Zack's Letter October 25, 2010

Hey Everyone,

 

So i know some of you are interested to know where i got reassigned to.... well i wont make you wait any longer. Im going....drum roll please.........No where! Thats right, you read correctly. Our permisas (i think thats how you spell it) came, but not our visas. A permisa is the mexcio side of the paperwork. it allows me to get into the country, and the visa allowes me to get out i believe. Well this means that all we are waiting for is the America side of it, which usually doesnt take that long. What does this mean for me and my destination? It means I will be going straight to Mexico, but i get to spend 1-3 more glorious weeks at the oh so beloved MTC. Those who know how I feel about the MTC are probably feeling bad for me right about now. Not saying you shouldnt, but I look at this as a blessing and a opportunity to learn more and become that much more prepared for 100% spanish in Mexico. I was excited to get another call, kinda like a 2 mission calls, but i would rather have it this way so i get to work in Merida faster. 

 

Its getting balls cold here. Last night at the fireside they anounced that they are resuming regular MTC dress requirements. I didnt even know we werent on regular dress. That means I have to wear a suit everyday. I only have one suit, so thats sucks. Oh well. Also, we got an apostle last tuesday! It was Russel M. Nelson. He ended 20 minutes early, which was confusing, but it was still amazing.

 

Elder Moser is doing a lot better. We just fill our time with as much work as possible and that keeps his mind from wondering and him getting worked up about stuff he doesnt need to. Im doing really great. I feel good, the food still sucks but I am used to that now. My spanish improved a lot this week. One of my roomates wouldnt pick up his dirty clothes, so i started telling him off in spanish without realzing it. I stopped and realized how well i was speaking. He looked at me and was like "that was way good".

 

Honestly Im having trouble remembering anything good that happened this week besides our visa siituation and the apostle. Oh, we hosted the new missionaries, whiich is where we wear a cool sticker that says "HOST" and we wait on the curb sside where they get dropped off, then we take them around to everywhere they need to go to get thier stuffff. This was as new to me as it was for the new elders becuase I was too cool to show up on time and had to find my away around myself. But mostly me and Elder chong from my ddistrict just helped the new sister missionaries up four flights of stairs with all their luggage. Ya i know, Im a good person.

 

The highlight mail wise for the week is an easy pick. Kims package was off tha chain! Moms was way good too beccause it had a lot of good microwave dinner items, but kims was awesome because it had the most legit batman stickers and staionary ever, not too mention some other really cool stuff like a spanish hymn book. Also, it helped that Nick included two of the sickest clip on ties ever. I know he said they are for emergency blessings in the middle of the night and stuff, but i liked them so much i have worn both already. Thanks to them and Mom as well!

 

other shout outs include my hommies just around the block, Kiera and Connie for their letters and pictures, and also a letter from my main man Dahlin. If he gets this forwarded to him, he should know im writing and sending a letter today, so it should get their by christmas, i hope....

 

Well Im sorry this is shorter than usual, the printer was broke today so i had to spend some of my time reading instead of writing. but i have a joke i heard. Whats the difference between the MTC and prison? You get visiting hours in prison...

 

I love everyone!

 

Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter October 18, 2010

Hey everyone,

 

So one email is all i get? You people are slacking....

This week was fantastic. Everything with the new elders went smoothly and they seem like a good group. I remember how old my Zone leaders looked when i came in, so i asked the new elders how old i looked... they youngest I got was 21 and the oldest was 24 i think...ridiculously. i dont get it. But a few people asked me this week what i as a zone leader. my first responsibility is glorified babysitter. next would probably all the work we do with the incoming elders. Wednesday night when they first get here Elder Moser and I introduce ourselves and then talk to them about a few things for about 30 min and then take them back to our residence hall and show them our room and how it should look and the rules of the hall. then thursday night we teach them about how to study and some sother junk, and then give a tour of the mtc and all the different places they need to know. it was a lot of fun. We get a lot of stupid questions though, like "what kind of water do i put in the iron?" seriously?...

 

So the winner for Best letter of the week goes to, drumroll please, Casey Williams! His letter had me and E. Moser rolling on the ground laughing. It was hilarious. Also I heard that Ohio State lost to an unranked team...Sorry dad, that blows. But that means Oregon is number 1. Good stuff.

 

Well there has still not been an apostle come and speak to us. Im getting pissed about it. All the leaders say going 8 weeks with no apostle speaking is super rare, and it will be just my luck it goes 9 weeks without one and i miss him by one week. If i leave here without seeing one speak, im going to write a very angry letter or something...

Elder Moser was not feeling any better at the start of this week, but he refused to go to the doctor. So i told him we had a teaching sppointment with some other elders i met with and took a different route down to the doctor. he still gets lost after 7 weeks so i knew he wouldnt realize where we were going. When we walked in and looked at me and said "im going to kill you" i was already telling the recoptionist that my comp was very ill and needed to see the doctor asap. about an hour later he came out with a blank llok on his face. He said that the doctor thinks he has ulcers, and that his body is in a state of mal-nutrition from not eating enough and what not. the doctor also said that if he waited any longer chances were that he would have had to been hospitalized from it. Ya, he owes me one. Well the doctor said it was stress related so he sent him up to talk to the counsler. the counsler told him he has Obsesive compulsive disorder and needed to chill out or the uclers would get worse. I was like "wow, ive never known anyone in my entire life that stressed too much and had ulcers but refused to go to the doctor and nags me about everything!" (can you sense the sarcasim?) I love you Mom.... 

 

I know for sure now why Heavenly Father put me with Elder Moser...It is because Im probably one of the few Elders here that can handle his obsesiveness. But in reality we get a lot done because of it so i am extremely grateful. He is doing a lot better now.

 

This past Sunday was crazy. We didnt get properly trained as ZL's, so we had to figure it out on our own. As zl's you have to put together your branch's preisthood meeting and sacrement. Lucky for us, it was literally the one week out of the year that we were in charge of putting together the sacrement for the MTC Staff as well. So pretty much we had to put together two sacrement meetings and a priesthood meeting all within an hour when we found out. I had to conduct the MTC Staff meeting too...that was fun. NOT! But we got it all done and it turned out great.

 

Its crazy to think but we only have two weeks left. I will find out about my visa and where my reassignment is as early as thursday this week, and as late as wednesday next week. I will let you know as soon as i can. Im not sure if I can even do this, but i pray not to go anywhere in utah. But I will have a good attitude no matter where I go, that much I have already decided.

 

Well Im going to do my best to write a crap load of letters this week. so everyone be heads up on that. I didnt get as many letters as i normally do so lets fix that. I love all of you

 

Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter October 11, 2010

Hey everyone,

 

This week went really well. Felt like it took a long time for some reason. Our new classroom is freaking sweet. Its on the 5th floor and looks out over the rest of the mtc, and because provo is on a hill and the mtc is near the top, I can see most of BYU and provo. We were lucky enough to get a classroom with a few windows. From one part the the building i can see a piece of BYU's nasty blue track, and although its ugly, it depresses me. i stay away from that window. I mis track and randomly ask elders from my zone if they want to race coming back from gym or something.

 

I got all of the other menifee elders' email, and wow. It seems like they are all doing especially well right now! Nick's story about the police force going on strike or something and the stores all being broken into and the gunfire....that legit. Andrew seems like he is on spiritual steriods or something... i need to get me some of that. They were all so good but i have limited time to email!

 

Well this past week elder Moser and I were made the new Zone leaders. A zone is comprised of 3-5 district, and a district is comprised of 8-12 elders. We are now in charge over our zone. I guess somebody upstairs didnt think I was having enough trouble handling just spanish, and on top of the Elder Moser has been feeling really under the weather lately. Like 15 trips to the bathroom a day, under the weather. He has lost 10 pounds, not good. So im afraid that i will have to shoulder most of the load for a little while. My district is now the "oldest" district in the zone, and on wednesday and thursday elder moser and i have to show the incoming elders the ropes. im really excited for this because i really looked up to my zl's when i came in.

 

Luckily our zone is made up of some of the best elders around. I wont have to babysit, which is good because i have so much to do already I probably wouldnt handle a disruptive elder with much patience. Spanish imporves everyday, little by little. We had our first full lesson in spanish in the trc this past thursday. Can anybody say "gift of tounges"? i know i can- and in two languages to boot.

 

Casey everlovin Birchard finally wrote me, so sierra wont need to kill him. But on that note, the old Zone leaders are leaving a week sooner than our branch pres thought so this means i dont have the normal week long trainging as a new zl, i only had a one day training. so because of this i have to go to a bunch of meetings today, on my p-day. not too happy boiut that... this unfortunetly means i will proably not have time to get a lot of letters out. Dont worry mom, yours will arrive promptly on wednesday, along with sierras and kims. they might be short buts all i have time for. I love everyone that wrote me this week. Im probably jyxning myself saying this, but i have yet to go one day without a dear elder, and for that i am extremely grateful. please keep it up.

 

On a depressing note, the zone that just lext all got reassigned to the staes because they were mexico elders as well. there was one elder who was from california and he got reassigned to provo, just like the district' only california elder before them. im screwed. But maybe i will get to say hi to kiera and connie... I hate utah...

 

I wont find out where im going till aboiut a week before im supposed to leave. so yes mom, there is a 90% chance i will be in the states for thanksgiving. im happy about that, not about the utah thing though...ugh!

 

I still don't need any more food. i know your sending some tomorow, so i will have plenty still after that. maybe i will give a little too the new district... who knows. Emily has asked a few times about the dance thingy, and my answer is "I dont see why not, but Im definetly not her mom or dad" -you can quote me. Its really up to sarah and michael. sorry if that doesnt help.

 

Well im out of time. Pray for me and my new zone. I love everyone!

 

Elder Kitterman

Zack's Letter October 4, 2010

Its been a whole month. I can hardly believe it!

So how did everyone like general conference? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Pretty good stuff. A few of my favorites were both Utchdorfs talks, Richard G. Scott's, Holland's, all of President Monsons of course, Eyering's talk in the second saturday session i think, and a bunch of the 70 guys were way good. If you didnt get to watch it, its already up on LDS.org. 

 

Well conference made the weekend fly by. Usually the weekend goes slower because we dont recieve dear elders saturday or sunday. In fact, if you wait till after friday morning to dearelder me, i wont get it till monday night after i have already hand written a million letters, so dont procrastinate. Mom, i dont waste time reading emails because i just print them off. it only takes like 2 seconds of my time off, so dad and whoever else wants to can write me as long an email as they want that i will be able to read every monday morning! Do it! also dearelder makes the mtc world go round, so dont forget to write using that also.

 

This week didnt go as well as i was hoping, but it was good none the less. The gym is finally open, and they have a 160 meter square track on the third floor, so ive been running a lot (I hope your reading McCarron). other than that, i quickly found out that everyone from utah, regardless if they are 5'4" and whiter than me, played basketball in high school. i did not.... but i still like to play and can keep up pretty good. Other physical activites worthy of note include the residence hall olympics. if your wondering, yes i instigated them. They started last week when the rowdy district left and nights before bed got boring. so what started as random events such as wrestling, pull up/ push up competions have now escalated into a full blown production. I come up with random events such as asian push up contest, exercise band high jump (my personal fav.) and crab walk races around the halls. The asian push up one is pretty cool. My district leader is Elder Chong from washington, who is 5'4", 145, and gives me a run for my money every time on high jump. we simply see how many push ups we can do with him sitting on our backs. All of these events bring more joy into my life than i thinnk anyone will ever realize.

 

I got the stewarts package this morning! It is freaking sweet. That shirt is amazing, and the batman bear is the coolest thing ever. My district was jealous about all the cool thinnggs inside too. Mom, Im pretty much set on food for a while so you dont have to worry about that for a few weeks, but if you could please send my patriaichal blessing that would be great. i forgot it, and i can have it copied and resized here and then i wwill send it back. its in the top door of my nigh stand.  That Birchard kid better email me or wirte me pretty quick or we are going to have a serious issue. 

 

So tonight we are moving classrooms. Im way stoked about it. We are moving to a room twice the size of our class now, with all brand new stuff. It has a fat wide screen computer monitor, that is directly under a brand new 40 inch sony high def flat panel tv that is hook up as a dual monitor to the computer right below, so you can move stuff for the computer screen onto the tv screen with the mouse. its legit. there is also ttwo cameras in the room. thats why we are being moved. a few districts in our zone have been choseen to be recorded while taught so that the mtc education board and a few of the 70 and a few of the 12 apostoles can watch us and improve on the way they teach us. When they told me that, my first thought was "well class is going to be a lot more boring now" haha. but its should keep me a little more focused.

 

The rumor is Bama lost. this is awesomee. That means Ohio state moves into number 1? Im already calling it: National championnship is Oregon and Ohio state, and Ohio state wins.

 

Dad, any word from the canadians yet? I have a feeling me and you will share mutaul feelings troward the coutries are are supposed to be living in coming up here pretty quick.

 

Spanish is going reallly great. In line at dinner the other night i had a conversaion with a native mexican who was learning english to serve in the states. he was talking to me in english and i was respondding in spanish. it was pretty cool. Im getting faster and dont have to think about what i want to say as much anymore.

 

Well my time is running out. I wiill try and get lots of letters out today. I love you guys. Venga lo que venga, disfrutalo.

 

Love, Elder Kitterman