Elder Bennion in the MTC

Ok can i just say the day we dropped calvin off at the MTC he was SO excited. We were all trying to be like:
"oh calvy we are going to miss you!"
"oh calvy hug me a million times because i'll miss you for 2 years"
"oh calvy look moms crying again"
"oh calvy i love you so much here take a selfie with me for my instagram"
"oh calvy you were always my favorite brother... yeah"
"oh calvy lets drive around the mtc one more time... mom said she's not ready yet"
"oh calvy write us every day, every minute, every second, dont forget about us!!"

and this is calvins reaction
GET ME TO THE MTC!! very loudly like volume 10 on a scale of 5.
so sorry mom if you were expecting a more touching good bye ;) he was READY to go.

  but we really do miss him but dropping him off was a really fun day. bitter sweet doesn't really describe the feeling... its more like "overwhelmed with pride and fear" at the same time. you wouldn't want him any where else but we are also all a little nervous. just because he's the first. its a new experience for all of us.
seeing so many missionaries lined up on the side walk waiting for the new missionaries to arrive was the most comforting and spiritually overwhelming sight i had ever seen. We were so proud to be dropping off one more stripling warrior in this fight to share the gospel. We got one last hug and an i love you and then we drove off.

the car ride home was really weird. we didn't really know what to say to each other. then it was time to wait for the first letter and of course my moms personal favorite PICTUUUURES! :)

First Email:

Hey, my P-Day is on Wednesday. I'm still alive. My Zone Leaders are really cool. No news on Visas yet, but it sounds like we are just waiting for the Ethiopian ones. So hopefully we get out of here ASAP. It is very spiritual here. I'm learning so much, but teaching "converts" fake ones and roll playing is very hard and really frustrating. I feel like all the people they are teaching us how to teach will help us none whatsoever. but im trying to see the blessing and I love how much time we get for Personal Scripture study Hopefully I can get the hang of it. Also the food sucks, and for some reason my district never showers. Just this afternoon was the first time the since I've been here. Well this isn't a real P-Day so I don't get to send you much. I love and miss all of you very much, please keep praying for me!

Week 2:

Mom,

I like it when you send questions, that makes it easier to know what to say back!

Well I'll just tell you a little bit about my life here. Everything is freezing cold! Elder Beardall thinks it feels good to turn our residence room and our class room temperature down as low as it will go. I freezing all day everyday! Its actually so cold that I caught a cold! So Ive felt pretty miserable since last Wednesday. Visa Update.. They called us in to the travel office today to sign Uganda Visa Applications. Which means they are re sending them. We are here for at least another week, and will be reciving our temporary re-assignments possibly this week. they food is bad because nothing is ever hot, its just lukewarm. and everything tastles the same. they tell us that its an egg or a burger but it all just tastes like unfrozen cardboard. i love it! I like Elder Peterson!  sometimes if we are just waiting somewhere he just drops down and does push ups right in his church clothes. My scripture bag is also falling apart.. Elder Peterson has one from a brand called "Patagonia" its really cool, and I want one really bad. Its big enough to hold a regular sized note book and PMG manual, but its not a huge teaching bag, it has a one shoulder strap and a fold over, buckle down flap. also has a little reflecter strip on it. if you can find one in Tan, please please send it to me!! my scripture bag is busting at the seams already.

Well I'll be here at the MTC for a while longer so ill keep sending letters home as i find things to write about. I love and miss you so much! till next week!

Elder Bennion

Week 3:

Mommy!

No visa/re-assignment info yet hopefully tomorrow. They will let us email to tell you where and when we are headed out. Comic Con sounded awesome, Mine and my Jurassic Park car's dream was to be in Comic Con.. oh well maybe later :)

Are you sharing your treats that I send down? I hope so. Haha

A: Yes! of course. I get sent way to much to eat all that myself!

Did they give you a flu shot?

A: Nope

What is your Sunday’s like?

A: Sundays are awesome. We get a ton of personal study time, then we go to priesthood and sacrament. Then more personal study time. Then we walk to the temple. Then we go to a devotional. The speaker is usually a seventies. Then Everyone gets to pick what Video they want to watch, there is 4 different ones playing each week and you go sit in a room and watch them. First one was Character of Christ, then we watched a biography of Thomas S Monsen, then last Sunday we went a saw The Testaments: of one fold of one sheperd. it was amazing. I really love sundays.

Describe a normal day?

A: Wake up, exercise, breakfast, shower, class 3 hours, lunch, class 3 hours, zone teaching, personal/companion study, write home, ready for bed, bed. SOOOOOOO FUUUUNNN!!!!

Have you been a sidewalk greeter? Have you ever seen the missionary again that greeted you?

A: No, thats only the missionarys that are here for 6-9 weeks, yes i saw him but only once.

Have you seen any of your friends?

A: Shaylor, Jack Zarbock, Mckay Nilsson, David Ju, Hunter Hansen. I've also had kids come up to me and say they recognized me form Lacrosse (Camps and Playing Jordan) but i didnt know any of them haha

What’s one new thing you have learned this week?

A: Gods promises are always fulfilled, found a cool scripture story the other day I'll send it when i have my scripture notebook on me.

Also ask Carter about the letter i just sent him. Its a pretty cool one i hope he understands it!

Well funny story of this week. we have new teachers Bro Barker and Bro Staley. they are both awesome! Love them. anyways We were doing so class study with out the teacher because he wasnt there yet. Then Elder Taylor farted in our class (as usual, it smelled like death!) so our class smelled like straight crap! Then we decide to close the door so that the smell will stay for when brother Staley got then. He came in and totally was trying to ignore it tell he gave up and we SWITCHED classrooms! hahaha sooo funny we were all dying!

so there you have it! Calvins days at the MTC. my mom will do another post about all the boys he's served with. He's making friends (we are so proud) haha. we love this kid. his letters are sometimes a little blunt but he seems to be enjoying himself and is growing spiritually so fast and so much already! we couldn't be more proud! Coming up next Calvins in UGANDA! stay tuned...

love,

big sister Lexie.