5/17/10...Hey, I'm finally in Florida. I actually got here last Wednesday evening. That was a long day. It felt like we were flying all day. Our flight left SLC at 8:30 and we finally got to Florida around 4:30. So, it felt like all day, but I lost a few hours coming over here.It was strange having my birthday in the MTC. I had actually forgotten it was my birthday until Elder Wadsworth wished me a happy bday. They don't do any celebrations or anything like that. So, it felt like just another day. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, and for sending me those wonderful pictures. It really made me happy to get them, and hear from everyone. I did get a little card from the MTC President and his wife, but they just send those to everyone who has a bday there. The last few days in the MTC went pretty well. On Tuesday nights they have a Devotional for the whole MTC and the day before I left Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was the speaker. It was awesome!! It was such an amazing experience. The Spirit was so strong in that room. I loved it. He's a great man. When we got to the MTC we met with President Newman and Sister Newman. We had dinner at their house and learned some new stuff. They have a method of tracting called the "gathering." When I first saw the Elders who were training us doing it I was caught off guard. It's a pretty bold approach. They ask people from the start if they're willing to follow Christ and be baptized. It really works though. I've been learning how do it more effectively, and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I think once I'm more comfortable with it things will go great. After learning that we went to an apartment and spent the night. Then on Thursday morning we found out who our new companions are. My new companion is Elder Brandon. He's from Murray. He actually knows a bunch of people that were on my coed indoor team. Like Sean Booth, Tailor, Devin...and a bunch more. He's pretty chill, and has been helping me learn a lot. I'm in Ocala, FL. Which from what I hear is about as far from Jacksonville as I can get and still be in the mission boundaries. It's pretty cool here. There are trees everywhere! It's so green. I don't even know how to explain it. I'll try get pictures developed and sent home within the next few weeks. My pday is now on Monday, and like at the MTC I only have 30 minutes to read emails and write back. So, unfortunately I most likely won't be able to respond to emails and letters. If you write me a letter or that kind of thing make sure you write the address neatly. Apparently they're picky about that out here. Umm....I have so much I want to write before I get here, but when it comes time to do it I can't think of everything I wanted to say. The people here have been nice so far. Haha...the other day we were tracting and my companion pissed a guy off. So we stopped talking to him and went to knock on other doors. About 20 minutes later the guy came out, and looked like he had been crying, and said that my companion needs to be more respectful and not question someone like he had. The guy was pretty upset, but my comp had really said anything mean or rude. There's a little more to the story, but I'm running out of time. My comp and I share the apartment with two other Elders. They're Elder Blaire and Elder Porter. Both are from Utah. They're pretty chill too. My companion and I are the missionaries for two wards, so Sundays are really long. We're at church basically from 7:30am to about 4pm. I had a hard time staying awake yesterday. I could barely keep my eyes open. Well, that's it for now.
Love, Zach
Love, Zach
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