24 September 2010

Hola otra vez!

OK i am going to start with the news that I had to wait all week to tell you. They canceled the MTC Choir until after General conference! and I am in the MTC special choir that will be proforming at the priesthood general Conference session.!!!! How amazing is that! I have never been to see a general conference, and no joke almost every person here has, and the first time that I am going to go I am IN IT!!. There are only about 10 people that have not been to a gerneral conference before and there are 360 something in the choir. They were picked out of 2500 people here at the MTC. We are currently above the max capacity by about 200. It is alittle crouded.

You can tell JR that I will be sending him a letter today. This week I have really been helping people mainly the new guys that need help with spanish which is funny because I myself go the the tutor about once a week. Twice this past week.

You wanted to know cuando (when) I leave and it is going to be on the 6th de octubre (of October). I got my travel plans yesterday and leave and 3 o´clock in the morning. My compañero is not happy that we have to get up that early. LOL. I really don´t have alot that I want to say right now.

About the choir, you should have seen me when I gat the acceptance letter I was jumping up and down. I will send more info on this in a letter.

Again the reason that I don´t have a lot to say right now is because I doin´t have me notes with me. But I do remember some of the things that were in you letters that I wanted to talk about. One of them is music. Here and the tienda (sorry I forgot the word in english) they have music and I have speakers and a CD player. There is a lot of music here that we don´t have at home and I can get it for 20% off being a missionary. I already got the Handel Halleluya: Mo Tab CD.There are lots of others that look realy good. I might grab one right after this.

Some of the songs that I want I am sending in the letter because I already have it writen down. I did that last night.

I don't know if I already told you but there is an elder here that is a great artist and he drew a picture just for me. Moroni walking to go and bury the plates. also I got pics that he drew earlier of the Title of Liberty and a scene of the aftermath of battle. They are amazing.I have two songs that I want you to listen to. Himno pagina 88 in the spanish libro de himno. It is very pretty and only in the spanish book. there is another one, but I don't remembr the number but I want you to lesten to the songs de wizard of OZ because it is the mellody of one of the songs. I will send it in my letter.

Bueno suerte en el futuro y sus trabajos.

I am runing low and Tel so I will have to say goodbye for now.

Chau.

E' Swanger

17 September 2010

Hi. otra vez,

¿Cómo fue su día? the time that we have to be at the temple is awsome, but early. We have to get up at 5am and it is hard to go to bed earlier to make the day go by faster.

First off, thanks Joe for your letters that you send me daily! And the ones that you send telling me to focus on the work that I am going to be doing. Last week I did forget the work that I am doing because we really only do the work on wednesdays while we are in the CCM. The Lord really is amazing, you sent me two letters and there were 4 or 5 talks that were about not forgetting what you are here for. And while I forgot I really was stuggling with spanish and even English but that Is no surprize. After I got back on track I literally spoke only spanish for about 3/4 of the day! Everything is easy when the lord puts his hand in it.

Thanks for sending the letter to elder Cook. It really made his day and the whole floor got a good laugh out of it. This week though he got a lot of letters. 3 I think. He is going to be writing you back.

The Elder that I spoke about earlier, Elder Bernard is gone he went to another CCM to finish his training. We all miss him because he had the funniesst English sayings and when he acted like the gangsters that are in England it reminded me of cartoons. LOL. The last day that he had here he really wanted to spend most of it with me because I became his Spanish tutor and now, I don't remenber what counrty he is in but he is completely submersed in spanish. When I sent the letters that I sent you when I wasn't focused after you had sent your letters telling me to focus were acually sent to you before I got the letters fromyou bad timing.

As for the shin spint socks. I still am doing gym, not as hard core as before, even though my shins still hurt some not much. When I do very little in gym I really have trouble focusing in class. I would rather have some pain and be able to focus in class on the Lords work. If you want to so send them you can but the choice is yours.

Did you like the card that I sent with the seeds? lol the tree that they come from is called ewa, like from avitar.

OK I have ten minutes left and don't really know what to say. I can't anwser your letters because they are on the other side of campus I might answer them in a letter.

Oh, the TRC went really well. This week we had to "go shopping" in spanish for clothes and barter the price and we did really well. I got a pair of pajamas that were originally 40 for 20. We got a native too for the TRC.

We get interviewed by our teachers once a week to see how we are doing. Hermana Capps, one of my new teachers, told me that my accent is very close to a natives. She said that she has trouble understanding me in english but I am very easy to understand In spanish.

Thanks for you prayers and supporting me.

Chaou!

E' Swanger

10 September 2010

10 September 2010

My family,

Sorry for not being able to email sooner or first or at all whatever it will be. I am unsure if I will be able to email you because my companion has doctor’s appointment and I have no idea when I will be able to write to you. We have to go to a “real” doctor, outside the MTC. The scheduled it for our p-day because they don’t want us to miss class.

Thank you for responding to the questions I sent you. Here is my fun question of the week. If you were a meat, what kind would you be, and how would you be cooked? You probably don’t know but we get to go to gym every day. I go to the field and play beach volley ball. I sweat a lot and I always have to shower. The sand is awesome to land on but you get muddy quick.

I received a package from Darren & Kathy (Grandma and Grandpa too) but there no was return address. If you could include in your next package the address of the family. Thanks!

The language is really picking up. We are going over and learning about 100 to 150 new words a day. Crazy! Now I am at the doctor’s place. It is weird going out into Babylon. We even got lost trying to find the right building.

I have got your package and like the picture of Tori. I have one question for you about the package, why are there three pictures of Val doing random things in the gym and outside in the field? Is it so that I can solicit her to the other missionaries here? Lol! Btw, is she dating anyone yet? I really hope she is.

If you want to send me candy you can but I have a lot right now. The last group of elders that left gave me all of their candy.

Mom & Dad, when you left Utah to go home, did you ever go through the Provo Temple? Today I really notice that the temple grounds are really pretty. I will try to take pictures on Sunday. The grounds are more beautiful than the Portland Temple. The temple itself is in a weird shape. Maybe after I leave and you can come visit Darren & Kathy and look at and go through the temple.

To switch subjects on you, I think I could have tonsillitis. I went and they did a swab test to see if I have strep, but it came back negative. Last night I stopped one of the wife’s of a member of our branch presidency and asked what the signs are and you can tell they are what we call missionary mothers because they checked my tonsils, looked down my throat, and checked my temp. It was funny, I stopped them and spoke to them in Spanish and they had the look of a deer staring into headlights. I’m sure I had the same expression on my face the first week I was here.

The package that Darren & Kathy sent, Sara drew a picture for me, of me. Grandma explains that she is really into skulls right now. The picture is a skeleton missionary. It is actually a pretty good picture. They also sent me some skittles, lots of cookies, and air borne along with a couple of letters.

I got my first hair cut. We are trying to get a haircut every two weeks, but it is difficult to get in. I don’t think the stylist are that good. The sister I had, gave me a fo-hawk. I don’t think that is allowed. Everyone else comes out with a military looking hair cut and I came out looking like a punk. Lol!

To the cousins: CTR, HLB or what ever language you want it to be in. Remember you are not just kids, but a child of God! If you could choose the color of the sun, what color would it be?

Wow, there must be something wrong with his foot because he is taking a long time.

Today was the first time that we did a TRC or oh, I don’t remember, but we go and do a task like share a meal or go shopping in Spanish alone. Then with what you learned about to the person you teach a lesson. This past week we had to do it all in Spanish. Usually you don’t teach in all Spanish until you’re at your half way point. My companion, who does not think he can speak Spanish very well, had a panic attack and we had to go over to the urgent care again. I bet that they now our names by now. In the doctor’s office here at the MTC they know me by name. But the TRC went really well. We or I committed the “investigator” to watch General Conference. It was awesome!

I tried to take the traditional picture with the MTC sign, but the sign is not there! It makes me sad. Also something strange the people in my district don’t want to take the picture with everyone pointing at the mission map where they are going. It makes me sad!

This week we moved, again, rooms and now we have room mates. It is weird that we actually are sharing a room with two other people. They are awesome though. We knew them before, oh, one of them has received four letters now and he going to leave here in two weeks. It would be really nice if you or someone would write him. His name is elder cook. You can send it to my districts mailbox. He is from Hawaii.

I believe I asked for more ties because some of mine are falling apart. If I could suggest colors, yellow, orange, green are the colors that I do not have. I am trying to get one of every color. I have a red tie that I traded for. They can be fun and if you write on the back, I will for sure not trade it.

We have “sports” every day or gym, and in the field a work out every morning.

Right now my companion makes me laugh because he is on pain meds for his foot. Loopy!

I joined the MTC choir. They just started to have practices again. Before we were let out of choir we were able to sign up for MTC special choir. I think it is the choir for the priesthood session of conference. I really want to be in that choir! I will let you know if I get in or what the choir is for. I think it would be awesome to be in the choir for general conference! Priesthood.

I hope that you enjoyed this really long letter. I know that I probably wrote a lot but hey I went to three doctor appointments. This was my entertainment. Sorry if it did not make sense but be glad I did not write in Spanish.

I have been talking with our chauffer, who went to my mission, and I just want to go out there sooner! I was thinking about making it six pages but I think I will stop.

Love,

E’ Swanger

3 September 2010

Thanks for the pic and I really like the way that I look now after looking at that. Getting in for a haircut is really hard because there are a lot of poeple that are trying to get in and so far I have not been able to get one and that makes me sad. the Exersices that they have me doing really help and I am back to normal life and even playing soccer again. But only goaly. Again this week we did not get any room mates and are we are the only ones on our district that are alone. The elders right next to us are awsome and one of them is from England and I think that He is a convert.

Sorry this letter is going to be speratic because I did not have time to plan out ahead of time what it is that I am going to say. The language is doing really well in fact, today I am beginning to help to teach it to the new districts in our zone. thanks for sending me my P blessing it is nice to be able to read it and see that all of what it says is true. about the SD card. When I left, I left one SD card there and on the mirror in the hall. I believe that I told val who it was for. OK, my health status. I am still sick and saw the doctor yesterday and it is just a head cold but because you never really get a break to really relax you keep them (colds) for a long time. Also the real reason that I went to the docter is because my district made me. I have had really red eyes and they were scared that it was Pink eye. Thankfully it is not but just a similar eye infection. My eyes have not gupped at all, thats how he knew and he said that all the sicknesses in the MTC are the same just getting passed around.

I liked that you sent me chopsticks in two different packages that was funny and the district got a kick out of it. There is an Elder here that is french and I really want to go up and talk with him because he is the only native speaker here but my companion keeps saying no. Triste. Oh the Elder that I am going to be teaching is Elder Bernard from England, (my neighbor)

Those skittles were awsome but taste nasty! Oh please tell me you have not replaced the tree in the garden yet. I am going to try and get one of the seeds of the trees that smell amazing and will send it to you if you have not already planted a tree. If you have there may be a spot to plant it if you are not going to fix the pool. I love the tree and really would like one back home. and all the kids will love the tree. It is a pine but does not produce a lot of needles and does not get very wide.

quiero ticlar un carta en español pero ustedes no intienden todos los cosas en mi carta.

I am almost out of time so Expect a letter like usual and you sill did not anwser whether or not you sent my music to the guy that I asked. In the future it would be a little nice to know a little of what has been going on at home because I still have no idea beside what Joe writes me.

Joe please explain well in a letter what MS is and your experience in receiving it and Chiro. My companion likes to tell your story but there questions that are asked that I can´t answer that can be answered in those subjects . Thanks y´all and it would be nice to get a CD with a family mesage. Joe you can put your account on that? It would be easy, oh, and can you describe how it is that you can type blind because that confuses people here.

E´Swanger

1 September 2010

¡Hola!

I am going to start off with the miracle that happened. E’ Rubalcava was the person that got hurt and I told you about in the last letter. He kicked the ball at the same time as someone else and somehow tore his meniscus in his knee. I was there on the field when it happened. On Tuesday, he went to a surgeon and he saw in the ex-rays and MRI’s and can even feel the tear in his knee. Tuesday night, the night before the surgery, his companion game him a blessing. I was not there for it, but I wish I was.

When the surgeon went in with a camera there were no problems with the knee of any kind. I have seen the pictures of the inside of his knee and know that there is now nothing wrong with it. He is drugged because he went in there and did the prep for the surgery. I love high missionaries, they are so funny. One of the pics you will see is all of us getting high.

I share an online Spanish investigator with three other people. It is not a real investigator though it is a teacher here, but it is great for practice. I am really getting the language down but my companion is not. If you could please give me some hints because he is really getting discouraged. He is the only elder in my district that cannot speak Spanish all day.

The reason that I have been hanging around a sister is because I am helping her with her French. I know what you are thinking, that I need to concentrate on Spanish, but she has been here for 5 weeks and really does not get it. The next time we meet I came up with a great way for her to learn to read out loud because nothing is spelled the way it sounds. I love flash cards.

My companion was given the calling that I want, music coordinator. E’ Stoddard does not do well with stress and having a calling on top of everything else we have to do here is very hard on him. You will love the pictures you will get, we really had fun with it. I took pictures of a painting and prints that an elder gave me. He had several hundred because his dad painted them. The Joseph’s first prayer is what E’ Ranes looks like. The guys here want you to send a picture of my grad pic or beach pic where I have a light blue Hawaiian shirt on. Also a pic of the dogs, if possible the cat in the same pic. Is T-bone still trying to eat the cat? There is a Hawaiian on my floor and someone from my district has lived in 10 or more countries. Dad high ranking dude in air force.

I like my hair this long, it looks good and I do have to fix it every morning, but showers are in the morning anyway. The showers here are fun. There are people screaming in them all the time. The temp goes HOT then COLD to the extreme. My companion and I have never had roommates and we really want them. We got 2 more districts and we still don’t have roommates! I am scared to get a haircut. They are free but they just do what ever they want. My companion had longer hair but I don’t know now. I am waiting for him to get out.

Oh, take the virtual tour of this place, it is pretty. What is the temp at home for this week? Have you hit 120°?

E’ Swanger

Yo,

Yes another letter. In your package you forgot my p-blessing and line of authority. Also if you dear elder me the symptoms of ear infections vs strep, I think I might have strep because I have had a sore throat for a week and my throat has white spots and there are red dots but it is more pink than a real white. My nose has also been running which is why I thought It was allergies but it would be nice to know for sure. You sent me one chopstick by the way.

Everyone here gets packages that are shoe box size and bigger, so I was really excited tobe getting one. I was shocked at the size, but oh well. We go contacting to other missionaries to practice the language and approaching people. Oh, mints don’t count as candy. I do love them though. The bacon air freshener was a good touch, but it really smells nasty. Lol. Is it the same one that I gave Val for Christmas?

My location is the farthest from everything on campus. If you found a map of it, I’m in 13M top floor. Somos missioneros de la inglesia do Jesa Cristo de los Santos de los eltimos dias. Lol. Say that 40 times a day. I was playing ont eh piano and someone over heard and asked if I would accompany them for a devo. I said that I don’t read music well and don’t really have time to practice but will give it a shot. Luck with that.

Bye,

E’ Swanger