Last Email From The MTC!

(Emailed to Friends)

Last email from the MTC.  It's gone by soooo fast, and I can't wait to get into the field!  It stresses me out a ton,  but I know it's time. 

This week started on with doing splits with the missionaries from the West mission.  It was insane.  Such a culture shock.  I'm pretty sure I was the only white guy within miles.  Sketchy stuff.  I even had some green ice/ice cream stuff.  Not sure what it was, but it was good.  I was mainly in the fidelas.  Everyone's house was about the size of my bedroom back home.  Just a touch bigger.  So humble.  Made me miss how I had a ton, but at least I get to go back.  I need to help these people out.  They need the gospel in their lives. 

Another cool thing is I'm still using stuff from my farewell talk in my lessons.  I talked about stuff I didn't know previously in that talk and now I'm just getting around to applying it.  Crazy stuff. Haha I'm going to say that way too much!

I also got a grilled cheese this week!  It was soooo good.  A little taste of home.

As the work progresses, my farmer's tan does as well.  I've only had like 2 hours top in the sun most days, and my watch and ring tan line is coming in nicely.  It's going to be soooo dark once I hit the field!

That's about all for this week!  Be ready to hear a ton next week.  It's going to be a week of TONS of first.

Also check my blog, elderpotokar.blogspot.com.  My dad has been keeping that updated with pictures and the such.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Love you all tons! E. Potokar.

(Emailed to Family)

Another week gone by.  Time flies!

First off, just out of curiosity, have you guys considered coming down to pick me up after?  A bunch of guys said their families have considered that, and I was just curious if it's even an option.  There's some really sketchy places here, but I'm sure there's even more beautiful ones.  I've only see the slums pretty much.

I've just got to say I have it absolutely amazing at home.  The conditions (at least in the city where I did splits at) were terrible.  Houses upon houses, everyone just crammed in together.  Hopefully most areas aren't like that.  I would assume most aren't.  Hope that most aren't.  We took a metro (reminded me a ton of frontrunner) downtown.  The driving here is insane.  They honk their horns constantly.  And there's like no lanes.  It's sooo scary to cross the street. 

On splits, I taught a few lessons with my companion.  I mostly just bore testimony and said prayers.  Read an occasional scripture.  It's SO hard to understand them.  They speak SOOO fast.  I talked to a RM who is visiting, and he said they speak gutter Spanish here.  That everyone else is the world speaks super clearly.  I just try to pick out stuff here and there right now.  Get used to everything that's being said.  And ya I do it again tomorrow.  Also I'll bring my camera to the field with me tomorrow.  Hopefully get some pictures of the city.  Pray for me!  I'm hoping it's a different area, but I bet it's the same one. I think I go with the same guy.  He is a native.  Way nice.  He talked slower to me so I could understand him. haha

 Also I've got to say mowing lawns I think prepped me for the heat some.  My comp on splits complained about the heat the whole time.  I was sweating a ton, but felt it was bearable.  So that's one thing I won't have to worry about as much.  Hopefully.  It could be hotter in other areas.  I really know little to nothing about this country. 

The city is sketchy.  NOTHING like home.  Major culture shock.  Definitely looks like a 3rd world country.  I hope/assume other areas are better.  I bet they are.  Power also goes off for maybe 5 minutes occasionally.  It doesn't happen very often.  Once or twice a week maybe.  The MTC could just be nicer though.

While talking to President Freestone one time this week, he also commented that I'm "quick to observe".  That really made my day.  My week actually.  Mormon is described in similar terms so I figure that's pretty amazing company!

I've also been reading my patriarchal blessing a ton this week.  There's a few parts of it I didn't even know were in there!  Crazy.  It's really helped me through this week and I know it'll continue to help me throughout my mission and life. 

I also uploaded some pics of a new way I started to organize my scriptures.  This is so me, and I know you'll agree with that.  I've got two new sets; one for Christlike attributes and one for the lessons.  I sticky note the scriptures on a certain spot on the top based on what the scripture is about.  I've gotten way excited about this.  I think it's awesome and it's given me something to do!  Feels great to have a passion of sorts or a project to do.  I'm excited to see how this goes throughout my mission.  I think it's soo cool.

  

I also get to run every third prayer meeting at night.  Duties of AP.  Then we make sure everything is turned off and alright.  Not too much responsibility with being an AP.  I think it's mostly just being an example. I'm also still the DL of my district.  Not sure if that's legal, but oh well.....

Also thank you for all that info about my mission president.(Ahmad Saleem Corbitt, here are the sites we sent him - here, here, and here) I'm super excited to meet him.  He sounds awesome.  The word on the street is that he got in and COMPLETELY redid everything in the mission.  That's what an East missionary said.  Special transfers and a whole new office staff.  All based on inspiration.  I'm SO excited to get in there.  I know he's ready for me.  Apparently he's super strict too.  That's probably a good thing. 

Also go check out the "memories" app the church put out if you haven't.  I was browsing around on lds.org and it looks WAY cool.  I think it could be really cool to use. 

K, I'm just going to plow through my list.  Wish me luck!

First off, do you know where we packed my white zippy tie?  I can't find it anywhere.

There was some familiar stuff at the store.  It was nice.  Still weird though.  Not sure if I liked it.

I also uploaded a picture of a weird banana.  It's from the Santiago area.  It's funky.

Also that huge journal I bought is already like 1/3 of the way full.  I need to slow it down.  It just seems like so much happens and I can't get it all down.  It's ridiculous.  I'm going to have a set larger than the scriptures when I get back though. I'm going to go through quite a few trees while I'm here.

Also the Spanish is slowly coming.  My pronunciation isn't so hot, especially when I'm reading, but I do know a lot.  I feel like I know a lot of vocab compared to some of the other guys.  The Lord has really just helped make it stick in my head. 

I have two main teachers here.  Hermana de Los Santos, and Hermano Nunez.  DLS is just starting teaching here, and Nunez is just finishing.  They're night and day.  Nunez can invite the Spirit SO quick and I love being in his class.  I can't get enough of it.  I'm really going to miss him in the field.  I hope I can get a lot of companions like him. 

Don't know if her Mom told you, but I think Hermana Fife has the goon.  (Chikungunya) Not one hundred percent sure of that, but I think it's true.  She still works out and everything too. She acts fine, but I don't know if she's really hurting.  She had a huge rash on her arms and Fusselman said he talked to her about it.

I also realized I've learned something from everyone in the family.  Kindness from Ashley, social skills from Garrett, how to be always be happy from Lydia, how to work from dad, and how to be mindful of what others are going through from mom.  I'm so blessed with all these skills, and I definitely can improve all of them a ton more. 

Also in the field almost ALL the missionaries had backpacks.  I don't know what my mission president's rule will be, but I really hope I can wear a backpack.  The side bag hurts my shoulder after too long.  

Also Reid Cornish is a stud.  He's President Cornish's son. (Caribbean Area President)  He's special needs of some sorts.  He always comes over and shoots hoops with us, and is incredible at rollerblading and ripsticking.  Like amazing. He pretty much figure skates while rollerblading.  Today at the temple he was working on the other side of the veil.  It was so cool to have him help me get through.  I loved it.  He's amazing.  Always upbeat and happy. 

Also in the temple today I got to do initiatories and a session.  In the celestial room the spirit was AMAZING.  I realized/received the revelation that I ALWAYS have family with me.  I may not be able to talk to you all the time, but I can talk to my other Dad all the time.  That brought me a lot of comfort.

At the temple too, a guy thought I said my name was "Packer".  He asked if I was president Packer's grandson. Haha.

I leave Tuesday morning for the field.  Not sure when my next P-day or chance to email will be.  Probably not this Monday, but next from what I've heard.  Don't count on that though.  Also the mission home is like down the street.  How nice is that? (The MTC and the temple are in the Santo Domingo West Mission and Easton’s mission is the East .) I think it'll be a major shock, but once I get into the routine I'll be fine.  The Lord wants me to go through this and it'll make me bigger and stronger.  It'll be great.  I just need to hand over the reins to him.

I think that's all I have for today.  Love you tons!  Think about home way too much still.

Love you.  E. Potokar

Farmer Tan

 Basketball Courts in the Parking Lot at the MTC.

Beautiful Tropical Vegetation