Elder Gardner Enters the Guatemala MTC

hola!

    Im in Guetemala typing this letter, that still blows my mind.   If I look over to my left out the window I have a perfect view of the temple.  It is really, really poor here.  I expected it but am still amazed and surprised.  When we flew into the airport lining the runway was millions and millions of shacks that are people’s houses.  There are basically no traffic laws here.  You can just go and do whatever.  On the bus to the MTC this morning we almost died more than one time from people cutting us off and random things like that.  It is the weirdest town I have ever been in.  Just in one block there will be this huge really nice hotel or business skyscraper and then surrounding the skyscraper lots of little run down little shacks and street vendors.  

    They did split me up from my MTC companion.  I’m not even in the same room.  I am now companions with this other kid.  It is actually really nice here.  Our room is a lot bigger and nicer than in Provo.  The showers are way nicer.  The food is amazing!!!!!!!.  For lunch just now we had tortillas that we dipped in rice, chicken, and broccoli.  The tortillas and rice were the best I’ve ever had.  The chicken was really good.  The broccoli was okay.  Here in the MTC they straight up told us that this center is here to help us learn the language, but we will also get to do some gospel things, the opposite of Provo.   We can only speak Spanish all the time now.  I have one companion for when I go to class and things and then when we do anything else, like go to the market or go to play soccer or something, I have a native companion. And they basically speak all Spanish.  So, that will be good to help me learn to talk like them.  Today my native roommate asked me how my Spanish was and I answered and said its just okay, It’s coming along. He was like what no habla ingles.  I didn’t realize the reality of them not speaking any English at all.  So I had to answer and speak in Spanish.  I think the natives get a kick out of talking to us because they always come and talk and ask us questions and get to know us and laugh when we say dumb things.  Its good though to talk to someone that knows what they are doing.  Things that I could understand in the Provo MTC I can’t anymore because they say it so much faster.  When you say it that fast it sounds like a totally different word or phrase.  

    The other American elders said that the first couple of days they were here they played basketball but they just creamed the natives because of their height and because the natives never play basketball.  So they said it was no fun.  Now they play soccer everyday and nobody plays basketball.  I can’t wait till tomorrow to play soccer with them. The Americans get worked in soccer but they said they have gotten a lot better. The ones who are really good now didn’t play any at all before.  I think that will be fun.  

    This whole experience in this MTC is really weird and doesn’t seem real.  I can look out one window and see the temple with a huge skyscraper behind it then another and see tons of little houses crammed together.  There are also tons of people everywhere.  Even just looking out the windows there are people all over on the street.  Lots of street vendors and things like that.  The elders that are already here said that they have had their stomachs messed up already.

February 18, 2011

Hola family. This week flew by like that. It is already friday my p-day. I leave this tuesday for guatemala. Crazy. Im really excited to leave. I met a elder that going to idaho here that is from guatemala city. He looked a lot different then i expected, he looked like a mix between like someone from india and a phillapino. He told me lots of interesting things. He said that the language there is a little different and what I learn here might change. He said that Guatemala city is the provo of central america. He said that there is a mormon church every 2 or 3 blocks. Thats suprising I had no clue. Thats awesome though im excited. I got an email today from somebody from guatemala at the mtc. It was all in spanish though so hope there wasnt anything too important in it. We already have are travel plans, I don't remember if I told you. We leave tuesday at 6 to la. Then we get to Guatemala city at 6 in the morning the next day. There is actually like ten kids going with us to guatemala. We have met some sisters and a couple elders that are going there. It is freezing here, I cant wait to get back in the warmth. And my lips are always chapped here, so I cant wait for the humidity. And to play soccer at the mtc there. Here I have playing basketball. ( don't worry my hand is perfectly fine, It hasn't hurt since ive been in the mtc, except the first day). I am really bad at basketball though. My companion is really good. He played when he was younger. He can make three like its nobody business. To get into a game you have to make a free throw. Since ive been here for a while now, I have gotten really good at making free throws, so I get to play now but then I cant really do much after that. Yesterday I had a amusing experiance. The new missionaires showed up wednesday and so the first day they played basketball we shot for teams and I swished it right off and everyone was like woow that kid must be good. Then they soon found out that i could just make free throws because i have been doing it for 15 days in around but that I cant do anything else. I did get to see Marshall Deem yesterday. Didn't get to talk much because i was going to dinner and he was leaving. So we just said hi, how you doing, bye. Oh I had one question for ryan and andrea? Is andrea's brother still here thats going to brazil or has he left for st. george yet. I see this elder witaker all the time. I feel bad for the missionarys going to brazil. None of them have made it there. There is a district that just got reassinged to st. george. I think all of them go to st.george for some reason. But if they don't get there visas in 6 months they get permenently reassinged somewhere. I don't even have a visa yet. You don't need one to get into guatemala and can live there 60 days without one. So I think I will get one once im there at the guatemala mtc. The food here is great. Its really good. This morning for bereakfast we went to the temple cafteria before our vistit. I got biscuts and gravy, and bacon, and hashbrowns. That also was really really good. My companions and the other kid in our room elder brandons mom are so funny. They remind me of you mom. Elder Brandons mom makes cookies every sunday and mails him like 5 pounds of cookies on monday. ELder hymas my companion gets a package like every other day of random candy and stuff. He has gotten burritos and pizza, and drinks, and cookies, and random stuff like that. Their moms don't understand how much food we eat at every meal. We're so full. Candy is always nice though. Right now we have cookies from both of their moms stacked up in a pile in the corner of the room. I don't think we will ever finish it. We always feel bad though when we get stuff though cause the one other elder brixey has only gotten a few letters and no packages so we always give him tons of our food. Plus he loves candy and gladly eats it all. We call him the candyman. Spanish is coming along okay. Im learning more. We have learned most of the teneses now and I understand them, but you have to conjugate things as your speaking, I cant do that yet. I have to sit down and take out some paper and take a minute and figure it out. Then I can say it. I can kinda talk and have a little conversation. I can talk about familes and extend and check up on commitments a little bit.

 

Farewell, Elder Gardner.

Brandon's second letter from the MTC

This morning we got to go to the temple. It was really nice, especially because you just have to sit there and do nothing and watch and listen. Today is p-day, but it is not really a break from anything, we still have personal study, companion study, and then we went to the temple, now I am writing this, then I will do my laundry, then we have more class at night after dinner, so it’s not too much of a break from activity. We’re still really busy. The week has flown by so fast. I feel like  I just wrote you a letter one or two days ago.

Nathan, that’s awesome that Gavin is walking and kicking soccer balls now. Wish I could be there to play soccer with him. Mom and Dad yes I did get my raincoat. It’s really nice and warm and the liner comes out so it’s small and light. Spanish is coming along little by little, I can kind of get to know someone now depending on how they answer and if it’s simple to understand. I memorized the present tense conjugations this morning. But there are 13 different forms so I have a lot more to do. I have begun to be very tired every morning and night but during the day I wake up. During gym time I play basketball. Last week I didn't get to play much since you have to make a free throw to get into the game and I wasn't good at making free throws. But in one week I have gotten a lot better at shooting free throws and yesterday I made like 4 or 5 of them. So I got to play the whole hour instead of standing around. Nobody that I know has every been to Guatemala besides my branch president. But he went there 40 or so years ago so I am sure a lot has changed. He told us that when they would come home from lunch they would take showers and change shirts everyday because they were soaking wet. My companion and everybody in our district is freaking out about how hot it is and how humid it is. Since we live in Illinois where it is always 90-100% humidity, I don't really see it being much more humid. You can’t get more than 100%. But ill find out in two weeks. We got our travel plans yesterday. We leave on Tuesday the 22. Everybody on our floor was mad with us, they want to get out of this place and on their missions. Some of the people on our floor are being kept because of visas and things. There is a district of 6 that has been here 11 weeks now. So they are kind of jealous that I am leaving and I just showed up. One elder compared the travel office to heaven. You know its there but you can’t go inside until it is your time to leave. Everyone here is just in a happy mood all the time and so everyday is hilarious. Every meal and every night I and my district die laughing about something. The batch of new elders going to Guatemala showed up on Wednesday. That was really fun and exciting not to be the newbie’s anymore. It’s nice to be walking around and hear someone that can't speak any Spanish any better than me.  Last week it seemed like everyone was fluent but now I know better. Thanks to sis j and everybody and also dad for the packages. It was really nice to get some. My room can barely eat all of the food we’re getting in packages.

Mom and dad can you get me Joseph and Johns, and Primo's addresses. And anybody elses, plus my brothers.

Love, Elder Gardner.

Elder Gardner Enters the MTC

If you look closely at this picture, through my eyes, you will see Elder Gardner saying goodby to his brothers but you will notice the Savior in the background, welcoming him to his service with open arms.  I guess only a sentimental father would get that at first glance. 

It seemed that the world was conspiring against us, but Brandon (Elder Gardner) made it to the MTC on time, sort of.  Here is the story.  Monday night as we were driving to President Holt's home to have Brandon set apart as a missionary, it started to rain and then ice pellets started falling.  Brandon and his brother Ben were supposed to fly out Tuesday evening (Feb 2nd) and spend the night in Salt Lake City with Brandon's brothers and then report at 1 p.m. to the MTC in Provo.  We watched the weather closely and realized there was no way he was getting out of St. Louis that evening.  We moved his ticket to 10 a.m. hoping he would get out before the storm but no luck with that either.  The St. Louis airport closed and cancelled all flights for the rest of the day.  We talked, planned, prayed, and decided to jump in the car and drive to Louisville KY.  Southwest was great and got us a flight for Tuesday night that was going to work out well.  Ben, Brandon and I drove to Louisville.  The highways were icing and nasty but we went.  Finally it turned from ice to rain but then the fog set in.  I was going 80 mph and hoping we didn't die.  We arrived at the airport with exactly an hour to spare...when we arrived at the gate we realized that Louisville is on Eastern Time.  The door was just closing for the flight and they had given our seats away to stand by passengers.  I begged but couldn't muster the magic to convince them to let Brandon on the flight.  Southwest did put us on a flight to Birmingham Alabama with a promise to get the boys to Salt Lake on Wednesday.  I got us a hotel and we spent the night.  At 6 a.m. I put the boys on a flight to Phoenix with a connection to Salt Lake.  The arrived early enough to get stand by seats on an earlier flight to Salt Lake.  They arrived at 12:25 and Nathan and Ryan met them along with Andrea, Brooke, and Gavin.  They all drove down to the MTC together and arrived only an hour late. 

The regular crowd had already checked in so the boys all got to take some pictures and help Brandon into the building with his bags.  They took a few more pictures and said their goodbyes. Thank you all for your love and interest in Brandon and his success.  We love you all.     Scott

PS:  Brandon thought this last picture was hilarious.  They are redoing the soccor fields but the wording could lead you to think something else.

 Here is Brandon's first letter to us.  I think he is going to do great. 

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Thanks dad for leaving me a note for when I got here but, my district leader didn't know what mailbox to check for 3 days so I didnt get it till friday. It has been an on going joke to bug him about getting our mail. The mtc is awesome!!!! I love it. My companion is Elder Hymas. He is from Sandy Utah or somewhere around there. He is awesome. My whole distict is really cool. The two other kids in my room are Elder Brandon (haha), and Elder Brinksy. Elder Brandon is hillarious, he is from spanish fork utah. He can see his house from the higher buildings and the temple, thats crazy. Elder Brinksy is from Dallas texas, He is super tall but he is quiet and shy. Elder Brinsky, me, and one other person in our district are the only ones that have not taken spanish in high school. So it is hard because everyone else can speak now and do lots of things that we can't. But i'm learning a lot and learning slowly but surely. I can say a short prayer and bear a short testimony in spanish. I can talk to someone and get to know them a little bit. Most people here are tight. Everbody is really nice, and friendly. There is the occasional goober that is a debbie downer and hates every minute of it. This kid on our floor always tells us how the showers are freezing and how the food is bad and how days take forever and how long everyrthing takes. But me and my roomates think that everthing is the opposite. Nice hot showers, amazing food, the days are flying by. Then again when I look back on it, it seems like I have been here for weeks. But the days themselves fly by. Jason thanks for writing me your testimony is spanish and making me feel how much that I don't know!! ha. I picked out a couple of words. Then I got debbie downer to translate it for me since he was in our room doing nothing, ha. Everything is going great though. Can you email this to everybody that wants it. I am trying to think of what else you would want to here, I only have 30 minuets to write, and now only 15.

My testimony in spanish, is

So que es el libro de mormon is verdadero, so que es jesucristo el salvador, estoy agradacido por familia, en el numbre de jesucristo amen.

I have gained 15 pounds since i have been here, haha not.