July 12, 2016~~~First official email from the Provo MTC

Well the MTC has been quite the adventure. It has been very educational. I miss everyone so much along with gym shorts, private bathrooms and naps. The MTC residency is like a college dorm. Just last night people were jousting with couches and broomsticks yelling and filming, then they got yelled at... it is so weird because I feel like a boy and like everyone is older than me when I am just as old as them. Grant it I do look two years younger with short hair, but at least short hair makes showering quicker. Here it is amazing how quickly you become friends with people. Everyone is so nice. My companion's name is Elder Hacking. We get along and make a pretty good pair I think. My other two roomates who are also going to the same mission are names Martinez and Latu. In a couple days we ended up getting super close and it's quite fun being together. They got everyone in the zone to call me Elder Sandman. The MTC is consisted of a lot of studying, about six hours of studying, six hours of classes and lectures, and a few hours of other stuff. The sleeping schedule is killing me as well holy cow. My short attention span is not very hepful in these situations so sometimes I think the district can get annoyed when Elder Latu and I start laughing at nothing because we are losing our minds. Many of you ask if it like EFY, my answer is no. At EFY you don't have an extremely stict and stressful schedule, you can also talk to girls without having to watch every little thing you say or else your shunned even if it innocent, if you accidentally brush a girl's shoulder you need to repent here. But that doesnt matter what I am complaining about because what I have come to learn is that a mission is not about me it is about everyone else. When Christ was persecuted and the natural man would turn towards themselves, he turned out, it is always about others. But our district gets along really well. We have the best one here. I have taught some lessons to investigators who may or may not be members even though I am sure most of them are, but they are convincing. It is awesome becasue I am learing to be attentive to the spirit as to what to say. Something I noticed is that when you do not start of the lesson with a prayer it is harder to teach and less satisfying. So that is neat. These days have gone by SO LONG like oh my life I swear I need to be two weeks into my mission already but it hasnt even been a week. But I am excited to go on the field. The South has been prophecied to have over a million members and the Southern Baptists will be our closest allies in the last days and I will be a part of that, so my mission is better than yours. Just kidding, everyone loves their mission. Anyways my companion is getting on me because I have gone over the recommended hour of email time so I have to wrap this up. I appologize for the typos and mispellings but I do not have time to fix them all. I love you guys and miss y'all. And don't be afraid to call me Seth when you write me, I miss hearing that delightful name.

Love Seth Sanders