Guatemala City Arrival

Well, I made it!  Sweeeeeeet! I´m using a Spanish keyboard and have limited time so don´t worry too much about the errors.  What a crazy experience!  We got off at the airport and instead of sending a representative from the MTC, we had nobody... haha.  Then this big school bus pulls up and asks if we´re the Mormon missionaries.  The driver handed me a cellphone and I had to talk to somebody at the MTC about what we were supposed to do, all in Spanish.  A little bit freaky, but we made it here.  Guatemala City is a really crazy place! We´re right in the heart of the city.  

The MTC is really small but really really nice.  It´s probably like a five-star hotel here.  Our teachers are both natives and speak very limited English.  When we got here nobody really told us what we should be doing so we just started to unpack and shower and stuff.  Then, we finally got to meet our teachers and get a schedule of what we´ll be doing for the next couple days.  

Sorry if this email is a little random.  I only got about 2 hours of sleep in the past 36 hours and we´ve got a whole day of work ahead of us.  Our whole district is of gringos and most of them were beginners at the Provo MTC.  My old companion and I are the only ones that speak Spanish fairly well.  I got a new companion.  He´s pretty nice but a bit tired though.  

Cool, I just noticed that you can see the temple outside the window about 100 feet away.  Because the MTC is right in the middle of the city, it´s got some serious security - complete with guards with shotguns in front - so we should be pretty safe.  It really reminds me a lot of Ecuador here.  They told us that after about 3 weeks they´ll take us on a day long field trip where we get to go everywhere cool in the city.  I´m pretty excited for that.  

Wow, this email´s super random, sorry.  It's just been a ton to take in all at once.  Our teacher was telling us that the North Mission has a ton of jungle areas in it and that we´ll most likely all be able to serve there.  

Well, I'd better go.  I love you guys.  I think that p-day will always be on Wednesdays.  Also, you might just continue emailing me or using dearelder.com.  Also here is a website they said might be useful for our families. I don't really know what it is.  guatemalaccm.com                     

I love you.  Have a great week.  I'm sure I'll have  a ton to write about next week.  

Until then,  Elder Lloyd

Week 2 in Provo MTC

Hey Family,

Well another week has gone by in the MTC.  I am doing really great here.  This place is the best!  To answer some of your questions, the food's ok.  I don't think I'm gaining any weight.  My suit still fits at least.  I get 50 minutes of gym time every day so i usually run a half mile and lift weights and then play about 20 minutes of 4 square.  Pretty fun.  :)  I feel like I've already learned a lot here.  We taught our first lesson on Saturday.  It went pretty well but the mock up investigator went really hard on us.  We did get some good suggestions.  We get to do our first full 40 minute Spanish lesson this Saturday. Hopefully we'll do ok.  My companion is great.  He has a really strong testimony and is able to bring the Spirit into the lesson in a very simple and powerful way.  I'm learning so much about effective teaching from him. 

The language seems to be going fairly well.  The other day we had a solo Espanol day.  It was pretty hard by the end of the day to only speak in Spanish, but it was really good for our district.  I'm really enjoying being the district president.  I have the greatest district in the world and we really seem to be growing a lot.  With the language, I think it will help me a lot to have the Guatemala MTC and have to speak all Spanish all the time.  I'm so excited!

I've got everything set for my travel to Guatemala.  Background checks, visas and everything are all good to go.  I'm lucky.  Not a lot of other missionaries in our zone are actually getting to go out into the field.  I'm taking off Tuesday the 26th.  Our flight leaves Salt lake at 6:00 pm and gets to LAX at about 8:00.  Then we have a layover until 12:00 midnight.  Then we fly to Guatemala City and land around 6:30 am.  Just in time to start a full day of study.  ;)  No sleep, it's the beeeeeest!   Really though, I'm so excited.  Trying not to get trunky though.  One of my teachers will be leaving tomorrow because he's graduating.  We'll see how the new one is.  He's been really great to us. 

The devotionals are really good.  We haven't had an apostle yet but we did have Elder Rasband of the Seventy last week.  He's the one that gave the talk on how missionaries are called each week.  It's been 14 weeks since an apostle came and that's an MTC record.  I'm hoping for one tonight.  We shall see.  Maybe it will even be the Prophet.  I'm singing in the choir so I should have pretty good seats. 

My mission president when i get out into the field will actually be leaving in 2 months.  The other day my companion and i were studying in front of the MTC and this lady came and started talking to us.  She was practicing her very limited Spanish by asking us some simple questions.  Apparently this lady, Sister Watts, is the wife of my soon to be mission president.  :)  She was so excited to meet me and has since been stopping me every day in the cafeteria and giving me little candies and things.  haha.  My companion said I better watch out or I'd already be setting myself up as AP.  :)  she's super nice though and it was really comforting knowing she'll be learning the language as well.  She told us that about half of the missionaries learn quiche or quetchical while they're there and that there are a lot of primitive areas.  Needless to say, I'm really excited.

One of the missionaries in my zone is originally from Guatemala City, Elder Ovando.  He left for his mission in Mexico today and before he left he gave me the contact information of about 30 of his family members who live in Guatemala City he'd like me to baptize.  That was way exciting for both of us!  He had some crazy stories to tell about everything that goes on in the city.  Especially about the dogs.... YIKES.  Oh well, way excited! 

As far as my mail in Guatemala, I don't know my address yet.  I think I'll be able to email throughout my whole mission but I think the best way to mail me is through email or dear Elder.  And email is for family only.  Dear Elder is pouch mail so it will take quite a while.  I'll make sure and let you know as soon as I found out the best way for everyone to get a hold of me. 

It's weird to think that I'll already be going to Guatemala in 7 days!  As for now, I'll continue working my hardest, praying everyday, and serving the Lord.  I really can feel His blessings in my life.  I love it!  Well, times about up.  I'll try to send some pictures home soon.  They've made it so you can't attach them in an email.  I'm glad the email started working though.  It hasn't been all day.  I love you guys!  Talk to you in a week.  Maybe even call at the airport.  See ya!

Love,

Elder Adam Lloyd

Latest Letter

April 12, 2011

Hello mi familia!

How's everything going.  I got your letters and they were great.  It sounds like a lot of things are happening without me there.  Life must go on I guess.  It sounds like your trip home from Utah was interesting.  Sorry about the flat tire but I'm glad you made it home safe.  Sounds like James's apartment is coming along and he's doing well in his job assessment and all the other things along with it.  It's great to hear about Travis and his farewell.  A mission will be great for him.  So mom and dad, it's great to hear that you're already doing the Lord's work even before I am out in the field.  Hopefully Antonio stays enthusiastic about the Book of Mormon and reads a bit of it. 

Now, I'll tell you a bit about the MTC.  It is so great here.  Already I have changed as a person.  A lot that I used to hold as pretty important has been replaced by other things of much greater importance.  The program that they have in the MTC truely is inspired and I feel like I grow tremendously every day.  I'm in the intermediate Spanish class so we started into the Spanish pretty heavy from the very beginning.  It's still kind of hard to speak the language but as far as understanding it, I'm getting pretty good.  My teachers only teach in Spanish now and I can understand everything they say.  I can tell that the Spirit really does help you learn, but I'm also learning that in order for the Spirit to work, you must put in great amounts of effort in the work.  My teachers are so great.  One of them is Josh's freshman roommate and the other is a guy that just got off his mission in Peru 6 months ago.  They both love us and are fantastic teachers. 

Our district is so great.  We have Elder Perry going to Dallas, Elder Dolan going to Honduras, Elder Rodgers going to Chicago, Hermana Anderson going to Santa Rosa CA, Hermana Moody to South Salt Lake, and My companion Elder Keyes going to the Guatemala Retahulu mission.  My companion and I will be going to the Guatemala MTC 2 weeks from today.  Our district is so fantastic.  Everybody has a strong desire to share the gospel and each has a testimony deeply rooted in the doctrine of Christ.  Oh ya, i'm the district leader.  Hopefully I'm doing a good job.  I love all of them. They're great!  Elder Keyes is the perfect companion for me.  We both discussed the other night that the night before we headed into the MTC, we were both praying to have a companion who was enthusiastic to learn and who had a strong testimony of the gospel.  Prayers are answered.  We've grown together a ton and I'm so glad we're going to Guatemala together also.

The food here is... interesting.  I think they put fiber in it or something.  It takes some getting used to.  I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast, Salad for lunch, and then either salad or something else for dinner.  As long as i keep to that things go well.  I've lost about 8 pounds already.  Gym time is great to have and you'd be proud, not wanting to boast or anything, but i'm gettin pretty good at foursquare.  :)  Thanks for the packages mom.  I'm pretty sure I won't need to ever use the suit.  But it will be nice to have when I have to dryclean my other suit.  It's suits on all the time here.  I'm getting used to it though. 

We haven't started using the computer too much for our language learning but we will start soon I think.  they give us 30 minutes every Tuesday for email.  Today is our p-day so it's going to be really nice.  We have a temple session at 10:00 which is going to be saweet!  Tonight we have a devotional.  Perhaps it will be President Monson.  We shall see. :)

I'm so excited to be on my mission.  I'm almost crying here in the computer lab just thinking about being in Guatemala.  It's amazing that I can begin to feel so much love for people I have never even met.  The Lord's work changes lives.  It's such a simple message that we have to share but it's so essential for the happiness of others.  I love this gospel and I love the Lord.  I am begining to have a greater appreciation for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power it has to bring not only forgiveness to men, but also peace and comfort whenever we need it.  I love all of you so much and appreciate the way I was raised.  I'm so glad I can be here and feel the Spirit so strongly each and every day.  I hope I can be a powerful tool in the hands of the Lord for the next two years and never lose track of what is important.  I also hope everything is going well at home.  And don't worry, I won't get homesick too much.  This is the most exciting thing I've ever done.  Well, time's up. Have a great week! I'll be praying for you.  Love,  Elder Lloyd

First Letter from MTC

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Dear Familia,

Today was so great!  It’s only the first night and I already feel like I’ve learned so much.  This place is amazing.  I got here and we immediately went to our Spanish class.  I’m in the intermediate class so we started speaking from the start.  My companion is Elder Keyes from Orem.  Our district is the best and I can tell we’re really going to grow together.   Elder Keyes is the most enthusiastic guy I’ve ever met.  He’s also going to Guatemala and will go into the MTC the same time I do.  Our roommates are Elders Duran and Granadas.  They’re from Mexico and Guatemala respectively.  He’s from Quetzaltenango.  They’re both going to Kentucky and neither knows any English.  Kind of crazy, but it is great.  I’m so excited to spend every day learning the gospel.  Tonight, we did a bunch of role-play scenarios that helped a lot.  We’ll see how tomorrow goes.  I love you guys so much.  This is all the time I have for a letter.  Better go to bed.  Hast luego.  Love you!  Elder Adam Lloyd

Well, it’s the second night and I haven’t sent my letter yet so I might as well say a few more things.  So as we were failing at our attempt to sleep, our roommates told us they were actually both from the US (In English).  Ha!  It was a good joke and we’ve actually decided we’re going to keep only speaking Spanish.  Today was a really long day!  It seems like we’ve been here for a week!  My district is so great.  They have such strong testimonies of the gospel and really want to be great missionaries – all of them.  Elder Ashworth is going to California, Elder Perry to Dallas, Elder Doran to Honduras, Sister Moody to Salt Lake and Sister Anderson to California.  They are great!

Tonight, we had our first meeting with the Branch Presidency.  I was called as our district leader so hopefully, I can fill that job.  Well, I’m kind of cheating writing again.  Better wait until P-day on Tuesday.  I love you and am doing great!  Love, Elder Lloyd

Letter from MTC Presidency

Congratulations on your call to serve!  We are excited about your arrival at the Provo Missionary Training Center next week and are grateful for your decision to serve the Lord.  We would like to share some important information about your stay at the MTC.

This will be your MTC mailing address:

Elder Adam Nephi Lloyd

MTC Mailbox # 300

GUA-GUAN 0607

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604-1793

Please share this address with those who may want to write or send packages to you while you are in the MTC.  Please pay particular attention to the following items:

1. Your service begins the day you check into the MTC.  Remind your family that complete separation from loved ones is part of the sacrifice that families and missionaries contribute to the work.  For this reason, you should ask your family and friends not to attempt to see or visit with you while you are at the MTC, not even during your temple walks or at other places near the MTC.

2. All missionary mail must come through the US Mail or commercial delivery services.  These services should not be used to send pizzas, fast foods, ice-cream, or any items that will spoil if they are not refrigerated within 24 hours.  Missionaries are not called out of class to receive packages, nor do they have access to a refrigerator.

For security reasons, we cannot accept any items delivered by hand.

3. Communication with family can be done through your missionary email account on your weekly Preparation Day.  Communication to you from friends should be through letters mailed to the above address.  We cannot accept telephone calls for missionaries.

4. Families and friends should not visit missionaries as they depart to their field of labor, whether at the MTC or at the airport.

Sincerely,

Provo MTC Presidency