9-23-09

"The MTC is still treating me well. We are suppose to only be speaking Albanian right now but it's pretty hard. I always try to have a dictionary with me so i can look up new words and learn how to say what i want to. This week has been a frustrating week for me though. There are so many of us in the classroom that i feel like the teacher haven't taught anything useful the past few weeks. Some people have a better grip on all the grammer principles and i feel like i still need help before we leave in 2 weeks. Im going to start asking them to take time and have small sessions because lately i feel like when the teachers are in the class im not learning anything because they just kind of talk to us and joke around. I have been working hard but i need to keep at it because i know i have so much more to learn. We get our flight plans this friday!!! So next week in the email i will let you know around what time i'll be able to call you. I have been here 2 months but time is just flying bye. The next 22 are going to go by so fast. Everyday im busy and working hard. Almost at anytime during the day i could fall asleep because im so tired but i just keep going somehow,lol.

I told you this before but every thursday we teach in the TRC in Albanian and last week we thought we were only going to teach half of our lesson because my and my companion had a ZL meeting. We teach at 7 and dinner is a 6 so right as we are about to sit down and eat our teacher is like hurry come with me we found some volunteers who came in early so you'll teach the whole lesson. So we went into the lesson extremely nervous but ended up just asking tons of questions and taught for 45 minutes and gave the whole lesson. My hardest part is just understanding what they are saying. I can usually say what i want but understanding is a whole different story. Its frustrating at times. Im trying to think of what else you might want to know. The RC has been alright the past few weeks. Thats where we call people up and make sure they received what they ordered. This week we did chat and talked with people. I dont really like chats because its hard to read what the other person is thinking. I cant wait until i can just be face to face talking with people. I havent played soccer for awhile. Our Chile opponent 's left so now we just play volleyball. During our 6:30 am gym the field is closed so we have to go inside. I know i have no order to my emails but hopefully you enjoy them. Just know everything is good here. I love the language and am ready to get over there and not understand a thing,lol."

9-16-2009

"So i just perhaps might have had a visitor yesterday. I the visitor just might have perhaps been an apostle and this certain visitor just might have mentioned in front of over 2,000 missionaries and he might have called me up to bare my testimony in front of all of them =). It was amazing!! I got called in yesterday and they said the speaker wants me to give my testimony but they didnt tell me who it was and i looked at my companion and was like NO! It cant be!! lol. We were in the very front row and he called me up to talk a little. It was a humbling experience but he said i did great and everyone else said i did good but i was nervous."

Here are a couple of the pictures Kyle sent from Provo:

9-9-09

"Things here at the MTC are pretty much the same. Every week we do more SYL ( speak your own language, just incase your forgot). Starting in 2 weeks we do nothing but SYL untill right before we leave. The TRC teaching is still stressful but we learn a lot. My companion speaks a lot better than me but i am working really hard. He spoke pretty good french before he got here so i think knowing another weird language helped him with this one. I am happy though because i continue to improve and i know it will eventually come and it wont come all the way for any of us until we get out into the field and its all around us. Im nervous but so excited to get over there. I havent recieved an itinerary yet. I wont get that until a week or so before i leave. But it will be around Oct 6th...Tomorrow we teach lesson two in Albanian and a lot of people are more nervous for this one because the new vocab but i feel more confident because i feel like im getting a lot better and saying sentences that make sense =). "

9-2-09

"The day we spoke all Ablanian was fun. Sometimes we speak english because its frustrating when you want to say something but cant find the words,lol.
Yesterday we also did it all day and tomorrow we speak only Albanian all day. We teach again at the TRC again tomorrow and we cant speak english. From here on out its all our language which is good. This week my companion and i swictch gosepl principles so i have to teach god is our loving heavingly father = Zoti eshte At yne Qiell. Its a little different because of the accents on the words. I also have to talk about prophets from the bible, the great apostasy and the Book of Mormon or Libri i Mormonit. its funny because you can say it so many ways depending on when it comes in a sentences. Librin e Mormonit, Te Mormonive, i Mormoni, Mormones. It get pretty crazy,lol.

I think im gaining some weight. I have atleast 2 helpings everytime and i have also been doing my bands. I wrote last week about doing it 4 days a week and im good so far but sometimes i slack on the pushups. Other than that everything is good. Just ready to go to Albania and not be able to understand anything =). I also needed to remind you to go to church next sunday so you can hear Elder Holland talk and you should get a picture with him and send me it. He is my favorite apostle and Frank wrote me a letter and said you could probably meet him so you should do that. Its not sacrament just talking which is nice."

Update

"Before i forget i have to
> tell you about a cool experience. So once a week we go
> to the RC which is the referall center and this is where
> people call and ask about the church or ask for a free Book
> of Mormon or DVD. Sometimes we take incoming calls but
> this past week we did outgoing calls to make sure people get
> what they wanted and my companion and i called this lady and
> she was like i dont wanna hear your message bye... but then
> out of nowhere she was like wait actually i do. So we shared
> a scripture with her and she was like "you boys are so happy
> and im not but i wanna be." And then we were like we know
> how you can be happier and we shared a little more and then
> she was like YA!! Thats what i want. And she excepted to
> have missionaries over to her house. It was an awesome
> experience. Because usually i have to call these southern
> baptists who called just to get a free bible and then like
> yelling at us,lol.
> Also last night we had an apostle
> come speak to us. Elder Richard G. Scott. It was
> awesome because i had really good seats. Basically the
> first thing he did was ask how many of us where learning a
> new language and blessed us with the gift of tongues and
> then and the end he put a blessing upon us that no harm
> would come upon us in the mission field. It was a
> special moment to hear an apostle of Christ do that because
> i know he doesnt just go around giving those blessing and
> using his authority like that all the time so it was
> special."