Sunday, July 14, 2013

SECOND WEEK IN THE MTC
 
Elder North's second week I asked him lots of questions and he responded.  We had some back and forths through e-mail also.  Haven't received the second letter via snail mail yet so I will just report what he said in our back and forths.

He asked what his old room is looking like.  Taryn and Taylynne had taken it over and talked about painting it.  He did not like the idea of them paining over his purple at all.  So I sent him a picture with their stuff in it and it still purple.  That appeased him.  He said he has taken some pictures but left the camera in the apartment so I don't get any this week.  At least he is taking them.

Bryen is at the Provo West MTC.  They took over some nearby apartments because of the influx in missionaries with the mission age change.  We thought they might still go to the main campus for stuff.  

We are pretty much their own MTC at Wyview.  We have better apartments but the food isn't quite as good.  But that's ok because they have better apartments and beds.

Elder Johnson is on the main campus, and thus I cannot get in contact with him.  Elder Johnson is a close family friend of ours that went into the MTC just before Bryen.

I am gone by 2:30am Tuesday morning with a layover in Texas.  I asked where in Texas is your layover and this is the reply I received.  It's pretty irrelevant.  That was the end of that conversation.  :)

GOOD GRAVY SO MANY QUESTIONS  (In my letter to him)
 
It's a letter, there isn't a place for putting the date. (Told him when we got his letter in the mail and read it Amber was annoyed because her biggest pet peeve is people who don't put the date on their letters)
 
The cookies arrived intact. SO MANY COOKIES. I try and give them to everyone. (Sent him a package at the MTC with fresh baked cookies.  Here in Utah there are several places you can mail things to the MTC and get same day delivery.)
 
Maybe? You have much more access to information like that than me to be honest! All I've got is some teachers and fellow Elders to communicate with.  (I asked if it is a large group at the Wyview MTC) and also asked him about the kitchen area.
It's sort of a club house. I forgot my camera at the apartment, so I won't be sending pictures this week. There are four Elders per apartment.
 
What is a typical day in the life of Elder North? Study. 
 
Best part of the MTC...The teachers we have are great, Brother Cowan and Brother Griffiths. I really like my District too.
 
We had the same deal for the fireworks. A chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar but my companion and I absconded to our room and watched from the window.  They were allowed to stay up and watch the fireworks (Stadium of Fire is a big show right by the MTC) and had a late bedtime the night of the 4th of July.  Usually they have to be in bed by 10:30pm.
 
One guy I vaguely knew. Elder Gorringe. His Aunt was an Elementary School Teacher. I still had one of the books from her classroom. I never had her as a teacher though.  (Mrs. Gorringe is an elementary teacher at Bluffdale Elementary and lives just a couple blocks away from us.)
 
Now onto things asked in the letters then for my 'letter'.  We never got the my letter so not sure when that will show up, maybe he snail mailed it.
 
Amber asked "How are you? (excess of question marks not included)"
I am well.
"How is the MTC? (Seriously, so many question marks.)"
Pleasant.
"How is the food and everything. (SO MANY UNNECESSARY PUNCTUATION!)"
Adequate.
"Any advice you would like to give your big sis? (Besides cutting back on the exclaimation/punctuation marks?)"
Advice...hmm. None. I know you'll do better here than I will, for sure.

So as you can see he is still our Bryen.  We enjoy anything we get from him but always want more details.  :)

Bryen is now gone for the next two years.  We miss him but know that this mission will teach him a lot about himself and help him grown.  Missionaries cannot call home except for two days a year, (Mother's Day and Christmas) so they depend on getting letters from people to keep them in touch with everything back home.  If you choose to send him a package please make sure to send it through regular mail because they go to the mission home and then get forwarded to the missionaries since they change location up to every six weeks.  Bryen leaves the MTC on July 16th so his address out in the field is below.  A lot of people have heard that the missionaries are now aloud to e-mail everyone.  Although this is true for many it is still a mission by mission thing and with Bryen having a lot of siblings his e-mail time is not that much so please we encourage you to still write him by snail mail.

Thank you for your love and support.

Elder Bryen Nielsen North
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
905 Kierre Drive
North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116

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