
Dad- Hel. 5:6= Epic. THat's way cool. I am glad you told me about that. Thanks Dad. hahaha I was laughing so hard about the Marriott thing. That is totally somehting you would do. I can't believe Marriott wouldn't tend to your wishes haha. I think i got that stuborn quality from you with stuff like that. I love it. That's way sad that your iPhone had to go like that but way awesome that you got the iPhone4. I am obviously jelaous. Sounds like Perrysburg is sweet this year! That's awesome. I really like the seniors this year. I hope they go way far into states. How is Lucas and Brandon doing? Ohio State plays tomorrow!!!! GO BUCKS! I can't wait to hear the recap of the game. It's sad that Church boy is going to miss a lot of the games this year! Oh well, you are doing what you are supposed to do. Make sure you find a way to record the games for me! I gotta see TP in his prime! Brent and I have a lot of catching up to do.
Alexis- I'm glad you like the t shirt lex! Albanias flag is pretty sweet haha. The ultimate terrorist looking flag. I love it. Hey you, send me more pictures! Try and find a good football picture of me! How is senior year going!? Seems like you are having fun so far. Now that seminary started you are probably way tired all day haha. Well good luck with everything and Keep your grades up to Austin Eckel's standards (Aka- do what you want, and you will get into BYU!) :) haha
Ashley- I am jealous of you. PERIOD. YOu saw John Mayer! AHHH I'm so mad haha. Yeah I saw Alison yesterday! She tried to hug me haha. It was super weird to have a girl come at me like that but it's all good haha she stopped herself. It was good to see a familiar face. SHe said she was going to call you! That's awesome that you hung out with Kendy! Become best friends with her! actually don't. I'm her best friend. You can be second best haha.
Evan Baker- You are the man. Period! I can't wait for your letter!
Mrs. Baker- I sent you your lettter already. I don't know when you will get it!
Betsy- Thanks for the letter! I am going to try and write you something when I get a chance!
Sister Fowler- Thanks again for thinking of me! Tell the family I say Hello!
Sarah Pratt, Abi Tucker- Thanks for the encouraging dear elders's! You guys rock. Keep being awesome.
I'll start with the questions portions:
1. Is the MTC a lot tougher than school?
- haha Yes it is. It is a lot harder than school. I can't believe how much harder it is. But it is way more rewarding than school (for now) haha. I know big Cory will probably give me a talk about how school is going to be very important and stuff. I understand that but for now, I feel like studying in this area (the Gospel) is the most important/benifical thing for anyone.
2. How did I write my letter from the Laundry room?
- There are computers down here. I am in the laundry room right now as I type!
3. Is Scabies like chicken pox?
-haha Sure.. It is itchy, leaves a rash, and no one is happy when they have it.
4. What time do I get dear elders?
-They come about 3 pm but I normally don't pick them up tiil after dinner. I LOVE dear elders. Please keep sending them! Well I mean, letters are way better than dear elders but dear elders are awesome too.
5. What is my estimated MTC departure date?
-October 5th. I don't know why everyone keeps saying the 11th. It better not be the 11th. I want to get to Albania ASAP!!!
6. How is the food/ am I eating it?
- The food is alright haha. It is getting older with every meal but it's pretty good. Yes I do eat it haha.
7. Have I gained weight?
- I have gained about 5-10 pounds but I think a lot of it is muscle. I am in way good shape right now and I have been eating pretty healthy (weird huh?) I work out every night and run every day. I have been doing pushups and abwork and then shoulder and chest and biceps and back with "the bands". I really want to get some of my own bands before I leave. I think you can get them at Golds Gym. That's where Elder Holmes got his. I just use his for now. I'm not trying to boast or anything ha but I'm getting pretty ripped. This is the first time I have ever worked out every day for 6 weeks straight. It's pretty crazy
8. Have I gotten a package from Kend/ how often does she write me?
- She hasn't written me yet.. I am still waiting to hear from her...... Just kidding haha. She writes me every week and I have gotten two things of cookies from her! She's the bestttttt! ha Yeah I am being treated well here haha.
9. Did I get a letter from Jackson/ Donna?
- I never got the letter from Jackson. I was so dissapointed cause I was looking forward to hearing from him when you told me he wrote me but I haven't gotten anything yet. And from Donna, I did get 1 email from her a week or two ago and then I got a dear elder from her this week! Thanks Donna!
10. How is the language coming?
- Well, Albanian is a crazy language. I wish I could explain the grammar rules to you. It's pretty wild. Let's say I was going to say "I pray to God." In Albanian, It would be "I (to him) get prayed to God" It's hard to explain. But it's crazy. It is coming along. We taught for the first time in all albanian last thursday. It went surprisingly well. I could understand pretty much everything that they were saying to me, but I felt like a bird with clipped wings trying to fly. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to say it. I am getting better every day. It is in no way easy and from what the teachers have told us, it can take up to a year to become fluent once you get to Albania. It doesn't always take that long for everyone though. I hope I am one that will be ahead of the game.
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So it has been another week here in the MTC! I'm still learning sooo much. I already have a love for the Albanian people. It's awesome. I feel like I'm ready to get out there and start teaching. I know i'm not actually ready but it's all good. I am just really excited. The letters are becoming fewer and fewer. I expected that to happen but it's all good. Hopefully I will get some random letters from people at some points during the remainder of my Mission. IT's so good to hear from people. Last night we heard from Richard G. Hinckley from the quorum of the 70. It was awesome. It's easy to see that the phrase "like father like son" is so true. Hopefully I can be like Big Cory someday! I know if I can even get close, I'll be in good shape. Yeah, I have some great stories to tell. I will send a tape to the fam soon so you can hear some of the stories from me. Oh, I get to call you guys before Christmas! We get to call from the airport when we leave. Remind me to tell you my flight plans so i can tell you when to wake up in the middle of the night to get the call from me! haha. I decided to do this paragraph last this week so I could do the personal parts longer. I am almost out of time now though. I have 50 seconds. Goodbye everyone! I love you! Keep writing. God loves you. Every single one of you. More than you can imagine.
-Elder Eckel.
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Mom- I'm glad you have started to work out! How long do you think you will go this time? Keep it up! When you asked if I think people read the dear elders before they are sent, I know that they dont haha. There is no way they could read the thousands of letters that are sent here every day. I think you could send me the pin if you wanted through it. IT might be safer in a letter though. Who knows. That's awesome that Blake left today for Ft. Lauderdale! I hope he has an awesome time! Hopefully he can teach in Portugese a little bit! I loved how you bore your testimony to the people from work. It is so awesome that we have the blessing of knowing that we can be with our families for longer than just this life. We can be together forever! It makes life much happier and gives us a greater understanding for things. Thanks for getting my letter to Steve! I love you mom!
Dad- Hel. 5:6= Epic. THat's way cool. I am glad you told me about that. Thanks Dad. hahaha I was laughing so hard about the Marriott thing. That is totally somehting you would do. I can't believe Marriott wouldn't tend to your wishes haha. I think i got that stuborn quality from you with stuff like that. I love it. That's way sad that your iPhone had to go like that but way awesome that you got the iPhone4. I am obviously jelaous. Sounds like Perrysburg is sweet this year! That's awesome. I really like the seniors this year. I hope they go way far into states. How is Lucas and Brandon doing? Ohio State plays tomorrow!!!! GO BUCKS! I can't wait to hear the recap of the game. It's sad that Church boy is going to miss a lot of the games this year! Oh well, you are doing what you are supposed to do. Make sure you find a way to record the games for me! I gotta see TP in his prime! Brent and I have a lot of catching up to do.
Alexis- I'm glad you like the t shirt lex! Albanias flag is pretty sweet haha. The ultimate terrorist looking flag. I love it. Hey you, send me more pictures! Try and find a good football picture of me! How is senior year going!? Seems like you are having fun so far. Now that seminary started you are probably way tired all day haha. Well good luck with everything and Keep your grades up to Austin Eckel's standards (Aka- do what you want, and you will get into BYU!) :) haha
Ashley- I am jealous of you. PERIOD. YOu saw John Mayer! AHHH I'm so mad haha. Yeah I saw Alison yesterday! She tried to hug me haha. It was super weird to have a girl come at me like that but it's all good haha she stopped herself. It was good to see a familiar face. SHe said she was going to call you! That's awesome that you hung out with Kendy! Become best friends with her! actually don't. I'm her best friend. You can be second best haha.
Evan Baker- You are the man. Period! I can't wait for your letter!
Mrs. Baker- I sent you your lettter already. I don't know when you will get it!
Betsy- Thanks for the letter! I am going to try and write you something when I get a chance!
Sister Fowler- Thanks again for thinking of me! Tell the family I say Hello!
Sarah Pratt, Abi Tucker- Thanks for the encouraging dear elders's! You guys rock. Keep being awesome.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
MTC Week Five
Hello everyone! Today I'm emailing from the laundry room! Fun stuff right?!
I'll start with the traditional questions!
1. How is the MTC?
-It's great! I really do love it here. The schedule is different everyday. For the most part, the day consists of 1 hour of gym, 8 hours of language and 3-5 hours of gospel study. It's pretty crazy. Everyday feels like it takes a year, but the days go by really fast. Doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it does. Then we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also have planning time and then some days have time for Devotional or personal time. Personal time is pretty much just for showering after gym and stuff.
2. Have I done any of Karen Miller’s names?
-Yes. I think i have done 9 or 10? I haven't sent them back yet. I will continue to work on that.
3. How do I know I won't get scabies?
-Well scabies are crazy. They basically just eat whatever flesh they want haha. They leave scabs all over your body. It is pretty crazy stuff. I don't know for a fact I won't get them but I did take the medicine that makes it so I won't have it at least for a while haha.
4. Do I wash my clothes every week?
- Haha yes I do. I am actually doing that right now. I do it the way it's supposed to be done too haha. Darks and Lights. I am pretty awesome at laundry. All the new Elders always ask for my help. They think I'm pro. They are right.
5. How do I print my pictures?
-They have a printing thing here at the MTC. It isn't always working though. I will try to keep sending pictures. Do you like when I do that/ have you gotten my new pictures yet?
6. Would I ever want you to send me a tape?
-That would be awesome. If you send me a tape, I will record some stuff and send it back!
7. Am I pumped to get to Albania?
-Yes haha. Very. I keep hearing awesome things about it. The people there are so open to talking about personal things. They are a very prideful people, but in a good way haha. They love americans, and they love soccer. I have been playing some soccer here at the MTC. I am getting pretty good. Hopefully I will show those kids how it's done when I get out there. More than likely, they will be showing me how it's done. I guess it's inpolite to wear your seat belt in a taxi. The driver will get very offended. Also, I hear that crossing the street in Albania is like Real life "Frogger". I'm pretty excited for that. The language is super hard haha. I try to keep a positive attitude but it's hard sometimes. I have been doing pretty good but there are a lot of annoying things ha. They have a grammar principle called "clitics" I will give you an example. If i were to say "I pray to God." I would have to say "I (to him) pray to God". That is a very simple example. Alexis, you know how in spanish you conjugate verbs? Well in Albanian, we conjugate nouns, verbs, adverbs, clitics, adjectives. EVERYTHING! It's insane.
8. Do I have the same companion the whole time at the MTC?
-Yes! And I love my comp. HE is awesome. He is so funny and always willing to work hard.
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I know I didn't answer all of the questions but that was most of them. I think I covered a few questions in each answer so hopefully I got to most of them. I just don't have a ton of time. So yeah, this week has been great. I had a very amazing opportunity to hear an Apostle of God speak last night (tuesday). Jeffrey R. Holland made a stop by the MTC to speak to us. It was incredible to hear what the Lord wanted us to know. So many of my questions that I had been praying about were answered. It really made me understand the exact reasons I am on a mission. It is not MY mission, it is the Lord's mission, and I need to do it His way. Jeffrey R. Holland said a ton of awesome stuff. He talked about how people ask themselves: "Why is life so hard? Why me? Why can't it be easier to do the right things? Why do bad things happen to good people?" He said: "The atonement was not easy for Jesus Christ, Why should anything be easy for us." He went more in depth but I don't have time to go into everything. I just think it's important to understand that salvation is not a cheap experience. He said: "The road of salvation always goes through gethsemane". Jesus Christ died for all of us. He died so that we can be saved from sin. He has already done it. He has given us his gift. It is up to us whether or not we open the gift and use it. It is not something as simple as to say "I believe" We need to show that we believe. We need to go through difficult times. We need to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. We can't assume that we are saved by grace without doing anything. That is simply not true. We need to follow God's commandments. Sorry if this is sounding really bold but that is simply how it is.
- Another thing he said was how he knows It's hard for us as missionaries. He very quickly said that he is not sorry about that. He says that the church has given us everything. They gave us the Temple. The temple has EVERYTHING that the church has to offer. Once we are given the gift of the temple, the church has nothing left to give us. All of the substance is there. I just want to let you know how important I think it is to take every opportunity you have to go to the temple. It is such a wonderful blessing.
(okay back to the email)!
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Mom- Hello mother! I just want to let you know I love you! I love coming back to the room at night and to look at our family picture and think "wow, my mom rocks. She is the bomb digity haha" But for real. You are awesome. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. So yeah, I met a sister here at the MTC who was super excited to see me. I don't know who she was but she said her mom and you taught together at the womens conference? I don't know ha. She told me to tell you I saw her. I'm glad to hear you had fun in PA. I wish I could have been there.
Dad- HAHAHAHA! I love how you continue to document about long boarding. I laugh so hard everytime. Everyone in my district says: "man, your dad must be so sweet!" haha they have no Idea. Thank you for all of you insights, I can't go into detail cause I'm running out of time. I really appreciate how you have sent me mail every day. It's awesome to know that there will always be at least one thing in the mailbox for me. Whether it's long or not, it is awesome.
Ashley- You have an official new name! Nice! Ashley Eckel Rasmussen! That's pretty exciting. I'm excited for you to be in provo even though we won't get to see eachother! I miss you ash bash! tell JD I love him too! I wish I could have been there with the whole family. Thanks for you letters. Sorry that This is so short, one of these days, i'm going to write you a real letter! You are an awesome sister! I love you!
Alexis- I love you Lexie lou! I'm glad you jam to my music haha. Keep it up! I am so excited for you to start your senior year! I remember how fun it was for me. Make the best of it even though you are taking real classes. I mean it was way awesome to not take real classes haha. But I'm sure you will still manage to have fun. Tell Dayna I say hi! And C-Mil! I love that little man! I answered some of your questions in the question section. I am going to send you a real letter too one of theses days. I have a present for you. I will send it tomorrow. You will like it. IT's pretty awesome. YOu can brag about me to your friends when you get it. Good luck this week at school! Tell Hauge I say Chkemy! That's not how you spell it but that is how you would say it in english! He will know what it means if he lived in albania!
Baker Family- I am writing you a letter! Mrs. Baker I have some answers to your questions I will be mailing you. I love your letters that you send!
Sister Fowler- I love you! ahh It was so good to hear from you. I miss seeing you at church!
Abi Tucker- Thanks again for the Dear Elder. IT's so encouraging to get mail from you!
Bro Lenahan- I'm glad the Product is treating you well! I love that thing! It is such a beast. It sounds like Michael is having a blas this summer! I have missionaries in my zone going to Brents mission! I can't wait for him to get my hellos from them!
Well I gotta go! Bye! I love you all!
I'll start with the traditional questions!
1. How is the MTC?
-It's great! I really do love it here. The schedule is different everyday. For the most part, the day consists of 1 hour of gym, 8 hours of language and 3-5 hours of gospel study. It's pretty crazy. Everyday feels like it takes a year, but the days go by really fast. Doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it does. Then we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also have planning time and then some days have time for Devotional or personal time. Personal time is pretty much just for showering after gym and stuff.
2. Have I done any of Karen Miller’s names?
-Yes. I think i have done 9 or 10? I haven't sent them back yet. I will continue to work on that.
3. How do I know I won't get scabies?
-Well scabies are crazy. They basically just eat whatever flesh they want haha. They leave scabs all over your body. It is pretty crazy stuff. I don't know for a fact I won't get them but I did take the medicine that makes it so I won't have it at least for a while haha.
4. Do I wash my clothes every week?
- Haha yes I do. I am actually doing that right now. I do it the way it's supposed to be done too haha. Darks and Lights. I am pretty awesome at laundry. All the new Elders always ask for my help. They think I'm pro. They are right.
5. How do I print my pictures?
-They have a printing thing here at the MTC. It isn't always working though. I will try to keep sending pictures. Do you like when I do that/ have you gotten my new pictures yet?
6. Would I ever want you to send me a tape?
-That would be awesome. If you send me a tape, I will record some stuff and send it back!
7. Am I pumped to get to Albania?
-Yes haha. Very. I keep hearing awesome things about it. The people there are so open to talking about personal things. They are a very prideful people, but in a good way haha. They love americans, and they love soccer. I have been playing some soccer here at the MTC. I am getting pretty good. Hopefully I will show those kids how it's done when I get out there. More than likely, they will be showing me how it's done. I guess it's inpolite to wear your seat belt in a taxi. The driver will get very offended. Also, I hear that crossing the street in Albania is like Real life "Frogger". I'm pretty excited for that. The language is super hard haha. I try to keep a positive attitude but it's hard sometimes. I have been doing pretty good but there are a lot of annoying things ha. They have a grammar principle called "clitics" I will give you an example. If i were to say "I pray to God." I would have to say "I (to him) pray to God". That is a very simple example. Alexis, you know how in spanish you conjugate verbs? Well in Albanian, we conjugate nouns, verbs, adverbs, clitics, adjectives. EVERYTHING! It's insane.
8. Do I have the same companion the whole time at the MTC?
-Yes! And I love my comp. HE is awesome. He is so funny and always willing to work hard.
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I know I didn't answer all of the questions but that was most of them. I think I covered a few questions in each answer so hopefully I got to most of them. I just don't have a ton of time. So yeah, this week has been great. I had a very amazing opportunity to hear an Apostle of God speak last night (tuesday). Jeffrey R. Holland made a stop by the MTC to speak to us. It was incredible to hear what the Lord wanted us to know. So many of my questions that I had been praying about were answered. It really made me understand the exact reasons I am on a mission. It is not MY mission, it is the Lord's mission, and I need to do it His way. Jeffrey R. Holland said a ton of awesome stuff. He talked about how people ask themselves: "Why is life so hard? Why me? Why can't it be easier to do the right things? Why do bad things happen to good people?" He said: "The atonement was not easy for Jesus Christ, Why should anything be easy for us." He went more in depth but I don't have time to go into everything. I just think it's important to understand that salvation is not a cheap experience. He said: "The road of salvation always goes through gethsemane". Jesus Christ died for all of us. He died so that we can be saved from sin. He has already done it. He has given us his gift. It is up to us whether or not we open the gift and use it. It is not something as simple as to say "I believe" We need to show that we believe. We need to go through difficult times. We need to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. We can't assume that we are saved by grace without doing anything. That is simply not true. We need to follow God's commandments. Sorry if this is sounding really bold but that is simply how it is.
- Another thing he said was how he knows It's hard for us as missionaries. He very quickly said that he is not sorry about that. He says that the church has given us everything. They gave us the Temple. The temple has EVERYTHING that the church has to offer. Once we are given the gift of the temple, the church has nothing left to give us. All of the substance is there. I just want to let you know how important I think it is to take every opportunity you have to go to the temple. It is such a wonderful blessing.
(okay back to the email)!
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Mom- Hello mother! I just want to let you know I love you! I love coming back to the room at night and to look at our family picture and think "wow, my mom rocks. She is the bomb digity haha" But for real. You are awesome. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. So yeah, I met a sister here at the MTC who was super excited to see me. I don't know who she was but she said her mom and you taught together at the womens conference? I don't know ha. She told me to tell you I saw her. I'm glad to hear you had fun in PA. I wish I could have been there.
Dad- HAHAHAHA! I love how you continue to document about long boarding. I laugh so hard everytime. Everyone in my district says: "man, your dad must be so sweet!" haha they have no Idea. Thank you for all of you insights, I can't go into detail cause I'm running out of time. I really appreciate how you have sent me mail every day. It's awesome to know that there will always be at least one thing in the mailbox for me. Whether it's long or not, it is awesome.
Ashley- You have an official new name! Nice! Ashley Eckel Rasmussen! That's pretty exciting. I'm excited for you to be in provo even though we won't get to see eachother! I miss you ash bash! tell JD I love him too! I wish I could have been there with the whole family. Thanks for you letters. Sorry that This is so short, one of these days, i'm going to write you a real letter! You are an awesome sister! I love you!
Alexis- I love you Lexie lou! I'm glad you jam to my music haha. Keep it up! I am so excited for you to start your senior year! I remember how fun it was for me. Make the best of it even though you are taking real classes. I mean it was way awesome to not take real classes haha. But I'm sure you will still manage to have fun. Tell Dayna I say hi! And C-Mil! I love that little man! I answered some of your questions in the question section. I am going to send you a real letter too one of theses days. I have a present for you. I will send it tomorrow. You will like it. IT's pretty awesome. YOu can brag about me to your friends when you get it. Good luck this week at school! Tell Hauge I say Chkemy! That's not how you spell it but that is how you would say it in english! He will know what it means if he lived in albania!
Baker Family- I am writing you a letter! Mrs. Baker I have some answers to your questions I will be mailing you. I love your letters that you send!
Sister Fowler- I love you! ahh It was so good to hear from you. I miss seeing you at church!
Abi Tucker- Thanks again for the Dear Elder. IT's so encouraging to get mail from you!
Bro Lenahan- I'm glad the Product is treating you well! I love that thing! It is such a beast. It sounds like Michael is having a blas this summer! I have missionaries in my zone going to Brents mission! I can't wait for him to get my hellos from them!
Well I gotta go! Bye! I love you all!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
MTC Week Four
(Austin has already been in the MTC for a month! It's crazy! He seems to be doing well and has luckily escaped the Scabies scare! :) As always, he loves when he gets letters... so send him some!)
Hello Everyone! How is life?! ha
Let's start out with the normal questions!
1.Did I like the krispie kreme donuts?
-What a silly question! haha Of course I liked them! They were awesome and we do have a microwave which is nice.
2. Where am I in the Book of Mormon?
- I am almost through 2nd Nephi. I have been taking it very slow. Some days during personal study, I only get through a chapter or two. I have been "feasting" upon the word of the Lord. It is awesome to disect each and every verse.
3. Have I already learned the basic Albanian/ Now are you just learning gospel stuff?
- Heck no! haha I have a lot to learn of Albanian. Most of the day is spent learning Albanian. It is a very difficult language. I can read Albanian perfectly now which is great (I can pronounce all the words and sounds). Now I just need to be able to comprehend it haha. There are hundreds and hundreds of grammer rules and tons of exceptions to the rules which gets frustrating sometimes but I know that everyone's prayers have been helping. I have been getting extra help from God learning the language.
4. Is it hard to pronounce the language?
-It was tough at first but I am pretty good at it now. Sometimes I practice reading English words the way an Albanian would read them. It sounds hilarious. While learning Albanian, I have realized how crazy English is. English makes zero sense haha. None the less, I love english. It is funny though because the sister missionary we have is from Denmark and she was talking about learning english and she always talks about how our alphabet is pointless because the letters don't sound like the name of the letters which is true haha.
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Okay! Those were the only questions I got this week. Try thinking of some more because that really helps me know what to say in the emails! It gets a lot more information out of me than me just rambling on about who knows what haha. So yeah it has been a good week here in the MTC. A very stressful, yet fulfilling week. The language is getting crazy. Crazy awesome. It is really hard but it's fun. Some days I leave class thinking I will never learn Albanian, and then the next day, all of the concepts we were taught the day before just make sense! (Coincidence? I think not!) Oh, here is the Albanian phrase of the week: Mos ia fut kot -- don't you lie to me. haha we have been saying this to eachother as a joke lately and it is pretty funny. Here is how you say it. (I will type it how we would speak it in english) Mose (most without the "t") E (the letter sound) + u (up without the "p") Fute (flute without the "L") Coat. ---- Mos ia fut kot. anyways, I hope that made sense? But yes, the classes we have been having are awesome. I learn so many gospel principles in them. Our zone leaders left this past week. I am going to miss them so much. They were great examples. Our zone is down to 7 people right now. Smallest zone in the MTC. most have over 50. It is just us (albanians) and the Hungarians. It's awesome. I love our zone! I will be sending more pictures home soon. Speaking of which, I would love more pictures! They are great to have in the room. But yes, we get 22 new missionaries in our zone this week. Some are going to Pocotella Idaho! I can't wait for them to tell brent I say hello! I have trouble remembering all of what happens during the week without looking at my journal because the days all just blend together. I feel like it was yesterday that I was being dropped off, yet it's already been a month! Crazy! Oh here is a cool little fact. In my planner I have been keeping track of how many times teachers here in my meetings/ classes have said "Make A Difference". So far, It has been 46 times. And a speaker i heard in the large group meeting said this exact phrase: "We all just need to give ourselves up, and Make a Difference." How awesome is that?! It's kind of cool considering I wrote that song about the Mission. I got to play come thou fount for our sacrament meeting this past week onthe piano. It was very beautiful and the spirit was so strong. Anyways. I don't have much else to say about this w
Mom- There is nothing to worry about from that last email about the thing I said you would worry about haha. But what you said is true. If you would have called Kendy, she could have told you haha. Basically my companion got Scabies which is a parasite and we were basically quarunteened (that's spelled wrong hah) and we had to move to a new room. This week we moved back to our old room. I didn't get the worm ha so we are all good! I am free of Scabies! It is highly contagious though and we needed to take medicine for it and get all of our stuff washed and dry cleaned. EVERYTHING! haha. But you should call Kend because I gave her the whole story. She will read it to you, I'm Sure. What is going on with the whole Debit card thing? can you make sure you do all the calling in and getting the pin number and stuff so that when I get the card it just works? Cause I don't have a phone haha. Oh, I was laughing pretty hard about the Code of Conduct meeting. That is totally something mr. Pohlman would do! I love that old man! I love you mom!
Dad- I cannot get over the fact that you are long boarding! hhaha I told Matt Johnson about that and he was laughing too. I think it's awesome! and don't worry about the wheels. Longboards can handle anything! that is what is so awesome about them! Smooth riding even over curbs and bumps and rocks. I seriously laugh every time you write about long boarding. I am jealous that you are able to watch football. I can't wait for the Ohio State updates! Go BUCKS!!! I think it's great that the sister from Temple Square actually gave you my message. I dind't think she actually would. Hopefully all goes well with that!
Alexis- You are the bomb digity. I miss you and love you so much! I laugh everytime you write me. If you have time to write me more, I would love that. I would write you if you went on a mission! ;) I heard you were rocking out to my music the other night! You better keep that up. I miss music haha but it's all good. I get to play piano every now and again. Keep living it up! Peace out girl scout.
Ashley/JD- That is awesome that Jd had that missionary experience! Keep the good work up. Ash, THanks for all of the letters you send me! It's awesome when I get things from you. I haven't been getting as many letters as i was getting before but you always do a good job of sending me stuff! Tell JD I have been praying for him! I love you ashley! I'm jealous the family gets to go out and visit you! (minus me of course)
Baker Family- I love you guys! I loved the Update on Washington DC. IT really is a beautiful place and you can just tell that this country is so special and such a great blessing! I love you all!
To close, Keep writing me! haha every mail I get is treasure! I Love you all. Keep me in your prayers! Bye!
Hello Everyone! How is life?! ha
Let's start out with the normal questions!
1.Did I like the krispie kreme donuts?
-What a silly question! haha Of course I liked them! They were awesome and we do have a microwave which is nice.
2. Where am I in the Book of Mormon?
- I am almost through 2nd Nephi. I have been taking it very slow. Some days during personal study, I only get through a chapter or two. I have been "feasting" upon the word of the Lord. It is awesome to disect each and every verse.
3. Have I already learned the basic Albanian/ Now are you just learning gospel stuff?
- Heck no! haha I have a lot to learn of Albanian. Most of the day is spent learning Albanian. It is a very difficult language. I can read Albanian perfectly now which is great (I can pronounce all the words and sounds). Now I just need to be able to comprehend it haha. There are hundreds and hundreds of grammer rules and tons of exceptions to the rules which gets frustrating sometimes but I know that everyone's prayers have been helping. I have been getting extra help from God learning the language.
4. Is it hard to pronounce the language?
-It was tough at first but I am pretty good at it now. Sometimes I practice reading English words the way an Albanian would read them. It sounds hilarious. While learning Albanian, I have realized how crazy English is. English makes zero sense haha. None the less, I love english. It is funny though because the sister missionary we have is from Denmark and she was talking about learning english and she always talks about how our alphabet is pointless because the letters don't sound like the name of the letters which is true haha.
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Okay! Those were the only questions I got this week. Try thinking of some more because that really helps me know what to say in the emails! It gets a lot more information out of me than me just rambling on about who knows what haha. So yeah it has been a good week here in the MTC. A very stressful, yet fulfilling week. The language is getting crazy. Crazy awesome. It is really hard but it's fun. Some days I leave class thinking I will never learn Albanian, and then the next day, all of the concepts we were taught the day before just make sense! (Coincidence? I think not!) Oh, here is the Albanian phrase of the week: Mos ia fut kot -- don't you lie to me. haha we have been saying this to eachother as a joke lately and it is pretty funny. Here is how you say it. (I will type it how we would speak it in english) Mose (most without the "t") E (the letter sound) + u (up without the "p") Fute (flute without the "L") Coat. ---- Mos ia fut kot. anyways, I hope that made sense? But yes, the classes we have been having are awesome. I learn so many gospel principles in them. Our zone leaders left this past week. I am going to miss them so much. They were great examples. Our zone is down to 7 people right now. Smallest zone in the MTC. most have over 50. It is just us (albanians) and the Hungarians. It's awesome. I love our zone! I will be sending more pictures home soon. Speaking of which, I would love more pictures! They are great to have in the room. But yes, we get 22 new missionaries in our zone this week. Some are going to Pocotella Idaho! I can't wait for them to tell brent I say hello! I have trouble remembering all of what happens during the week without looking at my journal because the days all just blend together. I feel like it was yesterday that I was being dropped off, yet it's already been a month! Crazy! Oh here is a cool little fact. In my planner I have been keeping track of how many times teachers here in my meetings/ classes have said "Make A Difference". So far, It has been 46 times. And a speaker i heard in the large group meeting said this exact phrase: "We all just need to give ourselves up, and Make a Difference." How awesome is that?! It's kind of cool considering I wrote that song about the Mission. I got to play come thou fount for our sacrament meeting this past week onthe piano. It was very beautiful and the spirit was so strong. Anyways. I don't have much else to say about this w
Mom- There is nothing to worry about from that last email about the thing I said you would worry about haha. But what you said is true. If you would have called Kendy, she could have told you haha. Basically my companion got Scabies which is a parasite and we were basically quarunteened (that's spelled wrong hah) and we had to move to a new room. This week we moved back to our old room. I didn't get the worm ha so we are all good! I am free of Scabies! It is highly contagious though and we needed to take medicine for it and get all of our stuff washed and dry cleaned. EVERYTHING! haha. But you should call Kend because I gave her the whole story. She will read it to you, I'm Sure. What is going on with the whole Debit card thing? can you make sure you do all the calling in and getting the pin number and stuff so that when I get the card it just works? Cause I don't have a phone haha. Oh, I was laughing pretty hard about the Code of Conduct meeting. That is totally something mr. Pohlman would do! I love that old man! I love you mom!
Dad- I cannot get over the fact that you are long boarding! hhaha I told Matt Johnson about that and he was laughing too. I think it's awesome! and don't worry about the wheels. Longboards can handle anything! that is what is so awesome about them! Smooth riding even over curbs and bumps and rocks. I seriously laugh every time you write about long boarding. I am jealous that you are able to watch football. I can't wait for the Ohio State updates! Go BUCKS!!! I think it's great that the sister from Temple Square actually gave you my message. I dind't think she actually would. Hopefully all goes well with that!
Alexis- You are the bomb digity. I miss you and love you so much! I laugh everytime you write me. If you have time to write me more, I would love that. I would write you if you went on a mission! ;) I heard you were rocking out to my music the other night! You better keep that up. I miss music haha but it's all good. I get to play piano every now and again. Keep living it up! Peace out girl scout.
Ashley/JD- That is awesome that Jd had that missionary experience! Keep the good work up. Ash, THanks for all of the letters you send me! It's awesome when I get things from you. I haven't been getting as many letters as i was getting before but you always do a good job of sending me stuff! Tell JD I have been praying for him! I love you ashley! I'm jealous the family gets to go out and visit you! (minus me of course)
Baker Family- I love you guys! I loved the Update on Washington DC. IT really is a beautiful place and you can just tell that this country is so special and such a great blessing! I love you all!
To close, Keep writing me! haha every mail I get is treasure! I Love you all. Keep me in your prayers! Bye!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
MTC Week Three
Hello everyone! The time has come once again to send the email! I never get down everything I want to say in the 30 minute time period! I'll try and hurry. I will start again with people's questions. Do you like the way I am formatting these emails? Should I do it differently?
1. What is pday like?
We wake up and have scripture study, then breakfast, then comp. study, then we go to the temple. It is a great way to start the day. Then, I come back, eat lunch, and then check the mail. After that, I come email you guys. We don't have time to play sports on pday. We don't have to stay together as a district. We have to stay with our companions though. The sister missionary is in a companionship with some Hungarian sisters. Well, they are going to hungary. They are American haha. After emails, I write letters and go to dinner. P-day ends at 6. At 6 we go to class and then go to bed. It's a never ending cycle of craziness ha.
2. When I said there were 46 missionaries in my mission, does it include sisters?
Yes it does. There are 6 sisters there I believe.
3. Do I excericise every day?
Yes I do. Everyday we have gym time (except p-day). I run for at least 2 miles every day and then I either play soccer or 4 square. You won't believe me, but 4 square is so intense. I have seen more blood in 4 square than I did in football.
4. Do I get letters everyday?
Yes! It is great. Some days I only get 1 or 2 but other days I get even more! It is so awesome to come to the mail and see that people are thinking about me.
5. Do I still see Shawn Kebker?
I do! I actually just took a picture with him a few days ago. I'll be sending some more pictures in the next week or two. He is doing great!
6. What building do I live in?
I live in 5M (Snow Building)
7. How do they find people who speak Albanian to help us teach?
All of the people who come have served missions in Albania. There are a good chunk of them here at BYU and so they just volunteer to come talk with us and show us how much Albanian we don't know! haha
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I Think that covers most of the questions. Sorry if I didn't get to all of them. I am kind of in a time crunch. I have a very interesting story to tell you but for the sake of time and the fact that I don't want you to freak out, I will probably just write it in a letter and send it home haha.
Albanian Phrase of the week: Si Je (see yay) - It means how are you?
The MTC is great! I have been learning so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I Can't wait to get to Albania and help the people there. I heard a good quote this week. "You leave your family for 2 years so that other people can live with their families for eternity." How true is that!? The Albanian is coming slowly but surely. I feel like a 3rd grader again or something but it's fun. Albanian is such a crazy language. I am excited to speak it to you all in 2 years! Then I can tell you what I really think of you, and you won't know what I'm saying ;) haha. But for real, I know that God loves us all. We are all spirit children of God. He knows us like we are his children, and that is because we are his children. He wants the best for all of us.
Dad- hahahahahahahahaha I was laughing so so so hard when I read your letter about riding my Longboard. I can just picture it so perfectly. I think you should keep riding it. It is way fun once you get the hang of it. Also, thank you for sending so many letters. They are so awesome to get every night. I enjoyed seeing the rankings! I keep telling everyone Ohio State is taking it this year. They don't believe me. I hope I don't have to eat my words haha. Fringo Fare is just a slang Albanian term that means Totally Fresh. I am told that if I say that to the Albanians they will love me and laugh at me because they will know I'm new to the area. Does my zone/district like certain care packages? -- Um, Not anything specifically but I do love getting packages. IT's the best. I think I might even just start mailing my self packages just so I can look cool. I enjoyed reading about your drive down river road. I miss how green Ohio is. River Road is so awesome.
I love you Dad!
Mom- I'm glad the women's conference went well! Sounds like you had a blast! I don't think i have heard Brad Wilcox speak before but I'm sure he is an amazing speaker. I think it's funny that you listen to my music! It's pretty cool though ha. Yeah, Broken is about that situation. I think that song had some awesome potential. Hopefully I will have the oppertunity to re-record that one someday. Anyways, I think I answered most of your questions in the top part of the email! I love you mom! You were seriously the greatest mother ever. I miss you so much and think about you tons!
Ashley/JD- Okay, I was DYING when i read about your encounter at the grocery store. One of the funniest stories ever. I can just picture it all in my head. I wish I could have been there with you. One of my teachers here is seriously a spitting image of JD. He has all of his same expressions too! It reminds me of home. Good stuff! Also, thanks for all of the quotes and scriptures you send me. They really help. You are an awesome sister! I love you! Oh, and I couldn't help but laugh when you said you watched the ski masks video. I was immature.. Okay fine, I still am. But still that was a pretty funny night.
Alexis- HAHAHAHA You hit Renee's car?! You are hilarious. Did you leave a note on it that said you accidentally broke it? haha Just kidding. That was kinda mean to say but that's probably what she would have done. Anyways, You didn't write me this week you freak! And you haven't sent me family pictures yet! You gotta remember that I don't have facebook here and I can't see any of your faces anymore! IT's craziness! Alexis, You rock. Keep the burg awesome with Eckel"ness" and tell all of your friends who are my friends I say hello, and that they should "Dear Elder" me. I would love to hear from Lucas and John, or maybe even my best friend EVAN! hahaha.
Brian/Michael Martin- THanks for the letters! I enjoyed reading your letter Michael! It was a good pick me up. Brian, I am so pumped for you to go to BYU. It is what you make it, so make the best of it! You will love it there. Make sure you go to all of the things you can (orientation, devotionals on tuesdays, and FHE) Oh, and pay attention in Book of Mormon class. IT is LEGIT! haha. Yeah you and Steve should make a video. Also, is the Static stuff on iTunes? Just curious. Anyways, I hope to hear from you soon! Listen to Andrew and Bryce for me!
Betsy Lathrop- Hey Betsy! Thanks for the letter! I was not expecting you to actually write me! haha Is that bad? I knew you said you were going to but i thought it was one of those "hey we haven't hung out in forever, we should hangout sometime" things that you say to people from school when you see them in the summer! hahaha. Anyways, If you find any good Albanian Facts let me know! I am glad you are doing well, and that you are still cooking! Cooking rice isn't easy haha. I miss that class
Grandpa/ Grandpa Martin- Thanks for the letter! It sounds like you are having some awesome Missionary experiences! I wish I could be there with you when you are teaching him and talking to him. Your advice to him was awesome. JUst take it a day at a time. I have found that it is a very crucial thing to do when you are learning a new language. One day at a time. Do your best and forget the rest!
Baker Family- I love you guys!!!! I got your letter and loved it. I am writing you a hand written letter today! You should get it sometime this or next week! I loved the newspaper clippings!
1. What is pday like?
We wake up and have scripture study, then breakfast, then comp. study, then we go to the temple. It is a great way to start the day. Then, I come back, eat lunch, and then check the mail. After that, I come email you guys. We don't have time to play sports on pday. We don't have to stay together as a district. We have to stay with our companions though. The sister missionary is in a companionship with some Hungarian sisters. Well, they are going to hungary. They are American haha. After emails, I write letters and go to dinner. P-day ends at 6. At 6 we go to class and then go to bed. It's a never ending cycle of craziness ha.
2. When I said there were 46 missionaries in my mission, does it include sisters?
Yes it does. There are 6 sisters there I believe.
3. Do I excericise every day?
Yes I do. Everyday we have gym time (except p-day). I run for at least 2 miles every day and then I either play soccer or 4 square. You won't believe me, but 4 square is so intense. I have seen more blood in 4 square than I did in football.
4. Do I get letters everyday?
Yes! It is great. Some days I only get 1 or 2 but other days I get even more! It is so awesome to come to the mail and see that people are thinking about me.
5. Do I still see Shawn Kebker?
I do! I actually just took a picture with him a few days ago. I'll be sending some more pictures in the next week or two. He is doing great!
6. What building do I live in?
I live in 5M (Snow Building)
7. How do they find people who speak Albanian to help us teach?
All of the people who come have served missions in Albania. There are a good chunk of them here at BYU and so they just volunteer to come talk with us and show us how much Albanian we don't know! haha
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I Think that covers most of the questions. Sorry if I didn't get to all of them. I am kind of in a time crunch. I have a very interesting story to tell you but for the sake of time and the fact that I don't want you to freak out, I will probably just write it in a letter and send it home haha.
Albanian Phrase of the week: Si Je (see yay) - It means how are you?
The MTC is great! I have been learning so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I Can't wait to get to Albania and help the people there. I heard a good quote this week. "You leave your family for 2 years so that other people can live with their families for eternity." How true is that!? The Albanian is coming slowly but surely. I feel like a 3rd grader again or something but it's fun. Albanian is such a crazy language. I am excited to speak it to you all in 2 years! Then I can tell you what I really think of you, and you won't know what I'm saying ;) haha. But for real, I know that God loves us all. We are all spirit children of God. He knows us like we are his children, and that is because we are his children. He wants the best for all of us.
Dad- hahahahahahahahaha I was laughing so so so hard when I read your letter about riding my Longboard. I can just picture it so perfectly. I think you should keep riding it. It is way fun once you get the hang of it. Also, thank you for sending so many letters. They are so awesome to get every night. I enjoyed seeing the rankings! I keep telling everyone Ohio State is taking it this year. They don't believe me. I hope I don't have to eat my words haha. Fringo Fare is just a slang Albanian term that means Totally Fresh. I am told that if I say that to the Albanians they will love me and laugh at me because they will know I'm new to the area. Does my zone/district like certain care packages? -- Um, Not anything specifically but I do love getting packages. IT's the best. I think I might even just start mailing my self packages just so I can look cool. I enjoyed reading about your drive down river road. I miss how green Ohio is. River Road is so awesome.
I love you Dad!
Mom- I'm glad the women's conference went well! Sounds like you had a blast! I don't think i have heard Brad Wilcox speak before but I'm sure he is an amazing speaker. I think it's funny that you listen to my music! It's pretty cool though ha. Yeah, Broken is about that situation. I think that song had some awesome potential. Hopefully I will have the oppertunity to re-record that one someday. Anyways, I think I answered most of your questions in the top part of the email! I love you mom! You were seriously the greatest mother ever. I miss you so much and think about you tons!
Ashley/JD- Okay, I was DYING when i read about your encounter at the grocery store. One of the funniest stories ever. I can just picture it all in my head. I wish I could have been there with you. One of my teachers here is seriously a spitting image of JD. He has all of his same expressions too! It reminds me of home. Good stuff! Also, thanks for all of the quotes and scriptures you send me. They really help. You are an awesome sister! I love you! Oh, and I couldn't help but laugh when you said you watched the ski masks video. I was immature.. Okay fine, I still am. But still that was a pretty funny night.
Alexis- HAHAHAHA You hit Renee's car?! You are hilarious. Did you leave a note on it that said you accidentally broke it? haha Just kidding. That was kinda mean to say but that's probably what she would have done. Anyways, You didn't write me this week you freak! And you haven't sent me family pictures yet! You gotta remember that I don't have facebook here and I can't see any of your faces anymore! IT's craziness! Alexis, You rock. Keep the burg awesome with Eckel"ness" and tell all of your friends who are my friends I say hello, and that they should "Dear Elder" me. I would love to hear from Lucas and John, or maybe even my best friend EVAN! hahaha.
Brian/Michael Martin- THanks for the letters! I enjoyed reading your letter Michael! It was a good pick me up. Brian, I am so pumped for you to go to BYU. It is what you make it, so make the best of it! You will love it there. Make sure you go to all of the things you can (orientation, devotionals on tuesdays, and FHE) Oh, and pay attention in Book of Mormon class. IT is LEGIT! haha. Yeah you and Steve should make a video. Also, is the Static stuff on iTunes? Just curious. Anyways, I hope to hear from you soon! Listen to Andrew and Bryce for me!
Betsy Lathrop- Hey Betsy! Thanks for the letter! I was not expecting you to actually write me! haha Is that bad? I knew you said you were going to but i thought it was one of those "hey we haven't hung out in forever, we should hangout sometime" things that you say to people from school when you see them in the summer! hahaha. Anyways, If you find any good Albanian Facts let me know! I am glad you are doing well, and that you are still cooking! Cooking rice isn't easy haha. I miss that class
Grandpa/ Grandpa Martin- Thanks for the letter! It sounds like you are having some awesome Missionary experiences! I wish I could be there with you when you are teaching him and talking to him. Your advice to him was awesome. JUst take it a day at a time. I have found that it is a very crucial thing to do when you are learning a new language. One day at a time. Do your best and forget the rest!
Baker Family- I love you guys!!!! I got your letter and loved it. I am writing you a hand written letter today! You should get it sometime this or next week! I loved the newspaper clippings!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
MTC Week Two
Hello everyone!!!
How is life going?! It's been an awesome day here in Provo Utah and i'm so excited to send this email.
To answer some questions:
1. (Ashley) Am I writing in my journal every day?
-Yes I am! It's been nice to evaluate each day and record it in a notebook. (If Steve or Brian or anyone else cares haha, there will be some awesome lyrics coming out of that journal in 2 years! ha!)
2. How do you say Elder in Albanian?
-Elder. haha yeah it's the same. The different part is my last name. I need to get a new nametag when I get into Albania because they will pronounce my name wrong. I am getting it changed to "Ekël". Crazy huh?! ANd you also add an "i" at the end of names when there is a title in front of it. so they will say Eckeli. Yeah at least I'm not going to hungary. It's so confusing. Their nametags say their last name first ex) Eckel Elder.
3. How is the MTC?
- The missionary training center is great! I am learning so much every day and becoming more familiar with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The language is coming along incredibly quickly. I am already constructing sentences, can pray, and bare my testimony in Albanian. I can kind of street contact. The hardest part is getting the whole shaking the head no to mean yes and vise versa. It is way confusing.
4. Will I have the same companion here the entire stay at the MTC?
- Yes! And i'm so glad haha I can only compare my companion to one person, and it is the one and only Brent Lenahan. Just look at the picture I sent of him to you all! He may not look exactly like him, but it's close, and he acts just like brent!
5. Do I see Ashley Viola?
- No yet. Maybe once school starts?
6. Have I Seen Shawn Kebker yet?
- I have! I saw him the first day he got here, and pretty much every day since. He lives in my building. Every night I go down and check on him and on how he's doing with the language. He is a funny dude.
7. Am I Okay with Ashley doing the blog?
- Of course! I think that's an awesome Idea. Try and scan the pictures I send and post those too! Thanks Ash! Oh ps. How is the computer? (Ashley)
8. How many branches in Albania?
-There are 11 branches in albania.
9. How many missionaries in albania?
-46
Okay so I hope I answered everyone's questions! Send more questions! I really enjoy them. Thank you to everyone who has been sending me letters over dear elder! Uncle Justen and Aunt Susan: Thanks so so so so much for the package! It was awesome to get that. Everyone in my district were really jealous of me! Uncle David and Aunt Laurie, Thanks for sending me dear elders! They are great pick me ups after long days. The language can get discouraging at times but once I remember the reason I'm learning the language (to teach the Albanian people about Jesus Christ and God's love for us), it makes things a lot easier and worth while. Abi tucker: Thanks for the letter! It was so awesome to hear from you! Thanks for thinking of me! Adrienne Gery- THanks for the cinnamon rolls! You must work at an awesome bakery. Those were delicious!
Mom: The polo shirt fits great! thanks for sending it! All the packages I have recieved from you have been great. The candy makes my whole zone love you haha. The zone always asks if momma and daddy eckel sent "the goods" every night haha. I have been sharing the love (candy) with everyone haha. I hope the woman conference thing went well! I really think that's awesome that you ware doing that! It is so weird that we are so close, yet we can't see eachother. Oh well.
Dad: Thank you so much for the pen. It was a little bigger than i'm used to, but I have already gotten used to it. I love writing with it and it looks "fringo fare" (totally fresh) in my pocket! haha. Time has been going by so fast at the MTC. I can't even believe I've been here for 2 weeks!? Glad to hear that the priesthood session was good. I'm sure the talks were MUCH better this year ha! Did you eat at Wilsons burger?! I laughed pretty hard cause mom sent me a letter saying that you were home alone and you would be fine cause you were probably eating pizza. I then opened the letter from you and you talked about how you keep eating tons of pizza. It was sad to hear about poor little blizzy. I saw the cloudy eyes before i left. That's kinda sad. Oh and 89 in a 65. I forgot how impressive that was.
Alexis: Congrats at cheer camp! 7 trophies?! Tell all of the girls that i know on your team congrats! You say you are gonna write me once a week?! You better! hahaha Just kidding..... But seriously. ha. Anyways, yeah I was laughing pretty hard about the message carter sent you. I love that kid. Oh, and send those efy quotes, those would be awesome.
Ashley: Thanks for the blog! I'm so happy you are doing that for me. How is the MacBook Pro treating you? Lovely? Good! haha. THanks for the Dear Elder with the thoughts from the scriptures. I really enjoyed that. I'm glad you finished the Book of Mormon again. I am actually trying to finish it while i'm here in the MTC. I'm still onnly in 1Nephi, but I'm taking my time through it.
JD: Hey congratulations on doing well with sales! I've heard you are doing a lot better! I love you brother! haha
So this past week we did TRC. TRC is where we teach people who speak Albanian. It was absolutely insane. This language is nuts! haha It was a lot of fun though, and I am becoming a much better teacher. I have heard that Albanians are very open people, which is great because you can ask them super personal questions off of the street which will help me understand their needs and how the Gospel can best helpt them. Something that I have come to understand since i've been here is that between the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon, Every life question can be answered! It is so incredible! It's like google.... but better! haha. The Bible and the Book of Mormon compliment eachother so well and both testify of Jesus Christ. It is so easy to tell that they are meant to go together. Craziness I tell you! Alright, I only have 5 minutes left before it kicks me off! This week I heard a quote that was really awesome and made me think a lot about some stuff. I just thought i'd share it with you. "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always gotten." Anways I think that's an awesome quote. Just something to think about. Oh I also decided I would do a "word of the week" in Albanian for you all! haha The word of the week is Mirë Pafshim. It means Goodbye! Learn it! Albanian is such an awesome language!
Okay so I'm down to 2 minutes left! I would just like to say that I love you all and I miss you so much. I know that i'm here for a purpose and that I'm doing the right thing by dedicating the next two years to the Lord. Keep the letters coming please! They help so much. You all are awesome. The church is true!
-Elder Ekël
How is life going?! It's been an awesome day here in Provo Utah and i'm so excited to send this email.
To answer some questions:
1. (Ashley) Am I writing in my journal every day?
-Yes I am! It's been nice to evaluate each day and record it in a notebook. (If Steve or Brian or anyone else cares haha, there will be some awesome lyrics coming out of that journal in 2 years! ha!)
2. How do you say Elder in Albanian?
-Elder. haha yeah it's the same. The different part is my last name. I need to get a new nametag when I get into Albania because they will pronounce my name wrong. I am getting it changed to "Ekël". Crazy huh?! ANd you also add an "i" at the end of names when there is a title in front of it. so they will say Eckeli. Yeah at least I'm not going to hungary. It's so confusing. Their nametags say their last name first ex) Eckel Elder.
3. How is the MTC?
- The missionary training center is great! I am learning so much every day and becoming more familiar with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The language is coming along incredibly quickly. I am already constructing sentences, can pray, and bare my testimony in Albanian. I can kind of street contact. The hardest part is getting the whole shaking the head no to mean yes and vise versa. It is way confusing.
4. Will I have the same companion here the entire stay at the MTC?
- Yes! And i'm so glad haha I can only compare my companion to one person, and it is the one and only Brent Lenahan. Just look at the picture I sent of him to you all! He may not look exactly like him, but it's close, and he acts just like brent!
5. Do I see Ashley Viola?
- No yet. Maybe once school starts?
6. Have I Seen Shawn Kebker yet?
- I have! I saw him the first day he got here, and pretty much every day since. He lives in my building. Every night I go down and check on him and on how he's doing with the language. He is a funny dude.
7. Am I Okay with Ashley doing the blog?
- Of course! I think that's an awesome Idea. Try and scan the pictures I send and post those too! Thanks Ash! Oh ps. How is the computer? (Ashley)
8. How many branches in Albania?
-There are 11 branches in albania.
9. How many missionaries in albania?
-46
Okay so I hope I answered everyone's questions! Send more questions! I really enjoy them. Thank you to everyone who has been sending me letters over dear elder! Uncle Justen and Aunt Susan: Thanks so so so so much for the package! It was awesome to get that. Everyone in my district were really jealous of me! Uncle David and Aunt Laurie, Thanks for sending me dear elders! They are great pick me ups after long days. The language can get discouraging at times but once I remember the reason I'm learning the language (to teach the Albanian people about Jesus Christ and God's love for us), it makes things a lot easier and worth while. Abi tucker: Thanks for the letter! It was so awesome to hear from you! Thanks for thinking of me! Adrienne Gery- THanks for the cinnamon rolls! You must work at an awesome bakery. Those were delicious!
Mom: The polo shirt fits great! thanks for sending it! All the packages I have recieved from you have been great. The candy makes my whole zone love you haha. The zone always asks if momma and daddy eckel sent "the goods" every night haha. I have been sharing the love (candy) with everyone haha. I hope the woman conference thing went well! I really think that's awesome that you ware doing that! It is so weird that we are so close, yet we can't see eachother. Oh well.
Dad: Thank you so much for the pen. It was a little bigger than i'm used to, but I have already gotten used to it. I love writing with it and it looks "fringo fare" (totally fresh) in my pocket! haha. Time has been going by so fast at the MTC. I can't even believe I've been here for 2 weeks!? Glad to hear that the priesthood session was good. I'm sure the talks were MUCH better this year ha! Did you eat at Wilsons burger?! I laughed pretty hard cause mom sent me a letter saying that you were home alone and you would be fine cause you were probably eating pizza. I then opened the letter from you and you talked about how you keep eating tons of pizza. It was sad to hear about poor little blizzy. I saw the cloudy eyes before i left. That's kinda sad. Oh and 89 in a 65. I forgot how impressive that was.
Alexis: Congrats at cheer camp! 7 trophies?! Tell all of the girls that i know on your team congrats! You say you are gonna write me once a week?! You better! hahaha Just kidding..... But seriously. ha. Anyways, yeah I was laughing pretty hard about the message carter sent you. I love that kid. Oh, and send those efy quotes, those would be awesome.
Ashley: Thanks for the blog! I'm so happy you are doing that for me. How is the MacBook Pro treating you? Lovely? Good! haha. THanks for the Dear Elder with the thoughts from the scriptures. I really enjoyed that. I'm glad you finished the Book of Mormon again. I am actually trying to finish it while i'm here in the MTC. I'm still onnly in 1Nephi, but I'm taking my time through it.
JD: Hey congratulations on doing well with sales! I've heard you are doing a lot better! I love you brother! haha
So this past week we did TRC. TRC is where we teach people who speak Albanian. It was absolutely insane. This language is nuts! haha It was a lot of fun though, and I am becoming a much better teacher. I have heard that Albanians are very open people, which is great because you can ask them super personal questions off of the street which will help me understand their needs and how the Gospel can best helpt them. Something that I have come to understand since i've been here is that between the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon, Every life question can be answered! It is so incredible! It's like google.... but better! haha. The Bible and the Book of Mormon compliment eachother so well and both testify of Jesus Christ. It is so easy to tell that they are meant to go together. Craziness I tell you! Alright, I only have 5 minutes left before it kicks me off! This week I heard a quote that was really awesome and made me think a lot about some stuff. I just thought i'd share it with you. "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always gotten." Anways I think that's an awesome quote. Just something to think about. Oh I also decided I would do a "word of the week" in Albanian for you all! haha The word of the week is Mirë Pafshim. It means Goodbye! Learn it! Albanian is such an awesome language!
Okay so I'm down to 2 minutes left! I would just like to say that I love you all and I miss you so much. I know that i'm here for a purpose and that I'm doing the right thing by dedicating the next two years to the Lord. Keep the letters coming please! They help so much. You all are awesome. The church is true!
-Elder Ekël
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