Week 1 - MTC

Week 1 - MTC Dominican Republic:

Dear family,

 

Que pasa calabasas? So I don't know how to start this letter because I have so much to tell you guys. So much. It's crazy how much has already happened in one week and how fast it has all flown by.

      The plane flights were long and boring because the people sitting next to me didn't want to talk too much. So I slept for most of my flight. But meeting all the missionaries in Florida was so comforting. I thought I was gonna be flying solo not knowing a word of REAL spanish and then possibly get in the wrong taxi and get taken out to the middle of nowhere and all my stuff ripped off so having all of the other elders and sisters with me was awesome.

        When we landed in the DR, we had to hop off the plane and go get our luggage first. At first I couldn't find mine so I thought I was gonna be surviving off two white shirts and two pairs of pants for a week but I finally found it. The atmosphere in the airport was insane. It's not like an American airport at all. We had to go through customs and everything and the lady at the front desk thought I spoke fluent spanish cause of my accent so I had to tell her to slow down like three times cause she didn't speak a word of English. I said I was a gringo and then she understood hahahaha.

          After customs and everything we walked outside and that's when it hit me that I was actually doing this. I was actually going to be serving the Lord for two years in a country I knew little about, in a language I don't know with just a ton of variables. Cars driving wherever they wanted to. People talking so fast in Spanish it sounds like another language, and just the smells were so different. Then, as we were walking outside, the guy that was supposed to drive us to the CCM (MTC) waved us down. We all loaded our luggage into like this old school hippie bus van with curtains and a little cart attached to the back and then took so many pictures before we left.  

 

         Driving to the MTC was hands down the sketchiest experience I've ever had in my entire life. The driving is absolutely nuts. There were some guys driving on dirtbikes and quads in the middle of the road weaving through all the cars and popping wheelies for like 2 minutes going 65 on the freeway. It was absolutely unimagineable. We drove through some super rough parts of town too. It was so humbling to see some of the conditions that people lived in down here. Some people just slept on cardboard on the side of the freeway. I distincly remember when we were about 5 minutes away from the MTC, seeing about 5 families all living in a space smaller than the majority of houses in America, in the open street, with four poles stuck into the ground and a camping tarp for a roof. It was so humbling. When I saw that, I realized that I'm so blessed. So blessed to have you guys as my family and for the love and care you guys showed me and for the things you all taught me.

          That night it was really, really hard to sleep. I went to bed around two and got up at 6:30 the next morning. I was just thinking all about home and how different things are going to be when I get back. Joseph is gonna be eleven years old, Ethan is going to be DRIVING, and Aaron is going to either be on a mission or in college. I miss you guys a ton. But to be honest, besides the first night, I haven't really been missing you guys. I have, but I just haven't been focusing on it. I've been working really hard, trying to be as obedient as I can, but not being a "Missionary robot". I joke around with everybody here but when it's time to work, I work. I'm so grateful for that principle that you taught me Mom and Dad. I can never thank you enough for that because some people here really dont work hard at all.

           

 

 

Taylor with Elder Bruno from Grenada (6'7")--They play basketball together during gym time

 

     The classes are amazing here. We really have in my opinion the best teachers out of any MTC in the world. I mean, that's probably what every missionary says but it's so true. They're all so funny and just great teachers. They bring the Spirit so well and I just love everything about it. I'm learning SO fast it's insane. Three years of high school Spanish taught me 1/5 of what I've learned here in one week. I can already bear my testimony and pray strongly and my companion and I teach 45 minute lessons completely in Spanish almost every single day. I'm district leader too which is an awesome experience. I get to serve everyone, love everyone, and just give of my time to help others. I'm so grateful for all my leaders that taught me lessons in leadership and how to really take others under my wing cause that's what I've had to do a little bit; please tell Brother Denham and all my other leaders thank you for that. It's awesome though, cause it makes me feel more Christ like. I mean, Christ is taking me completely under my wing right now. I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am now without his help. The gift of tongues is real. I testify of it. If you work hard on your mission and completely devote yourself to the Lord, all things are possible. (1 Nephi 3:7).

          Classes are way challenging though. Apparently, my district has some of the hardest teachers here in the MTC. They speak pretty fast hahahah and sometimes my brain hurts and I tell myself how in the world am I gonna speaking 100x faster than this in 6 months when I'm out in el campo (the field), but a scripture I've come to love while I've been down here this week is Helaman 12:3, which is about how we need challenges in order to remember God.

    

 

Doing the "Usain Boldt" with one of the Jamaican Elders from the Jamaica district

 

Elder Zamora at the MTC

       The food down here is way good. The bread is amazing, the avocados are gigantic and so delicious and the fruit is almost like it fell from heaven. We have beans and rice EVERY single day without fail with some sort of "mystery meat" I swear some of it is probably cat and dog but it tastes just like chicken hahahahah. Elder Tibbits found out he has worms yesterday though so all of us are kind of on edge about the food. The people that work in the cafeteria though are so humble and nice though. It really makes me appreciate this country and love the people.

           Today, everyone went to the temple besides me, Elder Bruno, and Elder Millward. We are all kinda sick with a cold so President Freestone didn't want us getting the workers sick so we stayed here and just studied and watched a Provo MTC devotional. I understand where he's coming from but I wanted to go so bad. The temple here is breathtaking. It's this really cool tanish Aztec looking stone and has palm trees surrounding it with super short almost golf grass. Everything here is so beautiful. The nightly prayers here and singing in Spanish is so filled with the Spirit also.

             I don't have much more time so I'm just gonna say a couple last things before I gotta go and I'll save the rest for next week. I'm also gonna try and upload some pictures but I don't have an aux cord for my camera so hopefully they can upload. I miss you guys. I love every one of you so much and you are in my prayers multiple times every single day. I miss America but I know this is where I need to be. I'm growing spiritually, maturing, and loving it every single day. I love each and every second of it. MOM PLEASE SEND MY RETAINERS in a letter or something I think I forgot them. Send me letters all of you please. I'll have a lot more time writing. Love you all.

 

Te amo,

 

Elder Graff