Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 7:26 am
Subject: Finally P-Day!
Dear Family,
I apologize for the tardiness of my initial response. These first few days have been so hectic, so my companion (Elder Ragan, and I (like David Ragan)) have been constantly overwhelmed by all of the activity you are required to take part of here at the MTC. While Dad may have spilled on his shirt after Weinersnchitzel, I had unsettling stomach effects. To say the least those first couple of days weren't fun. Health wise the food here keeps me going to el Bono (Squigly over the n). TMI, but what everyone has said about the food is true. To answer Leighton's question about the chocolate milk, it's amazing! All I need to do, is add some 2% to make it Celestial. I was glad to here about the snow down there, I hope I can see the snowman, and the aftermath of the neighborhood snow quarrel. Oh, and tell Donny that if I was there I would make sure that the cars would have survie the collapse of Everest.
I guess you guys want to know about my companyero. He is from Urda, Utah. Just above Toole, and is about Dad's height. Build strong (he played football in high school), he can most definatly outrun me when we are going/ in gym. He counters my unorganized self very well. When we are planning he makes sure that every hour we are doing something, while I would have just implied something for a time. It's great to have him, we are both picking up on the first lesson quite quickly; Spanish, he far surrpasses me. He's had about 5 years with the Spanish language compared to my zero, so he's been patient, and has been spoon feeding me the language. Although this doesn't mean I'm not picking it up. I'm pretty sure I know more Spanish than I ever did French.
So the Christmas lights are down, and Tanner didn't get "ground-pounded"? It's a Christmas miracle! It's just to bad we didn't get T to tak down (and put up) the Festivus Pole. I really wanted to get some feats of strength in! It's great to hear Quick survived the St. George Snow epidemic. (Feed the Dog). Even though Dad has wrote me, I'm still trying to figure out how he got to ward choir!? I thought this was all a one time thing to appease me. Well tell Bob hi for me, I have to say I love him and his wife. I just wish I could meet his son.
So, there wasn't much of a hub-ub over new years. (I didn't get the package from dearelder until just yesterday, nevertheless the Sparkling Cider was a great) Until we got back to the dorm. Wow, I saw so many different personalities come out in my fellow Elders! Pictures are a scasity that you won't be getting ahold of, but we are going to the temple today, and I will do my best to get a picture sent home with my companions and district. I mentioned my companion before. He is a really cool guy, I wouldn't trade him for any other companions because we really work well together (he is going to the same mission as me). But keep him in your prayers. Something is on his mind, and it really shows when certain subjects pop-up. I know the power of prayer for sure since being here at the MTC. My Testimony just keeps growing and becomes more solidified, day after day.
Yesterday we had Elder Baxter from the Seventy, and his wife address us at a devotional. He really emphasised that we are a Christian church. He did a good job of squelching the regular rumors you hear about the church. I felt sort-of Vulcan, I felt this logically was great, but some of the people in my district were moved by this Devotional. They attribute it to the Hymns we sang... Me I was too busy figuring out that one of the songs was an excerpt from "Jupiter' from Gustav Holst's the planets. Maybe music is now my crutch.
I wish I could be eating sushi with you guys, but I will stick to the food here that could possibly make a bomb. But I know I need to be here, and that's a fact. I keep reaffirming to myself each day that this church is true, I won't deny it. The Book of Mormon completes the gospel, and Joseph Smith Divinely translated it. I send my love to you all, and please pass my love on. (in other words please tell people to write me.) (one of the elders compared mail to gold, it is so true) I love you all, and can't wait to hear from you again.
Elder Ipson
