Second Letter from MTC

Hey Everyone!
     How are you?!  K that's enough, now listen and care about me.
     The MTC is going pretty well.  We've now taught 3 investigators.  It has been a wonderful experience, and I've learned a lot.  Recently, we have started doing something called TRC.  We go and visit this building where people (members) volunteer to come in and get taught by missionaries in the mission language.  It honestly is amazing because we are able to deal with real people and not just teachers.  It rejunvenates my soul while in here.  I just find myself loving these total strangers.  It's one of the coolest things I've ever experienced.
     I've started doing choir while in the MTC.  While it is nice, it makes me truly appreciate Rosemary Mathews and Sis. Hall.  They made amazing choirs.  I miss Men's Choir so badly.  If anyone is in Men's Choir now and reading this, you can tell Sis. Hall or Mrs. Mathews that I am really glad for what they did and that I miss head tone badly (well, more like miss people using head tone).
     My companion and I have gotten along so well.  He is hilarious.  We are now writing The Book of Leo.  It is a compilation of our district's stories and parables that are applicable to other missionaries and that are just funny.
     I have been blessed with one of the greatest blessings of the MTC, 3 weeks with no new room mates.  I'm not even joking.  I get my own desk and bedset.  It rocks.
     Things have been going really well for the most part.  I can speak the language much better and only in a blue moon do I not understand.  Now I'm ready to go to NY, hear a native speaker, and not be able to understand anything!  I now think in Spanish, it's weird.  Also, if my grammar/spelling sucks, don't judge.  My brain is in Spanish mode.
     I got a haircut.  I have never had hair this short before.  My head is cold.  One good thing is that I got to see Sarah Card (she works at the MTC).  It was weird seeing a girl I knew from my previous life.  I wasn't used to it.
     There are so many interessting people here.  I make nicknames.  Now, as horrible as these may sound, understand, we must keep our sanity somehow.  Some examples are Elder Bitter-face, Sister Bitter-face, Elder Utah-face, Elder Neutron (as in Jimmy Neutron--seriously, this kid has the largest forehead I've ever seen), Elder Meathead (two companions who are one entity), Sister Lohan (Lindsey), and Sister Hipster (who is the epitomy of Chloe Issac).  They are all amazing, but I just need to make names.
     I'm really ready to go to NY.  All of us are.  I think they are testing us because every video clip we watch is of someone in NY.  It's hard.  They need to stop showing things of the city because I still have a month.  Will I survive?  Who knows?  I also had someting cool happen.  While doing the TRC thing, I was able to teach a member.  She just so happened to be Alex Blackham's mother.  It was one of the coolest/surrealist things.  Crazy!
     Alright so remember how I said I would eventually talk about my spiritual experiences?  Yeah, this is now.
     So, we often get new investigators to teach.  Durkin and I have developed a ritual for what we do to prepare for our first time meeting them.  This time, though, was so different.  We went in and met our new "investigator".  She was a woman whose husband was LDS, and she was nondenominational Christian.  I love her, but his woman shows no emotion whatsovever and comes across as being mad/cold when she's not.  We went in and started our ritual, but I felt like there was something we could help her with.  Elder Durkin asked a question using words he never used before and it was a totally normal question.  He asked if she had any children.  In her quiet voice she replied no and that she wanted them but then she said something I shouldn't have been able to hear/understand.  She said, "No puedo tener hijos."  "I cannot have children." (I heard it but my companion didn't.)  I immediately had a question come to mind.  I thought "I need to ask her if she is happy with God."  I could not pay attention the whole lesson my companion was giving.  All I could think about was this question.  Never before have I so strongly felt what I needed to say.  I've had ideas before, but never have they not left my mind.  I didn't feel like I could interrupt, so I sat there for almost the entire lesson.  Finally, the feeling was so strong I said, "I'm sorry but I've felt I needed to ask this the whole time.  Are you happy with God?"  She paused.  After a moment she responded, "Yes and No.  It is very difficult because I can't have kids."  The spirit was so incredibly strong.  We were able to share with her many things that really helped her.  After a few lessons, we asked how she felt about God.  She replied she had never been so close to her Father as she was now and how she wasn't unhappy anymore.  It was spectacular to be able to see her open up and grow.  I truly began to love her as I taught her.  I knew I wanted to help her.  I knew the anger she had felt.  I knew that she could be happy again.  It was one of the most spectacular and spiritual experiences of my life.  It gave me an even stronger drive than I had before.
    This is the reason I am here and I love what I am doing.  I hope all of you are doing well, and I will write again soon.
Sincerely,
Elder James Goates

JD and companion, Elder Durkin

District 35 C! All the guys off to New York, and all the gals off to Guatemala!

Letter 1

FYI, J.D. is sending us letters to post.  Here is his first one, without editing:

Hey Everyone!

Well here ends my first week here.  It was the most surreal experience of my life.  Let me start by saying that I love it here …well, now I like it.  I just had to make sure you don’t get the wrong idea.  The first day was like a terribly corny movie.  Picture this:  You have just said goodbye to your family.  You are in a new, strange place, but you realize there is nothing physically obscure about it.  You are very unsure because you have a weird feeling but can’t figure why until you see it; then you understand.  Here they come, ties blowing slowly in the wind, gigantic plastic smiles plastered on their faces while they walk with arms bent, as if speed walking with a purpose.  “Bienvenidos, Elderes!”—the two words I heard most from every white marshmallow with a tie.  This was now my home.

A week later I still find things corny but now it’s normal that people say, “how do you get your shirts so clean?”  (I kid you not; I did actually hear that.)  For the most part it was a show to freak out the newbies, but there are still those instances.  It was hard the first few days, I won’t lie.  I wondered what I was doing here and all those cliché questions.  Everyone told me to stick it out till the first Sunday, and it would get better.  They didn’t lie.  It has been 3 days since Sunday and it feels like yesterday.  It also feels like I’ve been here a month.  In one week I have gotten extremely close with my companion and my entire district.  Because of that, the time seems like I’ve been here a long time (in a good way).  I sometimes wonder if people have missed seeing me, but then I realize it’s only been seven days and I’ve been away from people much longer at other times.  It’s crazy.

I have done the impossible!  I’ve lost 7 lbs since entering the MTC.  (Don’t worry I am eating.  I just am exercising and eating healthier.)  As most know, the MTC is part of BYU.  This might not make any difference to anyone, but BYU means no caffeinated drinks.  I am dying.  Not really.  I have not drunk anything except water.  I am healthy.  But, if anyone feels like sending some caffeine, I would not be opposed.

My companion is a really awesome kid.  His name is Elder Leo Durkin, and he plays for BYU volleyball.  He rocks.  We got along really well from the get go.  My district really rocks (as I’ve said).  When asked by our Branch President how we were getting along I had to laugh and think, “are you kidding me; these people are my family.”  I have seen many friends here on a regular basis.  Quick rundown of who they are: Brenton Mangum, Mason Foster, Jake Johnson, Janel Anderson, Shirley Grover (see her the most), James Marriott, Matt Jensen, Arthur Diaz, Jarom Harrison, Cameron Mayo, the Jolleys, the Gerkes, and others that I probably forgot.  For those who understand, there are so many family members that I cannot keep from laughing.  Be happy for the totrys, be very happy.

Now for the really important part, the reason why we are here at the MTC.  I have felt the Spirit so strongly while being here.  Every day I have something happen where I feel the Spirit powerfully.  We have been assigned an investigator who we had to teach in complete Spanish on the third day.  It was tough, but it was amazing to teach with a spiritual power.  Every day we can understand and say more.  We are almost done teaching Rafael (our investigator), but it is amazing to watch him grow and feel a new happiness in his life.  Yes, I know that this is a mock investigator and that he works here, but the spirit is real.  That cannot be acted or faked, and I see that with this experience.

Spanish here is crazy.  In 3 days I learned more than 3 years in high school.  High school Spanish was helpful, but I am miles ahead now.  My companion and I go well together because he can speak better than I can, but I understand better.  It is a good match.

I miss everyone, but I am happy to be here now.  I hope everything is going well and that you all are safe and happy.

Elder Goates