Provo MTC Week 1

 

From: Spencer Shepherd <spencer.shepherd@myldsmail.net>
Date: January 24, 2015 at 6:24:17 PM CST

Subject: First Email​

​
​Waz Up Everybody!!!

I finally made it to P-Day! While I am in the MTC, my P-Day will be on Saturday.

So this week has been a roller coaster, mainly because its the start of the mission. I already like the MTC a whole lot! My companion is a guy named Elder Biddulph (pronounced Bid-off) he is a 18 year old from Salt Lake City (lived there all his life), he has already served a three month mission in Pocatello, Idaho, so he will leave Arizona a few months before me(Ohh yeah, we are serving in the same mission). He and I get along great, there never really is a dull moment, because we both try to be funny in front of the Hermanas...lol. He got his call while he was serving around eight months ago. So he went home and had plenty of time to study the language. He is a Spanish genius. As for the rest of my district, my companion and I live with two other guys who are going to be serving in Montreal. Canada. They both got here three days before us, because they are both foreign, and both of their flights were really really early. 

One is a guy named Elder Feth, he is 18 and turns 19 in a few days. He knows Spanish inside and out, and sometimes teaches the class. He is from Canada, and so he was "overjoyed" to see that he would be going to a different part of the country. He knows three languages, he knows French, English, Portuguese, and technically a fourth Spanish. He was called as our district leader the second night I got here. He is a really cool guy, and is really friendly. 

The last Elder in our district is Elder Safarov. He is Russian, but has lived all over the place. He was born in Georgia (the country) and then moved to Russia, France, and Belgium. He speaks 7 languages. He knows French, Portuguese, Argentinian, broken English, Spanish, and I forget the rest. Ill let yall know in another e-mail. 

Anyway, the sisters (they prefer hermanas) in our district are really awesome as well. Two are from Arizona, and are serving in Spain, and the other two are serving in Montreal Canada, just like the other set of elders. One of them is Herman Dexter. Hermana Dexter is from a small island somewhere near Tahiti. Anyway, she does not know English. The only way to talk with her is through French and Spanish. So the night we met our Branch President, he said nobody was to talk in English around her ever again...... Wait What!!!!!!!!!\

This has only motivated me, because the other Elders speak really good Spanish, I am about the only one who needs to step up to the plate. It is hear that I say this. 

I BELIEVE 1000% IN THE GIFT OF TONGUES.

When I got here I only knew some vocabulary. Today, I can hold a conversation pretty well, and I can read and write Spanish really well. I am so glad Heavenly Father is helping me with the language, because Wednesday, I was scared to death. 

Anyway, my district is predicted to be one of the best that comes through the MTC. We all are in amazing standing with the language, and we all get along no problem. We also were the only district, to have all companionship's get a return visit with some volunteer investigators. Haza!!

Anyway, things are going pretty great, as long as I can keep learning Spanish like I am already doing. I love Utah, except for this horrible cold weather. I have the clothes to make it through, but this morning me and my companion went to workout, and it was 19 degrees outside. It is ridiculous!!! I cant wait to get to Arizona and feel the heat again. I miss you all, and hope everything is nothing but awesome in Texas. I'll try to get some letters sent out, but I wont make any promises. So.... talk to yall next Saturday. Adios. 

In the picture of me and the other three missionaries, they are as follows. From Left to Right, Elder Safarov, Elder Biddulph, Yours Truly, and Elder Feth.



Hola Mi Madre,

Sorry, this is the first time I have gotten in contact with yall, its just that everything at the MTC is super busy all the time. Me and the other missionaries in my district have yet to go to bed on time (10:30). Anyway, the Spanish is going great, I didn't really know much when I got here, but now I am able to speak, write, receive, and read pretty well in Espanol. Anyway, my companion and I get along great. His name is Easton Biddulph (pronounced Bid-off). He already served a three month mission in Pocatello Idaho, and he got his call eight months ago. So he already has a very good ability to do everything with Spanish. He is a great guy and he has a great testimony. He has lived in Salt Lake City his whole life, and we can see his Grandmas house from our apartment. We do keep our room clean, and I have become famous in our zone, because a majority of the missionaries in the zone are being called to Texas, so they love asking me questions and keep trying to learn as much as possible. Also, I am known very well, because I am continuing a line of Elder Shepherds in Spanish speaking missions. The Elder shepherd before is a really cool guy, and he leaves next Wednesday for Argentina; I think. Ill let you know the concrete details in a later e-mail. Anyway, a lot of time is dedicated to scripture study, and in my study, me and my companion came across the following. 

What you do is read Isaiah 29:11, and immediately after, read Joseph Smith History verses 63, 64, and 65. Ill let you tell me what you think, but I found it to be pretty awesome!!

Anyway, I am going to send a group e-mail, so ill put more in that, I love you, dad, and... yes Jaimen, Bryson, and Eli. I hope everything is great, and I hope recovery is going well. 

Love yall. Sincerely Elder Shepherd.

P.s. Also I really have felt that I need to have my friend Bethany Craft on my e-mail list. She is the one whose e-mail I forgot. Also I am glad you already to knew about Dear Elder. Anyway Love Yall and bye!!