Elder Green in front of the DR Temple

 Where am I?  Oh yeah, DR!

Elder Green & Elder Gabler

Hola Family - September 26, 2013

Hi Family!

How is everyone doing this fine day? I hope well. I am still here at the MTC (bet you couldn't have guessed). Its been another week with things that haven't been too special I would say. We are all just getting into the flow of classes everyday with breaks now and then. I got to go to the temple today! That is pretty nice. Every P-day morning we get to go to the temple and do temple work. It's always nice to go there. The temple here is a pink-ish color which is interesting but I like it a lot! I don't have any pictures of the temple in the light but I'll attach one in the dark for y'all! The one of me and my companion was just taken today. Then we have a picture of me pointing at the map!

I really like my teachers. Hmo Gonzalez is an awesome guy. He shares some awesome experiences from his mission a lot, speaks great English but forces us to use Spanish. It is nice being in the DR to get immersed in the language. I am enjoying that a lot!

I heard that the Utes beat BYU on Saturday! how awesome. We got to "home teach" a couple, the brother is the area doctor and they are both huge Utah fans like me! They told me that we won and how an elder lost a bet and had to sing the fight song in front of a whole district! Pretty awesome!

 

Ultimate Frisbee is a big thing here! One of the teachers loves to play so we get a group together. He is Hmo Nuñez. He is a funny guy but not my teacher. We joke around a lot and kinda have a rivalry going between us whenever we see each other, but its super fun! I have probably told you some of that but it all blurs in my head. Maybe one day I'll get it all right, but who knows!

I gave the lesson on Sunday to our quorum about patience with my companion. It was pretty good, I tried to do some in Spanish though it was not perfect of course! I now have two "investigators" to teach which are both my teachers. I have been practicing the lessons in Spanish though it is difficult to do it without notes. That is what I am trying to work on. Just talk to them. I knew a lot of the language things that we learned in the first week and they still haven't taught us verb conjugations in any tense yet, which is interesting. I can say my testimony and pray in Spanish and I try to do all my prayers in my language. What apostle said if you pray in your mission language you will learn it faster and never forget it? I am not sure but I like that a lot! I hope it rings true with me.

Oh we went to the store on Tuesday! The first time I got out of the temple compound! That was nice and tomorrow we get to go to the University and do pass along cards for people there. That is going to be hard but way fun. The store was kind of like a knock off Walmart. Had almost everything we needed. I got oreos, club crackers and that was about it. I have started my list for two weeks from now when we get to go again! That will be a fun experience! I have found out that stain remover is really important and I need to buy that next time I'm at the store. That is for sure. I just have other odds n ends that aren't essential really. I get to do wash every Wednesday and on Tuesday mornings we have devotionals. I have had two Sundays now. They start with sacrament, then district class, President teaches priesthood, then a doctrine class, then we watch a movie, eat pizza for dinner, have a district meeting/planning, and we get ice cream and walk around the temple with our cameras. That is every Sunday! Sundays are nice and then Thursdays, because they split up the repetition of the days that we have so much! 

Am, I just read your e-mail (I am reading then writing, then reading some more, in case my time ends too soon!) and that is so awesome! A boy is the greatest! I can't wait to meet him one day soon! It will be a little miracle in your arms. There is a quote in the book "Our Search for Happiness" by Elder Ballard that talks about looking into a babies eyes is the window to heaven! I know you will all see that!

I recommended that all of you read "Our Search for Happiness" by Elder Ballard because it is amazing! It's a good book for Mormons and non-Mormons a like. I read that book so fast because it is less than 150 pages. It's amazing so read it (if you want, agency and all that haha).

I will finish with this: Sé que el Evangelio de Jesucristo es verdadero. Sé que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero. Sé que familias son eternas. Sé que Jesucristo es mi Salvador y mi hermano. Estoy agradecido por Su Expiación. En el Nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

I love you all so much. Keep on keepin' on. Sorry I can't reply to all the emails. "Keep the Faith"- Jake Grafton

Love,

Elder Chez Green

  

Pictures at the DR MTC

 Elder Green

Presidente J. Phillip Freestone & wife

September 19, 2013

          Hi Family,

How is it going family? I can't believe it has been a week. As some elders have said, weeks feel like days and days feel like weeks. I think that is pretty true. I have been getting fed a lot here, so don't worry about that. 

So my normal day is wake up, breakfast, class with Hermana Matos then lunch then language study followed by Gym and dinner. Then 3 more hours of class with Hermano Rodriguez. I really like my teachers here and have been having a lot of fun! One of my favorite phrases right now that I have learned is, "Es un chiste" which means 'it's a joke.' But you have to say it in a funny accent. I have also learned zero slang here because they are not supposed to teach you any of it.

My companion is from near Spanish Fork, he is 18 and is Elder Gabler. In my room we have Elder Murphy and Elder Hope as well. Our district is Ammon. I sent out a letter yesterday so keep track of when it arrives. I guess the church sends all letters by pouch to Miami and then they are stuck in the mail there. Pretty interesting. So while I am here, I will need American stamps to get the letters from Miami to all of you. And we can't purchase them here sadly. 

Well I have been enjoying myself here, the work is hard, we have an "investigator" we are practicing with everyday. That is pretty hard to do when you barely know how to put sentences together. It's hard to say what you are prompted to in a different language since you can't say it right. But I am grateful for the opportunity and practice.

I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee a lot for Gym time with a teacher. This teacher and I kind of have a rivalry going when we play frisbee so we always give each other crap in the hallways. Its fun. Then another teacher is trying to learn French and challenged me that he would learn French faster than I would learn Spanish. So of course I said it's on. I can't back down to a good challenge, especially one that will motivate me.

Most of the missionaries that are here are 18. Way weird! I thought I would be the youngest in the MTC or one of them, now I am one of the oldest. Out of all 60-ish missionaries here (who live on two floors, cafeteria at the bottom floor) There are maybe 10 that are 19 and even fewer who went to college. Crazy but its alright. I have made some friends with other Elders here. One of them Elder Jeppsen hates bananas a ton. And we have bananas everyday at lunch. So as a "chiste" or joke, I took a bannna peel, knocked on his door and waited for him to come out. Then I threw it in at him and dashed away. I thought it was pretty funny. We laugh a lot to break up the continued schedule of learning and teaching. It's good and helps me stay focused but happy.

Okay so my travels went well. I slept on all of the flights to help pass the time, which was very nice. We got in to the DR around 9:15 I believe and then I waited with an Elder because they lost his bag. We were the last ones on the bus. I guess some Elders got swindled and gave some people helping them with the bags some money! Oh my I would have known not to do that but oh well. It seemed like a lot of people didn't know how to travel so I am grateful that I did. Thank you mom and dad. On the flight from Utah to LA I saw Rodger (Jamie Pruden's friend) who I play basketball with. What a coincidence. Haha so funny. Wendy's was my last meal in the US via the Miami airport. Then we got here, it wasn't super humid but now it is. Playing in the sun during gym, I know how hot and sweaty I will get.

Umm the first day was orientation. My President here is President Freestone. He is very nice! On Tuesday we got a Devotional from Elder Corneish (he talked in general conference a little while ago) who is in the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Like I have said, it's been fun here. I got to play soccer yesterday for gym, just a little calle (street) soccer but it was still fun. And today I went through the temple here since the MTC is on the same complex as the temple. That was very enjoyable.

I am not sure what else to say in the time I have left so I will end it here I believe. I love all of you guys! Thanks for everything and I will talk to you all very soon (next week hehe).

Love,

Elder Chez Green

Hi Dad,
The SLC airport had about 10 other missionaries, then LA had maybe 15 and by the time I was in Miami there were about 30-35 missionaries! Pretty awesome and crazy! Pass that info on to the family please, I forgot to add that. All of them were elders too except one sister.

We don't get to leave the MTC to teach no. The food is rice and fruit/vegetable beans and a meat (pork/chicken) everyday. Pancakes for breakfast and bacon. Always rolls. Then juice to drink. Language is coming along alright. The discussions are hard in another language. Bedrooms are nice, two bunk beds,  toilet, shower, two sinks. 4 to a room.

Love,

Elder Chez Green

Elder Chez Green

Safely Arrived

Wednesday Sep 11, 2013

Elder Green sent a short e-mail to his family Wednesday evening to say that he had arrived safely in the DR MTC.

It looks like there are 53 Missionaries here so far. I am excited to get started. Tired but ready to go.

Updates to follow. . .