10-2-11

Hey everyone,

First week has been crazy! I have seen so many people in here that I know. I have made a list of them and it has come out to me over 25 people I know here. Many of them are from school which some of them were good friends. Some are kids from back at home in our stake and others just from random events. It has been awesome seeing them. It makes me feel more comfrotable here. Funny thing yesterday I saw Sister Heid who was my english teacher my senior year in high school! Her and her husband are going to serve in Ghana. When I saw her, I ran up to her and she was like Derek I know I am not supposed to do this but I have to hug you anyways, so we hugged in the middle of the cafeteria. It felt good hugging someone besides a guy even though I have only been in here for a week... She just said if anyone asked why we hugged to say she was like my mother. So Missy and Tiana our former teacher is in the MTC. The mtc has been a lot of hard but fun work. Teaching is harder then I thought but I enjoy it. It is such a blessing to be in here. Funny thing is that I am already sick of the MTC and just want to get out to the field! Some times people acting as fake investigators are not very good at it... Oh well though. but hey we have success with a lot of them. Suprisingly I have already gotten use to the schedule and It feels good getting to bed early and waking up early. I might think about keeping a schedule like this when I get home, or maybe not... haha But First day did not even feel real. Untill yesterday it felt like everything was going super slow... But conference was awesome! I really enjoyed it! Sister Daltons talk was awesome and probably my favorite out of them all! But it kinda stinks hearing a talk like that which makes you want to get married and have kids while you are a mission. I see how obedience is a very big blessing here. The spirit is always with me and I just always feel good! I already see how this is the best two years. So I sent a few of you letters. Let me know if they have gotten to you yet! Thank you everyone for the letters you have written me. It has helped me out a lot to get them so I have something to look forward to to read that night. The food is ok... I am starting to get used to it. But I made a promise to myself that I would not eat to much here and get fat... Friday night I had gym right as the BYU games was starting. we were out on the fields in front of the temple and we could hear everything from the band, to the annoucer, to the crowd. I admit we listened to the game for a while as like most of the other missionaries did who were out there. you can see the stadium from the fields and even some people in the stands. So every tuesday we go to the temple at 2:30. I can not wait to go to the temple today! It will be cool to go inside the Provo temple! Speaking of temples, isn't so cool that they are turning the burned down Provo tabernacle into a temple?!?!?!?! I can not wait to go in that one when I get home! Oh yes and our fireside Sunday night was Chad Lewis and his Wife. It was an awesome fireside! It was cool because he talked a lot about football and stuff. Also another cool fact Roby Bosco the national winning qb for byu has a daughter in the mtc right now also. Chad lewis annouced that to everyone and had her stand up. Then they next day I saw her and said hi in french to her. everyone says Hi to everyone in here in random languages so me and my district who all speak english make up words and act like it is a greeting and say it to everyone else to throw them off. Well again thank you everyone for your support. I hope I get to hear from you all soon!!!

Thanks Alex for the box of doughnuts! Me and my district really enjoyed them:) I hope you got my letter. I wrote before I got the doughnuts because I got them the day after I got your letter haha.

 

Love, Elder Derek Turner

Serving in Zion