Hey Guy's
I'm sending this to all three of the main addresses you gave to me just to make sure that it gets to at least one of you. Sorry that there won't be any pictures with this email, I keep forgeting to bring my camera places and it's not like I've had plenty of time to take pictures either. So Tuesday is my p-day, that's why I'm able to write you today and as of right now p-day has been absolutely great. I've walked around in normal clothes, slept, wrote letters, and eaten. It's basically been perfect. The MTC has been exhausting, overwhelming, inspiring, hilarious, frustarating, unremarkable, and rewarding all at the same time. When I got here they sped me through intial orientation super fast and I had no idea what was going on. I get to my classroom and my teacher, Hermano Law (Hermano is Spanish for Brother), is speaking in Spanish and I have no idea what is going on. I finally meet my companion and I've got to tell you that he is one of the funniest guys I have ever met. Elder Jacob Berrett is from Highland, Utah, is also serving in Chile, Antofagasta, and almost everything he says is hilarious. I'm actually keeping a little book of all of the funniest things that he has said so I can start a Parody Twitter Account or something when I get back. My other two roommates are Elder Kristian Christianson and Elder Austin Knowles. Elder Christianson is from Provo and Elder Knowles is from Logan. Both of them are also going to Chile, Antofagasta. There is also a sister in our district, Hermana Stagg (Hermana is Spanish for Sister), who is going to Chile, Antofagasta. I have to admit I'm surprised at all of the other white missionaries going to Antofagasta. I get along pretty well with my roommates. Elder Christianson is a real stickler for rules and he can definitely get on my nerves but I'm not going to let that bother me. I'm becoming really good friends with another Elder from my District, Elder Tyler Deleon. Elder Deleon is from a town just outside of DC and he is just a super chill guy. I get along with my entire district pretty well but I get along with Elder Deleon particulary well.
I'm tired all the time. That's really the gist of the MTC. I wake up, study, eat breakfast, study, eat lunch, study, go to class, study, eat dinner, study, go to class, study, and then finally get to go to sleep. Learning Spanish is by far the most difficult and frustarating thing I have ever had to do in my life to this point. On our second day they had us try to teach a lesson all in Spanish and it was absolutely terrible. Anyway it can only get better, right? I don't see Katrina nearly as often as I would like, honestly only a couple random moments in passing. Despite the fact that we're both learning Spanish our schedules are completely different. Gym time is by far the greatest thing about the MTC. Elder Berrett and I go hoop it up and basketball here at the MTC is so much fun. You play half-court games to 7 by 1's and 2's and no one is really that great. It's a great time when in almost any given game you're the 1st or 2nd best player on the court. The food is not exactly what was advertised but there's a lot of it and I take advantage of that fact. Elder Knowles is the pickiest eater I've ever met and has cereal for every meal. I eat everything.
Keep using Dear Elder! Every night when they come in I always get twice as many as everybody else and it makes me feel super cool so keep doing it. I sent Jay a letter in the mail today but I'm not sure if it will get to him because I'm not sure if I got his address right, I think I did though. I would love another pair of athletic shorts and if you can easily get to my Inter Milan jersey that'd be great to but I'm not as concerned about the jersey. The thing that would be greater then anything else in the world is an electric razor. With the lines for showers in the morning being ridiculously long shaving is a massive hassle and if you don't shave every day your teachers will call you out for it, so an electric razor would be prime.
As far a conference goes I decided to take notes and I was wide awake for all three sessions on Saturday. I did however sleep for the majority of the sessions on Sunday. Elder Ucthdorf's talk in the Saturday morning session felt as if it were directed straight to me. He started talking about regrets and how we can live life to avoid regrets and since leaving I have been looking back on some of my regrets from high school so that was nice. He also talked about how we need to enjoy the journey and stop looking forward to the end which applies almost directly to my experience here in the MTC. My favorite talk was, not surprisingly, Elder Holland's in the Sunday morning session. We tend not to think about the context behind some biblical stories. We read the words and we try to understand what they mean, but we don't try to understand the emotion that was behind the words. We don't picture the scene we are reading about happening right in front of us. Elder Holland took the simple and short story of Jesus asking Peter is he loved him, shortly after the resurrection and turned it into one of the most powerful and profound scripture stories I have ever heard. One talk that I was very engaged in but didn't exactly enjoy was Elder Oak's talk in the Saturday afternoon session.
Anyway keep sending me letters and Dear Elder's and what not. Mail is really the greatest thing about the MTC. Oh and here are some random things I think Mom wanted to know. I sleep on the top bunk, closest to the door. Elder Knowles sleeps underneath me, not Elder Berrett which people find very strange. I drink more Raspberry Lemonade then any other drink and I have eaten more celery then I ever have before. Love it though.
Well I got to go, I love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Gunnar Peters
P.S. My companion in his letter just described me as brilliant but kind of lazy and that if I get over that I'll be incredible. Probably true.
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