27 Aug 2010

Hi it's me again!

You guys don't tell me a lot of whats been going on at home and I am thankfull for that. I think that I would be home sick if you told me everything that went on since I came here. But you could tell me more btw (by the way). Thanks Joe for telling me how you were diagnosed because I really had no Idea.

Ok, we listen to Devos I think 3 times a week and this Tuesday you would not be able to geuss who came and spoke at the Devo. Elder Holland! Joe has probably heard his never go home/ missionary is Important talk. (I believe that he is referring to "Missionary Work & the Atonement", by Elder Holland) You can look it up on lds.org and watch it because it was very similar to the talk that he gave to us, Intro and everything.Some of the things that he said to us are "Every hour, every day, every step all the way!" " It was never easy for Christ, why should it be easy for you?!" I wish that I could just send you my notes from the meeting but I do sort of need them. This is also the first time that all of the missionaries were in the gym for the devo because it was being worked on. It is not finished but they got it done enough for the devo. It is going to close again soon and that is right after this next devo, so I am wondering who the speaker is going to be.

Oh, did you send the package? well if you have not please send some allergy meds because I have had a stuffy nose for a very long time and I thought I was sick but now I think that it is just allergies. Though I was sick earlier this week with the rest of my district. Mom you said that you think that I needed to do a certain stretch, I have been doing that stretch to help because the doctor here gave me a book that has a lot of stretches that I have to do every morning and night. There was also a real miracle that happened here this week that is really amazing! I will leave that for my letter.

Did you look at the CD that I sent and freak out or read the letter first then the CD?

Are you going to send me a CD recording of the family or what are your feeling on that? Did you even get the last letter?

I would like to send my SD card home on the first, but I would like to have the other one here before I send It. Here I can print pictures so I am going to do some of that today so I can write on the back of them. Do you think that I should send the pictures home and you can make a pic binder or should I buy one here and make it.

There is a pillow room in our hall and in the past there have been people that have gotten in and been sent home and now there are those that are tying to get into the room. They call it the pillow palace because they have seen the inside and say that it is a room filled to the ceiling with pillows for the whole campus. They are ridiculous.

I am running out of things to type and only have 5 min left. Oh I bought a new Journal on the second day here because the one that you pick out for me was full of questions and had no room for me just to write what I wanted. Others here make fun of me for hanging out around a sister here and I will tell more about that in the letter I gtg. (got to go)

Bye, E' Swanger

20 August 2010

¡Hola!

You wanted to know how I got the “dearelder” letters. They are folded up in a legal size paper so they can’t be read from the outside and held closed by a sticker. Oh, I traded my first tie this week, it was the blue and green one that looked like snake skin. I don’t know if I told you but the first Saturday that I was here I went to the ER (pause for effect). It was not for me but for my companion. He was throwing up all day and he has a lap-band so they had to make sure it didn’t slip. It was cool! I got to see all his insides during this and the only thing I didn’t see was his heart. They stopped before the dye went there.

Our zone has been having some health issues. Our neighbor tore his ACL, some sisters dislocate a rib, there is one more recent and they can’t tell the extent of the damage right now. It’s his knee though. Half my district is sick, my companion has a double ear infection. And here is my injury, I have shin splints with the high possibility of stress fractures. I think both actually. I am not allowed to run for 4 weeks and jump at all for 6. I was told that both of my injuries are the same thing just one heals with the bone and the other the muscle. I have both on both legs to answer any confusion. You will not get a bill because it happened here and the church insurance pays all but $10 and I payed, total, $20 with my calcium and vitamin D supplements. The MTC doctors are really nice.

Hey Val, if you could write to me in Spanish please (anyone who knows Spanish can write to him in Spanish). I have given my testimony in Spanish like 200 times. At 10 minimum a day because we have to do that many contacts. I have given my testimony in French about 10 times, and yesterday I spent like an hour talking and helping one elder in French. He is going to the ivory coast line are of Africa. The mission I wanted. He helped me with my Spanish too, he to four years.

Joe, if you could write a spiritual thought about your situation. My whole district admires you, some say that if they knew you, you would be their hero.

P-day is also our temple day and we got to work in the temple. After we did our session we helped do laundry in the basement of the temple. Oh, that was fun, 60 young men rocking out to church songs doing laundry.

Thanks,

Dustin Swanger

Friday 20 Aug 2010

Shay, the song that we did for my farwell is very appropriate for missionary work. It has been done here like 3 times already. We had the coolest Devo. Three people that wrote hymns for the hymn book spoke, and we sang all of their songs. I don't know what the password is on my cumputer. I think that it is La la la. it has three words that are 1 sybille and are the same, Like the Hint Bla bla bla. just go for it and I hope that you can figure it out. If not you can boot it up using the disc to reinstall everything on it. Also It would be nice to have some music by the time that I get out in the field. I cannot listen to it now it is against the rules but I can in the field. What some of the other Elders here do is have there family send CDs with recorded messages to them, I think that is cool. I think that cousins could do that at family get togethers. Oh, today is my p-day and I can only write to you on these days. you will be getting a CD and don't freek out when you see it. Also be sure to keep money in my checking because i am have like $60 in cash left because I have been buying supplies for learning and you have no Idea how many notes we write in a day.

A couple other things that I need is a pack of air fresheners. My place here stinks like a gym and others have been doing the same thing and it is working. also talk with Bro. Silvan before you send the next package because he has the Tie Tack to send. it is sad but everyones parents have been sending candy and using Dear Elder to send cookies and donuts. By the way they are good. Oh the MTC is a place made by our father because there are trees here that smell like heaven. There is one that smells like pink starbursts, orange creamsicle, and other things like that it is sweet! It is kind of funny, there are a lot of tree smellers here not tree hugers.

O, I just read the part about the waterproof paper that is the Med ID and I am not sure that I like that Idea. you can choose I like the taste that you have so just make sure that it is black to match my suits.

gtg bye,

Dustin

Letter Fri. 13 Aug 2010

My companion is Elder Stoddard and he is from Grace Idaho. We got here at the same time so we are on the same page. Which is nice. The spirit is so strong here and so constant that i would think that i am in a temple. I love it. Today was the first day that we were able to go to the temple and I will be going every week at 7 oclock in the morning. I know what you mean when I was slow and you had to wait for me. I am glad that I stopped for your sanity. My companion takes for ever getting ready and it drives me nuts. I am ready and showered and all in 30 min. And it takes him and hour without showering! I am sorry that I was ever slow.

Yo se el Libro de Mormón es le plalabras de Dios. I like reading it for an hour a day before personal study even begins. I like that they keep us so busy because I hate having nothing to do. Whenever we have free time we are contacting others in the MTC and have to get at least 10 but someone showed us a secret and yesterday we got 22. The highest ever for our Zone. Tell Joe that i really like geting the letters from him daily and if he wants he can send one in braille. I think I know all the letters but if he does, I want the Alphabet. And No contractions! My district leader, Elder Alderman thinks it is awesome that someone in your situation could have so much faith and talent to write to me every day. Please Keep it up. (Joe says it's not talent but a blessing)

I can speak about 40% Spanish and I think that is amazing after only learning it for a week. Everything I learned up to now does not count because it was slang. My teacher is geting married nextweek on Wednesday and we all want to go to the reception but we know that we can´t leave the campus. Our second teacher said that he would love to take us but Hno. Nelson would kill him and he would be fired which is worse than death. Hno. is the abbreviation for brother.

Just a couple questions for you to answer. ¿If you were a shoe, what would you be and why? ¿If you were a Star Wars Character who would you be and Why? (anyone can answer these for Dustin)

For the Primary - Being in the MTC is the most fun that I have had in years. Your learn so much and get to feel the Espiritú Santo every minute of every day. I love being here and learning how to preach the Lords Gosple in spanish. Learn to do what the Lord wants you to do and he will bless you so much and you will be happy.

Oh, I am almost out of time. Man the time is wierd here. A day feels like a month a month feels like a day and I was told a year feels like a week.

Later!

Letter 7 August 2010

As of the second day I was called to be the senior companion. My companion is Elder Stoddard and we are really getting along. The first couple days the language was hard an no one in my class could speak it. I am glad that it is a beginning to make sense now. It is kind of scary, as of the second day we can no longer pray in English.

We aren't given any free time so my letters will have to be short. Just know that I am doing well and my brain is hurting.

The teachers I have are great. I am so happy, I have written a whole page in Spanish. It is very difficult, everyone else has a background and can pronounce the words that we learn. I can't stop trying to pronounce them in French, and yes, there is a difference.

All of mi classa gets along very well.

Be sure to let everyone know to use dearelder.com, where you can send me an email and I get the printed version the same day after lunch and dinner.

Elder Dustin Swanger

PS from Mom,

dearelder.com

MTC box #211