Blog Entry #2: MTC Email Restrictions

Hi Everyone. How are things going for all of you. It's great on my side too.

I hate to be a bother, but for the duration of my stay at the MTC, I would like you to please send me letters via regular mail (or you can use DearElder.com). The MTC has cracked down on the email usage policy and programmed all the computers so that when we use up our 30 minutes of email time, the program shuts down automatically and I risk losing everything I type. Harsh I know, but that's what it is.

For that reason, I want to reserve as much time as I possibly can to type about my exploits thus far, so I'll have very little time to read any email you might have sent.

Thanks and I hope you understand.

They are saying that I "MIGHT" be sent out a bit earlier than January. The operative word is "might" since it is still up for discussion. I will keep you appraised of the situation.

Love you all very much,

Elder Zack

Blog Entry #1: Hola from the MTC

What's up, mi amigos?

I'm alive and very much well at the MTC. Honestly, the place is amazing. I don't know how I even got so nervous in the first place anyway. The classes are fun; the teachers are awesome; the companions there (all 15 of them) are great. The food... well, not so much.

That's pretty much my only complaint about the place. You see, they tend to overcook everything so it turns out dry. Especially at breakfast, where the eggs and bacon are so dry it’s uneatable, at least in my opinion. Look, I know we're all in a nervous fit over the whole flu thing, but even so, IT WOULDN'T HURT TO JUST COOK THE FOOD A LITTLE BIT LESS.

By the way, they weren't kidding about the flu incident. I mean it. There's like, a hand sanitizer dispensers every 10 feet all over the hallways in the MTC. There's an immunizations clinic every week, where they nosily check up on your medical records to make sure you're tip-top.  Last week, they cheerily informed me that my tetanus was out of date. Oh really? How could I have missed that one? Whatever, shoot me up and let me get out of here already.

But enough about that. At the MTC, we have a really hectic schedule. We're supposed to wake up at 6:30 AM and be in class within the hour, and we don't rest until 9:30PM, and even then, that's all taken up for writing in our journals and getting ready for bed.  Lights out is at 10:30PM In fact, we're recommended to wake up earlier than 6:30 so we get first dibs in the showers.

We do, however, have about 2 hours every day except Sunday for gym time to at least wind off a little. We have soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.

We have 15 companions, for whom my one assigned companion is Elder Van Dam, but we travel together a lot with another pair: Elder Nightingale and Elder Lemmon. In my opinion, Nightingale is a very awesome guy. Elder Nightingale (Seen in the picture) tells the best stories, but of course, I came in a close second, so we often made up stories together, mostly during out free time.  (Elder Nightingale is the deaf elder I met at the Missionary Mall the day I started.)

So far, my week has been pretty spiritual. On Sunday, we had a fireside where Sheri Dew (AKA the CEO of Deseret Book) spoke to us about the trials, challenges, and dangers of missionary work and encouraged us to stay strong and endure to the end on the front lines against the armies of temptation and darkness. Awesome talk! On Tuesday, we had a devotional meeting with Brother and Sister Edgley, of the Presiding Bishopric. He spoke pretty much about missionary work too.

Well, my time is very almost up, so I gotta sign out, but not before leaving you with a story that Nightingale and I came up together during our free time.

WARNING: If you are prone to excessive laughter, please turn away now. Thank you.

Throughout the week, a few pairs of missionaries came up to me and Nightingale and started talking to use for a good 5 minutes each, while we had no idea what on earth they were talking about. One of them spoke in Chinese. (I could tell, by the way.)

I mean, Hello! We're deaf! And stop looking at us like we're morons or something!

Wait, what if they do this to us for kicks? How dare they? Fine.

So we talked around and came up with a good plan for revenge.

So one day, we walked up to a missionary pair and went signed something like this to them (no voicing):

Hello, My name is Mud and My companion is Brain Dead. We would like to share to you a message today about our hideous butt rashes. Also, that combover don't really work for you and that has got to be the tackiest tie we've ever seen. Plus, with that suit, you need to seriously reconsider your taste in fashion. Also, there's been a rumor going around that you have a thing for the MTC president's wife. We testify that you have absolutely no clue what on earth we were talking about. We close in the mane of the almighty Jabba the Hutt, Amen.

At time, the pair looked at each other, then looked at us and softly signed, "You realize we know sign language, right?"

Well, that's it for this week. Bye and have a great day.

Love,

Elder Tritsch

P. S.  My new email address is ZTritsch@myldsmail.net

Elder Tritsch is in the MTC

Dear family of Zachary Aaron Tritsch,

We are pleased to inform you that your missionary has been safely checked in at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. We thank you for supporting your missionary and know that your family will be blessed as a result.

Your missionary's mailing address while at the MTC is:
Zachary Aaron Tritsch
MTC Mailbox # 146
CA-LA 0113
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Please note the following items:

1. Your missionary's service began today. Please do not arrange or request visits with your missionary, including meetings at the temple or in proximity to the MTC.

2. All missionary mail must come through the US Mail or commercial delivery services. Hand delivered items will NOT be accepted. Do not send pizzas, fast foods, ice-cream, or any items that will spoil if they are not refrigerated within 24 hours. Missionaries are not called out of class to receive packages, nor do they have access to a refrigerator.

3. Communicate with your missionary weekly through letters sent to the above address or through the email account that the missionary will set up within the first two weeks. This account is to be used by immediate family only. Telephone calls for missionaries cannot be accepted. Your missionary will correspond with you on his/her first preparation day.

4. Families and friends should not plan to visit missionaries departing to their field of labor at the airport or MTC.

Should you need to communicate with the MTC call 801-422-2602. Do not reply to this email.

Sincerely,

Provo MTC Presidency