1 week to go in the MTC

...Priesthood session is still in the fireside room so we will just be living in there this weekend basically. So much fun. Classes are cancelled because of it. President Didier spoke this Tuesday, but besides that it has been pretty normal.

Thanks for reading the letter (to the Copper Crest Primary), I love hearing from the kids every so often. It is like amazing. Thanks for the advice too, I was just sick and a bit down but I am over that now. Feeling good and loving it here. Life is really good. I am enjoying being with my companion and everyone in my district. I am sad that I only have a week left of it. scary.

I really enjoyed the hosting experience this last week. It was fun to show the new missionaries around and have the families know that their son/daughter is in good hands at the MTC. It made me feel really old. Hosting was way fun and cool to see the new missionaries. I got to host 3 people, 2 elders and a sister. For the elders we take them to their class and residence but for the sisters it is just straight to the residence and two sisters take over to get her settled in. The sister had a big family and was really sad so we made sure to make her laugh and cheer her up. She lingered a bit with her family, but it was fine, no one was rushing her since she walked in like the old way.

I have not found out yet (when he leaves), but I will try to send an email if we find out at lunch or I will tell AnnaLee tomorrow when it is so she can call or text everyone about it. I think I can call, but am not sure. We usualyl get to the airport 2 hours early for flights so I will ahve time before I levae. There is a direct flight to Paris but I think they make us take a lay over. If so, I will probably call from there too or just from there. We will see though. The coat was a good idea and I will be sure to use it as a pillow.

I do like it here, we had a good experience in the TRC. I bore my testimony of the Word of Wisdom and answered their qusetions aboout life after death. The people we teach are real members that fake investigators. They are really good at faking it though. So it is interesting. Samantha is very good at faking it and has 20 - 40 missionaries teaching her weekly.

I am making a little note card about the plan of salvation in french and english and will get it laminated before I leave to have with me. I also made a new hymnmook. I took a french one and took all the binding off and put it into a 3 ring binder so I can play piano in church easier. And if I get music for prelude or stuff I can slip them in there and have them to play. It will be a good thing to have and I will send pictures of it before I leave so you can see it. I am raelly proud of it. Besides that the week has been normal. We get our plans today to leave and will speak only in french next week. Starting today. So it will be hard but worth it. I love it here and am excited to leave but at the same time wouldn't mind staying.

Life gets down every now and then but that is just life I guess. I am doing better and loving it here again. It is an amazing place and I am actually enjoying having Elder Horne as my companion. He is a great guy and I am starting to see him from new eyes. I am glad that he is my companion becuase he is more laid back and not uptight, which really makes life a lot easier. I see some other equipes and the argue over what they want to do, and we have that sometimes but we have learned to deal with eachother a lot earlier so it is pretty good. I am glad he is my companion. It was probably just a little bit of sickness and fatigue that I was feeling last week but I am free of that now, so it is all good. I still hate making my bed and am glad at nights where I don't destroy my covers so I have to start over (I actually learned to sleep with my feet covered believe it or not, we will see if it stays like that though). I have the top bunk and it is a hassle to change the sheets and remake my bed since I have to pull the bed out from the wall just to get around to tuck sheets in. But I do and we pass inspections each week. I think this "cloud" as you called it has lifted from me and that I do feel a lot better and ready to serve with all my heart might mind and strength.

I am reading a lot from the Book of Mormon and learning some great lessons. Like my new favorite story is about Abinadi. I mean this guy comes up to the people and calls them to repentence, the King gets mad and kicks him out. So he comes back in disguise after two years to tell them the Lord is going to punish them now, and when the King brings him before him he just slaps him in the face for all his wickedness. Then when told if he denies what he said to the people that he will be allowed to live. He then is bold enough to say that he would die rather than deny it. So they Flog him with burning sticks until he catches on fire. THEN while he is on fire burning to death he prophecies more. I mean seriously! Instead of screaming in pain to give them pleasure or what not, he prophesies. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Then we see the conversion story of Alma the Older. I think we overloook that story way to much. I mean here is a High Priest of a wicked king. He had concubines and harlots and commited a lot of other sins because it is what they did. He was nearly as wicked as the King. But he is touched by the words of Abinadi and after defending him is kicked out and repents. I imagine that the process of his repentence was not as hard as his sons, but definetly very hard. I never really read that much depth into it but it is pretty intense to think about. I have found so many cool things in the book as I have really read it this time through. I have also been marking different things in colors (like the names of christ in yellow, his words in red) and it is really amazing to see that nearly every page mentions Christ. It truly is a testament of Christ.

Love you lots,
Elder Sanborn