Elder Parker Albertson- California Santa Rosa Mission: August 1st, 2013

Hola Mi Familia/Amigos,

My time here in the MTC, is about to come to an end! I have so many mixed feelings about leaving such a spiritual place! The Spirit here is incredible, i thought, the spirit was strong at EFY, when they sing the song "The Army of Helaman" but when we sang it Tuesday night at the Devotional, it gave me the chills, all the way up my spine, and the hair on my arms, and legs was standing straight up! This whole six weeks i have been here, i have not had the opportunity, to listen to a general authority speak, and the reason behind that, is because the month of July is there month of, to spend with there family's! That's okay though, because we had so many other great speakers, and many talks we have been able to watch, that have been given here at the MTC, by general authorities!

This week has been incredible! We got out travel plans, and I happen to be the travel leader, over 29 other English speaking missionaries! I can personal say, that i think English speaking missionaries need to be in the MTC longer, because when we leave the MTC, and call our families, i have heard they all just cry the rest of the way! I'm not going to be willing to put up with that, even though i will have to figure a way out, to get them off the phone, and onto the plane! We will see how it goes! I cannot wait to get to Santa Rosa, and begin teaching, real investigators! I am also a bit scared, because I'm worried about my Language, but i know, and have enough faith, that the lord will bless me, and will feed the words out my mouth of whatever i will need to say to those investigators who may be looking for the gospel!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I had the opportunity to be a new missionary host. Many of you may not know what exactly a missionary host does, but we pick the missionaries up from the curb, separate them from there family's, and take them to check in, and than a quick tour of the MTC, and than to meet there teacher! The first missionary i hosted was a missionary from Czechoslovakia and didn't speak a lick of English, it was quite the experience trying to teach him how to use his combination lock, with grunts and such! ha ha I than hurried out, and tried to see if i could watch for Elder Hower, at 1:15, i waited until about 2:15 for him, than i just grabbed a Tongan, who was from Dallas, who Played football at Trinidad, who is one of the greatest high school football teams in the Nation! They put a whooping on Bingham! ha ha He was huge and his bags weight a ton! I than went to Elder Howers class room and there he was, sure enough come to find out, his grandpa dropped him off, and the whole time i had been looking for his mom, and Kenzie in the cars driving by! Its okay though, i went and visited him last night, and took him so laundry detergent sense i knew he would need it, and cause I'm using the stuff Aunt Genny sent me!

This week has flown by, my whole district leaves Monday Morning at 4:30, and than me and my Companion leave Tuesday Morning at 4:30, my Flight for Santa Rosa, is not until around 8:37, which will be great cause i will probably arrive at the airport at around 5:30 and than through security by 6:15, so that gives me plenty of time to check in at my gate, and to call home! my Call home will hopefully be sometime around 6:45 or 7:00! It would be so cool, if Kamryn and Abe were there so i could talk to them also, but i understand if you guys cant make it, because its early! ;) Not Really!

We got the Fridge in our district this week, as the district before us left, this fridge has quite the background, our Zone leaders, who left suspect is has been in our district for over 8 years! The story behind it is awesome! A kid who was in our zone along time ago, has Diabetes, and had to keep his diabetic stuff refrigerated! When he left the district below him took the Fridge, and it has not been returned! When the Zone leaders were packing a maintenance man came by, and laugh and said they didn't even know it was missing, so he wasn't gonna take it back! It is now our fridge, and with our Zone closing, we are the last district, so we have offered it to other zones for a certain amount of ties, that have to be Gem looking ties! We were wanting at least 8 ties, that way everyone would get one, but we now have bids of up to about 15-16 ties for this fridge! Its crazy what you can do with something over the Black Market in the MTC!

The MTC has been such an incredible experience! I wish i could share it with more! But the missionaries that are here, are so amazing! My testimony, has definitely grown so much sense Ive been here! I feel like i am so much closer with my heavenly father! I haven't missed a single day in my journal because i have such amazing experience each day to write down! I cant wait to fill it so i can send it home, and you all can read it! I hope that me sharing these experiences, have increased everyone faith! Touched many of my Cousins and friends hearts to serve a mission! It truly is incredible!

I guess the next email, will becoming from the great part of California, Santa Rosa!

I love you all!

Love Elder Albertson

Ps: Today i also had surgery at 1:00 to get some ingrown toe nails removed, that were hurting me everyday to walk, let alone trying to get my excersise i needed, after eating all this cafeteria food! It was a horrible experience, but now the lord will heal me as soon as possible according to my faith, because he needs me to be on the streets of Santa Rosa, preaching the gospel in 5 Days!