The First Email.

5/22/2014 Alright so I have a ton on my mind that I want to write about, and I can't remember it all so I am just gonna go! Ok so its crazy how this week has gone! So my companions name is Elder Cummings! Super awesome guy! He is really quiet, and pretty spiritual. We don't have a lot in common but we still connect somehow! haha Ok so right when I walked into the MTC Uncle Lane was right there! and I walked up to him and said hola Brother Steinagel and he looked at me all weird and then realized it was me. it was pretty funny. So then right after that Our hosts took us to the West Campus which is where all the Spanish speaking missionaries are. We were all talking about where we were from, and then this other Elder said wait you are from Stansbury? I used to live there. and I looked at his name tag and it was Keith Staples!!! It was crazy! We got a picture so you are gonna have to get it from his mom somehow haha. But that was insane! So then we jumped right into Spanish. Which was pretty overwhelming, it finally hit me that in order to teach, I had to learn how to understand what this woman was saying... Wow! Spanish is coming along pretty well I feel like. on the third day we had to teach a 20 minute discussion in spanish... Ya I got a lot of blank stares haha, but we teach a lesson everyday. And yesterday we couldn't use any notes. Just go haha I feel like it turned out better because we used more feeling. But we also didn't use complete sentences. But its been really fun trying to learn spanish. We came up with a game to learn. When we aren't in the classroom, we do english fasts. And every word you say in english is a push up. It was a lot of fun! And it worked really well! But the branch president said he didn't like the idea because the MTC is a place to make mistakes and we shouldn't punish ourselves. So we stopped. But we still try and do english fasts without the punishments! It doesn't work as well but hey! I tried to do my english phrases in spanish, and my teacher called me a gringo. I was saying Fresco Frioles. Which is cool beans. apparently thats not a thing in Mexico... Ok so our second day here, mi companiero, and I got called as Zone Leaders... apparently thats a big calling. It's not that we are high speed Elders, it is more that we are the only Elders right now. haha well there are four of us and ten sisters. But when the summer rush comes from all the high school kids. Its going to grow a ton! So I get to be their ZL and I know just as much as they do! haha, it is going to be a pretty epic adventure. Hmmm lets see, I am trying to remember all the questions in your letter... Which was awesome by the way! Ok the food is really good here! But it is so hard to eat healthy! They have sooo many sweets and I just can't resist! haha and my companion doesn't run so when we play soccer, I play really hard to burn off all the donuts. I really need to work on that! haha. Alright so this week was super super slow. But it was super super great! Which is really weird that it went slow. But it is so great to constantly be surrounded by the gospel. it is super hard, but super super happy! I came up with this quote on accident. In the MTC, when the days are crappy(excuse my language), you still are happy :) I don't think that's proper grammar but it flows. But anyways. I am extremely happy here! Loving it! Of course I miss home but I still haven't been home sick. So I am extremely stoked about that. Ok, so every Sunday and Tuesday are devotionals. and this last Sunday was an amazing one! So we watched a video called the Character of Christ by David A. Bednar. It is LIFE CHANGIIIIIING! If you can watch it, do so. It is so so so great! I could write an hour about that itself but i don't have time. So I was all pumped from this video, and then... ELDER BEDNAR HIMSELF walks in!!! :D He gets up on the stand we totally had a question and answer time with him! Just any question! He is so funny! And so knowledgable! This one sister asked another one of those why don't girls get the priesthood questions. And he said some stuff, and then gave this example. The priesthood is like an umbrella, everyone standing under it gets to use it and has the benefit of it. and then he said, oh ya and the guy gets the assignment to hold the umbrella. haha I thought that was funny, then she said ok but is there a scripture that says this? And he said, well ya they are living. haha It was just so great! I really wish you could have experienced this devotional. Haha but apparently I missed Elder Holland by one week and like four other quorum of the twelve members. Which is super rare! Anyways! I am doing amazing! Loving it! Sounds like you are a well. I hope I covered everything in your letter! Haha Love you guys so much! Oh and Sister, feel free to edit my punctuation and grammar for me. :) I didn't really care much... at all. haha Love ya! -Elder Sladers! (Sidenote from Jamie: I'm not going to edit these emails, even though he said I can. I want this to be PURE AUSTIN.)