*Just a quick disclaimer. Actually confession. Yesterday morning we received the first letters home from Jed. In all it totalled 6 emails and 2 handwritten letters. One big letter, and a lot of little responses to questions we had sent him. I was starting to think Jed was a slacker, and didn't like us. Mainly due to thinking his P-day (preparation day) was on Mon. Well it's on Thurs. thank goodness, and he didn't forget us. I had sent a hasty blast to my oldest son to tell him what a dirty rotten son of a gun he was and sent a little reminder of his home address. Thurs. morning I ate some humble pie. I sent 2 packages to make up for my mean spirited letters, and I hope Jed will forgive me. So here's the best first letter ever:)
Dear Family!
Well I can't get pics so i had to imagine them. (I sent a few pictures from the week, but he can't get them in the MTC) I'm kept busy all day every day. I wake up at 6:15 cuz breakfast is at 6:45 and I have to eat to survive. The food honestly is horrible. Box cereal for breakfast, Cobb salad for lunch, and ham and peas for dinner. AND THATS EVERY DAY! But it's fun being with all the Elders and gossiping like little old women. I've sent you a couple letters so I don't know why nothing has come to you guys. My mission won't have access to the Facebook or iPads until about two months after we come home because no one has a computer and technology will get stolen in a heartbeat.
The days here are full of stuff. After breakfast we have two blocks of class time which are three hours each. Then we have lunch and study time and then we have dinner at 4. So since dinner is so early we hide leftover box cereal and salads into our clothes and drop them off at the apartment for REAL dinner time. I'm teaching an investigator and he only speaks Albanian so it is super hard but super fun. He has to use his hands a lot but I guess everyone in Albania does that. He's funny and seems to get what we teach him and Elder L and I are going to ask him if he wants to be baptized tonight. Hope he says PO!
The language is coming along fine. I do think I'm the kid that knows the least though. It's definitely not as hard as Finnish though. Speaking of the Finland mission, they're in my zone and guess what? It's composed of 18 sisters and 4 elders. And all the sisters call me the Baby Alby cuz I'm the youngest missionary here so far.
My companion and I went to the main campus this week. As I waited I just talked with the secretary and some missionaries going to Cambodia in a couple weeks. They were excited. While we were up there I ran into Elder Devries. (Elder Devries is the son of Lisa's favorite childhood friend. He just left for Mexico.) He had no clue who i was and I'm sure he was freaking out when I told him his first name was Hunter. I thought he would remember our childhood days.
Our mission has 12 elders and 2 sisters or motra. 10 out of the 12 Elders have girlfriends writing them and we always read our letters out loud. We share the contents of the packages we get which is nice too cuz Elder R's lady must really like him cuz she sent a TON of candy that we ate in two seconds. Dave (James' brother) sent me a dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts that were gone in a blink of an eye. Tell him thanks a ton for those.
Sister Horger (a sister in our home ward who served her mission in Albania 20 years ago. She's shared a lot with Jed about the country before he left.) and her primary class sent me a package with candy and some crayon drawings that we hung up in our classroom. Vellai McGlothin asked if I drew them. I'm staying healthy and having a productie time. The spirit is very strong here and its awesome being with all these guys that share the same standards as me and are so anxious to get out and go. All of our District just wants to get to the country. My zone has the Albanians, the Fins, The Estonians, and the Hungarians. My favorite is the Hungarian group. My zone leader is Elder Depallens who played in the NCAA tournament for San Diego and he is a convert and just hit his year mark 3 months ago. His companion Elder Waldvogel is also a ZL and he's way fun cuz he's just as tall as me and what not. Everyone here is huge. Give Jane a kiss and a hug for me. Love everyone!
Jed the Slayer
What a great letter. Although Mason's 7 years away from his mission I got teary eyed reading about Jeds experience his first week at the MTC. That is the sweetest thing at the end give Jane a hug for me:) What an amazing son you guys have. No surprise when he has amazing parents.
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