MTC One Month! 10/05/2010

Zach with Elder Vargin and Elder Maxymov 

Zach and Elder Turner (a friend from Utah State)

Awesome Zone 9!

Zach and Elder Shurtleff holding the Ukrainian  flag

District 9

One Month  (10/05/2010):

Crazy that is has been a month since I left, but I am getting use to mission life. Conference was awesome, ecspecially here at the MTC. It was awesome because class was cancelled on Saturday and they let the elders actually sleep in a little! Oh, and the talks were really good too. My favorite were both of President Uchtdorf's, the one on Saturday morning about simplifying life and the one during priesthood about pride. I also enjoyed President Eyring's talk during priesthood too.

So, the older Russian district in our zone got their flight plans for Russia and Donetsk, Ukraine. Seeing their flight plans and also hearing about the Kyiv temple during conference made me even more excited to get there. It's weird to think that in a couple weeks a couple new districts will be coming and my zone and my district will be referred to as the "older district". It feels like I just got here... and now a month has gone by.

Please send my condolences to the Hilton family, it is sad to here that brother Hilton passed away, but I'm sure that the knowledge that they will see him again can comfort them.

Not a whole lot else has been happening of late. I've just been trying to get a hang of this language. I learn sooooo much each day. But, right now we are focusing more on grammar principles. My head feels like it's going to explode by the end of each day, I pray really hard that I might be able to expand my mind and grasp all these concepts. Our new TRC task is tomorrow, we are suppose to help "investigators" move and talk about our family and teach them the importance of prayer in Ukrainian. And then we are to teach them the second lesson in English. I'm little worried, cause it's kinda hard to move and speak Ukrainian at the same time. I just have a lot of studying to do and prep for this task, all the past ones have been cake and I haven't really stressed about them. But I know that if I do my best and study hard and have faith, I'll be around. Oh, and we also start teaching the lessons in Ukrainian next week! I'm excited and also a little nervous, I don't exactly feel like I'm ready to teach in Ukrainian but if my teachers fell like I am, then I am. Just a lot more studying.

It's real good to hear from you and the rest of the family and that you're doing alright, and that Paxton is staying out of trouble. So, the computer doesn't allow me to send pictures, because it's the MTC and everything is really restrictive and controlling. I'll mail you some pictures soon though. Just a reminder, I hope you are forwarding these e-mails to Erin & Cam, Jay & Anna, and Tyler so they know that I'm alive and well. If you could, that would be nice. Oh, and if you could e-mail me back just so I know that you get these e-mails. Thanks! And, I'd also like Tyler's e-mail so i could wish him a happy (late) birthday personally. Oh, and if you could get me Dan Dudley's address, that would be nice.

I love you all!

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