First full week in the MTC!

Hey everyone!

I'm doing good here in Provo. The week has been really long. I love my zone so much, but my district not so much. It sucks because your district are the Elders and Sisters that you are constantly with, 24/7. The zone only really sees each other at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and on Sundays. I just don't have anyone I really relate to in my district. The only thing I have in common with some of them is that they're from Utah. Maybe it's just the thing where if you're around only the same people for so long you just get sick of them? I hope that's not the case though, because it's only been a week hahahah. Anyway, anytime I get to be around other Elders and Sisters in my zone, I take it! I like them a lot and I have similar personalities to most of them. Sometimes I think I was put into the wrong district because of how much I like the other districts, but I'm pretty sure God put me in the one I'm in because I needed to learn tolerance. 

At the beginning of the week, they gave us a lesson about how we should only write positive things in our emails so that people don't hear the negatives and decide to not go on missions. I think that's dumb. I think honesty is the best policy, and missions are definitely not all positive. I also think that if someone decides not to go on a mission because someone made it seem too hard, it's not the missionary's fault... It's the person's testimony and they're probably just using other's experiences as an excuse.

I'm literally surviving here off of my humor. Every now and then I have to crack a joke just to relieve some stress and ease my mind. I have my good days and my bad days with my companion. We've had really good companionship study and sometimes the spirit is really strong between the two of us, but whenever we're not in public, he changes. 

On Sunday we had a really good sacrament meeting. They randomly ask Elders and Sisters to give talks in French without knowing. It was kind of scary, but luckily I wasn't called on. Afterwards, we had a meeting called "Match the Message". It was mostly focused on our appearance. It wasn't my favorite thing because they told us things like "no talking to any females unless it's about something religious", "no pranks", "no humor" (???), "no fun socks", "no ties with any design besides stripes", etc. The humor one really got me. I felt like they were asking us to throw away our personalities and become clones of one another. Obviously, I'm keeping my humor though, so don't worry haha. For example, the other night I did a really good Gollum (sorry if I butchered the spelling, no Google here) impersonation in front of all the Elders before bed, so I'm obviously still attempting to be a funny person. Don't worry about me changing in that way haha. Sunday night I participated in the choir... BEST PART OF MY DAY. The choir director is so funny and I love music. It helped me take my mind off of things. Best way to finish a day. 

Every day we've been teaching an investigator in French. That's been really tricky recently, especially because I don't know that much French. Every time me and my companion do it I get really nervous. I can say a prayer in French though which is always nice. Our last lesson went really well and he decided to get baptized (even though he is just an actor). 

Yesterday, they told everyone in my zone that we're going to be tested next Tuesday. Each companionship has to give two 20 minute lessons back-to-back in French with real, less active members of the church. That really intimidated me. I know the spirit will be with us, but speaking the language for that long and trying to understand what they're saying to us is still a little scary. 

Every day that goes by is long and has its ups and downs, but I know that I am where God wants me to be. My testimony has been strengthened so much since I've been here, and I love that aspect about the MTC. Even though I don't really enjoy the people I'm with all the time, most of the people here are really good, fun people. Sometimes I think, "Oh boy, what did I get myself into for 2 years?" hahah. But all is well and I really think I have already started growing as a person. I just keep in mind that everyone else is in the same boat I'm in and it's perfectly normal to think things like this.

The best thing I've found to keep me going are funny memories from back home. Thinking about them always brings a smile to my face and keeps my motivation up. So if you have any funny memories with me, PLEASE send them over. I'd love to be reminded of them. 

It seems as if the whole MTC is sick right now. I just got sick a couple of days ago and it has been pretty bad. The busy schedules do take your mind off of yourself and onto the work, though... so sometimes I forget I'm actually really sick haha. 

The temple is always the highlight of my week, and I'm blessed to be able to go to one every P Day. We have to wake up at 5 to go, but it really is the best way to start your day and I encourage all of you to do it sometime. 

For the most part, this week has been really good. Don't let this email fool you haha. It's easier for people (like myself) to focus on the negative than on the positives and I'm still learning how to not do that. 

I really hope next week's email will be a little more positive. Just know that I'm safe, and doing what I need to be doing. My tolerance for other people has already improved, and I'm sure it will improve even more as time goes on. Sorry if this email was really scatter brained. My mind has been fried this week from the busy schedule and all of the learning.

Stay tuned for next week's episode of The Real Missionaries of the MTC ;) 

Au revoir, 

Elder Anderson 

Pictures: Me and the ADAM MURRAY, The solar eclipse (some old guy gave a talk about it on tuesday and said it the sky was "twilight"... All I could think of was Twilight Eclipse LOL (the 3rd installment of the Twilight franchise)), Me and Elder Mills (from my FIJI trip). Sorry there's not a lot of pics, I'll for sure take more next week. 

Letter #1- Première semaine dans le MTC

Bonjour tout le monde! 

I've only been in the MTC for three days, but my Preparation Day is on Friday so that's why you're getting this e-mail now. The first day was definitely better than I thought it would be. I didn't really feel homesick or anything which was really good for me. The employees at the MTC are really nice, so that helps as well. The language is bugging me, because I really want to know what my instructor is teaching us/telling us to do (the teachers are instructed to only speak French in class unless you REALLY need help). The good thing about them only speaking French is that it forces the students to learn it a little faster. I also think I did too well on my language evaluation test the MTC gave me a few months ago, because they put me in the ADVANCED class (NOOOOOOOOO). 

There are only three other missionaries who are in my class that haven't taken more than 5 years of French in school. There's another French class that most of the missionaries at my level are in. I wish I could be in there, but maybe I'll learn better this way? It's just a little more stressful moving at a faster pace, if you ask me. 

My companion is getting better each day. The first day I didn't really like him, but then he complimented my style, so I decided to give him another chance.

My favorite people in my class are from England. They are going to the Lyon mission. I stick by them most of the time. There's also an Elder in my class that looks just like a teenage Ricky Schroeder (my mom's 16 year old self is dying right now) LOL. But literally, he looks like a clone. He's taken 6 years of French, living in different countries and getting private tutors. He's the perfect example of the type of people in my class. 

The schedule is confusing for the most part, but I'll get used to it eventually. Every day goes by so slowly. It feels like I've been here for a week or two. Every missionary gives me a different time period of when it gets better. Some say, "just make it to Sunday". Others say, "wait until your third week". I don't know when time will start going by faster, I just hope it's sooner rather than later because I CAN'T wait to get to FRANCE! 6 weeks is a long time, but the MTC is good for me. 

I was made senior companion last night and my zone went to the temple together to do an endowment session this morning. The temple was really good and gave me a break from all the chaos. 

In my personal study yesterday, I read the story of King Noah and Abinadi. Abinadi is such a good example of a good missionary. The people literally wanted to kill him, but he kept going back to teach the gospel. That's how much he loved the people. Even though they hated him, he wouldn't give up on them. It also shows how much he loved God. 

In Mosiah 12:1 it says, "...after the space of two years that Abinadi came among them in disguise, that they knew him not...". This was two years after he first came to preach unto the people. He came back and they didn't recognize him. His countenance had changed. I related that back to myself. I really hope that I've changed to the point that when I get back in 2 years people see a different spirit to me. 

For all of you Riverton kids, I have met up with Elder Murray, Elder Diedie, Elder Milne, Elder Nelson, Elder Shipley, and Elder Urie (hopefully I'm not missing anyone). They're all doing FANTASTIC and I hope I can live up to the example that they're setting for me. 

Everyone, please email me!!! I'd love to hear how you're all doing. Send pictures of you doing fun stuff. I want to keep up on your lives, especially any of you that are going to be getting married in the next 2 years (I want to know about it)! 

If I'm forgetting anything, I'll definitely put it in the next email.

Au revoir!

-Elder Anderson :)

Wednesday, August 16th, 2017

This was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. We spent months preparing Connor for his mission, but nothing prepares the family for the "drop-off". It was SO bittersweet. We know he will be an amazing missionary, and that the Lord needs him in France, but letting him go was so hard.

See you in two, Elder Anderson!!!