MTC Days & Getting Sick

Brandon has much more time for handwritten letters, and can tell us more details. He writes often and tells more of his experiences:

Thursday, May 7, 2009

To the Huffaker Haven,

Alrighty, so it's been just over a week here at the MTC & it's awesome. So let me bring you up to date from Saturday.

So Sunday, I woke up & my throat hurt, thinking it was just mucous down my throat in the night I thought nothing of it. Then it got to the point where my saliva was really thick & I had a difficult time swallowing. Well the health clinic is closed on Sunday so I had to go to the front desk, from which they drove me over to the hospital. That's probably the only time, while you're residing at the MTC, that you're allowed to leave. Anyways, so I found out I had a sinus infection. So I'm on Amoxicillin until Wednesday. I take 4 500mg pills a day, 2 at breakfast & 2 at dinner.

So Everyone in my room has gotten sick, except for Elder Patten. And 5 out of 8 in our district. For being the celestial branch, we sure have our hardships. Oh, by the way, the branch is the same as the zone & the zone includes 3 districts.

Otherwise Sunday went well, and we had a fireside at 7:00. We're so busy, we are constantly tired. It's very difficult to stay awake. The first few nights here, I could not fall asleep. Now, sleep comes so easy that I can't get enough. I'm up at 6:00 & in bed at 10:30. It's long days here, but it's very good.

Tuesday night, though, was probably the best. Elder M. Russell Ballard came and spoke. Sad thing is, is I studied Lehi's dream for a while (our term for sleeping) But what I did get from him, was AMAZING! I do need to compare notes with my comp. though.

We had to say goodbye to a district on Monday & welcome in a new district on Wednesday. So it's been up & down the past few days.

Right now I'm doin laundry, & it is packed in here! I did my email before coming down, but like I said, it's all happening on p-days.

As far as the warning thing, they warned us about the OJ. No problems, just a MTC myth. But the showers, those were a different case. As I said in the email, hot to cold, ugh!

As far as your questions go... Elder Lusk & Andrus are the ZL's and Elder Lusk cut Elder Andrus' hair the other day. (FYI missionaries don't cut others' or their own hair) It was pretty funny, but he fixed it today. Elder Thurman & Takacs are a very interesting team. Elder Thurman & I have our own unique connection. I ain't saying what. Elder Patten & Anderson are the other guys & then Elder Tracy & I.

Elder Tracy said he would check with his side about the relation thingy. Elder Patten says it might have been his uncle that trained dad & so he's gonna try to check that one. What is dad's mission Columbus or Cleveland?

As far as the sheets go, the MTC sheets sometimes get mixed with the BYU sheets. The BYU sheets are 72" & the MTC is at 80". We got it fixed, plus we did a sheets exchange on Tuesday in which Elder Anderson only received a Top Sheet. So I swapped him a full set & slept on a top sheet that night. It's not that cold, so I slept just fine. But I did get a new set the next day.

Oh, real quick before I forget, Brother Stoddard, who is a counselor in our branch presidency, gave an amazing lesson. He should be a G.A.!

So back to your questions... Overall, the food is good, it's like the High School where there's three options. Theres been like one or two meals where there was nothing good. But otherwise, it's all good. Classes include personal study, comp study, RC (referral center, where you take calls), TE (teaching evaluation) TA (teaching assessment), zone activities, & field.

We don't go to BYU for devotionals, we use one of the buildings here at the MTC. Like I said before, Elder Ballard was here last tuesday. As far as speaking on Sundays, random missionaries are called on to give talks and all the missionaries prepare talks in case they're called upon.

We take the dork dot off on day one here, so you pretty much blend in on day 2. As far as photos, I'll send you my card after the next district leaves probably, or attach the photos to emails if I can. We'll see what happens.

There's so much to explain & do. It's amazing anyone can make it through a day.

Sounds like Darcie's doin good, but you didn't include Alyssa. And Cameron's gonna hafta get used to it. I'm not there to hold his hand anymore. Otherwise it sounds like everything is goin well. Thanks for writing my thank yous and I think I'm set for now. Miss ya & Love Ya Lots!

2nd Nephi 29:7

Elder Huffaker