John's Weekly letter for the week of Aug 08/03/10 12:45 PM

Hey everyone,

Well here is my first letter.  Don't be disappointed if it isn't 5 bajillion pages long because I don't have tons and tons of time.  My district has 9 Elders in it.  Four of them, including me are going to philly, the other 5 are going to St. George.  I told them that if they meet body with the last name Schouten that it's probably my grandma and grandpa.  I'm liking the MTC so far, it's not too bad.  It's really really busy.  There is no down time at all.  It's just work, work, work but that's a good thing.  I like it because it helps keep your mind off anything that might be on your mind.  I'm learning so much here.  My teachers names are Brother Wall and Brother Bott.  They both are excellent teachers and they have two different styles.  Brother Wall teaches you the doctrine and the ways to improve your study and things like that so you can prepare to become a good teacher and Brother Bott teaches you how to teach the lessons really well.  They are both so good at it, but there's only one problem with them being so good and that problem is that I see where they are now and want to be able to teach like that but know that I'm nowhere near that good and it will probably take me until the end of my mission to become that good but oh well I'll just have to put up with it and just keep working so that I can become that good.  I've learned so much about lesson one this week.  (To everyone who hasn't been on a mission yet.  STUDY THE LESSONS!)

It'll help so much.  Practice teaching it to other people.  The more that you do it the better you'll be at it.  That was one thing that I wish I would've practiced more.  My problem is that I know the doctrine and all that stuff but I just have a difficult time putting it in a way that someone will understand.  I just can't spit it out and I lose my train of thought and just when I've stumbled my way through and think I'm getting it back it's time to hand it over to my companion.  That's a little frustrating but I suppose that will improve with time.  My companion's name is Elder Bowden.  He is great.  He is very in tune with the spirit and is really good at talking with people and carrying on a conversation. (Which is a good thing because that isn't my strong point.  I can do it but it's not super easy.)  The other 2 elders in my district that are going to philly are Elder Davis and Elder Gillies (gillis).  Elder knew Brandon and apparently was one of his pretty good friends.  Being here at the MTC is totally different from anything that anyone says, or at least from what anyone told me anyway.  It's good though, but there is one thing that I HATE ( put that in super capital letters, not just the normal ones) is that the gym is closed so we can't play basketball because they're putting in new bleachers, and to add insult to injury there is a guy in our zone who lives right next to me that is 7 feet tall.  I want to play against him and see if he really is as good as he says.  I'm pretty sure he'd mop the floor with me but I still want to play him.  My reach is like 2 inches shorter than his.  We both put our hands straight up in the air and my hand was about two inches lower than his.  The gym isn't going to open  until after I leave so I'm kind of mad about that, as I have previously expressed.  I'm sorry if I've forgotten anything but this is all I can think of except that, please write me.  It's gets kind obnoxious when you go to get the mail and there isn't anything.  You can use dear elder and I think that I'll get it the same day that you send it, if not it comes the next day.  I've seen a ton of people from viewmont.  I think half of my senior class is here.  I've seen Elders, tyler brown, ryan workman, bryce wilcox, jordan strong and tons of others.  Everyday I think I'm done seeing new people but then I see a few more and tomorrow even more will be coming in. 

Jordan and Austin- study the lessons they'll help a lot.  Practice teaching them to each other and anyone who will listen.

Mom Dad Shaylee and Tash-  I only have a minute left so I'll be breif.  I love you and hope you don't miss me too much. 

See you in two years.

Elder Schouten