At Last! Elder Mooney's first e-mail!

Hey everybody! It's hard to believe this is my first email from the MTC... in some ways it feels like I just barely said goodbye to you guys and in others, it seems like I've been here for quite a while. It's really an interesting experience in here.... No cell phones, no hanging out with friends on the weekends, no talking to girls (major life change haha), and in general, no distractions. All we do is eat, study, and sleep it's pretty awesome. I don't know what Matt Gamett was thinking when he said I'd get fat... The food isn't exactly up to par with mom's cooking, and I've actually lost a few pounds... I went from 203 when I entered the MTC and I'm down to 197 in five days. I really miss you guys so much, but the spirit is so awesome here i can't say I would rather be anywhere but here right now. My companion's name is Elder Jackson... He's from Gunnison Utah of all places but it's kind of shocking because he is not a redneck in the least degree! He played baseball and football in high school, his parents are both doctors, and like myself, he wants to go into medicine someday! I really feel like there was some divine intervention on us becoming companions because in all seriousness, when we first met, I felt like we had met before... like we were premortal buddies or something I dont know. But the important thing is that we're the best of friends already and the spirit is so incredibly strong every time we pray or try to muddle our way through teaching the first lesson of the gospel... It does worry me to think how much harder it will be once we actually have to do it in spanish haha.The interesting thing about learning how to teach the gospel is how incredibly dumbed down it has to be for investigators to understand it although, I guess if we know enough by the time we're eight to be baptised, that's about the caliber of information that the people we're going to be teaching will need to understand. How did you guys like elder Holland's talk on Sunday? WOW! I was totally flabbergasted on how incredibly powerful his testimony was and how strong the spirit was when he bore it! I hope that I have the opportunity to bear testimony like that when I'm out in Oregon in eight short weeks.... It's funny... some of the kids have been here for four weeks or so and can't stand the MTC and say they can't wait to get out of here, but I for one feel like eight weeks might not be enough time... I feel so woefully unprepared to go and preach the gospel in that amount of time, especially in another language! It's nice to know some french though, I actually got to talk to an elder from france the other day, and a lot of the verbs and nouns between french and spanish are really similar. Okay, I don't have a lot of time left to type on here, but how are things going at home? Who's shaking/spinning mom? How's little Max E. Padd? Is Katie staying away from those boys? How's work Dad? Oh and I have a couple odd requests... could you send me my 'locals' sandals? the floors of the MTC bathrooms are pretty gnarly and I do NOT want to be contracting some ridiculous disease haha. Also, could you maybe send me a list of peoples addresses so I can write them leters? I don't really have anyones besides yours and a couple of other people... maybe like grandma dayton because I've gotta tease her for not writing me this week. And tell Michelle thanks for the letter and the package... it really meant a lot to me. I miss you guys and I love you all so much. Con amor,Elder "Moonshine" Mooney